Chapter 1632: Relationships Are Weird! Hundred-Billion Military Merit Overwhelms!

"Hm?!"

Joel's smile froze instantly, his pupils contracting sharply.

That voice—he would never forget it, even in death!

He whirled around, staring toward the source of the voice.

There, not far off, along the main road leading to the spaceport.

A man and a woman were walking side by side, slowly approaching.

The man stood tall, clad in a simple black combat suit.

Black hair, black eyes, a handsome face with a faint, elusive smile.

And the woman beside him instantly drew every eye.

She was tall and slender, wearing a simple black mini-skirt.

Exposing a pair of perfectly proportioned, elongated legs.

Her skin was as pale as snow, glowing with an ivory-like luster under the starlight.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her waist.

Her pale golden eyes were cold and clear, her features exquisitely beautiful.

It was Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue.

"Xu Jingming?! Lin Qianxue?! You're back?!"

Joel cried out in disbelief.

Du Ke, Lai Er, Shi Shan, and You Yue all looked puzzled.

Why was Xu Jingming back with the commander?

And what did Xu brother mean by "hit him again"?

Had Xu Jingming beaten Joel before?

But how could that be?

Joel was an Eight-Star War General!

"Sss—"

Lai Er was the first to snap out of her confusion.

Her sultry eyes widened sharply.

She stared fixedly at the space between Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue!

There, Xu Jingming's right hand rested naturally on Lin Qianxue's slender, soft waist.

And Lin Qianxue showed no resistance or discomfort whatsoever.

Instead, she leaned slightly toward him.

On her exquisite profile, even a hint of dependence appeared!

"My god!!

The relationship between Xu Jingming and the commander seems… off!"

Lai Er sucked in a sharp breath.

Unconsciously covering her mouth, her eyes blazed with incredulous gossip.

"What the hell?"

Du Ke stared dumbfounded, his mouth open wide enough to swallow a fist.

Grabbing the commander's waist?

Even if he had a thousand hands, he wouldn't dare!

More importantly, the commander didn't reject it.

Shi Shan and You Yue both wore expressions of utter bewilderment: "Who am I? Where am I? What did I just see?"

Joel also noticed the painfully intimate posture between them.

And Lin Qianxue's astonishing radiance—completely unlike before, as if thoroughly nourished.

A fire of jealousy and rage surged violently through his heart.

His face darkened instantly, as if ready to drip with water.

He forcibly suppressed his fury.

Pointing at the holographic ranking display, he sneered with false bravado:

"Xu Jingming! Don't act so high and mighty here!

This isn't Aries Star—you can't just start fighting!

This is the Hundred Legion Ranking War—prove your worth with military merit!"

He assumed these two, trapped in the Star Fall Secret Realm, were lucky just to survive.

They couldn't possibly have gained anything substantial.

Military merit?

They'd be lucky to bring back a few billion!

Against a hundred-billion gap, it's a drop in the ocean!

Yet Xu Jingming acted as if he hadn't heard a word.

His gaze passed over Joel and landed on the massive legion ranking board.

Seeing the hundred-billion-point gap, he slightly raised an eyebrow and asked his companion, puzzled:

"Senior Sister, why is our legion's military merit still so far behind?"

That shouldn't be.

He and Lin Qianxue received a total of forty billion military merits from the Nine Swords Dominator.

How could there still be such a huge gap?

Hearing this, Lin Qianxue turned her radiant, stunning face toward Xu Jingming.

A gentle smile rippled in her pale golden eyes.

She shook her head lightly, her voice clear and melodious:

"The Nine Swords Lord awarded us military merits directly to our personal accounts."

"It probably requires a manual refresh to be counted toward the squad's total military merit ranking."

Her current condition was astonishingly excellent.

After the shameless cultivation nourishment during the final month of the Starfall Secret Realm.

And six days and nights of consolidation training aboard the return spacecraft.

The cracks on her life core had long since healed as if never broken.

Even worse, she had turned misfortune into fortune—her foundation was now more solid and robust than before her injury.

At this moment, not only had her injuries fully healed, but her cultivation had also subtly advanced.

Her entire being had reached an unprecedented peak of vigor, spirit, and essence.

The charm radiating from within.

Almost caused every male around her who saw her to lose himself in awe.

"Oh? Is that the reason?"

Xu Jingming muttered, his fingers rapidly tapping on his smart bracer.

Then he lifted his head.

And flashed a dazzling smile at Jiao, whose face had turned ashen:

"Jiao, you just said to settle this with military merits?"

"Fine—open your eyes and see who has more!"

The instant he finished speaking:

Whirrr!!

The massive holographic projection screen before the mission tower trembled violently!

Then, under the stunned gaze of everyone present,

the number representing the Ashen Squad's total military merits seemed violently shoved by an invisible giant hand!

It began to surge and skyrocket at a heart-stopping speed!

One hundred million, one billion, ten billion, thirty billion!

The numbers rolled, glowing brilliantly!

In just three seconds!

The Ashen Squad's total military merits surged past the Blood Hammer Squad!

And the margin widened instantly.

Finally, it stabilized at a terrifying figure—15.2 billion higher!

Shhh—!

The top spot changed hands!

The four characters "Ashen Squad" blazed with brighter light than the sun, ascending to number one!

The Blood Hammer Squad, previously first, now dropped to second place.

The entire square fell utterly silent.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the revolutionary ranking, at the blindingly huge military merit difference.

Jiao's smug expression froze solid.

"No… impossible! This can't be real!"

His lips trembled as he muttered incoherently.

The Ashen Squad had surpassed them by fifteen billion military merits!

Meaning, just now, Xu Jingming had refreshed 30 billion military merits onto the board.

How could this be possible?

"A frog at the bottom of a well."

"You didn't really think we got nothing from the Secret Realm, did you?"

Lin Qianxue's beautiful eyes fixed on Jiao:

"Let me tell you—we've already claimed the Secret Realm's legacy."

"The Nine Swords Lord awarded my junior brother thirty billion military merits. As for me…"

Her voice paused.

She tapped her smart bracer once more.

The Ashen Squad's already absurdly high military merits surged another ten billion!

"Not much—just ten billion."

Lin Qianxue's words finally ended.

Maybe it was because she'd spent too much time with her junior brother.

She seemed to have grown fond of this feeling—slapping enemies in the face.

"!!!!"

Jiao had completely shut down.

He never could have imagined.

Xu Jingming and Lin Qianxue had actually obtained the secret realm's inheritance.

And they'd even claimed the massive reward from the Nine Swords Dominator!

"Now, can we use our military merits to speak, Captain Jior?"

Xu Jingming tightened his arm around Lin Qianxue's slender waist.

Savoring the soft warmth and resilience in his palm, his tone was anything but courteous:

"Or do you want to find another place, where we can further discuss our strength?"

He did not enjoy humiliating others.

But for scum like Jior, he would show no mercy.

"You!"

Jior finally came to his senses.

Yet he had absolutely no way to respond.

In military merits, the Ashen Warband had far surpassed the Blood Hammer Warband.

In strength, whether Xu Jingming or Lin Qianxue, either could easily crush him.

In the end, he could only leave,

without even uttering a threat, taking his men and slinking away under the satisfied gazes of Du Ke and the others.