Chapter 855: Heaven Thunder Art One-Shot! All Are Awestruck!

"Good, good, good—I'd like to see how you defeat me in one move!"

Liu Shan, enraged, let out a bitter laugh; the suppressed aura he'd held back since Su Qingli and Hu Jinyu's arrival erupted once more!!

BOOM—

He pushed his Enhancement-Type A-Rank Ability, "Crimson Golden Demon Ape," to its absolute limit!

His body swelled by a full circle, his skin turning a strange crimson-gold!

The sweeping aura caused the onlooker adepts to turn pale and scramble backward.

Even so, some third- and fourth-rank adepts could not withstand it, their faces twisted in pain!

Fortunately, Ling Shuang's spatial power spread instantly, sealing off that aura.

At that moment, Xu Jingming also unleashed his aura, activating his ability.

His rank remained Seventh-Rank Upper, but the instant the pitch-black lightning appeared—

Liu Shan's heart lurched violently, as if gripped by the gaze of some terrifying entity!

"How has his lightning ability changed like this?" Liu Shan's mind reeled in horror.

Simultaneously, a terrifying energy fluctuation brewed in the sky above!

"No good—it's a lightning combat technique! Must act now!"

Liu Shan gripped his battle blade tightly; crimson blood qi surged outward, forming a blood qi shield, then he stomped forward with sudden force!

SIZZLE!!

Before he could even complete that step, a deep, pitch-black lightning bolt, radiating staggering energy, split down from the sky!!

As an Eighth-Rank Peak Grand Master, Liu Shan had vast combat experience and his own methods for countering elementalists.

The crimson blood qi shield wrapped around his body was the Gang qi formed after he reached the high stage of his SS-Rank Body Cultivation technique.

It offered astonishing defense against elemental strikes—otherwise he wouldn't dare face Xu Jingming.

Yet when the thick black lightning descended—

That crimson blood qi shield offered not the slightest resistance, instantly pierced through!!

CRACKLE—

The black lightning struck Liu Shan directly, engulfing his entire body.

"AHHH!!"

A piercing scream rang out.

At that moment, Liu Shan's formidable Eighth-Rank Peak Enhancement-type physique proved utterly useless, crushed mercilessly by the Chaotic Divine Thunder!

Within merely two or three seconds, his cries ceased; he collapsed with a thud before the stunned onlookers.

"I said one move—I never break my word."

Xu Jingming raised his hand slightly, retracting the Chaotic Divine Thunder still crackling over Liu Shan.

Simultaneously, the black lightning filling his eyes gradually faded.

After all, Liu Shan was Eighth-Rank Peak; for safety's sake, Xu Jingming had used Thunder Extreme Form.

But that was all—barely even the Radiant Thunder Ring was needed; a single Heaven Thunder Art could knock Liu Shan out cold.

"Liu Shan was one-shot?!"

"When did Xu Jingming become this strong?!"

"This power… is the Thunder Emperor really only Seventh-Rank Upper?!"

"That terrifying black lightning! The Thunder Emperor's lightning ability has clearly changed!"

"......"

One-shotting Liu Shan meant nothing to Xu Jingming, who had already slain the Heavenly Fate Cult's Ninth-Rank Martial Saint.

But for domestic adepts unaware of the Yer Secret Realm events, it was like thunder striking from a clear sky—profoundly shocking!

Instantly, stunned exclamations erupted across the entire square.

Among the onlookers who were already Xu Jingming's fans, excitement soared.

They immediately uploaded the footage they'd captured to the Martial Arts Hall forum, with the title—Thunder Emperor One-Shots Liu Shan! The Metropolis Patrol Commander Deserves It!!

As for such stunned murmurs, Xu Jingming was long accustomed; his expression unchanged, he walked toward Su Qingli.

"Xu… Xu Jingming, what kind of lightning was that?"

A weak voice sounded.

On the ground, Liu Shan, his body charred black and mortally wounded, struggled to look up at Xu Jingming.

"Want to know?"

Xu Jingming looked at him with a faint, knowing smile. "Sorry—I can't tell you."

Also, don't forget your promise to leave Thunder Martial Arts Hall.

Otherwise, next time it won't be just one Heaven Thunder Art."

With that, Xu Jingming no longer glanced at Liu Shan; he stepped forward, leading Ling Shuang toward Su Qingli.

Damn it!!

Overwhelming humiliation surged through him; Liu Shan, his body pushed beyond its limit, fainted instantly.

"Vice Director Hu, take care of Liu Shan."

Su Qingli's fair, exquisite face broke into a breathtaking smile; she joined Ling Shuang and Xu Jingming, then teleported away.

"Xu Jingming… really is this strong…"

After Su Qingli's trio departed, Hu Jinyu's face had turned ashen.

In fact, when Liu Shan had attacked, he'd secretly harbored hope.

He'd hoped Cao Army's intel was wrong—that Xu Jingming wasn't truly this powerful.

But the facts had proven Cao Army right—and Xu Jingming was even stronger than they'd claimed!

"Right now, in Thunder Martial Arts Hall, besides me, Su Qingli, and Gu Ming, Xu Jingming is the strongest."

"Also, there's Ling Shuang—she seems to have broken through to Eighth-Rank Upper."

When Ling Shuang had activated her spatial ability earlier, Hu Jinyu had already sensed her aura shift.

Thinking of this, his mood grew heavier.

Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang, needless to say, were Su Qingli's staunch supporters.

Now even Gu Ming had sided with Su Qingli.

Meaning, all of Thunder Martial Arts Hall's top combat power now clustered under Su Qingli!

He'd previously had Liu Shan on his side; now Liu Shan was defeated and would soon leave Thunder Martial Arts Hall.

Meaning, he was nearly alone, fighting a solitary battle.

"This is troublesome," Hu Jinyu said grimly.

Though he controlled half of Thunder Martial Arts Hall's branches, those people weren't fools.

Previously, they'd sided with him because Su Qingli was weak and isolated.

Now the power balance had completely reversed—they'd inevitably defect to Su Qingli.

It was only a matter of time.

He suspected that after today's incident went public, many branch directors would switch allegiance to Su Qingli.

And the root of all this? Xu Jingming.

"This guy's power growth is too fast."

He'd been in Thunder Martial Arts Hall for less than a year and a half, yet already risen to the fourth most powerful figure…"

Hu Jinyu rubbed his temples, head aching.

According to his original estimate, Xu Jingming would need at least six or seven years to reach this level.

"I need to contact the Li family soon—Thunder Martial Arts Hall is no longer within my grasp."

He exhaled deeply, made his decision, and walked toward Liu Shan.

Though Liu Shan would soon leave Thunder Martial Arts Hall, he was still an Eighth-Rank Peak combatant.

He might prove useful later—worth saving when the time comes.