Chapter 332: Expedition

When Yaoguang left, Shu Chunqiu personally escorted him to the entrance. Only after Yaoguang’s travel light departed did he swiftly return to the hall.

"Truly exceptional talent! Not only did he reach the Void-Piercing Realm at such a young age, but he actually has such astonishing attainments in artifact refinement as well?!" A trace of shock filled Shu Chunqiu’s eyes, along with unconcealed delight.

Although whether Yaoguang could refine Dao Artifacts was still unknown, the fact that he had the boldness to spend eight hundred million Pure Yang Grand Pills to purchase Dao Artifact materials was enough to show just how confident he was in succeeding.

Even if he failed to refine one now, once he became familiar with it over a few decades, practiced for a few decades, or reached the Void-Refining Realm, he would certainly be able to refine a true Dao Artifact.

"I must inform the lineage leader of this news!" As Shu Chunqiu spoke, he took out a communication jade talisman.

But immediately afterward, he seemed to think of something. It seems like things between the lineage leader and Young Sect Master Yaoguang are not as harmonious as they appear on the surface.

For a moment, the motion of his hand stopped.

In the Heavenly Dao Sect, the lineage leaders and the sect master kept each other in check, but the elders beneath them were not necessarily wholly devoted to them either.

Who wouldn't want to become the one in charge, becoming a lineage leader who held great power?

Besides, if Yaoguang was really able to refine a Dao Artifact... As long as the news had not spread, the Shu family could be the first to take the initiative to ask him to refine a Dao Artifact; and if so, wouldn't they almost surely manage to obtain a discount?

A discount on a Dao Artifact would be worth tens of millions no matter how one looked at it. With this selfish thought, the elder put away the communication jade talisman.

If Young Sect Master Yaoguang can really refine Dao Artifacts, and if he can become a Void-Refining Realm cultivator in the next hundred years, or even the next few hundred years... As Shu Chunqiu thought of this, he could not help taking a deep breath.

​He did not even dare to imagine the implications.

***

Elsewhere, after leaving behind a portion of Pure Yang Grand Pills and Void Dao Pills to pay the rewards required for the purchase missions, Yaoguang went straight to the Heavenly Ruin Hall.

He summoned the acting hall master, Qi Sha.

Seeing Yaoguang summon him after not appearing for three years, Qi Sha frowned, but still gave a fist-and-palm salute and asked, "Hall Master, what are your orders?"

Yaoguang seemed not to hear the distance in his tone and directly asked, "Hall Master Qi, how much do you know about the daemons around the Deep-Blue Sea?"

"I know all the daemon forces and divine race forces bordering the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects like the back of my hand," Qi Sha said in a deep voice.

"Good!" Yaoguang waved his hand. "Prepare your troops and follow me. We are going on an expedition to the Deep-Blue Sea!"

Hearing this, Qi Sha frowned and said, "Hall Master, are you... planning to deal with a certain force in the Deep-Blue Sea? The Deep-Blue Sea is the Penglai Immortal Sect’s territory..."

"I misspoke." Yaoguang smiled faintly. "I am asking you to lead the members of the Heavenly Ruin Hall with me into the Deep-Blue Sea to slay daemons and further expand the territory of our human race!"

"Slay daemons?" Qi Sha was stunned and almost thought he had misheard.

"Slay daemons." Yaoguang nodded. "Although the Deep-Blue Sea does not belong to the Heavenly Dao Sect, the surrounding areas of the Heavenly Dao Sect are basically all occupied by forces of the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects and Four Great Immortal Dynasties. If we want to expand further, or profit from daemons, we can only go to the starry sky battlefield beyond the North Sea Star. But for someone like me, who has a little fame, the starry sky battlefield is not a good place to go. That is why I chose to make my move in the Deep-Blue Sea."

