Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

In this Cultivation World, it was perfectly normal for the heart of a high-tier demonic beast to be enormous.

"Next up is refining the essence blood from the heart."

Gazing at the Dragon Demon’s heart, Su Ye’s eyes burned like torches as his focus sharpened.

He walked forward and placed a hand on the heart. It felt searing hot to the touch. The heart’s surface was constantly trembling, and a surge of Evil Qi radiated from it, tinged with resistance.

"Hmph."

Su Ye snorted coldly and channeled his Magical Power.

The heart’s faint resistance was instantly suppressed by force. ’The Dragon Demon is already dead. It’s just a heart. What, does it think it can defy the heavens?’

GULP.

The surface of the heart rapidly shriveled, turning a pale white.

A massive amount of essence blood flowed through Su Ye’s palm and into his body.

"Hoo..."

Su Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.

The Dragon Demon’s essence blood was suffused with an incredibly rich life force. It felt like a powerful tonic for his physical body, and a sense of deep contentment washed over him.

’Worthy of a Tier Five treasure!’

「Dozens of breaths later.」

The enormous Dragon Demon heart suddenly dropped, having been reduced to a shriveled husk.

All the Dragon Demon Essence Blood within had been completely drained and refined into Su Ye’s body.

Immediately, Su Ye sat down cross-legged and began to refine the essence blood.

At the same time, he sank his mind, maintaining his focus. ’The Jade Void Sword Sect said that the Dragon Demon was ferocious and cruel. Its essence blood contains fragments of its will and a terrifying amount of Evil Qi!’

’During the refining process, if one’s mind isn’t firm, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the ferocity. The Evil Qi can invade the brain and damage one’s consciousness. If one’s soul is too weak, it can even corrupt one’s self-perception, leading one to mistakenly believe they are the reincarnated Dragon Demon, resulting in a drastic change in temperament and a lust for slaughter.’

Su Ye recited this to himself.

The Jade Void Sword Sect had warned him about these matters beforehand.

They had also provided a technique to suppress the Evil Qi and aid the refining process.

Besides, Su Ye was very confident in his own Divine Sense. ’If it were the Dragon Demon’s true form, a Tier Five Demon Emperor, I would admit my soul is no match. But a few mere fragments of its will?’

’Heh...’

Su Ye sneered inwardly as he activated the auxiliary technique and began refining the Dragon Demon Essence Blood.

The process was exceptionally smooth. The Evil Qi tried to fight back, but under the suppression of Su Ye’s soul and the Evil Qi neutralizing technique, its struggles were like an ant trying to shake a tree—utterly insignificant.

Soon, the refining of the Dragon Demon Essence Blood reached its final stage.

Su Ye’s physical body also began to stir restlessly.

RUMBLE!

His vital energy and blood surged to the heavens like a blazing solar furnace. From a distance, it looked as if he had burst into flames!

At the same time, countless fragmented runes with a mysterious air appeared all over his body.

Even though Su Ye wasn’t a pure Body Cultivator and had no physical Divine Techniques, as long as his body’s strength reached the Tier Five level, it would naturally give rise to many miraculous abilities!

VMM.

If one looked closely at these fragmented runes, one could faintly discern a resemblance to the talismanic manifestations of Divine Techniques like "Deathless by Decapitation" and "Rebirth from a Drop of Blood."

These fragmented runes broke down into fine characters, scattering throughout his limbs and bones to become part of Su Ye’s foundation.

Of course, the miraculous abilities Su Ye now possessed were nowhere near the level of true Divine Techniques like "Deathless by Decapitation" or "Rebirth from a Drop of Blood."

What he had were merely some of their traits.

But even so, it was enough to drastically increase his survivability!

’For example, attacks on so-called vital spots like my head or heart have much less effect on me now.’

Su Ye mused, sensing the changes within him.

He even felt that if he were beheaded now, as long as his head was put back within two hours, he would be fine.

As for a damaged heart, it would be a trivial injury that he could easily regenerate.

Such life force was no longer human!

WHOOSH.

The fragmented runes circulated as Su Ye’s physique was about to fully step into the Tier Five level.

The refining of the Dragon Demon Essence Blood was also nearing completion; he was about to fully assimilate the Dragon Demon’s heart.

However, just then...

"ROAR!"

A terrifyingly ferocious dragon’s roar suddenly echoed in Su Ye’s mind!

The vital energy and blood throughout his body seemed to erupt into a riot. The Dragon Demon Essence Blood he had just refined launched a backlash at this critical moment!

