Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Among these temporary passages, the shortest lasted for only several tens of minutes, while the longest lasted for little more than a month.

Furthermore, the closing of these temporary passages was highly unpredictable. It was perfectly normal for them to close several days ahead of their estimated expiration.

This trait was a death sentence for explorers. Imagine completing a circuit of exploration and plunder, your Storage Ring filled to the brim, only to return and find the passage gone!

What a cruel joke.

In any case, whenever something like this happened, the exploration team was essentially wiped out.

The Volcano Grotto Heaven was a vast and perilous domain. Even a Golden Core cultivator wouldn’t be certain of successfully crossing its immense expanse to find another exit.

Only a Nascent Soul True Monarch had the power to create an internal blast, forcibly shattering a weak point in the world membrane to return to the main world.

—That was exactly what Yuan Lan had done during the previous battle in Volcano State.

But now, the Grotto Heaven had been activated, and Volcano State had become a forbidden zone for Nascent Soul cultivators.

Therefore, for both the Star Casting Hall and the True Treasure Pavilion, securing a permanent passage was crucial to gaining the upper hand in the exploration of the Grotto Heaven.

And it was for this very reason that both sides were willing to shed blood for the permanent passage!

At this point in the negotiations, Han Tiantong spoke up impatiently.

"Enough. Let’s not waste any more time."

"Five one-on-one death battles in the sky region. The outcome of each battle will determine twenty percent of the access rights to the passage."

"Agreed?"

Death battle in the sky region.

This was a fairly common method Central Sea Region cultivators used to resolve conflicts of interest.

A specific area of the sky would be designated, and cultivators from both factions would fight within it.

Death, or being forced to retreat from the designated area, constituted a loss.

The cultivators present quickly responded to his proposal.

"Agreed."

"Let’s do it that way."

"I agree."

Su Ye nodded and sent a transmission as well.

It wasn’t just him; the cultivators from both factions were largely in favor of this approach.

The Star Casting Hall faction was confident in its own strength.

Meanwhile, the True Treasure Pavilion was also quite pleased. After all, one-on-one death battles in the sky region negated their most glaring weakness: their inferior numbers.

"In a one-on-one fight, we True Treasure Pavilion cultivators fear no one!"

"Heh, just wait to be torn to shreds, you True Treasure Pavilion idiots!"

Once a consensus was reached, both factions quickly added a few more rules.

"Combatants must be of the same cultivation stage."

"The use of external items that exceed the user’s own cultivation rank is prohibited."

"The use of large spiritual warships is prohibited."

This last rule was aimed at the True Treasure Pavilion’s Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark.

Any Golden Core cultivator wielding the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark would have an overwhelming advantage against a peer.

With the rules settled, the next step was to choose the combatants for the death battles.

The True Treasure Pavilion faction began discussing their choices.

Zheng Yunzhe mulled it over for a moment before saying gravely, "First, Mr. Guan can’t fight. They have two Golden Core Perfection cultivators: Han Tiantong and Chiyou."

"The latter isn’t so bad. He’s just a heretical sea bandit without a top-tier background, so he shouldn’t be a match for Mr. Guan. But Han Tiantong... facing a True Disciple of the Star Casting Hall without the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark would put him at a severe disadvantage."

Feng Shaochai added, "Mr. Guan absolutely can’t fight! There are no holds barred in these death battles! Who knows what dirty tricks those insidious bastards from the Star Casting Hall might pull to get at Mr. Guan!"

"In my humble opinion, the most prudent course of action would be for Mr. Guan to pilot the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark and act as our deterrent, preventing the enemy from trying any funny business."

Mr. Guan nodded in agreement. "That’s a sound argument."

’If something were to happen to me, a Golden Core Perfection cultivator, and I could no longer act as a deterrent,’ he thought, ’it’s almost certain the Star Casting Hall would attack us directly!’

"In that case, as for our combatants..." Zheng Yunzhe mused.

’Honestly, choosing people for these death battles is pretty difficult. First, there’s the risk of death. Second, these battles determine access to the Grotto Heaven. We don’t just have to fight—we have to win! But our opponents are anything but weak. Securing a victory against Star Casting Hall cultivators... It’s a tough choice.’

Just then, a calm, resolute voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I’ll go."

It was Su Ye!