He glanced at Qi Sha and the other cultivators of Heavenly Ruin Hall. "The Heavenly Ruin Hall has persisted in not becoming a sword in the hands of any faction and has always refused to deal with any forces other than daemons and foreign races. Your situation over the years has not been very good. So, let me take all of you to the Deep-Blue Sea for a hunt. Compared to other places, the daemons slain in the Deep-Blue Sea can be exchanged for contributions from the Penglai Immortal Sect. I don't need the rewards exchanged with those contribution points, but when it comes to searching for and hunting daemons, you must put in effort."

Qi Sha looked at Yaoguang and almost thought he was joking.

After a long while, this Void-Piercing Realm hall master finally said, "Young Sect Master Yaoguang, are you really planning to take us to the Deep-Blue Sea?"

"That's right." Yaoguang nodded. "I will negotiate with Penglai Immortal Sect."

Hearing Yaoguang’s affirmative answer, this Void-Piercing Realm cultivator took a deep breath and said heavily, "Good! If it is only hunting daemons, the Heavenly Ruin Hall will absolutely not disappoint you, Hall Master!"

"Go and prepare. We depart in three days and head straight for the Deep-Blue Sea!" Yaoguang said.

"There is no need for three days. We can depart this afternoon." Qi Sha gave a solemn promise.

It had been far too long since the Heavenly Ruin Hall had any income aside from the battle hall stipend.

Although Qi Sha said they could depart that afternoon, Yaoguang still gave them three days so the Heavenly Ruin Hall could make preparations. That also allowed members of the battle hall to say farewell to their relatives and friends, if they wanted to.

Once the three days were up, Yaoguang led the Heavenly Ruin Hall aboard a warship and headed straight for the Deep-Blue Sea.

As the most famous young sect master in the current Heavenly Dao Sect, Yaoguang naturally attracted quite a bit of attention when he traveled. In particular, he had persuaded the famously unruly Heavenly Ruin Hall to act with him, which naturally made some people curious enough to ask questions.

Yaoguang’s explanation was that they were conducting coordination training. But it was foreseeable that there would be many observers in the shadows.

Yaoguang paid them no attention and led the Heavenly Ruin Hall onward at full speed.

It took them half a year before they finally arrived at the Deep-Blue Sea.

Before that, he had naturally contacted Lu Li, who was stationed in the Biyou Immortal Market and the eastern region of the Deep-Blue Sea, through Ye Hongyu.

As for Yaoguang leading the Heavenly Ruin Hall over to help exterminate daemons, Lu Li and the Penglai Immortal Sect naturally welcomed it.

As long as the people of the Heavenly Ruin Hall did not disturb the normal order of the Deep-Blue Sea, that was fine.

After all, due to the bounties offered by the Penglai Immortal Sect’s Demon-Slaying Hall, there were many people like them.

For example, the Sea Guardian King of the Great Shang Immortal Dynasty frequently led armies to the Deep-Blue Sea to kill demons. Over the past century, he had accumulated a full 6,400,000,000 contribution points and directly exchanged them for a Dao Artifact from the Penglai Immortal Sect.

Of course, because he had slain too many demons, he had alarmed a demon emperor, who placed a mark on him. Once he stepped into the edge of the Deep-Blue Sea, that demon emperor would personally act to hunt him down, which had made him afraid to casually go out to sea in recent times.

***

On the warship of the Heavenly Ruin Hall, Qi Sha unfurled a map of the Deep-Blue Sea.

"Hall Master, please look. According to the information on the Deep-Blue Sea that we have gathered over the years, the entire Deep-Blue Sea can be divided into three layers: the inner sea, the deep sea, and the outer sea. The inner sea is the region centered around the Penglai Immortal Sect. Institutions such as the Biyou Immortal Market are located in this area. It is basically a safe zone. Even if one were to roam there for a year or two, encountering one or two ninth-tier great demons would already count as good luck. The deep sea is this circle here... There are many great demons, and demon kings even pass through from time to time..."

This hall master of the Heavenly Ruin battle hall continued his introduction. "The most dangerous region is the outer sea..."

"We will act in the deep sea." Yaoguang pointed at the map.

