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Su Ning was quite surprised that Zhang Tie chose to follow him to explore the outer seas instead of staying by Han Li's side.

Since parting ways with the Seven Mysteries Sect, the four of them have entered the world of cultivation. Li Feiyu is aloof and rarely interacts with others, while only Han Li and Su Ning have taken good care of Zhang Tie.

However, in Su Ning's opinion, he and Han Li were equally important to Zhang Tie, although Han Li might be slightly more important to him.

Now that Zhang Tie was willing to go through danger with him, Su Ning's heart stirred slightly, and he thought to himself, "This boy is simple and honest, and is a trustworthy person."

However, after thinking about it, he felt relieved. Back then, Zhang Tie had already been tied to a pillar by Mo Juren, and was almost turned into a human puppet by Mo Juren.

It was his own intervention that rescued Zhang Tie; perhaps he was Zhang Tie's benefactor.

He pondered for a moment, then took out several jade slips from his storage bag. These were the Ghost Spirit Sect's techniques, the Black Fiend Sect's demonic arts, and the most precious Great Evolution Technique, which he had obtained from Wang Chan!
"Zhang Tie, please keep these cultivation techniques safe." Su Ning handed over the jade slip, speaking solemnly, "Especially the Great Evolution Technique, which is a supreme secret technique for cultivating divine sense. If you can comprehend it, it will greatly benefit your future cultivation."

Zhang Tie took the jade slip, his face showing hesitation: "Senior brother, didn't Senior Brother Han say... that you had destroyed these demonic arts?"

Su Ning laughed, a sly glint in his eyes: "Haha, that's just a smokescreen. After all, my master Lei Wanhe is too straightforward. Besides, the path of cultivation is a dog-eat-dog world, so why bother with so many rules?"

He pointed to one of the blood-red jade slips and whispered, "Especially this method of possession, it's practically tailor-made for you. If your lifespan is about to end one day, you might as well try to fight for a chance to survive! Moreover, the strength of your divine sense can also increase your chances of successfully possessing a body."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tie's expression changed slightly: "But possession goes against the will of Heaven..."

"Foolish!" Su Ning interrupted coldly, "Cultivating immortality is inherently defying the heavens. The so-called 'harmony with heaven' is nothing but a self-imposed constraint for mediocre people!"

Seeing that Zhang Tie was still hesitant, Su Ning suddenly grinned and said, half-jokingly, "Don't worry! If you really get to that point, I will definitely refine your copper skin and iron bones into a human puppet first, so as not to waste it!"

"Huh?" Zhang Tie froze, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Hahaha!" Su Ning laughed. "Just kidding! But if you really succeed in possessing this body, wouldn't it be perfect to turn this old body into a puppet?"

"..." Zhang Tie shook his head with a wry smile, but felt inexplicably at ease.

You have to understand that since he left his hometown and joined the Seven Mysteries Sect, he has seen too much deceit and scheming. People who are as frank as Su Ning are truly rare.

……

Beyond the chaotic starry sea, monsters roam freely, and danger lurks everywhere, yet it is also a land rich in resources.

Upon their arrival, Su Ning did not venture too far in. Instead, he led Zhang Tie to explore the outskirts, familiarizing themselves with the environment while teaming up with other independent cultivators to hunt demons.

"Have you heard? A level four 'Crimson Flame Flood Shark' has appeared near 'Azure Phosphorus Island,' and three demon-hunting teams have already been wiped out!"

Inside the teahouse of the temporary market, several monks were discussing in hushed tones.

Su Ning's eyes flashed. A level four demon beast is equivalent to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, and its inner core is quite valuable!
He stood up and walked towards the group, cupping his fists in greeting, "Fellow Daoists, my name is Su Ning, and this is my junior brother Zhang Tie. May I ask if you would be willing to join our demon-hunting team?"

The group sized up Su Ning and Zhang Tie, noticing his calm demeanor and Zhang Tie's imposing physique, and immediately decided to recruit him.

The scarred man leading the group grinned and said, "Alright! Meet at the dock at dawn tomorrow!"

"Thank you all fellow Taoists."

"Haha, don't be shy! Just don't hold back when hunting monsters."

"Don't worry! We, your fellow disciples, will do our best."

Then Su Ning and Zhang Tie agreed on a meeting place with the scarred man and the others, and then left first.

