Chapter 716

They don't know you're using the alias Zhou Xuan and fighting on the frontlines.

You needn't care about these rumors.

At the entrance to the headquarters compound of Lei Ting Martial Arts, Hearing Ling Shuang softly comforted him as she heard the faint murmurs around them.

"I never cared to begin with," Xu Jingming shook his head.

Since entering the seventh stage, he has already been on a different level from Catherine, Su Yu, and others.

His opponents are the stronger eighth-stage Grand Masters and eighth-stage ferocious beasts.

Even when he was in Dayangzhou, these people were still training in the wilderness, while he was already fighting and roaming the frontlines.

The level of danger between them was never the same from the start.

"Ling Shuang, Jingming, welcome back."

Sizzle—

A jade-blue lightning flashed, and Su Qingli's slender figure appeared before them.

"Su Laoshi," Xu Jingming bowed respectfully.

"Let's go, we'll talk at the villa." Su Qingli looked at Ling Shuang.

Her spatial power spread out, and under the respectful gazes of those around, the three vanished instantly from their spot.

"How's it going? Are you getting used to Dayangzhou?"

At the director's villa, Su Qingli leaned back on the sofa, her beautiful large eyes fixed on him.

Liu Wei, the director's assistant, was also there, wearing her usual black-rimmed glasses.

Her long black hair was tied into a single ponytail, casually hanging beside her shoulders.

Her demeanor was quiet and elegant, as if steeped in scholarly air, yet also like a secretary.

In truth, Liu Wei did exactly a secretary's job, busy pouring tea for the three of them.

"Everything's fine, but it still doesn't feel as good as Daxia," Xu Jingming smiled.

"Of course, Daxia is the best place to settle down."

Su Qingli smiled, "Once we deal with Liu Shan, you two can stay in Dayangzhou for another one or two months before returning."

Once Ling Shuang and Xu Jingming fully take over, it will be easy to replace the Mo Ben branch's personnel with your own.

At that point, the Mo Ben branch will be firmly under her control.

Although Ling Shuang has strong management skills, strength is the priority—the director has too many duties to handle.

She can't let Ling Shuang waste all her time on martial arts academy paperwork.

As for Xu Jingming, cultivation is the main focus; the deputy director title is just nominal.

Of course, even if the two return from Dayangzhou, she won't revoke their corresponding director privileges and benefits.

"Jingming, come on, let's go to the outdoor training ground."

"Let me see just how strong you've become since entering the seventh stage."

Su Qingli stared intently at Xu Jingming.

But these words made Liu Wei, who was pouring tea, jerk her right hand, nearly spilling the tea, her heart surging with shock.

Xu Jingming has already entered the seventh stage?

She still remembered when she first greeted Xu Jingming outside the Lei Ting Martial Arts headquarters building—he was only a high-level fourth stage then.

Less than a year has passed, and she's still stuck at the peak of the seventh stage, yet Xu Jingming has skyrocketed to the seventh stage!

What an astonishing breakthrough speed!

"Xiao Wei, you didn't expect this either, did you?" Seeing Liu Wei's equally stunned expression, Su Qingli couldn't help smiling.

"Yes, Xu's progress is astonishingly rapid," Liu Wei gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and replied softly.

"Haha, then come along too—let's see Jingming's strength after entering the seventh stage."

Su Qingli's red lips curled slightly upward.

Nothing was more delightful than hearing others praise her students.

Su Qingli's villa was large; behind it lay not only a small garden but also an outdoor training ground one hundred meters long and one hundred meters wide.

Now, Su Qingli and Xu Jingming stood at opposite ends of the training ground, forty meters apart.

Ling Shuang and Liu Wei acted as spectators, standing on the right side of the training ground.

"I've reinforced this space—your attack's residual energy won't spill beyond the training ground."

A wave of spatial power spread from Ling Shuang, enveloping the entire outdoor training ground.

Xu Jingming possesses eighth-stage mid-level combat power; if he fought freely, the entire villa district would be ruined—he must be restrained.

"Jingming, I'll suppress my power to the eighth stage and won't use any elemental weapons."

"You may fight as you wish—though I still prefer you use your elemental master techniques."

Crackling—

Jade-blue lightning, like shattered porcelain, erupted around Su Qingli's slender frame.

Elemental S-Rank Ability—Yu Qing Doushen Shenlei!

The moment Su Qingli unleashed her ability, a terrifying aura swept over them, pressing down with heavy oppression.

This was only the pressure from her suppressed eighth-stage power—if she revealed her ninth-stage strength,

Everyone present would likely struggle to breathe.

"Alright."

Xu Jingming took a deep breath and held nothing back.

Golden lightning flashed, and a dense, piercing thunderous roar erupted instantly!

Dou Tian Shen Lei!

Thunderstorm Form!

Extreme Radiance Thunder Ring!

Lei Ting Domain!!

In just an instant, Xu Jingming, who was already tall and broad of frame, instantly transformed into a terrifying humanoid raging-dragon-like creature!

Within a five-meter radius around him, wild golden lightning coiled, and behind him a golden halo bloomed with radiance!

"As expected, it's a domain!" Su Qingli's face showed a look of amazement.

He's already mastered a domain at the seventh tier—if he really breaks into the ninth tier, what then?

"Su Laoshi, be careful!"

Crackle-crackle—

A towering Lei Shen phantom abruptly coalesced above Xu Jingming's head, radiating overwhelming pressure.

Crackle, crackle, crackle...

His right hand flicked slightly, and five bolts of wild golden lightning as thick as water-buckets suddenly came crashing down toward Su Qingli!

Chain Thunder Art!

"Well met! Thunder Dragon Art!"

Su Qingli's long hair streamed as she moved, and accompanied by a resonant dragon's roar, a thunder dragon suddenly appeared behind her.

It devoured every bolt of heavenly thunder, then surged toward Xu Jingming undiminished in power.

"Roar—"

Another dragon's roar rang out, and Xu Jingming likewise condensed a thunder dragon!

Rumble-rumble!!

The two thunder dragons collided, jade-green lightning and golden lightning devouring each other.

It looked as though the golden lightning actually held the upper hand!

"Xu... your strength has already gotten this monstrous?" Liu Wei stared at the scene in shock.

You have to remember, this is Su Qingli!

Before Xu Jingming ever appeared, she was hailed as Blue Star's number one prodigy.

But now, her tier was a full major tier above Xu Jingming's, and yet she was still faintly in a suppressed state!

"Even Hall Su Laoshi is being suppressed—if I went up, I'd probably be instantly killed by a single Heavenly Thunder Art, wouldn't I?"

Liu Wei couldn't help thinking to herself.

At the same time she couldn't help recalling some of the negative comments about Xu Jingming online over the past month or two, and suddenly found it rather amusing.

The sixth-tier peak rankings?

Xu Jingming has already broken through to the seventh tier—who's still going to play with you lot at the sixth tier!