Chapter 212: Tianming Jiao Red Robe Archdeacon! Assassination Plan!

January 29, 10: 0 PM.

In the dark second-floor bedroom of the villa, curtains drawn tight, Xu Jingming slowly woke from sleep.

"That nap lasted longer than I expected..."

Xu Jingming sat up on the bed, shook his head, and instantly became fully alert.

He picked up his phone from the nightstand, tapped it lightly to illuminate the screen, and checked the time.

"It's already the 29th? I slept for two full days?"

Xu Jingming's eyebrows lifted slightly—he hadn't expected to sleep so long.

"But sleeping two days straight? Definitely refreshing."

Xu Jingming felt his condition better than ever—completely restored to peak state.

Crackling—

He stretched, and his body emitted a sound like popping beans.

"Perfect!" Xu Jingming leapt from the bed.

He walked to the window, pulled the curtains open with a rustle, and bright lightning flooded the room.

Though it was already 10 PM, the storm zone kept the outside as bright as daylight.

"This environment isn't bad—daylight all the time.

Doesn't hinder travel, and if I need sleep, I just close the curtains."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly, pulled out his phone, and dialed Vice Principal Ling Shuang.

He had already noticed her missed call from days ago.

"Ding—"

"Ding—"

"Ding—"

After three rings, the call connected; Ling Shuang's cold voice came through:

"You've left the storm zone?"

Clearly, Ling Shuang had some knowledge of the Thunder Secret Realm.

"I left two days ago, just took a nap. Did you need something, Principal?" Xu Jingming asked, puzzled.

"Based on the intel you provided earlier, the Tianming Jiao's Shanghai branch has been completely eradicated.

You can temporarily stop worrying about your family and friends."

Ling Shuang said softly.

"Excellent." Xu Jingming's face brightened.

Among Tianming Jiao, only the Jinning City and Shanghai branches hated him most.

Now that both were destroyed, the targeting against him should decrease significantly.

"Thank you, Principal."

After his joy, Xu Jingming quickly thanked her.

"No need. Focus on your training in the Thunder Secret Realm. If you're in danger, crush your talisman immediately.

Destroying the Shanghai branch doesn't mean they'll stop going after you."

Ling Shuang warned over the line.

As a cult that worships ferocious beasts as gods and opposes humanity, Xu Jingming—a human prodigy—was always a target for elimination.

"Understood. I've taken all necessary precautions," Xu Jingming nodded with a smile.

His current villa lies within the exclusive zone of Thunder Martial Arts Gym.

Security is extremely tight—entry and exit require special credentials and iris verification.

Tianming Jiao members generally can't infiltrate. Even if they did,

the protective talisman given to him by his teacher Yang Zhentian would activate automatically if his life were threatened.

After hanging up, Xu Jingming walked straight into the training room.

Two days of lying around—time to move.

He stripped off his shirt and trained for two hours as usual in fist and spear techniques.

When he finished, he was drenched in sweat, his body fully energized, steam rising from his skin.

This was the perfect time to cultivate Thunder Indestructible Body.

"Perfect chance to test the Thunder Crystal Core."

Xu Jingming pulled a Thunder Crystal Core from his space ring—slightly smaller than an egg.

It was harvested from a Level Four Lower-tier Thunder Beast he killed during his first entry into the storm core.

Though confident in his physique, he decided to start with a weaker core.

Crack—

Xu Jingming applied slight pressure with his right hand—the entire core exploded instantly!

Crackling—

Violent blue lightning surged wildly, filling the entire 30-square-meter training room in an instant!

Fortunately, the room was built with special Class-D insulating alloy, preventing destruction.

Even so, the alloy glowed faintly red from the current.

But Xu Jingming, bathed in the lightning, felt nothing—on the contrary, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

"The lightning's a bit weak, but sufficient."

Xu Jingming closed his eyes slightly; brilliant golden Doushen Thunder surged out, mixing with the blue lightning.

Following the method recorded in the S-rank body cultivation technique Thunder Indestructible Body, he used lightning to forge his physique.

As Xu Jingming cultivated Thunder Indestructible Body,

at Tianming Jiao's headquarters, in a church saturated with religious atmosphere,

unlike ordinary churches, this one was dimly lit.

The walls were carved with grotesque ferocious beast patterns and reliefs.

At the center wall, a massive blood moon was painted.

Beneath the blood moon, on the lone throne, sat a figure shrouded in gray mist.

His face was indistinct, but his crimson eyes seemed to hold mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Even the swirling gray mist could not conceal them.

Before the throne stretched a long staircase.

At its base stood eight figures clad in blood-red battle robes, each differing in build but all radiating violent, bloodthirsty energy.

Red Robe Archbishops!

Level Eight Grand Masters!

These eight were Tianming Jiao's current highest combat power, standing on either side.

In the center stood another archbishop, dressed in a blood-moon robe, his aura noticeably weaker, reporting:

"Supreme Pontiff, the Shanghai branch hasn't sent any messages for over a week.

It's likely been completely destroyed. Should we plan a rebuild?"

The archbishop bowed slightly, speaking respectfully, daring not to look up at the great presence above.

"Shanghai is Ma Da's territory. Rebuilding there remains too risky. Establish a branch nearby instead."

A gravelly, blood-tinged voice echoed through the church.

"Understood."

The archbishop's reverence deepened:

"Also, before the Shanghai branch was destroyed,

they believed Ma Da's S-rank Xu Jingming was growing too fast—he might threaten us one day.

They requested his complete elimination to prevent future danger. Should we act?"

"Ma Da's Xu Jingming? Where is he now?"

"He's currently training in the Thunder Secret Realm in Hedong City, Jiangnan Province. He won't leave anytime soon."

The archbishop, clearly prepared, replied quickly.

"Thunder Secret Realm? That's Thunder Martial Arts Gym's territory!"

The figure on the throne snorted coldly; the oppressive aura made the archbishop below tremble, barely daring to breathe.

He knew why the Supreme Pontiff was furious.

Since the assassination order was issued, Thunder Martial Arts Gym had been destroying their key branches.

Even one Level Eight Red Robe Archbishop had been slain by the gym's director recently.

"Xue Sha, once you've finished your business in Jiangnan Province, go there.

Destroy Xu Jingming—and the Thunder Secret Realm along with it."

The crimson eyes on the throne fixed on one of the eight below.

He was massive, nearly two meters tall, with wild, flowing hair.

His entire being radiated chilling malice, his grin wild and bloody:

"As you command. I love hunting human prodigies."

"If Lord Xue Sha acts, it's certain to succeed."

The grand bishop in the center sighed in relief.

Lord Xuesha is ranked at mid-Eighth Stage, and his combat prowess is even more formidable.

He ranks among the upper-mid tier among all red-robed grand bishops.

With him taking action, even if Xu Jingming had assistance from Mo Da, the Eighth Stage Grand Master skilled in spatial abilities, there would be no problem.

After all, the gap in strength between mid-Eighth Stage and low-Eighth Stage is overwhelming.