At this moment, Zhang Tie looked at Su Ning with a puzzled expression and asked, "Senior brother, I don't think these people are easy to deal with. Are we really going to hunt monsters with them tomorrow?"

“Zhang Tie, we are unfamiliar with the Chaotic Star Sea. Although we have looked at some information and maps, it’s all just theoretical.” At this moment, Su Ning expressed his helplessness. In fact, Su Ning had found that the cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea were quite xenophobic during this period.

"But I'm worried they might be more dangerous than the monsters."

"That's for sure! But some risks are worth taking in order to gain real-world experience."

"Alright, senior brother, I'll listen to you."

……

The next day, the group of six arrived at the waters off Bilin Island by airship.

The sea appears calm, but danger lurks beneath!
"Watch out!" the scarred man suddenly shouted.

"boom--"

A massive crimson shadow burst forth from the water; it was none other than a ten-zhang-long Crimson Flame Shark!

Its back is covered with bone spurs, and it spews flames from its mouth; its ferocity is overwhelming!
"Formation!"

The crowd quickly dispersed, each employing their own methods.

Lightning condensed in Su Ning's palm, transforming into a purple lightning spear, which he then hurled out!

"Swoosh!" The lightning spear pierced the dragon shark's left eye, and blood spurted out!

The shark, in pain, rolled wildly and swung its massive tail, smashing a cultivator into a bloody pulp on the spot!
"Damn it!" the scarred man roared, brandishing his blood-red blade and slashing at the shark's belly.

Zhang Tie roared, his muscles bulged, and his skin gleamed with a metallic sheen. He charged forward and grabbed the shark's tail tightly with both arms!
"Boom!" Unable to struggle, the shark crashed heavily onto the sea, sending waves soaring into the sky!

Seizing the opportunity, Su Ning formed hand seals, and thirty-six thunder talismans appeared out of thin air, forming a thunder net that enveloped the dragon shark!
"burst!"

Lightning raged, and the serpent shark sank to the bottom of the sea with a mournful cry.

A moment later, the shark's carcass floated to the surface, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The scarred man split open the monster's head, took out a crimson inner core, and laughed heartily, "Haha, it's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Su Ning smiled and nodded, but his gaze swept over the poisoned needles hidden in the other's sleeve, and he sneered inwardly.

Conflict arose when the spoils were being distributed!
"As agreed, the inner core belongs to us, and you can divide the rest of the materials!" The scarred man suddenly changed his expression, and two companions behind him subtly surrounded him.

Su Ning had anticipated this and sighed, "What do you mean by this, fellow Daoist?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" the scarred man sneered. "You two, one a Foundation Establishment cultivator and the other a Body Cultivator, dare to claim a Level 4 Inner Core?"

Zhang Tie glared at him angrily: "You're trying to double-cross us?"

"So what?"

Before he could finish speaking, Suning suddenly launched an attack!
"Thunder Prison!"

It's well known that Suning has always been the type to take action rather than make empty threats!
In an instant, lightning flashed like a prison within a radius of ten feet. Before the scarred man could react, he was struck on the top of the head by a bolt of purple lightning and died on the spot!
The remaining two were terrified and turned to flee.

Zhang Tieru was like a tiger unleashed, smashing one man's chest with a single punch; another man was blown to pieces by Su Ning's thunder talisman!

“As expected…” Su Ning put away the inner core and the scarred man’s storage bag and shook his head, saying, “In this alien sea, trust is the most luxurious thing.”

Zhang Tie nodded silently, once again truly experiencing the cruelty of the cultivation world.

……

Beyond the chaotic starry sea, the sky is forever shrouded in a blood-red mist, and the sea breeze carries the salty, rusty scent.

Su Ning stood in front of the teahouse window in the temporary market, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup.

This was their seventh day in the alien sea, yet they still hadn't found a suitable demon-hunting team.

Recently, the two of them seem to have been cursed with bad luck, or perhaps Su Ning has disguised his cultivation level too low, so no cultivator is willing to accept them.

"Senior Brother Su, look over there." Zhang Tie suddenly lowered his voice, his copper bell-like eyes narrowing slightly.

His imposing figure almost filled the entire tea table, and the muscles bulging beneath his coarse cloth clothes drew frequent glances from the surrounding monks.

In a corner three zhang away, five cultivators were talking in hushed tones around a sea chart.

The red-faced man at the head of the group suddenly slammed his fist on the table: "It's settled then! We'll meet at the usual place tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)!"

