Reincarnated as the Death Spider Queen, sacrificing Bibi Dong at the start

Finally, amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, a three-masted sailing ship, entirely black with a brand-new purple pearl flag flying from its main mast, sailed slowly from the horizon, eventually docking steadily beside the pier at the Royal Wharf of Hanhai City.

Nan Feng stood on the bow deck. To his left rear stood Zi Zhenzhu, who had purple hair and was dressed in a smart and practical outfit.

To the right rear was the old Soul Emperor, the only one in the Purple Pearl Island hall who dared to stand up and express concern and reservations about Nan Feng's military rule.

In this den of pirates who only know how to kill and rob, whose minds are filled with muscles and desires, it is really not easy to find someone with even a little foresight and brains.

Therefore, before leaving, Nan Feng specially promoted this old man to be Zi Zhenzhu's deputy, assisting her in handling the complicated reorganization and pacification work on the island.

As for the other powerful Soul Emperor leader on the island, he was left behind on Purple Pearl Island to oversee the main camp and urge the forcibly recruited pirates to continue breaking stones and building fortifications.

As the Purple Pearl slowly approached the shore, the pirate sailors on board all leaned over the gunwale, peering down into the water.

When they saw the five enormous royal cargo ships at the port of Hanhai City, which resembled sea fortresses, and saw the crates and mountains of top-quality building materials, fine weapons, and food piled up on the dock, and even saw the royal knights, whom they had only heard of in legends, standing guard around the area...

These pirates, who had spent their entire lives as bandits at sea and had never even dreamed of seeing so much wealth, were all utterly bewildered.

A profound sense of unreality and absurdity welled up in everyone's hearts.

"Holy crap... This actually actually happened?!"

An old pirate swallowed hard, pinched his thigh hard, and winced in pain.

Although they were all impressed by Nan Feng's terrifying martial prowess, deep down, these illiterate pirates held great skepticism about the grand plans Nan Feng had described on the island, such as "establishing a duty-free trade zone," "connecting the inland and the open ocean as a hub of interests," and "monopolizing cross-sea shipping routes."

There's no way to explain ice to a summer insect.

These pirates, who couldn't even do two-digit arithmetic, had no idea what macroeconomics was!

They don't understand just how astonishing the profit margin between sea and land transportation really is.

Even less did they understand that if there were an absolutely safe overseas transit point that could affect the nerves of the two great empires and all the major merchant guilds, that island itself would become an inexhaustible super gold mine!

In their ingrained belief, money is something that can only be stolen by taking a knife, going to a ship, or drawing blood from someone's neck!

Therefore, from the very beginning, they instinctively felt that the new leader's grand plan of "getting the emperors and suzerains in the interior to send us money to build islands" was mostly just empty promises, or even just a way to fool them when he had nothing better to do.

But now...

Looking at the massive amount of supplies in front of them, which was almost enough to crush the port of Hanhai City, and the important figures who stood on the dock with smiles on their faces and respectful demeanor to welcome them.

The pirates exchanged bewildered glances, their meager minds racing, finally arriving at what they considered the most logical conclusion—

"Teacher, could it be that you stormed into the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace, robbed the old emperor, and stole these supplies?"

Purple Pearl said with a strange expression.

"boom!"

Without any hesitation, Nan Feng raised her small hand and delivered a resounding flick to Zi Zhenzhu's smooth forehead with remarkable precision.

"Ouch!" Purple Pearl clutched her forehead, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.

"Get rid of those bandit-like ways of robbing and plundering in your head!"

Nan Feng rolled his eyes at her, then abruptly turned his head, his heterochromatic pupils flashing with a chilling light as he swept over the group of pirates peering out from the deck:

"Sit up straight!"

"From this moment forward, you are the Purple Pearl Navy, responsible for maritime shipping, not a rabble of thieves who plunder everywhere! Anyone who dares to cause me trouble here, or anyone who dares to act like a vicious pirate again, making me lose face in front of these major land-based customers..."

Nan Feng's lips curled into a cruel sneer: "You're welcome to try. I guarantee you won't even get a quick death."

Upon hearing this seemingly casual threat, the pirates on deck felt a chill run from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads. They all shuddered violently, and an uncontrollable shiver ran through them.

No one dared to doubt whether this "Demon God Douluo" was just trying to scare them.

"Yes! Sir... don't worry! We will absolutely not disgrace you!" The pirates stood up straight in unison, trying to keep their rough faces, weathered by years of wind and sun, in order to look like law-abiding regular soldiers.

