Pirates

At the Martial Guard Army base. Every day, the square had once teemed with martial masters drilling in clamorous training, yet now an eerie quiet hung over the grounds. The Demon Hunt Corps was training as well. Divided into squads of ten, they practiced the Ten-Ring Mountain Sealing Formation. With just several dozen men scattered across the massive plaza, the sounds they produced were faint and hushed. Liu Long had returned ahead of schedule. As soon as Hou Xiaochen set out, Liu Long had turned back. He had not managed to speak with Hou Xiaochen, nor did he mind. Hou Xiaochen had barely spoken to anyone before departing. Apart from them, a handful of ordinary civilians remained at the base to handle cleaning and cooking, but in a base of this scale, they stayed tucked away in the living quarters, nowhere to be seen. ... When Li Hao returned, this desolate, sparsely populated scene was what greeted him. He watched the group train for a short while before departing on his own. He needed to visit the storehouse first. He was not thoroughly familiar with the Martial Guard Army base, but he at least knew where the storehouse was located. After walking for a bit, a row of single-story buildings came into view. Guards stood watch out front. The Martial Guard Army's martial masters had marched off, but several support-type supernaturals had been left behind. Spotting Li Hao, the Moon Nether supernatural on guard duty hastily saluted, "Greetings, Centurion!" Li Hao glanced at him. The man looked rather advanced in age. Presumably unwilling to endure the rigors of marching off with the army, this man, who appeared nearly fifty, had chosen to stay behind. Li Hao gave a slight nod. "How many supernaturals remain stationed at the base?" "Counting myself, nine!" the man replied hurriedly. "Eight Moon Nether supernaturals and one Solar Flare. We are primarily responsible for monitoring the perimeter and repairing any damage within the base. If a mission requires our assistance, we also accompany the squads into the field!" Monitoring arrays were installed here; the entire artificial forest fell within the surveillance grid. Li Hao nodded gently. "I will meet with everyone later. Now that the others have left, I am temporarily acting as chiliarch. I am not very familiar with all of you, so a proper introduction is in order." The man immediately responded, "Congratulations, Chiliarch!" "..." Li Hao smiled and glanced at him. Older men truly knew how to read the room; Li Hao had merely mentioned the title in passing, and the man had changed his address in a heartbeat. "Open the storehouse." "The key should be in Lord Chiliarch's possession..." *Is that so?* Li Hao took out the storage ring Golden Spear had given him and inspected its contents. Golden Spear seemed to possess an obsessive streak; the items in the ring were meticulously classified and neatly arranged. It was nothing like Li Hao's own rings, which were crammed into a chaotic mess from acquiring far too much loot. With so many hauls, he simply never had the time to sort through them. Scanning the storage ring, he indeed spotted the storehouse key. The man had labeled everything with written explanations, so how could he possibly fail to find it? Li Hao chuckled, wondering whether Golden Spear had organized it himself or had his disciple do it. Putting the thought aside, he retrieved the key and unlocked the heavy doors of the storehouse. ... He pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The storehouse was likewise organized with immaculate precision. The outer section served as an armory, lined with racks of weapons that all appeared to be of decent quality. Beyond these weapons, the most striking sight was fifty sets of black armor lined up in perfect rows. Li Hao froze in surprise. He had previously borrowed thirty divine energy stones, using fifty suits of armor as collateral. After returning, however, he had plunged straight into closed-door cultivation, followed by seeing the army off today... In truth, Li Hao had forgotten all about the matter. Knowing Golden Spear and the others were short on armor—holding only about five hundred suits—he had assumed Golden Spear had simply swallowed the fifty sets for himself. Yet seeing those fifty sets of armor standing here in pristine order filled Li Hao with quiet emotion. Golden Spear possessed genuine integrity. Li Hao had even forgotten to repay the thirty divine energy stones he owed him. Although fifty suits of armor were of no immediate use, Li Hao possessed the authority to activate black armor. Perhaps they would come in handy when recruiting personnel