Chapter 1542: A Brilliant Start! Soul Possession!

"Xu brother, really not gonna give it a try?"

In the virtual universe, a rooftop café.

Xu Jingming sat with Du Ke and Shi Shan.

Du Ke's rugged face broke into a cheerful grin: "This Xiaoyao Heaven is paradise."

Every indulgence imaginable, guaranteed to completely relax your tense nerves."

"Yeah, in this outer battlefield, there's nothing—this is the only place you can even slightly unwind." Shi Shan added, equally earnest.

"Captain, you guys have fun."

Xu Jingming smiled.

In reality, he was still fishing.

Bored out, he'd split off a sliver of his consciousness to connect to the virtual universe.

"Tsk, young people just don't know how to enjoy themselves."

Du Ke shook his head, "Wait till you've spent a few thousand or even ten thousand years in the outer battlefield."

Then you'll understand how rare it is to truly relax."

"Honestly, you really should give it a shot."

"Next time for sure." Xu Jingming still smiled.

"You're something else."

Du Ke saw Xu Jingming had no intention of coming, and sighed:

"No wonder you're a core member of the Eternal Star Alliance—your willpower is incredible."

Xu Jingming was about to speak when his expression shifted, a flicker of delight crossing his eyes.

"Captain, let's talk next time—I've got something coming up."

Saying this, he severed the connection instantly, his awareness snapping back to reality.

At that moment, piercing alarms blared inside the spaceship!

"Warning! Unidentified energy signature approaching!"

"Target count: ten! Energy intensity analysis... confirmed as demon race life signatures!"

"Estimated contact time: three minutes!"

Crimson alarm lights spun and flashed inside the cabin, casting Xu Jingming's face in flickering shadows.

Yet he showed no trace of tension—instead, his lips couldn't help but curl upward.

"Here they come!"

He shot to his feet, eyes blazing with sharp light.

They'd only just reached the outer rim of the Black Flame Demon Nest—six hours—and already they'd encountered their first demon squad!

Efficiency was higher than he'd expected!

"One, shut down all non-essential systems, maintain silent mode."

"Yes, Master."

The spaceship's exterior lights dimmed one by one, engine output reduced, resembling a derelict vessel lost in space.

Soon, a blood-red starship flew into range.

Then ten demons, each with leathery wings and over six meters tall, flew out from the ship.

The lead demon bore a single horn and wielded a blazing great axe—his aura unmistakably at Cosmic Stage Six!

The other nine were all Cosmic Stage Four and Five.

"A lone A9-class ship? And a human at Cosmic Stage Three?"

The horned demon's crimson slit pupils gleamed with greed and cruelty: "Lucky day—battle merits and loot are all ours!"

The ten demons accelerated, demonic energy churning, staining the surrounding starlight with ghostly purple hues.

They didn't attack immediately—instead, like cats playing with mice, they encircled the ship, blocking every escape route.

"Humans inside! Come out and die!"

The horned demon pointed his axe at the ship; his voice echoed through psychic vibrations into the cabin.

The A9-class ship was also loot—they wouldn't destroy it unless necessary.

Inside the cabin, Xu Jingming slowly exhaled.

"Though a bit weak... still, even a mosquito's leg is meat."

He thought, and the cabin door slid open silently.

A tall, slender figure stepped out.

Hovering above the ship, his black combat suit blended almost entirely with the starry backdrop.

He lifted his head, gazing at the ten monstrous demons.

His face showed no fear—only a faint smile.

The horned demon froze.

What's going on with this human?

A mere Cosmic Stage Three, surrounded by them.

Not only didn't he beg for mercy—he was smiling?

"Faking mysticism!"

A strange irritation flared in its mind; it snarled, "Kill him!"

"Roar—!"

The nine Cosmic Stage Four and Five demons roared in unison, lunging from all directions!

Demon flames surged skyward, claws and blades tearing through the void!

Xu Jingming didn't move an inch.

He merely raised his right hand and gently clenched his five fingers.

Boom—!!!

The pitch-black Annihilation Divine Thunder exploded violently.

In the cosmic starry expanse, within a radius of dozens of kilometers centered on Xu Jingming, it instantly became a raging Lei Hai!

"Ssshhhh—!"

Amid the piercing tearing sound, the ten demons vanished without a cry, their bodies obliterated by lightning.

With his current strength, dealing with these Universe Rank Five and Six demons,

he didn't need to use the Zi Yan Demon Body or any other combat technique—just lightning alone could effortlessly slay them.

"Ding, slain Universe Rank Five Black Claw Demon, Source Points +2,980,000!"

"Ding, slain one Universe Rank Six Flame Demon, Source Points +3,810,000!"

Ten system alerts rang out like raindrops in his mind.

"Ten demons, total 31 million Source Points."

He felt a hint of disappointment.

The strongest was only Universe Rank Six; the Source Point gain wasn't much.

But at least it was a good start—after all, this was only the beginning.

"Number One, clean up the battlefield, collect the spoils."

"Yes."

A small robot shot out from beneath the silver spaceship.

It began retrieving the remnants of weapons, armor fragments, and space equipment from the demon corpses.

Most were standard-issue gear, of low value.

Only the horned demon's finger bore a dark red ring.

Its design was ancient, etched with twisted demon runes, faint energy currents swirling upon its surface.

"Is this the space ring of that Universe Rank Six demon?" Xu Jingming's eyebrows lifted; he summoned it through the air.

The ring felt cold in his hand, neither metal nor jade, heavy and dense.

He tried probing it with his spiritual force—but it vanished like a mud ox into the sea, offering no response.

"Oh? Spiritual imprint ineffective?"

Xu Jingming fell into thought.

During the six months accompanying Duke's squad, he'd learned much about the demon race.

Demon race equipment often used more primitive, savage methods.

Many high-tier items required blood as a catalyst, activating only after confirming bloodline identity.

"Let's try."

He forced out a drop of crimson blood from his fingertip and let it gently fall onto the ring's surface.

The instant the blood touched the runes,

Hummm!!!

The ring erupted in a fierce dark-purple radiance!

Torrents of demonic energy surged forth like tides, staining the surrounding starlight a sinister purple-black!

"This… is the aura of the Lei Yu Demon and the Twin Demons! It's a rare Dual Royal Bloodline!"

A voice of ecstatic, hoarse delight, as if dormant for countless eons, thundered from within the ring!

"Finally… finally, I've waited for this!"

Before the words ended, a pinpoint beam of concentrated purple light shot from the ring.

Faster than lightning, it streaked straight for Xu Jingming's third eye!

Xu Jingming's expression changed instantly!

"Soul possession?!"

He instantly understood what had happened.

The ring contained a remnant soul of a powerful demon!

It sensed the Lei Yu Demon and Twin Demon bloodlines within him, infused through his cultivation of the Zi Yan Demon Body.

Mistaking him for a pure-blood royal, it launched its attack!

In the blink of an eye, the purple beam plunged into his third eye!

Xu Jingming didn't hesitate—he closed his eyes and sank his mind into his consciousness sea.