Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Chapter 488: Chapter 446: Deathmatch Gambit, Devilish Tricks

RIIIP.

Yuanshan Xinglun’s corpse disintegrated in mid-air, beginning its free fall.

Scalding hot blood, mixed with fragments of his body, scattered across the sky.

And within a few breaths, they all crashed to the ground at the same moment.

THUD.

The sound was faint.

The ceaseless roar from the engines of the two massive warships, the Ghostly Flood Dragon and the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark, completely drowned out the sound of Yuanshan Xinglun’s body striking the ground.

But in the eyes of the cultivators present, that sound was absolutely deafening!

"He killed Yuanshan Xinglun... just like that?"

Zheng Yunzhe was startled, his eyelids twitching wildly.

Even though he had already raised his assessment of Su Ye, seeing him slay Yuanshan Xinglun with such ease still left him utterly shocked!

"Excellent!"

"Yehai, your Divine Techniques are astounding! I, Feng Shaochai, am thoroughly impressed!"

Feng Shaochai clapped his hands and laughed, his delight impossible to conceal.

On the deck of the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark, the Core Formation cultivators from the True Treasure Pavilion’s side erupted in cheers.

Even if they hadn’t known Su Ye before yesterday, it didn’t stop them from cheering for his victory—it is only natural to admire the strong!

In contrast, the side of the Star Casting Hall was deathly silent!

"Yuanshan!"

Han Tiantong’s pupils shrank, and the confident smile on his face froze solid.

’How is this possible?’

’He knew that for the past hundred years, ever since reaching the Golden Core realm, Yuanshan Xinglun had been arduously cultivating a top-tier Body Refining Skill to compensate for the flaws of his Heaven and Earth Harmonizing Qi technique. The Star Casting Hall’s Secret Technique, the Star Battle Body. As far as Han Tiantong knew, Yuanshan Xinglun had cultivated his Star Battle Body to the seventh level, making his physical body as tough as a late-stage Tier Four great demon!’

’But... such a powerful physical body was still cleaved in two by a single strike?’

’And what’s more...’

Han Tiantong had a sharp eye.

’This Yehai is also using physical strength.’

’His physical body has reached the Tier Four Perfection Realm. Otherwise... Yuanshan couldn’t have died such a miserable death!’

Thinking of this, Han Tiantong felt something was off and sent a Divine Sense transmission.

"Miss Ran, why didn’t you mention this person’s expertise in physical cultivation?"

"I... I didn’t know. When he fought me..."

Ran Ningshuang looked dazed and terrified, her explanation incoherent.

’Useless baggage.’

Han Tiantong cursed inwardly. ’With Yuanshan Xinglun’s abilities, even if he couldn’t win, he shouldn’t have died so easily... I was completely screwed over by the intelligence this woman provided!’

"Yuanshan?!"

"Impossible! This can’t be real!"

Only then did a few cultivators close to Yuanshan Xinglun finally cry out in shock!

Even now, they still couldn’t believe what they had just seen!

Yuanshan Xinglun...

A True Disciple of the Star Casting Hall... their master, their elder...

Was actually...

Dead?!

"This is impossible!"

"He cheated! He must have cheated!"

"Mr. Han, those despicable villains from the True Treasure Pavilion used some dirty trick to harm Yuanshan!"

The eyes of these few Star Casting Hall cultivators were red as they cried out their accusations, a mixture of shock and rage!

But just then, BZZZT.

A flash of light streaked from atop the Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark.

A surging wave of Spiritual Power came whistling over.

Like a hurricane, it choked the words in their throats.

"You old bastard! What do you think you’re doing?!"

Han Tiantong roared, a vicious glint in his eyes.

He circulated his Magical Power, shielding the few Core Formation cultivators and neutralizing the pressure.

"Heh..."

"You can be careless about what pills you eat, but not about what words you speak."

