The shifts in ranking on the Nascent Soul Demon Slaying List and the Golden Core Demon Slaying List constantly captured the attention of the East Sea cultivators. Even though Ye Qin’s ascent was breathtakingly swift, rocketing him to the two-hundreds within a single month, he still only occupied a position barely scraping the top two hundred.

While many cultivators speculated that Ye Qin might soon breach the top ten, or even harbor an extremely slim chance of seizing the very apex, until he actually broke into the top ten or claimed the top spot, it remained mere conjecture, not established fact.

Compared to those top-tier Golden Core cultivators who had graced the Golden Core List for years, ranking within the top hundred or top ten, Ye Qin still lagged significantly in terms of prestige and renown.

Every single cultivator occupying a spot in the top ten of the Golden Core Demon Slaying List was a figure of thunderous reputation, known far and wide! Countless Golden Core late-stage cultivators, blessed with exceptional talent and years of patient, arduous cultivation, fought tooth and nail just to squeeze onto that roster. These late-stage Golden Core experts commanded immense fame, drawing attention wherever they went.

The East Sea cultivation world operated on stark realism: rank and reputation were always directly proportional.

Though Ye Qin’s position on the Golden Core List was rising rapidly, it was still only in the two-hundreds, and his fame and authority were certainly incomparable to those ahead of him on the list.

Not to mention, the Nascent Soul Demon Slaying List existed separately.

To secure a seat among the top ten or top hundred on the Nascent Soul List—that was the mark of the true pinnacle within the East Sea cultivation world, an echelon that all other cultivators looked up to.

Golden Core cultivators obsessed over the Golden Core List.

Conversely, Nascent Soul cultivators kept their eyes fixed on the Nascent Soul List, paying minimal attention to the Golden Core rankings.

In the second month of Ye Qin's participation, the small waves of the beast tide attacking the stone city on the barren island finally receded.

The following month proved somewhat uneventful.

The appearance of beast hordes noticeably decreased; Ye Qin simply didn't have many demons to slay, even if he sought them out.

Ye Qin was relegated to patrolling the surrounding seas, hunting down scattered individual sea beasts or small clusters during his rounds, accumulating demon cores and battle merits. This pace of slaying naturally slowed considerably, unable to match the output of the first month, though it remained significantly faster than that of other Golden Core cultivators.

Fortunately, Ye Qin's immediate goal was only to break into the top hundred of the Golden Core Demon Slaying List.

At his current rate of slaying, completing the task assigned by Palace Master Zhou this year seemed unlikely to be an issue. The Shang Tang Palace, Wan Luo Palace, and Wu Nu Er Palace all had late-stage Golden Core cultivators within the top hundred of the Golden Core List, but their rankings were not particularly high; surpassing them was still achievable.

As for breaking into the top ten in the short term, there was no need to dwell on it. This great war would last for an immense duration anyway—decades at the shortest, perhaps a century or more before it concluded.

Stone City.

Palace Master Zhou Yu, Grand Elder Zhou Hong, along with the Palace Masters and Elders from the allied palaces—a contingent of several dozen Nascent Soul cultivators—gazed out at the distant sea.

Within their visual range of the ocean, there was no trace of demon cultivators.

However, as their divine senses swept across the hundreds of miles of surrounding sea, they keenly perceived that demonic presences were hidden beneath the waves, stealthily observing Stone City.

Yet, in the open sea, it was too easy for demon cultivators to use the deep waters for escape; to avoid alerting the enemy, they refrained from immediate pursuit.

"Palace Master Zhou, those few demon scouts have been remarkably quiet over the last month. Since they won't approach Stone City, how can we lure them onto the island?"

A Nascent Soul cultivator from an allied palace inquired.

"Those few demon cultivators have continuously driven beast hordes to attack the city, probing us for months. They are certainly targeting our Stone City, continuously assessing our strength. I estimate they will not give up easily; they might personally enter the fray and command even larger beast crowds to join the assault. This past month was merely a brief respite; the next wave of attacks is likely to be far fiercer," Palace Master Zhou mused after a moment of contemplation.

"Palace Master Zhou speaks correctly; I share that view. This momentary calm this month suggests those demon cultivators are gathering beast hordes in the surrounding waters, preparing for a massive offensive. If they personally join the battle, we stand to gain considerable merit!" Palace Master Liao of Guang Yu Palace chuckled.

