After the assembly concluded, the Fang Clan began preparing for the once-every-twenty-years grand auction held by the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Although it was still several months away, powerful cultivators from other continents were already arriving, drawn by its renown. With nothing better to do, Fang Luo and his companions turned their attention to the pirates of the Starry Sea. Twenty years ago, the trio—then only at the second level of the True Saint Realm—had led a force of Hidden Dragon Guards on a punitive expedition. However, due to limited strength at the time, they had only managed to eliminate three pirate factions. Now, all three had reached the sixth level of the True Saint Realm, and each wielded a Saint Weapon. Against True Saint Realm cultivators lacking Saint Weapons—even at the ninth level—they could take them down individually with ease. Even if their enemies had Saint Weapons, the trio could handle eighth-level True Saints one-on-one, and working together, they could even slay those at the ninth level. So long as no Grand Saints showed up, the three felt no pressure at all. With that settled, they unanimously decided to return to the Starry Sea and finish what they'd started—wiping out the pirates completely. The three immediately set off with sixty elite Hidden Dragon Guards, departing from the Fang Clan's territory toward the Starry Sea. Fang Luo said, "Each of us will take twenty men and swiftly eliminate six pirate bases. Then we'll regroup and decide our next steps." "Exactly what I had in mind," Fang Chen agreed. Given their current strength, each of them could act independently unless they faced an unusually strong force. Splitting up would be much more efficient. Using intelligence they had collected in advance, each took twenty Hidden Dragon Guards and headed toward their assigned targets. Of the original eighteen pirate strongholds and thirty-six islands of the Starry Sea, three strongholds had already been destroyed by them twenty years ago. Fifteen remained. Among these fifteen, most were only guarded by True Saint Realm cultivators. Only five had Grand Saints. The trio avoided those five for now—their strength wasn't quite enough to handle them yet. That could wait. The other ten? Fair game. Fang Luo's goal was to eliminate all ten before the grand auction began—without missing the event, of course. Once they arrived at their respective targets, they repeated the same tactics they'd used before. First, they used formation flags and discs to deploy the Four Spirits Mountains and Rivers Formation, sealing off the area and preventing any pirates from escaping. Then they had the Hidden Dragon Guards lie in ambush, hunting down scattered pirates to gain real combat experience. Once the pirates realized something was wrong and came rushing out in full force, Fang Luo and the others would personally strike, clearing the area in one fell swoop. When the True Saint Realm pirates recognized them as the trio from twenty years ago, their expressions changed drastically—from shock to terror. "Where do you even come from? We have no grudges with you—why are you targeting the eighteen strongholds of the Starry Sea again and again?!" Fang Luo said nothing. He simply drew his Saint Weapon and unleashed a sword strike. A True Saint at the same sixth level was instantly obliterated—without even a chance to resist or dodge. That terrifying strike utterly shattered the courage of the other two True Saints. They simply couldn't believe the gap in strength between people of the same realm could be so vast. They didn't understand how Fang Luo had become so powerful in just twenty years, nor where he came from or what grudge he held with the Starry Sea. But one thing was clear: if they didn't flee now, they would never get the chance again. Unfortunately, it was already too late. "Formation—activate!" Fang Luo rapidly wove incantations, and the Four Spirits Mountains and Rivers Formation roared to life, locking down the entire island and its surrounding 60-mile radius like a massive cage, cutting off all hope of escape. No matter what the pirates said or did, their fate was already sealed. After wiping out one base each, the trio swiftly cleaned up the battlefield without even stopping to rest, then immediately moved on to their next targets. Within just three hours, they had eliminated six of the fifteen remaining strongholds. By the time the rest of the Starry Sea factions realized what was happening, the trio had already disappeared. Word spread like wildfire. "Those three are back!!!" "What grudge do they have with us?! Why won't they leave us alone?!" "It's been twenty years! We thought they were done with us!" "Back then, they only attacked the weakest among us. Now even the mid-tier factions are getting wiped out! How are they growing so fast?!" "They're clearly targeting all eighteen strongholds—we need to unite!" "If we can't beat them, we can at least run! I'm not staying here!" "At this rate, they'll wipe us all out before long!" Even twenty years ago, Fang Luo and his companions had left a lingering shadow over the Starry Sea. For years after their departure, the entire region had been steeped in dread. No one expected them to return. And now, just like before, their sole targets were the eighteen pirate strongholds. The remaining nine were thrown into panic. None of them wanted to sit and wait for death. Some began banding together for protection. Others sought alliances with powerful external factions. One stronghold even had its True Saint pack up everything and flee outright. The Starry Sea fell into chaos. Many people fled to the most fortified islands, hoping to seek shelter. Even the forces on the thirty-six islands were uneasy. They weren't sure if Fang Luo and his companions were really only going after pirates. What if that had all been a cover, and now they turned their blades toward the islands? Better safe than sorry—it was best to prepare in advance. Fang Luo, Fang Chen, and Fang Qiufeng had regrouped. "Brother Luo, the remaining strongholds have either banded together or found powerful backers. It's hard to find a good opening now," Fang Chen said, concern in his voice. The strategy of feinting one base to attack another had already been used—trying it again might backfire. Fang Luo glanced over the intelligence gathered from the Drunken Immortal Pavillion in the Starry Sea. His expression remained calm. "There are three strongholds and two island factions whose True Saints have grouped together. They're all in one place—perfect for wiping them out in one go." Fang Qiufeng hesitated. "With three strongholds and two islands, there will be quite a few True Saints. Isn't that a bit risky?" Taking on three strongholds might be doable, but two more island factions could mean a dozen or more True Saints. Even for them, that was a tough fight, and any injuries would be a costly setback. Fang Luo said, "We'll leave the Hidden Dragon Guards out of it. Just the three of us will go and test the waters. If it's too dangerous, we retreat." With their strength, so long as no Grand Saints appeared, even a dozen True Saints couldn't keep them there—they had room to try. Fang Chen agreed. "I think it's worth attempting. We might even be able to scare off the two island factions. After all, our real targets are pirates." Fang Qiufeng's eyes lit up. That could work. The alliance between those forces was only formed out of fear—it wasn't a solid partnership. There was definitely room to exploit that. If they made it clear they had no intention of targeting the island forces, those True Saints might just back off. With their plan in place, the three rested briefly before setting out again. The Hidden Dragon Guards waited tens of thousands of miles away, while the trio made their way to Greenfish Stronghold. Last time, they had feinted an attack on Greenfish, drawing out its defenders before striking Red Maple Stronghold instead. Now, those forces had banded together—and were stationed right at Greenfish. As Fang Luo prepared to quietly set up his formation again, a deep, booming voice suddenly rang out. "So you've come after all! You've got some guts!!" Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!! In just a few breaths, twelve powerful True Saint auras flared up from all directions, surrounding them completely. For more chapters visit noᴠelfire.net Clearly, the defenders were ready this time. But when the trio saw that none of them were Grand Saints, they all relaxed. Prepared or not... in the end, strength decides everything.