"You were watching too. Before everyone’s eyes, our True Treasure Pavilion’s Yehai slew your sect’s seventh True Disciple in a perfectly open and honorable fashion. Is there a problem?"

"Or could it be that the great Star Casting Hall is just a sore loser?"

Mr. Guan spoke nonchalantly, flicking his Duster.

"Hmph..."

Han Tiantong’s expression darkened.

He did not offer a rebuttal.

Just as Mr. Guan had said, Su Ye had not used any items exceeding his own rank in this airspace deathmatch. He had killed Yuanshan Xinglun purely with his own Divine Techniques and abilities.

Or perhaps... he had.

But none of the dozens of Golden Core cultivators from the Star Casting Hall could tell.

Such a masterful method of cheating left the Star Casting Hall side helpless, even if they were suspicious.

Indeed, the Star Casting Hall didn’t care about evidence, and neither did the Cultivation Realm.

They could just lock someone up in a black site for a few days, use a Great Memory Recovery Skill, and get any confession they wanted.

But such thuggish tactics could only be used on the cattle and horses of the ruled class. It was completely unreasonable to apply them to an existence like the True Treasure Pavilion, which was also one of the nine great sects of the Inner Sea!

Besides, an airspace deathmatch was, by its very nature, a battle to the death.

Therefore, even though the members of the Star Casting Hall were burning with fury, they could not act on it.

Su Ye saw this game of unwritten rules as clear as day. Thus, even after slaying Yuanshan Xinglun in front of everyone, he remained perfectly calm and composed, not the least bit flustered.

’It was reasonable and legitimate. What’s there to panic about?’

BZZT.

With a flash of his Storage Ring, he stored Yuanshan Xinglun’s Golden Core inside.

’First one... The quality of this Golden Core is pretty good. A great start!’

Su Ye looked pleased, thoroughly satisfied. With just one more Golden Core of this quality, the Ghostly Flood Dragon’s source energy value would reach one thousand.

In other words: Peak Tier Four.

At that point, the Ghostly Flood Dragon’s rank would be equal to that of the True Treasure Pavilion’s Myriad Longevity Treasure Ark.

"So..."

SWISH.

Su Ye flicked his wrist, spinning the Moonfall Halberd to fling off the blood staining its tip.

He looked off toward the Star Casting Hall’s high platform, his gaze scorching as he sized up the Golden Core cultivators there, like a predator inspecting its prey.

Then, a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes as he crooked his finger.

"Who’s next?"

"Come up and meet your death!"

...

Su Ye’s arrogant words echoed in the air.

The faces of the cultivators on the high platform turned dark and ugly, and they seethed with rage.

However, despite their anger, for a moment, not a single cultivator dared to step forward and accept the challenge.

They had all witnessed Yuanshan Xinglun’s strength; among Mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, he was definitely one of the best.

His death at Su Ye’s hands meant that any Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator—at least, any of them present—would have little chance of victory against him.

"Huuuh..."

Han Tiantong took a deep breath.

His original plan had been to use this airspace deathmatch to slowly bleed the True Treasure Pavilion, killing their Golden Core cultivators to reduce their numbers.

After all, the True Treasure Pavilion had fewer Golden Core cultivators. Killing just two or three would drop their total into the single digits.

That way, when they moved to annihilate them completely, their own casualties would surely be reduced to an acceptable level.

However, while the plan had sounded good on paper, reality refused to follow Han Tiantong’s script.

Now, the True Treasure Pavilion hadn’t lost a single person, while the Star Casting Hall had well and truly lost a True Disciple. It was an awkward situation, and he was in too deep to back out now.

’Do I have no choice but to admit defeat...’

Han Tiantong mused, his expression grim.

Just then, Ran Ningshuang tilted her head and suggested,

"Mr. Han, since this person is so powerful, why do we have to get tangled up with him? Why not just send an Early-stage or Late-stage Golden Core cultivator to fight?"

"That way, according to the rules, he’ll be powerless to act and will have to leave the field."

Hearing this, Han Tiantong paused.

