Chapter 1454: Rising Reputation! The Loot King!

After the incident at the Godslayer Martial Hall, Xu Jingming became extremely low-key in his actions.

He devoted the vast majority of his energy to hunting demonic beasts.

Even when he occasionally encountered other teams.

He would merely use the speed of Tianlei Wings to kill their demonic beast trophies and flee immediately, never lingering.

Thus, relying on the staggering number of demonic beasts on Xuelian Star, the source points on his system panel skyrocketed!

His strength also surged like a rocket!

At the end of the first month, Xu Jingming's rank reached Star Level Seven, and the T4 combat technique "Lei Yuan Shu" was fully leveled.

In the second month, Xu Jingming's rank reached Star Level Eight, and both the Destruction Principle and Lightning Principle reached the Eighth Layer!

In the third month, his rank rose to Star Level Nine, and the Lightning Principle reached perfection!

In the fourth month, the Destruction Principle reached perfection!

In the fifth month, the Zi Yan Magic Scripture advanced to the Fourth Layer!

In the sixth month, his Spear Intent rose from Beginner to Intermediate!

After that, the pace of Xu Jingming's strength growth slowed.

He began accumulating source points in preparation for advancing to the Source Realm after breaking into the Principle Realm.

During this time, relying on the speed of Tianlei Wings, he had stolen the hunting trophies of countless teams.

As a result, the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, the Godslayer Martial Hall, and the Eternal Star Alliance all became aware of Xu Jingming's existence.

And someone gave him a nickname: "The Loot King."

The meaning was obvious: Xu Jingming would emerge only after other teams had fought hard and were exhausted.

He would deliver the final blow to the severely wounded demonic beast with lightning speed, then flee the scene.

This angered many, but because Xu Jingming's flight speed was too fast, no one could stop him.

Thus, the nickname "The Loot King," perfectly suited to him, spread rapidly among all factions.

On Xuelian Star, atop a vast wasteland covered in dark red rock strata.

Four figures sat cross-legged on the wasteland, resting—a team of two women and two men.

The woman at the front wore an ice-blue battle suit, her demeanor cold and icy, her beauty exquisite.

It was Luo Li, along with her team members.

At this moment, one of them, a petite girl with twin buns,

named "Miya," was browsing her smart armband.

During the demonic beast hunt, no one could enter the virtual universe.

So during breaks, they could only play with their smart armbands.

Fortunately, the smart armbands had a dedicated communication channel for the demonic beast hunt.

Messages would circulate on this channel, but they were not officially released.

They were mostly private exchanges, teasing, and complaints among contestants, often reflecting hidden dynamics and trends in the competition.

It served as a form of relaxation for contestants amid their tense beast hunts.

At this moment, Miya suddenly let out a "pūchī" laugh, her crisp sound clear across the wasteland.

"Sister Luo, look at this!"

Miya lifted her head, her lively eyes curled into crescents.

She turned the smart armband's projection toward Luo Li and spoke cheerfully:

"The younger brother of Lord Yeli is really amusing—he's actually earned himself the nickname 'The Loot King'! I wonder how many trophies he's stolen to make all three factions remember this title."

On the projection screen, anonymous or signed messages scrolled:

"That Xu Jingming from the Eternal Star Alliance moves terrifyingly fast! We barely wore down that Star Level Eight 'Steel-Scaled Earth Dragon' to low health—then a flash of Lei Guang, and the final blow was gone! We didn't even see his figure!"

"Same here—our Cosmic Mercenary Alliance team got hit too. He strikes only when the tough prey is nearly finished, lands one hit, and vanishes—slick as an eel."

"Even our Godslayer Martial Hall team wasn't spared. His tactics are dishonorable, but his timing and terrifying speed are genuinely annoying."

"The Loot King... this nickname is absolutely perfect—so fitting it's infuriating."

"......"

Hearing this, Luo Li's ice-blue eyes flickered slightly.

When she saw the content on the projection screen, a hint of surprise crossed her cold, exquisite face.

Since months ago, on the Explorer-7 Star Carrier,

when Xu Jingming had outright rejected her three-month mentorship proposal,

she had paid no further attention to this younger brother of Lord Yeli.

In her view, a newcomer who had forcibly boosted himself to Star Level Six through heavenly treasures,

and who refused better protection to act alone,

would be lucky to survive the early phase on this perilous Xuelian Star, let alone make a name for himself.

Yet, months later, she heard Xu Jingming's name again—in the internal information stream of the demonic beast hunt.

And in this... controversial yet impossible-to-ignore manner.

"Stealing so many trophies is still a kind of skill."

Beside her, the burly youth Branden crossed his arms and chuckled:

"Xuelian Star is vast, demonic beasts are unevenly distributed, and team strengths vary wildly.

Simply identifying targets in the midst of fierce battles requires exceptional reconnaissance and judgment.

Not to mention having the ability to snatch the prize right under their noses."

"Indeed."

Listening to the team members' chatter, Luo Li nodded slightly.

"It seems Master Ye Li's junior brother is more powerful than we imagined."

Her gaze swept over the comments filled with resignation, anger, and even a hint of admiration.

The faint confusion she had felt since being rejected earlier quietly transformed into a touch of curiosity.

How did Xu Jingming manage to achieve this with nothing but the hollow power of Star Level Six?

Almost at the same moment, in another volcanic region of Blood Refining Star, split by rivers of scorching lava.

Chi Huang's team had just crushed a group of Star Peak "Fire-Scaled Flying Snakes" dwelling in lava caves with overwhelming force.

Chi Huang himself hadn't even exerted his full strength—only unleashing his Fire Primordial Force had been enough to sweep them all away.

At this moment, they were resting and had also seen the news about Xu Jingming through their smart bracers.

One team member snorted and looked up at Chi Huang:

"Boss Huang, look—Xu Jingming's famous now. 'The Loot King,' hah!"

Chi Huang lazily glanced at the projected message, a sneer curling his lips, utterly unhidden:

"Oh? Stealing and scavenging everywhere.

Can you build a reputation by picking up others' leftovers?

Seems there aren't many capable people in this year's Beast Hunt."

"Getting famous means he's got some skill—but that's as far as it goes."

A female team member with a curvaceous figure clad in leather armor chimed in, her tone equally dismissive.

"Exactly."

Another team member chimed in, his face filled with admiration for Chi Huang:

"Only Boss Huang is truly dominant!

You always face off head-on against the strongest beast clusters.

Or directly crush elite teams from other factions!

That's how you earn points—truly satisfying!

Not like this rat-like behavior—hiding and skulking, never going anywhere!"

Listening to his team's flattery, Chi Huang's sneer grew even more pronounced.

He loved this kind of crushing victory, loved seeing his opponents' eyes filled with despair before absolute power.

Xu Jingming's trickery, in his eyes, was nothing but the petty cleverness of the weak—unworthy of notice.

"The Loot King?"

Chi Huang murmured the nickname, his crimson-gold alien eyes flickering with amusement and coldness:

"I'd actually hope this Loot King grows bold enough to try looting from me, Chi Huang."