"Yehai, you want to participate in the death battles...?" Zheng Yunzhe was surprised at first, but then his expression turned to one of delight.

’Su Ye’s strength has already been proven. He defeated a True Disciple of the Star Casting Hall. The details of that fight might be unknown, but a win is a win! This is the real world, not some game! There are no cheap assists. If he could win, he’s definitely the real deal!’

"Excellent." Zheng Yunzhe nodded, breathing an inward sigh of relief.

’Originally, I hadn’t planned on picking anyone from the Flame Alliance Golden Cores for these death battles. After all, Su Ye has a Seven Sages Badge and is held in high esteem by Li Jinhua. He isn’t someone I can just order around. And to be honest, apart from Su Ye, the rest of his subordinates are a cut below the elites from the Nine Inner Sects of the Central Sea Region. If I were to send his subordinates into a death battle... losing would be bad enough, but if one of them died, I’d have made a serious enemy!’

But now that Su Ye had volunteered himself, those concerns were moot.

"Alright, Mr. Su, which slot do you want to take?" Zheng Yunzhe asked in a warm, friendly tone.

"The first one."

"Oh, and by the way."

"There’s no need to pick anyone else... they won’t get a chance to fight."

"Huh?"

Zheng Yunzhe froze for a second before it dawned on him!

’He’s going to 1v5 them?!’

At that moment, after Su Ye finished speaking, he walked to the bow of the Ghostly Flood Dragon and tapped his toes lightly.

An icy-silver Escape Light flared, and his figure instantly took flight, entering the Death Battle Sky Region.

HUMMM.

The Moon Blade Halberd materialized. Clad in black robes that whipped in the wind, Su Ye gripped the Moonfall Halberd with one hand. He gave his wrist a twist, spinning the long weapon and kicking up a turbulent gust.

He lifted his chin, his arrogant gaze sweeping condescendingly over the platform where his opponents stood. "Time is precious," he said, his tone casual. "Come on... hurry up and pick someone to send out to die!"

On the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark.

"Jeez... Zheng, that kid looks so clean-cut and gentlemanly, but deep down... he’s unbelievably arrogant!" Feng Shaochai clicked his tongue in wonder, slapping Zheng Yunzhe hard on the shoulder.

With a look of disgust, Zheng Yunzhe slapped Feng Shaochai’s hand away and adjusted his glasses. "It seems this Mr. Su is even stronger than we anticipated."

「On the distant platform.」

Han Tiantong’s eyes narrowed. He turned his head and asked, "Miss Ran, is that the Flame Alliance Golden Core cultivator you fought?"

"That’s him!"

Ran Ningshuang answered through gritted teeth, her brow furrowed and her tone suffused with an unspeakable bitterness.

"Miss Ran, what’s his strength like?" someone asked.

The speaker wore a Star-Casting Robe and a Pure White Shining Star Badge. He was handsome, with a flippant expression, like a worldly rake.

However, a sinister cruelty would flash in his eyes from time to time, which was rather unsettling.

The Seventh True Disciple of the Star Casting Hall.

Yuanshan Xinglun!

"Umm..." Ran Ningshuang paused for a moment, pursed her lips, and admitted reluctantly.

"He’s very strong... on par with a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator from a regular sect. I suspect his True Method Golden Core has three Divine Techniques!"

"However, his greatest strength is his spiritual ship. He’s similar to Yuan Lan in that he possesses some sort of top-tier soul-related Dao Body. When he pilots a Floating Spiritual Ship, it’s like he has divine aid!"

Ran Ningshuang said in a low voice.

She wasn’t lying, but her words were intentionally misleading.

By emphasizing certain aspects, she could easily lead others to form a biased first impression and underestimate Su Ye’s personal combat ability.

"I see."

Yuanshan Xinglun nodded.

’I get the gist of it,’ he thought.

’A Three-Method Golden Core, a soul-related Dao Body, and a high-tier spiritual ship.’

’That’s quite an impressive loadout. You could even call him a prodigy!’

’What a pity...’ Yuanshan Xinglun lifted his head to look at Su Ye, a ferocious grin spreading across his face. ’You really are unlucky.’

’Spiritual ships are forbidden in these death battles.’

As for defeating a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator...

’As if I can’t do that myself?’

Yuanshan Xinglun let out a soft laugh and rose into the air.

"Star Casting Hall, Yuanshan Xinglun. I await your instruction!"