Chapter 748: Ninth-Rank Peak? Exposed!

Although ancient civilization ruins hold opportunities, they are also accompanied by danger!

In the early days, there were no shortage of eighth- and ninth-rank experts who perished within these ruins.

Therefore, despite this being Eva's chosen location, Xu Jingming dared not enter lightly.

Especially since his spiritual force could not probe the interior scene at all.

He could only send the Thorn Sword Grass ahead, since its vines could easily regenerate even if destroyed.

Sssssss~~~

Upon receiving the order, the Thorn Sword Grass immediately grew vines—thick as a man's thigh—that plunged into the base.

Pop—

When the vines had extended about thirty to forty meters, suddenly a sound like a cork being pulled from a wine bottle echoed.

The next instant, the Thorn Sword Grass's vines shot back violently!

What had been thirty to forty meters long was now less than ten meters!

At the severed ends, thick green fluid oozed out.

"Indeed, something is amiss."

Xu Jingming's gaze sharpened; golden lightning swirled around his body, forming a Thunder Barrier.

Judging from the spiritual force fluctuations returning from the Thorn Sword Grass, the opponent's strike was incredibly fast—it had no time to react.

The only good news was that the opponent seemed to be wary of something, otherwise it would have already chased out.

"Sealed for over a thousand years, and yet there's still a living thing? I'll see just what you are."

Crackling—

Xu Jingming's body swelled, entering his three-meter-tall Thunderstorm Form.

Swish—

Thunder Dragon Wings unfolded behind him; should he sense any anomaly, he would flee instantly.

All preparations complete, Xu Jingming, pushing his SS-rank combat technique "Heart Net" to its limit, stepped into the base.

"Thunder Ball Technique!"

Boom!!

A golden thunderball, roughly half a meter in diameter, shot skyward instantly.

Radiating light like a miniature sun, the previously pitch-black base space was instantly illuminated.

A single glance swept the surroundings into his vision.

This was inside a research base, surrounded by numerous giant instruments.

Chairs lay overturned haphazardly, as if a struggle had occurred.

On the ground lay several grim white skeletons; at the front of the base, one skeleton stood out.

This skeleton was purplish-black, reflecting a chilling gleam under the Lei Guang.

Though reduced to bones, it still emitted a faint aura of oppression.

As Xu Jingming carefully observed, the previously drooping skull suddenly snapped upright!

Immediately, a surge of spiritual force brimming with intense killing intent exploded outward:

"Maggots! How dare you disturb my slumber! Prepare to die!"

Boom!!

A staggering pressure erupted, causing Xu Jingming to freeze in shock.

This… is the aura of a ninth-rank psychic!

And not an ordinary ninth-rank!

The aura emanating from the skeleton was identical to the one he had sensed from the ninth-rank peak Martial Saint Cao Jun in the virtual world!

"Ninth-rank peak?! How is this possible?" Xu Jingming's face darkened.

His Thunder Dragon Wings flared violently, and he shot backward like lightning.

"Eva, what's going on? How is there a ninth-rank peak inside?!"

Xu Jingming, still reeling from flight, was not yet calm.

"I don't know either."

Eva was equally stunned, "This research base was indeed founded by a ninth-rank peak psychic.

That psychic had long since perished—how could he appear here?

Even if it were his spiritual force, after a thousand years, it shouldn't remain at full strength."

Xu Jingming moved swiftly, nearly instantly flying out of the base and bursting through the ground.

But upon hearing Eva's words, he abruptly halted in place.

"S-rank, why aren't you running anymore?"

Eva's anxious voice echoed in his mind:

"A ninth-rank peak spiritual force—even without a body—can shatter you outright with a single spiritual strike!"

At the same time, a wave of regret surfaced in her mind.

Had she known this civilization ruin was this dangerous, she never should have brought Xu Jingming here.

Yet what puzzled her even more was why, after a thousand years,

this ninth-rank peak psychic's spiritual force remained so strong?

"I've just noticed something."

Xu Jingming, now motionless, asked thoughtfully:

"Eva, for a ninth-rank peak psychic to kill a seventh-rank Zhongwei Sect master like me, how many steps would it take?"

"If it were an Enhancement-type or Element-type, you might still need to use a weapon or elemental power.

But Psychic-type is different. Killing you only takes a single thought.

Even with the Soul Seal the Great Xia councilor gave you, there's no way to protect you."

Eva replied instinctively.

As an SS-class ability awakener, Xu Jingming was indeed monstrous, but a peak ninth-rank ability user was a creature of an entirely different level.

That a single thought could annihilate him was no exaggeration on her part.

"A single thought?"

Xu Jingming narrowed his eyes. "Then why didn't he just kill me outright just now?"

"Oh, right!"

Eva caught on then too, immediately saying indignantly:

"I get it now — that guy was definitely putting on an act, all that pressure earlier was completely fake!"

Being an intelligent lifeform, that scene earlier had genuinely scared her.

Worried about Xu Jingming's safety, she hadn't noticed anything off in the slightest.

Thinking carefully now, if that really had been peak ninth-rank psychic power,

even five or six kilometers away he could have just popped her head open...

"Eva, tell me who the original owner of this civilization relic was."

Xu Jingming shifted direction, flying back down along the passage toward the underground.

Now that he'd confirmed the other side was bluffing, there was no way he could let this civilization relic go.

"The owner of this research base was named Zackley. He possessed a Psychic-type S-class ability, reaching as high as peak ninth-rank.

He perished during the Second Civilization Era's great beast invasion, and at the time a simple burial ceremony was held for him.

It's just that no one expected a portion of his psychic power to be found here."

Eva said softly.

The higher an ability user's rank, the stronger their psychic power; once psychic power reaches a certain level, it can even exist independently of the body!

But psychic power that has left the body like this, unless preserved with special instruments, simply cannot endure for long.

Let alone lasting a full thousand-plus years like Zackley's has.

"It's endured over a thousand years and still has this kind of pressure?" Xu Jingming was immediately intrigued.

A peak ninth-rank aura could be faked, but that skeleton had genuinely severed the Thorn Sword Grass.

Which meant Zackley's strength was at least above seventh-rank!

Time is the most terrifying killer of all, and Zackley no longer had a body.

The fact that his psychic power alone could last until now was indeed a miracle.

Moreover, a Psychic-type master from the Second Civilization Era was himself a tremendous treasure.

"It just so happens I'm still lacking some Psychic-type combat techniques — from this Zackley, I should be able to gain something."

Whoosh—

At a depth of sixty meters underground, the alloy great door appeared before his eyes once more.

The Thunder Dragon Wings trembled slightly, golden Lei Guang flickering, and Xu Jingming's entire body became a phantom as he plunged back inside.