"Palace Master Liao speaks the absolute truth. If we eliminate those few demon cultivators, the rankings on the Nascent Soul List for our alliance will jump another tier, hah! It’s just a matter of whose luck holds out to secure a kill against one of those probing demons."

"This old man hasn't gotten a kill yet; perhaps I must go on a proper hunt!"

Several days slipped by.

Palace Master Zhou and the others' assessment proved accurate; the demon scouts that had vanished previously reappeared. Moreover, they had driven several thousand high-tier sea beasts to gather in a patch of sea a thousand miles away.

This time, it was unlikely to be a mere beast siege; the demon cultivators were probably preparing to engage directly. As the beast horde pressed toward the coast, an atmosphere of tension settled over Stone City.

Ye Qin had just received his deployment order. Leading a small team of rested Golden Core cultivators, he headed toward the East City Head to stand guard, coincidentally running into Zhou Yi, who was also leading a squad of cultivators toward the ramparts.

"Brother Ye!" "Brother Zhou!"

"This upcoming battle is likely to be a brutal one. The Palace Master has raised the readiness level to the absolute maximum. However, the higher the readiness, the larger the beast tide will be. After this fight, let's compare ranks again—I certainly won't let you fall so far behind this time!"

"Heh, with Brother Zhou's strength, even if I wanted to surge too far ahead, it would be difficult!" Ye Qin and Zhou Yi, both squad leaders, exchanged light banter.

The cultivators within their respective teams, however, could not smile. A siege battle involving demon cultivators presented extremely high danger to Golden Core experts. It was common to suffer losses among the Golden Core ranks during such intense engagements.

After a brief exchange, having their respective duties to attend to, the two parted ways quickly.

Ye Qin led his squad to the eastern ramparts. At that moment, twenty other Golden Core cultivators from various Immortal Palaces were resting and preparing for battle atop the East Gate's battlements.

"Elder Ye!" "Brother Ye!" Upon seeing Ye Qin arrive, the Golden Core cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces on the wall stood up, their expressions respectful.

Previously, many cultivators had questioned Ye Qin's true capability. But now, after just two short months, they had witnessed his prowess firsthand and were thoroughly impressed. In the East Sea cultivation world, cultivators of overwhelming strength earned eternal reverence.

"Everyone, today's fight is highly likely to be a bloody one. The Nascent Soul Ancestors will handle the demon cultivators themselves, but the strength of this beast horde is far more formidable than usual, so do not let your guard down," Ye Qin surveyed the assembled group and stated calmly.

"Yes!" The cultivators responded with fervent shouts. Fighting alongside Ye Qin meant that even the weaker members of the contingent could reap rewards several times greater than usual. They eagerly anticipated the impending battle.

Grand Elder Zhou Hong of the Purple Sword Palace, along with several other Nascent Soul cultivators, remained inside the city with a portion of the Golden Core disciples.

The remaining Nascent Soul cultivators and the rest of the Golden Core disciples were concealed outside the city on the barren island, preparing to execute a pincer movement to encircle and annihilate the approaching demon cultivators once they closed in on Stone City, ensuring no escape.

In the agonizing wait, time dragged agonizingly slow.

After an indeterminate period:

"Roar!"

From the distance came the furious roars of massive beast crowds. Several groups of Iron Feathered Demon Eagles, Blood Feather Vultures, and Golden Eagles flapped their wings and shot rapidly toward the island.

A wave of over a thousand sea beasts broke through the waves and surged onto the island's shore.

Shrieks echoed in the sky, and the sea churned with towering waves.

Even several transformed Demon Cultivators stood prominently atop the crest of the massive waves, constantly shouting commands, directing the swarms of beasts to violently charge Stone City, fully presenting the image of leading a beast tide in a direct assault.

Ye Qin’s gaze followed, and upon seeing the transformed demon cultivators within the tide, his expression shifted slightly. The demon cultivators had finally shown themselves, and the first wave of the beast tide was this ferocious; this battle was going to be exceptionally arduous.

The nearly one hundred Golden Core cultivators guarding the city walls also saw their expressions change, growing visibly tense.

