Chapter 5: Combat Technique! Lightning Gale Break!

On the other side, Xu Jingming had no idea his departure had sparked so much discussion.

At this moment, he was inside a room of about twenty square meters.

This was a single-person training room provided by Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym.

In the past, such training rooms required advance reservation to use.

Now, with fewer people, Xu Jingming could use it directly.

“First, let’s test my peak strength without any ability enhancement.”

Xu Jingming took down the long spear from his back and gripped it in his hand.

Because ferocious beasts have thick hides and tough flesh, ordinary weapons cannot penetrate their defenses.

Therefore, weapons used by ability users are manufactured by specialized weapon companies.

The long spear in his hand belonged to the Hei Yao series produced by Hengyuan Group.

The shaft was about one point nine meters long, the sharp spearhead over twenty centimeters, totaling two point one meters in length.

The entire Hei Yao spear was forged from F-grade alloy, its entire body a subdued black.

Holding the spear, Xu Jingming gave it a slight shake, and a low metallic clang resonated.

He hadn’t noticed anything unusual until he shook it—then he sensed something was off.

“The spear… it’s lighter.”

“No, not lighter—it’s because my physical body has grown stronger.”

Xu Jingming quickly realized, “But now, there’s no time to switch weapons.”

Like ability levels, alloys are divided into nine grades: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, F.

The rarer the alloy, the stronger and sharper it becomes, and the greater its damage against ferocious beasts.

Naturally, the price rises accordingly.

Weapons from Hengyuan Group’s Hei Yao series allow free selection of alloy grade and weight.

Since only F-grade weapons and battle suits are permitted in the Wu Ke exam, he naturally chose F-grade alloy.

As for weight, he selected fifty kilograms.

In the end, this entire Hei Yao spear cost him nearly two hundred thousand Daxia coins.

As the saying goes: poverty favors literature, wealth favors martial arts.

Over these years, to train his physique and ability, and to purchase battle suits, weapons, and combat techniques, Xu Jingming spent a great deal.

Some of this money came from the reluctant but persistent financial support of his aunt’s family; others came from his parents’ savings and compensation funds.

Now, he had less than fifty thousand left—no way to afford a heavier weapon.

“But it’s fine—it’ll only slightly affect my strength.”

His gaze sharpened, and Xu Jingming began warming up.

The long spear was the weapon he had trained with since age twelve—nearly six years now.

All its techniques—thrust, stab, smash, slash, tap, pierce—were deeply ingrained in his mind.

In the training room, the spear whirled in his hands, becoming a black phantom, fierce and commanding.

In mere moments, he felt his muscles stretch and his blood and qi surge.

Then, gripping the spear, he lunged sharply at the circular target on the wall.

Zeng!!

With a piercing impact, the circular target—forged from memory metal—dented inward in a dramatic arc under the kinetic force.

Only after the spear withdrew did it slowly return to shape.

Simultaneously, a number appeared on the nearby smart screen:

“321 Ka ! Pure physical strength has nearly doubled from before!”

Xu Jingming’s eyes lit up.

“ Ka ” is the standard unit for measuring attack intensity.

One Ka equals the energy released by a single black spider firecracker explosion.

Most awakened users’ maximum physical attack reaches only around 100 Ka .

Before, Xu Jingming could only manage about 140 Ka with pure physical strength.

Of course, even with his ability back then, his boost was minimal.

“But now, it’s different.”

His mind stirred, and Zi Xiao Divine Thunder summoned instantly.

Crackling~~~

Now, Xu Jingming seemed transformed into a thunder god, surrounded by countless violet lightning bolts, the sharp hiss of arcs filling the air.

He raised a finger—a violet lightning bolt shot out, roaring with fury as it slammed into the target.

This time, the memory-metal target remained dented for seven or eight seconds before slowly recovering.

The smart screen beside it displayed an astonishing number: 3012 Ka !

“Power reached three thousand Ka !! Nearly ten times my physical strength!”

