The reason the overall commander for this operation was Pang Zongheng was because the overseas immortal's遗迹 (ruins) was protected by a very powerful formation. Only an expert in formations like Pang Zongheng could possibly open such a formation.
As for breaking it by brute force, they hadn't even considered it. This was no child's play. The formations set up by ancient immortals and powerful beings were not something people of the present era could easily decipher.
Dispatching Shi Jiu was a double insurance. Shi Jiu would act to kill anyone who tried to stop them from obtaining the overseas immortal's遗迹.
Pang Zongheng and Shi Jiu held terrifyingly high positions within the Heavenly Demon Sect. Even the thirteen guardians were not qualified to meet them.
Yulia was an exception for two reasons. Firstly, Yulia was the primary liaison for the Heavenly Demon Sect and the crooked path. Secondly, everyone in the Heavenly Demon Sect knew that this woman had an extraordinary relationship with their Sect Master.
As for this woman's ability to seduce men, bewitch people's hearts, and her skill in forming alliances and amassing wealth, no one in the Heavenly Demon Sect dared to question her.
Of course, while the Heavenly Demon Sect had many lustful and lecherous individuals, none dared to lay a hand on this woman. They all knew she was the Sect Master's forbidden pleasure. Anyone who harbored ill intentions towards her would likely face a fate far worse than death!
Yulia sat opposite Pang Zongheng, her legs crossed, the view beneath her short skirt tantalizingly revealed.
Even though Pang Zongheng was an old man of seventy or eighty, he felt a surge of blood upon seeing this scene.
However, Shi Jiu, who sat beside Pang Zongheng, remained as still as a dead man, completely unmoved.
"Mr. Pang, may I ask why you summoned me?"
"Lia, do you remember a few days ago when we encountered a ship, and I set up a Blood Fiend formation on it, turning it into a ghost ship?"
"Of course, I remember. Your mastery of formations, Lord Pang, is something I deeply admire." Yulia offered a flattering compliment, which made Pang Zongheng feel very pleased.
In fact, even Yulia, who had killed countless people, felt a bit nauseated by the sight of that bizarre and cruel formation that day.
But Yulia dared not show any dissatisfaction. She knew very well that this old man played a crucial role in the Heavenly Demon Sect Master's plan, and his position within the sect was irreplaceable.
"That formation has been destroyed!"
"And so what?" Yulia asked curiously.
"The formation I set up was extremely powerful, and ordinary people would find it very difficult to break! Now that someone has broken it, it means this person is either as skilled in formations as I am, or they are so powerful that they broke it with brute force. In either case, it seems we have encountered a formidable opponent! Yulia, although the Heavenly Demon Sect has deployed its elites for this operation, we must not underestimate the heroes of the world! Do you have any intelligence on who might have done this, so we can prepare in advance!"
It was clear that Pang Zongheng was a very cautious man, quite different from those arrogant individuals of the crooked path.
"Elder Pang, from what I understand, although many espers from various countries have arrived for this operation, the most powerful ones who could pose a threat to our Heavenly Demon Sect are only two groups. One group is from the Xuanyuan family, and the other is from the Kuyte consortium!"
"Then, who do you think is more likely to be responsible?" Pang Zongheng asked, stroking his beard.
"According to the intelligence I just received, the Xuanyuan family has withdrawn from this overseas遗迹 exploration operation. Our informants at the port have confirmed that all members of the Xuanyuan family have evacuated and returned to China. Their ship's information can be traced via GPS. Therefore, I believe this matter was most likely done by the Kuyte family. That woman, Aurora Kuyte, is very capable, her abilities are even on par with her father's!"
The Kuyte consortium was now renowned for its exploits on Mermaid Island. Many espers had even actively sought out the Kuyte team to join them. Aurora Kuyte had also followed Ling Tian's advice and was not accepting all those who offered their allegiance, but was instead selecting the best among them. Many of these newly recruited individuals were opportunists who wanted to gain a share in the exploration of Mermaid Island or had other ulterior motives. These people would require time to be screened and vetted.
Pang Zongheng turned his head and asked Shi Jiu, who sat silently on the chair like a dead man, "Old Jiu, what do you think?"
"Asking me about such matters is useless. I won't waste my brain cells on it. Who did it is not important to me. You just need to tell me who the opponent is, and I will kill them. That is my mission!" Shi Jiu said coldly.
Pang Zongheng was displeased with this answer.
"Never mind, Yulia. It's useless to ask him. This dead man's brain wouldn't yield anything even if you hit it a few times. You don't need to consider him either. In short, if we encounter the Kuyte consortium's team, find a way to see them first, then strike suddenly, and be sure to kill them directly! Catch them off guard! Of course, the task of deceiving them will be yours, as you are the most skilled at this among us..."
A seductive smile appeared on Yulia's lips.
"Alright, Lord Pang, we'll do as you say. Leave the preceding matters to me!"
...
The Kuyte Knight sailed at sea for another two days. During this time, Ling Tian and his group encountered three more ghost ships. One of them was like the one they encountered yesterday, with many ghosts and a skeleton formation. Ling Tian and A Li unceremoniously sent those ghosts to their rest and then sank the ghost ship to the seabed.
The other two ghost ships had only a few ghosts and bodies all over the ship. These two ships had encountered other ghost ships, and the ghosts from those ships had come over and killed everyone on board. Naturally, Ling Tian and A Li set these two ships ablaze before sending them to the seabed.
Finally, their ship arrived at a sea area 50 kilometers away from Mermaid Island. Ling Tian summoned the captain, Smolov.
"Smolov, get us a small boat. I'll take A Li and Xing Yuanjie to the island. Your ship should anchor nearby. If any other ships approach, leave immediately! The ships that appear here are not to be trifled with; many of them are espers, and you cannot deal with them!"