Chapter 242: Surpass Kong Shi! Number One on Combat Power Leaderboard!

"What the fuck? Less than four minutes, and he's already at 350, 00 combat power, ranked in the top 20?"

"Insane! Even if those ferocious beasts just stood there for me to kill, I'd need one or two hours!"

"No wonder he's the Thunder Emperor—truly formidable!"

"......"

Besides Kong Shi, many in Mo Da were watching Xu Jingming's combat power.

When they saw him surge to 350, 00 combat power almost instantly, they all stared in stunned silence.

Those who supported Xu Jingming were even more exhilarated, their faces flushed with excitement.

They had only one evaluation of Xu Jingming.

Fast! Unbelievably fast!

And this also indirectly revealed Xu Jingming's astonishing strength.

Everything happening outside would normally be unknown to Xu Jingming inside the virtual trial.

But with Eva, the top-tier AI managing Mo Da's entire network, it was impossible not to know.

There, a little girl with green pigtails sat floating in midair above the grassland.

Her bare, glistening little feet dangled lazily, while her right hand slid across a virtual screen.

As she browsed, she grinned down at Xu Jingming:

"S-rank, the forums are flooded with posts about you—they say your clearance speed is astonishing."

"My SS-rank ability one-shots low-rank ferocious beasts; speed like this isn't surprising."

Below, on the grassland, Xu Jingming had entered Thunder Extreme State—his body massive and muscular, voice deep.

Brilliant, violent golden lightning swirled around him.

Not far ahead lay a armored ground dragon, its entire body charred black, lifeless.

Enhanced by Thunder Extreme State, plus his mastery at the Condensed Liquid stage.

Just one compressed liquid golden lightning ball had instantly killed this mid-tier fourth-rank dragon beast.

"Speaking of which, as an AI, all information is in your control—why do you still need to scroll through a screen?"

Xu Jingming said with a strange expression.

"I'm a humanoid AI; my behavior naturally follows human habits."

Eva huffed, the virtual screen vanished, she stretched and yawned:

"Uhh~~, so boring—everything's just one-shots.

You've cleared Layer 23. Rest for one minute, or continue the trial?"

This motion made Xu Jingming feel another wave of astonishment.

What kind of ancient tech did the Ancients use?

How could they develop AI to this level?

Since the trial began, he hadn't sensed even a hint of artificiality in Eva's behavior.

She was indistinguishable from a real person!

"I wish I could get a top-tier AI someday."

Shaking his head, Xu Jingming didn't dwell on it and shouted:

"No rest—continue the trial!"

At third-rank upper tier, his Thunder Extreme State could last nearly an hour!

This was just the beginning—he'd climb straight to the peak of the combat power leaderboard!

"Alright, Layer 24 trial begins—this time there are five mid-tier fourth-rank armored ground dragons~~"

Eva showed no surprise, flicking her tiny hand.

Five ferocious beasts, over five meters tall, massive, and ferocious in aura, resembling pangolins, appeared hundreds of meters away on the grassland!

Their scales weren't black, but green, their heads more grotesque.

Their green scales were thick and heavy, like wearing full armor.

"Roar—"

The five armored ground dragons charged at Xu Jingming the moment they appeared.

Ground dragons were the weakest among dragon beasts.

But they were still dragon beasts—far stronger than ordinary ferocious beasts.

Five beasts charging side by side felt like a solid wall crushing forward, overwhelming in pressure!

As the saying goes: two fists can't fight four hands.

For enhancement-type adepts, one beast versus five beasts was a completely different challenge.

But for Xu Jingming, an electricity-type adept, one or five made no difference.

He raised his right hand slightly; golden lightning gathered and condensed into a basketball-sized liquid lightning ball!

"Go!"

As the armored ground dragons entered the hundred-meter range, Xu Jingming hurled the ball with force!

Whoosh!!

The ball struck the center of the five beasts; once freed from Xu Jingming's mental control, the liquid lightning became unstable, radiating wild energy fluctuations!

"Roar—"

The armored ground dragons sensed danger and roared, trying to flee.

But it was too late!

Boom!!

The lightning ball exploded—violent golden Heavenly Thunder engulfed everything within a fifty-meter radius, including the five armored ground dragons!

Crackling—

Lightning flooded the area, as if a golden sea of thunder had erupted across the grassland.

"This is the power of an electricity-type ability—formidable and terrifying," Xu Jingming murmured with a smile.

Against a single target, it might not seem impressive—but against multiple targets, the power of elemental abilities became clear.

In fact,

among Blue Star's many abilities, elemental types have always ranked above enhancement types.

After all, elemental abilities are most effective against large groups of ferocious beasts.

Xu Jingming, at third-rank upper tier, already had such a massive damage radius.