down the road. He had not activated the armor for the Martial Guard Army. There had been a layer of distance between them, and with time running short, he had not bothered to consider it. Thinking about it now, an entire regiment of the Battle Heaven Army—the Tenth Regiment—had been wiped out in the past. Roughly nine hundred suits of armor had been salvaged, with a portion destroyed alongside the Tenth Regiment commander. Li Hao held one hundred suits, and the Martial Guard Army had around five hundred. Each of the Three Great Organizations possessed one hundred suits as well. Yet in Silver Moon, none of the Three Great Organizations had been seen wearing black armor... It was very likely that their suits had been shipped away to the Central Region. "The Battle Heaven Army's armor... will be reclaimed sooner or later!" Li Hao muttered to himself. He was, after all, a regiment commander. For wicked syndicates like the Three Great Organizations to wear Battle Heaven armor was an utter disgrace to the army's name. The Martial Guard Army, on the other hand, at least stood on the side of justice. Suits of armor, weapons, and even ordinary armor filled the storehouse in generous quantities. Li Hao walked further in, inspecting the remaining treasures. The Martial Guard Army had taken most of the supplies, leaving the storehouse looking somewhat cavernous. After walking for a short while, however, Li Hao spotted a small hidden chamber. He pushed the door open, his eyes flickering with interest. It was an ancient text repository—ancient volumes recovered by the Martial Guard Army during ruin explorations, mostly stored here. Some were merely ordinary texts, yet to Li Hao, they still represented a worthwhile harvest. He idly flipped open a volume. The book was of high quality and well-preserved. When he opened the cover, several large characters caught his eye: *Battle of Nanjiang*. Li Hao's gaze shifted slightly. A battle record? That was rare indeed; few of the ancient texts in his possession recorded historical engagements. Opening the text, the opening line read: *The Early Years of Neo-Martial...* Neo-Martial appeared to be an era, an epoch's reign title. Li Hao had encountered references to it in various ancient texts. Supposedly, an even older ancient civilization preceded the dawn of the ancient era, and the ancient civilization had used Neo-Martial as its era name. He read on, his expression shifting before long. This was an ancient text few would likely care about. He did not know whether anyone else had read it or could understand its contents—presumably, some could. Yet for Li Hao, this was the very first time he had seen brief introductions to prominent figures of the ancient civilization within a book. The Human King, the Martial King, the Nether King... Titles, replacing personal names, surfaced across the pages. According to the text, Nanjiang was seemingly the ancient homeland of the Human King. Back then, when the Human King was still studying away from home and far too weak, foreign enemies—referred to in the book as the Catacombs' alien races—invaded Nanjiang, sparking a colossal war. The feeble Human King, following in the footsteps of numerous human experts, proactively charged into the Catacombs. To prevent the human territory of Nanjiang from suffering devastation, and to protect the civilians of Nanjiang, those fighters resolutely marched into the enemy's heartland despite the horrific peril. *Annihilate the enemy beyond the borders!* Not a single foe would be permitted to set foot on human soil, even if these warriors fell in battle on foreign land, their souls unable to return home... Li Hao had originally intended merely to browse, but he now fell silent for a moment before continuing to read. The book described the battle as catastrophic. Soon, his eyes flickered as a familiar name caught his attention. *"In the battle of the Nanjiang Catacombs, the Longevity Sword Venerable fought bathed in blood, slaying a Rank 8 opponent with a sword strike. At merely Rank 6, he severed longevity with a single blade and shattered a Rank 8 Golden Body, shaking the realm with his might! The Human King wept in anguish, carrying the dying Longevity Sword Venerable across the Catacombs as they battled across every front, slaughtering foes in all directions. In the Battle of Nanjiang, the Human King's majesty first manifested, and the name of the Longevity Sword Venerable resonated across two worlds..."