Chapter 245: Fifth-Tier Earth Black Wolf! Close-Quarters Combat!

"S-class, the 3-minute rest period is over. Trial Level 27 is about to begin. Prepare for combat."

Within the virtual trial,

As soon as the 3 minutes were up, the double-tailed girl sitting beside Xu Jingming, Eva, chirped a reminder.

"You really leave no room for mercy—exactly three minutes, not a second more."

Xu Jingming rose from the grass with a half-joking tone.

"My highest authority is Principal Li. If you can wrest control from him, I'll listen to you."

Eva blinked her eyes, smirking.

"Then forget it." Xu Jingming cleared his throat.

Principal Li was the sole headmaster of Magic University, ranked at the upper echelon of the eighth tier.

In a few years, he might even be able to beat him.

But now, just the sheer pressure of the man's aura could likely crush him to death.

After the jest, Xu Jingming subtly sensed his inner SS-class All-Heaven Divine Thunder—it had recovered about four-fifths.

"Still a bit short of peak condition, but it should be enough."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly, gripping the 1000-kilogram B-class Black Obsidian Spear, and smiled:

"Come on. I'm ready."

"Understood. Trial Level 27, beginning now!" Eva floated into the air.

Simultaneously, less than a hundred meters ahead of Xu Jingming, countless lights coalesced.

Forming a beast shaped like a wolf, yet entirely black, its mouth lined with dagger-like fangs!

And its body was as massive as a tank!

This was the Earth Black Wolf, master of earth element abilities!

"Roar—"

Unlike previous beasts, the Earth Black Wolf, though eyes blazing with malice, did not charge immediately.

Instead, it moved its thick limbs, shifting positions while carefully observing.

"No wonder it's a fifth-tier beast—its intelligence far surpasses that of a peak fourth-tier."

Xu Jingming marveled inwardly.

If a peak fourth-tier beast's intelligence was like that of a twenty-year-old youth,

then a fifth-tier beast was like a seasoned thirty-something man!

Not only was its power formidable, but it was also extremely cautious.

He had not yet entered Thunder Extreme State, nor had he unleashed All-Heaven Divine Thunder.

The aura he projected was merely upper third-tier.

Yet even so, this Earth Black Wolf—two full tiers above him—still did not launch the first attack.

"Such a cautious creature. Then let you see it all! Thunder Extreme State! Mingyuleikai!"

Crackling—

Golden lightning surged as Xu Jingming instantly entered his enhanced state, his body clad in a liquid armor of thunder.

He was now at the peak of his power!

Over a hundred meters away, upon seeing Xu Jingming's brilliant golden dragon eyes,

the Earth Black Wolf instinctively recoiled a few steps.

Then, realizing Xu Jingming's aura was not as overwhelming as it seemed, it roared in fury, as if provoked:

"Aow—"

Boom—boom—

Brownish soil gathered around it, quickly forming over a dozen irregular lumps, each the size of a basketball.

The Earth Black Wolf's innate skill—Earth Clods!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...

The dozen clods shot toward Xu Jingming simultaneously.

Though massive, their flight speed was far from slow.

They tore through the air like released arrows, each exceeding a hundred meters per second!

What surprised Xu Jingming even more was that the clods had completely blocked every possible escape route—above, below, left, right.

"Interesting."

Xu Jingming's eyebrows lifted slightly; his spear, wreathed in lightning, stabbed out like lightning itself!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four clods shattered on impact; the rest narrowly missed his body.

"Incredible impact..."

Xu Jingming looked down—his grip on the spear had reddened, sharp pain throbbing in his palms.

"I haven't felt this in a long time."

The pain did not anger him—it thrilled him.

In his brilliant golden dragon eyes, a burning battle lust ignited:

"Come on! Let me see just how strong you are!"

With a low roar, lightning flashed—Xu Jingming's tall, muscular frame vanished from its spot.

The next moment, he appeared directly before the Earth Black Wolf.

His two strongest combat techniques were currently the S-class Thunder God Finger and the S-class Heavenly Thunder Art.

Thunder God Finger, needless to say, required nearly two seconds to cast.

He'd likely be slashed open by the beast's glinting claws before he could finish.

The Heavenly Thunder Art's 0. -second casting time might succeed.

But though the Earth Black Wolf wielded earth element, granting no speed boost, it was still a wolf-type beast specialized in swift assaults.

A hundred meters was nothing to a fifth-tier wolf beast.

If he failed to cast the Heavenly Thunder Art in time, he'd be instantly killed.

So he dared not gamble—he could only engage in close combat.

"Lightning Wind Break!"

His spear, wreathed in golden lightning, struck like a coiling dragon toward the Earth Black Wolf!

Boom!

A thick earthen wall erupted from the ground; Xu Jingming's spear, laden with force, slammed into it.

Boom—boom—boom—

Golden lightning flared—the earthen wall, as hard as C-class alloy, shattered instantly!

But when the wall collapsed, the Earth Black Wolf's form had vanished.

At the same moment, goosebumps rose on Xu Jingming's neck; alarm bells rang in his mind:

"No!"

He swiftly shifted his stance, dodging sideways!

Riiiip—

A dark shadow struck; razor-sharp claws slashed through.

They cut through both his Mingyuleikai and the A-class battle suit beneath.

Leaving a 1-millimeter-deep gash on his neck!

"Incredible speed!" Xu Jingming, now standing at a distance, still trembled with adrenaline.

Had he been a fraction slower, he'd have been instantly killed!

Crackling—

Since entering Thunder Extreme State, boundless All-Heaven Divine Thunder had filled a fifty-meter radius around him.

Yet this lightning, capable of instantly killing lower fourth-tier beasts, had zero effect on the Earth Black Wolf nearby.

It simply stood bathed in the lightning, as if taking a shower—its fur unscathed.

"Aow—"

Due to the previous strike, its right claw had been charred and carbonized.

But it merely let out a low growl—and the carbonized claw naturally fell off, replaced by a brand-new one.

Under the sunlight, the new claw gleamed with a cold, metallic luster.

Clearly, it was razor-sharp.

"High vitality, formidable defense, terrifying regeneration.

The Mingyuleikai 's counter-damage and All-Heaven Divine Thunder's strikes seem useless against it."

He took a deep breath; the golden lightning swirling around him retracted entirely into his body.

"But fortunately, my physical body isn't weak either."

Xu Jingming touched his neck—the wound left by the Earth Black Wolf had already healed.