To Captain Qian, such a massive outlay of Spirit Stones was an expense he might never manage, even after his prime years for attempting the Golden Core breakthrough had passed. Yet, under Lei Dong’s persuasion, he had managed to scrape together this enormous sum in short order. Though heavily in debt, the potential breakthrough made it all worthwhile. A Golden Core expert, operating in the Endless Sea Region, would possess far superior efficiency and security than he did now. He stared, almost disbelievingly, at Lei Dong: “But, what if I fail to reach Golden Core?”

“Then you’ll simply continue to scrape by in the Endless Sea Region, only then, you won’t need to return double the Spirit Stones,” Lei Dong shrugged, chuckling easily. “With this round of spoils, I believe you have enough for one desperate gamble. Succeed, and you’ll command the world. Fail, and it’s no great loss, as your original plan gave you a far slimmer chance of achieving Golden Core anyway.”

The mention of Golden Core held a fatal allure and potent danger for any Foundation Establishment cultivator. Captain Qian gritted his teeth: “Let’s do it. A sixty percent chance is enough for me to risk it. Instead of trying again and again, it’s better to stake it all on one throw. Moreover, I’m getting older; if I delay further, I might exceed the optimal age range for a Golden Core attempt.”

“Excellent. Since everyone agrees, certain procedures must still be followed,” Lei Dong glanced at the group. “Especially for you, Captain Qian. Although everyone trusts you implicitly, to prevent you from reneging after reaching Golden Core, we must prepare some safeguards.” At Lei Dong’s words, everyone present seemed to nod in agreement.

“That is only right. After all, you all pooled your life savings to help me,” Captain Qian said solemnly. “I, Qian, am someone who understands gratitude. Once I ascend to Golden Core, leading a joint team for twenty years based on the current distribution ratio will be absolutely fine. Furthermore, if any of you have private matters requiring my aid, I have no reason to shrink back.”

“I think Lei Dong’s approach is truly excellent. The strength of one person is limited after all. If we utilize this method of mutual assistance, then anyone reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment has a chance to attempt a Golden Core breakthrough with a sixty percent probability,” Old Zhao was also brimming with excitement. The Spirit Stones, rather than sitting and gathering mold on his person until his late Foundation Establishment stage, were better invested in Captain Qian now; if he succeeded, their future safety would be secured.

Young Mistress Qing, however, thought further ahead than Old Zhao. This battle had revealed to her a path to rapid wealth. Lei Dong himself was an exceptionally powerful individual, in her eyes, almost comparable to a Golden Core cultivator. If Captain Qian could also become a Golden Core expert—one belonging to their own circle, rather than some arrogant, untouchable powerhouse—then their future activities in the Endless Sea Region would surely flourish. Perhaps they could even rob a Golden Core cultivator—that would be true fortune.

Young Mistress Qing’s thoughts partially aligned with Lei Dong’s own. Lei Dong felt that relying solely on a single Ghost General might not be enough to contend with a Golden Core cultivator. But if he had another Golden Core expert by his side, he would be far more confident in tackling many ventures. Spending wealth to invest in a friendly Golden Core cultivator was an absolutely worthwhile transaction.

In fact, from this counter-attack, Lei Dong alone was set to receive fifty percent of the earnings, which was quite substantial. After Captain Qian finished tallying the spoils, the final valuation reached nearly twenty million Spirit Hearts, and that figure did not include the captured large flying vessel. That vessel, no one intended to sell; it became communal property for the team, with Lei Dong holding a fifty percent stake.

It was a pity that several high-quality Upper Grade Spirit Artifacts and one Supreme Grade Spirit Artifact among the spoils had been refined by the enemies using Soul Refining techniques. Such artifacts required expensive refinement spells to erase the spiritual imprints left by the previous owners, drastically lowering their appraised value. Even so, several members of the team were quite fond of them, opting to exchange for them with the plan to pay professionals to remove the divine imprints once they returned to the island, thus upgrading their equipment significantly.

It is worth noting that upon Captain Qian announcing the final figure of twenty million, everyone’s eyes turned green. Twenty million Spirit currency—without some unique opportunity, they couldn’t earn that much in their entire lifetimes. Although Lei Dong took fifty percent directly, their shares still amounted to two to three million Spirit Stones each, which was an astonishing sum.

The only regret regarding this haul was the apparent lack of any Golden Core demonic beast spoils from these robbers. This caused Lei Dong a slight feeling of disappointment. A mere Golden Core demonic beast currently would likely not be enough to trigger the critical hit on his Ghost Guard and promote it to a Critical Hit Ghost General, even combined with the flesh and soul of the Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost, having sufficient aptitude for Ghost General promotion, would still face a difficult path.

