Chapter 57: Another Promotion! Ability Points Exhausted!

Crackling~~~

Crackling~~~

In the second-floor training room of the villa, Lei Guang flickered unpredictably.

Xu Jingming wore only shorts, seated cross-legged on the floor, eyes half-closed.

Amidst the rumble of thunder, countless fine lightning bolts and electric arcs danced across his skin.

Chest, abdomen, thighs, calves...

Where the lightning passed, his skin turned slightly red and gained an odd resilience.

This was the cultivation method of the S-rank body-strengthening technique, Thunder Unextinguished Body.

By special techniques, the Thunder-element ability was applied directly to the flesh to enhance physical strength!

Of course,

Only a body that had established the foundation of the Unextinguished Body could endure such training.

Otherwise, this act would be no different from self-mutilation.

“Brother Ming, time’s up—we should get going.”

Liu Wentao’s voice called up from downstairs.

Xu Jingming suddenly opened his eyes, and lightning flashed within them.

“Coming.”

He responded, then suppressed the myriad violet Thunder Divine Lightning.

He stood, went to the bathroom for a quick shower, put on a T-shirt and long pants, then descended the stairs.

6:41 p.m., entrance of the Metropolis Ability University.

Metropolis Ability University stood at the center of the university district, nestled between several other institutions.

Its grand entrance

caused every student from nearby schools passing by to glance over instinctively.

But now, unlike before, some of the female students

found themselves drawn to a young man standing beside the gate.

The young man was tall and lean, with sharp brows and star-like eyes, rugged and masculine.

Merely standing there, he radiated a unique aura unlike any other.

Yet, intimidated by his powerful presence, many girls only glanced from afar, too shy to approach and ask for contact.

This man was Xu Jingming.

Beside him stood his roommate, Liu Wentao.

The gate was the agreed meeting point; departure was scheduled for exactly 7 p.m.

Not long after, two of the four people Liu Wentao had arranged to meet appeared at the gate.

They were a pair of twin sisters, strikingly similar in appearance.

Both had delicate oval faces; one wore her hair in twin pigtails, the other in a single ponytail.

Their heights were nearly identical, around 1.62 meters, and both dressed in a cute, girly style.

“Twin sisters?”

Liu Wentao blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t expected his casual selection to land him such beautiful girls.

The two girls spotted Xu Jingming and Liu Wentao from afar, waved, and hurried over.

“Hi there, I’m the older sister, Li Wanying.”

The one with the single ponytail, Li Wanying, greeted them boldly first.

Beside her, the twin with the twin pigtails giggled: “I’m the younger sister, Li Wanyue.”

The twin-tailed sister was adorable—her laugh revealed a tiny, cute canine tooth.

“Liu Wentao.”

“Xu Jingming.”

Liu Wentao and Xu Jingming smiled and introduced themselves.

But Li Wanying and Li Wanyue instinctively fixed their gazes on Xu Jingming.

After all, they had come specifically for him!

At noon, from the spectator seats, they had seen Xu Jingming on the arena.

But the distance had been too great to observe closely.

Now, up close, they found his aura even more impressive than during the match!

The sisters exchanged glances, both detecting surprise on each other’s faces.

Of course,

they weren’t mindless fangirls—they’d both passed the entrance exam to Metropolis Ability University.

Their reason for joining this social event wasn’t just to satisfy their fangirl crushes; above all, they wanted to connect with Xu Jingming.

After the match at noon, anyone with eyes could see:

Xu Jingming’s strength was on a completely different level from the other freshmen.

His future potential was limitless!

They wouldn’t miss this chance to make contact.

In fact, most girls who’d commented on the post shared this same intention.

Of course, if a deeper relationship with Xu Jingming developed, they’d welcome it.

Li Wanying and Li Wanyue were both open and cheerful; soon, they were chatting easily with Xu Jingming and Liu Wentao.

During the conversation, Xu Jingming learned:

Both sisters possessed the same B-rank auxiliary healing ability—Healing Holy Water.

It could heal all kinds of injuries, and when combined, their abilities could stack to match an A-rank ability’s effect.

