Chapter 124 - The Decisive Battle Begins - 1

After the city tour, Hei and Lian mainly stayed inside their room to cultivate. With the use of pills donated by the sects of Rainbow Island, their level of cultivation was gradually approaching the peak of the seventh stage spirit apprentice. Once they finished absorbing the energy, they would reach the peak or even be half-step to the second rank.

By half-step, it meant another type of classification within a single stage. In addition to beginner, low, medium, high, and peak, there was half-step. It meant that a martial artist had the basis for trying to make a breakthrough to the next rank. They just had to go through the advancement process.

Thinking carefully, Hei considered whether to advance directly to the second rank. Of course, it would have been helpful to become a spirit soldier before the decisive battle. But there was always the problem of unstable foundations. If he were to advance too quickly, then he would have to waste time later to stabilize his cultivation. And that wasn't something at all desirable as it was a really annoying and expensive procedure.

Eventually, he decided to stick with his original plan - to reach the peak seventh stage or half-step from the second rank and then stabilize his cultivation there. Later, he would create some pills with the remains of the whale he had slain. Unfortunately, after the events of Crossroad Lake, the Secret Dimension had been damaged by The One Who Hides Under The Curtain and the abrupt shift inside the Heart.

It wasn't damaged up to a point it wasn't possible to enter inside. But the flow of spirit power had become chaotic. Staying inside wouldn't cause any problem, even if it was for a very long time. However, trying cultivating even just a little bit would cause internal injuries. For this reason, Hei had been using the Heart just like a space ring, without trying cultivating inside.

During this time, Pirate General Ho Ri-Na had eventually succumbed to Hei's request, giving him a second-level spirit core. As a pirate who had been sailing the waters of the Forgotten Ocean for years, there was no way she wouldn't have such an object on her. Although it was a massive reward for one of her subordinates, Ho Ri-Na chose to do it because Hei and Lian had protected her sister's life.

Hei, therefore, gave the two second-level spirit cores he had to his little sisters. Since the energy inside those two spirit cores was higher than their level of cultivation, Ye and Xing spent most of the time digesting that energy. However, that wasn't wasted time at all, because the two little divine beasts passed to the second level while Hei and Lian stopped half-step from the second rank.

"You have been outstanding, Ye, Xing. I had no doubt that you would level up after eating the cores." Hei proudly spoke regarding the level advancement of his little sisters.

"Congratulations, Ye, Xing. You did a great job." Lian also complimented the two little divine beasts. Her eyes emitted a slight excitement due to the joy of the news.

'Eheh, now we are stronger than the big brother. So can we take it easy?' Ye suggested.

Being divine beasts by birth, they had no bottlenecks. It was the advantage of the species known as divine beasts. The important thing was to gradually accumulate the spirit power in their bodies until they reached a sufficient amount to advance in level. However, precisely because they had no bottlenecks, many of the divine beasts ended up being very lazy as far as cultivation was concerned. Ye and Xing were a prime example. If it weren't for Hei constantly spurring them, it would have taken longer for them to advance.

There was also to say that although they didn't have bottlenecks, the amount of spirit power needed to advance was higher than that required by humans. Therefore, even the divine beasts who cultivated diligently would have ended up not having such a significant advantage over humans and demons.

'Can we? Just for a day or two, please.' Xing asked with supplication as well.

The process of absorbing a spirit core was exhausting, especially if above their level of cultivation. Ye and Xing had to stay awake for days and days so as not to waste that energy. Their fatigue was, therefore, understandable.

"Alright. Then go to sleep and rest." Hei smiled at his little sisters, giving them a well-deserved rest.

After Ye and Xing went to sleep, Hei turned to Lian, "What do you think? In a way, I'm relieved that they managed to reach the second level."

"Yes, at least they will be safer during the battle. And the same goes for us. I just wish we had reached the second rank to be even more relaxed." Lian confessed as she bit her lip. Although half-step to the second rank was a respectable cultivation for someone of the younger generation like them, she wasn't delighted with the result.

"Yeah, I also wish it was so. But we mustn't be in a hurry. It is now just a matter of time. The pills for our rank advancement are ready, and the foundation stabilization process is almost over. Honestly, I would like to use them immediately, but something tells me that we will soon be summoned."

While Hei was discussing with Lian, the two of them heard a knock on the door. It was Ho Yeon Hong. "Hei, Lian. It's me, Ho Yeon Hong. My sister sent me here. She wants me to take you to her."

"Okay, we're coming," Hei answered as he took the sheets from the bed with which he wrapped Ye and Xing. Then, taking them in his arms, he left the room with Lian to follow Ho Yeon Hong toward her older sister Ho Ri-Na.

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"Have you advanced a little during this time?" Ho Yeon Hong asked Hei and Lian, turning more to Hei specifically.

"Yes, it is now only a matter of time before becoming spirit soldiers," Hei answered sincerely. There was no reason to hide their cultivation when it could easily have been seen by Ho Ri-Na and the spirit soldiers under her command.

"Wow! I had noticed that you were quite advanced as a seventh stage, but you even approach the second rank in this way. I bet the big sister will be pleased. The crew will acquire two more spirit soldiers, and our power will increase." Ho Yeon Hong complimented the two of them as she excitedly thought about the idea that his sister would lead five spirit soldiers.

"You instead? Were you able to advance with your cultivation?" Hei asked in turn, as he tried to move the topic to Ho Yeon Hong.

"Yes, I am a high sixth stage. I am approaching almost the peak. From there, I will then have to face the bottleneck towards the seventh stage. I had thought of trying to go directly to the second rank once I reached the peak sixth stage. However, my sister categorically forbade me. Even if we are having a hard time, she doesn't want me to waste my potential."

