Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8416: The plan (1)

Right after Du Wan Sha finished speaking, all gazes in the room locked onto Zhao Hai. Shangguan Jinyang and the other two Elders stood there in bewilderment. They had no clue why the attention poured toward Zhao Hai like that. What made this Zhao Hai so remarkable? He was only a true disciple, after all. Even with all the favoritism he received, staring at him wouldn't change a thing, would it?

Unaware to them, word of Zhao Hai's incredible formation along the Western defensive line had already buzzed across the entire Blood Slaughter Sect. Every single person in the Blood Slaughter Sect understood that the formation Zhao Hai deployed there let the parts bolster one another perfectly. This setup closely resembled the defenses on the 36 islands under the Thirteen Families Alliance. That very likeness explained why everyone's focus now rested on Zhao Hai, eager to hear if he held any brilliant insights.

Du Wan Sha glanced at Zhao Hai, then swept his eyes over the group, before flashing a grin at Zhao Hai. "Little Hai, looks like the whole crowd's pinning their hopes on you. So, speak up—what thoughts do you have?" Naturally, Du Wan Sha was well aware of the kind of formation Zhao Hai had arranged, which prompted him to phrase it that way.

Zhao Hai could only manage a wry smile at those words. Still, he pressed on, "Great Elder, I'm not entirely clear on this formation's details, but it shares one key trait. It lets energies flow and support each other, yet it can't hold up forever. Flood it with massive energy over time, and it risks crumbling apart. Thus, breaking it comes down to two approaches. First, target the central hub of the whole setup. That hub sits on the main island among the 36, making it tough to reach and shatter. The other way's more brute force—hammer one island relentlessly to force its formation into overdrive. Soon enough, that formation will fail on its own, and the entire one-heart array will unravel without further strikes."

Du Wan Sha nodded slowly as Zhao Hai spoke, but then he fixed his gaze on him and added, "Little Hai, your analysis makes perfect sense, but have you considered something crucial? Like the setup at our Blood Slaughter Sect's Western defensive line. Doesn't it echo the core 36 islands' configuration? What happens if the foes turn that same trick against us one day?"

Zhao Hai shook his head firmly and replied, "No need to fret, Great Elder. The Western defensive line differs sharply from the core 36 islands. Those islands form one unified formation, but our Western line consists of separate formations linked together. I merely added a master array disc to tie them as a network. Think of it like this: the core 36 islands act as a single massive formation, while our Western line resembles a cluster of individual ones governed by that disc. You could strike an eye of the 36-island array and disrupt the whole thing. But breaching the Western line? Forget it. Hit one spot, snag its array disc, and that location instantly turns into the new central eye for the entire system. Breaking it becomes a nightmare for them. At best, they'd wreck just one formation. The rest stay operational, ready to link up with the master disc again. Simply put, damage one eye in the 36-island setup, and the array grinds to a halt. Even if enemies smash a formation on our Western line, the remaining ones barely lose strength. They'd have to tackle each fortress individually. The core 36 islands are like storming a grand city—breach one wall, and you're inside. Assaulting the Western line means facing a chain of strongholds; conquer the line, and you still battle each hold separately. The challenge levels are worlds apart."

Du Wan Sha nodded approvingly at Zhao Hai's explanation. "Indeed, the differences are clear. Excellent. The Thirteen Families aim to rely on this formation as their final stand. We won't let them. Tomorrow, we launch a full assault, but first, we plan meticulously on which island to hit."

Du Wan Sha pulled out a jade slip and channeled his spiritual power into it. Instantly, a map of the islands materialized before the assembly. Though not enormous, this map captured every detail of the core 36 islands, with all of them plotted clearly.

On the map, the central island loomed largest, encircled by numerous smaller ones. Those surrounding isles stood like vigilant sentinels, shielding the massive heart island. This layout unmistakably depicted the core 36 islands' arrangement. The guardian islands sat close enough to aid one another swiftly, rendering any attempt to slip past them and strike the central behemoth utterly futile.

