"Everyone."
Lu Ming looked at the others and spoke slowly. The cabin fell silent at once, and everyone turned to him.
"I came to the Outer-Domain Battlefield not only to meet the basic military merit requirement, but also to complete other training missions."
Lu Ming spoke calmly.
"I'm sure you can all understand, even if I don't say it outright."
"Two hundred million military merits really is too easy for you, Flame Edge."
Beast King nodded.
"You couldn't have come here just for that little military merit. Just the cultivation of that plant life... would probably be enough to bankrupt many Immortal Gods."
Lu Ming nodded slightly and continued.
"After that battle, I've met the military merit requirement. I'm free to go now."
"What do you mean?"
Moon Princess froze.
"You're leaving?"
Wind Spirit asked softly. The squad members all looked at Lu Ming, their expressions complicated.
Lu Ming nodded. "Yes. I'm planning to venture out on my own."
Moon Princess, Beast King, Blood Blade, and Wind Spirit exchanged glances. Though reluctant to see him go, they understood... A powerhouse like Lu Ming couldn't keep operating with them in the relatively low-risk outskirts of the Lotus Star Domain.
"There's no need to feel sorry."
Moon Princess smiled with understanding.
"Fighting ordinary enemies alongside us is beneath you. And if we run into a truly powerful opponent... we'd only drag you down. You're making the right choice."
"Haha, whatever else happens, I, Beast King, can at least say I was Flame Edge's teammate!"
Beast King grinned.
"When you become a big shot someday, don't forget the brothers who fought alongside you!"
"I won't."
Lu Ming made his promise solemnly. Wind Spirit looked at him, a flicker of emotion passing through her cool eyes.
"Take care."
Blood Blade simply gave Lu Ming's shoulder a heavy pat. "Come back alive."
They had fought side by side, after all, so Lu Ming and his squadmates chatted for a while longer. But the time to part eventually came.
"These are some of the spoils from killing those two Immortal Gods just now."
Lu Ming produced a World Ring and looked at the others.
"These things... aren't much use to me. I'm sure you need them more."
As he spoke, he manipulated World Power to send the ring to Moon Princess.
"How can we accept this?"
"This..."
Everyone was stunned.
It was the wealth of two Immortal Gods—an enormous fortune!
"Flame Edge sees the world differently from us."
Moon Princess sighed softly and accepted the ring.
"To him, this really isn't much. Everyone, take it. It's a gift from him."
"Heh, then I won't stand on ceremony!"
Beast King was the first to inspect the ring. His eyes widened at once.
"Wow! So many treasures! This is worth more than a century of our earnings!"
"With these resources, our squad's strength can improve by a huge margin."
Blood Blade, too, rarely smiled.
Moon Princess was even more excited after inspecting the ring. "This detector is far more advanced than the one we use! On the Outer-Domain Battlefield, a good detector is a second life! Flame Edge, what about you..."
"I have a better one."
Lu Ming nodded. He had the Sky Patrol Eye, with a detection range of three billion kilometers.
"Captain, how exactly is military merit awarded for killing Immortal Gods?"
Lu Ming asked.
Moon Princess gathered her thoughts before answering. "Immortal Gods are divided into three levels: Immortal Military Lord, Marquis-Level, and King-Level. Among them, 'Immortal Military Lords,' who lack an undying body, are the easiest to kill."
"Killing a low-level Immortal Military Lord earns one hundred million military merits."
"Killing a high-level Immortal Military Lord earns one billion military merits."
"Marquis Level and King Level are each divided into three ranks, with the military merit rewards doubling at each rank."
Lu Ming nodded after listening, gaining a clearer understanding of the Outer-Domain Battlefield's military merit system.
He didn't care much about military merits and hadn't looked into them in detail beforehand.
"Everyone."
Lu Ming stood up.
"Let's part ways here. Once we leave the Outer-Domain Battlefield, we'll drink together again."
"Take care!"
Moon Princess said solemnly.
"Watch out for the Alien Race's strange methods!"
Beast King called out.
"Don't forget us!"
Wind Spirit said softly.
Lu Ming bade a final farewell to the squadmates he'd known for only a short time, then turned and flew out through the ship's hatch.
"Whoosh!"
A sleek, streamlined Meteor Shuttle appeared in the starry sky, gleaming with the distinctive sheen of G-grade metal.
Lu Ming piloted the ship away as Moon Princess Squad's purple vessel headed in the opposite direction. Soon, both disappeared into the vast sea of stars.
After leaving Moon Princess Squad, Lu Ming piloted the Meteor Shuttle through space and instructed the Intelligent Life Qingyuan to bring up a detailed star map of the Ninth Battlefield.
Lu Ming had clear requirements for the area where he would fight next.
First, it couldn't have too many top powerhouses. Ideally, there would be no King-level Immortal Gods, and Marquis-level Immortal Gods would be rare as well.
Although he had plenty of trump cards, he didn't want to provoke those troublesome figures too early.
What he needed now was training. If Little Thunder did all the fighting, there would be no point.
Second, the danger level had to be moderate.
Some Universe Secret Realms were rife with unknown dangers. Even after countless years of warfare, they might still conceal perilous areas capable of threatening a Marquis or even a King. Lu Ming wouldn't consider such places for now.
With the Sacrifice Return System as his path to the heavens, he could steadily improve his strength. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
The star map of the entire Ninth Battlefield was incredibly complex, marked with countless special zones where powerhouses fought for supremacy.
Lu Ming examined them one by one, unhurriedly.
"The Black Annihilation River? Lots of Marquises gathered there, with even a King sighted? Too dangerous. Not going."
"The Shattered Star Sea? Mostly World Lords and Domain Lords go there to train, and Immortals are rare? That won't work either. My goal is to hunt Immortals for resources. What's the point if there are too few?"
Lu Ming ruled out most of the places one by one.
Areas frequented by Kings were far too dangerous, while regions dominated by World Lords and Domain Lords were too inefficient.
He also wouldn't consider anywhere too far from Barracks Base 038, or places within the reach of another base.
It was like choosing a place to live: it had to be suitable and convenient.
"Hm? The Yungu Star Belt!"
Lu Ming's gaze settled on a battlefield zone not too far from Barracks Base 038. It was a medium-to-high-risk area suited to combat between Immortal Gods.
"Enlarge the detailed information."
Lu Ming gave the order.
"Yes, Master."
The point representing the Yungu Star Belt on the map quickly expanded, revealing detailed information about this vast star region.
The map showed a vast stretch of shattered space, thick with the debris of countless stars, alongside dense blocks of text.
"Yungu Star Belt: A medium-to-high-risk combat zone within the control range of Barracks Base 038 in the Ninth Battlefield. Human and Alien Race powerhouses who dare enter this area usually form Elite Squads led by World Lord Generals, while armies are commanded by Immortal Gods."
"Most lone combatants are Immortal Gods. They are numerous, and Marquis-level Immortal Gods are occasionally sighted."
"In this area, the odds of survival are extremely low without Immortal-level combat power."
A wealth of information about the Yungu Star Belt appeared. The more Lu Ming read, the more satisfied he became.