Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8380: The aftermath (1)

One could accurately state that Zhao Hai was solely responsible for Pan Qianlong’s demise. Initially, Pan Qianlong attempted to strike Zhao Hai directly, but the bronze man intercepted him. Although the bronze man lacked his agility, allowing him to slip past, a battle corpse quickly blocked his path. Unable to bypass this new obstacle, Pan Qianlong found himself ensnared by the battle corpse, which relentlessly pinned him down and prevented any escape. In that window of opportunity, twelve puppets surrounded him. It became clear that Pan Qianlong was no match for their combined strength. Facing certain death, he unleashed the Ten Thousand Infants Ghost Bone to flee, yet Zhao Hai cut off his retreat. With a final, decisive spell, Zhao Hai struck him down.

An expert at the half-step Island Lord level had been eliminated by Zhao Hai with apparent ease. This feat was even more staggering considering Zhao Hai was only in the Power Essence Realm at the time. If he possessed such overwhelming power back then, how formidable would he be now that he had ascended to the Refinement Realm? The mere thought of his current strength filled the observers with a sense of dread.

Surveying the gathered crowd, Zhao Hai spoke in a heavy tone, "The conflict has concluded. Everyone, begin clearing the battlefield. Also, ensure Pan Qianlong’s remains are cremated." Jiang Chen and the others acknowledged the command and set to work immediately. Zhao Hai then pulled Yan Bei and the inner circle aside, explaining, "Following this defeat, the Alliance of the 13 Families will be like a dragon without a head. They won't be able to coordinate a response quickly. We must capitalize on this chaos to expand our territory and seize as many islands as possible in the shortest timeframe. However, I won't be leading the charge this time. I have other matters to attend to, so I am placing Big Brother Yan in command. Chang Jun, you will assist him. I'll leave the bronze man behind to support you; its strength can shatter the island-protecting formations. Meanwhile, I will lead a team to reconstruct our own defenses. Is that understood?"

"Understood," the group replied as one. No one questioned Zhao Hai’s directives. His words were treated as absolute truth, and none dared to oppose him. Through both raw power and strategic brilliance, Zhao Hai had proven he was not just a master tactician, but an incredibly lethal combatant as well.

"I’m leaving the rest to you. There is a matter I must handle personally," Zhao Hai stated firmly before vanishing into thin air. Though his sudden departure left the group puzzled, they didn't press for details, especially since the massive bronze man remained behind as their vanguard.

Yan Bei turned to the assembly and ordered, "Secure the battlefield at once and dismantle all enemy runes on this island. We must be ready to rebuild the defensive formations the moment the commander returns. Move quickly!" As the men dispersed to carry out their tasks, Yan Bei signaled to a departing cultivator. "Zhang Zhiheng, stay behind for a moment," he commanded.

Startled, the cultivator paused. Zhang Zhiheng held a significant position as the steward—essentially the Deputy Commander—of the Bloodsucker Team. Since Zhao Hai was the official Commander, Zhang Zhiheng participated in all high-level briefings. He looked at Yan Bei with confusion, wondering why he had been singled out.

Yan Bei studied him and asked, "Zhang Heng, did anything unusual happen on the island? Anything out of the ordinary?" Though Zhao Hai hadn't explained his departure, Yan Bei instinctively felt that a specific incident had triggered it.

Zhang Heng paused, then nodded. "We actually faced a dire situation. The Alliance of the 13 Families ambushed us, led by a blue-clad cultivator specializing in poisons. He appeared to be from the Corpse Demon Sect, given that his curved blade matched Pan Qianlong’s style. Crucially, they utilized a blocking spell specifically designed to interfere with our puppets, causing them to fail. Because of that, we couldn't rely on the puppets during the battle on Fresh Blood Island; we had to fight entirely on our own."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bei realized the gravity of the situation. While Zhang Heng and the others didn't know the puppets' origin, Yan Bei knew Zhao Hai had crafted them. If the enemy had discovered a fatal flaw or a way to neutralize them, the puppets would become liabilities. Losing that advantage would put the entire force in jeopardy. Yan Bei sighed deeply. "I see. You may return to your duties." Zhang Heng bowed and left. Despite being in the Refinement Realm and technically outranking Yan Bei, he showed him great respect—not out of fear of Yan Bei himself, but out of reverence for the man standing behind him: Zhao Hai.

Yan Bei’s intuition was correct. Zhao Hai was currently preoccupied with the puppet issue. While neutralizing a blocking formation wasn't inherently complex, the scale of the problem was daunting; they possessed millions of puppets. Upgrading such a vast number was a massive undertaking. Zhao Hai’s primary goal was to find a solution that was both effective and easy to implement quickly.

He soon devised a plan involving magnetic barrier plates. These plates offered no physical defense but could generate an energy field around a puppet to intercept disruption spells. By crafting these from magnetic metal, they could be easily attached to a puppet's frame. The puppet's internal energy-gathering array would provide the necessary power, ensuring a constant shield. Once attached, the plate functioned as a permanent part of the puppet unless forcibly removed.

Furthermore, Zhao Hai updated the puppet manufacturing process, integrating a new array into the design. This ensured that all future units would be naturally immune to Interruption Talismans. While the enemy might eventually find new counters, this solved the immediate crisis. Additionally, the Blood Slaughter Sect wasn't planning to rely on these basic models forever. Having harvested numerous Dark Souls during the recent conflicts, Zhao Hai began transferring them into advanced shells. These new puppets, while not quite as powerful as his twelve armored guardians, were significantly superior to the standard models.

It took Zhao Hai three days to retool the production lines and manufacture a massive supply of magnetic cards. After sending a large shipment to the Sect, he returned to Serum Island to retrofit the remaining units. By the time he finished, five days had passed since Pan Qianlong’s death. The defensive arrays for Serum Island and Blood Hawk Island were still incomplete, so Zhao Hai immediately took charge of the reconstruction while delegating the puppet upgrades to his subordinates.

Zhao Hai remained deeply invested in the study of Dharma arrays. He began mentoring disciples who showed a talent for the craft, hoping to cultivate a group that could handle these tasks in the future. He also kept the Sect informed of all developments on the Western Defense Line. The response from Thousand Blade and the leadership was swift; they dispatched experts from the Dharma Array Hall to study under Zhao Hai. The Blood Slaughter Sect’s existing large-scale arrays were mediocre at best, and Zhao Hai’s superior techniques were seen as a vital asset.

The Blood Slaughter Sect was generally lenient with its disciples, provided they remained loyal. They rarely confiscated personal treasures, choosing instead to reward those who shared their knowledge. Zhao Hai’s willingness to teach was highly valued, as it lightened the Sect's overall burden. Moreover, the leadership was thrilled with his performance. Previously, when numerous islands were lost, there had been loud calls for Zhao Hai’s punishment. However, Dao Qianzhan had protected him, honoring his earlier promise. Although the Sect Leader had felt the pressure as the islands fell, he had stayed his hand out of respect for Ha Jing, Zhao Hai’s Grandmaster.

When news of the devastating counterattack arrived, the Sect Leader knew his patience had been rewarded. Zhao Hai had not only reclaimed territory but had decimated the enemy leadership and wiped out hundreds of thousands of opposing troops. Since this was only the start of the campaign, the Sect Leader was overjoyed. When Zhao Hai offered to share his knowledge of magical formations, there was no hesitation in approving it. The Sect leadership finally realized that while martial force was essential, there were other, equally potent ways to secure their dominance.