Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

The Sea Crocodile.

Su Ye gave the Loose Cultivator a reward, dismissed him, and instructed him to maintain secrecy.

Then, he walked to the side of the ship.

He gazed into the distance at the Blood Copper as it slowly vanished into the thick fog, a profound look in his eyes.

Su Ye murmured to himself, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Liuli the Qi Clan... To think it was them..."

As he spoke, information he had read in the Luo Family’s Scripture Pavilion surfaced in his mind.

Liuli the Qi Clan, also known as the Qi Family of Liuli Island.

Their origins were similar to the Luo Family’s.

Both clans had their start over three hundred years ago, during the Pioneering War.

They were both Foundation Establishment cultivator families that had successfully established themselves on land, occupied a second-tier spirit island, and proceeded to branch out and flourish.

However, the ancestor of the Qi Family was originally a member of the Cyan Profound Sect.

Thanks to this connection, though it has weakened over time, the Cyan Profound Sect inevitably looked out for them during the first few decades.

This allowed the Qi Family’s early growth to be remarkably smooth. And despite a few setbacks later on, their overall trajectory has been one of steady improvement.

Now, after three hundred years of accumulation, the Qi Family’s strength is formidable!

They have several Foundation Establishment cultivators and control two second-tier Spirit Islands, as well as over ten first-tier Spirit Islands!

The breadth of their influence and the depth of their accumulated heritage are such that the Luo and Shu Families combined could hardly compare!

Moreover.

More importantly...

’The Qi Family... has a second-tier spirit ship!’

A look of apprehension flickered in Su Ye’s eyes.

Compared to a first-tier spirit ship, a second-tier one would have vastly superior tonnage, firepower, armor, and maneuverability.

To put it bluntly, if the Qi Family were to dispatch this second-tier spirit ship, along with a Foundation Establishment cultivator to command it...

...its combat power alone would be enough to rival the entire Luo Family fleet!

Such is the fearsome power of a second-tier spirit ship! Such is the Qi Family!

And now.

For such a powerful family to dispatch a spirit ship to patrol near Fuling Island and make hostile gestures...

It was obvious that the blood spilled into the sea from the fierce struggle between the Luo and Shu Families had attracted a hungry great white shark!

’The Qi Family’s territory is far from the Luo Family’s, but it borders the Shu Family’s...’

’And if the Luo Family manages to crush the Shu Family in this war and absorb them, our territory will then border the Qi Family’s!’

’It’s only natural that the Qi Family would be interested in interfering in the War between the Luo and Shu Families...’

As Su Ye pieced it all together, his heart tightened with vigilance.

Even if the Qi Family was wary of the Cyan Profound Sect and didn’t dare to interfere brazenly in a war between other Foundation Establishment families...

...with their strength, even a few small, over-the-line moves could introduce unexpected complications into this war...

Faced with the pressure exerted by Liuli the Qi Clan, Su Ye couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

His index finger gently tapped against the wooden railing of the Sea Crocodile.

’If the Qi Family intends to interfere...’

"Then... what is the Blood Copper’s specific target for patrolling these waters?" Su Ye mused aloud.

’If they wanted to influence the course of the War between the Luo and Shu Families, a single first-tier, high-grade spirit ship wouldn’t be nearly enough...’

’And mobilizing a larger force would be a huge investment, not to mention they lack a proper pretext to do so.’

’If I were the Qi Family Patriarch and wanted to take advantage of this chaos, what would be the plan with the lowest investment and highest return?’

Su Ye asked himself.

Suddenly, it was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind!

Su Ye’s eyes lit up abruptly.

He whipped around, his gaze fixed on the distant Copper Drum Bay!

’The spirit ships!’

The Shu Family’s ’fleet in being’!

Five spirit ships with almost no ability to resist!

’Whether they capture them to bolster their own fleet...’

’...or sink them to prevent the Luo Family—who would soon become their neighbor—from drastically increasing their fleet’s power.’

