Chapter 839: What? Are You Unhappy?

The people of the Tianming Sect are utterly despicable! They killed Old Fang right before our eyes.

We planned to wait here for the rendezvous, then strike suddenly and catch the Tianming Sect off guard.

But we never expected Senior Xu, your martial power is so formidable—we hadn't even moved yet, and you'd already killed their ninth-rank cultivator.

The three of them knelt before Xu Jingming, weeping and pleading as they recounted their prior ordeal.

Especially Wang Linyang—he spoke with such conviction, as if he had suffered immense injustice.

Wang Linyang, I ask you: what really happened in the Black Crow Campaign? Why did the Ash Guild's main force disappear?

Xu Jingming remained unmoved, speaking coldly.

The Black Crow Campaign?

Wang Linyang froze for a moment, then slapped himself hard.

Puch—

His force was immense; blood and teeth flew out, his right cheek swelling high.

Yet he didn't pause, mumbling in desperation:

I deserve to die! I was greedy and rushed ahead!

Had we followed the original plan and advanced steadily, there would've been no casualties—but the mission deadline would've been extended by over half a month.

To finish the mission early and return to the legion, I used the Ash Guild's people as bait.

At these words,

the Xia Dynasty experts nearby, who had been watching, all erupted in shock.

No one expected such a hidden truth behind the Black Crow Campaign!

Although many in the Ash Guild died, your senior brother Liu Ming survived, didn't he?

If Senior Xu spares me this time, once I'm free, I'll give him all my assets.

My resources are enough to let him break through to seventh-rank Sect Master within ten years...

Wang Linyang spoke with absolute certainty.

But before he finished, a piercing thunderclap rang out, and violent black lightning engulfed him.

He had no time to resist—he became a charred corpse.

No amount of resources can bring back the senior brothers and sisters who died in Mo Da.

Xu Jingming's gaze was icy.

The Chaos Doushen Shenlei surged again, killing the remaining two eighth-rank Grand Masters as well.

"Such powerful thunder!" Luo Lan's heart trembled.

Feeling it up close, he realized Xu Jingming's black lightning gave him an utterly irresistible sense of danger!

"His lightning ability must have undergone a transformation!" Thinking this, his demeanor grew even more respectful.

The Tianming Sect is a heretical cult; these three betrayed their kind and are beyond pardon—executed on the spot.

Xu Jingming's deep voice rang out.

He never believed the words of traitors.

If Wang Linyang and his group had merely been pretending to lie low, they would've struck long ago.

Why wait until now?

Plainly put, it's only because I killed Jonathan.

These people are opportunists—that's why they speak like this.

Moreover, to prove loyalty to the Tianming Sect, these people may well have blood on their hands from their own countrymen.

"Senior Xu is right," Luo Lan sighed in relief, echoing his words.

He had worried Xu Jingming might spare them—but now he saw he'd overthought it.

Not just these three—all who defected to the Tianming Sect must die.

Xu Jingming lifted his eyelids and casually hurled a lightning chain.

Zizz—zizz—

The black lightning leapt and refracted over ten times, killing everyone who had stood behind the Tianming Sect.

Too bad—they weren't Divine Blood Envoys, so I can't gain ability points from them.

Still, collecting their space rings is some compensation.

Xu Jingming shook his head, and his spiritual force surged wildly.

He gathered all the space rings left behind by the cultivators slain by the lightning.

Including Wang Linyang and the other two, there were nineteen space rings in total.

Sh*t! They killed Talen and the others!

In the American team, Ryan muttered a curse under his breath.

Eighth-rank experts aren't radishes—especially since everyone entering the Yer Secret Realm was at least mid-eighth rank.

For the United States, even one death is a loss!

As for defecting to the Tianming Sect, he didn't care at all.

He'd planned to keep using them—but now Xu Jingming had wiped them all out.

Of course,

he dared only mutter to himself—Xu Jingming's power was too great to provoke.

Besides, he'd already had conflicts with Xu Jingming before.

Thinking of this, Ryan shrank behind a tall companion.

Afraid Xu Jingming would notice him.

What you fear comes to pass; the next moment, Xu Jingming's gaze turned toward them:

"Ryan, hand over what you found in the temple."

As soon as he spoke, Ryan's face turned pale with shock and rage:

"Xu Jingming! These are America's gains—don't think you can just seize others' belongings because you're stronger!"

"What? You want to fight?"

Xu Jingming raised his bushy eyebrows and held up two fingers.

"You have two choices: either hand over the items to me, or I'll kill every American here and take them by force.

With Tianming Sect members present, we can say you were all killed by them.

I'm sure everyone will cooperate with me."

At these words, murmurs of agreement rose around him.

"The Senior Xu is right!"

"Yes! The Americans were all killed by the Tianming Sect!"

"After leaving the secret realm, we'll 'truthfully' report the situation."

"......"

Though unaware of the full context, it was clear America had acquired extra gains within the secret realm.

Seeing America humiliated, others were only too happy to kick them while they were down.

"You—!"

Ryan's face flushed dark, then pale; after a long moment, he suppressed his fury and tossed his space ring to Xu Jingming:

"Everything's inside. Take it yourself."

He was the meat on the chopping block; Ryan knew full well the cost of resistance—he had no choice but to surrender the space ring.

"Good. Very sensible."

Xu Jingming nodded in satisfaction.

With a sweep of his spiritual energy, he sensed every item within the space ring.

Besides numerous rare herbs and exotic plants, one section held a collection of ancient books and seeds.

"Plant-life seeds!"

Xu Jingming's heart leapt with joy.

Though Thornblade Grass was a rare plant-life, its quality wasn't perfect.

If he could find a single perfect plant-life among these seeds, it would be ideal.

Combined with Plant Sacred Water, it could forge a formidable ninth-rank plant-life!

With the secret realm about to close, the Americans wouldn't continue searching for rare herbs.

Thus, Xu Jingming made no effort to transfer the items—he simply flipped his right hand and claimed them outright.

"Aren't you returning my space ring?"

Ryan's eyes widened, his voice urgent:

"I've given you the temple's gains—don't take my collected rare herbs too!"

"What do you mean 'take'?"

Xu Jingming released his aura and smiled faintly: "Without me, you'd all be dead at the hands of the Tianming Sect.

These rare herbs are your payment for protection.

And it's not just America—every other nation's cultivators must hand over their space rings to me."

At these words, the other nations' powerhouses who had been smirking at America's misfortune froze in shock.

Wait, what? Why are we involved in this?

PS: Sorry sorry, didn't update yesterday—National Day was too busy. I owe you; I'll make it up later...