Xu Jingming sucked in a sharp breath.

Keep in mind,

The average attack strength of a first-rank ability user is only one thousand Ka !

Three thousand Ka is comparable to the strength of a mid-tier first-rank ability user!

“No wonder every nation chases high-grade awakened users—the gap between tiers is enormous.”

Xu Jingming couldn’t help but whistle.

According to his memories, ability users above the awakened stage are divided into nine ranks, from first to ninth.

Each rank is further subdivided into lower, mid, and upper tiers.

And he was still only an awakened user—yet with his S-grade ability, Zi Xiao Divine Thunder, he could already match the attack strength of a mid-tier first-rank ability user!

“No wonder every nation chases high-grade awakened users—the gap between tiers is enormous.”

“But three thousand Ka isn’t my limit...”

Xu Jingming took a deep breath, and the violet lightning spread over the Hei Yao spear.

“Lightning Gale Break!”

A flash of lightning filled the training room—the spear transformed into a purple-black dragon as it lunged toward the wall!

Boom!!!

Lightning flared, the deafening impact shaking the entire training room!

When the lightning faded, the memory-metal target on the wall—

As if struck by lightning, its center had melted into a metallic crater, permanently deformed and irreparable!

Terrifying cracks radiated from the target like spiderwebs, spreading across the entire wall, exposing cables beneath the seams still sparking with electricity.

These cables connected to the memory metal to measure attack intensity.

The target was clearly destroyed.

Xu Jingming turned to the smart screen on his right—no data appeared.

“I’m in a beginner training room; the memory metal here can withstand up to upper-tier first-rank ability users.”

“The memory metal’s destruction clearly means the attack intensity reached its limit.”

“That means my strike matches the power of an upper-tier first-rank ability user!”

“No wonder combat techniques are so powerful!”

Lightning Gale Break was the only combat technique Xu Jingming currently possessed.

Of course,

He had carefully chosen this technique—it perfectly fused his lightning ability with spear techniques.

In truth, most ability users’ combat techniques are closely tied to their own abilities.

“Peak attack strength rivaling an upper-tier first-rank ability user—tomorrow’s exam should be interesting.”

A hopeful smile curled on Xu Jingming’s lips as he sheathed the Hei Yao spear and stepped out of the training room.

Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym had dedicated maintenance staff who would promptly repair damaged equipment.

And no compensation was required.

After all, those capable of damaging equipment were precisely the kind Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym welcomed most.

“After walking around, I still think our Bear Fury Martial Arts Gym is better. Lei Ting’s training rooms are smaller, and their strength-testing equipment isn’t even the latest.”

“Of course it isn’t—do you think our annual hundred thousand Daxia coins membership fee is free?”

“Speaking of which, after wandering around, I’m actually bored.”

“Bored? How about we head to the combat room and spar a few rounds?”

“...”

Tang Qi and her group of four walked down the corridor of Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym.

They had come here to relax before the final Wu Ke exam.

But after wandering for a while, they quickly grew bored.

So when someone suggested the combat room, all four perked up, eager to try.

Boom!!

At that moment, a sharp, almost piercing collision sound rang out, causing the ground beneath them to tremble slightly!

“Such a powerful energy fluctuation! It’s reached the level of an Adept!”

The boy with the earring exclaimed in surprise.

His awakened ability was a C-rank mental ability, making him highly sensitive to energy fluctuations.

“I remember this floor is designated exclusively for high school students.”

“All the freaks in Jiangcheng who reached the Adept level train at Furious Bear Martial Arts Gym—why would they come to Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym?”

The cute girl in the dress, Xiao Ya, furrowed her brows in confusion.

Although Jiangcheng lies in a barren region of Jiangnan Province and lacks deep educational roots,

there are still one or two exceptional high school students who break through and become Adepts.

“Is one of those freaks training here, or has a new Adept high school student emerged?”

“Let’s go take a look.”

The sudden commotion immediately piqued Tang Qi and the others’ interest; they turned and walked toward the training room.