Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

"Hm?"

"Is Jiang in a bad mood?"

"Why is that?"

Su Ye raised an eyebrow, confused.

Lu Chen rubbed his nose and explained with a wry smile.

"This... goes back to the last time we explored the ruins..."

He lowered his voice and sent a message via Divine Sense.

Soon, from Lu Chen’s explanation, Su Ye learned the reason why.

Previously, the Sword Sect had explored the ruins and reaped many treasures.

But at the same time, they suffered tragic losses. Of the forty Crystallization Realm cultivators, nearly half perished.

Even five Golden Core cultivators fell in the ruins, their bodies and Dao destroyed!

"Among them was our sect’s Miss Lin..."

"Miss Lin had a gentle temperament and was as beautiful as a flower, not to mention she was a Golden Core. Whether it was her looks, disposition, or Cultivation Realm, she was top-notch. As a result, she had many suitors within our Sword Sect."

"Mr. Jiang was one of them... And I only recently found out that the two of them were in love, nearly at the point of becoming cultivation partners."

"Miss Lin’s unfortunate death was a huge blow to Mr. Jiang... Because of that, he’s developed a bit of a prejudice against the other cultivators on the exploration team."

"Sigh..."

"In any case, Yehai, I hope you can be magnanimous... Mr. Jiang is just in a bad mood. He doesn’t mean any harm."

Lu Chen sighed, giving him a heads-up.

"I see."

"Fine..."

A muscle in Su Ye’s cheek twitched.

’What a soap opera.’

He rolled his eyes internally.

He shrugged, feigning understanding.

"Thank you."

Lu Chen relaxed slightly, a grateful look on his face.

However, he didn’t know the real reason Su Ye was being so agreeable.

It was purely because, in his heart, Jiang Wenyuan was already a dead man!

...

Just then, in the distance...

WHOOSH.

A sharp streak of sword light shot over. The Magical Power fluctuations were so intense that everyone turned to look.

"Golden Core Perfection!"

"The Long Rainbow Sword!"

VMMMM.

The sword light wheeled around and spiraled down, landing above the Sword Sect’s Array.

The light receded, revealing a cultivator in a purple robe. He had a square jaw and proper features. His brow carried the dignified air of a superior, exuding an inherent authority.

It was Jiang Wenyuan!

His Golden Core Perfection Magical Power radiated an intense pressure.

Jiang Wenyuan’s gaze shifted, landing on Lu Chen and Su Ye.

"Mr. Jiang."

Lu Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward to greet him, hoping to ease the tension.

Acting as the middleman, he began to introduce Su Ye to Jiang Wenyuan. "This is..."

"Su Ye."

"I know him."

Jiang Wenyuan cut him off. His gaze was sharp as he looked at Su Ye, his eyes full of scrutiny.

He was a Golden Core Perfection cultivator, and a Sword Cultivator at that, who had slain countless foes. His eyes contained Sword Intent. A normal cultivator wouldn’t dare meet the gaze of such a formidable figure.

But Su Ye was unmoved. With a calm and carefree expression, he cupped his hands in a simple salute.

"Jiang, I’ve heard much about you."

’What a joke,’ Su Ye thought. ’I wasn’t even afraid of Fuyunzi’s Sword Intent, so why would I fear the likes of Jiang Wenyuan?’

At the same time, his expression was placid. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Jiang Wenyuan, muttering to himself internally.

’I hope you have the sense not to start anything. If you do, I can at least make your death a quick one after we enter the ruins.’

"Hm...?"

Jiang Wenyuan’s eyes flickered, a hint of surprise in them.

"You..."

"You’re not bad."

Jiang Wenyuan gave Su Ye a deep look, his expression remaining cold as he spoke flatly.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away to the other side.

"Phew..."

Seeing him walk away, Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate.

Jiang Wenyuan’s strength was on par with his own, and he had the advantage of seniority.

Su Ye was also exceptionally powerful and a proud individual, not to mention he was highly favored by the True Treasure Pavilion.

If those two were to clash, Lu Chen would be caught in the middle, in an extremely difficult position. Now that they were minding their own business and coexisting peacefully, nothing could be better!

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Wenyuan had walked to one side, his expression shifting slightly.

A look of disbelief surfaced in his eyes. He frowned and muttered,

"The Sword Heart is warning me..."

"This Yehai, a mere Mid-stage Golden Core, actually has the power to threaten my life?"

Jiang Wenyuan had been at Golden Core Perfection for nearly a hundred years.

Unable to advance his Magical Power any further, he had plenty of time on his hands and had thus cultivated many Secret Techniques.

One of them was called:

the Avoiding Tribulation Sword Heart.

It enhanced one’s spiritual senses, allowing one to seek fortune, avoid disaster, and sense threats in advance.

It was this very Secret Technique that made him feel an extremely strong threat from Su Ye.

This sense of threat made Jiang Wenyuan quite wary of Su Ye, unwilling to start a conflict with him.

After all, he was a great cultivator at Golden Core Perfection who had lived for several hundred years. At critical moments, he knew how to read the situation.

But then, a sliver of doubt appeared in his mind.

’Such power, in Volcano State...’ Jiang Wenyuan’s mind stirred as he recalled the task his master, Fuyunzi, had given him not long ago.

To investigate Volcano State, search for clues, and find a cultivator suspected of being connected to an unknown Nascent Soul.

’This Su Ye... I feel he’s very suspicious.’

Jiang Wenyuan thought to himself. After all, he was completely unwilling to admit that a Loose Cultivator who grew up in the Outer Sea could actually defeat him, someone of a higher realm.

’I am a true disciple of the Nine Sects of the Inner Sea, from the Central Sea Region!’

’Whether it’s my Cultivation Technique, my master’s teachings, or my access to Spiritual Objects and resources, I’m several times stronger than a mere Loose Cultivator from the Outer Sea!’

Of course, he didn’t think Su Ye himself was the Nascent Soul Fuyunzi had discovered.

After all, it was universally acknowledged that Volcano State was a forbidden zone for Nascent Souls.

’But... what if a Nascent Soul from the Blood Moon Demon Palace took him in as a disciple in secret and taught him meticulously...’

Jiang Wenyuan pondered, feeling this hypothesis was very likely.

’If that’s the case... the Detection Stone my master gave me will definitely work!’

Jiang Wenyuan’s eyes lit up. Concealing the movement with his sleeve, he took the Detection Stone out from his Storage Ring.