Chapter 308: Slaying Demons

Ripples spread through the void as a flying vessel suddenly emerged from within space.

It was none other than the Longxiang Flying Vessel, aboard which Yaoguang traveled.

Having completed another void traversal, he wore a relaxed smile.

"Not bad at all. I already have Void's Child, so my sensitivity toward space isn’t much worse than that of Void-Piercing Realm cultivators. Now that I’ve formed an Azure Golden Core, thanks to the mass of this supergiant star, the difficulty of generating spatial ripples has decreased significantly. Operating the Longxiang Flying Vessel now, I'm nearly as efficient as Perfected Lord Li Hanqiu is with the Void Disk." As he spoke, he reviewed the various factions scattered across the surrounding regions.

Soon, his attention settled upon a sect tens of millions of kilometers away—the Penglai Immortal Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects.

It stood within the Deep-Blue Sea that extended beyond the Chaotic Sea, and it was the true overlord of the boundless oceanic domain.

The Penglai Immortal Sect was a newly established sect that had existed for less than a century.

Speaking of the Penglai Immortal Sect, one inevitably had to mention another of the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion.

Over a thousand years ago, during a true disciple assembly within the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion, an astonishingly talented true disciple had risen above all others. Yet, despite her brilliance, she did not receive the treatment befitting a true disciple as exceptional as she was. Instead, she suffered constant oppression.

One Void-Piercing Realm elder had even coveted her extraordinary talent and attempted to refine her into a cultivation furnace.

In fury, that true disciple defected from the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion.

Naturally, a fleeing true disciple faced relentless pursuit from the sect. But during the chase, rumors claimed she obtained the inheritance of a supreme powerhouse.

With that inheritance, she rapidly rose to prominence, growing stronger with every battle.

She reached the Void-Piercing Realm, the Void-Refining Realm, and eventually advanced to the Void-Shattering Realm. Along the way, countless experts from the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion became corpses beneath her feet, paving the road and bringing her fame.

Then, four hundred years ago, that former true disciple ascended in a single leap to become a Dao Lord, standing at the peak of the North Sea Star.

A century ago, she directly descended upon the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion, triggering a world-shaking battle that stunned the entire North Sea Star.

No one knew the outcome of that battle. But after it ended, the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion sealed itself away.

As for that former true disciple, she journeyed into the depths of the Deep-Blue Sea, killing the demon race inhabiting the region. From the wilderness, she forcibly seized territory and established the Penglai Immortal Sect.

Because she had risen to fame by trampling upon the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion, she attracted innumerable admirers and followers. In only a hundred years, the Penglai Immortal Sect had already grown into a colossal force with overwhelming momentum.

The world no longer dared address her by name and instead respectfully referred to her as the Penglai Dao Lord.

As a top-tier force founded barely a century ago, the Penglai Immortal Sect was considered the only one among the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects that possessed even a shred of credibility.

After all, they still sought to expand and could not afford to act in an overly tyrannical manner.

Furthermore, the personal decree from the Penglai Dao Lord ensured that the Biyou Immortal Market, which was established by the Penglai Immortal Sect specifically for external trade, operated smoothly. No fighting, nor any other kind of trouble, was permitted within its boundaries.

This level of safety was nearly impossible to find elsewhere, and it attracted countless factions and merchant associations to settle within the Biyou Immortal Market. Many cultivators who roamed the seas also treated it as their primary trading hub.

Because of this, the Biyou Immortal Market handled annual transactions worth tens of millions of Pure Yang Grand Pills.

The taxes the Penglai Immortal Sect collected from the market alone earned them staggering profits every year.

When I had been planning to sell the supreme divine ability to gather funds for the Nine Heavens Sect, I had already considered the Biyou Immortal Market. Unfortunately, the journey from the Nine Heavens Sect was simply too far. Even with the Void Disk, a round trip would have taken nearly a year. At the time, the Nine Heavens Sect was too weak. If Li Hanqiu and I both left for that long, the sect would have lost any ability to withstand risks. That’s why we settled for the East Sea Immortal Market instead. Yaoguang thought.

Now, however, he possessed goods worth over two million Pure Yang Grand Pills. Going back to a place like the East Sea Immortal Market would be the same as asking for trouble.

The Biyou Immortal Market, managed by a recently established power that still cared somewhat about maintaining its reputation, was undoubtedly the best option.

With that thought, Yaoguang activated the Longxiang Flying Vessel and quickly headed toward the Biyou Immortal Market.

Compared to the Void Disk, the greatest advantage of the Longxiang Flying Vessel was comfort. And that comfort applied not only to its passengers, but also to its pilot.

The Longxiang Flying Vessel is easy to operate. I can even cultivate while traveling.

Seated within the control chamber, Yaoguang only needed to use Void's Child to locate spatial ripples. That left him with ample time for other matters.

It’s just that with such a long journey, I probably won’t make it back in time for the Heavenly Dao Sect’s true disciple assessment two years from now.

Yet any regret stemming from that realization was immediately tossed aside.

You’ve got to be kidding. Once I sell everything and obtain two million Pure Yang Grand Pills, I’ll immediately enter seclusion right there, within the Biyou Immortal Market, and break through to the Void-Piercing Realm. Once I reach the Void-Piercing Realm, every major force will treat me as an honored guest. Even the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects will welcome me if I wish to join. Plenty of factions will send invitations my way. Why should I care about gaining the status of a mere true disciple?

With that thought, he completely cast the Heavenly Dao Sect’s true disciple assessment out of his mind.

Being a disciple could never compare to the freedom and comfort of being an elder.

***

The Longxiang Flying Vessel continued traversing through space.

With this flying Dao Artifact in his possession, Yaoguang’s speed was anything but slow. Even compared to ordinary Void-Piercing Realm cultivators, he was not much slower.

