Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8361: Completed _1

Ever since Zhao Hai took command of the Western Defense line, his directives had consistently focused on withdrawal. This was the first occasion he had commanded his forces to hold their ground to the last man, declaring that any enemy who failed to break them would be slaughtered. Dong Wanqing was visibly stunned by the shift in strategy. After a brief silence, he looked toward Zhao Hai and asked, "Is what the commander said true?"

Zhao Hai replied in a somber tone, "Of course it is. Mark my words, if you fail to hold Blood Stone Island, you should either take your own life or perish alongside the enemy. Regardless, there is no path where you survive a defeat. If you live through a retreat, I will be the one to kill you," he stated with chilling composure.

"No, commander," Dong Wanqing said, shaking his head. "What I meant was, are you truly serious about a counteroffensive?" Dong Wanqing wasn't bothered by the order to defend to the death. The disciples of the Blood Slaughter Sect all cultivated intense killing intent; when they stood alone, their Blood Qi reached the heavens, and they harbored no fear of a final stand. Their frustration stemmed from Zhao Hai's constant orders to fall back, which led them to believe the retreat would never end. Hearing that a counterattack was finally imminent made him genuinely happy, prompting his clarification.

Zhao Hai was momentarily surprised, not expecting that specific curiosity from Dong Wanqing. He responded immediately, "It is absolutely true. Didn't I mention that I would return within one to three days? My return will signal the beginning of our retaliation. The members of the Thirteen Families Alliance have enjoyed their arrogance for long enough. While I was busy fortifying the defense line, I allowed them their moment. Now that our preparations are complete, we will strike back. I gave my word to the Sect that once this conflict concludes, we will not only have held the Western Defense line but will have dismantled the Thirteen Families Alliance entirely. We cannot simply keep retreating after we've crushed them. The counterattack is at hand."

Dong Wanqing gave Zhao Hai a long, meaningful look before nodding. "Understood, commander. I will be waiting. Rest assured, I give my word that I will hold this position until you arrive. If I must die, I will die here in the heat of battle without retreating a single step. You have nothing to worry about." Though his voice was steady, Zhao Hai could feel the iron-clad resolve behind his words.

Zhao Hai smiled and said firmly, "As long as you manage the island’s formation and refrain from reckless charges, I guarantee the enemy cannot breach your defenses. No matter their numbers, they will be powerless against you. Maintain your focus and remember my instructions."

After Dong Wanqing acknowledged the order, Zhao Hai nodded and summoned the disciples who had assisted in the formation's construction. He then utilized the teleportation formation to return to Blood Bone Island. Upon arrival, Zhao Hai proceeded to the palace square. With a flick of his wrist, a massive stone manifested in the center. He placed a Jade compass atop the stone and executed a series of hand seals. Moments later, the runes on the compass ignited sequentially, and a pillar of blood-red light erupted toward the sky, visible to everyone on Blood Bone Island.

The cultivators across the island began to congregate at the square. For two months, they had been confined to their rooms for meditation or wandering aimlessly, their spirits dampened by a lack of purpose. The constant cycle of retreating had left them deeply dissatisfied. When had the disciples of the Blood Slaughter Sect ever been known for running? Only Zhao Hai's absolute authority and the cooperation of the men he brought from Ha Jing had prevented a total loss of order, despite the growing resentment toward his leadership.

The atmosphere had become one of listless despair, as if all hope had vanished. Many believed they were simply waiting for the Thirteen Families Alliance to reach the final line before retreating to headquarters. Rumors even circulated that the Blood Slaughter Sect had secretly abandoned the Western Defense line, engaging in a sham war only to avoid handing the territory directly to the Seven Major Sects. They were convinced Zhao Hai’s orders to retreat were merely preparations for a final surrender.

Their boredom was shattered by the sight of the crimson beam piercing the heavens. Driven by curiosity, they flocked to the square. Seeing Zhao Hai adjusting a compass that emitted such powerful light only deepened their intrigue, and they watched him in silence.

