Grievous News, Allied Forces Arrive

"Ninth Great-Uncle, you're back."

Song Changsheng nodded. "This trip yielded some gains. How did the negotiations go?"

"You had already laid the groundwork beforehand. If I still couldn't bring them to an agreement, I would be far too useless.

Everything has been settled. Thousand Blades City and the Vast Sea Merchant Association will each dispatch a fleet to exert pressure on Brocade Banner's flanks, ensuring they cannot interfere with the Lineage's expansion.

In return, the Lineage must seize these islands as quickly as possible."

As he spoke, Song Youfu handed over a sea chart, upon which several islands had been specially marked with red dots.

Song Changsheng saw through their intentions after only a glance. These islands appeared scattered and random, but they were in fact crucial supply stations and storm shelters for Brocade Banner's eastward expansion.

The East Sea often bred hurricanes, tsunamis, thunderstorms, and other natural threats of terrifying destructive power. At times, even Golden Core True Persons had to avoid their edge.

Thus, though the East Sea was vast, one could not travel wherever one pleased. Routes had to be planned in advance, with supply stations and storm shelters built ahead of time to deal with the endless emergence of extreme weather.

Brocade Banner's main holdings in the East Sea were the Soaring Dragon Archipelago and the scattered islands around it. They had now developed those areas nearly to their limit and were seeking to advance eastward.

According to the intelligence they had obtained, they originally had two directions for expansion. The first was the Endless Desolate Sea directly ahead of the Soaring Dragon Archipelago, where several giant islands awaited conquest.

The second was toward the Gemini Islands, but that territory now belonged to the Song Clan.

Therefore, after defeating the Colorful Scale Clan, Brocade Banner could