My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me

Beams of Tunneling Light shot down one after another from a Flying Boat high above Golden Bell Island, joining the battle to clear out the demons.

BOOM!

After a loud bang, Iron Head stretched his sinews and bones, swelling to over ten feet tall. He stomped on a Great Demon in human form and, with a single thrust of his Iron Spear, pinned it dead to the ground.

Standing behind him, Yinjiao unleashed a flurry of Sword Qi. A massive Fish Demon was dismembered in mid-air, its severed limbs and fragments raining down as blood gushed like a fountain.

Although there were many Foundation Establishment Great Demons on the island, almost none could withstand a single blow from the two of them.

These demons couldn’t use arrays to organize a defense and could only rely on their physical bodies to resist the cultivators’ attacks. After losing the organization provided by the Great Demons, their battle lines swiftly collapsed.

Soon, the demons on Golden Bell Island were more or less completely wiped out. Even if a few stragglers managed to escape by jumping into the sea, they were too few to pose a threat.

Wu Huai’an flew down from the Flying Boat, a look of shock on his face.

In his eyes, the demons on Golden Bell Island were by no means weak. Based on his past experience, conquering the island would require at least seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators and over a hundred Qi Cultivators.

Even then, the losses would have been significant; at the very least, many of the Qi Cultivators would have perished. If the Great Demons on the island were any stronger, it wouldn’t have been unusual for a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators to fall as well.

If retaking an island was always this easy, he wouldn’t have been so eager to offer his help to Iron Head and Yinjiao.

’These two are as powerful as the True Disciples of the Major Sects.’

Wu Huai’an had once seen a so-called Nascent Soul Seed from a Major Sect in action, and their power was shockingly similar to these two.

This strengthened his resolve to build a good relationship with them. Since they intended to put down roots on Golden Bell Island, this connection might one day bring fortune to his descendants.

Golden Bell Island had already suffered immense destruction when it was overrun by demons, with rivers of blood flowing. Now, not long after, another slaughter had occurred, leaving the entire island practically drowning in blood and gore.

Some eager Qi Cultivators cleared out a temporary resting spot in the island’s mountains. They purged the nearby Blood Evil and Demon Qi, then summoned a Spirit Rain to wash away the overwhelming stench of blood.

By the time Iron Head, Yinjiao, and Wu Huai’an arrived and took their seats, the area was already filled with the fragrance of flowers.

"Fellow Daoists, now that Golden Bell Island needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, you must be in need of all sorts of resources. I know a Shopkeeper at the Thousand Islands Ticket Shop who can certainly get you the lowest interest rate."

Yinjiao and Iron Head exchanged a look. They hadn’t expected the Ticket Shop their master invented to have already spread to the Central Province so quickly.

"You may not be familiar with the Ticket Shop business. It’s a new trade that has recently emerged in the province. They accept deposits and provide loans of Spirit Stones. The Alliance has also followed the trend and established its own."

Thinking the two were completely unaware of what a Ticket Shop was, Wu Huai’an began to explain in detail.

The Thousand Islands Ticket Shop had only been operating within the Alliance for a short time. To control risk, it was currently only open to Island Masters. These Island Masters have permanent assets, so even if they can’t repay the loan, they can use their various properties as collateral.

Yinjiao, of course, was intimately familiar with the Ticket Shop’s various loan services. He directly used Golden Bell Island as collateral to borrow two hundred thousand Spirit Stones from the Thousand Islands Alliance.

Although they weren’t short on Spirit Stones at all, as mere Independent Cultivators, producing such a huge amount would attract unwanted attention and cause trouble. Borrowing from the Thousand Islands Alliance would avoid such risks.

Of course, a huge sum like two hundred thousand Spirit Stones couldn’t be lent out so casually. Wu Huai’an still needed to return to the Thousand Islands Alliance headquarters to go through the official procedures.

The thought of securing such a large loan and earning a handsome commission made Wu Huai’an’s heart race with excitement.

But before he could leave to handle it, another Flying Boat flew in from the distance and stopped high above Golden Bell Island.

Yinjiao’s brow furrowed. He recognized it at a glance as a Flying Boat belonging to Dawn Island. For a Flying Boat from Dawn Island to suddenly appear over Golden Bell Island at this time... their intentions were likely malicious.

A troop of arrogant-looking cultivators flew down from the Flying Boat.

Xiang Yufei was at the head of the group, flying in the very front. He had had his eye on Iron Head, Yinjiao, and Golden Bell Island for a long time. As Master Xuan Song’s eldest disciple, he held considerable power on Dawn Island. However, there was no chance of him inheriting it.

If he couldn’t form a Golden Core, he would die even before the Three Friends of Dawn.

Therefore, he had long since decided to secure his own territory outside of Dawn Island. He had set his sights on Iron Head and Yinjiao back when they distinguished themselves while scouting the demon tide, planning to recruit them as cannon fodder for his own island conquest.

However, the two acted far faster than he had anticipated, spending almost no time preparing Spirit Stones, Talismans, or Magical Artifacts. He had just returned to Dawn Island after accompanying his three masters to pose as Tribulation Cultivators and conquer an island when he received news that the duo had set out to attack one themselves.

Upon receiving the news, Xiang Yufei had rushed toward Golden Bell Island.

’If the two of them and the demons ended up crippling each other, he could swoop in and reap the benefits. And if they actually succeeded in taking the island, he had plenty of ways to seize it from them.’

"Fellow Daoist Xiang."

