Burning Space World Lord, I've Finally Locked Onto You!

Lu Ming's gaze lingered on several points of light emitting relatively weak energy fluctuations.

"Mm, I'll start with these few."

He casually selected three targets—two peak Marquis-Level Monster Race warriors and one entry-level King-Level Monster Race warrior.

"I should warm up first, and while I'm at it... give that Tear-Chaser King a little 'hope.'"

"What if I show too much strength right from the start and scare him off, making him too afraid to come?"

"I have to give him a chance to 'avenge' himself, make him think he has an opening, so he'll willingly come knocking."

A trace of icy meaning colored Lu Ming's smile.

"To fish, you have to put out some bait first to lure the fish over, don't you?"

He had no intention of searching the entire world for Tear-Chaser King. The best approach was to make the other party come looking for him!

Displaying part of his strength while remaining "just so" within the range his opponent believed he could handle was undoubtedly the finest bait.

"Azure Kite, lock onto the first target—the lone peak Marquis-Level Monster Race warrior, Flame Claw Marquis."

"Yes, Master!"

The Meteor Shuttle started up again. Like a hunter in the dead of night, it silently crept toward its first prey.

Within a shattered starfield littered with metal wreckage, two figures were locked in fierce combat.

On one side was Flame Claw Marquis, a Marquis-Level Monster Race warrior whose entire body burned with scarlet flames, his claws tearing through space.

On the other was Ice Rain Marquis, a human Marquis-Level warrior controlling chains of ice crystals, his movements nimble and elusive.

Their strength was evenly matched. Their law domains collided, divine power surged, and neither could gain the upper hand.

Just as Flame Claw Marquis drove Ice Rain Marquis back with a vicious claw strike and prepared to press his advantage—

A dark-red flowing light suddenly cut into the battlefield without warning, stopping precisely between them.

Boom!!

Lu Ming's figure appeared. His gaze swept over the two combatants, and a faint, ambiguous smile played on his lips.

"You two are putting on quite a show."

His tone was relaxed.

"But surely you wouldn't mind adding one more participant to such a fine scene?"

Ice Rain Marquis frowned slightly and cautiously retreated a short distance. He recognized Lu Ming as human, but the Outer-Domain Battlefield was complicated, and he dared not let down his guard.

The instant Flame Claw Marquis saw Lu Ming's face, however, his pupils contracted sharply. He cried out in shock, "It's you! Burning Space World Lord!"

Lu Ming's name had long spread throughout the Monster Race camp. Especially among Marquis-Level warriors like them, his image had been etched clearly into their minds.

"Seems my reputation isn't so small."

Lu Ming looked at Flame Claw Marquis, his tone calm.

"After all this time, you should have already sent out my coordinates, shouldn't you?"

Flame Claw Marquis's heart tightened. The moment Lu Ming appeared, he had indeed used the Monster Race's internal emergency communication channel to transmit the message, "Burning Space World Lord sighted, coordinates XXX." But he could not understand why Lu Ming was asking.

"What do you mean?"

Flame Claw Marquis stared at Lu Ming warily, divine power surging around him.

"What I mean is..."

The smile on Lu Ming's face vanished in an instant, and his eyes turned piercingly cold.

"Since the information has already been sent, your mission is complete."

"You can die now!!"

The instant the last word fell, Lu Ming vanished like a ghost!

Flame Claw Marquis saw only a blur before a lethal sense of danger came from behind him!

He wanted to turn around and strike back, but it was already too late!

Whoosh!

A faint grayish flowing light, nearly impossible to detect, accompanied the tip of the specially made Yan Kong Blade in Lu Ming's hand as it lightly touched the weak joint in the armor over his back.

Ssshh—!

Flame Claw Marquis's blazing divine body stiffened abruptly. He lowered his head in disbelief and watched a spot of gray spread rapidly from the place where he had been struck!

Wherever it passed, his immortal divine body melted and annihilated at an unprecedented rate, like ice and snow cast into raging flames!

He could even clearly "hear" the wails and collapse of his own divine power!

