Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

At the same time, he subtly hinted that the Nanyaoguang Corporation’s specialty products came from a secret realm.

This was to mitigate the risk.

After all, a secret realm was certainly precious.

But with Su Ye’s Golden Core cultivation, occupying a single secret realm was more than enough.

Just look at the Cyan Profound Sect.

They didn’t even have a Golden Core cultivator, yet they still managed to protect their secret realm.

But a barbaric continent like the Far South Continent was another matter entirely!

Especially since...

’The Far South Continent... is no ordinary place!’

Su Ye furrowed his brow slightly.

He had certainly not been idle recently.

Besides cultivating, he had been doing one other thing: poring over ancient texts and searching for clues to find the reason for Chu Wunian’s insistence on being his enemy.

His hard work paid off.

Su Ye had actually found it!

’A Spirit Vein!’

’A Tier Five Spirit Vein!’

Tier Five Spirit Veins were mystical and extraordinary.

Furthermore, they were directly linked to a cultivator’s advancement to the Nascent Soul Realm!

According to the ancient texts, for every cultivator to become a Nascent Soul True Monarch, they had to permanently damage a portion of a Tier Five Spirit Vein and assimilate it for their own use!

Only then could they attain the Nascent Soul Realm!

This act was also a key difficulty in advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm!

First, in the current Yaoguang Islands, all Tier Five Spirit Veins belonged to sects. Even for a sect’s own true disciple, it was no simple matter to use the sect’s Spirit Vein to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

Of course, for Su Ye himself, it would probably be quite simple.

He only had to reveal his Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect, and a Nascent Soul sect would surely be willing to guarantee him a spot.

Even though the Spirit Vein would need at least a century to recover from the damage, compared to a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect, such a price was completely acceptable!

However, even securing a spot was just the beginning.

Spirit Veins possess their own spirit!

They would evade a cultivator’s attempts at refinement and absorption, and even counterattack!

Moreover, the Tier Five Spirit Veins in Yaoguang were gaseous... Trying to find the Spirit Vein’s origin within that vast sea of qi was extremely troublesome.

This step was difficult even for a Nascent Soul True Monarch. It depended on fortuitous encounters, luck, perseverance, determination, or special rites and Secret Techniques... In short, it was anything but simple.

In comparison, the Spiritual Spring in the Far South Continent was much better!

The origin of the Spiritual Spring was just sitting right there!

’Therefore...’

’It’s only logical that the Chu Family covets the Far South Continent. Obtaining a Tier Five Spiritual Spring would lower the difficulty of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm by a whole level!’

’With Chu Wunian’s cultivation, he might even be able to draw upon the Spiritual Spring Origin to quickly advance to the Late-stage Golden Core. That’s the realm of a Great Cultivator...’

After this analysis and deduction,

Su Ye understood Chu Wunian’s obsession. ’Faced with such a crucial opportunity, if it were me, I wouldn’t give up so easily either...’

Su Ye gently rubbed the bridge of his nose. ’In that case, the Far South Continent’s importance is even greater than I imagined.’

The Golden Core Realm was not enough to protect the interests in the Far South Continent. Even a monster like Su Ye, who could fight a Golden Core Perfection cultivator, couldn’t protect it.

’Nascent Soul!’

Su Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Only by reaching the Nascent Soul Realm could he protect what was his!

’However...’

’The Nascent Soul Tribulation...’

A Spirit Vein was the essence of heaven and earth. For a cultivator to refine a Spirit Vein’s origin to form their own Nascent Soul was equivalent to seizing the essence of the world and draining its marrow!

Therefore, since ancient times, when a cultivator sought to attain the Nascent Soul Realm, a tribulation would descend from the heavens. And... this tribulation was purely destructive, with no Dao enlightenment contained within!

For those attempting to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, the Celestial Dao had only one intention: annihilation!

’The Boundless Heart Demon Tribulation, the Five Elements Immortal Thunder Tribulation...’

The Nascent Soul Tribulation was similar to the Golden Core Tribulation.

Or rather, the Golden Core Tribulation was created by the Celestial Dao in reference to the Nascent Soul Tribulation.

’Similar, but... more than ten times as dangerous!’

A glint flashed in Su Ye’s eyes.

In the Boundless Heart Demon Tribulation, the illusions were endless. Only one with a flawless Dao Heart could see through them and break free. This tribulation could even attract Outer Demons to possess the cultivator!

The Five Elements Immortal Thunder Tribulation began with a sixfold thunder tribulation, just like the Golden Core one!

That didn’t sound like much.

But Su Ye had researched it carefully. In this sixfold thunder tribulation, after the third layer, every single bolt was pure golden immortal thunder!

Indeed.

It was the same as the final bolt of his own Ninefold Thunder Tribulation during his Golden Core Tribulation... He still had a fresh memory of that thunderbolt’s terrifying power; it had severely damaged the Ghostly Flood Dragon in a single strike!

And this sixfold thunder tribulation was just an appetizer. After it came three bolts of Five Elements Immortal Thunder. Over the past ten thousand years, the number of Golden Core Perfection cultivators who had perished under this thunder was incalculable.

