Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

After the execution of Jueying and Chengying, the overall situation was decided.

The corporation’s main lineage had seized absolute control!

Next came the cleanup.

Luo Qing’e’s methods were shrewd, and she handled matters properly.

First, she rewarded those who had contributed, distributed the profits, and won over the Cyan Profound Sect.

Second, she issued a warrant for Wuying Zhenren’s arrest and branded him a traitor to the sect!

In addition, the disciples and followers from Jueying and Chengying’s factions—the diehard loyalists of the Spirit Control Sect—were also branded as traitors and purged.

These loyalist cultivators were difficult to win over and harbored deep resentment.

At the time, the Nanyaoguang Corporation lacked the power to maintain its authority through intimidation.

Therefore, Luo Qing’e raised the butcher’s knife without hesitation!

On Spider Demon Island alone, more than fifteen Foundation Establishment families were annihilated. The cultivator families of Jueying’s and Chengying’s factions suffered a catastrophe!

The influence these two Crystal Perfection cultivators had left on the Spirit Control Sect over several hundred years was all but wiped out, completely severed after this battle.

In its place rose a new Spirit Control Sect with the Spirit Control Sect Leader and Phantom Zhenren as its dual core!

The Spirit Control Sect Leader was a figurehead who held no real power within the sect. He was spared due to his connection with Ziyuan.

Luo Qing’e took into account that Ziyuan, a fourth-rank great demon, was nowhere to be found.

Thus, she was unwilling to be too ruthless. She preserved the Spirit Control Sect Leader’s noble and honored status, continuing to treat him with respect and generosity.

Meanwhile, as a meritorious contributor, Phantom Zhenren’s status was further elevated. This once-overlooked member of the Four Shadows had, after two major upheavals, become the true leader of the Spirit Control Sect!

Luo Qing’e’s series of moves silenced the entire sea region!

The Nanyaoguang Corporation’s rule gradually stabilized, and the turmoil subsided.

However, Wuying Zhenren was still at large.

A portion of the Spirit Control Sect’s diehards still followed this member of the Four Shadows—or rather, former Four Shadows, as the Spirit Control Sect had already stripped Wuying Zhenren of his title.

But the Spirit Control Sect loyalists turned a deaf ear to this, considering it a perverse order!

They revered Wuying Zhenren as their leader. Filled with hatred, they hid within the sea region, licking their wounds and biding their time.

From time to time, they would stir up rebellions in the sea region.

Or they would act as pirates, attacking the corporation’s merchant ships and plundering Spiritual Objects.

This guerilla-style resistance was once a major headache for the Nanyaoguang Corporation.

The Spirit Control Sect’s loyalists were extremely familiar with the hydrological conditions of the Spirit Realm Sea Region, giving them a geographical advantage. Deploying a large force to encircle and suppress them would likely result in information leaks and fruitless returns.

But smaller fleets lacked the necessary strength. The Spirit Control Sect loyalists were by no means weak; as elites of a Golden Core sect, they were considered powerful among their peers.

Besides, there was Wuying Zhenren. Although this Mid-stage Crystal Realm cultivator had yet to recover from his serious injuries, his power was still considerable.

Even sending a Fake Core cultivator could result in them being killed instead!

Only a Crystal Realm Zhenren could reliably suppress him, but Crystal Realm cultivators... after a brutal political struggle, the Nanyaoguang Corporation had very few left.

And there were almost none available for mobile deployment.

Tianhe Zhenren had to be stationed in the Mist Sea to bore through the gray wall—this was only possible because the power of the Boundary Wall Remains in the Far South Continent was growing weaker.

A Mid-stage Crystal Realm cultivator could now pass through the gray wall to maintain transportation between the two sides.

Liuyun Zhenren was stationed at Jade Dew Island to protect the Cyan Profound Sect.

Phantom Zhenren was stationed at Hope Port to defend the Far South Continent.

The Spirit Control Sect Leader, a Crystal Realm Zhenren, ignored worldly affairs and never set foot outside Spider Demon Island, making him impossible to mobilize.

Even Weiyuan Immortal City, the Nanyaoguang Corporation’s headquarters, lacked a Crystal Realm cultivator to guard it.