"Y-you... poisoned me!"

Flame Claw Marquis's eyes were filled with terror and despair as he managed to let out this final roar.

Before his words had even faded, the gray had already covered his entire body.

The next moment, Flame Claw Marquis's massive Monster Race divine body vanished completely into the starry sky like a weathered sand sculpture, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

The peak Marquis-Level Monster Race warrior, Flame Claw Marquis, had fallen!

From Lu Ming's attack to Flame Claw Marquis's complete annihilation, the entire process took no more than an instant.

Ice Rain Marquis, who had been standing ready nearby, was utterly dumbfounded, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

He had seen it clearly. Lu Ming had used only one strike, seemingly relying mainly on some terrifying "venom," to instantly annihilate a peak Marquis-Level Monster Race warrior equal to himself in strength!

"Burning Space World Lord..."

Ice Rain Marquis's throat was dry, and his gaze toward Lu Ming was filled with reverence.

Yet Lu Ming acted as though he had merely done something trivial. He casually collected the items Flame Claw Marquis had left behind, then gave Ice Rain Marquis a slight nod.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Ice Rain Marquis stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Burning Space World Lord, for coming to my aid!"

Lu Ming waved a hand, his tone as calm as ever. "We're both from the human camp. It was nothing."

"This is no place to linger. Leave as soon as possible."

Ice Rain Marquis was slightly taken aback. "Leave? Burning Space World Lord, you..."

The corners of Lu Ming's lips lifted in a meaningful arc. His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of space toward an unknown distance. "I'm waiting here for a big fish. That fellow should have sent out the coordinates before he died."

He looked at Ice Rain Marquis. "What comes next may be beyond your ability to involve yourself in. While it's still relatively safe, leave quickly."

Ice Rain Marquis understood at once, and his heart was even more shaken.

Burning Space World Lord had deliberately exposed his coordinates, intending to use himself as bait to lure a stronger enemy here!

Recalling the intelligence about Tear-Chaser King's reward for information on Lu Ming, he immediately realized whom Lu Ming was waiting for—a high-level King-Level immortal!

"Burning Space World Lord, you're going to face Tear-Chaser King alone? He's a high-level King-Level warrior!"

Ice Rain Marquis could not help speaking up.

Although Lu Ming had instantly killed Flame Claw Marquis just now, the gap between Marquis-Level and high-level King-Level was like an uncrossable chasm.

"High-level King-Level?"

Lu Ming chuckled, but there was not the slightest trace of gravity in his eyes. Instead, they held a hint of anticipation.

"Perfect. My name as a King-Level warrior needs an opponent like this to forge it."

Seeing that Ice Rain Marquis still wanted to say something, he cut him off directly. "I appreciate your kindness, but if you stay here, you'll only become a burden to me. Go."

With matters having reached this point, Ice Rain Marquis knew that staying truly served no purpose and might instead distract Lu Ming.

He bowed solemnly once more. "In that case, take care, Burning Space World Lord! May you claim victory at the first battle and bring glory to our human race!"

Having said that, Ice Rain Marquis hesitated no longer. His figure transformed into an icy-blue flowing light and swiftly fled away from this region, disappearing beyond the end of the starry sky after only a few flashes.

Watching Ice Rain Marquis leave, the relaxed expression on Lu Ming's face slowly faded.

He did not remain where he was. Instead, he piloted the Meteor Shuttle through this shattered starfield in what appeared to be a casual drift, while subtly releasing his own law aura.

"The bait has been cast, and it's tempting enough..."

Lu Ming murmured, his eyes sharp as blades.

"Tear-Chaser King, don't keep me waiting too long."

Meanwhile, in another region of the Myriad Skeleton Vortex, one filled with bizarre asteroid belts.

A dark-golden giant serpent coiled atop an enormous meteor suddenly opened its blood-red vertical pupils. It had received the emergency coordinates Flame Claw Marquis sent before his death!

"Burning Space World Lord! The coordinates... I've finally locked onto you!"