Chapter 23: Purple Thunder Divine Lightning! Domineering Sweep!

Crackling—

Crackling—

In the center of the open ground, purple thunder from Xu Jingming spread over three meters!

The thunderous roar was as piercing as a thousand birds screaming at once.

The terrifying lightning turned the area around Xu Jingming into a lifeless zone!

Beyond three meters, beasts lay charred and blackened by the electric blast.

Within three meters, only Xu Jingming remained—like a sovereign, wreathed in lightning...

“Indeed, raw physical strength alone is still insufficient to handle this many high-tier first-class beasts.”

Xu Jingming raised his left hand, gazing with quiet fascination at the purple arc dancing at his fingertip.

The power and rank of an ability are intimately tied to its two foundational attributes.

Though he was still merely an Awakened, his 180 points of Qi and Spirit had made his Purple Thunder Divine Lightning far stronger than when he first awakened!

It could now inflict devastating damage even on high-tier first-class beasts!

“This is an S-rank ability—domineering... and formidable.”

Xu Jingming gazed ahead.

The severe injuries and near-death states of over a dozen beasts had drawn the attention of the beast king—the Bloodthirsty Rampager rose to its feet from its resting state.

At five meters tall and over three meters wide, it resembled a heavy tank.

Imagine the oppressive weight of a heavy tank standing upright.

This was the scene Xu Jingming faced.

“Rare beast, Bloodthirsty Rampager. This year’s Wu Ke exam is truly no ordinary challenge.”

Xu Jingming licked his lips.

In southern Jiangnan during summer, sunset came later.

The slanting afternoon sun struck the Bloodthirsty Rampager, casting a long shadow across the ground.

With his back to the light, Xu Jingming could not clearly see the beast’s face.

But its blood-red eyes radiated overwhelming pressure.

Influenced by this aura, the remaining dozen beasts, previously cowed by Xu Jingming’s presence, grew bold again.

They crouched low, bared their fangs, and let out growls and roars.

“This scene would make a perfect horror film.”

“But once the fighting starts, these minor beasts might prove troublesome.”

“If so, then let’s clear the field first!”

Xu Jingming’s gaze sharpened.

The Purple Thunder Divine Lightning, previously active only on his surface, now plunged deep into his body under his control!

Hum—

As if injected with a powerful stimulant, Xu Jingming’s body shuddered violently!

Then,

His clear, sharp eyes filled with purple lightning, while an immense force surged from every limb and bone!

“This is the feeling!”

On Xu Jingming’s angular face, a wild, unrestrained smile spread.

An ability is a form of power inherent to humans—just like an arm, it can be used with perfect ease.

Thus, beyond refined techniques, there are also crude methods of application.

For example, Zhou Mingyang’s wind ability could simply reduce air resistance to increase running speed.

Likewise, his earlier burst of Purple Thunder Divine Lightning achieved an effect similar to a powerful plasma cannon.

This state now was a fundamental application of lightning-based abilities.

By guiding lightning into the body to stimulate every cell, one could dramatically enhance physical strength!

In the past, Xu Jingming had tried using his E-rank ability [Weak Electricity] to stimulate his body, but it only caused numbness with no other effect.

But now, with the S-rank Purple Thunder Divine Lightning, it was entirely different!

Xu Jingming could feel the lightning surging through him like a river, strengthening his physique to an absurd degree!

Of course,

this was not a technique.

And channeling lightning through the body was extremely dangerous—any misstep could damage the meridians.

Thus, Xu Jingming could not sustain this state for long.

“But it’s more than enough to deal with you beasts.”

Xu Jingming smirked.

The next instant,

lightning flashed, and his form vanished from where he stood.

When he reappeared, he was beside a high-tier first-class One-Horned Rhino.

Instantly, his spear in hand, he slashed through the air like lightning, leaving a purple-black trail.

Before the rhino could react, a crimson line appeared along its neck.

Then, its massive head slid cleanly off and fell to the ground.

Its skin, harder than steel, offered not the slightest defense!

Pfft—

Blood gushed from its neck like a fountain.

A high-tier first-class beast’s vitality was so great that even a gut wound would still allow movement.

But without its head, there was no remedy.

The headless body of the rhino crashed heavily into a pool of blood.

“Roar!!”

Seeing the rhino slain before its eyes, the Bloodthirsty Rampager could no longer hold back.

With a furious roar, it charged straight at Xu Jingming.

Though massive, the Bloodthirsty Rampager moved swiftly—its four limbs hitting the ground, it covered over thirty meters in an instant!

It was less running than leaping.

Yet the Bloodthirsty Rampager’s speed was outmatched—Xu Jingming’s was faster still!

Empowered by Purple Thunder Divine Lightning, he became a purple-black phantom, darting through the beast pack.

Each strike of his black spear, wreathed in purple lightning, claimed another beast’s life.

‘Ding~, slain one high-tier first-class beast: One-Horned Rhino. Ability points +15.’

‘Ding~, slain one high-tier first-class beast: Shadow Cat. Ability points +13.’

‘Ding~, slain one high-tier first-class beast: Arm-Knife Tiger. Ability points +14.’

‘......’

A series of system notifications echoed continuously in Xu Jingming’s mind.

Alongside them, the Bloodthirsty Rampager’s furious, impotent roars echoed as it failed to land a single blow.

“What kind of lightning ability is this? So brutal?!”

On the rooftop, Zhou Mingyang and his group were utterly stunned.

“Just by unleashing his ability, he nearly killed high-tier first-class beasts.”

“And Xu Jingming is still just an Awakened—no A-rank ability should achieve this level of power, right?”

The petite girl Meng Di swallowed hard.

Thanks to the internet, she had seen A-rank lightning users before.

Yet even the highest-tier A-rank lightning users had never exerted pressure as overwhelming as Xu Jingming’s right now!

“Stronger than an A-rank ability... could it be...”

Zhou Mingyang and the bald boy exchanged glances and spoke in unison: “S-rank?!”

No sooner had the words left their lips than Zhou Mingyang shook his head:

“No, no.”

“If he truly had an S-rank ability, the entire Great Xia Nation would have been shaken the moment he awakened.”

“Besides, in today’s world, it’s nearly impossible to conceal one’s ability rank.”

Ability awakening is centrally managed by the state—every Awakened’s ability is recorded in the national database.

If there were truly an S-rank ability, the state would have immediately taken the person for elite training.

Why would he still be stuck in Jiangcheng No. 2 High School, with its poor educational resources?

“Could it be ability mutation?”

The bald youth ventured.

“Ability mutation?”

Zhou Mingyang paused, then nodded. “It’s possible.”

The world is vast, full of wonders beyond imagination.

Ability mutation is rare, but it has happened before.

There have been cases in the past where a D-rank ability mutated into an A-rank ability under accidental circumstances.

“But no matter what, after today, the entire Jiangcheng will surely tremble for him.”

Gazing at the black figure below, wielding a long spear and charging through the monstrous beasts, ruthlessly clearing the area, Zhou Mingyang’s expression was incredibly complex...