Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Phantom Zhenren’s gaze was piercing.

Her gaze swept across them like a razor’s edge, as if she wished to subject these cultivators to death by a thousand cuts!

"Damn you!"

"You traitors of the sect! You all deserve a gruesome death!"

"The Far South Continent is our sect’s greatest secret. Developing even a fraction of this vast land could sustain our sect’s fortune for a millennium."

"Yet you leaked its existence to outsiders. How can you face Ancestor Qiuya after such a shortsighted act?"

Phantom Zhenren’s eyes blazed with fury as she interrogated them in a cold voice.

As the governor of Hope Port, Phantom Zhenren was keenly aware of just how bountiful this continent was.

To date, the profits brought to the Nanyaoguang Corporation from developing a mere fraction of it already exceeded two million Spirit Stones annually!

In a way, the Far South Continent was like an endless, inexhaustible Three Treasures Grinding Wheel.

But she knew all too well that the very existence of this Three Treasures Grinding Wheel was predicated on a monopoly. For the past decade, the Nanyaoguang Corporation had done everything in its power to suppress information, precisely to maintain that control!

To her dismay, a great misfortune had befallen their house—a traitor had emerged from within!

Phantom Zhenren’s gaze was like a dagger as it swept over the Spirit Control Sect cultivators, her killing intent chillingly palpable.

But at this moment, Mr. Wu, completely unafraid, shot back.

"What right do you have to speak for Ancestor Qiuya?"

"When it comes to colluding with outsiders and throwing the gates open for thieves, who in our sect can possibly compare to you?"

"As one of the Four Phantoms, you surrendered to an outside power and now serve it. Ancestor Qiuya’s spirit in the heavens must be ashamed of you!"

"What did you say?!"

Phantom Zhenren erupted in fury, her face shifting between red and white. He had struck a sore spot!

Although there were extenuating circumstances for her surrender to the Nanyaoguang Corporation, it was hardly a glorious Chapter in her life—more like a dark stain on her past...

Then, Phantom Zhenren’s expression turned ice-cold. A vivid spider-shaped Spirit Pattern materialized on her brow, and a powerful wave of Spiritual Power pulsed outward!

"You all must die!"

Seeing this, Mr. Wu was alarmed and immediately shouted a warning.

"Mr. Xuan, watch out."

"She’s going to summon her life-bound Spirit Spider!"

Mr. Xuan’s expression darkened, turning grave.

The Spirit Control Sect excelled at beast taming. A life-bound Spirit Spider, when fighting alongside its cultivator, could punch above its weight class, even crossing minor realm boundaries. He had heard such rumors, even from his home in the distant seas.

WHOOSH.

Mr. Xuan’s withered hand waved the Cyan Gold Banner.

Numerous stormy cyclones materialized around him. Half transformed into cyan wind arrows, mounting an offense as the best defense.

The other half swirled in a protective orbit, like an imperial guard defending his flanks.

However, what caught Mr. Xuan by surprise was that the spider Spirit Pattern on Phantom Zhenren’s brow merely flickered for a moment. She didn’t summon her life-bound Spirit Spider.

Instead, in the next instant, her figure transformed into an Escape Light, blasting through the blockade of cyan wind arrows and fleeing at incredible speed, leaving them in her dust.

This Escape Light was tinged with a piercing scarlet glow—the light of blood!

Such a phenomenon was the telltale sign of burning one’s blood essence to activate a Forbidden Technique.

It was glaringly obvious. Phantom Zhenren’s earlier aggression was all a bluff, meant to lull her enemy into a false sense of security.

’As for her vow to kill them? That was all just part of the act!’

’If she were facing a Loose Cultivator, she might have considered fighting someone from a higher realm. But this Mr. Xuan was clearly from a major power. His Divine Techniques and methods were bound to be superior to her own in every way. How could she possibly defeat an opponent from a higher realm?’

’So... flee!’

"She tricked us!"

Mr. Wu’s expression soured.

’She truly is the shame of the Four Phantoms,’ he cursed internally, ’completely devoid of an expert’s dignity.’