Nan Feng then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, not wasting any more time. He led Purple Pearl and Old Soul Emperor John off the platform and onto the Royal Dock.

Ning Fengzhi and Prince Xuexing immediately came forward to greet them.

"This is Purple Pearl, the official manager of Purple Pearl Island from now on; this is Old Soul Emperor John, her deputy." Nan Feng casually introduced them to Ning Fengzhi and the others. "The two of them will be responsible for guiding this investment fleet on the upcoming sea voyage."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded to the two of them, showing no disdain for their past as pirates, displaying the demeanor of a Grand Sect Master.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ning Fengzhi did not delay and immediately ordered the fleet to prepare to depart.

Soon, the heavy anchor was pulled up. Led by the Purple Pearl, the five royal cargo ships, resembling sea monsters, slowly departed from the port of Hanhai City, heading towards Purple Pearl Island in a grand procession towards the rising sun.

Nan Feng, on the other hand, accepted Ning Fengzhi's warm invitation and, together with Zi Zhenzhu, boarded the most luxurious flagship of this investment fleet.

Because he had tricked Ning Fengzhi in the Imperial Study before, Emperor Xueye was going to bleed a lot this time in order to repair the rift between the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

These five large cargo ships, fully loaded with supplies, were jointly funded and prepared by the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Furthermore, Emperor Xueye and Ning Fengzhi have already privately agreed that all profits from the completion of the Purple Pearl Island trade zone will be distributed between the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School in a very fair "50/50" split.

Emperor Xueye knew very well that even with the official endorsement of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family, the development of Purple Pearl Island would still depend on the absolute influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School in the business world to get those large merchant guilds, who were hesitant to invest without seeing any tangible benefits, to actually spend money.

On this continent, no one would doubt the shrewd business acumen of the number one sect in the world.

At this moment, a gentle sea breeze was blowing on the wide deck at the top of the flagship.

Ning Feng, having brewed the finest tea, bowed deeply to Nan Feng with utmost sincerity, saying, "Senior, I have been filled with unease and fear since my offense in the Imperial Study. Today, I apologize once again to you..."

"Alright, Sect Leader Ning."

Nan Feng leaned back in the large recliner and waved her small hand to interrupt him: "I don't like to bring up the past. I don't like to deliberately remember things that make people unhappy."

"As long as you don't deliberately cause that kind of trouble again, I have no interest in pursuing it."

Seeing Nan Feng's decisive action, Ning Fengzhi felt relieved and quickly expressed his gratitude for the senior's magnanimity with a smile.

After a few cups of hot tea, the atmosphere gradually became more harmonious.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Nan Feng, who was enjoying the sea breeze, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. Finally, unable to suppress his doubts, he tentatively asked:

“Your Majesty, I have heard Your Majesty mention that the rules of Seagod Island are extremely strict. Once a Soul Master on Seagod Island completes the Holy Pillar Trial of Lord Seagod, they are forbidden from leaving Seagod Island for the rest of their lives.”

"Then... Your Majesty, what is the situation?"

Nan Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and replied calmly, "What's so strange about that? My assessment hasn't been completed yet, so naturally I'm not bound by the rule of 'never being allowed to leave the island for life,' and I can go out to sea whenever I want."

At this point, Nan Feng glanced sideways at Ning Fengzhi: "What? Judging from Sect Leader Ning's tone, are you interested in the Seagod Island assessment? Should I make an introduction so that you can go to the island and give it a try after the port on Purple Pearl Island is built?"

"This junior would never dare to even entertain such a thought!"

Ning Fengzhi quickly waved his hand to decline, and said with a wry smile, "Although Seagod Island is a sacred place on earth, we are, after all, land-based Soul Masters from the inland. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's foundation is all on the mainland, so it's really inconvenient for us to easily venture overseas. Besides..."

Ning Fengzhi paused, a hint of awe in his eyes: "I've heard that the legendary Sea God's trial is extremely difficult, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. With my meager support-type cultivation, I'd better not embarrass myself before the Sea God."

"Extremely difficult?"

Nan Feng put down his teacup, looked at the vast and magnificent sea, and chuckled softly:

"The difficulty of the Poseidon Trial is never a fixed one-size-fits-all approach, but varies from person to person."

"On Poseidon Island, some people's assessment tasks may simply involve picking up a specific seashell on the beach; while others are tasked with going alone into the deep sea to fight a terrifying sea spirit beast that has lived for 100,000 years!"