By the time he reached eighth-rank Grand Master, or even ninth-rank Martial Saint,

a single burst of his ability could erase an entire city spanning dozens of kilometers.

No enhancement-type adept could ever achieve such killing efficiency.

At that moment, the raging lightning faded, leaving only five charred, lifeless armored ground dragons sprawled on the ground.

It must be said that dragon-type beasts have incredibly robust lifeforces.

Even with over half their bodies carbonized by lightning, they still breathed faintly.

"Die!"

Golden lightning flashed; Xu Jingming became a golden phantom, lunging forward and firing five shots in succession, killing them all.

Xu Jingming: Combat Power Leaderboard Rank 8, Combat Power:!

"Congratulations, S-rank, you've cleared Layer 24. Combat power exceeds 400, 00, entering the top 10."

Eva's clear voice echoed through the space.

Many in the top 20 were stuck on Layer 24.

Some could kill one or two beasts, hence their differing combat power and rankings.

Xu Jingming cleared it in one go, surpassing them all and vaulting straight into the top 10.

"Next, Layer 25: a single fourth-rank apex Storm Thunder Bear. Rest, or continue?"

Eva asked softly.

"Storm Thunder Bear? Old acquaintance."

Xu Jingming released his grip; Black Radiance Gun vanished. He clenched his fist, golden lightning swirling around it:

"Continue—I want to test if I can punch this thing to death."

"Alright, Layer 25 trial begins!"

As Eva spoke, a powerful Storm Thunder Bear appeared on the grassland.

This Storm Thunder Bear was identical to the one Xu Jingming had encountered in the Thunder Secret Realm!

"Aow—"

The Storm Thunder Bear roared; endless blue lightning erupted, standing in direct opposition to Xu Jingming's golden lightning!

Yet the aura of its blue lightning was clearly weaker than his golden lightning.

"Eva, if I clear Layer 25, what will my combat power reach?"

Xu Jingming asked eagerly.

"Those ranked 2nd to 7th on the combat power leaderboard are all stuck on Layer 25. Only Kong Shi cleared it in half an hour.

If you, S-rank, succeed, your combat power will rise above 500, 00!

And if your clearance time is less than Kong Shi's half-hour, you'll replace him as the new number one!"

Eva replied softly.

The 25th trial level contained only a single Fourth-Rank peak Storm Thunder Bear.

By the 26th trial level, five Fourth-Rank peak Storm Thunder Bears would attack at once!

Kong Shi passed the 25th trial level, but at the very start of the 26th, he was instantly torn apart by five bolts of thunderstorm.

In other words, even the top-ranked Kong Shi had merely cleared the 25th trial level.

Combat strength evaluation doesn't just consider whether you clear the level—it also factors in clearance speed!

If Xu Jingming clears it faster than Kong Shi, he will undoubtedly become the new number one on the combat strength leaderboard!

"Kong Shi took half an hour? I understand."

Xu Jingming took a deep breath, his entire body suffused with thunder, forming a liquid armor of lightning.

Immediately, golden thunderlight flared, and his tall, slender frame vanished from where he stood!

A-Class movement technique: Thunder Flash!

Xu Jingming surged forward over fifty meters, arriving before the Storm Thunder Bear.

"Last time, I had to maneuver around you—but this time, I don't need to!"

Xu Jingming stomped the ground and leapt more than five meters into the air:

"Thunder Dragon Fist!"

Ah——

Accompanied by a terrifying roar like that of a dragon-like beast, his right fist, wreathed in intense energy, slammed toward its skull!

"Aaaagh—"

The Storm Thunder Bear sensed danger from that punch.

It hastily crossed its arms before its head, assuming a defensive posture!

Crackling—

Simultaneously, blue lightning swirled around the Storm Thunder Bear, forming a protective shield shaped like an eggshell.

With lightning shielding plus its armored arms, the Storm Thunder Bear was certain it could block this blow without issue!

Just then, Xu Jingming's right fist arrived.

Ssshhht!

The lightning shield, encircled by golden thunder like a fist's aura, was effortlessly torn apart.

Then—CRASH! the massive fist struck the bear's crossed arms.

Puch—

The Storm Thunder Bear's thick arms, along with its hardened skull, crumbled as easily as tofu.

A single punch shattered it completely!

Under the force of the punch, shredded flesh and blood sprayed outward, leaving a long crimson trail across the grass.

"S-Rank, you're really brutal—but that punch was clean and decisive. You've earned first place."

In midair, Eva giggled, and the Storm Thunder Bear's corpse dissolved into specks of light.

Xu Jingming's combat strength ranking updated simultaneously.

Xu Jingming: Combat Strength Rank #1, Combat Power:!