After a silence, pride finally bowed before reality. Gao Tianqi, the Daoist from the Qi Sect, nodded. "Junior Brother Guo makes a good point. What do the rest of you think?"
Bao Wen, the Daoist from the Zhou Sect, had a plan ready. "We cannot fight a melee. That is the Sword Cultivators' specialty. They love surprise attacks, and if they unleash their strength amid the chaos, we will suffer badly."
He paused, then gave a cold smile. "But the Canghai Pirates have a weakness too, one they cannot remedy: this band of thieves has only one leader. Has anyone heard of a second-in-command among the Canghai Pirates? There used to be Duanmu Zi, but she left the Lizhi Sea long ago. This is where we strike at what the enemy must defend!"
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Gao Tianqi's expression shifted slightly. "You mean we challenge him, Junior Brother Bao? Turn a melee into a fierce contest between leaders? And settle things that way?"
Bao Wen narrowed his eyes. "What these crooked, unorthodox types cannot tolerate is a challenge to their faces. They know nothing of swallowing a moment's anger to gain an open sea and boundless sky. As long as we propose it, their thirst for a fight will make them accept.
"I have information. Though the stronger ones among them are quite capable, their strength lies in fighting melees, fishing in muddy waters. Drag them out for a one-on-one fight, and they often cannot put their real advantages to use.
"The sole exception is their chief, Hou Du. His strength stands above the rest, on par with the finest core disciples of the great sects. He might even become a True Disciple. But his weakness is his insufficient cultivation realm. He is only in the Second Heaven Realm. As long as