Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8329: Method (1)

Zhao Hai, Shen Nanzheng, and the others gathered within the modest temple of the House of Three Talents. On this occasion, several legacy disciples from the island had also arrived. Seated inside the small temple, Lei Gang and two other figures observed the group. After a moment of silence, Lei Gang spoke, "This conflict has concluded. Little Hai has provided a massive contribution. However, the Sect currently lacks the time to deliberate on his rewards, so that discussion will be deferred. For now, I wish to hear your thoughts on a specific matter: the collapse of the Blood Sea Alliance. Reflect on this and see if any ideas come to mind. I am aware you cannot directly intervene in such affairs, but if you have any insights, why not share them? They might prove useful." Lei Gang and the others were at a complete loss and could only turn to the group for suggestions.

Hearing Lei Gang’s request, Shen Nanzheng and the rest were visibly startled. They exchanged uncertain glances. The situation regarding the Blood Sea Alliance? That concerned two entire sea regions. Although they were True Disciples, they were, in the end, merely disciples. They hadn't even reached the rank of Elder yet, so how could they possibly manage such grand strategic matters?

A flicker of disappointment touched Lei Gang’s eyes as he watched them. While he hadn't truly expected groundbreaking advice and merely wanted Shen Nanzheng and the others to participate, he knew it was unlikely they would offer anything constructive. Still, he viewed this as a chance for them to expand their horizons and learn to analyze problems from a superior vantage point. Such opportunities were rare.

Yet, the way Shen Nanzheng and the others were acting—as if they were afraid to even open their mouths—deeply disappointed Lei Gang. For a cultivator, while Cultivation is paramount, one's perspective is equally vital. If a person only focuses on their narrow personal interests, they will never achieve true greatness. Thus, vision is essential for any practitioner. If Shen Nanzheng and the rest remained this way, their future potential would be severely restricted.

After a short pause, Lei Gang addressed Shen Nanzheng directly, "Nan Zheng, give us your thoughts. It is alright; speak boldly. Even if your ideas seem absurd, do not worry. Just say what is on your mind." Lei Gang was pushing them to consider the issue from a higher level of authority for their own development.

Shen Nanzheng acknowledged the command. After some contemplation, he spoke in a solemn tone, "Though the Blood Sea Alliance has been dismantled, those islands are now without masters. I believe the Sect could relocate some disciples there and appoint experts to protect them. We should secure those islands first, then gradually cultivate the disciples to rebuild our strength."

"I see," Lei Gang nodded, then asked deeply, "Is there anything else?" Shen Nanzheng’s suggestion mirrored the logic of many within the Sect. However, a major obstacle remained: there were simply too many abandoned islands. Even if the Sect attempted to deploy experts, it was impossible to maintain control over every single one. That was the core of the problem.

Shen Nanzheng thought for another moment before continuing, "We could also enlist more followers from the Rogue Cultivators. Many unaffiliated practitioners desire to join our Blood Slaughter Sect. We can pick some from their ranks. While geniuses are rare among Rogue Cultivators, some possess decent strength. By bringing them into the Blood Slaughter Sect, we can recover some of our numbers. Even if they don't amount to much later, they can serve as cannon fodder if trouble arises."

Lei Gang gave a nod. This idea had been proposed before. However, the Sect leadership feared that spies from rival Sects might be hidden among the unaffiliated. If they were infiltrated when enemies attacked the Blood Slaughter Sect, the consequences would be disastrous. Currently, the Blood Slaughter Sect was in a fragile state, having been significantly weakened by recent events. It was only natural for other Sects to harbor ill intentions. Furthermore, their greatest rival, the Dark Ghost Sect, remained a constant threat. The two Sects were locked in a war of attrition; if the Dark Ghost Sect seized this moment to strike, the situation would turn dire.

Seeing Lei Gang nod, Shen Nanzheng felt slightly more relaxed. However, that was the extent of his ideas. He couldn't come up with anything else on short notice. The others were in the same boat as Shen Nanzheng. Some had thought of the same two points, while others hadn't even gotten that far. After hearing his words, they were unable to suggest any further solutions.

Lei Gang scanned the room before finally settling his gaze on Zhao Hai. In truth, Lei Gang held onto the hope that Zhao Hai might provide a useful perspective. Because Zhao Hai had excelled in previous tasks and often thought of things others missed, Lei Gang truly wanted to hear his take. It would be excellent if Zhao Hai could actually propose a viable strategy. Looking at him, Lei Gang said firmly, "Little Hai, what are your thoughts? Can you explain them in detail? Speak freely and do not be afraid!"