A storm raged within Su Ye’s sea of consciousness, and a draconic monster suddenly materialized—it looked like a cross between a crocodile and a flood dragon, with six pupils, six wings, and a pitch-black body!

The Dragon Demon!

’Hm?’

’This is... the Dragon Demon’s will?’

’This fragmented will actually possesses some wisdom? Or perhaps it’s just instinct?’

’It knew its own weakness, so it held back and waited for the critical moment of my body’s advancement?’

Su Ye was a little surprised.

These high-tier life forms were truly miraculous. It had given him a small surprise.

’A pity.’

’It’s useless.’ A mocking smile touched the corners of Su Ye’s lips.

The power of his soul surged in his sea of consciousness. Countless bright silver chains appeared and completely bound the manifested phantom of the Dragon Demon.

The Dragon Demon roared madly and struggled, but the chains formed from his soul’s power didn’t budge. Instead, they continued to tighten, constricting it!

’Little dragon of the mortal realm, you did your best.’

Su Ye’s gaze fell upon his sea of consciousness with the condescension of a deity.

With the strength of his Divine Sense, the Dragon Demon’s fragmented will couldn’t stir up any trouble at all.

Finally, after a few breaths, the Dragon Demon let out a mournful cry under the pressure of the chains.

POP!

The Dragon Demon phantom shattered like glass!

As the phantom dispersed, Su Ye crushed it with a single thought, turning it into pure Spiritual Power fragments that nourished his sea of consciousness.

’Oh?’

Su Ye was taken aback.

As the Dragon Demon’s will shattered, the power of his Divine Sense actually increased slightly.

"This is an unexpected bonus," Su Ye muttered to himself. His eyes then lit up. The nourishment from the Dragon Demon’s fragments had also increased the probability of his soul advancing!

There was no time to lose. Looking to his right, Su Ye willed the jade box to open, and a crystalline Ruby flew out.

The Crimson Tears!

This was a Tier Five gem, a treasure for the soul.

Unlike the Dragon Demon’s heart, it held no danger. Instead, it was gentle and balanced, possessing the effect of nourishing the soul.

But precisely because of this, it lacked a certain domineering quality needed for a forceful breakthrough, which made Su Ye less confident that his soul could reach Tier Five.

’Success would be great, but failure is also acceptable... I got it for free anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’

’My body has already reached Tier Five. Even if my soul fails, it’s acceptable.’

Su Ye murmured.

He already had a safety net.

His mindset at this moment was quite relaxed.

With that in mind, Su Ye raised his hand and pressed the Crimson Tears to the spot between his eyebrows.

VMM.

His Divine Sense surged, communing with the Crimson Tears.

The gem erupted in a dazzling light. A gentle red glow emerged from the Crimson Tears and flowed like water into Su Ye’s sea of consciousness!

The red light flowed on, nourishing Su Ye’s soul.

At the same time, the edges of the Crimson Tears gem began to flake away, as if weathered and eroded into sand.

Soon, the Crimson Tears, this precious Tier Five soul gem, turned into fine sand, its spiritual light extinguished.

In contrast, the Divine Sense in Su Ye’s sea of consciousness grew unprecedentedly strong, reaching an ultimate limit!

’That was close.’

’As expected, my estimate was correct.’

’Relying on the Crimson Tears alone, I would have still been some distance away from a Tier Five soul!’

’However...’

I have the Dragon Demon to thank.

The fragments of the Dragon Demon’s will happened to bridge that exact gap.

Thanks to the Dragon Demon’s gift, after the Crimson Tears was exhausted, Su Ye’s soul level reached the Tier Five realm perfectly!

VMM.

A host of fragmented runes emerged upon his soul.

Similar to the changes in his physical body, after reaching Tier Five, Su Ye’s soul also gained certain miraculous abilities.

They were traits similar to Divine Techniques like Thousand-Mile Soul Lock and Divine Sense Division.

...

[Name: Su Ye]

[Realm: Late-stage Golden Core]

[Body Refining: Tier Five Early Stage]

[Divine Sense: Tier Five Early Stage]

"Hoo..."

’Finally... my body and soul have both reached Tier Five.’

Su Ye let out a long breath of pure air, his face filled with a joy that could not be concealed.

He took a moment to feel the terrifying boost brought by the advancement of his body and soul.

Stroking his chin, Su Ye remained seated cross-legged, deep in serious contemplation.

’With my current power, if I use all my techniques, plus the Ghostly Flood Dragon... can I... trade blows with an Early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?’