* The Longevity Sword Venerable! This was a name and title Li Hao was quite familiar with; it seemed... someone had once referred to his own ancestor by this very moniker. According to the book, his ancestor was still rather weak at that time. The so-called Rank 6... Li Hao had seen mentions of it in ancient texts, and it was extraordinarily weak. Even now, he could deduce a thing or two: it was said they had not even developed spirit intent. Their physical bodies were merely somewhat robust. Rank 8, however, was hailed as the Grandmaster realm, which was somewhat akin to a Hundred-Breaker slaying a Thousand-Battler—perhaps... even more formidable. Nurturing a single sword strike for ten years, rising from a perceived cripple in everyone's eyes to shocking the world in one stroke. Yet even that was not the most dazzling feat of the battle. The Human King of the ancient civilization, incomparably feeble at the time, rose to complete prominence during this clash. At merely Rank 4, he roamed the Catacombs—where, according to the text, Rank 9 experts were as numerous as trees in a forest. Perhaps that was comparable to an endless sea of Rising Light experts today, while a Rank 4 might have been equivalent to an early Hundred-Breaker... Yet during that battle, the Human King not only slaughtered countless foes and shattered a great city, but also rescued the Longevity Sword Venerable. In this engagement, humanity utterly routed the alien invasion of the Nanjiang Catacombs... This was hailed as the pivotal battle marking the Human King's initial rise, which was why the book recounted it in such meticulous detail, laying bare the madness, despair, tenacity, and cunning of the Human King in that era. The disparity in strength had been colossal. Yet every soul willingly marched to death. Numerous human champions perished in that clash. One sentence in particular etched itself into Li Hao's memory: *When the battle reached its direst hour, senior grandmasters unleashed the Blood Saber Art one after another, detonating themselves to slay the enemy.* *In the Neo-Martial era, no grandmaster died of old age; grandmasters died only in battle. When age crept in and their vitality waned, they marched deep into the Catacombs to wage war against formidable foes, fighting until their dying breath, never looking back!* Though merely written records, the words stirred an intense restlessness within Li Hao. He thought of the Battle Heaven Army! He had believed the Battle Heaven Army represented the absolute pinnacle of elite martial forces, yet looking at this today... the martial masters of that era were simply beyond belief. To repel formidable foes, fully aware they were outmatched, every single one of them still embraced death without hesitation. *No martial master died of old age; martial masters died only in battle!* Once advanced in years, they plunged deep into the enemy's heartland, fighting in solitary struggle until death claimed them... He turned page after page, taking in the emotion, reflecting on the words... He even projected himself into the scene. That era... was truly like that? What about his own Star Origin era? Li Hao thought of the present age. Did people like that, or such a spirit, still exist? Yet... they faced no foreign enemy, only internal strife. After a long silence, he sighed and shook his head. In this era... it was difficult for people like those in the book to appear. Certain lines resonated deeply with him. Solely to annihilate the enemy beyond the borders, plunging deep into enemy territory was far more perilous and exacted far heavier casualties. Yet to shield common civilians, those powerful martial masters marched to the front lines without looking back, ultimately paying an even steeper price to secure victory. Had they allowed the enemy into the Nanjiang territory, they might have crushed them at far lower cost to the martial forces—provided... they were willing to let countless civilians perish. Yet... Li Hao wondered: in this day and age, if sacrificing tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of civilians could wipe out dozens of Rising Light experts, what choice would the rulers make? In the book, the Martial King made only a fleeting appearance in a few brief lines. Yet the Martial King was the supreme leader of humanity at the time. To prevent the enemy from stepping onto human soil, he had issued the order to march deep into the Catacombs to wage war, embracing death without regret. "The times... are different now..." Li Hao murmured softly. Today was no longer that era. Yet the book also noted that the Neo-Martial era began with them. Those figures forged a new epoch; the epoch was not born for them, but rather they created that crazed, impassioned age. The book concluded with one final remark: such a