My Spirituality had already surpassed 8 points when the 'Golden Age of Pirates' began.

Over half a month passed. With the bounty of exquisite spices from Teyman Island and the ever-spreading repercussions of the struggle for dominance, my Spirituality rose every day. Ever since my Spirit Awakening, I've been dragged into all sorts of whirlpools daily, hardly ever getting a break. Having survived to the end, my rewards were exceptionally generous—even faster than Violet, renowned for her talent. Even without any additional bonuses, at my rate, I could reach the Second Order limit of 10 points in at most one or two months. The pace of Spirituality enhancement only slows after reaching the Middle Sequence.

Pirate treasure chests, Silvergold Island, the Great Pirate Flint... Indeed, it's about time to prepare for the Promotion Ceremony.

Standing at a pivotal turning point in his life and transcendent path, Byron's mind raced.

The primary Promotion Ceremony for a Storm Knight at the First Rank is to achieve sublimation through a blood-drenched battle centered on plundering. The stronger the target, the better the effect. And there's a certain probability of directly inheriting some abilities from the prey. At this level, he acquired the Holy Grail of Blood, its side effects greatly weakened.

There are two paths to choose from for the Second Order Promotion Ceremony: The first path is more pirate-oriented. It involves brandishing the banner that 'taking by force is better than laborious farming' and completing the plundering of three group targets. The second path is more knight-oriented, demonstrating the spirit of 'fighting for every inch of land,' and achieving territorial expansion as a pioneering Lord.

Ultimately, he chose to plunder Tayman Brak Island. With the island's wealth, especially a Number Three Crystal Skull, The Corn God, he successfully advanced to the Second Order, obtaining the core ability Child of the Storm.

The Third Order Promotion Ceremony was also in line with the previous two. In practice, it was similar to the pirate skills competition at Iron Anchor Bay, which consecutively assessed individual combat ability in boarding actions, plundering skills against 'fat sheep' (easy targets), and comprehensive qualities for adventure and treasure hunting.

By the same token, when it was time for his Fourth Order Promotion Ceremony, he would need to offer up a mighty foe in a grand, fleet-level naval battle! This would assess his art of commanding Pirate Fleets.

The Promotion Ceremony of the Ladder of Glory is somewhat like a professional examination; the only difference is that the examiners are not living people but the Silver Law and even the rules of this world.

With a thought from Byron, the specific requirements for the Third Order Promotion Ceremony, "Pirate's Treasure Chest," emerged in his Sailing Logbook:

"The profession of a pirate appeared far earlier than the banking industry. After countless plunders, they had too many spoils of war that couldn't be deposited in banks, nor could they build treasure vaults on lands passed down from generation to generation like nobles. For pirates, the best option is to find a small, remote island far from conventional shipping routes, rarely trodden by humans, as a natural vault. A Nautical Chart to that location, written in cipher, is both lock and key to that vault.

"In this Promotion Ceremony, the final possession of the treasure isn't the point; the process is. The process involves following a series of clues to find the treasure of at least a Great Pirate-level predecessor. By overcoming various difficulties they set up and obtaining, alive, a piece of treasure that best represents the glory of that Great Pirate's life, one can complete the Promotion Ceremony. One could also tread upon the predecessor's reputation, inheriting a part of their legend and even some sort of transcendent ability."

Even if that Great Pirate was a complete letdown and I inherited nothing, simply the advanced ability of the Storm Knight at the Third Order—Storm Admiral, focused on commanding large fleets—would enable me to claim a place on the high seas. In this world, individual strength alone isn't true power; the ability to integrate resources and gather the might of the masses is the greatest strength!

Especially the term "Silvergold Island," which had been appearing before him all too frequently lately.

Back in Iron Anchor Bay, Byron had once handed a handwritten treasure map to the Great Pirate Redbeard Edward. It's unknown to how many people Edward secretly traded it. The true form of the Holy Relic—882 Aztec Cursed Gold Coins—ended up on Silvergold Island. Meanwhile, Michel, a merchant scoundrel of the Remit People, was aggressively hawking treasure maps...

That Great Pirate Flint, who hid all his life's treasures on Silvergold Island—although not a Fifth Order Legendary Level Pirate King in the transcendent sense—is undoubtedly one of the most legendary pirates on the seas, at least a being at the pinnacle of the Middle Sequence. The only problem is that I know there is a huge pit on that island—a pit that decimated the Lancaster Family-backed expedition team, from which only fragmentary reports surfaced...

"Byron!"

The Swarm, seeing him somewhat lost in thought, suddenly called out.

"Yes, I'm listening, Teacher."

Byron quickly gathered his wandering thoughts, pretending to be a diligent student as the Swarm continued his explanation, "Apart from the Bloody Mary Faction's Holy Grail of Blood route, you have another choice. That is to follow the Book of Giant Insects Faction's path of symbiosis with insect Species, the 'Ritual: Heart of the Swarm.' The promotion is more direct, and you gain stronger combat capabilities during the early and mid-stages. Like me, you wouldn't need to train hard in swordsmanship or master Flow State to be directly immune to most physical attacks in the world. Even a well-formed army couldn't stop me. Of course, just like me and your senior fellow disciple, you would truly become... like-minded companions."

