Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8349: Mechanism (1)

Zhao Hai sat within the cave, facing Yan Bei. Behind Zhao Hai, Zhu Yong and Gou ‘Zi stood silently with their heads bowed. A jade cup filled with spiritual wine rested before both Zhao Hai and Yan Bei. The two sat on the ground in a relaxed, casual manner.

Yan Bei lifted his jade cup and drained it in a single gulp. "I truly never imagined that puppet was your creation," he remarked. "The Sect previously distributed a thousand of them, claiming they were for use in battle. I found the devices magical at the time, but I had no idea you were the one who crafted them."

Zhao Hai gave a thin smile. "We produced them a while ago. It is the reason the Sect Master consented to deploying low-level disciples to the Western Defense line alongside other Sects. Do you believe he would have agreed otherwise? You must remember that our Sect suffered massive losses of low-level disciples during the last internal conflict."

Nodding, Yan Bei replied, "That is true. The previous casualties among low-level disciples were devastating. Master was deeply concerned about the death toll this time. However, since learning of the puppets, his worries have vanished. He has already departed from the Island of Blood Bone, leaving its administration to a Refinement Realm expert sent by the Sect. He mentioned he was heading off to find your Master to discuss the Dao."

Zhao Hai chuckled. "I recently sent a significant amount of spiritual wine to the Sect Master, the Elders, and my Master. I doubt they will remain silent during this Dao discussion. It appears Uncle Master Gu has moved past his previous setback. That is a positive development."

A faint smile touched Yan Bei’s lips as he spoke softly. "Yes, it is for the best. Master has recovered, and perhaps he can even advance further. I was anxious about him before, but those fears are gone. Is it true that we must operate independently?"

Zhao Hai smiled. "Essentially, yes. The two of us will be acting on our own this time. Although the Sect will station a Supreme Commander here, they won't be of much consequence. They might be useful initially, as the Thirteen Family Alliance and other Sects will likely launch massive assaults against us. We will see large-scale combat then, but the subsequent skirmishes will inevitably turn into small-scale engagements. Mark my words, the Thirteen Family Alliance and those major Sects will surely find a way to seize a few islands on the defense line to use as staging grounds. Large battles will become rare, and I fear this war will be a long, drawn-out affair."

Startled, Yan Bei whispered, "Surely not. Are you saying that once those major Sects realize we are utilizing puppets on such a scale, they won't retreat but will instead keep fighting? If they do that, the losses to their low-level disciples will be catastrophic. That doesn't seem like their usual style."

Zhao Hai shook his head, his voice deep. "It is precisely because they saw the puppets that they will persist. They will keep fighting to seize the secrets of our puppet-making. It is difficult to predict exactly how things will unfold."

Yan Bei nodded, glancing toward the cave entrance. "To be honest, I am worried. The scale of this conflict is immense. Even without Island Lord-level experts involved, a war of this magnitude is rare. Furthermore, our Blood Slaughter Sect is standing alone against so many. It is truly concerning."

Zhao Hai looked at him intently. "Brother Yan, do not overthink it. With the puppets, victory is certain. Also, remember we have allies. While the Giant Demon Sect may assist us, they will likely demand the puppet-making technique in return. The Sect might eventually hand it over. Just wait; eventually, the method for creating the most basic puppets might be known throughout the entire Blood Sea Realm."

"How could that happen?" Yan Bei asked in a low tone. "The Giant Demon Sect has always been our ally. Why would they demand our secrets? They must know how vital this method is to us. Are they not concerned about damaging the Alliance between our two Sects?"

Zhao Hai looked at Yan Bei and smiled. "Brother Yan, you are being far too naive. These puppets are easy and fast to produce; they are the perfect cannon fodder for any Sect. With them, the power of our Blood Slaughter Sect would multiply. Even if we don't dominate the Blood Sea Realm, other Sects would no longer be able to threaten us. Who wouldn't want that? In the world of Cultivation, there are no permanent friends between Sects. For the sake of profit, friends become enemies and enemies become cooperative partners. It is quite common. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Giant Demon Sect turned on us over this."

Yan Bei stared at Zhao Hai before letting out a bitter laugh. "Then what are we to do? Are we truly going to surrender a technique that could shift the balance of power for nothing? That would be a tragedy. Won't our Blood Slaughter Sect lose its advantage in the future?"

Zhao Hai replied solemnly, "It’s not just about losing an advantage; if we surrender the puppetry manufacturing method, we could face a massive disaster later. Do you know the secret at the heart of our puppetry? It involves refining a Dark Spirit into the mechanism, granting the puppet a degree of intelligence. Those are the truly vital puppets. The standard battle puppets are nothing. However, if this method becomes public, the ones who will truly benefit won't be our Blood Slaughter Sect, but groups like the Yin Ghost Sect or the Corpse Demon Sect. When it comes to manipulating Yin souls, our Sect is far behind them."

Yan Bei’s expression shifted instantly. "Then what is the plan? If the Yin Ghost Sect obtains this technique, the Blood Slaughter Sect may not survive. Those fanatics will definitely target us with everything they have. Don't forget, we are their greatest rivals in the Blood Sea Realm."

Zhao Hai spoke firmly, "I am well aware. That is why I am developing a way to create ordinary battle puppets without using Dark Souls. If I succeed, we can share that inferior technology with the world. We will keep the true method of refining Dark Souls into puppets for ourselves. That should prevent any issues. I just need more time, as I am still analyzing the knowledge we took from the Shenji Sect. I am currently reverse-engineering it, and it shouldn't take much longer."

Yan Bei frowned. "I never paid much attention to the Shenji Sect before. I only heard later that they were famous for puppetry and that their techniques caused immense damage to the righteous Sects in the Cloud Sea Realm. That is why those Sects united to wipe them out. But if they could make puppets like ours, how were they destroyed? Is their technology even still relevant?"

"It is incredibly relevant. While the Shenji Sect’s puppetry is famous, they possessed another legendary technique. Although it is less known than their puppetry, I believe it is actually superior. That is the art of the Mechanism."

Zhao Hai paused briefly before continuing, "After learning of the Shenji Sect's reputation, I poured over ancient records. I realized they were a Sect trying to seek the Dao through the art of mechanical puppeteers. Their cultivators focused almost entirely on the Divine Soul, leaving their direct combat power very weak. They relied on mechanical constructs to fight. Because their puppets were so famous, many people overlooked their Mechanism skills. In reality, their Mechanism techniques are quite extraordinary."

Yan Bei’s brow furrowed. "Mechanism skills? I’ve never heard of such things. Are they truly that powerful?" It was natural for Yan Bei to be ignorant of this, as he knew little of the Shenji Sect. Even during the Sect's peak, the art of the Mechanism was not widely understood.

Zhao Hai, however, kept the technique in mind. He had once assumed that pure Mechanism techniques had no place in the world of Cultivation. Usually, mechanisms were just mechanical parts. How could mere machinery rival the spells of a cultivator? They couldn't even compete with traditional puppetry, which used arrays to provide a core power source and control. Without arrays, a technology seemed worthless by comparison—like comparing a simple dart to a powerful weapon.

Yet, after studying the Shenji Sect's archives, Zhao Hai found they held two secret arts in equal regard: Puppetry and Mechanisms. While Puppetry was famous, the art of the Mechanism remained a mystery. Most only knew the name, and even ancient texts were vague. This sparked Zhao Hai’s curiosity.

If the Shenji Sect ranked the art of the Mechanism alongside Puppetry, it had to possess unique strengths. Zhao Hai wanted to discover exactly how much power a pure mechanical art could wield in a world dominated by Cultivation.