Chapter 1631: What, Your Face Itching Again?

Six days later.

Planet Fortress No. 102, Spaceport.

The pitch-black, sharp-lined S9-class spaceship Shadow Raid slowly glided into its berth.

The hatch opened, and Duke, Lyle, Shishan, and Yousue walked out one after another.

All four were travel-worn.

Their battle armor still bore some uncleared energy scorch marks and frost—clearly they had just come through a brutal fight.

"Finally back."

Duke rolled his somewhat stiff shoulders and grinned:

"This A-rank extermination mission was tricky.

But the haul was decent—over a million military merits each."

"Yeah, I'm exhausted." Lyle stretched.

The graceful curves beneath her dark-red battle suit were on full display, drawing sidelong glances from a few nearby warriors.

She paid it no mind, and instead turned to the silent black-clad woman beside her, teasing:

"Yousue, you were the main force this time.

That bladework—tsk tsk—even the captain was stunned.

Your military merits should be close to a two-star General now, right?

I have to say, I'm a little jealous of you."

Yousue merely gave a faint nod, not much excited:

"Xu Jingming was already a two-star General a year ago.

Back then he'd only just stepped into the Cosmic rank not long before.

Compared to him, my achievements are nothing worth mentioning."

"Brother Xu?"

Duke shook his head with a smile. "That guy's a monster! There's no comparing ourselves to him.

But we haven't seen him this whole year, and he hasn't replied on the Virtual Universe either.

Wonder how he's doing."

At the mention of Xu Jingming.

A wistful look crossed all their faces.

Indeed.

He was probably the most monstrous Cosmic rank they had ever encountered.

He'd only been on the Extraterritorial Battlefield less than a year, yet already became a two-star General.

At this moment, Shishan scratched his head sheepishly:

"Enough sighing—let's hurry to the Mission Hall and turn in the mission. Once we do, we can rest."

"Right, let's go!"

Duke came to his senses too and laughed heartily.

The four of them headed toward the Mission Hall in the fortress's core district.

The Mission Hall—an alloy building hundreds of meters tall—stood imposingly.

Its outer wall was a massive holographic projection screen.

It scrolled in real time the battle-group rankings, mission lists, and various fortress announcements.

But at this moment, what drew the most attention

was the line of blood-red, glaring countdown at the very top of the screen—

【Hundred-Battle-Group Ranking Battle Settlement Time Remaining: 3 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes, 47 seconds】

Beneath the countdown, the battle-group ranking board gleamed brilliantly.

First Place: Blood Hammer Battle Group (Military Merits: 275.13 billion)

Second Place: Ember Battle Group (Military Merits: 260.32 billion)

At the top, the four characters "Blood Hammer Battle Group" seemed forged from molten lava, searing the eye.

And in second place was their own Ember Battle Group.

The military-merit gap between the two groups had reached a staggering nearly fifteen billion!

"Sigh..."

Duke looked up at that glaring gap.

The good mood from completing the mission was ruined in an instant, and he said, somewhat unwillingly:

"We've fought for hundreds of years, brothers bleeding and sweating.

Never thought, in the end, we'd still lose."

Lyle's smile faded too. The cold numbers reflected in her eyes, she said softly:

"Yeah. That guy Joel's been acting like he went crazy since a year ago."

"Back when Blood Hammer Battle Group recruited, they at least set an elite warrior threshold."

"Now? Any Cosmic rank will do—he'll take them! It's obvious he's just stacking military merits through sheer numbers!"

A year ago, though Blood Hammer Battle Group was temporarily ahead, the lead wasn't large.

But then, their captain Lin Qianxue was forcibly conscripted.

While Joel stayed behind at the fortress.

One side lost, the other gained.

That year, Joel personally led teams on sweeping operations everywhere.

He led missions of high difficulty to completion.

Low-difficulty cleanup tasks were assigned to the new members.

Even tedious patrol and guard duties were not spared.

They relied entirely on volume, frantically accumulating military merit.

