Chapter 904: Xu Jingming, you call these blue-star natives!

"Master Meng."

"Good day, Master Meng Yu."

"......"

Walking along the path to the rating certification.

Constantly, people approached Meng Yu to bow and greet her.

Among them were no shortage of seventh-rank Master-level Qiangzhe.

This clearly showed Meng Yu's status within the Ember Temple was indeed high.

As for Xu Jingming, Su Qingli, and Ling Shuang walking beside Meng Yu,

Though unfamiliar, their mere aura revealed they were no ordinary individuals.

Thus, Xu Jingming and the others also received the same treatment as Meng Yu.

At this moment, Meng Yu's fair, delicate face still bore a trace of surprise upon learning Xu Jingming had become a core member.

That Xu Jingming had defeated Grandmaster Green made his absorption as a core member unsurprising.

What puzzled her was the change in Xu Jingming's attitude.

Before this, he had seemed rather resistant to the Ember Temple.

'Perhaps he received some guidance from the High Priestess, or perhaps he was truly impressed by her...'

Thinking of the High Priestess's admirable, powerful, and elegant figure, Meng Yu quickly understood.

Either reason alone was enough to make Xu Jingming join the Ember Temple.

Even the entire core layer of the Ember Temple might undergo new changes because of Xu Jingming's arrival.

Thinking of this, Meng Yu smiled and said:

"Our Ember Temple classifies core members into five ranks: Dim Light, Faint Light, Bright Light, Radiant Light, and Supreme Light.

Myself and Meng Ke are both Bright Light level; Green is Radiant Light level.

With your talent and strength, Master Xu, securing a Radiant Light rank won't be difficult."

"You're only Bright Light level?"

Su Qingli, usually cold and detached, was startled.

Meng Yu herself possessed an SS-rank ability.

And she had swept aside a host of blue-star SS-rank prodigies, including Catherine.

With such formidable strength, she ranked only third in the Ember Temple's hierarchy.

Then how extraordinary must the Radiant Light and Supreme Light levels be?

"Could you tell us how many members there are in each core rank of your Ember Temple?"

Ling Shuang's red lips moved slightly as she asked curiously.

If the numbers were small, it would be fine; but if they were large,

then the potential of the Ember World would completely crush the blue-star world.

"Of course."

Meng Yu smiled slightly and explained:

"Though our Ember Temple has a vast total membership—nearly every energy-user in the Ember World is a member—

the number of core members is not large, totaling just over a million.

The lowest rank, Dim Light, has too many members; I don't know the exact number.

But Faint Light has over six thousand, and Bright Light roughly one thousand.

Above that, Radiant Light is far fewer, only a hundred or so.

And Supreme Light? In our current Ember Temple, there is only one person."

At these words, Su Qingli and Ling Shuang instantly widened their eyes in shock.

Xu Jingming beside them was also taken aback.

Even if the Ember World had preserved the strongest talents from the previous civilization,

this scale was still absurdly excessive.

A thousand Bright Light members like Meng Yu?

That was terrifying!

"Elder, you misunderstand—not all Bright Light members are like me."

Seeing Xu Jingming and the others misinterpret, Meng Yu hurried to explain:

"Our Ember Temple's core member certification has two methods.

The first is like Master Xu—you undergo trials for certification.

The second is based on seniority: if you've made sufficient contributions to the Temple and your strength isn't too low, you can still earn a decent rank.

The first method suits prodigies; the second allows those with slightly lesser talent to also enjoy the Temple's benefits."

As if fearing her explanation was unclear, she paused, then continued:

"Most of our core members haven't been officially ranked at all; even the lowest Dim Light requires at least second-rank to apply.

Faint Light requires a minimum of sixth-rank; Bright Light is reserved exclusively for seventh-rank Masters and eighth-rank Grand Masters.

Of course, someone like me—a rare sixth-rank—can still receive a Bright Light rank.

As for the higher Radiant Light rank, one must possess ninth-rank strength to be certified."

"I see."

Ling Shuang and Su Qingli both exhaled in relief, but Xu Jingming became intrigued:

"Then what are the criteria for your Supreme Light rank?"

"Supreme Light?"

Meng Yu paused, then replied:

"Supreme Light cannot be earned through seniority—it can only be obtained through trials.

