Chapter 1575: Return! Astonishing Power!

"Little brother, your rate of power growth is just insane..."

Lin Qianxue flew in from behind, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

In just three months, Xu Jingming had broken from Universe Stage Eight to Universe Stage Nine!

Even more terrifying was that his Killing Combat Art had already reached the Perfect Stage.

When the Killing Domain unfolds, even Universe Peak experts are restrained!

"Your progress isn't bad either," Xu Jingming said with a smile, dispersing the killing aura and Lei Ting around him.

Under his guidance, Lin Qianxue's Killing Combat Art had reached Advanced Proficiency, allowing her to barely release the Killing Domain.

"Isn't that all thanks to me?"

The petite demon girl Vera floated between them, her tiny soul-body drifting.

Hands on her hips, her large purple eyes brimmed with triumph:

"Without my Charm Art, where would you have gotten so many demons?"

"In three months, I lured in twenty-seven waves, totaling over five thousand Universe-stage demons!"

Lin Qianxue nodded unconsciously.

Indeed.

The number of demons slain in these three months.

Even exceeded the total number of alien foes she had killed over the past hundred years on the Outer Realm battlefield!

Her gaze toward Vera carried an involuntary touch of awe.

To possess such a scale of charm ability.

This demon's lingering soul must have been far more than Eternal Stage in life—certainly at least a Dominator!

How, exactly, had little brother enslaved a Dominator-level lingering soul?

Xu Jingming noticed his sister's gaze.

But he offered no further explanation, only saying: "Three months are up. It's time to return to Aries Star."

"Yes, about time."

Lin Qianxue nodded, a rare bright smile lighting up her fair face:

"The Nine Swords Lord and the others would never have imagined our Killing Combat Art would reach this level."

The two exchanged a smile; behind them, Vera let out a soft huff, but her heart-shaped tail swished happily.

The Snow White turned its course and sped swiftly toward Aries Star.

Three days later, the central plaza of Aries Star.

The dark silver alloy ground gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the starlight, and hundreds of figures stood solemnly upon it, their aura heavy as mountains.

Compared to the over fourteen hundred people three months ago, only fewer than five hundred remained.

In just three months, the attrition rate exceeded two-thirds!

Those who remained were all elites among elites.

Of course, the vast majority eliminated were Eight-Star Warlords; Nine-Star Warlords were rare.

At this level, talent, willpower, and experience were all top-tier; being eliminated was not easy.

On the side of the God-Slaying Martial Temple, several figures gathered, whispering quietly.

The bald giant Jior stretched his neck, faint red energy currents swirling around him.

That was the killing aura condensed after entering the Killing Combat Art—only pale in hue, clearly lacking in density.

"The Killing Combat Art is easy to enter, but advancing beyond that is harder than climbing to heaven!"

He grumbled loudly, his face tinged with irritation:

"I've trained hard for three months—even went out to kill a group of aliens."

"My total killing aura has increased significantly, but I haven't even touched the threshold of Intermediate Proficiency!"

"Same here—I'm still stuck at Basic Proficiency."

"The killing aura can only be used for intimidation; its combat enhancement is negligible."

A nearby bearded giant nodded in bitter, rueful smile.

As they spoke, their gazes unconsciously turned to the rock-like, stoic figure beside them—Ross.

Ross stood motionless, eyes half-closed.

Dark red killing aura swirled around him, dense and deep crimson.

A chilling, heart-stopping coldness subtly radiated from it, flowing slowly with his breath.

"Brother Ross, you've reached Intermediate Proficiency, right?"

Jior's voice carried unmistakable envy.

"Just barely touched the Intermediate threshold. Far from condensing a Killing Domain," Ross replied calmly, his stone-like face expressionless.

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the plaza, lingering slightly toward the direction of the Eternal Star Alliance:

"Three months ago, Xu Jingming had already entered the art."

"Now, three months later, I wonder how far he's come."

At the mention of that name, Jior's face darkened, and he sneered:

"At most Intermediate Proficiency!"

"After all, this Killing Combat Art was created by a Supreme Dominator."

"Entering is simple, but advancing beyond is absurdly difficult!"

"Even if his comprehension is unmatched, three months is the absolute limit—he couldn't have gone beyond Intermediate!"

Even if his aptitude is the highest, three months is the limit to reach intermediate level!

Saying this, he glanced around, a smirk of malicious delight curling on his lips:

"Besides, Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue still haven't shown up—could they have forgotten about the assessment?"

One beside him immediately chimed in, shaking his head:

"As a Cosmic-rank cultivator, your memory rivals an intelligent light-core computer—how could you forget something like this?"

Could it be they're doing it on purpose? Knowing the double-difficulty assessment set by Lord Jiujian is impossible to pass?"

So they just ran away outright—it's better than public humiliation!"

"Hah! That makes sense! That's desertion!"

The group burst into laughter, their voices low but loud enough for many nearby warlords to hear.

Instantly, glances turned toward the Eternal Star Alliance's ranks—some curious, some sorrowful.

On the Eternal Star Alliance side, Lei Lie, Zhao Mingsnow, and others remained expressionless, ignoring the murmurs.

Yet, whenever they occasionally lifted their eyes toward the plaza entrance, a faint trace of worry flickered deep in their gazes.

Three months—why haven't Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue arrived yet?

Just as the atmosphere grew tense:

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Two streaks of golden and blue light shot toward them from afar.

They landed on the plaza, resolving into the figures of Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue.

Xu Jingming wore black robes, his posture upright, his expression calm.

Lin Qianxue wore a silver-white battle suit, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, cold and breathtakingly beautiful.

Their appearance instantly drew every eye in the plaza.

"They're here!"

"Whoa—wait, something's wrong! Xu Jingming's aura—he's broken through again?"

"It seems… he's reached Cosmic Peak!"

"No way—can his breakthrough speed really be this extreme?"

"......"

On this return, Xu Jingming had not used the Invisible Divine Inner Armor to suppress his aura.

So when his Cosmic Peak aura faintly blossomed:

Everyone in the plaza exploded in shock!

In just three months, he broke through another rank!

For anyone else, even one such rank would take centuries to achieve!

"Impossible!"

Jiao's face changed; he muttered to himself, "He must be using some disguise technique."

"Yes, it must be!"

But he knew deep down—in front of Lord Jiujian, any disguise was meaningless.

Ross's pupils darkened with the deepest Solemn.

Cosmic Peak!

That meant, in terms of energy level alone, Xu Jingming now stood on equal footing with him!

Worse still, the man had advanced from Cosmic Eighth Rank to Cosmic Peak in only three months.

"Hah! Brother Xu, you're truly awesome!"

On the Eternal Star Alliance side, Lei Lie grinned broadly; Zhao Mingsnow and the other three beside him wore expressions of astonishment.

Unconcerned with the surrounding stares, Xu Jingming remained calm.

He walked into the plaza with Lin Qianxue and stopped before the Eternal Star Alliance's ranks.