Chapter 723: Sorry, I Just Have a Heavy Hand

"No way! Is Lei Di really that strong?"

"Not just strong—he's brutal! He just snatched Li Hao's Phoenix Tail Flower right away!"

After a brief silence, shock erupted all around.

Li Hao had been boosted to eighth-rank Grand Master through resources and pills.

But an eighth-rank is still an eighth-rank—his dominance over sixth- and seventh-rank adepts was terrifying.

Yet Xu Jingming didn't even bother using his ability or entering an enhancement state.

He simply obliterated Li Hao in one strike—utterly unbelievable.

"Then again, if even his normal form can crush an eighth-rank Grand Master, just how strong is Xu Jingming's peak power?"

Someone asked instinctively, but no one could answer.

Because Xu Jingming's attack speed was simply too fast.

They barely sensed his aura, so they couldn't judge his strength at all.

Only a few seventh-rank Master-level librarians wore expressions of stunned uncertainty.

Just now, they thought they'd sensed a seventh-rank adept's aura from Xu Jingming...

"Jingming's strength has already reached eighth-rank Grand Master level?" Lin Hui's eyes widened in disbelief.

Even if you're the top prodigy of Blue Star, this rate of growth is ridiculous!

"I knew it—Lei Di is the best!" Mu Bing exclaimed excitedly.

Currently, on the virtual world's peak ranking list for seventh-rank, Catherine at number one is only A-rank seventh-rank peak combat power.

That means Xu Jingming's true combat power is even stronger than Catherine's!

"Young Master! Young Master, are you alright?"

As everyone was stunned by Xu Jingming's power, a shadow shot out from the conference hall.

In an instant, he reached Li Hao's side and saw him drenched in blood, critically wounded and near death.

He exploded in rage, eyes blazing with fury, roaring at those around him:

"Who? Who hurt my Young Master?"

Oh wow, so now the elder comes after the junior, huh?

Xu Jingming glanced at him with mild surprise and said calmly, "I did."

Zhang Heng, eighth-rank lower-tier Grand Master, possesses an A-rank elemental wind ability.

He was assigned by the Li family specifically to protect Li Hao.

Compared to Li Hao, his strength was far superior.

Several librarians in the crowd recognized him, but seeing Xu Jingming's reaction, their hearts skipped a beat.

This dialogue felt so familiar—wasn't this exactly how Li Hao had asked, and how Xu Jingming had answered?

So now, will Xu Jingming also one-shot this A-rank eighth-rank lower-tier Grand Master?

"Director Su, shouldn't we stop this?"

In the first row of seats directly facing the podium inside the conference hall.

Deputy Director Hu Jinyu hadn't arrived yet, but Su Qingli and Gu Ming were already there.

With their ninth-rank adept-level spiritual power,

even inside the building, they could sense what was happening outside.

At this moment, the white-haired Gu Ming spoke up.

Li Hao was a spoiled brat; though an eighth-rank Grand Master, his true strength was barely equal to a seventh-rank peak adept with an A-rank ability.

But Zhang Heng was different—he was a genuine A-rank eighth-rank Grand Master who had broken through by his own talent.

And being assigned as a bodyguard by the Li family meant his combat ability was also extremely strong.

"No need. Jingming can handle it himself. Later, let Liu Wei clean up."

Su Qingli said coolly.

"Oh?" A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Ming's aged face.

Su Qingli was referring to Xu Jingming, not Ling Shuang.

In other words, in Su Qingli's view, Zhang Heng posed no threat to Xu Jingming.

"So Xu Jingming has already become this strong? I must have overestimated him."

Gu Ming nodded slightly.

Xu Jingming is the future of Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion.

His rapid growth naturally made him happy.

"You?"

On the other side, Zhang Heng saw Xu Jingming step forward, and his previously rampant aura instantly stalled.

He naturally recognized this double champion of the talent tournament.

But Xu Jingming's identity alone was clearly insufficient to make him wary.

He sneered coldly and demanded:

"This is still your Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion's territory—is this how you treat guests?"

"Aren't you going to hear the reason first?" Xu Jingming frowned.

"No matter the reason, it's no excuse for you to strike!" Zhang Heng declared firmly.

From his knowledge of Li Hao, this incident was clearly Li Hao's fault.

But with the Li family as his backing, he was arrogant toward everyone.

If my Young Master bullies you, shouldn't you kneel down and let him bully you? How dare you resist?

Yes, that was Zhang Heng's true inner thought.

Aside from ninth-rank adepts, everyone else were merely ants the Li family could crush effortlessly.

Xu Jingming nearly laughed at this.

So confidently righteous—if you didn't know better, you'd think he was actually in the right.

Perhaps realizing this sounded excessive, Zhang Heng added coldly:

"At the very least, you shouldn't have struck so hard."

"Sorry, I was born with a heavy hand."

Xu Jingming grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "This time, I even held back.

Otherwise, you'd only see a corpse.

Blame him—he's too weak. He couldn't even withstand one of my strikes."

As his words ended, chaos erupted around them.

Killing someone and then crushing their spirit!

Xu Jingming wasn't leaving the Li family even a shred of face!

"You!"

Zhang Heng's face darkened. Noticing Ling Shuang on the other side, he immediately demanded:

"Director Ling, aren't you going to discipline your student?!"

He'd been talking with others inside the conference building until he sensed Li Hao's aura weakening and rushed out.

So he didn't know the relationship between Ling Shuang and Xu Jingming.

"Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion does not welcome those with hostility toward us. I support Jingming's actions."

Ling Shuang's crimson lips moved slightly as she spoke coolly.

Although she didn't want Xu Jingming to directly confront the Li family,

since he had already acted, she would unhesitatingly stand by him.

"Fine, fine, fine! So Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion deliberately wants to make things hard for the Li family!

I'll report this exactly as it happened to the family head!"

Zhang Heng's face turned dark, his aura slowly rising:

"But before that, I'd like to test Director Ling's strength—and demand justice for the Li family!"

As a bodyguard, he could never let this go unresolved.

He chose Ling Shuang because she was powerful and represented Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion.

Since they were invited guests, if Ling Shuang truly fought, they'd give others grounds to criticize them.

If Ling Shuang refused to fight, then before leaving with Li Hao,

he'd at least salvage some face, avoiding the humiliation of fleeing like a beaten dog.

But he hadn't expected Xu Jingming's voice to sound again:

"I don't need Director Ling to handle you. Let me deal with you."

He stepped forward, his towering frame releasing his full aura without restraint—exploding outward!

Crackling—

Brilliant Daitian Divine Thunder swirled around his body; the surging aura made everyone's pupils contract.

This... is a seventh-rank adept's aura??!!