Chapter 1682: Third-Stage Task! T1-Level Camouflage Art!

"My god, that's too brutal—didn't leave a single Eternal-Class demon?"

Vera's soul-body floated beside Xu Jingming.

Her large purple eyes widened round, her small face filled with shock:

"But your second-stage task is already complete."

"The third-stage task has refreshed—want to take a look?"

"Yes." Xu Jingming nodded.

Vera waved her small hand, and a new task appeared before them.

【Third-Stage Task: Within 10 years, clear 10 alien planetary fortresses and kill their fortress lords.】

【Note: To complete the clearance of a single fortress, you must destroy over 80% of its buildings and defense systems, and eliminate over 80% of its garrison forces.】

"No way! Your human race's task difficulty is insane!"

After reading the full task description, Vera couldn't help exclaiming:

"This means you can't complete the task anymore by just assassinating the fortress lord like before!"

"You have to face the entire fortress head-on!"

She counted on her fingers:

"One planetary fortress usually has dozens of Eternal-Class garrison troops."

"Millions of Cosmic-Class warriors, plus various orbital cannons, defense matrices, energy shields..."

"This isn't something a normal Eternal-Class could possibly accomplish!"

"Only someone with peak Eternal-Class power might stand a chance!"

"That's the tenfold leverage."

Xu Jingming wasn't frightened at all.

Instead, a grin curled at his lips, his eyes blazing with battle lust:

"No wonder everyone on Starfire Continent thought I couldn't complete all five stages."

"But—"

He slowly raised his right hand, golden-green lightning coiling and dancing like living things in his palm:

"This isn't too hard for me."

As he spoke, Xu Jingming drew a deep breath, and golden-green Lei Guang erupted around him!

"Sun God Lei, fully unleashed!!!"

Boom—!!!

From him as the center, a vast golden-green Lei Hai exploded outward!

Lightning surged like tidal waves in every direction.

Ten thousand kilometers, thirty thousand kilometers, one hundred thousand kilometers...

The lightning soon engulfed the entire Heiyan Star!

Blinding electric serpents writhed wildly through the planet's atmosphere!

At that moment, the entire dark red planet was dyed brilliant golden-green!

"W-What is that?!"

"The sky turned into lightning!"

"Help—!!!"

"..."

The demons on the planet's surface looked up in terror, staring at the sky-obscuring Lei Hai.

Some stronger Cosmic-Class demons tried to flee the planet.

But as soon as they broke through the atmosphere, they were reduced to ash by lightning.

"Destroy."

Xu Jingming coldly uttered a single word.

Boom—!!!

The Lei Hai crashed down!

Countless golden-green thunderbolts poured down like rain, furiously obliterating everything on the ground!

"No—!!!"

"Activate the planetary defense shield immediately!!!"

"The shield's been torn apart! It can't hold!!!"

"..."

Buildings collapsed, mountains shattered, rivers evaporated...

The demons' screams, explosions, and collapses intertwined, composing a symphony of destruction.

Xu Jingming hovered at the center of the Lei Hai.

Like a god wielding lightning, he coldly watched the apocalyptic scene below.

Ten minutes.

Only ten minutes.

When Xu Jingming slowly retracted his Lei Guang, the Heiyan Star before him had changed utterly.

The planet's surface, once dark red and dotted with lava and black crystal, now bristled with deep blackened trenches, a hundred meters deep.

Most of the planetary fortress's structures lay in ruins, smoke billowing, flames raging through the wreckage.

Nearly all demon warriors had been slain by lightning.

"Holy shit! Your lightning is insane!"

Vera glared.

Since breaking through to Eternal Stage Two, she'd found Xu Jingming's strength growing increasingly monstrous.

"But we need to leave quickly!"

"The destruction of a planetary fortress will surely alert the higher-ranking demons!"

"Alright."

Xu Jingming stirred his intent.

He collected all twenty-three World Rings of the demon Eternal-stage beings.

Then, in a flash, he teleported two thousand kilometers away into outer space.

After breaking through to Eternal Stage Two, his teleportation range had greatly increased.

From the original five hundred kilometers, it had expanded to two thousand kilometers.

"It seems destroying a planetary fortress isn't hard for me."

Xu Jingming hovered in the cold void of space.

Gazing down at the planet below, now a charred hell, he smiled faintly with satisfaction.

"Tsk tsk, are you even human?"

"I feel like you're more cruel than the demons—destroying a planetary fortress without blinking."

Vera murmured in amazement.

"Those not of our kind must have different hearts."

Xu Jingming's explanation was simple.

On the Outer Battlefield, showing mercy to alien races is cruelty to oneself.

Besides, these demons had surely soaked their hands in countless human bloods.

"Let's go. Time to return."

Xu Jingming directly pulled out the Starscale Ship.

After entering the cabin, he set the course and flew toward the 47th Planetary Fortress.

Inside the cabin, he began tallying the spoils of this battle.

First, Essence Points.

Killing over twenty Eternal-stage demons and several million Cosmic-stage demons earned him nearly seven thousand Essence Points.

Second, over twenty World Rings, mostly containing demon cultivation resources, weapons, and the like.

"The demons are poor—nowhere near as rich as the insect race," Xu Jingming shook his head.

All these spoils combined were probably worth only thirty to forty thousand Crystals.

Compared to the hundred thousand Crystals he'd gained in one go from the insect race, it was far behind.

"Besides, an Eternal Stage Two killing an Eternal Stage Seven is far too conspicuous."

"I need a disguise technique to mask my level as something higher."

Xu Jingming thought silently.

This mission went so smoothly largely thanks to the demons' reverence for ancient demon bloodlines.

But next time, when he goes to a demon or mechanical race fortress, they won't care about his bloodline.

At that point,

an Eternal Stage Two displaying power that terrifies an Eternal Stage Seven—

if leaked, he'd easily become a targeted suspect.

"Vera, filter the military merit warehouse's books for techniques that disguise aura and level."

It wasn't that he didn't want to choose combat arts from the Stararch Academy.

He simply had no points—only military merit, so he could only choose from the military merit system.

"Got it!"

Vera immediately began operating.

Soon, a list appeared before Xu Jingming.

"Thousand Illusions Shape-Shifting Art" (T1): Can mimic aura up to three sub-stages below one's own, consumes divine power continuously, easily detected by high-stage divine senses. Exchange cost: 20 billion military merit.

"Void Concealment Secret" (T1): Perfectly hides one's aura, can deceive up to Eternal Peak, but ineffective against Dominators. Exchange cost: 30 billion military merit.

"Myriad Illusions True Form Scripture" (T1): Can freely alter one's aura, appearance, and energy fluctuations, can mimic up to Dominator Early Stage aura, but will be seen through by Dominators. Exchange cost: 60 billion military merit.

"This one."

Xu Jingming chose the "Myriad Illusions True Form Scripture" without hesitation.

Though the price was a staggering 60 billion military merit, the effect was absolutely worth it.

The fact that Dominators could see through it was a common flaw of such techniques—he couldn't demand perfection.

"Exchange." Xu Jingming placed the order directly.

Soon, the technique was fully transmitted.

He sat cross-legged and began to study it.