Chapter 967: Sea Target

Guglas had a relatively leisurely routine. Each day, besides drinking, he would study the various intelligence reports and ancient texts he had collected. What truly astonished Guglas was that thousands of years of accumulated anecdotes about various forces across the Yingzhou Continent, along with top-secret intelligence previously beyond his reach from the Demonic Dragon Legion, now flooded his mind.

Reading, it could be said, brought Guglas immense pleasure. While he derived immense satisfaction from absorbing these secrets and knowledge, his overall combat capabilities did not see a significant improvement.

Prancis and his wife continued their daily display of affection. With their deep cultivation foundations, they were already the most powerful members of the Glory Team, second only to Xu Yang and Ling Yao. Consequently, they weren't expecting significant progress in the short term. Instead, they fully indulged in their cherished life at sea, occasionally assisting Xu Yang and Ling Yao in studying operational issues within the main control room.

A month and a half had passed, and Xu Yang's team was still aboard the *Black Pearl*. During this period, the *Black Pearl* had reached the outer fringes of the sea. According to Prancis and his wife's calculations, at their current speed, the *Black Pearl* would enter the Central Sea within seven days. The mermaid sisters had warned that in that region, the roars of demonic dragons could frequently be heard, indicating their rampant presence in the central area, which inevitably led to conflicts with other factions.

That very night, an endless storm descended without warning. Ocean storms are often unpredictable and violent, characterized by torrential rain and fierce, howling winds that severely hindered the *Black Pearl*'s progress. However, the warship's defensive capabilities were incomparable to others. While its speed was significantly reduced, the crew remained safe from immediate danger.

What surprised everyone, however, was that amidst the raging winds and torrential rain, several light points quickly appeared within the radar's search range. Based on Prancis and his wife's extensive maritime experience, they quickly deduced that the light points indicated a fleet of ships nearby, also battered by the storm.

"Boss," Prancis asked Xu Yang, "should we eliminate them directly, or do you have other plans?"

Xu Yang gently shook his head. "There's no need. The sea is too rough, and their team doesn't appear very strong. They pose absolutely no threat to us. If we can take this opportunity to rescue them, they might provide us with valuable maritime intelligence. After all, for them to have reached the Central Sea, they must possess some strength. If we can bring them under our command, they could be of irreplaceable value to our entire voyage."

It had to be said, Xu Yang's strategic foresight was something these people could study for a thousand years. Upon hearing Xu Yang's idea, both Prancis and his wife nodded repeatedly in sincere admiration.

"Truly worthy of the Boss; your thought process is so meticulous. If my wife and I had acted according to our old ways, we would have unleashed our full firepower and crushed them instantly! Our ships, when sailing in foreign waters, had previously faced suppression and persecution from various forces, making us exceptionally vigilant over the years. At sea, showing mercy to others is tantamount to pushing oneself into the abyss. However, circumstances are now different; we control the *Black Pearl* mobile city. Even if we encounter ill-intentioned pirate adversaries, we are utterly fearless now."

Prancis excitedly pushed the throttle to full ahead. Soon, the *Black Pearl*'s energy arrays flared to life, and following the radar's indications, it surged forward at full speed towards the light points.

The pursuit didn't last long. With Xu Yang's improvements and support, the *Black Pearl*'s propulsion system had become extraordinarily powerful, capable of speeds three times greater than top-tier warships of its class. Bolstered by this power, the *Black Pearl* soon came into view of the distressed warship fleet, which had also been struggling against the relentless storm.

Sure enough, the leading warship immediately sent out communication signals, attempting to establish contact with Xu Yang's *Black Pearl* amidst the relentless storm. Soon after, white flags began to wave from the three leading enemy warships. Prancis burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Boss, they're calling for our help!"

Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction. "Approach their main warship. I'll handle the rest."

At Xu Yang's command, Prancis executed the subsequent maneuvers with precision, guiding the massive *Black Pearl* into the heart of the other warship formation with virtually no error. Naturally, the outer support ships remained highly cautious at first. The *Black Pearl*'s sheer size alone, appearing as a behemoth, exerted immense pressure on them. However, that quickly changed. When Xu Yang ascended into the air and personally landed on the main battleship of their fleet, he engaged in a brief negotiation with the crew and sailors trapped by the storm. Their demeanor gradually put Xu Yang at ease.

As Xu Yang had anticipated, this was indeed a pirate fleet. However, they displayed a remarkably friendly demeanor, which was understandable given their need for assistance from Xu Yang and his group. After some negotiation, Xu Yang learned that the pirate team was called "The Victors," led by Captain Jack, a powerful Blue Primary Spirit Cultivator. While such a cultivation level was negligible compared to the members of Xu Yang's Glory Team, Captain Jack was certainly no ordinary individual across the entirety of Western Yingzhou Continent. More importantly, his Victors team possessed considerable overall strength. Their three large ships carried over three hundred sailors, each with a foundational level of cultivation. Undoubtedly, should such a team join a conflict, their practical combat capabilities would far surpass those of the pampered cultivators from established city-state factions.

"Lord Ayang," Captain Jack said, "we thank you for your rescue. Without your presence, the Victors Legion would have become history today!"

Old Captain Jack exuded an ineffable sense of rugged honesty, clearly not the type to resort to cunning or deceit. The young men who followed him were also strong and of excellent character. Xu Yang recognized at a glance that these were honorable and powerful individuals, well worth forming deep connections with.