battle was merely one among tens of thousands. Throughout the Neo-Martial era, the Catacombs invaded repeatedly, yet... they never crossed into human territory! No matter how strong they were, they never succeeded. In the Neo-Martial era, the enemies were unimaginably powerful, yet every single one was ultimately destroyed beyond humanity's borders. The lights of myriad homes shone bright and prosperous; humanity held boundless faith, and billions of commoners trusted their champions. Countless youths marched to the battlefield, their souls perishing in foreign lands, yet none harbored regret. "Exaggeration..." Li Hao muttered. It was merely a chronicle akin to a novel; embellishments were a given. He refused to believe the ancient civilization had truly been so noble. Yet... what about the existence of the Battle Heaven Army? His heart was still shaken to some degree. Li Hao gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head. Over the past few days, what he had seen and heard most often was *annihilate the enemy beyond the borders*... He did not know whether he had grown overly sensitive or was simply overthinking. Every time he encountered such ideas, it felt like a reminder not to turn Silver Moon into a battlefield. Whether pirates or formidable experts, it was best to wipe them out beyond Silver Moon's borders. Do not disrupt the lives of ordinary people, and do not drag civilians into the fray. Hao Lianchuan had also reminded him not to wait until the pirates invaded before retaliating, but rather to eliminate them in advance. "The Human King..." "The Longevity Sword Venerable..." Li Hao muttered the names once more, his mind wandering. Were they truly that powerful? No, it was not merely power. It was an extreme, blood-boiling madness—fighting the strong with the weak, battling to the death, wildly relentless. Was the Human King... the murderous madman he had glimpsed? Rank 4—what did that even mean? In a Catacombs crawling with Rank 9 powerhouses, he had slaughtered across all quarters, hauling the severely wounded, dying Longevity Sword Venerable along, ultimately securing astonishing military feats and harvests, thereby formally rising among humanity. Thoughts swirled endlessly in Li Hao's mind. He swiftly put the book down and moved toward the next area. He had come here merely to inspect the inventory. As for the rest, he should read fewer of these books in the future. Every time he read them, an impulse welled up inside him... to stake it all! To stop enduring in silence! Weakness was not terrifying; what was terrifying was lacking the courage to go mad just once. However... a single misstep meant death. At this moment, Li Hao was not quite ready to die. Continuing forward, he entered another small chamber after a brief walk. A vessel glowing with faint radiance rested within the room. It was tiny, appearing only about a meter long, yet Li Hao knew it was an Origin God Armament. It should be capable of enlarging. He wondered whether its armament spirit had awakened. With that thought, Li Hao tapped the hull lightly with the Starry Sky Sword. "If you are awake, show yourself. Otherwise... I'll slice you in half!" The vessel remained silent. Li Hao knew these artifacts felt no fear from threats alone; the Starry Sky Sword by itself was not what struck terror into armament spirits. In the next instant, the image of a sword formed in his mind, and sword intent surged forth... Instantly, an armament spirit manifested. It resembled a colossal fish, yet also possessed the traits of a bird. Li Hao examined it closely, frowning slightly. What kind of demon was this? A flying fish? The armament spirit appeared to be trembling. Li Hao did not press the matter, merely saying, "I can claim ownership, correct? The drop-of-blood method?" The giant fish said nothing, though the vessel's hull gave a slight tremor. With his prior experience communicating with the Fire Phoenix Spear, Li Hao took this as assent. He forced a drop of blood from his fingertip. The blood fell, sinking into the vessel. The ship shuddered faintly. Fragments of information flowed into Li Hao's mind. This was actually his first time attempting to bind an Origin God Armament. Though he possessed several, he had never considered binding them before. In truth, establishing ownership was by no means simple. However, when Li Hao gripped the Starry Sky Sword and unleashed the Longevity sword intent... the Origin God Armament opted to streamline the process. The giant fish was terrified that making things complicated would result in being shattered by a single sword strike. "Giant Kun Divine Vessel..." Li