Master Xu, the certification trial you'll undergo shortly is somewhat similar to the virtual world of the blue-star.

The trial has nine stages: passing the first two grants Faint Light, passing the first four grants Bright Light.

Passing the first six grants Radiant Light; only by completing the final ninth stage can one earn Supreme Light.

Our current Supreme Light possesses an SSS-rank ability and is eighth-rank upper-tier.

The previous Supreme Light was our High Priestess, Elder Emers."

After passing the sixth stage of Radiant Light, one must complete three more trials to earn Supreme Light.

And these final three trials grow increasingly monstrous.

This was why, despite defeating Green, Meng Yu still believed Xu Jingming could only achieve Radiant Light.

Because the final three trials were simply too difficult...

"Oh?" Xu Jingming's eyes flashed.

He hadn't expected the Ember Temple to have another SSS-rank besides Emers.

But that was fine—without peers of equal level, something always felt lacking.

"Elders, this is the Rating Certification Hall."

Minutes later,

Xu Jingming and the others arrived at a hall under Meng Yu's guidance.

The hall contained numerous oval devices, about one person's height.

Some had open Cangmen, emitting green light indicating accessibility.

Others had closed Cangmen, glowing red to indicate inaccessibility.

At this moment, many people were either entering the devices or exiting them.

"Is this... a holographic immersion pod?" Xu Jingming blinked.

Since the advent of virtual worlds and neural helmets, he hadn't seen these in a long time.

"Yes." Meng Yu nodded slightly, her expression somewhat uneasy.

In terms of technology, the Ember World utterly crushed the blue-star world.

But in holographic immersion, they were far behind.

The blue-star world already had neural helmets; they still relied on immersion pods.

Even the virtual helmets from blue-star had long been retrieved and studied.

The issue wasn't the helmet—they could replicate those.

The critical part was the server the helmet connected to.

They couldn't even manufacture such servers; they couldn't fathom how blue-star had done it.

"Technology isn't about good or bad—it's about usability."

Seeing Meng Yu's embarrassment, Xu Jingming smiled.

Just as Meng Yu was about to lead Xu Jingming to complete identity verification,

a voice dripping with mockery came from the side:

"Oh? If it isn't Miss Meng?

You failed the High Priestess's task—and still have the nerve to return?"

Xu Jingming and the others instinctively turned their heads.

Three individuals entered the hall.

The three of them stood tall, their aura unmistakably reaching the Eighth Stage!

The voice came from a tall, coldly beautiful woman in a blood-red battle robe, walking at the front.

"Sina! What are you talking nonsense about?"

Seeing this woman, Meng Yu's expression darkened instantly.

Where there are people, there is conflict—even within the Flame God Temple.

This Sina was Green's sworn enemy.

Because of that, even those of us who were close to Green had become targets of her resentment.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Sina's voice dripped with contempt:

"Your brother and his team actually lost to those pathetic Earth natives?"

Pathetic is pathetic—if it were me, I could have completed the High Priest's mission flawlessly."

"You—!"

Meng Yu's face turned ashen, yet she had no way to refute her.

On one hand, they truly had lost.

On the other, her own strength was merely at the peak of the Sixth Stage, while the other was an Eighth Stage Grand Master.

Acting in rage would only bring her humiliation.

In the past, with Green around, Sina dared not be so arrogant.

But now that Green was gone, she had no way to resist.

"Hmm? When did our temple gain so many new faces? Are you new members?"

At that moment, Sina let out a soft sound of surprise, noticing Xu Jingming and the others nearby.

Xu Jingming merely looked at her, saying nothing.

"Hey, I asked you a question—why aren't you answering?"

The Eighth Stage Grand Master beside Sina frowned.

He extended his right hand, lightning-fast, reaching for Xu Jingming—clearly with ill intent.

And in the next instant,

A sharp crack echoed—a flash of black lightning.

His outstretched right hand was instantly obliterated into ash by a bolt of black lightning!

"AHHH!!! My hand!!"

A piercing scream rang out as the Eighth Stage Grand Master's face turned deathly pale.

Xu Jingming, as if nothing had happened, gazed at Sina's stunned face and said calmly:

"I am Xu Jingming—the pathetic Earth native you spoke of."