The seventh stage was a particular stage compared to the other stages of the first rank, spirit apprentice, precisely because it wasn't indispensable to advance to the second rank. It was just that progressing from the sixth stage spirit apprentice to the first stage spirit soldier was more difficult than advancing from the seventh stage spirit apprentice to the first stage spirit soldier. Not to mention that spirit soldiers who used that shortcut ended up having more difficulties in advancing between the stages of the spirit soldier rank and a lesser amount of spirit power available to them. Not surprisingly, they were also referred to as second-rate spirit soldiers.

After some trivial talk, they finally arrived at Ho Ri-Na's villa. The guards made them pass without problems, but from their attitude, one could see that there was tension in that place.

Once they arrived in front of the office, Ho Yeon Hong knocked and warned of their arrival, "Big sister, I took Hei and Lian as you asked. We're about to come in."

"Yes, that's fine." Ho Ri-Na's voice came from the other side of the door. From the sound, you could notice something hoarse, as if she had a sore throat or had spent a sleepless night.

Ho Yeon Hong, therefore, opened the study door. Inside there were besides Ho Ri-Na, Sok Yeong-Gi, and two other men. As they stood fearlessly standing near one of the Four Pirate Generals, they must surely have been the other two spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na's command.

"Welcome, Hei, Lian. I guess you know why I got you summoned here." Ho Ri-Na didn't waste too much time on the pleasantries and went straight to the main topic. Her sunken eyes shifted briefly to Ye and Xing, who were blissfully sleeping, regardless of what was going on.

"Yes. The decisive battle against Hong Shin. So the time has come?" Although it was rather obvious, Hei still asked as confirmation.

"Yes, we are finally ready. I had you summoned just to assign you your tasks. But before that, I want to congratulate you on reaching half-step towards the second rank. If it had been possible, I would have liked to have given you more time to advance."

Upon hearing the words' half-step' and 'second rank,' Sok Yeong-Gi's face twitched slightly. He wasn't at all happy to have received such news. Ho Ri-Na glanced briefly at him. As much as Sok Yeong-Gi tried to conceal his real character, he couldn't fool a woman's careful eyes. After all, if it was a matter of secrets, women were generally more skilled than men.

"I am honestly surprised that you have reached half-step second rank. I thought you would have stopped at the peak of the seventh stage, but it is better that it went like this. Take this." Ho Ri-Na handed them a thin, vertical object. "It's a jade slip. It is similar to the bamboo and wooden slips, used in the past to transcribe information. The shape is the same; however, by etching a formation on it, certain information can be sealed inside. It is as if it were a technique manual. You just have to flow your spirit power within, and the information will be displayed directly in your mind. It is handier to carry rather than a book, and more direct as a learning method. But it doesn't mean that it is enough to use it to learn a technique."

"Thank you, Captain. However, can I ask you the reason for this gift?" Hei didn't immediately take the jade slip presented by the sect leader. In the world of martial artists, there was hardly a gift for free without asking for something in return. So before accepting anything, you always had to clarify the situation behind that gift.

"Haha, prudent as they told me. You have been hiding pretty well as well, not revealing that you have a pure bloodline. I don't know where you two got it from, and I don't care. In any case, the jade slip is solely because of the impending battle. Since you are half-step second rank, you cannot fly yet. However, some movement techniques are possible. If you want to have more chance of survival, you should take it. Inside you will find a technique that allows you to walk on the surface of the water using your spirit power. It's not like flying, but does it allow you more freedom of maneuver, or am I wrong by chance?"

Upon hearing that, Hei's eyes settled on the jade slip on Ho Ri-Na's desk. As she said, that technique would have given them more chances of maneuver and, therefore, survival. He couldn't miss such a thing.

"What's the price? Or rather the task you want to assign us?" Hei finally asked, after having made his decision.

"Good, excellent reasoning. First of all, the protection of Ho Yeon Hong. I know you allowed her to board your ship for the battle. You can think of this as the payment for that concession. As for your task, yours and your partner's, you have to face the beast tamer Pang Ja-Kyung and his spirit beasts. Our crew has about 600 men; that of Hong Shin too is roughly on those numbers. The difference lies in the number of spirit soldiers. Excluding myself, there are three other spirit soldiers on our side, while there are four spirit soldiers in command of Hong Shin. So you two will have to make up for our lack and get rid of Pang Ja-Kyung. You don't have to kill him necessarily. It will be good as long as you keep him busy so that he doesn't interfere in other people's battlefields. Obviously, the ideal would be to kill him. If you manage to eliminate it, you will then help the other teams. In the meantime, my other spirit soldiers and I will face Hong Shin and his spirit soldiers. If you have managed to kill the whale, then I am confident that you will be able to face Pang Ja-Kyung." Ho Ri-Na, therefore, began to explain her plan in detail, answering any questions Hei had.

Once over that meeting, Hei finally asked the most crucial question, "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow at dawn. All the men for the mission are ready, and I have already left arrangements during my absence. We should then meet the enemy after a day and a half of sailing."

"All right. We'll be ready without a doubt." Hei replied as his expression turned serious.

He had already participated in battles with dozens of martial artists at the same time. However, this battlefield consisted of approximately 600 men on both sides, for a total of roughly 1200 men. It was reasonable that he was anxious. But more than anxiety, it was excitement.

'A battleground for over a thousand martial artists. Facing a spirit soldier and killing him. I have no doubts, I, Lian, and my little sisters will wipe out every enemy and get the victory.'