The Expedition

When Yaoguang took his leave, Shu Chunqiu personally escorted him to the entrance. Only after Yaoguang's escape light vanished into the distance did the Void Piercing elder hurry back into the hall. "What astounding talent! Not only did he achieve the Void Piercing Realm at such a young age, but he possesses such terrifying attainments in artifact crafting as well?!" A tremor of shock lingered in Shu Chunqiu's eyes, accompanied by an unconcealable delight. Even though it remained uncertain whether Yaoguang could successfully forge Dao artifacts right now, his sheer audacity in spending eight hundred million Pure Yang Great Pills' worth of assets to acquire Dao artifact materials clearly demonstrated his immense confidence in crafting them. Even if he could not forge one immediately, after several decades of honing his craft and practicing, or once he attained the Void Refining realm, he would inevitably be able to craft true Dao artifacts. "I must inform the Lineage Master of this!" Shu Chunqiu murmured, producing a messaging jade talisman. Yet immediately afterward, another thought struck him. The Lineage Master... Between the Lineage Master and Junior Sect Master Yaoguang, relations did not seem nearly as harmonious beneath the surface as they appeared. His hands froze in place. Within the Heavenly Dao Sect, checks and balances existed between the lineage masters and the Sect Master, but the elders serving under them were not necessarily of one mind with their superiors either. Who did not yearn to rise above others and become a lineage master wielding supreme authority? Furthermore... If Yaoguang truly forged a Dao artifact, so long as the news remained secret, wouldn't the Shu family be able to secure a sizable discount if they were the first to approach him to forge one? A discount on a Dao artifact was easily worth tens of millions of pills. Harboring this selfish calculation, the elder stowed away the messaging jade talisman. "If Junior Sect Master Yaoguang can genuinely craft Dao artifacts, and reaches the Void Refining realm within the next century—or even a few centuries..." At the thought, Shu Chunqiu could not help but inhale a sharp breath of cold air. Unimaginable. Truly unimaginable. ... Meanwhile, after leaving behind a portion of Pure Yang Great Pills and Void Dao Pills to cover the rewards for the acquisition missions, Yaoguang headed straight for Tianshang Hall. He summoned Qi Sha, the acting hall master. Seeing Yaoguang summon him after not showing himself for three years, Qi Sha frowned slightly, though he still cupped his hands in greeting. "What orders does the Hall Master have?" Acting as if he did not notice the aloofness in Qi Sha's tone, Yaoguang asked directly, "Hall Master Qi, how familiar are you with the demons around the Deep Blue Sea?" "The demon and god race factions bordering the Ten Immortal Sects are all known to me like the back of my hand," Qi Sha answered gravely. "Good!" Yaoguang gave a wave of his hand. "Pack your gear and prepare to march with me to the Deep Blue Sea!" Qi Sha frowned upon hearing this. "Does the Hall Master intend... to target a faction in the Deep Blue Sea? The Deep Blue Sea is the territory of the Penglai Immortal Sect..." "I phrased that poorly." Yaoguang smiled faintly. "I am asking you to lead the forces of Tianshang Hall alongside me into the Deep Blue Sea to slay demons! To expand further the territory of our human race!" "Slay demons?" Qi Sha froze, almost thinking he had misheard. "Slay demons," Yaoguang confirmed with a nod. "Although the Deep Blue Sea does not belong to the Heavenly Dao Sect, our sect's borders are essentially surrounded by powers on the level of the Ten Immortal Sects and the Four Great Celestial Dynasties. To expand further or reap profits from demons, our only alternative would be the starry sky battlefield beyond Beihai Star. However, for someone of my modest renown, that starry sky battlefield is not a suitable destination. Therefore, I have chosen to make my move in the Deep Blue Sea." He glanced at Qi Sha and the other cultivators of Tianshang Hall. "Tianshang Hall insists on never becoming a blade in the hands of any faction, steadfastly refusing to turn against anyone other than demons and alien races. Because of this, your circumstances over the years have hardly been favorable. Thus, I will take you all out to the