Chapter 335: Advancement

Qi Sha could clearly feel a terrifying thought rapidly taking root in his heart.

Perhaps it's because Young Sect Master Yaoguang’s physique is special. He has a void-type physique, so perhaps it strengthens the power of void-type Dao Techniques when he uses them. That is why the Dao Technique he manifested has such wondrous power... Qi Sha kept trying to persuade himself.

Yet even so, when he looked at the Wandering Dragon Sword under Yaoguang’s control, a certain emotion in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.

He even thought of gathering everyone from the Heavenly Ruin Hall to surround and kill him.

Yaoguang was a newly advanced Void-Piercing Realm cultivator. If he suddenly encountered an ambush by three Void-Piercing Realm demon kings and was caught off guard, then killed by them, no one would ever suspect anything.

Once this thought appeared, it grew rapidly and almost became uncontrollable.

Yet just as greed and desire were about to completely take over his mind, the humanity forged from countless experiences since he had first stepped onto the path of cultivation finally allowed him to restrain himself.

Who am I? How much talent do I have? What aptitude do I have? If I really wanted to become a bandit, if I really wanted to lower my head and follow the mainstream of the North Sea Star, how would I have ended up in my current state?

I would have long since become the disciple of some peak master, lineage leader, deputy sect master, supreme elder, or even the disciple of Sect Master Zong Wenxian himself.

Yet precisely because I have my own principles and beliefs, firmly believing that humanity’s martial force should not be wasted on internal strife, but should instead be used to exterminate daemons and resist foreign races, I have been unwilling to collude with anyone. That was why I missed the opportunity to become a young sect master and was assigned to the battle hall, where I remain buried until now.

If I abandoned everything I have upheld all these years just because of three Dao Artifacts, then what would that make me? Wouldn't that make me a fool of having waited this long?

As he thought that, the desire and greed in Qi Sha’s heart quickly calmed down, and he regained his composure.

After that mental struggle, his mind seemed to have undergone an unprecedented tempering. It became even clearer, and his understanding of the Dao of destruction also deepened.

Maintaining his calm, he remained at the edge of the battlefield to support Yaoguang and prevent the demons from escaping.

At the same time, he even summoned several Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals. "Seal off the surroundings. Do not let even a single one of these demons gets away."

However, one Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal tested the waters with a psychic thought transmission. "Hall Master, the power of the Dao Technique Yaoguang used seems a little unreasonable. Does he have—"

Before this Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal could finish speaking, Qi Sha interrupted him first. "Have you forgotten? Young Sect Master Yaoguang has a special physique, a void-type physique. This special physique doesn’t just help him comprehend void power more easily. It can also strengthen the power of void-type Dao Techniques."

"A special physique?" When this Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal heard that, he seemed to realize something. "No wonder the same Dao Technique is so astonishing in his hands and filled with Dao resonance. So it was because of his special physique."

As for whether he had truly understood the meaning behind Qi Sha's words, that was an entirely different matter.

"Mhmm." Qi Sha glanced at him.

Based on his understanding of these Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals, they should also understand what he meant by saying this.

Immediately, several Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals led the other cultivators and swiftly flew in all directions, forming an enormous encirclement that surrounded the demons on this battlefield from the outside. They strove to ensure that not a single demon escaped.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the great battle between Yaoguang and the other two demon kings had also reached the climax.

Although every demon king had painstakingly cultivated a life-bound Dao Technique, and the power they released was astonishing, Yaoguang possessed the Heaven-Sealing Stele, which could control one of them on its own. With the Wandering Dragon Sword and the Two-Realm Ruler on top of that, these demon kings were no match for him in a one-on-one fight.

After several exchanges, he had already seized an opportunity. Relying on Void’s Child, which allowed him to use Dao Techniques more quickly, he instantly closed in and killed one of the demon kings.

Once this demon king died, the last remaining demon king started panicking and tried to flee.

Yet Qi Sha did not even need to act. Yaoguang, relying on the Heaven-Sealing Stele, had already left it unable to advance or retreat.

This was not the outer sea. Once a demon king was targeted here, it did not even have a chance to call for help. It could only fight to the death.

As the Void Sword descended again and again, this demon king soon followed in the footsteps of the previous two demon kings.

Golden light tore through the air, and the Wandering Dragon Sword returned to Yaoguang’s hand.

With a wave of his hand, he stored away the corpses of the three demon kings.

After briefly recalling the previous clash, he said with some emotion, "Void-Piercing Realm demon kings... So that’s all they got."

Although they were only Void-Piercing Realm demon kings, and their equipment was slightly inferior to that of human Void-Piercing Realm cultivators, their profound attainments in life-bound Dao Techniques meant their combat strength was not inferior to any human Void-Piercing Realm cultivator.

However, this outcome was not unexpected.

Putting aside Void’s Child, Yaoguang had three Dao Artifacts on him alone. His realm comprehension had also reached the peak of the Void-Refining Realm. In addition, he had five Dao Techniques, and his own grotto-heaven had also evolved to its peak form.

With so many advantages, if he still could not win against three ordinary Void-Piercing Realm demon kings, then he would have considered himself to be a complete waste of resources.

After the three demon kings were slain, the demons on the manta-ray-like great demon’s body naturally scattered in all directions.

Yaoguang did not care about bullying the weak, either.

