Chapter 736: The News Spreads! Daxia Explodes!

Overnight, having finally returned to Daxia, Xu Jingming prepared to relax a bit.

For the next few days, he took the three women out sightseeing during the day.

After completing his basic training each night, it was time for a pleasant four-man squad session.

Let's be honest, the three round, lustrous beads lined up together form an incredibly alluring sight.

Perhaps because of their first honest encounter, the relationships among the women have become much more harmonious.

Song Qiuyun and Jiang Chuxuan no longer treated Ling Shuang with the caution they once showed toward an eighth-rank Grand Master; instead, they became close friends.

Xu Jingming was naturally delighted by this turn of events.

As time passed, the news he had instructed Song Feng to spread quickly yielded results.

Despite Li family's public declaration to blacklist the Song family, top-tier Xia forces—including the Black Dragon Legion and Dawn Guild—not only showed no response but actually increased their cooperation with the Song family.

Thus, although the Song family lost many orders, the newly added ones ensured their profits did not decline.

On the contrary, profits surged two to three times over the original levels!

As for his aunt Xu Qingwan, with the rare herbs and flowers provided by Thunder Martial Arts Gym, she successfully fulfilled her orders without issue.

"Director Li, that's the situation—we've done our best to suppress them, but the Song family still has plenty of orders."

In Li Yang's villa, a man in a sharp suit respectfully reported to Li Yang and his wife.

"Suppression isn't working? Then escalate it further!"

Spread the word: anyone who aids the Song family is an enemy of the Li family!"

"I won't let Hao's beating go unanswered!"

The beautiful woman glared furiously, her eyebrows sharply arched.

But beside her, Li Yang frowned and waved his hand:

"This matter ends here. No more deliberate targeting of the Song family."

"Yes!" The suited man bowed respectfully and withdrew.

"Honey, are you really just letting Xu Jingming off the hook? Don't forget how much pain Hao has endured these past days!"

The beautiful woman looked displeased at this turn.

"What else can we do?"

Li Yang frowned and growled lowly:

"We can't touch Xu Jingming personally, and we can't suppress the Song family.

And your statement just now is ridiculous—anyone who doesn't help us is our enemy?

Are you trying to make the Li family enemies with every major force in Xia?"

His wife, though stunningly beautiful and an eighth-rank Grand Master, lacked common sense.

"This..." The beautiful woman wanted to argue but was momentarily speechless, muttering instead:

"So Hao's beating was just for nothing?"

"He was too showy—this beating was a lesson he needed."

Li Yang sneered, his eyes flickering slightly:

"Xu Jingming is clever indeed. I originally planned to pressure his aunt and the Song family, but now it seems I have no leverage over him."

Using his own future as leverage—this kind of breakthrough strategy, I've never seen before.

"How is Hao doing after two days of treatment?"

Li Yang's expression softened slightly as he asked.

"He's improved a lot—he's now constantly following Master Zhou, saying he wants to learn some health-preserving techniques."

The beautiful woman replied.

"Good. I was afraid he'd never let go of Ling Shuang."

Li Yang exhaled in relief.

Although Hao was his son, he had to admit:

Compared to Xu Jingming, Hao was nowhere near his level—it's no surprise he couldn't win her heart...

The Li family made a grand entrance, declaring they'd crush the Song family, only to retreat in defeat.

Naturally, many families and factions found this amusing.

But this incident remained confined to the circles of gifted clans—it was unknown to ordinary people.

Then, when Thunder Martial Arts Gym announced its latest personnel changes on its official website, confusion erupted across the entire internet.

"What the hell? Did I read that right? Thunder Emperor has been appointed Deputy Director of the Mo Ben Branch!"

"By strength alone, a sixth-rank Thunder Emperor could qualify as deputy director.

But Mo Ben is a core branch of Thunder Martial Arts Gym—deputy directors are always eighth-rank Grand Masters. Why appoint Thunder Emperor this time?"

"Thunder Emperor is a genius; bending the rules a little isn't a big deal, right?"

"Haha, Thunder Martial Arts Gym is one of Xia's top forces—how can they just change rules arbitrarily?

And if he's not strong enough, what if an emergency arises at Mo Ben? Will Xu Jingming be able to handle it?"

「......

Where there are admirers, there are also haters.

Xu Jingming attracted a wave of fans during the Talent Competition—and inevitably, a wave of hostility too.

For Xu Jingming's fans, becoming deputy director is undoubtedly a great thing.

But for those who dislike him, his insufficient strength became the perfect excuse to question him.

Even his absence from the Sixth-Rank Summit Rankings was dragged up as evidence.

Shortly after the appointment announcement, Xu Jingming's breakthrough to seventh rank was posted as a banner headline on Thunder Martial Arts Gym's official website.

Simultaneously, the video of his battle with Feng Kuan in Mo Ben was uploaded online.

Instantly, all of Xia erupted in excitement!

"Seventh rank! Thunder Emperor has already broken through to seventh rank!"

"What nonsense about the sixth-rank summit rankings? My Thunder Emperor is already seventh rank!"

"He's back! He's back! Thunder Emperor will crush all opposition!"

"How can an eighth-rank mid-level combatant not qualify as deputy director? Shut up, haters!"

「......

A seventh-rank Grand Master at age twenty!

Xu Jingming has shattered the record for the fastest ascent to seventh-rank Grand Master in over two hundred years!

And barring unforeseen circumstances, he'll also break records for eighth-rank Grand Master and ninth-rank Martial Saint.

Thus, his admirers erupted in excitement, flooding forums with questions and demands.

Meanwhile, the skeptics went silent, refusing to respond directly.

"Xu Jingming... has already broken through to seventh rank?"

In Mo Ben, Oceania, inside the Holy Church's palace.

When Catherine learned this news online, she was stunned.

She never expected Xu Jingming would reach seventh rank before her!

"And he didn't even tell me he was returning to Xia."

If I had known you were going back, I would have worked around the clock these past few days to repair the essence of light.

Catherine was annoyed.

She decided that as soon as Xu Jingming returned to Mo Ben from Xia, she'd confront him immediately.

"Seventh rank..."

Su Yu, who had also arrived in Mo Ben, received the news—but remained calm:

"I knew this guy was even more extraordinary than I imagined."

He could never match Xu Jingming's pace of breakthrough.

But as a student of the Supreme Strongest, he still had his own confidence.

If he couldn't keep up, he'd just follow his own rhythm.

Comparing himself to a prodigy like Xu Jingming only made one lose confidence...

PS: The previous chapter actually had hundreds more words, but they were censored—I had no choice but to delete everything.