Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

"This is trouble..."

Su Ye gave a wry smile inwardly.

Plans can never keep up with changes.

Su Ye wasn’t a god, after all. The situation had developed to a point far beyond his expectations.

’This involves a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect. The trapping power of this fifth-rank Array might be even greater than I predicted...’

Su Ye’s brow furrowed. His confidence in escaping with the Human Skin Talisman dwindled even further.

’The only thing I can do now is hope Li Jinhua and the others can pull their weight.’

’But...’

Even with himself included, that made four Nascent Soul-level combatants against a single Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect. For some reason, it felt like...

they were still going to get wiped out, weren’t they?

The corner of Su Ye’s mouth twitched, his expression turning ugly.

Just then,

his brow twitched. The voice of the Dream-watchers reached his ears!

"Hm?"

...

At that moment,

Miss Sanhua’s Miaoyin Aspect’s gaze was devoid of joy or sorrow. With a twist of her slender, jade-like fingers,

a sky full of petals drifted down toward the temple ruins, about to envelop the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs!

As the petals fell, the pleasant, celestial music played by countless apsaras in the void transformed into demonic sounds filled with corrupting temptation!

Amidst the Demonic Chanting, one could faintly hear: "...and with heavenly flowers... scattered upon the great Bodhisattva disciples... when the flowers reached the Bodhisattvas... they all fell..."

"All fall... all fall..."

"All fall!"

At first, the tone of the chanting was merely corrupting and seductive.

But as time went on, it grew sharper and more piercing, like the desperate ravings of a madman, carrying an indescribable sense of repression and insanity!

Even the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, with their resolute Dao hearts, found themselves agitated and plagued by distracting thoughts!

The celestial maiden Dharma Aspect cultivated by a remnant of the Demon Palace was naturally steeped in demonic nature and exceedingly bizarre! Though it had the face and grace of an immortal beauty, its essence was filled with the cruelty and wickedness of the Demon Dao!

Like a beautiful, magnificent spider lily!

"Don’t listen!"

"Don’t touch the petals!"

At that moment,

Qixia’s expression changed drastically. Having achieved the Dao through the Sound Skill, she was the most sensitive to this!

Her fingertips strummed her pipa, its strings vibrating as celestial music rang out!

The clear, crisp sound of the instrument chimed, brushing past everyone’s ears, dispelling the corrupting demonic sound and allowing the Nascent Soul cultivators to keep their minds clear and calm.

’I can’t let her continue... Miss Sanhua’s Miaoyin Aspect excels at temptation, causing degeneration and corrupting people’s hearts. Even though we are Nascent Soul True Monarchs, if we let her carry on...’

’My Sound Skill can’t hold out against a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect for long.’

Qixia did not say this aloud, but her meaning was perfectly clear.

Li Jinhua’s face was grim as she said with a wry smile, "Our only choice is to take the initiative and try to defeat her?"

She took a deep breath.

"I will be the main attacker. Qiuxia, you’re in charge of countering the demonic sound and running interference. Nanshan, you will handle healing and provide secondary offense..."

"Any objections?"

Heavenly Maiden’s Flower Scatter was Miss Sanhua’s Miaoyin Aspect’s most bizarre ability, and Qixia, a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator of the Sound Skill, would be the one to counter it.

Nanshan’s own skill with rules was not suited for direct assault, so he would act as support.

Li Jinhua herself took the role of main attacker, shouldering the greatest responsibility!

"Alright."

The two Nascent Soul True Monarchs both nodded.

They were well aware that this was a matter of life and death!

The slightest mistake, and several hundred years of bitter cultivation would turn to ash today!

Immediately,

HUM!

A seven-colored rainbow light materialized. Li Jinhua, riding the Seven-Colored Bridge of Reincarnation, charged toward Miss Sanhua with the other two Nascent Soul True Monarchs!

"Kill!"

"Slay the remnant of the Demon Palace!"

Li Jinhua’s golden eyes flashed as Magical Power surged through her. Her brilliant golden scale armor made her look like a valiant Valkyrie!

Her dragon blood boiled and her right arm transformed into a dragon’s claw. With a single swipe, she struck Miss Sanhua’s protective ward, creating a visible ripple!

Qixia wore a solemn expression, rapidly playing her pipa. Waves of sound flowed out, canceling the demonic music of the Heavenly Maiden’s Flower Scatter!

