Chapter 196

"Jingming, they called me on my mom's phone—I'm afraid my parents are in danger."

Lin Qingyuan also walked up.

She had never killed anyone before, and the charred corpses on the ground elicited little reaction from her; she only frowned with worry.

"Their main target is you. Your uncle and aunt weren't killed first, so they're probably safe for now."

Xu Jingming offered reassurance, then asked:

"Where do you live? We're going there right now."

"In Li Jiang Community, not far from here—just a few kilometers. A taxi would take about ten minutes. I'll call one now."

Lin Qingyuan quickly pulled out her phone.

"A taxi is too slow."

Xu Jingming shook his head. "You remember the route from here to your place, right?"

"I do." Lin Qingyuan nodded instinctively.

"Then lead the way—I'll carry you there." Xu Jingming said gravely.

"You'll carry me?"

Lin Qingyuan paused slightly, then realized this wasn't the time for shyness. She nodded.

"Okay."

Lin Qingyuan weighed less than fifty kilograms—lighter than the black Yao gun Xu Jingming used during his Wu Ke exam.

So Xu Jingming easily slung her onto his back, feeling not the slightest burden.

"Hold tight around my neck."

Xu Jingming gently cupped her thighs with his large hands, feeling her warm breath against his ear.

A faint, delicate scent of maidenhood drifted into his nostrils.

"Mm."

Lin Qingyuan softly murmured, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Thunder Extreme State!"

Xu Jingming instantly shifted into his two-point-two-meter enhanced form!

His SS-class ability, Heavenly Thunder, formed a golden lightning barrier that enveloped both him and Lin Qingyuan on his back.

Notably,

the clothing he'd purchased was all highly elastic—so even in Thunder Extreme State, it wouldn't tear.

"Speed might be fast—guide me the route ahead."

Xu Jingming pushed off with his legs—*sssshh! —his entire body shot forward like lightning!

"Ah—!"

Though Lin Qingyuan had mentally prepared herself,

the sudden acceleration still made her let out a soft cry.

"So fast!"

Within the Leiting net, the wind was largely blocked.

Lin Qingyuan could see the street scenery rapidly receding around her.

Her physique was already strong among Awakeners, yet she could barely make out the road conditions.

"Turn right at the next intersection, then left at the one after that."

Taking a deep breath, Lin Qingyuan steadied her nerves and began directing swiftly.

Under her guidance, Xu Jingming ignored the startled glances from passersby and raced full speed through the city.

With Thunder Extreme State, his sprinting speed was terrifying!

And in the city, he didn't need to worry about drawing attention from high-tier beasts.

He only needed to avoid pedestrians and vehicles.

Thus, the distance of over four kilometers was covered in just over a minute.

"Li Jiang Community—it's right here."

At the community entrance, Xu Jingming gently set Lin Qingyuan down.

"Hey! What are you doing? No using abilities in residential areas—I'm calling the Security Bureau if you keep this up!"

Xu Jingming's towering figure, wreathed in golden lightning, naturally drew the security guard's attention.

But intimidated by the overwhelming pressure radiating from him, the burly guard lacked even the courage to step out of the guard booth.

When Xu Jingming's emotionless, molten-gold dragon-like pupils fixed on him,

he clamped his mouth shut like a duck with its neck squeezed.

"What's your apartment number?" Xu Jingming asked Lin Qingyuan.

Unlike the townhouses in Jinghu Community, Li Jiang Community was merely a slightly upscale ordinary residential complex.

"Building 2, Unit 3, 8th Floor, Apartment 3." Lin Qingyuan replied quickly.

"Good. Call the Security Bureau first and wait here."

Xu Jingming said swiftly.

At that moment, the guard inside the booth could no longer bear Xu Jingming's pressure—he pressed the emergency button.

With a rumbling roar, a metal gate over eight meters tall and more than a meter thick slowly rose from the ground, blocking the community entrance.

This was a defense measure only high-end communities possessed, typically activated only when beasts breached the city's perimeter.

"Don't worry—your parents will be fine."

Xu Jingming comforted Lin Qingyuan, whose eyes were slightly red and her spirits low.

He didn't bother explaining to the guard; he stomped hard—*boom! —crushing the ground into a deep crater.

Using the recoil, his towering, powerful frame leapt upward.

To the guard's stunned gaze, he vaulted over the eight-meter-plus metal gate and entered the community.

"Chief Cold, after eliminating Lin Qingyuan, how do we set up our branch afterward?"

Inside the room, Lin Qingyuan's parents lay unconscious on the floor.

The three-stage apex Awakener in black battle gear wore a flattering smile as he asked Cold Chang.

The Celestial Mandate Sect almost always selected its bishops based on strength.

Cold Chang, having risen to bishop despite being only at peak second stage, clearly possessed exceptional abilities elsewhere.

"Don't worry—I have some unpublished technologies I accumulated during my time at Blue Ocean Tech."

All were refined from ancient civilization tech. Just one of them would be enough to fund our startup."

Cold Chang said casually.

"Good."

The black-clad Awakener's face brightened, then he hesitated: "But won't Xu Jingming track us down?"

He was from the Celestial Mandate Sect's Shanghai branch—he couldn't help fearing Xu Jingming, that killing star.

"Before, we were too large, so they easily found us."

"Now we're only four people. Xu Jingming won't find us so easily!"

Cold Chang said coldly, his gaze like a venomous snake: "We have nothing to fear—he's the one who should be afraid!"

"As long as we're still in Jiangcheng, we'll always have chances to strike at those close to him."

"Lin Qingyuan tonight is just the beginning."

"That's true." The black-clad Awakener exhaled in relief.

"Ding dong~~"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Only four minutes? Old Qian and the others are fast—I'll open the door."

The black-clad Awakener glanced at his watch and stood up smiling.

"Check their identity through the peephole first," Cold Chang warned.

"First, use cat eyes to confirm identity," Leng Chang reminded.

The black-clad Awakener nodded, pressing his right eye to the peephole.

But he saw a sharp spear tip wreathed in golden lightning, flashing toward him like lightning!

He saw the sharp spear tip, wreathed in golden thunder, stab toward him like lightning!

【90】 The black-clad adept was startled, but it was already too late to react!

The black-clad Awakener's heart jolted—but it was already too late to react!

The black-clad adept was startled, but it was already too late to react!

A spear like a coiling dragon pierced through the security door.

Its lightning-charged blade pierced his eyeball and burst out through the back of his skull!

Then it was yanked out violently!

*Squelch!

Blood and white matter were torn out together.

The three-stage apex black-clad Awakener barely managed a choked groan before collapsing heavily.

"What happened?" Cold Chang, facing away from the door, turned in confusion.

He saw a towering figure wreathed in lightning, casually tearing open the security door and stepping inside.

He saw a towering figure wreathed in lightning, casually tearing open the security door and stepping inside.

And this man was precisely the culprit who had tormented him for over a month!

"Xu Jingming?!" Chen Chang's pupils shrank to needle points, his heart trembling.

How could he have found this place?