It wasn't that every group demanding toll money from passersby dared to rob just anyone. Lei Dong's Flying Boat looked quite impressive, but it bore no insignia of any top sect or major faction. The newly risen force occupying this stretch of islands seemed to be no weakling, either. Two large Flying Boats blocked the way, each with a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator standing proudly atop its ram at the prow, hands clasped behind his back.
Perhaps they hadn't wanted to scare off their prey at first, because neither large Flying Boat had displayed any markings. But once they had boxed Lei Dong and the others in from front and rear, tall flags unfurled above both vessels. Against a black field, a sinister white skull fluttered in a savage dance. It looked almost alive, as if the skull had merely been sealed inside the flag and was now clawing and snarling to break free. When the flags appeared, the two Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators on the rams wore looks of haughty pride.
The moment the other side's flags came into view, Qian Luo and the others' expressions shifted. They murmured in alarm, "White Bone Hall? How has this force already spread this far?" White Bone Hall was a major force in Zhao Prefecture, but it wasn't organized as a sect; it was more like a gang. Its master, White Bone Devil Lord, was one of Zhao Prefecture's most notorious Nascent Soul Cultivators, his hands stained with the blood of countless powerful figures. His name alone was enough to make people quake with fear and flee without a fight.
Throughout the Chaotic Archipelago, White Bone Hall was already powerful enough to rank among the top three forces. Qian Luo and Lei Dong had planned their route to skirt far