Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship
Chapter 146: The Stirring of the Keys, the Ghostly Flood Dragon Sets Sail
The Dongning Sea Region.
The sun was rising, its morning glow filling the sky.
On the distant horizon, a sliver of golden light appeared, like the belly of a fish.
"Such a beautiful sight. Even after hundreds of years, I’d never tire of it..."
A handsome young Daoist clad in a Five-Colored Feather Robe stood at the ship’s bow, his eyes filled with intoxicated delight.
At the same time, the boundless morning glow condensed into wisps of five-colored energy, flowing into the space between his eyebrows.
Within it, the faint phantom of a divine seed appeared.
Zhaoxia, a Crystal Core cultivator of the Cyan Profound Sect!
One of the few great cultivators in this sea region!
"Master, that is the long and short of it..."
Xiao Sheng stood behind Zhaoxia, speaking with the utmost respect as he explained the situation.
At the same time, he presented the Sea Map Jade Scroll.
HUM.
Five-colored Magical Power took hold of the jade scroll.
"Not bad... Donglong’s Luo Clan is quite thoughtful..."
Zhaoxia swept his Divine Sense over it and praised them lightly.
"As for Li Hengyan..."
"Heh... As a direct disciple of the sect, he was actually defeated by someone at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment who was weaker than him. He really brings honor to our sect..."
"Useless trash who has nothing but his bloodline. Ridiculous!"
"I despise scum like him who run rampant and ruin our sect’s reputation... Order him into seclusion to reflect on his actions. He is not to take a single step out of his room!"
Zhaoxia said coldly, not holding back in the slightest.
After all, as a direct disciple from Qinghe’s line, Li Hengyan’s presence on this trip carried the implicit duty of an overseer.
Of course, as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had no power to restrain Zhaoxia’s actions.
However, he could record them and report them for public judgment after their return.
It was like in the age of sail, where a captain’s power and commands were absolute.
But the first mate, second mate, and others still had the right to keep a log.
Zhaoxia was also aware of this.
So naturally, he took advantage of the situation, using it as a pretext to order him to ’reflect on his misdeeds’!
Having decided Li Hengyan’s punishment and removed a troublesome thorn in his side, Zhaoxia felt his mood lighten considerably.
’Next up is the White Whale...’
the handsome Daoist in the Five-Colored Feather Robe muttered to himself.
Both the White Whale’s Demon King’s Inner Core and its Whale Brain Oil were of great importance to the Cyan Profound Sect.
The former...
...by refining the Demon King’s Inner Core, could create a Fake Core Master!
And the latter...
...could be refined into the Heart Guarding and Calming Candle, a supreme treasure against the Heart Demon Tribulation!
’Most importantly, I absolutely cannot let these things fall into the hands of that old fiend, Canghai!’
Zhaoxia’s eyes narrowed, a grave look on his face.
Although the sect’s calculations predicted that Canghai’s chances of overcoming the Golden Core Tribulation were not high...
...who could say for sure with something like this?
If Canghai took that final step and broke through to the Golden Core Realm...
...the consequences for the Cyan Profound Sect would be disastrous!
Over three hundred years of hard work since the start of the pioneering war would all have been for someone else’s benefit!
’Fortunately, Sikong Xin has already used up his Quasi-Technique...’
A flicker of relief appeared in Zhaoxia’s eyes.
In his view, since he still had his own Quasi-Technique, defeating Sikong Xin would not be difficult.
As for hunting the White Whale, that would be even easier!
After all, what threat could a heavily wounded, exhausted Third-Order Demon King possibly pose?
’Could it be that its wounds can heal themselves? Or... could a second Third-Order Demon King appear in these waters?’
Zhaoxia chuckled in disbelief, instinctively dismissing the idea as he continued to absorb the morning glow.
...
Meanwhile.
In the Chaotic Reef District, on an indigenous island.
A wooden boat carrying two figures floated on the sea’s surface.