Mr. Xuan, however, remained silent. With a dark expression, he waved the Cyan Gold Banner again. The cyclones at his side unleashed a torrent of air, accelerating his own Escape Light!

SWOOSH!

A cyan spiritual light shot off in hot pursuit of Phantom Zhenren.

’This Cyan Gold Banner is no ordinary treasure! Not only is it good for both offense and defense, but it can also boost Tunneling Speed?’ This made Phantom Zhenren all the more grateful that she hadn’t lost her head and had chosen to flee instead of fighting.

However, what reassured Phantom Zhenren was that while Mr. Xuan’s cyan Escape Light was fast, it still couldn’t match the ultimate Tunneling Speed she had unleashed by burning her blood essence and activating a Forbidden Technique.

’At this rate,’ Phantom Zhenren calculated, ’if I activate the Forbidden Technique three times, I can make it back to Weiyuan Immortal City. With the protection of the Array and the help of several fellow Crystal-stage cultivators, I’ll be out of danger.’

But just then, Mr. Xuan’s expression remained unchanged. Once he closed the distance to a certain point, he tossed out a Treasure Pearl!

"Freeze!"

Mr. Xuan formed a hand seal and uttered the command in a deep voice.

HUM!

The magnificent Celestial Cyan Treasure Pearl hovered in mid-air.

A flash of exceptionally brilliant light flared from the Treasure Pearl’s surface!

The next moment, Phantom Zhenren’s Tunneling Speed dropped drastically.

It was as if the space for miles around her had filled with invisible walls, making it impossible for her to move forward an inch!

The look of sheer horror in her eyes was impossible to hide!

’What kind of technique is this?’

Phantom Zhenren looked back, staring at the Celestial Cyan Treasure Pearl floating in mid-air, her thoughts racing as she searched her memory for a match.

A flash of recognition crossed her eyes, her expression changed dramatically, and she blurted out.

"A Unique Treasure, the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl!"

"Mid-stage Crystal, an old man..."

"I know who you are! From the Day Flame Sea Region, the protector of the Wanlong Commerce Association—Master Yufeng!"

Phantom Zhenren declared with conviction.

Master Yufeng possessed a Unique Treasure, the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl.

Unique Treasures, unlike conventional magic treasures, possessed all sorts of strange and wondrous abilities and were not heavily restricted by a cultivator’s cultivation base.

A Qi Refining cultivator, provided they met the conditions, could activate a Unique Treasure with the power of a full-fledged magic treasure. In the tales of this world, Unique Treasures often served as a "cheat item" that gave the protagonist an unfair advantage.

Some cultivators theorized that these Unique Treasures were perhaps relics left behind by great cultivators from the Ancient Era who had mastered Divine Techniques, remnants that had survived the long river of history.

Of course, most Unique Treasures had flashy but impractical functions, and their power levels weren’t particularly high.

And the conditions to activate them were quite demanding.

Because of this, the few Unique Treasures that were both useful and claimed were often quite famous.

Master Yufeng’s Wind-Stabilizing Pearl was one such item!

"What Wind-Stabilizing Pearl? Nonsense."

"This is my Reversing Element Wind Returning Pearl."

Mr. Xuan’s tone was calm as he refuted her.

But as he said this, his attacks became much fiercer.

His assault was like a sudden, violent squall, leaving Phantom Zhenren struggling to breathe.

Mr. Xuan was superior to Phantom Zhenren in every aspect of his power. Even after she summoned her life-bound Spirit Spider to begin a "righteous" two-on-one battle, she was still no match for him.

’It’s over...’

’Am I going to die here today?’

A chill ran through Phantom Zhenren’s heart, and she muttered miserably to herself.

But just then, from within the distant clouds, a streak of black and red light flashed like a meteor!

At the same time, the deafening roar of an engine accompanied it!

"What is that?"

Distracted, Mr. Xuan’s eyes narrowed as he gazed into the distance.

The moment he looked, his body froze. It was as if a pair of detached, icy-silver eyes had traversed hundreds of miles in an instant to appear right before him!

An incomparably bitter chill came with them.

In an instant, he felt his body grow cold. His blood, his limbs, even his very soul and mind felt as if they had been frozen solid, completely beyond his control.