My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me

「The Thousand Islands Alliance, Dawn Island.」

Dawn Island ranked among the seven largest islands in the Thousand Islands Alliance, comparable in size to a small nation on the Western Continent. But this massive island was now packed to the brim with Cultivators who had rushed over after hearing the news. Even the seas beyond the island were crowded with a vast number of parked Flying Boats and sea vessels.

Even more Independent Cultivators were hurrying toward Dawn Island after hearing the news.

Yang Jing stood on a mountain, looking down at the Independent Cultivators swarming below like ants.

He realized he had underestimated both the number of Cultivators on the Central Continent and the allure of the Foundation Establishment Pill. By now, the number of Cultivators on Dawn Island was approaching eight hundred thousand, and a good portion of them were at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms.

Adding in the Nascent Soul Cultivators he controlled via blood contracts, the military force Yang Jing now commanded had actually surpassed that of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect.

However, this great army of Cultivators was held together only by self-interest; their cohesion was extremely weak. They would be fine in a favorable battle, no less formidable than the elite armies of the Six Sects of the Western Continent. But in a losing fight, they would likely collapse in an instant, scattering and abandoning all pretense of a fight.

Iron Head and the other few disciples had been working day and night for the past several days. Managing even an army of mortals was a task of immense complexity, let alone one composed entirely of Cultivators.

If not for the numerous Wenshu sent over from the Thousand Islands Alliance and the Nine Marvels Sect, Iron Head and the others wouldn’t have been able to keep up, even if they could clone themselves.

"Your age?"

A Wenshu, holding a Token, questioned an Independent Cultivator standing before him.

"Sixty-six."

The Independent Cultivator replied cautiously.

For a mortal, sixty-six was old enough to have one foot in the grave. But for a Qi Cultivator, it was the prime of their life. Many Cultivators, having lost hope of reaching Foundation Establishment after sixty, would spend more time earning Spirit Stones and practicing Magic. At the same Cultivation level, their combat power was often even stronger.

The Wenshu activated the Treasure Mirror beside him and shone it on the Independent Cultivator. After confirming that the man practiced no Evil Techniques and had no hidden old injuries, he recorded the Independent Cultivator’s various details onto the Token.

"Number Wu-3568. Refine this Token with your Magical Power now. In the future, you’ll use it to receive Spirit Stones and record Merit Points. Be sure to keep it safe. It will not be replaced if lost."

"Yes, yes!"

After receiving the Token, the Independent Cultivator immediately began refining it with his Magical Power and then stored it close to his body. He had already exhausted his potential by reaching the Late Stage of Qi Refining in this lifetime. But his child’s Spirit Root was slightly better than his; perhaps they could reach Qi Refining Perfection before the age of sixty.

Now that he had a chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, he was naturally willing to risk his life for it.

"Go to the tent on the side to receive a Magical Artifact. Remember, you’ll only be issued one. If it’s damaged, you’ll have to spend Spirit Stones to buy a new one."

The Independent Cultivator hadn’t expected that Yang Jing’s recruitment even included issuing Magical Artifacts, and he nodded repeatedly.

’It seems the True Monarch from the Western Continent doesn’t intend to use us Qi Cultivation Independent Cultivators as cannon fodder after all.’

"You may leave. Let the next person in."

The Wenshu recorded the Independent Cultivator’s information in a Jade Scroll and spoke without looking up.

The Independent Cultivator left the tent and was about to let the Cultivator behind him in line go next. He planned to find a place to rest and gather some news, but unexpectedly, a Five-Colored Lock Chain shot down from the sky, binding the Cultivator who had been behind him.

The Cultivator struggled desperately, but the Five-Colored Lock Chain’s Sealing Power was immense. Once bound, he couldn’t muster even a shred of his Magical Power.

"I came to join the recruitment! What are you doing?!"

The Cultivators waiting in line behind them erupted in an uproar, their faces filled with terror.