Deep Blue Sea for a hunt. Unlike in other territories, demons slain in the Deep Blue Sea can be exchanged for contribution points with the Penglai Immortal Sect. I have no need for the rewards redeemed through those contribution points, but when it comes to tracking and hunting demons, you must give it your utmost effort." Qi Sha stared at Yaoguang, almost wondering if he was joking. It took a long moment before the Void Piercing hall master spoke. "Does Junior Sect Master Yaoguang truly intend to lead us to the Deep Blue Sea?" "Indeed." Yaoguang nodded. "I will handle the negotiations with the Penglai Immortal Sect." Hearing Yaoguang's definitive reply, the Void Piercing expert drew a deep breath and said heavily, "Very well! If it is merely hunting demons, my Tianshang Hall will never disappoint the Hall Master!" "Go make preparations. We set out in three days, heading straight for the Deep Blue Sea!" Yaoguang said. "No need for three days. We can depart this afternoon," Qi Sha answered solemnly. Tianshang Hall... It had been far too long since they had seen any income beyond the standard battle hall stipends. ... Though Qi Sha had offered to leave that very afternoon, Yaoguang still granted them three days so Tianshang Hall could make thorough preparations. And... To allow members of the battle hall time to bid farewell to their families and friends. When the three days had elapsed, Yaoguang led Tianshang Battle Hall aboard the warship assigned to their hall, heading straight toward the Deep Blue Sea. ... As the most renowned Junior Sect Master in the Heavenly Dao Sect at present, Yaoguang's departure naturally drew widespread attention. The fact that he had persuaded the historically unruly Tianshang Battle Hall to mobilize alongside him stirred particular curiosity, prompting several inquiries. Yaoguang gave the explanation that they were conducting integration drills. Predictably, however, there were bound to be many watching from the shadows. Yaoguang paid them no mind, traveling at full speed alongside Tianshang Battle Hall. It took half a year before they finally arrived at the Deep Blue Sea. Prior to their arrival, he had naturally reached out through Ye Hongyu to Lu Li, who was stationed at the Biyou Immortal Market and oversaw the eastern reaches of the Deep Blue Sea. Toward Yaoguang bringing Tianshang Battle Hall to assist in purging demons, Lu Li and the Penglai Immortal Sect naturally maintained a welcoming stance. So long as the people from Tianshang Battle Hall did not disrupt the normal order of the Deep Blue Sea, there was no issue. After all, thanks to the bounties offered by the Penglai Immortal Sect's Demon-Slaying Hall, there were plenty of others doing the exact same thing. King Zhenhai of the Great Shang Celestial Dynasty, for instance, frequently led entire armies into the Deep Blue Sea to hunt demons. Over a century, he had amassed a staggering 6.4 billion contribution points, redeeming them directly from the Penglai Immortal Sect for a Dao artifact. Of course, because he had slaughtered so many demons, he ended up alarming a Demon Emperor, who branded him with a tracking mark. The moment he set foot near the fringes of the Deep Blue Sea, this Demon Emperor would personally hunt him down, forcing him to avoid venturing out to sea in recent years. ... Aboard Tianshang Battle Hall's warship. Qi Sha unrolled a chart of the Deep Blue Sea. "Please look here, Hall Master. According to the intelligence on the Deep Blue Sea that we have gathered over the years, the entire region is divided into three tiers: the Inner Sea, the Deep Sea, and the Outer Sea. The Inner Sea covers the perimeter centered around the Penglai Immortal Sect, encompassing facilities like the Biyou Immortal Market. It is essentially a safe zone; wandering around for a year or two and stumbling across even one or two rank-nine great demons would be considered lucky. The Deep Sea is this ring here... Great demons are numerous, and from time to time Demon Kings even pass through... The most perilous of all is the Outer Sea..." The Tianshang Battle Hall master continued his briefing. "We will set our operating grounds in the Deep Sea," Yaoguang said, pointing to the map. While the Inner Sea was safe, hunting a sufficient number of rank-eight and rank-nine great demons there to fill the remaining 8% of his progress would take far too long. And