A glint of light flashed in Su Ning's eyes.

He had already noticed that the group all wore bronze waist badges, a distinctive feature of demon-hunting teams, and two of them had undried bloodstains on their sleeves…

It was clear that they had just gone through a fierce battle.

"Let's go." Su Ning put down her teacup, and the copper coin spun three times on the wooden table before stopping.

When the two stood in front of each other, the red-faced man cautiously pressed his hand on the magical artifact at his waist.

Su Ning calmly clasped his hands in greeting: "Fellow Daoists, I am Su Ning of the Qingyang Sect, and this is my junior brother Zhang Tie. I have heard that there are demonic beasts appearing on Bilin Island. Would you be willing to accompany me?"

The teahouse suddenly became quieter.

The name of Qingyang Sect is not well-known in the outer star sea, but it is enough to make these rogue cultivators think twice.

Of course, this was also a helpless move by Su Ning. There were really no cultivators willing to accept them, so they could only borrow the name of Qingyang Sect.

The red-faced man scrutinized the faintly visible thunder-patterned jade pendant at Su Ning's waist, then caught a glimpse of the metallic sheen on Zhang Tie's neck. Suddenly, he grinned and said, "So it's you two body cultivators! I am Zhao Kui, the 'Broken Wave Blade.' And these two are..."

He pointed to the tall, thin man beside him: "'Poison Vulture' Old Zhou."

He then pointed to the female cultivator wiping her flying sword: "This is 'Jade Sword' Liu San Niang." Su Ning noticed that there was a strange green tinge under Old Zhou's fingernails, and that Liu San Niang had three bulging spirit beast pouches hanging from her waist in addition to her sword sheath.

They are all difficult characters to deal with.

"Let's make the rules clear first." Zhao Kui held up three fingers. "We'll take 60% of the spoils, and you'll take 40%. In case of danger..."

He gave Zhang Tie a meaningful look, "Brother Ti Xiu must take the lead."

Zhang Tie's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, because he sensed the other party's discrimination, but Su Ning stopped him with a single look.

“Sure,” Su Ning smiled. “However, if we hunt a level four or higher demon beast, we want 30% of its inner core.”

Liu San Niang suddenly chuckled: "Young master, you have quite the big mouth."

With a flick of her finger, the water droplets in the teacup condensed into three small, transparent swords. "You think you can handle this?"

"boom!"

Zhang Tie took a sudden step forward, and the teahouse floor shattered with a crash.

His bare arm instantly glowed with a bronze luster, and he actually grabbed the water sword directly.

The water sword exploded in his palm, but didn't even leave a white mark.

Old Zhou's pupils constricted sharply: "A body cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

The atmosphere was tense for a moment.

Zhao Kui suddenly burst into laughter: "Alright! It's as Fellow Daoist Su says! See you at the East Wharf tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)!"

"Okay! See you there!"

……

At dawn, the sea was tinged with iron gray, and the flying boat bobbed up and down on the waves.

Su Ning stood at the bow of the ship, the black robe transformed from the Thousand Illusion Mask fluttering in the salty sea breeze.

He appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, his divine sense had already covered an area of ​​hundreds of feet.

"Bilin Island is just thirty miles ahead." Zhao Kui took a swig of strong liquor. "That beast has been targeting lone cultivators lately, and he's already wiped out three teams."

Old Zhou was applying poison to his flying sword when he heard this and said in a sinister tone, "I heard that last month, the late-stage Foundation Establishment elder of the 'Azure Rainbow Sword Sect' was bitten in two, sword and all."

Zhang Tie was adjusting his wrist guard when he heard this and paused.

Su Ning transmitted his voice secretly: "Be careful of the bone-piercing nails hidden in their sleeves."

The airship suddenly shook violently.

"They're here!" Liu San Niang screamed and threw out her spirit beast pouch. Just as the three iron-beaked eagles took to the air, a huge wave suddenly exploded on the sea!

A crimson figure burst from the water; a ten-zhang-long orca opened its blood-red maw.

The most terrifying thing is the row of bony spikes on its back, each of which is burning with a ghostly blue flame.

Su Ning's pupils shrank sharply—this was no ordinary level four demonic beast, but a mutated species about to advance!

"Form the Heavenly Gang Formation!" Zhao Kui shouted anxiously to the crowd.

The five quickly took their positions, except for Su Ning, who pulled Zhang Tie back half a step.

The orca's massive tail swept across, instantly shattering the airship.