“So if you ever want to form a wilderness expedition team, consider us first.”

Sister Li Wanying smiled sweetly.

As auxiliary ability users, they did have some combat capability, but it was weak.

If they ever wanted to hunt beasts in the wilderness, they’d need reliable teammates.

Someone like Xu Jingming—with immense strength—was undoubtedly the most dependable partner.

They hadn’t come to leave a deep impression on him.

They only hoped that, someday in the future, when he needed an auxiliary ability user, he’d think of them first.

“Alright.”

Xu Jingming nodded with a smile.

The wilderness, though dangerous with rampant beasts, held enormous wealth!

Such as beast flesh and blood, or rare flowers and herbs that grew only in the wilderness.

Many students at Metropolis Ability University formed ability teams

to enter the wilderness during free time, hunting beasts for money and credits.

Team composition was crucial—just like in an online game.

Warriors, mages, healers—each role was indispensable.

Only then could a team ensure higher survival rates in the wilderness.

Xu Jingming had no immediate plan to form a team.

But making friends with auxiliary ability users was still beneficial.

More friends meant more paths.

As he thought this, Liu Wentao, beside him, looked ahead and exclaimed with bright eyes:

“Brother Ming, the last two have arrived.”

Xu Jingming turned his gaze forward instinctively and saw two girls walking out from inside the gate.

They were two girls of nearly equal height.

The one on the left was slender and lovely-faced.

She wore a floral dress, her legs long and straight beneath it, appearing healthy and toned.

The girl on the left was already beautiful—but the one on the right surpassed her.

Her eyes were as clear as a baby’s, her nose delicate, lips cherry-red, her face sweet and charming.

Her black hair was tied high with a red ribbon, revealing a pale, elegant neck.

Her attire was simple: a plain women’s T-shirt and light-blue jeans.

Yet her figure was curvaceous, her chest full and prominent.

Her long legs, hugged tightly by the jeans, displayed smooth, rounded curves.

It was a peculiar contrast: her face was youthful and innocent, yet her body

ripened like a ripe peach, swaying with captivating allure.

Xu Jingming couldn’t help but think of one word—girl with a woman’s sensuality.

This girl was Song Qiuyun, whom he’d met before.

“Good evening, everyone. I’m Qi Dongxia, here as invited.”

Qi Dongxia walked up with a smiling face.

“I’m her roommate, Song Qiuyun,” Song Qiuyun added right beside her.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Xu Jingming.”

Xu Jingming also smiled as he introduced himself.

“Xu, I don’t think this is our first meeting.”

Song Qiuyun blinked her clear, large eyes.

Seeing the sly smile on Song Qiuyun’s face, Xu Jingming recalled their gaze exchange at the freshman assembly.

Indeed, it wasn’t our first meeting...

“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s go.”

“Big Brother Ming, you take Song Qiuyun and her, I’ll take Li Wanying and her sister.”

Seeing all six had arrived, Liu Wentao didn’t delay further.

They split into two groups and took two different taxis to the center of Metropolis.

The main urban area of Metropolis consists of five districts: Huangpu, Xuhui, Changning, Yangpu, and Jing’an.

The administrative district where Metropolis University is located is Jing’an.

If divided by urban and suburban zones, all five main urban districts of Metropolis are considered downtown, extremely prosperous.

But the downtown Xu Jingming and his group were heading to was the most bustling place in Metropolis—Huaihai Commercial Street!

This was one of the top commercial centers in the entire nation!

Not only did it sell various luxury goods, but also all kinds of equipment and pills needed by psychics.

Metropolis Psychic University wasn’t far from Huaihai Commercial Street.

Xu Jingming’s group took a taxi and arrived at the street’s entrance in just half an hour.

“This is Huaihai Commercial Street!”

Before Xu Jingming appeared a bustling commercial street.

It was 7:30 p.m., and the sky had begun to darken slightly.

Yet the bustling commercial street before them glowed with holographic projections, filled with countless people moving through it.

The noise was deafening!

Xu Jingming also spotted several familiar shop names within the street’s stores.

Hengyuan Equipment, Lingxi Pharmaceuticals...

