Chapter 92: Upper Tier-Two?! The Shocked Cousin and Her Two Companions!

"Qi-jie."

Just as the three of them were silently speculating—

A voice carrying a smile rang out, and a young man squeezed through the crowd and appeared in their line of sight.

The youth was tall, his bearing steady, dressed simply in a black T-shirt and long pants.

It was Xu Jingming, who had come over from the school.

Seeing her cousin Xu Jingming appear right before her eyes, Tang Qi was briefly stunned, and for a moment couldn't even react.

"Qi-jie, it's been over two months—don't even recognize your own cousin anymore?"

Xu Jingming took the suitcase from her hand with a half-joking tone.

Only then did Tang Qi come back to herself; her pretty face flushed slightly pink, and she hurriedly denied it:

"No, no, I just didn't expect you to change so much—I didn't have time to react."

She was telling the truth.

Two months ago, although Xu Jingming had taken first place as the top scorer of Jiangnan Province,

whether in looks or in bearing, he was still somewhat immature—you could tell at a glance he was a Gao Zhongsheng.

But the Xu Jingming of now was entirely different.

His build was far stronger and taller than before, for one.

Even his presence was extremely steady, faintly radiating a subtle pressure that came from one of superior standing.

Facing an Xu Jingming like this, Tang Qi actually felt as though she were looking at one of those powerful ability-user instructors back at the Gao Zhongsheng school.

She unconsciously became reserved.

Clearly, just over two months ago, he still wasn't like this.

"These past two-plus months, a lot really did happen."

Xu Jingming nodded, without offering any further explanation.

At this moment, Zhou Mingyang beside them greeted him with a smile:

"Great Top Scorer Xu, long time no see."

Yesterday on the phone, Xu Jingming had already learned from his cousin Tang Qi that she would be coming to Modu together with Zhou Mingyang and another girl from the same school.

Therefore, Zhou Mingyang's appearance came as no surprise to him.

Toward this Zhou Mingyang—whom he had met once at the Wu Ke Gaokao, and who had even worried he couldn't handle the dire beasts and wanted to help out together—Xu Jingming also felt a measure of goodwill.

So, in response to Zhou Mingyang's teasing, Xu Jingming replied with a smile:

"Light Breeze Sword Zhou Mingyang, long time no see."

Hearing Xu Jingming bring up the title 'Light Breeze Sword'—

As though some embarrassing history had been dug up, Zhou Mingyang's face instantly flushed red, and he hurriedly begged for mercy:

"Bro, I'm begging you, don't ever call me that again."

Seeing this, Xu Jingming couldn't help but smile faintly: "Fine, then I'll just call you by your name from now on."

To add hype to the Wu Ke Gaokao, each province and city would often bestow all sorts of titles upon their local genius examinees.

Once the Wu Ke Gaokao ended, such titles almost became the stuff of embarrassing history.

"Hello, I'm Meng Di, from the same class as Tang Qi.

Back then at the exam site, your brilliant performance in the very core zone—Zhou Mingyang and I both saw it clearly."

Meng Di also cut in, introducing herself while extending her right hand.

At the same time, in the gaze she turned on Xu Jingming, there was also an undisguised burning intensity.

After not seeing him for over two months, the Xu Jingming who had risen like a comet had actually become even more handsome and far more powerful.

"So you were on the rooftop back then too."

Xu Jingming smiled and shook her hand.

At the time, when he was in the very core zone, he had spotted from afar several drones circling on a distant rooftop.

He had assumed Zhou Mingyang was among them, but hadn't expected this Meng Di to be one of them as well.

"Let's go, we can talk as we walk."

With introductions done, Xu Jingming—half the host—led the three of them outside.

Everyone was from Jiangcheng, and they had all once taken the exam at the same testing site.

Chatting, there was plenty to talk about, and the conversation never grew awkward or fell silent.

Before long, everyone had grown quite familiar with one another.

And cousin Tang Qi, too, gradually stopped being so reserved; when fun topics came up, she would occasionally let out a silvery, bell-like laugh.

At the Modu high-speed rail station, every university had arranged shuttle buses to take new students directly to their schools.

But since Xu Jingming had come, naturally no one was going to split up and take different schools' buses.

So, after walking out of the Modu high-speed rail station, the four of them hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed straight for the Modu University Town.

"Speaking of which, when we got off the high-speed rail, we were just guessing your level.

Now that I see you, Jingming, you should be Upper Tier-One, right?"

In the car, cousin Tang Qi said with a smile.

Her personal coach was a Middle Tier-One ability-user.

Xu Jingming's presence was even stronger than her personal coach's—so he should be Upper Tier-One.

At the same time, she also felt a touch of pride in her heart.

Sure enough, her cousin wasn't as simple as she'd imagined.

"Upper Tier-One, huh—worthy of a top-tier university, this cultivation speed is just insane."

Zhou Mingyang and Meng Di also revealed envious expressions at the same time.

Before the Wu Ke Gaokao, they had spent great effort just to advance to First-Tier Lower.

Two months had passed, and their ranks had barely improved at all.

Yet Xu Jingming had already transformed from an Awakener into a First-Tier Upper ability user — how could they not be envious?

Of course,

they also knew that, apart from the school's cultivation, this was inseparable from Xu Jingming's own efforts.

"First-Tier Upper?"

Xu Jingming, in the front passenger seat, was slightly taken aback.

Recalling that the few of them, being only First-Tier Lower, didn't have strong enough spiritual power to accurately sense his rank, he explained with a smile:

"I already broke through to First-Tier Upper a month ago. Now I'm a Second-Tier Upper ability user."

As for his own rank, whether at school or in front of his friends, Xu Jingming had never had any intention of hiding it.

After all,

at Magic Capital Ability University, where prodigies gathered, only by displaying one's strength and potential could one obtain more resources.

Constantly hiding one's strength, hoping to astonish everyone at a critical moment — that was the stupidest approach!

A true prodigy must show his edge.

Competing on the same stage as other prodigies, swearing to trample them beneath his feet!

Those people who love to play the pig to eat the tiger — play the pig long enough, and you'll easily really turn into a pig.

Although by common sense, his breakthrough speed was somewhat absurdly fast, almost never having such a precedent!

So what?

Never having seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!

He was already an S-class ability awakener rarely seen in years across the entire Great Xia nation — what's wrong with cultivating a bit faster?

In the back seat of the taxi, cousin Tang Qi and the other two were stunned upon hearing this.

Second-Tier Upper?

One must know that even the Jiangcheng Education Bureau Director was only Second-Tier Middle.

It's only been two months, and Xu Jingming is already stronger than the Education Bureau Director?

Did we mishear, or did he misspeak?

So cousin Tang Qi couldn't help but ask: "Jingming, are you really Second-Tier Upper?"

Xu Jingming smiled slightly and said nothing.

He simply raised his right hand, and a wisp of Lei Ting arc flickered faintly at his fingertip.

This Lei Ting arc was extremely faint and thin, as if it might go out at any moment.

Yet the three in the back seat unanimously sensed an extremely dangerous aura from this wisp of lightning!

Goosebumps rose all over their bodies, and fine sweat faintly broke out on their foreheads.

This was the body's instinctive response to a lethal threat!

More importantly, the aura Xu Jingming thus revealed —

was visibly several times stronger than that Second-Tier commander outside the Wu Ke Gaokao examination site back then!

"This aura — indeed Second-Tier Upper!"

Tang Qi, Zhou Mingyang, and Meng Di simultaneously showed an expression of awed shock on their faces.