Chapter 1406: Flame Demons! Are They the Offered Blood Food?

In the Starry Second Stage, Xu Jingming's mental strength was indeed quite strong.

Added to his perfected mental manipulation, even Yue Ying, who possessed the special Silver Moon bloodline, fell victim.

Not to mention an ordinary Starry Second Stage, or the Starlight Stages around him.

Thus, the Xie who had just followed them witnessed this scene.

"What are you hiding in your base?"

"Believers, and the Demon Lords currently feasting."

"Oh? What levels? What clans?"

"There are seven Starry Stage demons—all Flame Demons, one at Starry Fifth Stage, the rest at Third Stage; besides them, over two hundred Starlight Stage demons."

"Good, next question..."

"..."

Xu Jingming asked; the Holy Priest answered.

Xie stared in disbelief.

If she hadn't known Xu Jingming and the others came from the Star穹 Academy,

she would have suspected Xu Jingming was the Holy Priest's direct superior!

"Is this... mental manipulation?"

Xie quickly realized it, then wore an expression as if she'd seen a ghost.

Mental combat techniques are extremely difficult to cast.

To control an equal-rank warrior, you must first severely injure them and shatter their mental strength.

Yet Xu Jingming skipped even this prerequisite step.

He effortlessly controlled a Starry Second Stage priest!

"There are so many demons."

"Prince Xu, should we notify the Star Alliance to send reinforcements?"

Xie, having listened for a while, couldn't help speaking up.

With so many Starry Stage demons, even her teacher Hughes couldn't handle this.

"No, they're just a bunch of Flame Demons."

Xu Jingming shook his head.

Flame Demons are a mid-tier clan among the countless demon races.

Naturally gifted in understanding Fire Law.

But that's all they have.

A Starry Stage demon who hasn't mastered a higher law, if below Sixth Stage, is no match for him.

That's the most tyrannical aspect of higher laws.

"This..."

Xie frowned slightly.

She felt Xu Jingming and the other seemed overly confident.

These were seven Starry Stage demons—including one formidable Starry Fifth Stage!

Remember, the gap between each sub-stage of Starry Stage is enormous!

Even if Xu Jingming was a prodigy from the Star穹 Academy with cross-stage combat ability, he couldn't bridge so many levels.

She was still pondering how to persuade them when Xu Jingming's voice sounded again:

"Xie, go back."

"Leave the rest to us. When the mission ends, I'll mention your contribution."

To Xie, demons of this level were truly invincible.

Since they hesitated, there was no need to force her.

"Go back?"

Xie froze, then after a moment's thought, spoke up:

"No, I'm Starry Second Stage too—I can help share the burden."

They had stayed on Meteorite Star for over twenty years.

Completing this mission had become her obsession.

Now that she was finally about to face the demons, how could she retreat?

As for safety, she had secretly sent a message to her teacher.

When he arrived, he could provide backup.

"Fine." Xu Jingming didn't stop her.

Of these few Starry Stage demons, only the Starry Fifth Stage one was slightly troublesome.

The rest were negligible; having Xie with them made no difference.

As for Yue Ying, there was even less to worry about.

Though she had just entered the Starry Stage,

as the Elven Princess, Xu Jingming suspected her hidden cards combined might give her greater combat power than his own.

"Let's go. Lead us inside to find them."

Xu Jingming turned to the Holy Priest and ordered.

"Yes..."

The priest turned with a dazed expression and led Xu Jingming's three into the base.

"Xiya sent a message — they've found a base of the Holy Spirit Cult on their side!"

At the same time, on another plaza, Hughes's eyes lit up and he said quickly.

"Haha, as expected of the boss — found a lead that easily!" Lan Yu said excitedly.

"Oh? Looks like the captain's side is making good progress."

Yan Ji likewise had her beautiful eyes faintly light up.

The three of them didn't hesitate at all and immediately rushed toward the location Xiya had sent.

"Priest, my lord."

"Good day, Priest, my lord."

"Priest, my lord."

"......"

Xu Jingming's group of three followed behind the priest, moving forward the whole way.

At regular intervals, fully armed guards stood on watch.

When they saw the Holy Priest, they all bowed respectfully, but treated the three people behind him as if they weren't there.

In their view, anyone who could walk behind the Holy Priest naturally couldn't possibly have any problem.

This also saved Xu Jingming the trouble of using mind control again.

This base was enormous, and many of the security gates were even forged from Grade-B alloy.

Unless one was a high-tier Star-rank expert, it would be very hard to break through.

"Good thing I learned mind control before leaving — otherwise it really would've been troublesome."

Xu Jingming secretly counted himself lucky.

Forcing one's way in wasn't impossible, but it would easily alert the enemy and let the demons escape.

"Still, only seven Star-rank demons, plus a hundred or so Starlight-rank demons — that's far too few."

The Source Points needed to upgrade the Source Core Secret Tome were extremely many.

These Source Points, for Xu Jingming, were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

But the main purpose of his coming this time was points.

Being able to harvest some extra Source Points could be considered better than nothing.

Walking through the base, passing through several security gates, and taking the elevator down.

As the depth increased, a faint smell of blood gradually appeared in the air.

Xiya's nerves grew tighter and tighter, cold sweat seeping into her palms.

She'd overreached!

The demons' lair was actually underground!

In that case, even if Hughes and the others arrived, it wouldn't be so easy to provide support.

But by now, it was too late to turn back......

After descending a full hundred meters and stepping out of the elevator.

A heavy alloy door came into view, with complex runes engraved upon it.

"Behind the door are the demon lords......" the priest said woodenly.

Xu Jingming nodded: "Open the door."

Squeal—

The heavy alloy door slowly opened, and a thick smell of blood rushed at them.

When they saw the scene inside, even Xu Jingming and Moon Shadow couldn't help but have their pupils contract slightly.

This was an extremely vast space.

At the very front, seven Star-rank demons of different forms sat around a massive stone table.

The table was piled high with mangled blood-food, fresh blood dripping along the edges and pooling into a dark-red puddle on the ground.

Further away, over a hundred Starlight-rank demons were likewise feeding.

The entire space echoed with their chewing sounds, and a nauseating smell of blood permeated the air.

And when the alloy door opened, every demon present turned their gaze over in unison.

In this somewhat dim space, those crimson gazes looked extremely terrifying.

"Max, I believe I told you not to disturb us at this hour."

The largest of the flame demons was stuffing half a blood-food into its mouth, dangerous sparks dancing across its crimson scales.

It turned its gaze over, its voice like rolling lava, full of threat and displeasure.

Another, slightly smaller flame demon noticed Xu Jingming's three and stuck out a pointed tongue, licking its lips somewhat greedily:

"Oh? These three Star-ranks look unfamiliar — newly recruited blood-food brought for us?"