As for Nanshan, he held the Glazed Jade Purification Bottle in one hand, sprinkling sweet dew that applied layer after layer of buffs to Li Jinhua and Qixia.

The two Nascent Soul True Monarchs could feel a tangible increase in all their attributes!

Their spirits were lifted, and they felt reinvigorated!

Meanwhile,

Nanshan formed a hand seal and cast a spell. A portion of the sweet dew from the Glazed Jade Purification Bottle flew toward Miss Sanhua.

After this dew came into contact with Miss Sanhua’s protective ward, it changed rapidly. Numerous malignant lumps of energy bulged out on the ward’s surface!

A great deal of Magical Power was absorbed into these lumps and then solidified, rendering it unusable!

This lowered the ward’s Defense Power and accelerated Miss Sanhua’s Magical Power consumption, creating an effect where she expended twice the effort for half the result!

Life and healing were not without offensive capabilities.

Uncontrolled life is also an extremely serious threat to the body... just like cancer cells, frantically absorbing the body’s nutrients and endangering its very survival!

Faced with three Nascent Soul cultivators going all out, even Miss Sanhua dared not underestimate them!

For a time, the two sides were evenly matched, maintaining a relative balance!

...

「In the temple ruins.」

Su Ye’s eyes, shimmering with an icy silver light, watched the battle between the Nascent Soul cultivators.

’It seems that even a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect, while still at the Early-stage Nascent Soul, would have some difficulty fighting three capable Nascent Soul True Monarchs on its own.’

Of course...

it was just a bit of trouble, nothing more.

The Heavenly Maiden’s Flower Scatter was a divine anomaly derived from the Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect. It was a passive ability with extremely low consumption.

On the other hand, the three Nascent Soul cultivators needed Qixia, the one with the highest cultivation, to go all out just to resist it... and even then, she could barely offset its influence.

As time passed, the scales of victory would naturally tip in Miss Sanhua’s favor!

Therefore, Miss Sanhua didn’t even need to attack. She could simply maintain the stalemate and play it safe, intending to eliminate the three Nascent Soul cultivators at the lowest possible cost!

’Dao Embryo Dharma Aspects are such bullshit...’

Su Ye shook his head, not optimistic about Li Jinhua and the others’ chances of victory.

’I still have to save myself...’

He muttered to himself, the icy silver light in his eyes flickering.

In his hand, he held a palm-sized object with the texture of fluorescent stone.

—A fragment of the Grotto Heaven’s core.

The Sun-Shining Divine Spear had self-destructed, and the Grotto Heaven’s core had shattered from the violent impact.

Even if he refined the core now, he wouldn’t be able to control the Grotto Heaven.

It would take a long time for the Grotto Heaven’s core to slowly recover and reform.

However, this core fragment still had some uses.

For example, it could act as a signal amplifier, allowing Su Ye to contact the Dream-watchers.

"Sea-spawn..."

The Dream-watchers’ voice was incredibly weak.

The shattering of the Grotto Heaven’s core had affected them severely.

As pure spiritual beings, the Grotto Heaven’s core was the object their existence was tied to.

For them, the Grotto Heaven’s core was like a lich’s phylactery.

And now, the Grotto Heaven’s core was shattered...

You could say the Dream-watchers already had one foot in the grave, holding on by a single thread, stubbornly refusing to die!

"Kill her!"

"Kill Qinghua’s true body!"

"Avenge the Li Huo Divine Kingdom!"

The Dream-watchers’ hatred was so thick it was almost tangible.

This bone-deep hatred was the only thing allowing them to forcibly cling to existence when they should have already dissipated.

’Hm?’

’This Miss Sanhua is Qinghua’s true body?’

Su Ye was slightly surprised, but now was not the time to discuss it.

"I’d like to," Su Ye said, spreading his hands.

"But I can’t. She’s a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect, she’s too strong."

"O esteemed Dream-watchers, if you want to kill Qinghua, then you’ll have to give me some help."

"You don’t want to see the great Li Huo Divine Kingdom fall into the hands of the Blood Moon Demon Palace for nothing, do you?"

Su Ye got straight to the point, speaking frankly.

"Of course!"

The Dream-watchers’ tone was venomous!

Qinghua was the one who had trapped them in their current predicament. Their hatred was so immense that not even all the waters of the Yao Guang could wash it away!

"Heh..."

"A Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect... is that so hard to deal with?"