Naturally, given the situation, he had no idea that behind him, four Void-Piercing Realm cultivators and one Azure Golden Core cultivator were desperately chasing after him.

They were none other than Tu Shan, Hou Feng, Tong Ming, and Mo Shan, as well as Heavenly Venerable Jiang and his group.

If there had only been four Void-Piercing Realm cultivators, it would have been manageable. Even with Yaoguang’s head start, they still might have caught up if they had traveled at full speed.

The problem was Heavenly Venerable Jiang. As an Azure Golden Core cultivator, he severely dragged down the group’s speed, forcing the four Void-Piercing Realm experts to accommodate him.

Because of that, not only did they fail to shorten the distance between themselves and Yaoguang, but they were left further and further behind.

Yaoguang naturally could not be bothered paying attention to any of that.

Relying on the Longxiang Flying Vessel, he gradually approached the territory of the Deep-Blue Sea.

Although the Deep-Blue Sea was not as chaotic as the Chaotic Sea, it was still extremely dangerous.

After all, this sea region had originally belonged to the demon race. The Penglai Dao Lord had wrested the territory from the demons and established the Penglai Immortal Sect.

As a Dao Lord, the only beings worthy of her personal intervention were generally demon kings or higher existences, namely demon race experts at the Void-Piercing Realm.

As for the remaining great demons, she could not be bothered hunting them down one by one, and instead left the task to the disciples and elders of the Penglai Immortal Sect.

Countless demons and fiends still lurked within the deep sea.

A hundred years was clearly insufficient for the Penglai Immortal Sect to completely eradicate them all. Because of this, cultivators traversing the Deep-Blue Sea were still attacked from time to time.

Just like now...

As Yaoguang’s Longxiang Flying Vessel completed another traversal, the intense fluctuations of a battle entered his perception range.

Extending his psychic thought to investigate, he discovered a squad composed of four Blazing White Golden Core cultivators and five Radiant Sun Golden Core cultivators battling a ninth-tier great demon.

This ninth-tier great demon was far fiercer than the one Yaoguang had faced during his inner sect disciple assessment years ago. Had these Golden Core cultivators not possessed several powerful spirit treasures, they would already have become food for the beast.

Originally, Yaoguang had no intention of meddling while passing through the area. But upon seeing the great demon, a certain thought he once had suddenly resurfaced.

To verify his speculation, he immediately stored away the Longxiang Flying Vessel and rose into the air upon his sword, transforming into a streak of golden light that charged straight toward the great demon.

Sensing the energy fluctuations emanating from Yaoguang, the woman leading the four Blazing White Golden Core cultivators could not help but exclaim joyfully, "I, Ye Hongwu, a true disciple from the Penglai Immortal Sect, thank you for your assistance."

Her words could be interpreted both as gratitude and as a declaration of identity intended to intimidate those harboring ill intent. After all, they were already quite close to the Penglai Immortal Sect territory.

"A true disciple?" Yaoguang glanced at Ye Hongyu.

He had not misjudged her. She was indeed a Blazing White Golden Core cultivator.

Considering that Heavenly Dao Sect also had Blazing White Golden Core cultivators who had overturned the odds and become true disciples despite Azure Golden Core opponents, he said nothing further.

But he felt that her combat power, which was barely around 400,000, was somewhat lacking.

"Please stand aside for a moment, everyone, and allow me to slay this great demon!" His psychic thought transmitted outward as the Wandering Dragon Sword in his hand stirred spatial ripples. A Space-Splitting Strike condensed instantly.

Yaoguang resembled a missile streaking across the sky toward a fighter jet, crashing into the ninth-tier great demon with unimaginable speed.

Even though the great demon had pushed its true demon body to the limit, it was still blasted apart under the attack, blood spraying everywhere.

A shrill scream erupted from the great demon’s mouth.

The great demon, a monster that had nearly wiped out the nine-member squad of the Penglai Immortal Sect, was directly torn apart mid-air by the might of the Space-Splitting Strike. Even its demonic core was ripped out on the spot.

The sight immediately filled the nine Golden Core cultivators of the Penglai Immortal Sect with shock.

"A ninth-tier great demon killed in a single strike?! That must have been a supreme divine ability!"

"And one at the mastery stage, perhaps even the perfection stage! Which immortal sect’s true disciple is this?!"

"I always heard that our sect’s foundations were somewhat inferior to those of the other top immortal sects, but I never believed it. I thought that even among true disciples, the differences couldn’t be too great. But after seeing this today... I can’t deny the gap anymore..."

The nine cultivators stared at Yaoguang, who had casually slain the great demon, their expressions filled with complicated emotions.

Yet, after killing the level 9 great demon, Yaoguang did not immediately inspect the spoils. Instead, he devoted part of his mind to sensing the ancient tree flourishing within his mental world.

More specifically, he looked at the Daemon Hunter branch upon that ancient tree.

Back during the Heavenly Dao Sect's assessment, when he first encountered a great demon, he had already begun wondering what exactly defined the Daemon Hunter profession.

Fiendish Dao cultivators? Lunar Fiends and members of the Heavenly Fiend Race?

But as their cultivation realms rose, those cultivators could also transform into human form and regard themselves as human. At that point, how would the Daemon Hunter profession judge them?

After much contemplation, he had gradually formed a suspicion. Those not of my race are all daemons. And if they are daemons, then they can all be hunted.

This ninth-tier great demon, which happened to have the same cultivation as him, was the perfect test subject.

And when he saw the long-dormant Daemon Hunter branch begin glowing once more after the death of the great demon, his suspicion was immediately confirmed.

Good! Yaoguang inwardly cried out in excitement.

The Merchant branch emphasized manpower costs. But the Daemon Hunter branch did not. As long as one hunted, there would always be rewards.