Beside the boat, the hundred-zhang-long White Whale Moby Dick, as white as alabaster, floated listlessly in the water.
A charred, blackened wound over ten meters long, deep enough to expose bone and flickering with violet-blue lightning, stretched across its body!
It was from Sikong Xin’s Quasi-Technique, [Celestial Vault Thunder Shadow].
The wound left by the Divine Technique remained to this day, clinging to it like a cancer, impossible to remove!
"Bai..."
An Sha, the little indigenous girl with colorful flowers in her hair, had tears in her eyes.
She reached out, wanting to stroke the White Whale Moby Dick’s charred wound.
The White Whale’s mother had been killed by a Demon Hunting Ship. It was covered in wounds and had been stranded on a beach when it was found by An Sha, a beast-tamer who could communicate telepathically.
The bond between them was incredibly deep and profound.
"Careful! Don’t touch it!"
"That lightning is infused with the power of ’law’! A single spark is enough to kill you easily!"
Beside her, Priestess Marina, her expression grave, grabbed An Sha’s hand.
"Priestess Marina... please help Bai..." An Sha looked at Marina, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I’ll do my best..." Marina nodded grimly.
After all, she was only a ’Second Tier’ priestess.
Treating a wound from a Divine Technique was completely beyond her capabilities.
However, White Whale Moby Dick itself was a Sea Successor Mutant Species with vigorous life force and extremely strong self-healing abilities!
Moreover, Marina had a few pieces of ’Sea Successor Remains’ in her possession.
This made it possible to at least maintain its current condition and prevent it from worsening!
"This will hurt a little..."
Marina’s expression was serious as she took out a piece of activated Sea Successor Remains and pressed it onto the wound.
An ethereal blue luster spread out like ripples on water!
As the ethereal blue light spread, the white whale’s body trembled. Its wound sizzled as if it had been doused in a corrosive liquid.
Large chunks of charred, carbonized flesh broke off and fell into the sea!
"Bai?!" An Sha cried out nervously.
"I’m fine. It feels good..." Moby Dick’s Divine Sense transmission echoed in her mind.
And as the charred flesh fell away, new flesh began to slowly grow and squirm in its place...
After several days of treatment,
the white whale’s wound was still horrifying to behold.
But a thin membrane of blood had grown over the inner layer, covering its bones and organs.
White Whale Moby Dick’s combat strength had recovered somewhat.
And at that moment,
From the distant indigenous island, an invisible ripple of energy spread out!
"This... Has His Highness’s Bloodline True Form made a breakthrough?" Marina said in pleasant surprise.
The white whale’s injuries were difficult to heal on its own, but it had someone to treat them.
And it was true that there was no second Third-Order Demon King in this sea region...
But there was Navasen!
...
「Half a month later.」
Night fell on Donglong Island.
Su Ye opened his eyes, his gaze profound.
Just a moment ago, he had sensed the locations of the ’Key of Heaven’ and the ’Key of the Sea’ moving rapidly toward the outskirts of the Chaotic Reef District!
’Is this... Are the natives preparing to make their move?’
Meanwhile, the mark he had placed on Li Hengyan was also approaching the Chaotic Reef District!
’I should get ready, too...’
Su Ye stood up and headed for a hidden harbor.
The Ghostly Flood Dragon was moored there.
It was already prepared to set sail!
Thirty cursed crewmen were gathered aboard the Ghostly Flood Dragon.
Because their ’transformation’ was incomplete,
the cursed crewmen were not recognized as official crew by the system panel and thus couldn’t provide a cultivation speed boost.
However, they had no problem handling the sails and oars.
More importantly, Su Ye didn’t have to worry about them leaking any secrets!
Su Ye stepped onto the deck and gripped the helm!
He gazed into the distance, at the pitch-black ocean shrouded in night, a fire burning in his eyes!
"Ghostly Flood Dragon, set sail!"
...
...