In contrast, the Ember Squad had lost Lin Qianxue, their pillar.

Though Duke and others struggled to hold things together, their top combat strength was gone.

Their efficiency in taking high-reward missions had plummeted.

The gap in military merit widened gradually, day by day, month by month.

Until now, this despairing hundred-billion chasm.

"I wonder when our leader will return."

Duke couldn't help sighing.

At that moment, a voice dripping with mockery and triumph suddenly came from the side:

"Aren't these our perennial second-place, the Ember Squad's Wildfire Team?"

"What, just back from a mission, and already eager to gaze upon our Blood Hammer Squad's top-ranking glory?"

"I greatly appreciate this devotion! Hahaha!"

Duke and his three companions instantly darkened in expression and looked up.

A group of over ten men was walking out of the mission hall.

At their head was the bald, burly man—Joel, leader of the Blood Hammer Squad!

He wore a heavy, dark red battle armor, the hammer emblem on his chest crimson as if dripping blood.

Arms crossed, face wearing an unhidden sneer, he strode forward.

The Blood Hammer members behind him each wore smug expressions.

"Lin Qianxue hasn't returned yet, has she?"

"Why don't you leave the Ember Squad and join me instead?"

Joel continued.

He had been in an excellent mood lately.

Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.

At first, failing to gain entry into the Starfall Sanctuary had left him bitter and frustrated for a long while.

But precisely because of that, he was able to remain at the fortress.

He devoted himself entirely to leading his squad up the rankings.

Now, the Blood Hammer Squad held the top rank.

Their lead was enormous, nearly securing victory in this round of the Hundred Squad Ranking War.

The reward—the Void Origin Crystal—was about to fall into his hands!

How could he not be elated?

"Joel, stop spouting nonsense here!"

Duke stepped forward, voice booming like a bell, eyes blazing:

"What are you so proud of?"

"When our Leader Lin returns, who will be number one is still uncertain!"

"Oh? Lin Qianxue?"

Joel exaggeratedly scratched his ear and sneered:

"Let's not even discuss whether she can return from that sanctuary whole and unharmed."

"Even if she does return, so what?"

He pointed his finger at the massive countdown timer.

Then he pointed at the hundred-billion military merit gap, his grin widening:

"Look closely—it's only three days left! Three days!"

"In three days, earn fifteen billion military merit?"

"Duke, are you asleep, or are you dreaming some impossible fantasy?"

"Hahaha!"

The Blood Hammer Squad members behind him burst into knowing, smug laughter:

"Exactly! Fifteen billion in three days? Do you think military merit grows on trees?"

"Are Ember people so brain-dead from missions they can say such nonsense?"

"Face reality—this round's number one is ours, Blood Hammer's!"

"......"

Duke's face flushed crimson, his fists clenched with a crunching sound.

Lyle and Stone Mountain also looked grim; You Yue's gaze was colder than a blade.

But Duke opened his mouth and found he had no reply.

Yes, three days. One hundred fifty billion military merit.

It was an impossible mission.

Even if Leader Lin Qianxue was a top-tier Nine-Star War General, possessing combat power rivaling an ordinary Eternal Stage cultivator,

she could never possibly earn such a terrifying amount of military merit in so short a time.

Jor observed their reactions and felt even more pleased.

"Too bad, now you've thoroughly offended Lin Qianxue."

Jor felt a pang of regret.

For that black-haired, golden-eyed woman.

The icy beauty with a stunning figure, he had long coveted.

Now that you've climbed to the top riding on the ashes of the Ember Squad, you'll probably never get another chance to even approach and speak to her.

"Jor, it's been a year, and you're still asking for a beating."

At that moment,

A calm, casually delivered voice suddenly rang out at the entrance of the bustling hall.

"What? Your face itching again?"

"Want me to punch you again in public, and embed you in the wall to cool off?"

The voice wasn't loud.

Yet it carried some strange magic, instantly drowning out all the noise and laughter.

The entire square before the Mission Tower fell utterly silent.