Hao murmured, his eyes flickering. The mental imprint provided basic details: this was a formidable ship, with vague references to the Forbidden Sea. It was capable of traversing the Forbidden Sea. An exceedingly rare vessel! To such a ship, the current North Sea was little different from a small stream. When enlarged, the massive vessel could carry a thousand men—just enough for the Martial Guard Army. Golden Spear and the others had used it a few times before, but their binding had been imperfect, leaving many functions dormant and impossible to activate. Li Hao digested the information. After some thought, a suit of silver armor suddenly materialized over his body. A ripple of spirit intent pulsed outward: "Can the armor query information records?" The ancient civilization's armor system was formidable. Could it be used to look up data? A moment later, a line of digits materialized before Li Hao: *"Database inactive. Data corrupted. Insufficient clearance. Basic functions only..."* Li Hao understood. In Battle Heaven City, the armor's database system had likely not been repaired to this day. A slight pity. Otherwise, he could have looked up a great deal of information, rather than having to guess how to use every Origin God Armament he obtained. He stowed the Giant Kun Divine Vessel away. Once bound, the artifact could be stored internally, which made it quite convenient. Li Hao continued wandering through the storehouse. Moments later, he stepped into a small archive containing the Martial Guard Army's intelligence files. He sat down and began reviewing the documents. They included records of ruins, the ruin Golden Spear had not yet explored, and gathered intelligence on the pirate factions. ... Meanwhile. At the General Administration Bureau. Director Zhao was attending to official business. Having finished his tasks, he glanced over at Deputy Director Zhou. "Did that kid head back?" "Yes, to the base." Director Zhao smiled. "Do you think he's hiding away, or does he have other plans?" "Hard to say." Deputy Director Zhou shook his head slightly. "We don't know much about Li Hao. Both Hou Xiaochen and you, Director, seem eager for him to shoulder responsibilities. But in my view... there is no need for this. During the ancient civilization, the Eight Great Families were indeed guardians of all living beings. But do not forget, Director, that was countless ages ago. The glory and duty of his ancestors do not apply to him today." Hou Xiaochen, Director Zhao, and the other native powerhouses of Silver Moon all seemed keen for Li Hao to take up the mantle of responsibility. Deputy Director Zhou, however, did not quite agree. "The Eight Guardian Families guarded the humanity of their own era, not modern Silver Moon. Furthermore, Li Hao is far too young. Both his parents are dead, and his close friends were brutally murdered. I believe you are being overly optimistic, Director." Director Zhao sighed. "We had no idea all eight families would converge in Silver City either. But... if descendants of the Eight Families act with benevolence, all is well; if they turn evil, they become a catastrophic scourge! "Look at Red Moon. It may very well be tied to one of the eight families. Once they turn to evil, the realm suffers devastating calamity... Both Hou Xiaochen and I hope Li Hao will firmly align with order rather than malevolence..." Deputy Director Zhou considered this before replying, "Holding him to such high standards is exceedingly difficult. It can only be done through subtle influence and leading by example. Tell me, Director... if we cannot manage it ourselves, is it reasonable to expect it of him? He is still young. What he needs is guidance through words and deeds, not orders and coercion." He did not entirely agree with certain methods employed by Hou Xiaochen and Director Zhao; they were far from ideal. Hearing this, Director Zhao gave a wry smile and shook his head with a sigh. "We would like to, but alas... our current state prevents us from exerting ourselves too much. Forget it, let him be. Have people keep an eye on the maritime borders to prevent mishaps. As for Li Hao, let him do as he pleases. So long as he doesn't throw Silver Moon into chaos, we need not interfere." Deputy Director Zhou said no more and returned to his work. The two had collaborated for years, and their offices were connected to facilitate communication—a rare arrangement indeed. ... At this moment, every faction's attention was fixed upon Hou Xiaochen and his entourage. Eyes tracked their movements continuously, calculating how long it would take for them to pull out of the northern