I, the Villain, Become Invincible the More Descendants I Have

Chapter 68 Suppressing the Sea PiratesAs the army traveled halfway, they encountered several Great Xuan merchant ships that had been riddled with holes from looting. The crew members were floating in the sea holding onto buoyancy boards, each one sallow and emaciated.

Upon asking, they learned that after Sea Emperor Hai Wuya fell from power, various pirate factions in the East Sea took the opportunity to band together and cause chaos. Factions like the ”Black Wind Island Master,” ”Three Evils of the Sea,” and ”One-Eyed Dragon King”—over a dozen forces, large and small—had occupied islands and declared themselves kings. They specialized in plundering passing merchant ships and didn’t even spare coastal fishing villages, acting even more rampantly than when Sea Emperor Hai Wuya was in power.

”Those scumbags!” Li Tieniu was so angry he snapped the oar in his hands. ”We just finished dealing with Sea Emperor Hai Wuya, and now a bunch of clowns have popped up! Emperor Xuan, let me lead five thousand troops of the Great Xuan Navy; I guarantee I’ll wipe out all these pirate nests within three days and hang their heads on the ship masts to make an example of them!”

”No need for that much trouble.” Emperor Cao Xukun leaned against the ship’s railing, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface of the sea, sending ripples spreading out. ”A bunch of rabble; they aren’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. It’s a good opportunity to thoroughly clear out the monsters and demons of the East Sea and open up the maritime trade routes for the Five Regions.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than over a dozen pirate ships flying skull flags suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, charging toward them. The pirate leader, One-Eyed Dragon, stood at the bow, waving a large saber, acting incredibly arrogant: ”Listen up, ship ahead! Leave behind your gold, silver, treasure, and women, and Granddaddy will spare your dog lives! Otherwise, I’ll throw you all into the sea to feed the sharks!”

The second-in-command beside him chimed in: ”Big Brother, look at that xuan dragon ship; it must be a fat sheep! I heard the Great Xuan Emperor just finished fighting in the East Sea; maybe the ship is full of pearls and treasures!”

”Hahaha! Heaven is helping me!” One-Eyed Dragon laughed wildly at the sky, his arrogance at its peak. ”What Great Xuan Emperor? In this little patch of the East Sea, I am the sky! Today, not only will I rob his treasures, but I’ll also capture his wives and take them back to be my mountain stronghold mistresses!”

The pirates burst into raucous laughter, rubbing their hands together, as if victory were already in their grasp.

Li Tieniu was so angry his nose was crooked: ”Damn it! This bunch of death-seeking things actually dares to target His Majesty! This is truly like lighting a lantern in a latrine—courting death!”

Emperor Cao Xukun sneered, not even bothering to stand up, just lifting a finger and saying indifferently: ”Sink.”

Before the words had even faded, the sea surface suddenly churned violently. Countless huge tentacles emerged from the seabed, instantly entangling all the pirate ships. Immediately after, monstrous waves rose from thin air and slammed fiercely onto the pirate ships. The dozen or so pirate ships didn’t even have a chance to resist before they were smashed into fragments. The pirates fell into the sea and were instantly devoured by the Shark Clan soldiers who had arrived upon hearing the news, leaving not even bones behind.

One-Eyed Dragon luckily grabbed a wooden plank, but just as he was about to beg for mercy, he was swallowed whole by a giant whale.

The entire process took less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick; the once-arrogant pirate gang was completely wiped out.

”With just this little bit of ability, you dare to come out and be pirates?” Emperor Cao Xukun shook his head, looking disdainful. ”Pass down the order: Eldest Princess Ling Xi and Second Princess Ling Yao are to dispatch scouts from the Mermaid Race to pinpoint the location of every pirate nest; Governor Ao Xue is to lead the Dragon Race navy and clear them out in three prongs; anyone who resists stubbornly is to be executed without mercy!”

”As you command!”

Once the order was given, the entire East Sea’s sea clans and the Great Xuan Navy sprang into action. The Mermaid Race scouts dived into the deep sea, precisely locating every pirate nest; the Dragon Race navy rode the wind and waves, and wherever they went, pirates surrendered at the mere sight of them. Those pirate leaders who resisted stubbornly were either burned to ashes by dragon breath or thrown into the sea to feed the fish; not a single one could escape.

