Chapter 856: Guard Unit Selection! Fighting Su Qingli!

"Once Liu Shan's affair fully blows up, no one will ever question your appointment again."

In a villa with classical decor,

Xu Jingming and the other two, teleported in, sat casually on the sofa, while Su Qingli smiled and spoke.

"I never expected Liu Shan to come to me at this time," Xu Jingming replied with a similar smile.

This is a two-for-one gain.

Not only did we kick Liu Shan out of Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall, but we also proved Su Qingli's appointment decision was flawless.

Otherwise, letting public opinion fester for too long would damage Su Qingli's prestige.

"This is the allure of the ninth stage to psychics—Liu Shan has no other options left, only to risk everything."

Ling Shuang said softly.

She understood Liu Shan's actions.

In fact, any other eighth-stage peak would have seized this opportunity without hesitation.

The announcement of your appointment as Magistrate of Modu has been released.

By protocol, the Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall will host a grand welcome banquet for you in Modu—Xu Jingming, pick a date.

Su Qingli looked at Xu Jingming with a radiant smile.

"Must we hold it?" Xu Jingming sighed and spread his hands. "I'm not fond of such events."

"It's up to you, but you'd better hold one."

Su Qingli advised, "The welcome banquet will draw many important figures from Modu, Jiangnan Province, and Suzhou-Hangzhou Province—military legions, guilds, even ninth-stage psychics may show up.

On one hand, you can meet them; on the other, it's a chance to promote Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall."

Xu Jingming paused to think, then nodded. "Fine, let's hold it. Set it for August 8th, three days from now."

His psychic points, upgraded to SSS rank, were now fully depleted.

After a few days' rest, he should resume hunting beasts in Dayangzhou.

With the Black Obsidian-class fighter, round trips won't take much time.

And now that his strength has surged dramatically, his rate of accumulating psychic points should be much faster.

"Alright, I'll arrive in Modu one day ahead of time."

Su Qingli nodded slightly, then waved her hand—three holographic projections appeared before them:

"As Magistrate, you'll have your own guard unit.

I'll select the members from our martial arts hall's sixth- and seventh-stage members.

As for the unit commander, there are three candidates—all eighth-stage mid-tier.

I recommend Fu Xingye—he possesses an A-rank enhancement psychic ability, 'Shadow Panther.'

He's exceptionally skilled at covert protection."

The guard unit assigned to Xu Jingming wasn't meant to protect Xu Jingming himself.

After all, his strength already rivals the top four of Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall.

This guard unit is primarily to protect his family.

"Fine, let's go with him," Xu Jingming nodded, accepting without refusal.

He had slain the Fate Cult's SSS-ranked Divine Son and the Fate Divine Messenger in Ye Er's Secret Realm.

Once the Fate Cult reacts, they will surely retaliate.

He and Ling Shuang were fine, but Song Qiuyun and Jiang Chuxuan were still too weak—only fourth-stage.

Seventh-stage Golden Guard units were no longer sufficient to protect them; an eighth-stage mid-tier Grand Master would be perfect.

In truth, even an eighth-stage mid-tier Grand Master wasn't entirely secure.

But the seed of the Plant Life 'Iron Vine' had just begun receiving Sacred Plant Water—it would take two months to mature to ninth stage.

If absolutely necessary, he'd move the Thorn Sword Grass to Modu first.

"By the way, your cousin is in Modu, but your aunt still lives in Jiangcheng.

This time, invite them both over—I'll arrange a special Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall family housing district for you in Modu."

Su Qingli gently reminded him.

Lei Ting Martial Arts Hall's family housing district was reserved almost exclusively for high-stage psychics.

Even if a Fate Cult psychic broke in, reinforcements could arrive instantly.

"Alright, I'll call them right away and tell them to move to Modu."

Xu Jingming nodded again.

In fact, since his plant business took off, his aunt Xu Qingwan had considered moving to Modu to be near her cousin Tang Qi.

She'd just never acted—this was the perfect chance to do it all at once.

"By the way, you haven't unleashed your full power since your psychic ability evolved into SSS rank, have you?

Since you haven't returned in a while, how about I be your opponent? Let's test your limits?"

Recalling the terrifying black thunder Xu Jingming had just unleashed, Su Qingli grew curious and asked.

"Sure, let you see what I've learned during my training in Dayangzhou," Xu Jingming didn't refuse, his eyes flickering with a burning battle spirit.

In truth, he also wanted to see just how strong a ninth-stage S-rank Law Saint could be.

Minutes later, in the virtual world, the arena.

Dressed in a black battle suit, tall and imposing, Xu Jingming stood on a vast grassland.

Two kilometers ahead stood Su Qingli, clad in silver-white battle armor, her figure elegant and ethereal, like a celestial fairy.

Ninth-stage combat power was simply too destructive for a villa.

The devastation was too great; if he restrained his lightning's power, the combat wouldn't be realistic—hence they came to this virtual world.

The destructive power is too great; if he restrained the lightning's energy, he couldn't achieve practical combat effects, so he came to this virtual world.

Xu Jingming raised his right hand, and with a thought,

a black SSS-rank Chaotic Divine Thunder gathered above his palm, quickly coalescing into a black sphere resembling a black hole.

The dangerous aura radiating from the sphere was identical to that of the real world.

"S-rank—this virtual world's backend must be extraordinary!"

The tiny sprite Eva shrieked from his shoulder:

"I can't even identify your thunder, yet the virtual world simulates it directly—this is terrifying!"

"Hmm, next time I meet the Grand Councilor, I'll ask how this virtual world actually operates," Xu Jingming's eyes gleamed.

Before donning the virtual helmet, he'd wondered whether the system would fail to recognize his psychic ability.

He'd expected to need to manifest it in the real world first for recording.

But the reality was—no such step existed. Upon entering the virtual world, he naturally unleashed the SSS-rank Chaotic Divine Thunder.

As if the Chaotic Divine Thunder's data had already been stored within the virtual world.

This was beyond even the intelligent lifeform Eva's capability.

"Both parties, prepare—battle countdown begins! 3…2…"

At that moment, Ling Shuang's melodious voice echoed from the sky.

She was the referee for this match.

The instant the match began, Xu Jingming instantly entered Thunderstorm Mode!!

The instant the match was announced to begin, Xu Jingming immediately entered Thunderstorm State!!

Black lightning erupted violently, his body swelling to over three meters tall, standing like a primordial beast.

His dragon-like vertical pupils brimmed with furious black lightning.

Behind him, the Brilliant Thunder Ring rotated slowly, its circular rim flickering with black lightning arcs.

Previously, under SS-rank Heavenly Thunder, Xu Jingming's Thunderstorm Mode had appeared both ferocious and sacred.

Now, under SSS-rank Chaotic Divine Thunder, he resembled a black hole—radiating endless coldness and ferocity.

As if merely approaching would result in instant consumption.

"Such overwhelming pressure!"

Su Qingli inwardly marveled.

The pressure from Xu Jingming, merely seventh-stage upper-tier, already rivaled that of a typical A-rank ninth-stage Law Saint.

The pressure exerted on her by Xu Jingming, merely a seventh-rank upper-tier cultivator, was already equal to that of a typical Element A-Rank ninth-rank Law Saint.

Azure lightning flared—Su Qingli's S-rank Jade Pure Divine Thunder erupted violently!!

Within a kilometer radius, everything became a sea of azure lightning!!

At that moment, Xu Jingming felt a strange sensation surge within him.

As if he could directly control Su Qingli's lightning.

It was as if he could directly control Su Qingli's thunder!