Chapter 608: Elemental Pools! The Domineering Xu Jingming!

Hu—

Hu—

Wild winds howled past his ears as the landscape below blurred by rapidly.

Although he had delayed his departure slightly due to speaking with Eva.

Yet Xu Jingming quickly caught up to Catherine, who was leading, and overtook her outright.

"When did this guy's speed become so fast in normal form?"

Catherine's emerald eyes were filled with astonishment.

As the runner-up in both the Peak Competition and the Defense-Offense Competition, she had also received two SS-rank cultivation resources as rewards.

After consuming them, her strength had risen significantly.

Back during the Talent Competition, she had always maintained a clear lead over Xu Jingming in flight speed.

Logically, as a mid-tier sixth-rank ability user, her current flight speed should be faster than Xu Jingming's.

In reality, it should indeed be that way.

But Xu Jingming had used Phantom Thunder Step to accelerate himself during flight, testing his maximum speed, which was why.

Two hundred kilometers sounds far.

Yet under conditions with no threat from flying beasts and a straight flight path, Xu Jingming arrived in under ten minutes.

On the ground below, there were eight circular pools: one large and seven small.

The central pool had a diameter of over a hundred meters, filled with solidified milky-white Yuan energy.

It churned like an ocean.

The other seven pools were somewhat smaller, each about fifty meters in diameter.

Each had a different color, corresponding to the seven elements: wind, fire, water, earth, thunder, light, and dark.

Each elemental pool was densely packed with elemental energy.

Xu Jingming retracted his Thunder Dragon Wings and landed before the largest Yuan energy pool.

"In normal form, the Thunder Dragon Wings' top speed is about 400 meters per second.

But after activating Phantom Thunder Step, it increased to 420 meters per second!"

Xu Jingming was pleased.

He had assumed Phantom Thunder Step merely enhanced his agility while using Thunder Dragon Wings.

Yet he hadn't expected it would also boost flight speed!

A 20-meter-per-second increase may seem small, but this is still just normal form.

If he entered Thunder Extreme State or Thunder Storm State, with Dou Tian Shen Lei in a state of extreme activity, this boost would become terrifying!

"Xu Jingming, you're indeed the first to arrive.

How about challenging me first? Each contestant gets three challenge attempts."

Not far away, Norton smiled and spoke.

As for the other two ninth-rank ability users, no one knew where they had gone.

"No, I'll challenge later," Xu Jingming shook his head.

He didn't yet have a guaranteed victory; better to wait until the end of the month to challenge.

Norton wasn't surprised by this outcome and simply stood to the side.

Xu Jingming, meanwhile, observed the Yuan energy pool before him.

Yuan energy exists throughout the surrounding heavens and earth, invisible to the naked eye.

Yet now, liquid Yuan energy filled the entire pool, with Yuan energy weapons rising in steam.

The entire pool resembled a fairyland.

"Step into the Yuan energy pool, activate your ability cultivation method, and you'll achieve optimal cultivation speed."

Norton called out from afar.

"Thank you for the reminder, elder," Xu Jingming bowed, then stepped into the pool water.

The water wasn't deep—only up to his knees.

Before he even activated his ability cultivation method, he already felt Yuan energy seeping into his body through his legs.

"Let's test my cultivation speed first."

Sitting cross-legged in the Yuan energy pool, Xu Jingming silently activated his ability cultivation method.

The Yuan energy, which had merely seeped in before, now surged into his body like a whale drinking, relentlessly strengthening his physique and spirit.

Thus, he soon sank into deep meditation, not opening his eyes until over two hours later.

By then, most of the prodigies had also arrived here.

Many, like him, sat cross-legged in the pool water, meditating silently.

Others sat quietly in the other elemental pools, meditating on elemental forces.

Aiming to improve their ability control proficiency while hoping to trigger their abilities' evolution.

"The cultivation speed is indeed six times that of the outside world..." Xu Jingming thought silently.

For other ability users, this was undoubtedly an ideal cultivation site.

But for him, it was better to use this time hunting beasts and harvesting ability points.

While flying through the sky earlier, he had already surveyed it—the density of beasts in this realm, though not as high as Dayangzhou, was still quite good.

One full cultivation session requires four hours.

Using those four hours to hunt beasts would yield faster progress than staying in the Yuan energy pool.

