Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

’It’s more like... a powerful fourth-rank being, amplified by the strangeness of this temple to reach the quasi-fifth rank.’

With these thoughts, Su Ye gripped his Moonfall Halberd and walked toward the corridor.

’No matter what, since I’m here, I have to see this fight through.’

PAT.

Su Ye rounded the corner and looked up.

A figure stood in the corridor. Su Ye’s eyes flickered. According to Qin Wuyou, the armored refined corpse was nearly three zhang tall, its head touching the corridor’s ceiling.

But.

The person before him now.

Was only about one zhang tall. He wore greenish-black armor, similar in appearance to the animated suits of armor, but far more exquisitely crafted.

A one-zhang body was still unusual, but compared to the ferocious and bloated state of those armored living corpses, it looked countless times more normal.

The long-handled heavy hammer in its hand, however, was identical to Qin Wuyou’s description. It was a Hexagonal Patterned Heavy Hammer that glowed with a bloody light, radiating a vicious aura.

’Could it be... its physical body has already mutated and decayed, but within this dream, a sliver of consciousness remains?’ The thought occurred to Su Ye, and he walked closer.

"Hello?"

"I am an emissary of the Lord of the Netherworld, here to pay my respects..."

As he spoke, Su Ye released a faint, dark glow from his hand. It was Nether Divinity!

’A little bluff costs nothing. If I can trick some information out of it, it’ll be a massive win!’

PAT.

Hearing Su Ye’s voice, the figure stirred. It lifted its head and turned around.

HISS!

When he saw the figure’s face.

Su Ye’s eyelid twitched violently.

Fuck!

This was horrifying!

What kind of face was this?

The skin on its face was completely corroded, revealing dry, dull brown flesh. Its eyeballs were long gone, leaving only empty sockets.

Several white maggots writhed within them, a sight so unsettling that even with Su Ye’s fortitude, his eyelids jumped, and he almost swung his halberd instinctively.

Su Ye held his breath, feeling a wave of disgust.

But at that moment.

"Neth... er..." The decayed Knight spoke.

Its voice was extremely hoarse and halting, as if it hadn’t spoken for several thousand years.

"Seal... broken... My duty... to guard..."

Its speech was intermittent and very disjointed. The language it spoke was also very different from the modern tongue of the Divine Continent.

It was like the difference between Middle and Modern Chinese. However, as a Golden Core cultivator, Su Ye possessed a superior memory and forced himself to memorize the decayed Knight’s pronunciation.

He then constantly compared it with his own knowledge to decipher its meaning, which he was barely able to grasp.

’A seal? What seal...?’ Su Ye’s mind raced. This information was crucial.

He put on a solemn expression, mimicking the decayed Knight’s tone and accent as he replied, "The Divine Lord sent me for this very reason. Please take me to the place of the seal."

"Yes..."

"No... I cannot..."

"The lord... slumbers... at the place of the seal..."

The decayed Knight first agreed, then immediately shook its head, falling silent and muttering to itself.

"The lord..."

"The lord..."

This word seemed to have triggered something.

Its body began to tremble violently, and the maggots in its eye sockets writhed nonstop!

"ROAR!"

A hoarse, beast-like roar erupted from its mouth!

’Has it... gone berserk?’

Seeing this, Su Ye was instantly on high alert. A sense of crisis welled up within him as he channeled his Magical Power and retreated several steps!

BOOM!

A hexagonal heavy hammer slammed down violently right in front of Su Ye!

Stone chips flew and dust billowed. The ferocious impact of the hammer made the entire corridor floor tremble violently!

’Truly inhuman strength... This creature’s physical power is even greater than mine. Is this the quasi-fifth rank?’ Su Ye frowned, his expression hardening.

SWOOSH!

With a flick of his wrist, Su Ye thrust the Moonfall Halberd straight forward!

He wanted to counterattack during the recovery lag from the enemy’s last blow!

But the decayed Knight was incredibly fast. It raised its long-handled hammer and brought it crashing down on the Moonfall Halberd. Unmatched power surged through the halberd’s shaft and into Su Ye’s arms!

CRACK.

The clear sound of a bone fracturing rang out!

The terrifying force washed over him, putting immense pressure on Su Ye’s internal organs.

For a moment, he even felt like he was suffocating.

BAM!

Su Ye was sent flying back dozens of meters.

His figure was swallowed by the billowing dust.