Iron Head hovered in the air, holding the Three Lights Divine Mirror.

"You’re a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator. You skinned someone—who knows where—and tried to use this recruitment to sneak in, gather intelligence, and wait for a chance to cause destruction. You might fool my eyes, but did you think you could fool my master’s Divine Mirror?"

Iron Head demanded, his voice harsh and severe.

Upon hearing the name of the Three Lights Divine Mirror, the Cultivators, who had been on the verge of panic, all calmed down.

After Yang Jing’s battle on the Sword Fighting Platform, not only had his own name become famous throughout the Central Continent, but the various Magical Treasures he possessed had also gained great renown.

Iron Head activated the Three Lights Divine Mirror, and the Treasure Mirror shot a beam of Sun Divine Light at the Cultivator.

Bathed in the golden light, the Cultivator let out a bloodcurdling scream. His skin melted like wax, releasing thick black smoke and a pungent, foul stench.

A few seconds later, the Cultivator was completely dissolved by the Sun Divine Light.

Demon Cultivators were rare on the Central Continent; this was the first time most of these Cultivators had witnessed such a scene.

Iron Head’s eyes swept across the crowd, and he captured over a dozen more Demon Cultivators hidden among the Cultivators. These Demon Cultivators used various methods to conceal their identities, but none could escape his pair of Dharma Eyes.

To put it bluntly, with a master like Yang Jing who had studied Demon Sect Skills so deeply, the tricks these Demon Cultivators were using were simply too clumsy.

Iron Head’s expression turned grim. ’Master’s original goal was just to have me maintain order, but I never expected to find so many Demon Cultivators.’ This put him on high alert. ’It seems the Celestial Slaughter Demon Saint from the Outer Realm has kept his attention on Master this whole time. That’s the only way he could have sent so many Demon Cultivators to infiltrate so soon after the recruitment began.’

Yang Jing, of course, had also considered this. By recruiting a large army on the Central Continent, he could certainly halt the Demon Court’s offensive against the Six Sects and reverse their decline. The Demon Court and the Demon Cultivators would never sit idly by and let him ruin their grand plan.

Without even needing to guess, Yang Jing knew they would surely intercept his Flying Ship Fleet in the depths of the North Sea.

The depths of the North Sea were where the Nine Heavens World’s Heaven and Earth Embryonic Membrane was at its thinnest. Forces could be deployed there directly without a Nascent Soul Demon King needing to open a channel. Moreover, even the weakest lesser Demons could unleash their full Power there.

Furthermore, if they encountered Celestial Demons in the depths of the North Sea, aid from either the Central Continent or the Western Continent would be nearly impossible. And when it came to fighting Demons, Cultivators were at their greatest disadvantage in naval battles.

If these imposter Demon Cultivators were to suddenly strike and create chaos during a sea battle against the Outer Celestial Demons and other Demons, the army’s collapse would likely be instantaneous.

In a naval war against the Demon Court and Celestial Demons, the key was the Flying Boats.

Yang Jing let out a slow breath. Building Flying Boats was a massive undertaking; even he couldn’t conjure them out of thin air in a short time. The only Flying Boats he could use were the many he had won from the Noble Families of the Western Continent after the sword duel.

However, the quality of these Flying Boats was inconsistent. Most were Tier Two, with a few Tier Three, and not a single Tier Four. After all, these Noble Families were outsiders on the Central Continent and couldn’t be too blatant about constructing War Flying Boats—Magical Artifacts specifically designed for large-scale battles. Besides, their resources could hardly sustain the daily upkeep of High Tier Flying Boats.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, a fellow Daoist from the Red Sun Sect wishes to pay you a visit."

Wood Palace True Monarch said cautiously. His feelings about Yang Jing’s impending departure were quite complex. Once Yang Jing left, he would be the true master of the Thousand Islands Alliance. But without an expert of Yang Jing’s caliber, the Thousand Islands Alliance would surely never again command such prestige.