"Seen the Yuan energy pool. Now, let's check the elemental pools," Xu Jingming walked first toward the light elemental pool.

At this moment, including Catherine, several light-system ability users were already seated cross-legged in the elemental pool, carefully comprehending.

"Let me first test whether the light elemental pool here can repair the elemental essence."

Xu Jingming directly took the damaged light elemental essence out of his spatial ring.

Hum—

The moment this light elemental essence appeared, it bloomed with a dazzling radiance.

The light elements in the elemental pool ahead immediately grew restless.

The next moment,

The light elements in the elemental pool surged out wildly, pouring into the elemental essence!!

"Hiss, what is that? It can actually absorb light elements!"

"I sensed a dense light-element aura from it!"

"Could this be... elemental essence?!"

"......"

The restless light elements immediately drew the attention of quite a few people; even Catherine, who was seated cross-legged in the light elemental pool, opened her eyes.

Among the prodigies present, quite a few had a good eye and recognized this as elemental essence, capable of causing an ability to undergo a metamorphosis.

Upon learning this news, those several A-rank light-system ability users instantly revealed boundless desire for this orb of light!

"Lei Di, will you sell this light elemental essence? I'm willing to pay any price to buy it!"

Immediately, an ability user asked expectantly.

"Not for sale."

Xu Jingming shook his head, ignoring the other's obvious disappointment, and asked Eva in his heart:

"Is the light elemental essence being repaired? Roughly how long until it's fully repaired?"

"Mm, it's repairing rapidly. It should only take about 36 days to reach 100% complete state," Eva replied.

"36 days?" Xu Jingming frowned; he could only stay in the secret realm for 30 days.

Any longer and it wouldn't work.

Besides, the elemental essence would absorb light elements. Although Norton beside him didn't speak up to stop it,

if he wanted to stay in the secret realm a while longer, absorbing light elements would definitely not be permitted.

"Fine, 30 days should get it to about 90% completeness, which is enough."

Xu Jingming released the light elemental essence, letting it float above the elemental pool and absorb light elements.

Just as he was about to step toward the water elemental pool on the other side, a black man in the light elemental pool stood up and barked sharply in Daxia language:

"Xu Jingming! This light elemental pool isn't yours alone—how can you let this thing keep absorbing?"

"What? You have an objection?" Xu Jingming raised his sword-like brows, his oppressive gaze fixed on him.

He hadn't seen this person before; must be a competitor who hadn't fought him in the Prodigy Tournament.

Locked under Xu Jingming's stare, the man instantly stiffened, fine sweat beading on his forehead.

He really hadn't fought Xu Jingming, and hadn't expected Xu Jingming's oppressive presence to be this strong!

"It's not that I have an objection—it's that you're harming the interests of us light-system ability users!"

The black man forcibly suppressed his fear, looked back at the crowd in the light elemental pool, trying to find agreement:

"You all agree, right? Letting this thing absorb light elements will definitely affect our comprehension!"

However, the few people in the light elemental pool looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Yes, it would indeed affect their comprehension.

But even the official Norton hadn't stepped in to stop Xu Jingming—which meant this behavior was tacitly approved!

In this situation, unless someone could defeat Xu Jingming, there was simply no way to stop him.

But the Prodigy Tournament had already proven that none of those present were Xu Jingming's match.

Naturally, they didn't want to invite trouble upon themselves.

"Looks like no one shares your opinion."

Xu Jingming grinned, toying with the violent Doushen Shenlei in his hand: "Now, do you still have an objection?"

"N-no... no more." The black man hurriedly replied.

Afraid that if he answered too slowly, Xu Jingming would already have hurled the Doushen Shenlei in his hand at him.

"Tsk, truly overbearing." Norton at the side watched the scene with great interest.

The Primal Energy Pool and the elemental pools were prepared for these prodigies in the first place.

Who uses more, who uses less, all depends on ability; he wouldn't interfere.

He had expected Xu Jingming's overbearing behavior to draw some resistance, or even another fight.

But he hadn't expected Xu Jingming to cow them all with just a few words and a single glance.

Still, this also reflected from the side the tremendous oppressive presence Xu Jingming brought.

PS: Tomorrow is the college entrance exam—wishing all students success on the golden list, and may you all get into the university you want to attend!