provinces entirely. Others monitored Li Hao in Silver Moon, but since he had slipped straight into the Martial Guard Army base, their scrutiny yielded nothing. No movement stirred. With Hou Xiaochen's departure, all of Silver Moon seemed to plunge into dead silence. ... In the North Sea. Waves roared violently. A voice laced with savagery and fury echoed aboard a massive ship: "Hou Xiaochen has left, and the Martial Guard Army is gone too. By tomorrow or the day after, those bastards will likely cross the North Sea... Should we take the initiative and ambush them on the open water?" "Are you looking to die?" Another voice sounded, calm and frigid. "A thousand Martial Guard troops, along with formidable experts like Hou Xiaochen, Golden Spear, and Jade Rakshasa. So many Rising Light experts from the Three Great Organizations died at their hands, and you want to ambush Hou Xiaochen? Is your head filled with shit?" The savage voice flared up again: "I just can't stomach letting them walk away like this! That bastard Golden Spear has slaughtered so many of our brothers over the past few years..." "Then take your men and go ambush them. If the brothers are willing, I won't stop you!" "..." At those words, silence descended over the great ship. The savage voice sounded somewhat helpless: "If Big Brother won't go, how could we possibly pull it off..." He was bitter. Yet without their leader, they genuinely lacked the nerve. Hou Xiaochen was far too terrifying. Had their boss joined them on the water, they might have stood a chance; after all, their foes were land-bound experts, whereas the North Sea was their domain. "Then shut your mouth!" The cold voice rang out again, unwilling to waste breath. Day in and day out, the man offered nothing but terrible ideas. Ambush Hou Xiaochen? Even the Three Great Organizations dared not attempt it. You expect me to ambush him? Suicide, pure and simple. Having clawed their way to such immense power and dominance over these waters, throwing their lives away like that was out of the question. The savage voice persisted: "Big Brother, even if we don't retaliate against Golden Spear and the others, we still owe Silver Moon payback... Now that the Martial Guard Army and Hou Xiaochen are gone, why not strike Silver Moon directly? We can butcher a few of their cities and make Golden Spear and Hou Xiaochen regret leaving!" "Silver Moon is dirt poor. Aside from White Moon City, where else is there any wealth to plunder?" The cold voice carried irritation. "In White Moon City, Hou Xiaochen might not have been the only one concealing his strength. That city is treacherous. Attacking White Moon City is utterly pointless and might only invite disaster." "Big Brother, even if we don't touch White Moon City, we still need to slaughter some Silver Moon folk! Silver Moon has several cities bordering the Moon Sea—we can sack just one! Otherwise... not only me, but the brothers won't accept this! Besides, the men have been cooped up for far too long; we need to get out and blow off steam. The three northern provinces are embroiled in war, so we can't head up there right now without painting targets on our backs... But tearing through Silver Moon for some fun is entirely doable! If we don't, the men are going to lose their minds!" An uproar broke out within the ship. "Aye, Boss, Third Master speaks the truth! We're suffocating out here!" "Exactly! And the Martial Guard Army killed so many of our men before... Those Silver Moon barbarians have it coming!" "..." The clamor rose, tempers flaring. Seated upon a throne, the white-robed man frowned slightly, casting a glance at the heavily bearded man in the crowd. A scar ran across the bearded man's brow, left by Golden Spear two years ago. Evidently, he could not wait to exact his revenge. The white-robed man frowned. "Hou Xiaochen is deceitful and cunning. He would not have taken the Martial Guard Army away without preparations! The people in Silver Moon aren't fools either. Going now might walk right into a trap..." The bearded man snapped impatiently, "Boss, we're pirates, not politicians! We strike and move on. With our strength, what is there to fear? If Silver Moon were truly that powerful, they would have conquered the region long ago instead of waiting until now!" He felt disgruntled by his boss's cold detachment and indecisiveness. Of course, grumbling changed nothing; his martial strength was inferior to the leader's. On the sea, strength ruled supreme. Besides, what was Silver Moon to them? They had plundered cities along the Central Region's coastline before. They were flesh and blood; they needed wine, meat, and