"However, there is one thing you can rest assured about."

"Gods are high above, but they are not blind. The sea god would never give a soul master a death-defying test that he absolutely cannot complete."

"For ordinary Soul Masters who are mediocre in talent but pure in heart and steadfast in faith, the Sea God is extremely merciful, and the assessment is merely a formality; however, for those exceptionally talented geniuses who even dare to covet the authority of the gods, yet are inherently lazy or have impure intentions..."

"The Sea God's strictness is far beyond your imagination!"

Chapter 161 The Revitalized Purple Pearl Island

……

Guided by this group of local tycoons who have been operating in this area for years, the massive investment fleet progressed unexpectedly smoothly.

The journey was smooth sailing, without encountering the towering waves that those land dwellers had imagined, or even a single sea spirit beast.

As for those legendary, ruthless pirates who were said to be everywhere, they were so frightened by the sight of the purple pearl flag fluttering in the wind and the menacing figure standing at the bow of the ship that they ran as far away as possible.

This allowed Prince Xuexing and Ning Fengzhi, who had been on edge, to truly experience the "oceanic order" that Nanfeng had previously described.

However, when these five giant ships, resembling sea fortresses, finally slowly entered the harbor of Purple Pearl Island, and everyone stepped onto this legendary "pirate paradise" with great anticipation...

All the important figures of the Heavenly Dou Empire fell into a long silence.

Poor! Broken! Chaotic!

This is the first and most direct visual impact that Purple Pearl Island brought to them!

Looking around, the so-called port was nothing more than a makeshift pier haphazardly built from a few rotten logs and broken stones.

The buildings on the island were in a terrible state, mostly dilapidated thatched huts and broken wooden houses, crammed together haphazardly, without even a decent stone path.

Prince Xuexing stared wide-eyed at the islanders in the distance, dressed in patched and tattered clothes, who were timidly observing them. He was completely bewildered.

"This...this is the pirate stronghold that reigns supreme on this sea and strikes fear into the hearts of coastal cities?"

Prince Xuexing pointed at the cluster of buildings that resembled a slum, his face full of disbelief: "I thought that these pirates, who spend their days plundering and looting at sea and stealing so much gold and silver, would at least have built their lair into a magnificent and extremely luxurious place, right?"

"Is this all they've got?! This poverty is worse than even the most remote and impoverished mountain villages of my Heavenly Dou Empire! What happened to all the money they stole? Did they just throw it all into the sea to feed the fish?"

Ning Fengzhi, standing to the side, also frowned, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Actually, before coming here, because of Nan Feng's words, he had already lowered his expectations for this pirate island.

However, upon seeing the well-equipped Purple Pearl at sea, and the group of pirate sailors who had been trained by Nan Feng to be somewhat law-abiding, Ning Fengzhi subconsciously raised his expectations for Purple Pearl Island slightly.

But now that he has seen this place with his own eyes... to be honest, Ning Fengzhi can't find a second word to describe it except "impoverished and destitute".

This is hardly a pirate force that dominates the area. Its infrastructure is not even as impressive as those bandit strongholds that occupy the mountains on land!

Seeing the utterly astonished expressions on the faces of these land-based dignitaries, Nan Feng rolled his eyes, put his hands behind his head, and slowly explained:

"Alright, stop looking like you've never seen the world before. The survival rules of pirates are completely different from those sects and families on land that emphasize inheritance."

"These pirates are people who risk their lives on the high seas. Drifting on the sea, no one knows whether their next voyage or plunder will lead to a shipwreck or a tough enemy, resulting in the destruction of their ship and the loss of their lives."

Nan Feng kicked a small pebble away, his tone laced with mockery: "So, their motto is 'live for today.' Once they get their money, they'll squander it all at casinos and in brothels as soon as they get ashore. They have absolutely no concept of saving money for infrastructure."

"As for those big pirates with a bit of brains and ideals, once they've amassed enough wealth, they've long since retired from their life of crime, changed their identities, and gone to live as wealthy men in your two inland empires. As for the ordinary pirates who stayed on the island to continue their lives of idleness..."

Nan Feng shrugged. "Don't expect this bunch of illiterate people who can barely read any words to have any long-term economic thinking."

Upon hearing this brutal yet realistic "pirate sociology," Ning Fengzhi and Prince Xuexing exchanged glances, speechless.

"Actually, the scene you see now is already quite good."