Chapter 1556: Forty Million Military Merits Secured! A Long-Overdue Gift!

Did I see that right? Are all of these space rings?

No way! How many aliens did he kill?!

These spoils are insane!

Everyone stared with wide eyes.

Mouths agape, they looked at the mountain of rings in disbelief.

Even the window staff, seasoned and well-traveled, froze in surprise.

Lin Qianxue's pale golden eyes also flickered with rare astonishment.

Jiao's smile froze, but he quickly recovered and sneered:

"So what if there are space rings? If they don't add up to 100,000 military merits, it's a joke."

At the Cosmic Tier level,

space rings are astonishingly cheap for them.

Nothing rare at all.

Xu Jingming ignored him and spoke to the window staff:

"These are my spoils. Please count them."

"Yes, yes."

The staff finally snapped out of it and immediately activated the large scanner.

This large scanner could directly penetrate space rings to tally military merits.

Hum—

A brilliant scanning beam enveloped the entire mountain of rings.

"Detected number of space rings: 3,043."

"Beginning bulk valuation..."

"Cosmic Ninth-Rank bone-demon skull, 100% integrity, valuation: 100,000 military merits."

"Fire crystal, 204 kilograms, valuation: 400,000 military merits."

"Battle armor..."

As valuation began, the data on the screen erupted in frantic flashes!

Final valuation completed.

【Total valuation: 22,564,000 military merits】

The moment the number appeared—

Boom!!

The entire hall exploded!

"H-How much?! Over twenty-two million military merits?!"

"Am I seeing things?! How is this possible?!"

"Three thousand and forty-three space rings! How many aliens did he kill?!"

"Cosmic First-Rank? Is this really something a Cosmic First-Rank could pull off?!"

Shouts, gasps, and incredulous cries blended into a deafening hum.

Every eye locked onto Xu Jingming like spotlights.

"Over twenty million military merits?!"

Jiao's eyes bulged, his body stiffening in place.

"Captain Jiao, it's your turn to honor the bet."

Xu Jingming turned to Jiao, smiling faintly:

"I'll skip the change—just transfer me 44 million military merits."

Insult! Utter humiliation!

The change from Xu Jingming's military merits exceeded Carloss's total.

"Impossible! This can't be!"

Jiao, snapping back to himself, roared: "A mere Cosmic First-Rank couldn't possibly have this many merits!

There are even Cosmic Ninth-Rank materials inside? Lin Qianxue, this is definitely a setup you two cooked up together!"

He suddenly turned to Lin Qianxue.

"Jiao, you're not trying to back out, are you?"

Lin Qianxue didn't explain at all—she spoke directly:

"You—"

Jiao wanted to argue further, but the crowd around him had grown larger.

He was the captain of the Blood Hammer Legion, an Eight-Star War General.

If others found out he was cheating, it would badly damage his legion's prestige.

"Fourty million merits? I'm not that petty!"

Jiao snorted, opened his smart bracer, and transferred 44 million military merits to Xu Jingming.

"Captain, you're a true man!"

Xu Jingming gave a thumbs-up.

He went out of his way just to deliver me these merits.

What a truly good person!

"This time, you've got us! We'll see who laughs last!"

"In the Hundred Teams Ranking War, our Blood Hammer Battle Group is destined to have the last laugh!"

The bald, burly man Jior stormed out with his men.

Over forty million military merits.

Even for him, an Eight-Star Battle General, it was a substantial expenditure.

With the military merits secured, Xu Jingming did not linger in the hall.

While the others remained immersed in shock and murmurs,

he had already followed Lin Qianxue out of the exchange center and arrived at the top-floor commander's office of the Emberfall Battle Group.

Lin Qianxue stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her tall silhouette rendered even colder and more exquisite under the glow of the stellar radiance.

Her pale golden eyes settled on Xu Jingming, carrying approval as she said:

"You have courage—only half a year since joining the squad, and you dare to act alone."

Though she had long seen through her permissions the abnormal surge in Xu Jingming's military merits,

actually witnessing such a quantity of spoils still delivered a powerful shock.

"Senior sister, you flatter me.

Lately, I've made some breakthroughs in my cultivation and feel my strength has improved.

That's why I dared to try acting alone—it's simply more efficient."

Xu Jingming smiled.

"Oh?"

Lin Qianxue raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Besides breaking through To Second Layer of the Source Core Secret Scripture, what else have you gained?"

Xu Jingming said nothing more, merely stirring his mind slightly to release a faint aura.

Of course, this aura had been masked by the Invisible Divine Armor.

He revealed only the energy fluctuation of Cosmic Stage Three.

Yet even this suppressed level was enough to stir Lin Qianxue.

Her pale golden eyes instantly sharpened.

A rare look of astonishment appeared on her coldly beautiful face:

"Cosmic Stage Three?! In just two months, you've broken through two stages?!"

Xu Jingming smiled inwardly.

If Senior Sister knew his true level was already Cosmic Stage Six, and that his full power neared Seven-Star Battle General,

she wouldn't just be "astonished"—she might even question reality.

But that would be too conspicuous; Cosmic Stage Three is better.

Though he thought this, Xu Jingming outwardly replied humbly:

"I had some luck these past two months."

"Luck that lets you break through two stages in two months? Unbelievable."

Lin Qianxue couldn't help whispering in awe.

After all, even she, who was likewise a disciple of the Frost Crown Sovereign.

When she herself had advanced from Cosmic Stage One to Three, it had taken over fifty years.

Xu Jingming's rate of breakthrough was simply too extravagant.

"To Second Layer of the Source Core Secret Scripture, plus Cosmic Stage Three.

A normal Cosmic Stage Nine should not be your match—no wonder you acquired so many spoils."

Lin Qianxue nodded slightly, walked to the desk, sat down, crossed her long, elegant legs, and asked:

"What are your plans next?"

"I intend to leave the Wildfire Squad and act alone," Xu Jingming replied frankly.

"Good. With your current strength, you're truly qualified to go solo."

Lin Qianxue inwardly sighed.

She had assumed her junior brother would need to train in the squad for decades.

Yet he had grown so swiftly—he could now stand alone.

"But since you've decided to go solo,

as your senior sister, I can't let you leave empty-handed."

As Lin Qianxue spoke, a faint glow shimmered from her space ring.

Hum—

A deep purple crystal materialized in her palm.

Electric arcs flowed across its surface, faint thunderstorms rumbling within.

"This is Lei Ting Crystal. It can be detonated with spiritual force.

When triggered, it can severely wound a Nine-Star Battle General.

It should be enough to handle most crises."

As Lin Qianxue finished, her slender hand flicked lightly, and another scripture appeared:

"This battle art is called 'Furious Thunderstorm,' T2 rank—and among T2, it's top-tier.

I obtained it by chance long ago; it demands extreme mastery of thunder from the cultivator.

Only Cosmic Stage Three or higher may begin training in it. As an elemental master, this art will serve you well."

She paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips:

"These two items are your welcome gift from your senior sister."