Zhao Hai took a moment to organize his thoughts before replying, "Master, before we discuss how to fix the Blood Sea Alliance issue, let us analyze the specific hurdles the Sect is currently facing. First, we suffer from a shortage of manpower, particularly regarding high-level experts. The Blood Sea Alliance has too many vacant islands for the Sect to garrison experts on every single one. Second, we cannot simply abandon the Blood Sea Alliance territory. It is a massive region; if we let it go now, reclaiming it later will be extremely difficult. These two points are the crux of the matter, are they not?"

Lei Gang nodded in agreement. It was the truth. The Sect lacked people but couldn't afford to lose the Blood Sea Alliance. These were indeed the two primary challenges. Lei Gang looked at Zhao Hai with growing approval. Zhao Hai had identified the heart of the problem immediately, which suggested he had already been analyzing it. If he understood the problem, he might have a fix. That was what mattered most.

"Master, the manpower shortage can actually be resolved quite simply," Zhao Hai stated firmly. "The answer lies in the islands themselves! Previously, those islands were held by individual Island Owners who refused to unify. They all wanted their own private domains and independent control, which led to a high number of separate islands. But now, those islands are vacant and we lack the personnel to fill them. Why not simply merge the islands? By combining them, we reduce the total number of locations, which in turn reduces the number of people needed to guard them. Take Island Master Guna for example; his Blood Bone Island was devastated. Why not merge the surrounding empty islands into Blood Bone Island? Expanding the island's size might even dilute the killing intent there, which could benefit Island Master Guna."

Lei Gang was stunned by Zhao Hai’s suggestion. After a moment, he nodded and urged, "Go on!" No one had considered merging the islands before, but the plan was entirely practical. Since the Island Owners' Godheads were available, they could be refined together to fuse the landmasses. This would drastically lower the manpower requirements. It was a brilliant concept.

Zhao Hai went on, "Beyond merging the islands, securing the two sea regions isn't as difficult as it seems. We can fuse many islands together, but these larger landmasses should be positioned near the outer perimeter of the two seas. This would leave the center area between these islands and our Central Sea region empty. Additionally, some smaller islands on the far edge can be maintained. These don't require powerful Masters; instead, we can send disciples with lower Cultivation levels there. Specifically, disciples with the potential to become Island Masters can manage them. If they eventually achieve that rank, they can incorporate those islands into their own domain. Furthermore, the Sect Master could decree that any future Island Master wishing to establish a territory must do so within these two seas. This creates a defensive line along the outer edge of the regions."

"The inner sea area will remain open for future Sect members to place their islands. Once this defensive perimeter is established, other Sects will hesitate to move against us. If they attempt to strike the line, we can easily provide reinforcements. Even if they manage to break through, they won't be able to launch a direct assault on our Central Sea region. The empty 'no man’s land' will act as a buffer zone. It will take them time to cross that space to reach the Sect, giving us plenty of time to prepare. Since there are no islands in that buffer for them to occupy and use as a forward base, they will be like rootless duckweeds, making them easy to eliminate. If we have just a few years to recover our strength, those two seas will remain firmly under our control, and no one will be able to take them from us."

Pausing briefly, Zhao Hai added, "As for why we should let weaker disciples manage the outer islands, the reason is simple. With the defensive line in place, those islands act as early warning outposts. If an enemy strikes, they can signal us immediately. Because their islands are part of the perimeter, it is easy for neighboring islands to provide support or reclaim them. If an enemy tries to use one island as a pivot to shatter the entire line, they will find it nearly impossible because they would be facing a pincer attack from multiple directions."

Lei Gang listened in silence, feeling genuinely shocked. He knew Zhao Hai was intelligent and expected a good answer, but he hadn't anticipated such a comprehensive and flawless strategy. It was, without a doubt, the best proposal he had encountered.

Zhao Hai looked at Lei Gang and concluded, "Furthermore, if those junior disciples actually succeed in becoming Island Masters, those islands will transform into permanent cornerstones. The final defensive perimeter will become incredibly resilient. We could even use that line as a launching point for future expansion."

Suddenly, Lei Gang stood up, looking at Zhao Hai with excitement. He said in a heavy voice, "Excellent, that is a magnificent idea. All of you are dismissed. I must report this immediately to see if the Sect will adopt this plan. Go now, all of you." The group acknowledged the order and turned to depart.