Just as Old Zhou was about to unleash his flying sword, a burst of blue flame suddenly erupted from the orca's mouth, burning through his protective aura as if it were made of paper.

Amidst screams, the master of poison was ignited by his own poisoned blood, turning into a green fireball that plunged into the sea.

"Old Zhou!" Liu San Niang, standing to the side, watched with eyes wide with rage as three iron-beaked eagles charged recklessly toward the dragon shark's eyes.

A hint of human-like mockery flashed in the orca's eyes, and suddenly its bone spikes shot out, stringing the flock of eagles together into a bloody mess.

Zhao Kui's blade finally struck, but sparks flew as it grazed the scales.

The orca, in pain, turned and bit the scarred man.

At the critical moment, Zhang Tie crashed in like a cannonball, his bronze fist slamming hard into the jiaosha's nose.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the orca's head snapped back as it was struck.

Zhang Tie himself was also thrown away by the recoil, his sleeves torn to shreds, revealing his metallic skin.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Ning made a hand seal, and thirty-six thunder talismans formed a thunder net above the orca's head.

"Heavenly Thunder Prison!"

Purple lightning rained down, and the orca let out a mournful cry that sounded like an old woman's wail.

Just as Liu San Niang was about to finish off her sword, she suddenly realized that her flying sword had changed direction...

Zhao Kui's knife was now pressed against her neck without her even realizing it.

"Sorry, Third Sister," Zhao Kui grinned maliciously, "there aren't enough inner cores to go around!"

"you……"

Su Ning sneered, and a small bronze mirror suddenly flew out from his sleeve. It was the spoils Su Ning had obtained from the scarred man's storage bag.

With a flash of light, Zhao Kui's knife struck his own left arm.

He screamed and staggered backward, only to be struck by the killer whale's sweeping tail fin, and half of his body instantly turned into a bloody mist.

Before Liu San Niang could even express her gratitude, Su Ning's thunder spear pierced her heart.

"You..." The female cultivator looked down in disbelief and saw the bloody hole that had exploded in her chest.

"I told you to be careful," Su Ning said softly, catching her falling storage bag.

At this moment, Zhang Tie was already engaged in close combat with the orca.

Despite having a bone spur piercing his right shoulder, he clung tightly to the orca's tail.

The orca rolled wildly, creating a huge whirlpool on the surface of the sea.

Suning formed a hand seal, and a thunder bead flew out of his storage bag.

"Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation!"

The Thunder Pearl exploded as it entered the orca's wound, and amidst the rain of blood, a crimson inner core was captured by Su Ning in mid-air.

Zhang Tie surfaced from the sea, panting heavily, his bronze skin covered in cracks.

"Are you alright?" Su Ning frowned.

Zhang Tie grinned and spat out some seawater: "Senior brother, this beast's strength is three times stronger than Senior Brother Han's flying sword."

Just as Su Ning was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed.

Three shadows are rapidly approaching from beneath the distant sea.

"They came by the smell of blood." He quickly collected his spoils. "At least two level four beasts and one level five beast."

Zhang Tie wiped the blood from his face and suddenly laughed, "Now we really are 'Thunder Demon' and 'Iron Arhat'."

The two exchanged a smile, and Su Ning quickly cleaned up the battlefield before disappearing into the crimson sea mist.

Behind them, the roars of monsters and the rumble of thunder intertwined to form the most common symphony in the alien sea.

Months later, the names of "Thunder Demon" Su Ning and "Iron Arhat" Zhang Tie gradually spread among the cultivators of the outer sea.

The two worked together seamlessly. Su Ning's thunderous magic was domineering, and Zhang Tie's physical body was invincible. They killed several level-four demonic beasts in succession and even escaped from the mouth of a level-five demonic beast!

On this day, they returned once again to "Kui Xing Island," a city of cultivators suspended atop a giant meteorite.

"I heard that the 'Mysterious Yin Body Forging Technique' will be available at the Tianxing City auction?" Zhang Tie's eyes revealed longing.

He is now even more muscular than when he first arrived in the alien sea, and the ground trembles slightly when he walks.

Su Ning smiled slightly: "That's right, it suits you perfectly. However..."

When Su Ning and Zhang Tie stepped onto the meteorite steps of Tianxing City, the gatekeepers saw the seven level-four demon cores on their waists and immediately let them pass, issuing them the highest-level VIP passes.

...(End of chapter)