Liu Ruoyun

Han Changming and the others divided the work among themselves to process the carcasses of the Tide Cloud Crabs.

The spirits, pincers, and shells of the Tide Cloud Crabs could all be used for artifact refining, especially the shells, which were suitable for crafting defensive magic tools.

After processing the monster carcasses, they cleaned the bloodstains off the beach, scattered fresh snail meat, and continued to lure in more monsters.

Two days later, a group of emerald-green monster snakes slithered onto the shore. Their bodies were covered in rings of green patterns, and their girth was as thick as an adult's arm.

These were Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes, a highly venomous species. If a cultivator came into contact with even a trace of their poison without a Detoxification Pill, they would perish.

Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes were water-attribute monsters that typically attacked by spitting water arrows, though they would sometimes spray venom as well.

One of the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes was significantly larger than the rest, measuring three zhang in length. It flicked its tongue as it slowly moved forward.

This was a Tier 2 Low-Grade Green-Eyed Spirit Snake, and it would not be easy to deal with.

There was a large number of Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes—over forty in total—with one Tier 2 Low-Grade snake king and the rest being Tier 1.

They quickly entered the formation, though a few of the snakes were slower and lagged behind.

The Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes fed quickly, and the snail meat on the beach was not enough to satisfy them.

Suddenly, a large amount of white cold air erupted from the surroundings, and a pale white light curtain manifested out of thin air, rapidly enveloping most of the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes.

Seven or eight of the snakes were not caught by the light curtain and hurriedly scrambled back toward the sea.

Dozens of Crimson Fireballs were hurled at them, striking their bodies with precision.

A series of explosions rang out, leaving several large craters on the beach.

A massive, scorching flame engulfed five of the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes, which twisted their bodies frantically in an attempt to extinguish the fire.

The defenses of the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes were not as strong as those of the Tide Cloud Crabs, and they struggled as they crawled toward the seawater.

"Swish, swish" sounds of wind breaking echoed as a flurry of cyan Wind Blades flew over, accurately slicing into them and easily severing their heads.

At the same time, the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes trapped within the white light curtain, led by the snake king, began attacking the barrier.

They either spat transparent water arrows or sprayed venom, striking the white light curtain.

The water arrows hit the barrier without causing it to budge, but when the venom splashed onto the light curtain, it immediately hissed and emitted a cloud of green smoke.

The venom sprayed by the snake king was the most potent, causing a large cloud of green smoke to rise from the light curtain.

Countless wisps of white cold air emerged from the ground. At first, the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes could still move, but they had few means of attack and were trapped by the Tier 2 formation, unable to escape. Gradually, they were all frozen solid, turning into ice sculptures.

After all the Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes were frozen, the Han Clan cultivators deactivated the formation, and a golden brick the size of a small hill descended from the sky, smashing heavily onto the ice sculptures.

Rumble!

A massive, thunderous roar erupted; the ice shattered into pieces, and the frozen Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes were reduced to a pile of minced meat.

Having wiped out a group of Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes so easily, Han Changming and the others all wore expressions of joy.

"The Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes themselves do not have strong offensive power, so do not be careless. If the snake king hadn't been trapped by the formation, it would have taken much more effort to deal with them," Han Deling reminded them with a solemn expression.

"That's right. The most dangerous thing isn't actually the monsters, but other cultivators," Han Debiao added.

No matter how strong a monster is, as long as one is well-prepared, it can be killed. The same cannot be said for cultivators; who knows what hidden cards they might have.

Han Deling had extensive experience in monster hunting, and Han Changming secretly took her words to heart.

For the next half month, they set up ambushes on the island, hunting Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes and Tide Cloud Crabs.

The Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes and Tide Cloud Crabs were not very aggressive, and with Han Changming and the others working in clear coordination, targeting the monsters' weaknesses, neither species was a match for them.

There was one dangerous moment when two Tier 2 Tide Cloud Crabs appeared. They attacked the formation frantically, but fortunately, they had two sets of formations, which prevented them from breaking free.

The two Tier 2 Tide Cloud Crabs were difficult to handle, and it was only after Han Deling stepped in that they were finally killed.

Because they were hunting monsters on behalf of the clan, all spoils were temporarily kept by the logistics team to be distributed upon returning to the market.

Over the course of half a month, their cooperation with one another became increasingly proficient.

Tier 2 monsters were still relatively rare, while Tier 1 monsters were more common.

"Alright, there aren't many Tide Cloud Crabs and Green-Eyed Spirit Snakes left. We need to head to our destination. There are more low-level monsters there, but it will also be more dangerous. Put on your identification markers to make it easier to distinguish our identity," Han Deling instructed, taking out a piece of red cloth and tying it to her left shoulder.

The other Han Clan cultivators followed suit. Every time the Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage occurred, cultivators from the Green Carp Sea and the Red Algae Sea would flock to where the monsters gathered to hunt. Everyone wanted to kill as many as possible, and conflicts between cultivators from the two seas often broke out. To distinguish themselves, cultivators from the Red Algae Sea would wear a red cloth; if they encountered cultivators not wearing one, the Red Algae Sea cultivators would join forces to kill them.

Disguise themselves as cultivators from another sea? That was even worse; there had been monster hunting squads that tried that, only to be attacked by cultivators from their own sea.

In general, wearing the red cloth didn't mean much, as there was competition even within the Red Algae Sea.

The Han Clan currently had three Foundation Establishment cultivators. The clan leader, Han Zhangxiang, had to stay behind to guard the clan; Han Deling was responsible for leading the team to hunt monsters; and Han Daogan was a Tier 2 formation master responsible for the operation and maintenance of the formations on the clan's twenty-plus islands, so he could not get away.

During the Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage decades ago, the Han Clan suffered heavy losses, losing two Foundation Establishment cultivators and a group of Qi Refining clansmen. Now, whenever the Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage occurred, the Han Clan would cooperate with the Liu Clan.

There were hundreds of small islands at the border between the Green Carp Sea and the Red Algae Sea. The spiritual energy there was thin, and there were no other cultivation resources, so few people usually went there.

Every time the Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage occurred, cultivators from both seas would occupy the islands, using them as bases and employing various methods to attract monsters.

Of course, cultivators would occasionally cross the border and step into the territory of other factions, leading to fights and casualties. Even so, a large number of cultivators still rushed to the border of the two seas to hunt monsters.

Half a month later, Han Deling and her clansmen appeared on an island about a dozen miles wide. The spiritual energy on the island was thin, and there were very few trees.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator leading the Liu Clan was Liu Ruoyun, who was at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. He also brought thirty Qi Refining cultivators, and their overall strength was similar to that of the Han Clan.

Han Changming's aunt was married to Liu Ruoyun's son, so according to the hierarchy, Han Changming could address Liu Ruoyun as grandfather.

Liu Ruoyun was of medium build with a slightly dark complexion, and he looked somewhat honest and simple.

Han Changming did not dare to underestimate him, as Han Deling had already briefed the clansmen about Liu Ruoyun's situation.

Liu Ruoyun was a "smiling tiger"; many of his enemies had been deceived by his appearance. Once things turned sour, he would show no mercy and strike with ruthless cruelty.