The decayed Knight’s combat skills were deeply ingrained instinct. It immediately charged, crossing dozens of meters in an instant, and brought its heavy hammer down, intent on killing Su Ye!

However.

WHOOSH!

A deep, prolonged sound, like the exhalation of a dragon, suddenly rang out!

Flowing streams of black and white light converged, forming a long spear that shot forward!

Divine Technique.

—[Soul-Chasing Life-Taker]

’Using a Divine Technique that targets the soul within a dream... maybe it will have an unexpected effect?’

That was Su Ye’s line of thought.

The next moment.

The black-and-white spear hit its mark!

"ROAR!"

The decayed Knight’s roar suddenly surged in volume, filled with shrill agony!

The metal on the chest of its greenish-black armor flaked and disintegrated, revealing the Knight’s flesh beneath—brown and dry as tree bark!

"It’s working!" Su Ye’s eyes lit up.

The Divine Technique, [Soul-Chasing Life-Taker], couldn’t cause any physical damage.

This could only mean his theory was correct. This dream... though incredibly realistic, was still a realm dominated by spiritual bodies!

"Kill!"

Strike while the enemy is vulnerable!

Seeing how effective his Divine Technique was, Su Ye immediately pressed his attack!

VMMMM!

The Ice Silver Spiritual Light flared. Su Ye went all out, locking in a deadly struggle with the decayed Knight!

Both combatants possessed inhuman physiques. They met offense with offense, colossal forces of over ten thousand tons colliding thunderously in the corridor, causing the entire passage to tremble!

And in the midst of the battle, a flicker of understanding appeared in Su Ye’s eyes.

It seemed he had...

discovered something?

...

「Meanwhile. In the real world.」

"Are you done yet, Mr. Wu? How much longer?"

Feng Shaochai yelled, his breathing ragged.

"Almost, almost!"

"Just hold on for one more minute!"

Wu Yiling was frantically adjusting the Array Plate in her hands.

"One minute?"

"Can’t you be faster! It’s already been half an hour!"

Qin Wuyou couldn’t help but shout.

"Don’t rush me!"

"I’m already going as fast as I can!"

"Stop rushing me!"

Wu Yiling was drenched in sweat, gritting her teeth.

Array Formation was delicate work that took a long time. It was normal for some high-level Arrays to take decades, even centuries, to set up.

And setting one up in the middle of a battle was even more difficult!

Finally.

SLAP!

Wu Yiling slapped her palm down, pressing a supreme-grade Spirit Stone into the Array Plate!

Light flared from the Array Plate. The array flags linked together, and a powerful aura surged forth!

VSSSH!

Blue-violet arcs of lightning emerged from the array flags!

The fourth-rank, supreme-grade Array: the Yimu Divine Thunder Array!

"It’s ready!"

Wu Yiling cried out in excitement, laughing maniacally!

"You damn piece of Corpse Refinement, eat one of my divine thunderbolts!"

BOOM!

The Yimu Divine Thunder Array activated, and a terrifying bolt of blue-violet lightning shot out from within!

Almost instantly, the divine thunder struck the armored refined corpse square in the face!

POW!

The lightning roared, blindingly brilliant!

For the first time in this battle, the armored refined corpse was knocked back!

When the light from the blast dissipated, its helmet could be seen teetering on the verge of collapse, shattered and broken. Its entire twisted, bizarre face had been charred black!

—To be fair, after being completely disfigured, its looks actually improved a little.

At least it wasn’t so nauseating anymore.

"Hahahaha!"

"Is my Array badass or what! Now die!"

Seeing this, Wu Yiling grew even more arrogant. She’d been farming all game, and now it was finally time for her to gloat. Gripping the Array Plate, she continuously unleashed roaring bolts of divine thunder!

Soon.

The armored refined corpse was completely suppressed!

Under the barrage of divine thunder, its armor could no longer hold.

It shattered piece by piece.

Its flesh was turned to charcoal.

Finally.

After yet another bolt of divine thunder.

The armored refined corpse’s body froze, and then, it crashed to the ground!

"Yay! It’s dead!"

"Qin, I’m the MVP this round. You have to tell Mr. Lu about this~ Ling’er tried her very best, you know~" Wu Yiling said earnestly.

"Uh... okay," Qin Wuyou replied. He recalled his flying sword and looked down at his armguard, worried about Su Ye’s current condition.

However.

A line of text appeared on the armguard.

[Be careful, it’s not dead]