Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Ignoring Zheng Yunzhe’s contempt, Feng Shaochai spoke with self-assurance.

Just then, both of their expressions suddenly changed.

A Jade Pendant at their waists began to glow.

"The plan has changed."

"A key nodal passage has appeared within Volcano State. Change course and proceed toward Volcano State. You have twenty-four hours to arrive and enter the Grotto Heaven."

"By order of Li Jinhua, one of the Seven Sages of the True Treasure Pavilion."

"Welp..." Feng Shaochai shrugged.

"This matriarch of ours really doesn’t give us a moment’s peace."

"Agh... my pre-battle relaxation... my beautiful female cultivators..." Feng Shaochai wailed.

Zheng Yunzhe’s expression was grim; he paid him no mind.

He used a Communication Talisman to order the fleet to change course.

...

「Volcano State.」

Along the coast of the Fourth Ring.

The Ghostly Flood Dragon reversed its Primordial Magnetism, hovering above a cluster of buildings.

These were the ruins of a Crystallization-stage sect’s mountain gate. Had the cultivators of this sect all been killed, or had they fled Volcano State?

In any case, the place was deserted.

Therefore, the Flame Alliance had requisitioned the site.

Using it as a stronghold for the battle over the Grotto Heaven, numerous Flame Alliance cultivators were now busy rebuilding Arrays and expanding the defensive barriers to fortify their position.

’They’re full of enthusiasm, but it’s all useless.’

Su Ye swept his Divine Sense over the area and shrugged.

After all, the stronghold was built on a mere third-rank Spirit Vein. It was inherently flawed. No matter how much they reinforced it, it would only be able to stall a Golden Core expert for a moment.

’And that’s not even mentioning the Nascent Soul cultivator in the Star Casting Hall’s camp... If Yuan Lan herself were to act, these piled-up defenses would be as fragile as a soap bubble.’

Su Ye sighed.

He was quite vexed. ’The Day Flame Sea Region was doing just fine. Why did so many Nascent Soul cultivators have to show up?’

’I finally managed to form my Nine-Method Golden Core and was just getting ready to develop comfortably in my lane, picking on some easy targets, and suddenly the difficulty of the Day Flame Sea Region skyrockets like this?’

’It feels a little personal.’

"Haaaah..."

Su Ye sat in the captain’s chair, feeling a bit bored.

Just then, a light flared up before him—a Communication Talisman! It was Li Jinhua’s.

"True Monarch Li."

"Su Ye."

"I’ll be brief. The True Treasure Pavilion’s reinforcement fleet will be arriving shortly."

"This fleet is overseen by nine Golden Core cultivators, including Feng Shaochai and Zheng Yunzhe... Here are their files. Look them over and familiarize yourself."

"Nine Golden Core cultivators?" Su Ye’s spirits lifted. ’The reinforcements are pretty strong.’

"But... what’s the command structure? Can I give them orders?"

Su Ye asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really," Li Jinhua denied.

"Since you aren’t a member of the True Treasure Pavilion, it would be difficult for me to grant you command authority over our Golden Core cultivators... And don’t even ask. Even if you joined right now, it wouldn’t work. Your seniority isn’t high enough."

"The True Treasure Pavilion has its rules, and as one of the Seven Sages, I have to abide by them."

Li Jinhua explained in a measured tone.

"Of course, I can grant you a Seven Sages Badge. In terms of status, you won’t be inferior to them. You won’t need to obey any mandatory orders and will retain your autonomy."

’Not bad.’

Su Ye nodded.

He hadn’t been counting on commanding the True Treasure Pavilion’s Golden Core cultivators anyway.

Then, Li Jinhua continued.

"In addition, there will be reinforcements from the Profound Light Cave, but they are too inefficient. A clear list of the Golden Core cultivators they’re sending has yet to be finalized."

"However, Golden Core cultivators don’t grow on trees. According to our estimates, the Profound Light Cave has fewer than ten mobile Golden Core cultivators available to deploy. All of their files are in the Data Pavilion. I’ve sent them all to you, so take a look."

"As for the Golden Core cultivators from the Star Casting Hall and Immortal Peak Palace, the True Treasure Pavilion lacks accurate records, and the intelligence we do have is not very detailed. You can browse it, but don’t trust it completely."

After a moment’s pause.

Li Jinhua’s tone softened as she offered Su Ye some advice.

"Try your best to distinguish yourself. This fight for the Volcano Grotto Heaven is a great opportunity."

"With your aptitude, as long as your contribution to the True Treasure Pavilion reaches the required threshold, I can pull some strings to lock in a spot for you to draw from a fifth-rank Spirit Vein and become one of the True Treasure Pavilion’s Nascent Soul seeds!"