Liu Wentao, Song Qiuyun, and Qi Dongxia, all visiting for the first time, stared in awe at the dazzling commercial street.

As for Li Wanying and her sister, they didn’t seem to be first-timers—their reactions were noticeably calmer.

“I’ve been here before. There’s another food street nearby. Should we grab something to eat first?”

“Fine.”

“Alright.”

“...”

Everyone was eighteen or nineteen—no one wanted a full meal.

So when the single-braid Li Wanying suggested the food street, everyone readily agreed.

After spending over an hour filling their stomachs on the nearby food street, Xu Jingming’s group returned to begin shopping.

Undeniably, the offerings in the heart of Metropolis are far more comprehensive than those in Jiangcheng.

Even though Hengyuan Equipment Group sells the Black Obsidian Gun in both cities, the armor and weapon models available in Jiangcheng are painfully limited!

But in Metropolis, everything is fully stocked and readily available.

Even the Black Obsidian Gun comes in various specialized models, leaving Xu Jingming deeply tempted.

Unfortunately, his current gear was only recently upgraded and is still perfectly functional.

So he restrained himself and didn’t buy anything.

Song Qiuyun, however, had no such reservations—when she saw attractive armor,

she treated it like ordinary clothing and simply waved her hand to purchase it.

In just over half an hour, she bought three sets of combat armor, spending several million.

This made Xu Jingming silently marvel: Song Qiuyun appeared modestly dressed, yet she was clearly a small fortune.

Friendship among young people grows quickly—they spent over four hours strolling along Huaihai Commercial Street.

They quickly grew familiar with each other, chatting and laughing all the way.

Only after 11 p.m. did they take a taxi back to campus.

Upon entering the student dormitory area, Xu Jingming and his group first bid farewell to Li Wanti and her sister.

Then they escorted Qi Dongxia and Song Qiuyun to the dorm entrance.

“We’ve reached our dorm. Goodbye!”

“Also, we had so much fun today—thank you so much!”

At the dorm entrance, Song Qiuyun smiled warmly as she said goodbye to Xu Jingming.

She wasn’t a girl who typically enjoyed going out with boys.

Because of her A-rank ability, Dawnlight, her perception was extraordinarily sharp!

Thus, she could always sense the intense, burning desire hidden deep within every boy’s heart when they looked at her.

But Xu Jingming was completely different.

Although she could still sense his gaze, she felt only pure admiration for beauty—

devoid of any other emotion.

This surprised her slightly and unexpectedly sparked a hint of fondness.

“Goodbye.”

Xu Jingming also smiled and waved.

Watching Song Qiuyun sway gracefully as she walked into the dorm with Qi Dongxia,

Xu Jingming finally returned to his own dorm with Liu Wentai.

“Phew, going out for a stroll every now and then is pretty nice.”

Liu Wentai plopped down onto the sofa.

Xu Jingming nodded in quiet agreement beside him.

Indeed,

these few hours of relaxation had lifted his spirits.

“But after tonight, it’s back to hard work.”

Xu Jingming silently told himself.

As Xu Jingming had said,

since that day he and Song Qiuyun had wandered through Metropolis’s center, he had resumed his three-point routine.

Dormitory—Professor’s Villa—Cafeteria.

Every day was either training or on the way to training.

Although Liu Wentai appeared carefree and indifferent, his admission to Metropolis Psychic University proved his strength and potential.

During this time, he too trained and cultivated diligently.

Of course, every few days he took time out to go out and have fun.

In his words, balancing work and rest ensures longevity...

Fifteen days later, July 16th, 9 p.m.

In the second-floor training room of the villa, Xu Jingming opened his system panel:

[Name]: Xu Jingming

[Level]: First Rank Mid (+)

[Ability]: Purple Thunder Divine Lightning (S)

[Physique]: 460 Qi (+)

[Spirit]: 351 He (+)

[Skills]: Gunplay (Advanced+), Fist Technique (Beginner+), Thunder Spear (Beginner+), A-Rank Chain Thunder Gun (Beginner+), Thunder Flash (Beginner+), Thunder Prison (Beginner+), Lightning Gale Break (Advanced+)

[Body Cultivation]: Thunder Indestructible Body (First Stage +)

[Ability Points]: 1048

“Almost enough to level up again.”

