Chapter 856: Guard Unit Selection! Fighting Su Qingli!

"Once Liu Shan's affair fully boils over, no one will question your appointment anymore."

In a villa decorated in classical style,

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 effectively killing two birds with one stone.

Not only have you removed Liu Shan from Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym, but you've also proven Su Qingli's appointment decision was flawless.

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

"That's the allure of a ninth-rank for an ability user—Liu Shan had no other options, only to gamble everything."

Ling Shuang said softly.

She understood Liu Shan's actions.

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

"The appointment announcement for Magu City Inspector has been released.

By protocol, Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym will host a grand welcome banquet for you in Magu City—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 really fond of such events."

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

Su Qingli advised, "The welcome banquet will invite many important figures from Magu City, Jiangnan Province, and Suzhou-Hangzhou Province—numerous military legions and guild factions, even ninth-rank ability users may show up.

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

After thinking for a moment, Xu Jingming nodded. "Fine, let's hold it. Set it for August 8th, three days from now."

With his ability upgraded to SSS rank, the ability points on his system panel were now exhausted.

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 ability point accumulation speed should be much faster.

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

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

"As Inspector, you will have your own guard unit.

I will select the guard unit members from our gym's sixth- and seventh-rank members.

As for the unit leader, there are three candidates—all eighth-rank mid-level.

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

He excels at stealthy protection from the shadows."

The guard unit assigned to Xu Jingming was never meant to protect Xu Jingming himself.

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

This guard unit is primarily to protect his family.

"Alright, then it's him," Xu Jingming nodded, accepting without refusal.

This time, he slew the Tianming Sect's SSS-ranked Divine Son and the Tianming Divine Envoy in the Yer Secret Realm.

Once the Tianming Sect reacts, they will surely retaliate.

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

Seventh-rank Jinliu guards were no longer sufficient to protect them; an eighth-rank mid-level Master Zongshi would be perfect.

In truth, even an eighth-rank mid-level Master Zongshi wasn't entirely secure.

But the seed of the Plant Life 'Ironvine Lotus' had only just begun receiving Sacred Plant Water—it would take two months to grow to ninth-rank.

If absolutely necessary, he'd move the Thorned Sword Grass to Magu City first.

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

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

Su Qingli gently reminded him.

The Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym family housing district is accessible only to high-rank ability users.

Even if Tianming Sect ability users infiltrate, reinforcements can arrive instantly.

"Alright, I'll call them right away and ask them to move to Magu City."

Xu Jingming nodded again.

Actually, ever since his aunt Xu Qingwan's exotic plant business took off, she'd considered moving to Magu City to be with her cousin Tang Qi.

She'd just never acted on it—this was the perfect chance to move them together.

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

Since you haven't returned in a long time, how about I be your opponent and test your limits?"

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

"Sure, let you see how much I've improved training in Dayangzhou these past months," Xu Jingming replied without refusal, his eyes flickering with a burning battle spirit.

In truth, he also wanted to see just how strong a ninth-rank Law Saint at S-rank truly was.

Minutes later, in the virtual world, the arena.

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

Two kilometers ahead stood Su Qingli, clad in a silver-white battle suit, her figure elegant and alluring, like a celestial immortal.

Ninth-rank combat power can no longer be safely tested in a villa.

A ninth-tier combat power basically meant it was no longer possible to spar at the villa.

The destructive power is too great; if I restrain the lightning's energy, I won't achieve real combat effectiveness, so I came to this virtual world.

Crack—pop—

Xu Jingming raised his right hand and stirred his will.

A pitch-black SSS-grade Chaotic Divine Thunder gathered above his palm, quickly coalescing into a black thunderball resembling a black hole.

The dangerous aura emitted by the thunderball was identical to that in the real world.

"S-grade—this virtual world's origins must be immense!"

The tiny sprite Eva on his shoulder cried out:

"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 operates," Xu Jingming said, his eyes gleaming.

Before putting on the virtual helmet, he had wondered whether his abilities would be unrecognizable inside the virtual world.

He thought he'd need to manifest his ability in the real world first, for the system to record and recognize it.

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

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

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

"Both sides, prepare! Battle countdown begins! 3... 2..."

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

This match, she was the referee.

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

Boom!!

Pitch-black lightning erupted violently, his body swelling to over three meters tall, standing like a primordial giant beast!

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

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

If previously, under S-grade Dou Tian Shen Lei, Xu Jingming's Thunderstorm State appeared both ferocious and sacred,

then under SSS-grade Chaotic Divine Thunder, Xu Jingming resembled a black hole—radiating endless cold and ferocious energy.

As if merely approaching would cause instant consumption.

"Such overwhelming pressure!"

Su Qingli, across from him, silently marveled.

The pressure exerted by Xu Jingming, merely a seventh-rank upper-tier, already rivaled that of a typical Element A-grade ninth-rank Law Saint.

Sizzle—

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

Within a thousand-meter radius, all became a sea of azure lightning!!

At that moment, Xu Jingming's heart stirred with a strange sensation.

As if he could directly control Su Qingli's thunder!