"And don’t underestimate this Nascent Soul seed position. In addition to the right to draw from a Spirit Vein, it comes with Dao artifacts, Orbits, Secret Techniques..."

"With all of those supports, your probability of advancing to the Nascent Soul realm will reach at least ten percent!"

Li Jinhua urged him seriously.

The base probability of advancing to the Nascent Soul realm is only two percent.

The True Treasure Pavilion’s Nascent Soul seed program was clearly worth its weight in gold.

"Understood."

Su Ye nodded.

"Thank you, True Monarch Li. If I one day reach the Nascent Soul realm, I will never forget the grace you’ve shown me."

He offered a few auspicious words.

After all, this True Monarch Li was basically his Angel investor at the moment.

He had to make some big promises.

"Mm... Just focus on your performance. Victory in this battle is assured!"

Li Jinhua, who seemed to be in a good mood, added.

Hearing this, Su Ye was taken aback.

’Hold on, how is victory assured?’

’According to the estimates, we have only half the number of Golden Core cultivators as the enemy... Don’t tell me she’s expecting me to carry the team?’

’Surely not, right?’

Su Ye was puzzled, wondering where Li Jinhua’s confidence came from.

However, Li Jinhua offered no answer.

She just said mysteriously, "You can rest assured."

Then, with a hum and a flash of spiritual light, the Communication Talisman went dark.

"Fine..."

Su Ye’s lip twitched.

...

"I hate people who talk in riddles."

’But the problem is, she’s a Nascent Soul cultivator...’

After the call ended, Su Ye sighed softly.

It was the same thought again: The Day Flame Sea Region had been perfectly fine, so why did so many Nascent Soul cultivators have to show up?

In the Spiritual Mechanism Immortal Dao, realm was paramount.

And the higher one’s cultivation, the more terrifyingly difficult it became to fight opponents of a higher realm!

Even with his Nine-Method Golden Core, Su Ye couldn’t guarantee he could escape unscathed from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

This was precisely why Su Ye was currently stationed in Volcano State.

—To avoid the intervention of Nascent Soul cultivators.

After the last fire poison eruption, this Grotto Heaven had become increasingly sensitive to the Magical Power fluctuations of Nascent Soul cultivators.

According to Li Jinhua’s tests, whenever a Nascent Soul True Monarch used even a hint of Nascent Soul-level Magical Power within Volcano State, it would trigger a fire poison backlash from the Volcano Grotto Heaven!

Because of this, both she and Yuan Lan had been forced to stay away from Volcano State.

For Su Ye, this actually made Volcano State the safest place to be.

"Besides..."

’...it’s also a good place for me to develop.’

Su Ye muttered to himself and opened his status panel.

[Laws: Netherworld (100%), Annihilation Flow (24%), Genesis and Ruin (24%)]

In four months’ time, Su Ye’s Magical Power cultivation hadn’t improved much.

Li Jinhua was paying close attention to him, leaving him no opportunity to travel to the Far South Continent and draw from the Spiritual Spring. As a result, his Magical Power cultivation had stalled.

Of course, as a cultivator with a Nine-Method Golden Core, Su Ye’s cultivation speed was by no means slow.

This so-called "stall" was only in comparison to the meteoric, one-shot growth that came from absorbing a Spiritual Spring Origin.

However, while his Magical Power progress was flat, his progress in comprehending the Laws had increased dramatically!

With the assistance of the Ghostly Flood Dragon and accelerated by Source Energy Points, his comprehension of the ’Annihilation Flow’ and ’Genesis and Ruin’ Laws had been increasing by nearly one percent each month.

In comparison, previously, even with the aid of a Divine Intent diagram, it would have taken Su Ye four months to increase his comprehension of the ’Annihilation Flow’ Law by one percent.

As for the ’Genesis and Ruin’ Law, for which he had no Divine Intent diagram, it would have taken him a full year under normal circumstances to slowly improve by a single percentage point...

But now...

The speed for both had multiplied several times over!

’And... it could be even faster. If I just have enough high-source-energy items to upgrade the Ghostly Flood Dragon to a peak fourth-rank spiritual ship... a quasi-fifth-rank spiritual ship... or even a fifth-rank spiritual ship!’

’My speed at comprehending the Laws would increase by several more times, at least!’

"And as for those... the high-source-energy items I need..." Su Ye caressed his Communication Talisman. At least a dozen high-source-energy items were currently on their way here.

Although he didn’t know what Li Jinhua meant by "victory is assured."

"But..."

"I do know one thing."

"After I enter the Volcano Grotto Heaven, I’m going to... unleash a slaughter!"

’Fellow Daoists, don’t blame me for being ruthless.’

Su Ye said silently to himself.

...