women to vent their lust. With the recent tensions, they had been idle for far too long. Right now, Silver Moon's defenses had clearly fallen into a vacuum. If he didn't pay Silver Moon a visit, he would be doing a disservice to the scar that had nearly claimed his life. He would kill that old bastard Golden Spear sooner or later! Two years ago, he had lost by a hair. But over the past two years, as a supernatural, his cultivation had advanced rapidly. He refused to believe Golden Spear had kept pace with him. Seeing the bearded man bristling with fury, and the others itching for action, the white-robed man fell silent for a moment before speaking coolly: "Take a group of brothers then. Be careful. If anything seems amiss, withdraw immediately... Remember, do not linger on land!" The bearded man beamed with delight and answered hastily, "Don't worry, we'll head back the moment we've had our fun!" He had finally agreed! Unable to contain himself, the bearded man roared, "Raid Silver Moon! Slay the men, burn the towns, take the women! Silver Moon may be poor, but their women are tender enough to pinch water from! Hahaha! And their female martial masters pack plenty of kick! Brothers, with me!" "Third Master is mighty!" The crowd roared in a cacophony of cheers, following the bearded man out. Outside, several large ships awaited. After they departed, a figure wearing a mask stepped out from behind the white-robed man, his voice slightly raspy. "You know Hou Xiaochen is cunning and certainly left preparations behind. Letting Sea Shark go to Silver Moon was not wise!" The white-robed man replied calmly, "If we were wise, we wouldn't be pirates. Keep him cooped up any longer, and Sea Shark will mutiny. Should I wait for him to rebel and turn our swords on one another?" The masked man fell silent, offering only a reminder: "General White, this naval force is of great use to us. Do not squander too much strength. Though Sea Shark is volatile, he is powerful and fierce in combat. The White Shark Guard is also a crucial asset for securing treasures from the seas..." "I don't need you to remind me," White Shark said, adding, "If you're uneasy... take some men and shadow them in secret. Keep your distance and stay vigilant. If all goes well, let it be; if trouble arises, you can provide timely reinforcement. As long as they avoid White Moon City, Silver Moon shouldn't pose much danger. Provided Sea Shark doesn't lose his head to lust and pulls out in time, there won't be major problems." The masked man considered this and nodded. "I will take men and follow them to prevent a disaster." Turning from the subject of Sea Shark, he broached another matter: "Orders have come from above directing us to integrate all pirate forces across the North Sea as swiftly as possible..." White Shark frowned. "I understand, but it's not that simple! There are seven prominent pirate factions in the North Sea right now. Counting us, that makes eight. Every single one is anchored by a Rising Light expert. More troublesome still, the Sea Demon Pirates are even aided by several massive aquatic demons... They are a nightmare to deal with!" His White Shark Pirates were formidable, yet on paper, they ranked merely fourth. The top three factions were immensely powerful, boasting peak Rising Light powerhouses among their ranks. Exceedingly troublesome! White Shark felt a wave of irritation at the thought, yet he knew the backing behind the masked man possessed immense influence. Defying them would bring severe trouble, even on the open sea. After a few remarks, he added, "Subjugating the others requires external support. Besides... the other factions may well have backers of their own. The North Sea pirate factions are powerful; without backing from figures on the mainland, none could have reached this stage. From what I know, the Sea Demon Pirates might be secretly supported by the Linjiang Governor's Office..." "The Linjiang Governor's Office?" The masked man scoffed dismissively. "Pay them no heed! The man in Linjiang has only just stepped into the Transformation stage. The entire Linjiang Province has no more than ten Rising Light experts. He harbors grand ambitions, yet fails to see his own predicament: pinned in the north, with Silver Moon behind him and the three northern provinces ahead... What right does Linjiang Province have to establish a foothold? The day he declares independence will be the day of his demise!" He held nothing but contempt for the warlord of Linjiang. White Shark, however, was somewhat puzzled. "He entered the Transformation stage? How so fast... Even General Kou couldn't break