while Demon Kings occasionally traversed the Deep Sea, he was not operating alone. With Tianshang Battle Hall at his side, let alone Demon Kings, they would not necessarily be unable to put up a fight even against a Demon Sovereign. As for a Demon Emperor... Should an entity of that level ever appear, Yaoguang could simply ask Lu Li to send word to Dao Lord Penglai, and the Dao Lord would surely descend in person to obliterate the Demon Emperor. In fact, even when cultivators encountered Demon Sovereigns in the Deep Sea and called upon Dao Lord Penglai for aid, there was a fair chance the Dao Lord would intervene, providing more than adequate security. "Understood," Qi Sha nodded. He, too, favored the Deep Sea. In the Inner Sea, rank-nine great demons were practically nonexistent. Hunting there was no different from taking a vacation. The Deep Sea was just right. Were it not for the concern that the Junior Sect Master might attract the attention of a Demon Sovereign or Demon Emperor, he would have loved to test the raging winds and surges of the Outer Sea. Before long, Tianshang Battle Hall's warship entered the Deep Sea zone. Yaoguang glanced at the battle hall members, who were itching for action, and made no effort to restrain them. He waved his hand decisively. "Now is the time for Tianshang Battle Hall to display your true expertise. You all consider yourselves demon-hunting specialists. Go—track down the hidden rank-nine great demons, and even Demon Kings. All of them shall be our prey!" "We will never disappoint the Junior Sect Master!" Qi Sha acknowledged heavily. He then turned, his gaze sweeping across all the battle immortals of Tianshang Battle Hall present on the deck. "Did you all hear the Junior Sect Master? No more complaining that our Tianshang Battle Hall never gets a chance to prove itself! Now, show me whether you truly have what it takes to strike terror into the surrounding demons!" "Yes!" shouted the battle hall members in unison. Without needing further instruction, they swiftly formed squads and dispersed in every direction, resembling worker bees swarming from a hive. In less than an hour, messages began pouring in from the scattered squads. "Detected the aura of a great demon! Judging from surrounding traces, it is suspected to be a lurking rank-eight scaled-fish great demon! Requesting intervention from cultivators trained in the Qianyuan Divine Fire Art!" "Tracked signs of a group containing six to eight great demons; the strongest is suspected to be rank nine. Coordinates uploaded, requesting a strike from a Void Piercing Battle Immortal!" "Based on regional traces, a demon lair has been identified at southern coordinates 7116:8715:9104. Awaiting next instructions!" A torrent of information converged toward Tianshang Battle Hall's warship. As these cultivators transmitted messages based on their findings, a demon distribution map spanning ten thousand li centered on the warship was rapidly compiled. Nearly every cluster of demons had its rank, numbers, species, and weaknesses systematically marked. Looking over the data, Yaoguang recognized that when it came to locating demons, Tianshang Battle Hall's efficiency outstripped his own by an enormous margin. "Excellent," he could not help but praise. "This is what I call professional." "The Hall Master flatters us; it's standard procedure," Qi Sha said, rising to his feet. "The other demons are no trouble—our squads can handle them, and even for rank-nine great demons, deploying our Void Piercing Battle Immortals guarantees total success. However, as a precaution, I should personally handle that demon lair to the south..." "No!" Yaoguang cut him off. "The squads can handle rank-seven and rank-eight great demons as they see fit, but the rank-nine great demons and large demon packs will be dealt with by me." "Hall Master..." Just as Qi Sha was about to speak, Yaoguang continued, "Since I am the Hall Master of Tianshang Battle Hall, leading the charge when hunting demons and intercepting the god race is my responsibility. How else could I command respect, and how else could I sit securely in this hall master's seat?! Therefore, all the battle hall members need to do is scout for demons and supply coordinates. As for slaying them..." Spatial ripples from the Boundary-Crossing Ruler began to shimmer across Yaoguang's body. "Everyone stand back—let me take this!"