One by one, their breathing grew ragged. Even Old Zhao’s eyes shone brightly, and he started to concede that raiding was indeed an extremely lucrative path. Of course, it required strength; like these ten Foundation Establishment cultivators who, failing their robbery attempt, instead became the fat sheep, making their spoils less valuable. Those who had held petty reservations about supporting Captain Qian’s advancement to Golden Core suddenly wished he had already reached that realm. A path to prosperity seemed to be opening before them.

Sometimes, that is just the way it is: without capital or connections, one toils endlessly without gaining much Spirit Stone. But once strength, capital, and a sliver of opportunity align, the road to wealth opens instantly. As in this instance, Lei Dong effortlessly secured nearly ten million Spirit Stones in profit. Even after investing five million into Captain Qian, he still netted five million—an extremely favorable trade.

While Lei Dong certainly valued Spirit Stones, he valued having Golden Core-level teammates even more. If they possessed good character and decent aptitude, forming bonds from the Foundation Establishment stage through to Golden Core would lead to deep camaraderie. Here, Lei Dong had to commend Captain Qian once more; not only was the man of good character, but his judgment in selecting teammates was sound. The few he’d carefully chosen seemed fundamentally sound in character. And even if their aptitudes were lesser, they couldn't possibly be worse than his own. Considering his own poor innate talent, the sheer volume of resources and effort poured in just to reach his current cultivation level was staggering. Having a group of Golden Core teammates and friends, Lei Dong considered that a form of wealth in itself.

The group wasted no time, setting sail back toward Canglan Island. As for Lei Dong’s need for a Golden Core demonic beast, Captain Qian privately shared some insight. Though he had only been operating on Canglan Island for a few years, he had befriended several other team captains. He could secretly purchase a small number of Golden Core demonic beasts from reliable contacts, avoiding alerting the Island Master Shang, while ensuring those sellers received greater profit—a win-win scenario. Moreover, if all went smoothly, his own ascent to Golden Core was projected to take about three months. Once he reached that stage, quietly acquiring beasts privately or hunting them at sea would become much easier tasks.

Lei Dong had initially been hesitant to loudly announce a high-priced purchase for fear of alerting Island Master Shang, who was rumored to be at the late Golden Core stage. Now, with Captain Qian acting as the local connection, as long as they proceeded cautiously, major trouble seemed unlikely. Lei Dong had never tested his speed against a late Golden Core cultivator, and whether he could escape such a powerful figure was the crucial reason he dared not take unnecessary risks.

They returned with two flying vessels instead of the one they arrived in. The large one, naturally, was the one they had seized in the raid. This immediately prompted several people to approach Captain Qian, inquiring about purchasing the large vessel. Flying vessels, while large ones consume more Spirit Stones due to higher operational costs, offer significantly more safety on the vast ocean. In the event of natural disasters or unforeseen calamities, they could endure longer. The defeated team’s main error was overconfidence, abandoning their vessel under the assumption they had easily secured Lei Dong’s group.

Of course, with Lei Dong’s current abilities, even if the enemy remained cocooned within their vessel, he could slowly wear them down. Someone practicing the Ghost Control Arts like Lei Dong excelled at attrition warfare.

Captain Qian politely refused all inquiries regarding the large vessel; it was best kept for their own use. He did, however, sell his old, dilapidated boat, netting an additional 1.5 million Spirit Stones.

Simultaneously, persuaded by Lei Dong, Captain Qian decided to acquire the Ascension Pill and other rare treasures needed for the Golden Core breakthrough by having them come to him, rather than passively searching. Through the merchants on Canglan Island, Captain Qian began leaking information that he was willing to pay eighteen million Spirit Stones for one Ascension Pill. Auxiliary elixirs like Mystic Ice Marrow, essential for supporting the Golden Core ascent, were readily available on Canglan Island. After all, this was a hub for Foundation Establishment cultivators; it was expected that such specialized materials would be present.

As anticipated, only three days later, a masked Golden Core cultivator approached him seeking to sell an Ascension Pill. In Zhaozhou, the auction price for an Ascension Pill typically ranged between 14 million and 16 million. Captain Qian’s offer significantly exceeded the normal market rate, making it highly likely that anyone possessing one would be eager to sell. At worst, they could return to Zhaozhou and secure another one at a major auction house. A transaction conducted on Canglan Island was comparatively safer, as Island Master Shang was a permanent fixture there. He maintained a strict rule: causing disturbances within the island was a grave offense, and he would show no leniency, even to Golden Core cultivators.

Having successfully gathered the necessary materials, Captain Qian began his journey toward breakthrough, a mix of nervousness and excitement consuming him. During this period, the team members undertook necessary maintenance on Canglan Island. Lei Dong used this lull to enter a short seclusion to enhance his own cultivation.