Du Wan Sha studied the map intently before speaking gravely. "As you all see, the 36 islands' positions are laid out here. What's your take? We ought to zero in on that key island to crush the Thirteen Families in the swiftest manner possible." Once Du Wan Sha voiced this, eyes darted across the map as everyone pondered which target would allow them to dismantle the Thirteen Families Alliance the fastest.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Jinyang and his companions wrestled with tangled emotions. They had once belonged to the Thirteen Families Alliance, even as its third strongest house. Now, they stood opposed to it, stirring a whirlwind of intricate and bittersweet feelings within them.

Yet Du Wan Sha had no time to dwell on their inner turmoil. He addressed the group directly. "Come on, everyone—share your views." But silence hung heavy; no one spoke up. Truth was, they found it impossible to pick a starting island, convinced the outcome would mirror no matter the choice.

At that moment, Du Wan Sha shifted his gaze to Zhao Hai and commanded deeply, "Little Hai, your turn." His words instantly pulled all focus back to Zhao Hai. Zhao Hai paused in surprise before nodding reluctantly. He hated drawing attention like this, but with Du Wan Sha singling him out, he had little option but to step forward. He recognized it as praise from Du Wan Sha, yet truthfully, he loathed the spotlight—but grit his teeth and went along anyway.

With that in mind, Zhao Hai approached the map and declared solemnly, "I suggest we divide into two teams. One, under the Great Elder's command, strikes Meteoric Island head-on. There, we deploy the God-Slaying Blade to shatter Meteoric Island's heart formation, drawing every enemy eye in the area. The second team—I propose Elder Li and Elder Tu lead it—to raid Lone Mountain Island. This spot lies directly behind the enemy's core main island, where their guards are likely laxer, as the Great Elder has probably spotted already."The foes' defenses hold real weight. They've positioned layers of islands ahead, each backing the next. Breach one, and another blocks your path—pushing through won't be simple. Lone Mountain Island stands apart, tucked behind the main island. Sure, some distance separates them, but nothing lies in between—no islands, just open water. Seize it, and we advance unchecked straight to their core island. Panic will grip the enemy then, caught in a pincer from front and rear. Snatching their main island becomes far simpler. Once that's ours, the surrounding guard islands lose their bite, and we mop them up with ease."

The group absorbed Zhao Hai's strategy while eyeing the two islands he indicated. As he wrapped up, realization dawned in their stares. They weren't fools, but lacking formal battle tactics, their strategic sense fell short. Zhao Hai's words illuminated the targets instantly. The Meteoric Island he named was the nearest to their position—Flowing Light Island served as the outermost barrier of the 36 core islands. Beyond it lay several more layers. As Zhao Hai noted, assaulting from there meant capturing Flowing Light Island only to face at least two additional defenses before reaching the core—a grueling task indeed.

Lone Mountain Island, positioned rearward of the core, kept a fair gap from it but featured no intervening barriers. Thus, it formed the immediate rear guard. Conquer it, and their core island lay exposed for direct assault. No doubt, this approach conserved the most effort.

Zhao Hai's scheme boiled down to basics: Du Wan Sha's force hits Meteoric Island from their spot to pull enemy focus. Meanwhile, Li Daya and Tu Ling circle to Lone Mountain Island, claim it rapidly, then charge the core. A straightforward feint maneuver, yet devastatingly potent.

A gleam sparked in Du Wan Sha's eyes as he scrutinized the map closely, then he erupted in hearty laughter. "Splendid, splendid—this plan's a winner. Hahaha, Old Li, Old Tu, your opinions? Zhao Hai's handed you the prime role and the biggest glory. Thoughts?"

The two Elders chuckled at Du Wan Sha's remark. Li Daya's teeth weren't particularly large—odd for his moniker—but his frame towered broad and sturdy. He boomed with laughter, "Fine lad, he's got a heart after all. Count me in. Old Tu, you game?"

Elder Tu, shorter in stature but radiating ferocity, rasped a laugh in his gravelly tone. "Pass up a golden opportunity like this? What else would I chase? I'm taking the job!"

"Perfect! It's settled then. We rest tonight and divide forces come morning!"