The black-faced brute died so swiftly that the more than ten other Core Formation cultivators hadn't even time to react before the battle was decisively over.

"What just happened?"

"He killed Boss Huo?!"

"How is that possible? Boss Huo ranked over five hundred on the Golden Core Demon Slaying List; he's a top-tier Core Formation cultivator in any Immortal Palace. To be killed in an instant—what kind of power does that require?!"

"This person must possess top-ten combat strength on the Golden Core Demon Slaying List! Truly first-rate power."

The more than ten rogue cultivators attempting to attack the flying vessel were struck with terror, their expressions aghast.

Ye Qin waved a hand, and the five flying swords instantly returned, hovering protectively around him.

Ye Qin’s gaze swept coldly over the remaining ten Core Formation cultivators, a killing intent hidden beneath his eyes, as if searching for the next target to strike.

When the goatee elder felt Ye Qin's gaze pass over him, he shuddered violently, spun around, and fled rapidly on his artifact.

The mass of Core Formation cultivators, as if awakened from a dream, suddenly snapped back to reality, and with a thunderous surge, they scattered like startled birds, dissolving into over ten streaks of light that vanished in different directions across the sea. They fled so fast that even Zhou Yao and the others didn't know which direction to pursue.

These cultivators had arrived from disparate paths, fleeing the battlefield and following the most prestigious Boss Huo to this location. They had intended to follow Boss Huo to break away from the Earth Fiend Immortal Palace, but chanced upon Ye Qin and his group, thinking to plunder a fortune to recoup their losses from the war.

Now that Boss Huo was instantly dead, they were rudderless and dared not risk further engagement; scattering was their only option.

"They ran? A bunch of disorganized riff-raff. I thought they were something special! If I meet them again, I’ll certainly butcher them."

Zhou Yao, sword in hand, hadn't even managed to strike anyone herself before they exploded outwards and fled. She couldn't help but fume in annoyance.

Zhou Dawu and the other two Core Formation cultivators from the Purple Sword Palace dared not pursue the fleeing rogue cultivators; they simply retrieved Boss Huo’s corpse, which had fallen into the sea, and placed it in their personal storage bags.

They too were deeply shocked.

Over the past few years, they had barely seen Ye Qin fight. Any minor incidents that arose were always handled by Zhou Yao, Zhou Dawu, and the others.

Today’s unexpected encounter with this group of rogue cultivators had finally forced Ye Qin to act. Having witnessed it firsthand, they now finally understood the astonishing level of combat prowess possessed by Elder Ye of the Purple Sword Palace, who rarely showed his hand.

"Zhou Dawu, let's go. We need to transport these supplies to Stone City as quickly as possible to avoid further incidents."

Ye Qin said calmly, flicking his robe before settling back onto the flying vessel cross-legged, as if nothing had happened.

His full-power strike that instantly killed the enemy leader had successfully intimidated this band of rogue cultivators.

However, this was merely a fraction of his true strength.

From beginning to end, Ye Qin hadn't taken the siege by these ten-odd rogue cultivators seriously. With his current array of means, releasing his shape-shifting Skeleton Demon alone would be enough to slaughter every single one of these Core Formation rogue cultivators. Even if this group of Core Formation cultivators were several times larger, they might still be unable to do anything to him.

It was just that he had no intention of deploying the Skeleton Demon. Unless it was a life-or-death moment, he would not easily reveal the trump cards he held, lest the outside world learn too much about his strength.

Zhou Yao, Zhou Dawu, and the others were ignorant of his hidden methods; they simply assumed this was the extent of his true power.

"Yes, Palace Master..."

Zhou Dawu quickly agreed, urging the flying vessel forward with his magic power, speeding towards Stone City, the massive island constructed by the Purple Sword Palace. But inwardly, he was intensely envious and deeply puzzled: with Ye Qin's capabilities, why did he refuse to participate in the Immortal-Demon War? If he possessed such power, he would have long since charged onto the battlefield to make a name for himself in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

Ye Qin, Zhou Yao, and the five of them traveled without incident. Several hours later, they reached a massive island.

Ye Qin handed over the war provisions to the Supreme Elder Zhou Hong, and the team members rested within the city for half a day, collecting and itemizing the various raw materials the Purple Sword Palace cultivators had acquired from the battlefield over the past month, intending to sell them back in Linhai City. This task was tedious and required a significant amount of time.

Suddenly, a Transmission Talisman flew toward him.

Ye Qin was surprised, accepting the talisman. A sweep of his divine sense immediately made the contents clear. He instructed Zhou Yao, Zhou Dawu, and the others to continue inventorying the raw materials, then summoned his Cloud Barrier and flew toward the City Lord's Manor.

The talisman sent by Palace Master Zhou only requested his presence for an important discussion; the nature of this matter was not mentioned in the message.

"Important matter?" Recently, besides eradicating the Demon Race cultivators and selecting the Northern Sect Master, there were no other particularly urgent affairs. "Is it related to that?"

As Ye Qin's thoughts churned, he arrived near the City Lord's Manor.

The outer walls of Stone City had long been completed, and construction on the various internal buildings was ongoing in recent years. Many Earth Clan laborers were moving giant stones within the city to build houses. It was a pity that the city lacked any defensive formations; it was merely an empty shell.

The City Lord's Manor, situated in the city center, was constructed with great grandeur and solemnity.

Ye Qin arrived before the main gate of the City Lord's Manor, and the guards at the entrance saluted him one after another. Ye Qin nodded slightly, passed through the gate, and entered the main hall. He saw that besides Palace Master Zhou seated in a chair within the hall, the Young Palace Master Zhou Yi was also present.

"Brother Ye, you've arrived!"