Hearing this, Byron shivered and quickly interjected, "Teacher, I'm naturally built for hard labor, like a donkey. No need to pity me! Please just teach me how to perform the Holy Grail of Blood ceremony."

After hearing this, the Swarm's face filled with a predictable helplessness. He shook his head repeatedly, "Young people just can't see the bigger picture. It's not that I, your teacher, am criticizing you, but on this point, you're far inferior to Bill. If you can't even see through the base desire for human female beauty, how can you stride boldly forward on the increasingly inhuman path ahead? I've heard Newman say you can't bear to part with Miss Catherine, the Flower of the North—the one with beauty in her tentacles, her carapace, and her compound eyes, right? Base. Your desires are too base."

Seeing Byron hang his head in silence, the Swarm took it as tacit acknowledgment. He didn't force Byron to renounce women or adopt the twisted predilections of the Book of Giant Insects Faction, who favored insects. Because there is no love without reason in this world, nor is there hate without reason. The Swarm had accepted Byron and Bill as disciples solely because he valued the secular power they commanded. The so-called rewarding of merit was often just wishful thinking on the recipient's part. In most cases, the nature and extent of a reward depended mainly on one's own strength. Once you wield power over the court and country, even if you perform a 'monumental feat' like spending a night in the Emperor's bed, the Emperor would still have to grant you a Dukedom.

Since he valued Byron's rapidly expanding power, the Swarm didn't strictly adhere to the rules of the Book of Giant Insects Faction. After merely expressing his profound disappointment, he revealed the key prerequisite for the sublimation ritual: "It is said that before the current Era, the Night Demons were rulers in Lilith's kingdom. The current noble titles originated from that period. Therefore, before conducting the Holy Grail of Blood ritual, you not only need a title of at least Baronet under a system of Royal Authority, but you must also emulate the nobility in every action and gesture. The higher the title and the more noble your demeanor, the better the effect. The ultimate standard is that when others see you, they will subconsciously perceive you as a high-ranking member of the upper class. This is also the main reason why our Bloodthirsty Cult must cooperate with a Kingdom. So, you should start planning for yourself now. This could take you several years."

So that's how it is. I understand now.

Having heard this, Byron also understood why Bloody Eye Salman had previously shown 'noble steward' Byron Tudor such particular favor. Aligning with a Kingdom's structure wasn't just an issue of anchorage; it was also fundamental to the Bloodthirsty Cult's transcendent path.

While the two were talking, Digory the Millipede had quietly approached the creature that could only be described as a 'lump'—the Chǐ God.

"Beauty, may I offer you a drink?"

As he spoke, he poured a vial of the Magic Potion, Witch Juice, into its mouth, which was composed of writhing worms. It was the same type of Magic Potion that Royal Hound Vincent had once tried to trick Catherine into drinking.

Fill a glass bottle a quarter full with basil leaves, add a few drops of musk, a pinch of Earth Coral, Cabbage Worm, brown sugar, cinnamon, and three petals of a freshly picked Rainbow Rose. Top it with strong liquor, store it away from sunlight, and conduct a seven-day love-wish ritual. After the ritual, collect the clear liquid from the top to obtain a vial of Witch Juice, also known as a potion of enchantment. If a drop is added to a drink and any creature of Low Sequence or below consumes it, they will fall in love with the person who concocted this Witch Juice.

Visibly, the two clusters of maggots in the Chǐ God's eye sockets turned pink, and their writhing noticeably quickened.

The scene that followed... was unsuitable for children, and even less so for adults!

"Teacher, I won't disturb you any longer. I'm going to check if the others are slacking off."

Upon witnessing this, Byron hastily found an excuse and slipped away. He rushed out of the mine, carried by a gust of wind, soared high into the sky, and stood against the breeze. It took him a good while to shake off the goosebumps.

I'd heard that some Beast Tamers used a concoction called 'Beast Hormones,' which could make an animal believe the user was its mate. Although convenient for taming beasts, it led to many shocking scandals that enraged the Church Saints. Countless Beast Tamers were burned at the stake. I never thought I'd witness such a thing with my own eyes today. I'm usually quite open-minded. If it were sheep, I might reluctantly accept it. But maggots... HISS!

It took Byron quite an effort to compose himself. He then gazed toward the location he had selected for his fortress.

"Wind, come!"

He called softly, and the invisible wind instantly responded. Guided by his Flow State, it traced a vast circle on the ground in the direction he pointed.

By now, the Bear Spirit Warriors and Shaman Wizards, summoned early in the morning by his disciple King Miktika of Uxmal, were also journeying downriver in canoes. Possessing the ability to manipulate earth and stone, they would be one of the main forces in constructing the fortress.

And a new legend was about to be written, starting here.