The Heaven-Sealing Stele pressed down, and the Wandering Dragon Sword swept back and forth among the demons. In the blink of an eye, it had already slaughtered the two hundred great demons carried on the back of this manta ray.

Throughout the entire process, whether they were seventh-tier, eighth-tier demons, or ninth-tier great demons, they had no room to resist at all.

The enormous gap between the Void-Piercing Realm and Golden Core Realm was displayed to the fullest in this battle.

Only after Yaoguang had wiped out this batch of demons by himself did Qi Sha, whose mind had already calmed down, lead the others forward. He gave a fist-and-palm salute and said loudly, "Young Sect Master, your ability is boundless! Your might shakes the deep sea, and the demons submit in fear!"

As soon as he spoke, the other cultivators of the Heavenly Ruin Hall also shouted loudly, "Hall Master, your ability is boundless! Your might shakes the deep sea, and the demons submit in fear!"

"You’re too kind." Yaoguang’s gaze swept across these people.

During this battle, he had fought one against three and slain three demon kings, fully displaying his strength. The many cultivators of the Heavenly Ruin Hall now looked at him with humility, reverence, and even worship.

Even the Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals were no exception.

However, Yaoguang focused his attention on Qi Sha, the acting hall master.

This time, he had revealed the three great Dao Artifacts, the Wandering Dragon Sword, the Two-Realm Ruler, and the Heaven-Sealing Stele, without holding back. That kind of equipment was difficult for even a Void-Refining cultivator to look at without losing control of the greed in their heart, let alone a Void-Piercing cultivator.

And considering he had been fighting against three demon kings, it would've been the perfect opportunity to stab him in the back.

Of course, he had not deliberately disguised himself either. He had appropriately displayed his formidable strength.

Otherwise, if a newly advanced Void-Piercing cultivator exposed three Dao Artifacts, how would that be any different from maliciously baiting others? Which cultivator could withstand such a test?

In the end, the result surprised him.

Qi Sha’s emotions had been somewhat off at first, but he had quickly recovered. Afterward, he had not overstepped in the slightest throughout the entire battle, and had remained fully focused at the edge of the battlefield, keeping watch.

He met Qi Sha’s gaze. He could see Qi Sha’s envy and desire for the Dao Artifacts on him, but overall, his gaze was open and aboveboard.

He wanted these things, but he would rely on his own ability to obtain them openly and honestly.

For such character to exist on the North Sea Star...

No wonder he performed so outstandingly back when he was a true disciple, yet never attached himself to any backer. Afterward, even when he reached the Void-Piercing Realm and used the Great Dao of destruction as his Dao Seed, he still didn’t manage to secure any lucrative position. Instead, he ended up as an acting hall master in the Heavenly Ruin Hall. Yaoguang thought.

Yet this sort of person, one with principles and persistence, was the one truly worthy of trust. As for the others, including people like Chi Yu from the Chi family and Ling Ruogu from the Ling family, they could only be considered to have some mutual interests with him. They were far from worthy of true trust.

"It looks like our high-profile actions have already drawn the demons’ attention. Still, I think mobilizing three demon kings should be close to the limit of the force they can muster in this sea region. If they gathered any more, they would easily draw the attention of the Penglai Dao Lord," Yaoguang said.

"That may be true, but for safety’s sake, we still shouldn’t get too close to the outer sea. We should keep operating in the area closer to the inner sea," Qi Sha said.

"Mhmm. Let’s destroy that demon lair first." As Yaoguang spoke, he seemed to think of something. "But... several hundred great demons. Apart from that demon lair, there probably isn’t anywhere else with that many great demons hidden. We might end up making this trip for nothing."

Qi Sha nodded.

But since they had already come this far, they still had to go and take a look. The group set off once more toward the demon lair.

After the warship restarted and he had a little free time, Yaoguang finally had the chance to focus on the ancient tree in his mental world.

With the energy obtained through the Daemon Hunter branch, pushing the Immortal Dao branch to the Void-Shattering Realm was more than enough.

There's no time to lose... Yaoguang’s psychic mind stirred.

The next moment, the energy on the Daemon Hunter branch began pouring into the Immortal Dao branch. 92%, 94%, 96%, 98%...

Amid countless insights and experiences concerning the Void-Refining Realm, this branch soon grew to its limit and bloomed before bearing fruit.

After producing a Dao Fruit, this branch still did not stop growing. Only after the progress was pushed forward by another 4% or so did it gradually slow down.

This rate of progress...

Yaoguang made a slight calculation and quickly reached a conclusion.

Killing one demon king can only push my progress by around 1%?! Based on the progress from killing great demons earlier, during the Void-Refining Realm, killing one demon king pushed my progress by as much as 10%. In other words, from the Void-Refining Realm to the Void-Shattering Realm, hunting ten demon kings would have been enough...

After thinking for a moment, he gathered his thoughts.

One hundred demon kings was no small number. Perhaps only the outer sea would have any hope of gathering that many.

However, in the outer sea, there were bound to be demon emperors and demon sovereigns behind those demon kings. Once the situation turned bad, they would immediately dig in and call for reinforcements. Killing them then would become much more difficult.

But that made sense. Above the Void-Shattering Realm was the Dao Lord Realm. It was only reasonable for this stage to be slower.

After calming himself, Yaoguang carefully digested the information obtained thanks to the new breakthrough, making the final preparations needed to choose his Dao Seed.