through before..." The masked man shook his head. "Who knows? Perhaps someone is secretly backing him as well. My intelligence comes from superiors above. Allowing him to grow strong is likely intended to check Silver Moon and keep certain figures contained!" Linjiang bordered Silver Moon, a province of paramount strategic importance where power players had laid their groundwork long ago. White Shark frowned, offering no further comment. The masked man continued, "You need not concern yourself with the factions backing them. All you need to do is unify the power across these waters. Only by controlling the North Sea can we bottle up the entire northern realm..." White Shark did not take the grand scheme too seriously. Counting on pirates to completely blockade the North Sea was vastly overestimating their capabilities. At the end of the day, pirates were just bandits. If the nineteen northern provinces truly marched toward the Central Region, no pirate coalition could hope to stop them. "By the way..." The masked man seemed to recall something. "I hear Yuan Shuo's disciple, the descendant of the Eight Families, Li Hao, remains in White Moon City. If an opportunity arises to capture him, do so at all costs! He is of vital importance, bearing great treasures, and Red Moon has kept their eyes fixed on him. Not only are his treasures valuable, but the boy himself is pivotal!" White Shark nodded slightly without committing to words. So long as the target stayed inside White Moon City... he would never venture near. If the boy came out, that might be a different story. Thus, whatever the masked man said, White Shark simply humored him. White Moon City certainly held formidable masters in reserve; powerful though White Shark was, he had no confidence facing experts of Hou Xiaochen's caliber. The masked man spoke a bit longer before taking his leave, setting off with a contingent to shadow Sea Shark. Sea Shark's combat prowess was formidable; it was best not to let him perish here. ... Meanwhile. Li Hao finished reviewing the intelligence files and exhaled a slow breath. He had not anticipated so many pirate groups in the North Sea. According to the records Golden Spear had left behind, over a hundred pirate bands roamed the vast waters. Among them, eight factions were exceedingly powerful, each backed by Rising Light experts, with some even fielding peak Rising Light cultivators. Two years ago, the Martial Guard Army had clashed with one of the more prominent outfits: the White Shark Pirates. Their leader, White Shark, was reportedly a fearsome fighter, though the army had not encountered him directly during that skirmish. Instead, they had crossed blades with the Third Commander, who was also a Rising Light expert. All three top chiefs of the White Shark Pirates were Rising Light experts, commanding over ten thousand men. The Third Commander had led over a thousand pirates aiming to sack White Moon City... only to be repelled by the Martial Guard Army. Golden Spear had nearly slain the man, who barely escaped with his life. The Martial Guard Army had suffered considerable casualties during that engagement as well. Over the past two years, however, the pirates had not dared trespass upon the Moon Sea's waters again. "Are there really that many Rising Light experts out on the sea?" A single pirate fleet commanded three Rising Light leaders. Li Hao frowned. If they were this formidable, how many Rising Light cultivators existed across the entire North Sea? How could they possibly be this strong? After a long pause, Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. Perhaps... these were not merely seafaring bandits, but pawns backed by hidden benefactors. Whether nurturing bandits to enhance their own importance or plotting grander schemes... Li Hao had seen through the major factions, prominent figures, and noble clans. Hardly any of them were decent people! Otherwise, why would so many Rising Light experts choose to live as pirates? On land, they could be local warlords, or live comfortably by joining the Three Great Organizations or the Nine Departments. "Now that Director Hou and the others have left... these scoundrels might not be able to hold back... Should I take the initiative?" Li Hao sank into contemplation. A moment later, he reached a decision. He could scout ahead and take a look; he had never ventured deep into the open ocean before. Getting accustomed to it would do no harm. After all, he was the one who had stayed behind. A pang of regret flickered through him. Had he known, he would have left as well, leaving those cunning old schemers to plot among themselves.