Lin Hai brought Yaoye, who was still a little dizzy after experiencing long-distance teleportation, and fifteen Imperial Family guards. Rather than stopping at the Xiao Clan, he shifted through space and appeared in the secret chamber on the top floor of the Miteer Auction House in Wutan City.
As the spatial fluctuations died down, Haibodong, who was inside the secret chamber, sensed the disturbance and immediately turned around. When he saw Lin Hai and, behind him, a young woman in fitted clothes with a cool, noble air and breathtaking beauty, a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes. He immediately bowed. "My lord!"
The fifteen guards, all at the peak of the Great Spirit Master rank, had only just managed to suppress the intense discomfort brought on by the teleportation. They quickly reformed their ranks and stood at attention behind Yaoye, but the shock in their eyes refused to fade.
They looked at Lin Hai with the reverence one might show a deity.
"This is Yaoye, the eldest princess of the Gama Imperial Family," Lin Hai said briefly as he introduced her to Haibodong. Then he turned to Yaoye. "This is Haibodong, the former Ice Emperor of the Gama Empire. He serves me now as well. The two of you will be jointly responsible for running a new organization."
Yaoye was startled. She hadn't expected that this imposing old man was Haibodong, the Ice Emperor who had been missing for many years!
Not daring to slight him, she gave Haibodong a small nod. "Yaoye greets Elder Hai." Her manner was neither servile nor arrogant.
Haibodong nodded in return. "Your Highness."
Lin Hai continued, "The new organization is called 'Haiye,' taking one character from each of your names. Its sole mission is not to participate in the Empire's conflicts, but to search for detailed intelligence, leads, and confirmed locations of the various Heavenly Flames scattered throughout the Northwest Continent."
"Heavenly Flames?" Yaoye and Haibodong both froze. Their expressions soon turned grave. They knew just what rare treasures of heaven and earth Heavenly Flames were. Every scrap of related information was worth a fortune, and tracking them down was an immense challenge.
"The organization's members will mainly be selected from the elite of the Gama Imperial Family's guards and the Miteer Clan. Haibodong, you'll be responsible for coordinating the Miteer Clan's personnel and intelligence network. Yaoye, you'll coordinate the Imperial Family's personnel and work with Haibodong to draw up search plans and analyze and compile intelligence." Lin Hai made their respective duties clear.
"Yes, my lord!" the two replied in unison, instantly understanding the organization's importance and the weighty task Lin Hai had entrusted to them.
"At first, the search will focus on the Northwest Continent. Later, you'll certainly have to venture into other regions, so keep your sights far ahead. The work will inevitably involve danger." As he spoke, Lin Hai took out dozens of sound-transmitting jade pendants he had already refined and handed them to Yaoye.
"These are sound-transmitting jade pendants. A drop of blood will establish a preliminary bond. With them, the organization's members can contact one another, making it easier for you to give orders, coordinate deployments, and pass on intelligence."
Yaoye accepted the pendants, their surfaces warm and smooth to the touch, with strange spatial fluctuations emanating from them. Once again, she was astonished by Lin Hai's abilities.
Each of these alchemical items was precious beyond compare, yet he had casually produced more than a dozen!
"Also," Lin Hai added, "you should first organize your people here, set up the initial framework, and draw up search strategies. Make full use of the Miteer Clan's commercial network and the Imperial Family's intelligence channels."
His gaze swept over the fifteen peak Great Spirit Master guards, whose eyes were alight with anticipation.
"Their strength is still far from sufficient. I'll prepare a batch of pills to help Great Spirit Masters break through to Dual Spirit, along with some life-saving jade pendants with defensive, offensive, and short-range teleportation functions. Once they're ready, I'll send them over together, to ensure your safety and efficiency."
At those words, the fifteen Great Spirit Masters drew in sharp, ragged breaths, their eyes blazing with delight and disbelief. Even Yaoye and Haibodong were deeply shaken!
Pills that could be refined in batches to help them break through to Dual Spirit? And those miraculous life-saving jade pendants? What astonishing resources! This meant that the members of the "Haiye" organization would have far greater chances of survival and a much faster rate of advancement than others at the same rank!
"Our thanks, my lord!" Everyone bowed again, their spirits soaring to the peak.
"Get started as soon as possible." Having delivered his final instructions, Lin Hai's figure slowly faded from the secret chamber, as though dissolving into water. He left behind Yaoye, Haibodong, and fifteen Imperial Family guards, all fired up and eager to get to work.
Haibodong and Yaoye exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement and gravity in the other's eyes.
"Your Highness, shall we begin?" Haibodong said solemnly.
"After you, Elder Hai." Yaoye nodded, immediately showing her decisive style.
From that moment on, the precision machine dedicated to searching for Heavenly Flames on Lin Hai's behalf—the "Haiye" organization—officially began operating on the top floor of the Miteer Auction House in Wutan City.
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