Grand Elder Zhou Hong, overseeing defenses from within Stone City, ascended into the air above the city on his sword. Gazing at the beast tide surging toward them, his aged face remained impassive as he rapidly issued orders: "All squads, hold your ground! Defend the walls rigidly, no retreat is permitted!"

Around Zhou Hong, several Nascent Soul cultivators from the allied palaces also stood ready to defend Stone City.

Ye Qin, aware of the overall combat deployment of the Purple Sword Palace, felt no undue anxiety, quietly holding his post atop the ramparts with his team. A Flowing Shadow Mirror hovered silently a few feet beside him, meticulously recording the unfolding battle.

The current situation, while appearing perilous, was actually relatively secure.

After all, dozens of Nascent Soul Ancestors were hidden around the island; one large encirclement would trap those few demon scouts and the massive beast horde on the island, allowing for total annihilation. No matter how numerous ordinary beasts were, they stood no chance against Nascent Soul cultivators.

The reason Palace Master Zhou and the other Nascent Soul cultivators had held back until now was precisely for this baiting strategy.

The first wave of beasts charged with extreme speed, reaching the barren island and closing in on Stone City in moments.

Before even engaging the first wave, several demon cultivators led a second, even larger beast tide rushing toward Stone City at full speed.

"Fellow Daoists, follow me! Let us meet the demon cultivators!"

Seeing the demon cultivators personally entering the fray, Zhou Hong roared, flicked his sleeve, and shot out a thick, brilliantly yellow beam of sword light. He mounted his flying sword and charged first toward the demon cultivators intermingled within the beast horde. The Nascent Soul cultivators from the allied palaces quickly launched their own flying swords, closely following the attack.

If they could merely tie down those few demon cultivators, Palace Master Zhou could lead the others in a pincer movement from all sides, securing an absolute advantage and settling the outcome of the battle.

A mere handful of demon cultivators would be incapable of causing significant trouble; they wouldn't even manage to escape.

With Zhou Hong and the other Nascent Soul Ancestors engaging, the defending Golden Core cultivators no longer hesitated. Hundreds of flying swords and magical artifacts flared with brilliant light, launching attacks into the beast tide.

"Move out!"

Ye Qin let out a sharp cry, unleashing the Great Five Elements Sword Formation. Leading the Golden Core cultivators from the East City Gate, he charged toward the beast hordes surging toward the besieged Stone City.

As for the direct confrontation between Nascent Soul cultivators and demon cultivators, he had no desire to involve himself. The danger was too high; one misstep could lead to immediate death.

Ye Qin's method for dealing with beast hordes was utterly ruthless.

He summoned the five high-tier Primordial Spirit flying swords—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—forming the Great Five Elements Sword Formation for self-protection, transforming into a sphere of five-colored sword light, and plunging directly into the heart of the beast mass.

The five swords acted as a unified whole, allowing each individual sword to equally share the defensive pressure from incoming attacks.

With his current cultivation level, the grade of his Primordial Spirit artifacts was incomparable to before. The full-force blow from a Ninth-Tier Sea Beast striking any single flying sword could be distributed and nullified across the five swords, rendering his extremely resilient Great Five Elements Sword Formation unbreakable.

Only if simultaneously assailed by several Ninth-Tier or Eighth-Tier beasts would he experience significant pressure.

But even then, it would only be pressure, draining his magical power rapidly, not posing a fatal threat to him.

Furthermore, Ye Qin would never be foolish enough to challenge several Ninth-Tier or Eighth-Tier beasts at once.

Against lower-tiered beasts, a fierce collision with this sphere of five-colored light would instantly smash them into large clouds of bloody mist.

Where Ye Qin stood, there was the firmest shield, pressing down upon the small vanguard of the beast tide that dared to charge first.

The Golden Core cultivators following Ye Qin naturally did not slacken. They hurled out their flying swords, artifacts, and various high-grade talismans toward the beast tide. Wherever Ye Qin carved an opening, they plunged in. In the span of a single exchange, they annihilated the first small cluster of several dozen beasts.

Ye Qin led his group, eliminating one wave of beasts, and took a brief moment to catch his breath.

But before they could rest for even a second to recover their expended mana, another wave of beasts was already crashing toward them.

"Kill!"

The blood war had only just begun!