Wu Huai’an took the initiative to greet him. Having just brokered a two-hundred-thousand-Spirit-Stone deal, he was the last person who wanted to see complications arise. As the Thousand Islands Alliance’s Steward on Dawn Island, he had dealt with Xiang Yufei many times and had a somewhat friendly relationship with him.

"What brings you to Golden Bell Island at a time like this?"

When an island was being conquered, it was taboo for other cultivators to approach without reason, lest they try to play the fisherman and profit from the conflict. Such a situation could lead to an immediate battle.

"Steward Wu, I have come to avert a disaster for our Thousand Islands Alliance."

Xiang Yufei replied while sizing up Golden Bell Island below. He was inwardly surprised that it had been conquered so quickly. Judging by the condition of the Independent Cultivators on the island, their losses didn’t seem severe.

’Were the demons on Golden Bell Island not that powerful?’

A trace of doubt rose in his mind.

But after a glance at the Flying Boat behind him, Xiang Yufei cast all his worries aside. ’So what if there are complications? With three Golden Core Masters backing me, any trouble can be forcefully suppressed.’

Wu Huai’an’s heart sank.

"Oh? And what disaster would that be?"

’We’re all thousand-year-old foxes, so why put on an act?’ Wu Huai’an naturally guessed that Xiang Yufei had his eyes on Golden Bell Island. Things were about to get complicated.

The conqueror of an island gaining ownership was an ironclad rule in the Thousand Islands Alliance, but it wasn’t without exceptions. The people behind those exceptions were always individuals with extraordinary connections within the Alliance.

"A group of Tribulation Cultivators have changed their identities and become Island Masters in our Thousand Islands Alliance. Is that not a disaster? If others were to find out about this, I’m afraid even you, Steward Wu, would be implicated."

Xiang Yufei said.

Wu Huai’an understood immediately. Slandering them as Tribulation Cultivators was the best way to strip them of their Island Master title. As the local power, the Thousand Islands Alliance naturally had a policy of exterminating disruptive elements like Tribulation Cultivators. The only thing was, Independent Cultivators who conquered islands were usually the elites of their generation. Sixty to seventy percent of them had engaged in ’business with no capital’ when the opportunity arose.

"Steward Wu, surely you don’t think I’m making false accusations?"

As Xiang Yufei spoke, he waved his hand. Two of his junior martial brothers emerged from the Flying Boat, escorting a disheveled cultivator covered in dirt and blood.

"This man’s name is Fan Ningyi. He is an accomplice of these two. Over the past ten years, the three of them have committed countless robberies and major crimes on the shipping routes between the archipelago and the Central Continent."

Fearing Wu Huai’an wouldn’t believe him, he took out a Jade Scroll.

"This Jade Scroll contains his confession. He was careless and left behind a trace of his Magical Power when he committed those crimes. Steward Wu, you are free to go and verify each one."

Wu Huai’an quickly scanned the Jade Scroll. He had indeed heard of several of the cases listed, and they didn’t seem fabricated. There were a total of seven culprits back then, and the Magical Power auras of three of them had been recorded. Fan Ningyi was one of them.

"My master has already performed a Soul Search on him and extracted memories of him committing crimes with Iron Head and Yinjiao from his Divine Soul. The evidence is irrefutable!"

Xiang Yufei declared with absolute certainty.

Wu Huai’an knew there were many suspicious aspects to this. The memories obtained from a Soul Search were just Master Xuan Song’s side of the story. But with a Golden Core Master making the accusation, Iron Head and Yinjiao would be branded as Tribulation Cultivators whether they were or not.

"Steward Wu, are you still going to involve yourself in this matter?"

Xiang Yufei said to Wu Huai’an in a domineering tone.

Wu Huai’an took a deep breath. He had been able to climb to his current position in the Thousand Islands Alliance because he, too, had a Golden Core Master as a backer. But there were backers, and then there were *backers*. Xiang Yufei had three Golden Core Masters behind him. If it came to a direct confrontation, his own backer would certainly not step in for him.

"Fellow Daoists, my apologies!"

With that, he prepared to leave with his subordinates.

Seeing the situation turn sour, the Independent Cultivators who had followed Iron Head and Yinjiao to attack the island also began to jump ship. Some even wanted to hitch a ride back on Wu Huai’an’s Flying Boat.

These Independent Cultivators had weak cultivations. If they tried to fly back on their own Magical Power and encountered demons along the way, their chances of survival were slim.

Wu Huai’an was about to refuse.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, we were the ones who brought these cultivators here. Please see them all safely back."

Iron Head shouldered his Long Spear, his Magical Power flaring as he spoke to Wu Huai’an.

Wu Huai’an glanced at Iron Head and nodded.

’The power of these two martial brothers is unexpectedly strong, and their background is clearly not simple. If Dawn Island tries to bully them, they’ll likely find they’ve picked a fight with the wrong people. But my own standing is too low. If I get involved, the slightest ripple could get me smashed to pieces.’

Only after Wu Huai’an’s Flying Boat had departed did Xiang Yufei adopt the air of a victor, swaggering up to Iron Head and Yinjiao.

"You two are certainly good fighters, but what’s the use of that? When you’re out in the world, what matters is Power and background." His eyes were fixed on Yinjiao. All his life, he had loathed pretty boys like him.

"I have three Golden Core Masters behind me. Who do you have?"

Iron Head stared straight at him.

"My brother and I just wanted a place to call our own. Why must you push us so relentlessly?"

He held back the second half of his sentence.

’Now look what you’ve done. You’ve gotten your masters killed.’

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!