I Don't Agree to the Terms

After the three major Pirate Groups all perished, the mountain at sea came to be known as the Mountain of No Return. Some Pirate Groups, disbelieving in curses, ventured there but never returned.

However, now many pirates and the Navy no longer had the luxury to dwell on the Mountain of No Return; rather, they were all in a state of turmoil.

The divine abilities bestowed upon them by the Divine were waning bit by bit, some even disappearing completely. Initially suspected to be the cause of some plague, and still rapidly spreading, the source was eventually traced to the captain of the Dark Demon Pirate Group, who had contracted a terrible disease atop the Mountain of No Return.

This disease did not have much of an impact on humans, targetting only the transcendent abilities given by the Divine. Once in contact, infection was inevitable, spreading exponentially.

By the time everyone realized what was happening, a majority had already been infected with this peculiar disease that eradicated their own transcendent abilities.

Some, after being infected, resorted to offering Tribute to the Divine, but this time, the Divine did not respond, as if they had vanished. This caused significant chaos among all the maritime citizens, pirates, and Navy who followed the Divine path.

In light of this, to grow stronger now only the Spirit Martial Path remained open, but issues with the Spirit Martial Path had recently surfaced, pointing out that the stronger one became, the more paranoid, or that those without paranoia simply could not grow strong.

"This matter, it must have been Teacher's doing, no need to worry," Wang Qi said with composure.

The expressions of those around reflected resignation, they of course knew they dared not approach that area—the pirates alone were bold enough to go there.

As for where the rumors of the Mountain of No Return originated, it no longer mattered. It was very likely Gu Shanhai himself, idle and causing trouble; it couldn't have been anyone else.

"That's true, but it's not easy to solve. The Navy has many whose strength has declined because of it," Tang Quan spoke up.

The Navy they had recruited were formerly maritime citizens who possessed transcendent abilities as a result of offering Tribute to the Divine, inherently considered as an element of combat strength. They also practiced the Spirit Martial Path, but selection was made from the best, such as those who held positive convictions like justice and valor.

Where could such individuals be found in abundance? Maritime citizens inherently tended to align more with chaos or evil. Kind-hearted people did not survive long at sea, and it was only after the establishment of the Island Alliance that these attitudes began to shift.

Therefore, at this stage, the majority of the Navy's might was in fact derived from the divine transcendent abilities, and with their disappearance, the Navy's strength would plummet.

Of course, the strength of pirates would fall as well, both sides were equal in this.

What Tang Quan wanted to address was how to calm the people's hearts.

"It is indeed a difficult matter to handle," admitted Wang Qi, finding it tricky. It was easy to quell unrest, to let those willing work and those unwilling leave; they wouldn't be short of people. They truly believed that the life of a pirate could not compare with that of the Navy.

At first glance, pirates seemed to live lives of endless glory; but in reality, aside from the notorious ones, the living conditions for most pirates were not great, especially for those at the bottom who struggled to eat and suffered oppression.

It was akin to becoming bandits; not every place could be Liangshan, nor could everyone experience the treatment received by people like Song Jiang or Lu Zhishen. Once outside, they were more likely to become cannon fodder, their food and living conditions even worse than in the Navy.

Wang Qi's concern was figuring out how to restore the Navy's strength to continue maintaining order, confident that morale wouldn't scatter.

"How about, we seek Teacher's guidance?" Yu Ju suggested.

"Who will go?" Wang Qi responded bluntly—the possibility of returning if one went there was uncertain.

Gu Shanhai had said one month, yet now it was almost a year with no sign of emergence; they wondered what grand strategy he was concocting. They weren't worried, mainly because Gu Shanhai had informed them beforehand he would extend his period of seclusion; otherwise, how could they have thought of him immediately.

The crowd looked at one another, with no one speaking up.

"But why do we still retain our transcendent abilities, and not fade away?" Fang Jin shifted the topic, convinced that going there was out of the question, adhering to Gu Shanhai's warning against seeking death.

"Perhaps all the Divines are dead, but Teacher is still alive," Wang Qi remarked casually as he sipped his tea, his calm exterior belying the slight ripple in his cup, indicative of his inner unrest.

The spectators fell silent, well aware that Gu Shanhai had spent years collecting all the Divines, although only Wang Qi knew Gu Shanhai's previous intent to consume the Divines. He had not divulged this, but whether consumed or slain, those Divines couldn't possibly have survived.

His guess was that the decline of transcendent abilities was definitely linked to the Divines being consumed.

"It seems there's no solution to this matter; we can only wait for Teacher's return," Wang Qi concluded, accepting the issue could not be resolved.

"Let's promote the Spirit Martial Path. Command the Navy to learn this system. If someone is unwilling, they can switch to a clerical position or resign."

"As for their paranoia, it is a headache, but tailored teaching can still be advantageous."

Wang Qi could not declare the Navy disbanded over this matter. If that happened, the Island Alliance would basically exist in name only.