Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Conflict Between the Luo and Qi Families, Anomaly in the Sea

"A rare Lanhai Giant Eel!"

"A single one can sell for at least two thousand Spirit Stones!"

"We were about to have it, but then a Demon Hunting Ship from the Qi Family showed up and just snatched it away!"

"The Qi Family members even attacked us..."

The Demon Hunting Ship’s crew was full of resentment and rage, desperate to vent their frustrations.

It didn’t take Su Ye long to learn the gist of what had happened from them.

In the former sea region of the Shu Family, a Luo Family Demon Hunting Ship had been lucky enough to discover a rare Lanhai Giant Eel!

After a long pursuit, they had finally exhausted the giant eel’s stamina. Just when they thought their prize was within reach...

...a Demon Hunting Ship from the Qi Family suddenly appeared and stole it!

A conflict erupted between the two sides.

And it was obvious...

The Luo Family had lost the fight. Not only was the Lanhai Giant Eel gone, but they had also been humiliated, and several crew members were seriously injured.

"We drove the wolf from the front door, only for a tiger to enter from the back!"

"The Qi Family..." Su Ye grimaced.

’No wonder they were so determined to take White Iron Island. Have they decided to expand in the Luo Family’s direction?’

’Damn it, we just defeated the Shu Family. How long has it been peaceful...?’

He had a feeling this was no isolated incident, but a provocation and a test from the Qi Family!

Over the past year, while the Luo Family had been recuperating, the Qi Family hadn’t been idle either!

’I just want to live a quiet life, why do they have to force my hand...?’

Alright, that was a lie.

If Su Ye had a Tier Two spirit ship and had reached Foundation Establishment, he would have definitely taken the initiative to attack and crush a soft target like the Qi Family!

Su Ye had always harbored a genuine love for the activity of bullying pushovers.

But the problem was...

’Right now, to the Qi Family, the Luo Family is the soft target...’

Su Ye’s expression grew solemn, a sense of urgency surging within him.

...

Sure enough.

Just as Su Ye had predicted.

Over the next few months, Demon Hunting Ships from the Qi Family frequently crossed the border into the Luo Family Sea Region.

The Demon Hunting Ships of both sides often clashed over prey!

When faced with a valuable catch, neither side was willing to back down.

Naturally, the conflicts escalated, and bloodshed occurred.

Two Luo Family cultivators and several Loose Cultivators were unexpectedly killed in the clashes!

The Luo Family was furious about this.

In one conflict, they used high-grade talismans they had prepared in advance to kill several Qi Family cultivators!

But this only drew more Qi Family Demon Hunting Ships into the Luo Family’s waters...

Left with no choice, the Luo Family had to dispatch warships to escort their Demon Hunting Ships.

Su Ye’s Golden Sword Orchid, being the Luo Family’s best-performing high-grade spirit ship, was naturally among them!

...

Donglong Island Harbor.

The Flying Serpent and the Golden Sword Orchid were moored quietly in the harbor.

Shipwrights carrying repair tools were conducting a final pre-departure inspection of the two high-grade spirit ships’ sails, ropes, and other components.

This time, as the Flying Serpent set out to hunt sea beasts, the Golden Sword Orchid would accompany it as an escort!

"Mr. Su!"

On the docks, Luo Qingjun cupped his hands in greeting toward Su Ye, a look of delight on his face.

"With you accompanying us, Mr. Su, I imagine this voyage will be worry-free."

After the War between the Luo and Shu Families, especially the hard-fought victory against Shu Fenglin to seize Copper Drum Bay, Su Ye’s reputation as a combat genius with ’extraordinary talent for battle’ and an ’outstanding disposition’ was now deeply ingrained in people’s minds and widely known.

And Luo Qingjun, due to his personal experiences fighting alongside Su Ye multiple times, was an ardent believer!

With the conflict on the border between the Luo and Qi Families growing ever more intense, having such a reliable escort was naturally a cause for celebration.

’This one’s in the bag!’

"Maybe we can even teach the Qi Family a lesson!"

Luo Qingjun laughed heartily, rubbing his silver prosthetic hand as his Magical Power fluctuated.