In less than ten days, over a dozen pirate forces, large and small, in the East Sea were completely pacified, with not a single one escaping the net.

After resolving the pirates, Emperor Cao Xukun immediately ordered the opening of maritime trade routes for the Five Regions. Starting from the Central Plains, extending north to the Demon Race Province of the Northern Region, south to the Witch Race Province of the Southern Frontier, west to the various nations of the Western Regions, and east to Penglai Immortal Island, maritime routes spread out like a spider web.

For a time, merchant ships traveled endlessly across the East Sea. Silk, tea, and porcelain from the Central Plains were shipped everywhere; furs and medicinal herbs from the Northern Region, spirit fruits and witch doctor supplies from the Southern Frontier, grapes and fine wine from the Western Regions, and pearls and seafood from the East Sea were exchanged through these maritime routes. People everywhere could buy things they had never seen before; commodity prices plummeted, business boomed, and even the most remote fishing villages made a fortune.

”Emperor Xuan, you are too amazing!” Li Tieniu looked at the bustling merchant ships at the dock, unable to stop smiling. ”In the past, traveling by land, a shipment would take half a year, and we would often encounter mountain bandits. Now, taking the sea route, it only takes half a month, and shipping costs are cheaper! With this, the national treasury will multiply several times over!”

Emperor Cao Xukun looked composed. ”To become wealthy, one must first build roads. Only when the sea routes are open can the Five Regions truly become one. In the future, Great Xuan’s merchant ships will sail to every corner of the Mortal Realm.”

Subsequently, Emperor Cao Xukun personally traveled to Penglai Immortal Island to select a site for establishing the East Sea Navy base.

Penglai Immortal Island was shrouded in immortal energy, with treacherous terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack—a natural military fortress. Emperor Cao Xukun ordered the construction of large shipyards, barracks, and grain depots here, stationing fifty thousand elite navy troops and equipping them with three thousand of the most advanced warships to oversee the defense of the entire East Sea.

On the day the base was completed, Emperor Cao Xukun stood at the highest point of Penglai Immortal Island, overlooking the orderly barracks below and the boundless East Sea. His voice echoed across the entire island: ”From this day forward, the East Sea Navy base shall be the anchor of the Great Xuan in the East Sea! Any merchant ship flying the Great Xuan dragon flag, no matter where it goes, shall have the Great Xuan Navy to escort it! Anyone who dares to touch a Great Xuan merchant ship or harm a Great Xuan citizen, even if they are far away, must be executed!”

”Long live Emperor Xuan! Long live Great Xuan!”

Fifty thousand navy soldiers shouted in unison, the sound wave shaking the immortal island slightly.

Passing merchant ships saw the Emperor Xuan dragon flag flying over Penglai Immortal Island and all cheered excitedly. With the East Sea Navy base, there was no longer any need to worry about pirate looting, and maritime trade would no longer have any worries.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host! You have pacified all pirate forces in the East Sea and opened the maritime trade routes for the Five Regions!]

[Reward obtained: Blessing of the Five Regions’ Trade Fortune! Blessing of the faith of all the people of the Mortal Realm!]

[Reward obtained: Cultivation stabilized at the Great Perfection of the Mid-Stage Void-Piercing Realm! Only one step away from the Late-Stage Void-Piercing Realm!]

The system prompt sounded, and Emperor Cao Xukun felt the fortune around him become even more substantial, and his cultivation became increasingly stable.

He looked at the sea surface in the distance where a thousand sails were racing, a confident smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Now that the Five Regions were unified, sea and land routes were clear, the people lived in peace and worked happily, the national treasury was full, and the military was strong.

Within the Mortal Realm, no other force could ever shake the foundations of Great Xuan.

Next, it was just a matter of waiting for Eldest Princess Ling Xi and Second Princess Ling Yao to give birth to the twins, breaking through to the Late-Stage Void-Piercing Realm, and then completely unifying all the immortal islands and tribes in the Mortal Realm, letting the Great Xuan dragon flag be planted in every inch of the Mortal Realm’s land.