Chapter 24: The Battle Begins

The people on the shore didn't have to wait long. The ships soon neared the coast, crashing directly into the shallow waters without hesitation. In the murky seawater, they came to a halt, stuck on the seabed.

Pirates, who had been waiting on the ships for some time, jumped down one after another. Clad in various strange garments and wielding an assortment of weapons, they shouted wildly. Soon, the pirates swarmed the coastline, wading through the water and rushing toward the shore.

Seeing this, Fang Yong waved his hand, and the Fang family's guards on the beach formed a tight formation, marching steadily across the sand to meet the pirates head-on. The two sides quickly clashed, and the sounds of weapons striking, the cries of battle, and the wails of the wounded began to echo across the beach.

Blood and chaos swiftly enveloped the battlefield. The sea turned red with blood, and the sand became littered with bodies and weapons. Despite the carnage, the elders remained unfazed, their faces merely grave as they kept their eyes on the dozen or so ships stranded in the shallow waters.

For now, only the low-ranking pirates had landed. The more dangerous innate martial artists had yet to show themselves. Those were the enemies the elders were truly concerned about. As for the ordinary pirates, the Fang family's guards could handle them on their own.

Unlike the calm elders, Fang Yun, who had never experienced war, was clearly uncomfortable. Watching the beach gradually turn red and hearing the agonizing cries of the dying, he took a deep breath, only to choke on the metallic taste of blood in the air. Coughing, he turned his head away, unwilling to face the scene any longer.

Fang Lin, standing beside him, noticed his discomfort. He understood that their young clan leader was, after all, just a child who had never been through such an ordeal. Throwing him into such a brutal battlefield all of a sudden was indeed a lot to ask.

Fang Lin comforted him, saying, "Clan Leader, you don't need to worry. With the guards' equipment and strength, these pirates won't be their match. The main concern is the innate martial artists that will appear later. When they show up, just look for the area where the number of innate martial artists is highest and throw your talismans there! As long as we take down a few of the innate martial artists, the rest will definitely hesitate to fight us head-on. These pirates are just a rabble; they can handle a few easy victories, but they'll run at the first sign of a strong opponent!"

Listening to Fang Lin's reassuring words, Fang Yun slowly exhaled, turned to look at the battlefield, and nodded resolutely. He realized that to survive in this cultivation world, such scenes would become commonplace in the future. He had to adapt; otherwise, with his current mindset, he wouldn't be a match for any cultivator, no matter how strong he was.

With that thought, Fang Yun fixed his gaze on the chaotic battle, watching the pirates' agonizing cries as they faced death. He allowed the impact of the scene to deepen his resolve and mature him quickly. After watching for a while, perhaps due to his body's natural adjustments, he gradually began to feel less anxious. Even the tense feeling he had before the battle started to fade away.

As the fighting continued, the pirate leaders, seeing that their subordinates were not achieving much, began to jump down from the ships. They executed lightness skills, stepping on the surface of the water and swiftly reaching the beach.

Fang Yun briefly scanned this group of pirate leaders and noticed that there were as many as 25 of them. It was evident that their previous estimations were not entirely accurate. The number of innate martial artists among the pirates was precisely between the two earlier guesses.

Facing such a number of innate martial artists, the Fang family had only nine on their side, including Fang Yun, which was quite tricky. This concern was not lost on the other clan elders, who exchanged glances and recognized the seriousness reflected in each other's eyes. If they relied solely on their nine innate martial artists, the Fang family would surely be doomed in this battle.

Fortunately, fate had favored the Fang family, allowing Fang Yun, their leader, to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement within just two years. This gave them a glimmer of hope in the war.

"Clan Leader, it's up to you now. Just activate the talismans when you see the right moment!" Fang Lin said beside him.

Fang Yun glanced at Fang Lin, reached into his robe, and grasped a few fire-type talismans, silently nodding.

At that moment, a loud, boisterous laugh erupted from among the pirates. Accompanying the laughter, a burly man dressed in armor, with long hair cascading down and wielding a large sword, stepped out from the crowd.

"I don't know who's in charge over there in the Fang family, but you can see for yourselves that we've gathered 25 innate martial artists. You have no chance of winning this time! Just surrender. If you surrender and hand over all your Fang family's possessions, I promise no one will be harmed! We're only here for profit; there's no need for a fight to the death!"

At that moment, Fang Lin pushed through the crowd and stepped forward to face the burly man with the large sword. "Wei Changhai, I've heard about your reputation on the sea, and you're not someone known for keeping promises! None of us here are fools; there's no need for your tricks! If you want to fight, the Fang family will gladly oblige. But think carefully—we've been established on Ling Shui Island for hundreds of years and are not a name without substance. Once this great battle begins, when it will end is not something you or I can decide!"

Fang Lin's tone showed no weakness; instead, he threatened the pirates on the opposite side. He knew that if he appeared weak, the pirates would reveal their sharp teeth and bite hard. It was crucial to let them know that the Fang family was determined to fight to the death and had the strength to make them pay a heavy price.

They would hesitate and might even retreat. If possible, the Fang family didn't want to fight. Not to mention the casualties that would arise from battle, just the consumption of those talismans alone would be enough to cause them heartache for a long time.

Hearing Fang Lin's words, Wei Changhai realized his strategy had failed. However, this was normal; it was merely a strategy with little cost. It wasn't a big deal to fail. But since it had come to this, a fight was inevitable. The 18 pirate groups had prepared for so long; they couldn't just back down because of a few words.