Chapter 368: SS-Rank Spirit Refining Art! The Divine River Contemplation Method!

The southernmost area of the Thunder Martial Arts Academy's global headquarters.

This area is an entire district of instructor villas.

Unlike ordinary row houses, each villa here comes with its own estate.

At the very center of this instructor villa district stands a villa estate spanning tens of thousands of square meters.

This is where Su Qingli, the head of the Thunder Martial Arts Academy, resides.

At this moment, inside the luxurious villa at the estate's center, Su Qingli sat cross-legged on the training room floor, her body flickering with emerald thunder.

That terrifying thunder seemed to possess the power to erase space.

"Qingli, I'm here."

A spatial gate coalesced, and Ling Shuang's slender figure stepped out.

"Ling Shuang."

Su Qingli opened her eyes, smiling at Ling Shuang; upon noticing her attire, she was slightly surprised:

"Huh? Why aren't you wearing your traditional attire?"

Both Ling Shuang and she favored a classical, elegant style of dress.

But Ling Shuang preferred more subdued colors, while Ling Shuang favored red or black.

"Sometimes I just want to try a different style, don't I?" Ling Shuang sat down on a chair against the training room wall.

What she didn't say was that before leaving home that morning, she had planned to wear her traditional attire.

But at the last moment, she had inexplicably switched to this dress—a tight-fitting sheath dress.

"This outfit actually suits you well."

Su Qingli paid it no further mind, rose, and sat across from Ling Shuang, smiling:

"Your employment procedures were all completed yesterday.

Your official status is now that of a Special-Class Instructor at our Prodigy Training Camp.

As for the Space-Type A-Rank Energy Awakened individual I mentioned earlier—her name is Xia Lan.

All detailed files have been sent to your academy account; check them when you return.

Currently, you've been assigned only this one student. If you wish to take on others, that's entirely up to you."

"Understood."

Ling Shuang gave a slight nod. "But you didn't bring me back just because of the student, did you?

I know you're short-staffed—whatever task you need done, just assign it.

With my Space-Type Energy, I can handle plenty for you."

"No rush. You haven't been back in three years—first get settled, familiarize yourself with things here."

Su Qingli shook her head.

"Alright."

Ling Shuang didn't press further. "By the way, at the Shanghai airport, I gave Xu Jingming a rough overview of you and the deputy head."

"Later, you can give him a more detailed rundown of the deputy head's students—he should be prepared."

"Good." Su Qingli nodded.

She had planned to brief Xu Jingming on all this anyway; Ling Shuang's earlier mention saved her some effort.

"Qingli, if there's nothing else, I'll go now.

It's been over three years—I need to clean and arrange my residence."

"Go ahead. Just remember to check Xia Lan's files when you get back."

"Don't worry—I won't forget."

With those words, Ling Shuang stepped forward, her long legs sheathed in black stockings, and re-entered the spatial gate, vanishing from sight.

Su Qingli slowly closed her beautiful eyes. Thunder rumbled, and the entire training room was once again filled with terrifying lightning.

"Head, we're here."

Not long after Ling Shuang left, Xu Jingming entered the villa's living room, led by Liu Wei.

There, casually seated on the living room sofa, was Su Qingli, wearing loose training attire with a large blue lightning emblem on her back.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating her delicate face.

It made her already beautiful profile glow like polished jade.

"Director Su." Xu Jingming's expression turned solemn, and he bowed respectfully.

Compared to an Eighth-Rank Grand Master, Su Qingli, as a Ninth-Rank Law Saint, did not seem to exert as much pressure.

Yet in every gesture, she moved like a deity, giving the impression that all things lay under her control.

This feeling of life slipping beyond one's own grasp made Xu Jingming's body tense involuntarily.

"No need to be so formal—sit down."

Su Qingli was friendly, waved Liu Wei away, then regarded Xu Jingming with faint admiration:

"I expected that after our last meeting, you'd take at least half a year to reply.

I didn't expect your advancement to be this fast.

In just over two months, you've reached Fourth-Rank Upper, and your combat power is already at Sixth-Rank!"

As head of the academy, Su Qingli had, immediately after the revelation of Civilization #9's ruins, summoned Qin Zheng and other instructors for inquiries.

She knew Xu Jingming's achievements were no rumor or exaggeration.

"Director, you flatter me." Xu Jingming smiled as he sat on the sofa.

"I'm not flattering you—actually, your true strength is probably even greater, isn't it?"

Su Qingli said with keen interest.

That gaze, as if it could see right through a person, instantly surprised Xu Jingming.

Indeed,

even a mid-tier sixth-rank psychic could be slain by him now.

He just didn't know how this Director Su had figured it out...

Su Qingli made no move to explain; her space ring flickered faintly, and a paper contract appeared, handed to him:

"Since you've decided to join our Lei Ting Martial Gym, the necessary procedures must still be followed.

Read this contract first—if you have any questions, raise them; if there are none, sign it."

Xu Jingming took the contract and examined it carefully.

"Student Xu Jingming, having joined the Lei Ting Martial Gym on June 17, shall enter the Lei Ting Martial Gym's Heavenly Prodigy Training Camp for training.

Over the five-year curriculum of the Heavenly Prodigy Training Camp, the following terms are agreed upon..."

The contract's content was simple—it merely formalized the four conditions Su Qingli had mentioned previously.

As for his post-graduation placement, it would be Xu Jingming's own choice.

Of course, all such placements must be within the Lei Ting Martial Gym.

Xu Jingming had long known this.

After all, a martial gym is not a school—it trains you precisely to serve the gym.

Yet most prodigies, upon graduation, are merely assigned positions by the gym,

while his right to choose his own path grants him exceptional autonomy.

After confirming the contract had no issues, Xu Jingming signed his name on it.

The contract, made in duplicate, one copy was given to Su Qingli, the other kept by himself.

"The contract is now finalized—you are officially a member of my Heavenly Prodigy Training Camp."

Su Qingli nodded with a smile, "As previously agreed, I shall now take you as my direct disciple..."

"Master Su, hello!"

Xu Jingming immediately rose from the sofa and bowed deeply.

Although modern apprenticeship no longer requires kneeling and bowing, proper etiquette and respect must still be observed.

"Though we are master and disciple, our ages aren't far apart—no need to be overly formal."

Though Su Qingli spoke these words, her expression clearly showed she was very pleased with Xu Jingming's gesture.

She then extended her pale right hand and lifted it slightly in the air.

Xu Jingming immediately felt an invisible force gently straighten his body.

"This is the spiritual power of a ninth-rank Law Saint? It's this powerful?" Xu Jingming thought silently.

He felt that even without using her lightning-element psychic ability, Su Qingli's spiritual power alone could crush him to death.

"I told you before—I'm a psychic who follows the Elementalist path.

Now that you've become my disciple, I shall grant you the SS-rank Spirit Refinement Art."

Her space ring flickered faintly, and an ancient-looking scripture appeared in Su Qingli's hand:

"This Spirit Refinement Art is called the Shenhe Contemplation Method. Though you cannot yet study it, you may begin familiarizing yourself with its contents..."