’For the Qi Family, either outcome is acceptable.’

"Heh... How interesting. They had the same idea as me..." A glint flashed in Su Ye’s eyes.

’Then let’s see... who’s the more brilliant one!’

’Liuli the Qi Clan may be strong, but just sticking out a single claw isn’t enough to cow me!’

’Stick your claws where they don’t belong, and I’ll be the one to break them!’

...

The Blood Copper.

"Impressively vigilant... The captain of that ship is quite a character..."

Qi Maoxin, the refined, well-dressed captain of the Blood Copper who wore white gloves, remarked with a sigh.

Even in the dead of night, the discipline Su Ye had long instilled in his crew allowed the Sea Crocodile to rapidly assume a combat stance and force the Blood Copper’s retreat.

"Uncle Maoxin, what should we do now?"

"If we let the Luo Family just swallow the Shu Family’s fleet, it’ll become troublesome for us..."

"Why not let me make a trip? I can sneak into Copper Drum Bay and persuade the Shu Family’s fleet to surrender to us!"

said a young cultivator, his dark eyes glinting with cunning, eager to prove himself.

"Patience, Changxin."

Qi Maoxin shook his head, holding up a hand to stop him.

"Your idea isn’t bad, but... we still need to wait."

"Wait?" Qi Changxin was a little confused.

In his view, the Shu Family’s defeat was only a matter of a month or two.

As if seeing through Qi Changxin’s thoughts, Qi Maoxin gave a knowing, meaningful smile.

"The Shu Family... hasn’t reached the end of their rope just yet. They won’t be so easy to persuade..."

"What’s more, that family has the ferocity of wolf cubs. Until they’re truly cornered, it would be difficult to move them, even with the most silver of tongues."

"We’ll wait a bit longer."

...

「Half a month went by.」

During this period, the main Luo Family army that had landed at the northern port of Fuling Island advanced triumphantly.

With Luo Xiyin providing support by identifying the weaknesses in enemy Arrays, the Luo Family army advanced like an unstoppable force, conquering six towns.

They successfully reclaimed most of the lands on Fuling Island that contained Spirit Veins!

This forced the main body of the Shu Family’s cultivators to retreat into [Jade Valley]!

Jade Valley.

This was the largest Spirit Medicine production site on Fuling Island.

The Spiritual Qi there was dense, and it was protected by a first-tier, high-grade Array.

Its densely forested valley terrain also made it naturally defensible.

The Shu Family cultivators set up layers of blockades on the outskirts of Jade Valley, resisting stubbornly to slow the Luo Family’s advance.

Faced with the Shu Family’s stubborn defense, the Luo Family didn’t resort to any fancy tactics.

They simply opted for a steady, methodical advance.

Trading blood for blood and losses for losses!

Both sides continuously poured troops into the forests around Jade Valley, engaging in a bloody meat-grinder of a battle!

Under these conditions, the Luo Family suffered considerable losses, but the casualty exchange rate was still acceptable.

But the Shu Family, the weaker party, lacked supplies and consumables. Forced to hold the line with nothing but flesh and blood, their losses were devastating!

Soon, the Shu Family began to run short on manpower.

They were forced to pull cultivators from Copper Drum Bay to participate in the frontline battles!

...

"Heh..."

Su Ye raised a spyglass, gazing into the distance.

He watched a troop of wounded soldiers, many missing limbs, enter Copper Drum Bay.

Meanwhile, the cultivators garrisoned in Copper Drum Bay packed their belongings and headed for Jade Valley to throw themselves into the fray.

’How many people are left in Copper Drum Bay now? Maybe... eighty? And a good number of them are wounded...’

Su Ye murmured under his breath.

It was worth noting.

Su Ye’s suggestions carried some weight in the Luo Family’s decision-making.

After he reported the Qi Family’s potential conspiracy, the Luo Family’s leadership took the matter seriously.

They even allocated an additional twenty Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators to his command.

’So...’

"Prepare for action!"

...

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