’That method... seems plausible.’

After all, according to the rules of this airspace deathmatch, the two combatants had to be of the same realm.

In other words, as long as the cultivator they sent out wasn’t at the Mid-stage Golden Core realm, Su Ye would be bound by the same-realm rule and couldn’t fight. He would have to step down.

’A good idea...’

’Like hell it is!’

"We can’t."

Han Tiantong’s face was dark as he rejected the suggestion.

’Good suggestion. She should never make one again.’

Admittedly, from a purely rational cost-benefit perspective, Ran Ningshuang’s proposal was the most appropriate.

But not everything in this world could be calculated rationally.

If they acted that way, what would become of the Star Casting Hall’s reputation?

To be helpless against a cultivator from the Outer Sea, from a vassal force of the True Treasure Pavilion, and be forced to avoid a fight?

The negative impact would be immeasurable.

Han Tiantong’s eyes flickered as he glanced at the subservient demonic cultivators and the Golden Core cultivators from the Immortal Peak Palace—all of these were vassal forces of the Star Casting Hall.

’Admit cowardice in front of our vassals?’

Han Tiantong asked himself that question and knew he couldn’t afford to lose that much face.

The cultivators from Immortal Peak Palace were one thing; the Star Casting Hall had essentially put them in power, and that sect of usurpers needed their support.

But the demonic cultivators were treacherous by nature, secretly harboring ambitions to betray their masters.

Even with restrictive seals to control them, he had to be cautious. If he showed weakness, the future consequences would be endless...

Thinking of this, Han Tiantong’s gaze hardened. ’We must fight, and... we must win!’

Ran Ningshuang’s ’persuasion’ had backfired, instead steeling Han Tiantong’s resolve.

He turned his head and looked at an unremarkable, obese cultivator in yellow robes on the high platform, who resembled a ball of flesh.

This yellow-robed cultivator seemed morbidly obese. The fingers on his hands were so swollen that his knuckles were invisible, his face was bloated with large ears, and his facial features were squeezed into a tiny space by the fat.

"Qiu Mu."

"Mr. Han, what are your orders? This humble one will spare no effort and serve you until death!" Upon being called, the fat, yellow-robed man offered an obsequious and fawning smile.

But beads of sweat had already begun to trickle down his forehead.

Fear was hidden in his soybean-sized eyes.

After all, he was a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. At this critical juncture, for Han Tiantong to call him out by name... there was no need to ask what he meant.

’Me, fight Yehai... Seriously?’

Glancing at the black-robed figure hovering in the distant sky, Qiu Mu was already breaking out in a cold sweat.

’As someone on parole from the Demon-Suppressing Tower, I definitely have a few tricks up my sleeve, but... fighting a monster who’s so clearly off the charts? Uh... could you perhaps find someone more qualified?’

’Yuanshan Xinglun’s corpse is still lying on the ground, you know.’

’Thanks to the high temperatures of Volcano State, his body hasn’t even gone cold yet. In fact, being heated by the scorching ground, it’s starting to get hotter and hotter. Looks like it’s about to be cooked through.’

Seeing such a gruesome sight, how could Qiu Mu not be afraid?

But unfortunately for him, Han Tiantong’s will was like iron. He said coldly, "Qiu Mu, you’re up."

"And... you must win!"

’Huh?’

’Dude, how am I supposed to win?’

’By saying "I’ll win"?’

’Wouldn’t that just get me sliced in half horizontally?’

However, Han Tiantong wasn’t a complete beast. He walked over to Qiu Mu and lowered his voice. "I know your Divine Techniques are unique. Paired with this, what are your chances of victory?"

As he spoke, he moved his hand and patted Qiu Mu’s shoulder. In the center of his palm, an almost imperceptible spiritual light flashed and attached itself to him.

"If you win, this item is yours."

Qiu Mu froze for a moment, then his eyes flashed repeatedly as a look of delight spread across his face.

"Yes, sir!"

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