It had been nearly half a month since Xu Jingming last advanced to First Rank Mid.

Now, even if he advanced again, though still rapid, the pace wouldn’t seem so conspicuous.

“Then, let’s spend the points!”

Xu Jingming mentally activated the plus sign next to his level.

Ability Points -456!

First Rank Mid → First Rank Upper!

BOOM!

Instantly, Xu Jingming’s aura surged dramatically!

“Finally, I’ve reached the top tier among new students.”

Clenching his fist, Xu Jingming felt the surging blood and qi within him, significantly stronger than before.

The next moment,

Amidst a piercing thunderclap, the violet-blue Zixiao Divine Thunder was summoned, swirling around Xu Jingming.

“The power of Zixiao Divine Thunder has also improved.”

Xu Jingming nodded in satisfaction, then opened his system panel:

【Name】: Xu Jingming

【Level】: First Rank Upper Tier

【Ability】: Zixiao Divine Thunder (S)

【Physique】: 520 Qi (+)

【Spirit】: 421 He (+)

【Skills】: Spear Technique (Advanced), Fist Technique (Beginner+), Lei Mao (Beginner+), A-Rank Chain Lightning Spear (Beginner+), Lei Flash (Beginner+), Lei Prison (Beginner+), Lightning Gale Break (Advanced+)

【Body Cultivation】: Thunder Indestructible Body (First Stage +)

【Ability Points】: 592

Upon advancing to First Rank Upper Tier, his two core attributes each increased by roughly sixty points.

Additionally, Xu Jingming noticed the plus sign after his level had disappeared.

“It seems the remaining ability points aren’t enough to push me to Second Rank.”

Xu Jingming rubbed his chin. “If so, it’s time to head to the Wild Zone and hunt ferocious beasts to replenish my ability points.”

“But first, I’ll spend all my remaining points to push my strength to its limit.”

Xu Jingming’s eyes flashed, and he selected another point allocation!

Ability Points -354.

Thunder Indestructible Body, First Stage → Second Stage!

Thunder Indestructible Body, as Xu Jingming’s only currently mastered S-rank combat technique,

was naturally the first skill to upgrade now that his level had plateaued.

As an S-rank combat technique, the ability points required to upgrade Thunder Indestructible Body were undeniably high!

Yet, it was all worth it.

When Xu Jingming’s Thunder Indestructible Body reached the Second Stage, he felt a thunderous rumble echoing within his body!

His bone density increased again, and his muscles grew even denser.

“Huh—”

Xu Jingming slowly exhaled a turbid breath. "With the Thunder Indestructible Body now broken into the Second Stage, the Third Stage can't be far away."

Thunder Indestructible Body has thirteen stages total.

As an S-rank body cultivation technique, Thunder Indestructible Body does far more than merely enhance physical attributes.

Every time three stages are advanced, a special ability is unlocked!

When Thunder Indestructible Body reaches the Third Stage, the special state—Thunder Ultimate Mode—is activated!

‘Thunder Ultimate Mode’ is similar to the Thunder-Activated Cells Xu Jingming used during the Wu Ke College Entrance Exam.

But it is its ultimate upgraded version!

Once Thunder Ultimate Mode is activated, movement speed, spear speed, punch power, leg strength, and all other attributes receive comprehensive enhancement!

“Thunder Ultimate Mode... I can’t wait...”

Xu Jingming glanced again at his system panel.

After upgrading Thunder Indestructible Body, 242 ability points remained.

He spent another 178 ability points to upgrade Chain Lightning Spear from Beginner to Intermediate.

According to Xu Jingming’s estimate, upgrading to Intermediate should have cost 200 ability points.

But because he had been training regularly, it only cost him 178 points to reach Intermediate.

The system panel now showed only 62 ability points left.

At this point, Xu Jingming’s system panel was nearly empty of ability points.

“Tomorrow, I’ll inform my instructor, then prepare to head to the Wild Zone.”

Xu Jingming thought silently to himself.