"Hm? Congratulations on your cultivation breakthrough..."

Su Ye’s brow twitched slightly as he offered a smiling congratulation.

Having been tempered and honed during this period, especially through the baptism of fire in the War between the Luo and Shu Families, Luo Qingjun’s state of mind had elevated. He had washed away the gloom and completely overcome the impact of his severed arm.

Not long ago, his cultivation had advanced further, reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining!

’Not bad, not bad. His cultivation has finally caught up to mine.’ 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Su Ye nodded, smiling to himself.

He estimated that there was a decent chance Luo Qingjun could break through to the Late-stage Qi Refining realm before the age of thirty.

’If so, he might have a sliver of hope for reaching Foundation Establishment,’ Su Ye mused.

A missing limb meant damaged qi and blood.

The Qi and Blood Barrier, one of the three trials of Foundation Establishment, would be much more difficult for him than for others.

However, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

...

「One month later.」

The former Shu Family sea region, now taken over by the Luo Family, had been renamed the [Dongning Sea Region].

East of Donglong, and hoping for peace—hence, Dongning.

Sails hoisted high, the Golden Sword Orchid and the Flying Serpent were sailing across this sea region.

Just then, under the awestruck gazes of the crew, a silver spear precisely struck the massive creature thrashing in the sea!

[Hunting Sea Beast, [Tide Hunter] EXP +45]

’I’ve finally gathered enough EXP...’

’The crew isn’t working hard enough. I still have to step in myself and go back to my old trade...’

The EXP loss from the crew’s time off had finally been compensated for.

With a sigh, Su Ye recalled the Frost Thorn Spear.

A flash of Magical Power flicked away the bloodstains, and he stored it in his Storage Pouch.

’I’ll be able to advance to [Tide Hunter Lv. 5] tonight!’

A hint of joy flashed across Su Ye’s stern face.

Advancing to [Tide Hunter Lv. 5] would not only further enhance his stats.

There was also a high probability that his [Whale-Hunting Spear] would gain a new trait, significantly boosting his combat power!

The Luo and Qi Families were now at odds, with constant friction at the border.

A major conflict seemed imminent.

For the sake of his own survival, Su Ye naturally wanted his combat power to be as strong as possible!

...

As the catch was hauled onto the ship, the excited crew began to butcher and process it.

’An Iron Blade Blood Shark...’

Su Ye stood on the deck, gazing thoughtfully at the catch.

It had a gaping, bloody maw, a pale red body, and fins that shimmered with a menacing cold light, like Magical Artifacts.

The Iron Blade Blood Shark, like the Lanhai Giant Eel, was a rare and valuable catch.

In any case, back when Su Ye had served on the Flying Serpent, in two or three years, he had never even seen, let alone captured, a demonic fish of a similar tier!

However...

Su Ye frowned slightly.

’Lanhai Giant Eels, Iron Blade Blood Sharks... for valuable catches of this tier to appear consecutively within just a few months?’

’And... the capture locations were all within the Dongning Sea Region?’

’Something isn’t right...’

A glint flickered in Su Ye’s eyes.

In the past, when the Shu Family controlled this sea region, the catches from demon hunting had never been out of the ordinary.

’It can’t be that the drop rates are just higher in a new area, can it?’

Although he was joking, a sense of unease still surfaced in Su Ye’s mind.

As someone with a special "panel" ability, the thing he hated most was [abnormalities].

Taking a deep breath, Su Ye pondered.

’I’ll keep observing. Maybe it’s just a stroke of good luck?’

’After all, due to the War between the Luo and Shu Families, there were far fewer Demon Hunting Ships in this sea region for a while...’

’So an increase in the catch seems reasonable, right?’

But for some reason, a thought suddenly flashed through Su Ye’s mind.

He remembered the Tier Two Evil Celestial Auk that the two exploration teams he had dispatched had unexpectedly discovered on their route to the aboriginal islands.

The location of those aboriginal islands was in the southernmost part of the Dongning Sea Region!

Demonic fish... demonic birds... aborigines...

Faintly, Su Ye seemed to grasp onto something.

’Is there a connection between these three?’