They could only entrust its defense to Sikong Xin, also known as Tianqiong Zhenren, whose foundation was damaged and who could not endure long battles.

This showed just how strained the Nanyaoguang Corporation’s Crystal Realm combat power was.

However, after a year, this situation improved!

Luo Xiying.

Bai Xiuying.

These two cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection broke through their bottlenecks at almost the same time, becoming Crystal Realm Zhenrens!

The former, distinguished in the dao of talismans, was named Yuefu Zhenren.

The latter continued to use her Foundation Establishment title and was now called Yuqing Zhenren.

These two female cultivators were able to reach the Crystal Realm for two reasons. First, their foundations were profound, cultivated over many years. Second, by a fortunate coincidence, they had the help of Crystal Condensing Elixirs when they charged their bottlenecks!

The Crystal Condensing Elixir is as precious as the Foundation Establishment Elixir and is the best treasure for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to break through to the Crystal Realm!

So, how did the Nanyaoguang Corporation come to possess such a controlled Spirit Pill? And... two Crystal Condensing Elixirs at once?

As it turned out, this had something to do with Su Ye.

Previously, when Su Ye broke through Giant Stone City, he found a rare third-rank Spiritual Object in the royal secret treasury. Its medicinal properties were extremely similar to the main ingredient of the Crystal Condensing Elixir!

After experiments by an Alchemy Grandmaster, it was confirmed that the two materials were indeed interchangeable!

The recipe was immediately modified, and an attempt at alchemy was made.

After two failures, they finally succeeded, refining a batch of Crystal Condensing Elixirs that yielded three pills!

And thus, two new Crystal Realm cultivators were born!

Furthermore, although Luo Xiying and Bai Xiuying were newly promoted, their combat strength was outstanding, allowing them to look down on most Early-stage Crystal Realm cultivators!

The power of the Crystal Condensing Elixir solidified their foundations and made their Magical Power abundant.

At the same time, Luo Xiying’s skill in the dao of talismans was profound; she could draw third-rank talismans even before reaching the Crystal Realm.

Now that she had reached the Crystal Realm, her Divine Sense and Magical Power had both soared. Her attainments in the dao of talismans rose accordingly, and she steadily became a third-rank, mid-grade Talisman Master.

She could even draw one or two third-rank, high-grade talismans!

The Nanyaoguang Corporation was also wealthy enough to provide her with the raw materials she needed to draw them.

Augmented by talismans, her combat strength was considerable!

The source of Bai Xiuying’s strength was even simpler: Canghai Zhenren’s legacy, the Sea-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Saber, was in her hands!

With this top-tier magical treasure, combined with her own incomparably sharp Sword Intent, most Early-stage Crystal Realm cultivators couldn’t last ten rounds against her!

Six months ago, Luo Xiying and Bai Xiuying had launched a joint attack. Piloting a Weiyuan-class Spiritual Ship, they found the injured Wuying Zhenren. Taking advantage of their spiritual ship, talismans, and magical treasure, they decisively crushed the still-wounded Wuying Zhenren!

They killed nearly a thousand Spirit Control Sect loyalists and the pirates they had coerced or recruited!

Since then, peace was restored to the sea region.

Life became increasingly difficult for the Spirit Control Sect loyalists.

In the Spirit Realm Sea Region, many families that had secretly been in contact with them and providing supplies severed all ties.

Some went even further, turning around and reporting them to the corporation, using the heads of their old comrades to claim the bounty rewards.

Presumably, this was precisely why these Spirit Control Sect loyalists were so enthusiastic about the intervention of the Chu Family of Day Flame, wasn’t it?

If they didn’t get some help from an Outer Sea power, these Spirit Control Sect loyalists would be completely finished!

...

After reading the intelligence report, Su Ye put down the jade slip.

He now had a general grasp of the situation in the sea region.

Su Ye let out a long, clear breath.

’Qing’e, you’ve really given me a surprise.’

He had no intention of criticizing Luo Qing’e’s actions.

Power struggles weren’t about right or wrong, only victory or defeat.

The process had been a bit winding, but the outcome was good!

During the three years he was missing, the Nanyaoguang Corporation’s rule over the sea region had remained stable!

That alone was enough.