Although the inner sea was safe, it would take far too much time to hunt enough eighth- and ninth-tier great demons to gather 8% progress.

Although demon kings passed through the deep sea from time to time, he was not acting alone. With the Heavenly Ruin Hall by his side, forget demon kings... Even if they were to encounter a demon emperor, they might be able to put up a fight.

As for demon sovereigns... Once such an existence appeared, he would have Lu Li help send word to the Penglai Dao Lord. That Dao Lord would certainly arrive in person and kill the demon sovereign.

There were even many people who, after encountering demon emperors in the deep sea, sought aid from the Penglai Dao Lord. There was always a chance that the Dao Lord would take action, so there was ample assurance of safety.

"Understood." Qi Sha nodded.

He also favored the deep sea. In the inner sea, there were not even many ninth-tier great demons. What difference was there between hunting there and going on vacation? The deep sea area was just right.

If not for the concern that the young sect master might be targeted by demon emperors or demon sovereigns, he would have even wanted to face the fierce winds and surging waves of the outer sea.

Soon, the warship of the Heavenly Ruin battle hall arrived in the deep sea.

Yaoguang glanced at the eager members of the battle hall and did not hold them back. He directly waved his hand. "Now, it is time for the Heavenly Ruin Hall to display your true skills. All of you consider yourselves experts in demon hunting. Go. Find those hidden ninth-tier great demons and even demon kings. They will all become our prey."

"We will not disappoint you, Young Sect Master!" Qi Sha gave a heavy promise.

Immediately afterward, he turned his head, his gaze sweeping over all the battle immortals of the Heavenly Ruin Hall present. "Everyone, did you hear what the young sect master said? Stop complaining that our battle hall has never had a chance to show off. Now, let me see whether you really have enough ability to make the surrounding daemons tremble at the mere sound of your name!"

"Yes!" the members of the battle hall answered one after another.

Without needing too many orders, they quickly formed squads, like worker bees flying out from a hive, and swiftly rushed in all directions.

In less than an hour, messages had already begun to transmit back from the squads that had scattered outward.

"Great demon aura discovered. Judging by the surrounding traces, it is suspected to be a hidden eighth-tier scaled-fish great demon! Requesting cultivators who practice the Heavenly Origin Divine Fire Art to take action!"

"Tracked traces of a group of six to eight great demons. The strongest great demon is suspected to be at the ninth tier. Coordinates have been uploaded. Requesting Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals to strike."

"Based on the surrounding traces, there is a demon race lair at southern coordinates 7116:8715:9104. Requesting further instructions."

A large amount of information converged toward the Heavenly Ruin Hall's warship.

As these cultivators sent messages based on the information they gathered, a daemon map spanning ten thousand kilometers around the warship as its center was quickly compiled.

Almost every batch of daemons was marked in full, including their tier, number, race, and weaknesses.

Yaoguang looked at the data. In terms of searching for daemons, the Heavenly Ruin Hall was far more efficient than he'd be on his own.

"Very good." He could not help praising them. "This is what you call professionalism."

"You flatter us, Hall Master. This is basic procedure," Qi Sha said, standing up. "The other demons are one thing. The squads of the Heavenly Ruin Hall can handle them. Even for some ninth-tier great demons, if a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal steps in, we can ensure everything proceeds safely. But for that demon lair in the south, for safety’s sake, I should personally take action—"

"No!" Yaoguang interrupted him. "The squads can handle seventh- and eighth-tier great demons freely, but ninth-tier great demons and demon groups will be dealt with by me."

"Hall Master—"

Qi Sha was about to say something, but Yaoguang continued, "Since I am the hall master of the Heavenly Ruin Hall, when it comes to hunting daemons and killing divine races, of course I have to take the lead. Otherwise, how can I win the crowd’s respect, and how can I establish myself as the hall master? Therefore, the members of the battle hall only need to search for daemons and provide coordinates. As for killing daemons..."

Void fluctuations started spreading from the Two-Realm Ruler. "All of you, move away. Leave them all to me!"