"Phew..."

Recalling the records of the Nascent Soul Tribulation from the ancient texts, Su Ye felt a chill.

According to the records, past Nascent Soul Tribulations were not this terrifyingly powerful.

But in recent antiquity, after the Crystal Skill came into existence, the power of the Nascent Soul Tribulation had increased several times over the last ten thousand years of cultivation history, only stabilizing two thousand years ago.

—It stabilized at a horrifyingly low success rate.

’The heavens calculate forty-nine, leaving one to escape. A 2% success rate for transcending the tribulation.’

’When I get the chance, I should start collecting tribulation-transcending magic treasures and Secret Techniques...’ Su Ye thought, recalling the records from the texts.

After all,

the Nascent Soul Tribulation was not some distant event for him.

He was already at the Golden Core Realm. Although he was only at the Early-stage Golden Core, with his system panel and the numerous Spiritual Springs of the Far South Continent, he didn’t expect to remain in the Golden Core Realm for several hundred years!

’Forty years.’

’I am now sixty-two. By the time I am one hundred, I will achieve Golden Core Perfection!’

...

CREAK.

Su Ye pushed open the door and returned to the captain’s cabin.

He hung his intricate, dark robes on a polished ebony coat rack, revealing the fitted white shirt underneath. He then walked behind the long table and took the master seat.

The chair, upholstered in leather stitched from the softest patch of belly skin from nine Demon Kings of the same species, was soft and comfortable.

"So comfortable..."

Su Ye leaned back against the chair, his eyes slightly narrowed in contentment.

"Master!"

A bloody light flickered, and Jiaojiao’s figure materialized.

She wore a black and red ceremonial robe, her figure slender and petite. She sat on the long table in front of Su Ye, her fair, bare feet dangling, her ruby-like eyes filled with longing!

Her eyes were fixed on Su Ye’s Storage Ring...

"Heh..." Su Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. He pinched Jiaojiao’s small, round face, and with a flick of his Storage Ring, produced a fiery red crystal that looked like a heart and placed it in her hands!

"Go on, eat."

Given permission, Jiaojiao didn’t hesitate and took a bite of the fiery red crystal.

CRUNCH.

With a few crisp sounds, the fiery red crystal disappeared. Jiaojiao licked her lips, cleaning up the last few crumbs of powder.

[Source Energy: 235/235]

’Not bad, not bad. The Source Energy increased by over thirty points.’

Su Ye looked pleased.

The fiery red crystal he had fed to Jiaojiao was none other than the heart of the Tier Four dragon-man, Lie Lin. Or perhaps it should be called a heart-core?

In any case, it was the core of a Tier Four being, similar to a Demon Pill or a Golden Core!

It was also a high-source-energy material certified by the panel to be fed to the Ghostly Flood Dragon!

’Yinshan, Chu Wunian, Lie Lin... Two Golden Cores and one heart-core have increased the Ghostly Flood Dragon’s Source Energy by over a hundred points.’

’According to the panel and Jiaojiao’s feedback, with about three hundred Source Energy, the Ghostly Flood Dragon should be able to advance to a Tier Four Mid Stage spirit ship...’

Su Ye calculated in his mind.

Additionally, devouring living souls could also increase the Ghostly Flood Dragon’s Source Energy... However, compared to refining the origin of a Tier Four being, the growth was slow.

In the battle at Yu Lan Island, it had devoured nearly ten million living souls, but the gain was negligible.

’One more Tier Four Late Stage being, and the Ghostly Flood Dragon can advance to Tier Four Mid Stage...’

’The spirit ship’s advancement... it might be difficult for it to push me all the way to Mid-stage Golden Core, but it could provide some assistance, like increasing the speed at which I comprehend the rules...’

’That’s not too much to ask, is it?’

Su Ye’s eyelashes fluttered, and he pinched Jiaojiao’s small, round face again.

’It felt really nice.’

"Mmph..."

"You’re making it swell!"

Jiaojiao leaped off the table and scurried away.

"So cute I could pinch her..." Su Ye chuckled, his mood growing even more pleasant.

...

「Meanwhile.」

The Blood Slaughter Throne.

Chu Jiangyuan kept his head bowed low, prostrated on the ground.

"You wretched spawn, you almost got me killed!"

On the throne, Xuetu’s face was grim and his gaze malicious as he furiously berated Chu Jiangyuan!

The battle at Yu Lan Island had been a disastrous defeat. Not only had Lie Lin died, but he himself had also suffered heavy losses!

Furious, he naturally needed someone to vent his anger on!

BANG!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He struck out with his palm, sending Chu Jiangyuan flying. He tumbled several times, spraying blood.

"Get out!"

"Useless trash!"

"Yes, Senior Xuetu."

Chu Jiangyuan took the blow and coughed up blood, yet he still struggled to his feet, not daring to show the slightest hint of resentment.

He scrambled and crawled his way out of the underground palace.

"Damn it."

’Should I just hand this person over? If word gets out and that monster Yehai comes after me...’ Xuetu’s brow furrowed.

But just then, his expression suddenly changed. He looked toward a pillar of flesh and blood in the grand hall.

"Yingshi?"