Young Palace Master Zhou Yi quickly rose when he saw Ye Qin approach, greeting him with a hearty laugh.

"Brother Zhou, weren't you at the Purple Sword Palace preparing supplies? Why are you here?" Ye Qin asked, somewhat surprised.

"The Old Ancestor summoned me, so I came along with Elder Zhou Rong. I arrived not long ago, but I didn't see Brother Ye on the road..." Zhou Yi chuckled.

"I often change my route; perhaps we missed each other on the way," Ye Sen nodded.

"I summoned you both here because there is an important matter to discuss, and I wish to seek your opinions..."

Palace Master Zhou smiled upon Ye Qin's arrival, adopting an expression as if he had something important yet difficult to utter.

"Palace Master, please speak plainly," Ye Ji quickly said.

"This matter, you two are actually quite clear about. Before the Four Easts, the Elder Council established the rule of selecting the Northern Sect Master based on merit accumulation. Over these past few years, my Purple Sword Palace has exerted immense effort and employed every means available. However, the Shangtang Palace, Wanluo Palace, and Wunuer Immortal Palace have shown no slackening whatsoever.

The merits between the Four Great Immortal Palaces are rapidly increasing. In both the Nascent Soul and Golden Core Demon Slaying Rankings, the positions of the Four Great Palaces are extremely close, shifting monthly, but a significant gap has never been established..."

Palace Master Zhou paused, then continued, "Now, less than a year remains of the five-year deadline for selecting the Sect Master. But the situation remains deadlocked. One wrong move could lead to total defeat; I cannot help but worry!"

Ye Qin and Zhou Yi listened silently.

"If we miss this opportunity to seize the position of Northern Sect Master, the next chance might be hundreds of years away. The Eastern Sea Cultivation World is undergoing drastic changes; the current generation of Nascent Soul cultivators in the Purple Sword Palace will likely pass away. We can only rely on the next generation. Whether the next generation will produce so many Nascent Soul cultivators is beyond anyone's prediction. Who knows if the Purple Sword Palace will have the strength and opportunity to contend for the Sect Master position hundreds of years from now."

At this moment, Palace Master Zhou stopped and looked at the two of them. "I have considered this for a long time, and I am dispatching Elder Zhou Rong to contend for the Nascent Soul Demon Slaying Ranking. At the same time, I also hope that you two will step in and fight to secure a place on the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking."

Although Ye Qin had guessed, he was still somewhat surprised.

Zhou Yi’s eyes also shone, his thoughts turning in various directions.

"I know that you two are currently at the eighth and ninth layers of the Golden Core stage, the critical point for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. You both have the potential to ascend to the Nascent Soul Dao within one or two decades. For the past few years, I have arranged for you to manage logistics and transport supplies from the rear lines, precisely to prevent you from engaging too early in the Immortal-Demon War and affecting your cultivation. My original plan was to consider this aspect only after you had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage."

"However, this year is the final year of the five-year term, and every minute advantage is now crucial. Even the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking must be vigorously fought for."

"If the merits on the Nascent Soul Demon Slaying Ranking among the Four Great Immortal Palaces are nearly equal, then the difference on the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking becomes vital; it could be the deciding factor for a turnaround."

"Young Yi, your innate talent is exceptional, and your cultivation is already at the ninth layer of the Golden Core stage; you have been preparing for tribulation transcendence for over a hundred years. As for Elder Ye, he is the first late-stage Golden Core cultivator in millennia capable of recreating the Purple Sword Palace's Grand Five Elements Sword Formation. You two are the strongest Golden Core cultivators in the Purple Sword Palace and the most likely to secure high placements on the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking."

"This matter has only one year left, and it will inevitably affect your cultivation to some extent. I only wished to consult both of your opinions: are you willing to participate in one year of warfare? After one year, regardless of the outcome, you will no longer need to participate..."

Palace Master Zhou looked at Zhou Yi and Ye Qin.

Zhou Yi was the Purple Sword Palace’s direct lineage cultivator at the ninth layer of the Golden Core stage with the highest overall potential—the heir apparent. Unless absolutely necessary, Palace Master Zhou was reluctant to let Zhou Yi risk danger on the battlefield, lest it affect the future arrangements of the Purple Sword Palace.

Ye Qin was the Fifth Elder of the Purple Sword Palace, eighth layer of the Golden Core stage, cultivating the Grand Five Elements Sword Formation, and possessing the dual status of Alchemical Grandmaster and Elder of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Ye Qin's standing was transcendent; if he did not wish to join the war, even the Palace Master of the Purple Sword Palace had no authority to command him.

"Everything will be as Old Ancestor arranges!"

Zhou Yi bowed, acknowledging that as the Young Palace Master, he must prioritize the overall situation of the Purple Sword Palace. He also understood that Palace Master Zhou had summoned them both mainly to question Ye Qin.

Ye Qin remained silent. He had originally intended to wait until he underwent tribulation and became a Nascent Soul cultivator before making a move to secure a place on the Nascent Soul cultivator ranking. Although an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could not achieve a very high rank on the Nascent Soul Demon Slaying List, it would still be immensely valuable.

As for the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking, on his journey here, he had instantly killed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator ranked over five hundred. If he were to compete for the ranking now, it might be seen as unfair to other Golden Core cultivators. After all, he possessed a shape-shifting Skeleton Demon as a guardian, an advantage that ordinary cultivators could not match.

"Elder Ye, it would be unfair of me to waste a year of your time needlessly. How about this: if you can enter the top hundred of the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking within one year, I will exchange it for a treasured Lightning Stone—a rare material for refining lightning-attributed flying swords. What do you think?"

Palace Master Zhou, unaware of Ye Qin's internal conflict, pondered for a moment before offering the proposal.