Ignoring the growing crowd, Zhao Hai continued his work, casting one spell after another upon the device until the red glow finally subsided. Only then did he stow the compass and address the onlookers. He declared in a booming voice, "All stewards of Blood Bone Island, assemble in the square. Notify all other stewards—with the exception of Dong Wanqing on Blood Stone Island—that they must report here within two hours. Anyone who arrives late will be executed!"

The crowd was stunned by the severity of the command, yet they remained rooted to the spot, eager to see what would follow. In short order, the local stewards arrived, followed by the leaders of the other islands. Soon, the square was filled with the leadership of the defense line.

Zhao Hai scanned the assembled group and spoke sternly, "I am well aware that many of you harbor resentment toward me. I have heard the whispers that I am worse than a traitor—that even when the real traitor held this line, we didn't lose this many islands. I know you are angry that I haven't ordered a full-scale fight. I've heard the rumors that the Blood Slaughter Sect made a deal to sacrifice the Western Defense line for peace with the other sects, and that we are just putting on a show before we flee. Am I right?"

Silence met his question, but the expressions on their faces confirmed his suspicions. Zhao Hai let out a cold sneer. "Today, I am here to tell you that you are all mistaken. While I haven't ordered a counterattack with the puppets yet, I have forced you to master their operation. To perform a task well, one must have a sharp tool. Everything we have done until now was to ensure our blades were honed to perfection!"

He paused, letting his gaze sweep over them before continuing. "Previously, Han Le betrayed the defensive secrets of our islands to the enemy. However, there is a detail I haven't shared: there was another traitor within the Blood Slaughter Sect—the Deputy Hall Master of the Dharma Array Hall. He has since been captured and executed by the Sect Master. He was the one who oversaw the construction of these defensive Dharma arrays and intentionally embedded flaws within them, which he then sold to the Thirteen Families Alliance. That is why they bypassed our defenses so easily. My mission has been to reconstruct these arrays from the ground up. These formations are the unbreakable shields in our hands. Now that our shields are ready and our knives are sharp, do you know what comes next? That is right—it is time to strike back!"

Zhao Hai stopped for a moment. As his words sank in, the eyes of the disciples began to burn with excitement. As members of one of the Blood Sea Realm's top ten sects, they were accustomed to being the aggressors, not the victims. The humiliation of the last two months had been a heavy burden. Hearing that the time for vengeance had finally arrived filled them with an electric energy.

Zhao Hai continued, "Before I assumed command, I vowed to the Sect Master that I would not only hold this line but would also invade and annihilate the Thirteen Families Alliance, claiming their lands for the Blood Slaughter Sect. Our period of preparation is over. Now, we kill. You have one day to prepare. After twenty-four hours, our forces will move to Blood Stone Island to launch our grand counteroffensive. From that moment on, anyone who shows cowardice or retreats will be executed on the spot!"

Instead of being intimidated, the men let out a thunderous roar of approval before dispersing to prepare. They had only one day to ready themselves for the chance to wash away their recent disgrace. The pent-up frustration of the past weeks was finally finding an outlet.

Zhao Hai then turned to the island managers who remained. "Managers of each island, stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed." Once the majority had left, the managers stood before him, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Zhao Hai looked at them calmly and said, "I asked you to stay because I have specific instructions. You will not be joining the vanguard of this counterattack." The managers were instantly bewildered and began to protest loudly. One tall, rugged-looking man shouted, "What do you mean, commander? Do you think we aren't capable enough?"

Zhao Hai raised a hand to silence them. "No, that isn't it. I will personally lead the main army to the front. However, the rear islands cannot be left unprotected. I have overhauled the defensive formations of every island. During that process, I extracted the essence from each island's formation core and integrated it into this master formation disk. This disk allows all the arrays in the Western Defense line to be linked as one. However, these systems still require skilled operators. That task falls to you."