Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8420: Appreciation _1

A group of over a dozen cultivators trailed behind a man in his fifties. Each one fixed Li Daya and Tu Ling with eyes full of deep-seated loathing. The man leading them, that cultivator around fifty years old, stared daggers at the pair, flames of rage burning in his gaze. In a frosty voice, he spat, "Good, good, good. I never imagined Xue Feng and Xue Yao would hit my Lone Mountain together like this. Such a thing is truly unheard of. What a contemptible Blood Slaughter Sect."

Li Daya eyed the man and let out a mocking sneer. "What's the issue, Old Man Qi? Still got some gripes? For countless years, your thirteen families have schemed as one to crush our Blood Slaughter Sect. At last, we get to strike back in full force this time. Why would I waste such a golden chance? If I stood in your place, I'd yield without delay and spare a thread of the Qi family's bloodline. Dare to fight on, and you can't hold our wrath against us."

The fellow Li Daya dubbed Old Man Qi went by the name Qi Zhenhai, head of the Qi family within the Thirteen Families Alliance. His power level held up well, and the members of the Thirteen Families Alliance weren't fools either. They understood the vital role of Lone Mountain Island. Yet, since it lay in their rear lines, they merely dispatched Qi Zhenhai to watch over it. Qi Zhenhai figured no assault would come their way, particularly after news hit that foes had assaulted Liuguang City and seized it. That only bolstered his confidence that this spot remained safe, so he eased his guard somewhat.

But in that instant, the protective array on Lone Mountain Island shattered abruptly. Before he could even respond, the Blood Slaughter Sect's forces had stormed ashore. As he geared up to dive into the fray, he collided head-on with Li Daya and Tu Ling. Spotting those two right away told him Lone Mountain Island was the Blood Slaughter Sect's prime objective.

Too bad it was far too late by then. Surrender crossed his mind, but after the Shangguan family gave in, the Thirteen Families Alliance had shifted all key members and kin to the central isle to block further betrayals. Should he bow out now, the Qi family faced instant annihilation. Thus, yielding was off the table; all he could do was battle until the end.

With that realization hitting him, a vicious spark ignited in Qi Zhenhai's eyes. He glared at Li Daya and Tu Ling, bellowing, "Kill! Take down one to break even, two for a gain—kill!" Straightaway, he lunged at Li Daya and Tu Ling. In the same breath, a lengthy spear materialized in his grasp. The spear tip quivered wildly, unleashing a storm of shadowy thrusts aimed squarely at Li Daya.

Li Daya gave a cold huff. With a flick of his wrist, twin armaments emerged in his hold. One resembled a hefty cleaver, the other an iron claw. Li Daya followed a distinct legacy from the Blood Slaughter Sect, setting his tools apart. Still, his cleaver work proved formidable, and pairing it with the claw made for devastating might.

Tu Ling let out her own snort. She shifted her hand, summoning a pair of blades into her grip. These were compact daggers, gripped in an odd reverse fashion that added to their eerie flair. Her blade style stood out as well, packing serious offensive punch.

Li Daya swung the cleaver in his right hand, unleashing a dense crimson blade beam that sliced toward Qi Zhenhai. At the same time, the iron claw in his left hand snaked out toward Qi Zhenhai without a whisper. No noise escaped it, no rush of air—pure deadly stealth.

In that very moment, Tu Ling whipped her dual blades into motion and barreled toward the cultivators flanking Qi Zhenhai. Though those foes ranked as Island Lord experts, Tu Ling outmatched them handily. Her paired blades wove a net of saber glows that pinned them down, leaving them no room to maneuver and forcing desperate blocks.

Qi Zhenhai bellowed nonstop, yet how could he stand against Li Daya in top form? Even just the cleaver in Li Daya's right hand battered him relentlessly, let alone the sneaky, soundless left claw. After barely fifty exchanges, Qi Zhenhai had suffered multiple strikes. Wounds marred his shoulders and arms.

Several of Tu Ling's opponents had already fallen to her blades. The survivors merely clung on for dear life. Defeat loomed clear for them, with no hope of reversal. Meanwhile, the Blood Slaughter Sect's other Island Lords hammered away at the island's remaining disciples. Despite a handful of Island Lords still present, their numbers fell short, and they dropped swiftly in the clash.

The Bloodsucker Squad under Zhao Hai's command drew plenty of notice right then. Naturally, the Bloodsucker Squad steered clear of Island Lord-tier foes, as they couldn't handle such powerhouses yet. Instead, they targeted the rank-and-file from the Thirteen Families Alliance. Their assault strength stunned all onlookers. None could endure even one hit from them. Any who blocked their path got ripped to shreds.

Once Li Daya and Tu Ling dispatched their foes, they saw the Thirteen Families Alliance's cultivators scattered into isolated pockets across Lone Mountain Island. A few had fled beyond the isle's edges, but the rest faced near-total encirclement, with scant hope of breakout.

At that point, Li Daya boomed out, "Surrender and live! All you disciples of the Thirteen Families Alliance, hear me—surrender and you'll be spared!" His words thundered over the whole field of battle. The Thirteen Families Alliance holdouts froze at the call. Most tossed down their arms on the spot. Only a few kept fighting, only to get cut down instantly.

With the surrenders in place, Zhao Hai dropped his killing aura field. Next, he directed his team to round up captives and restore the array. Drawing on the island's existing array runes, he pieced the barrier back together in record time. Sure, it wouldn't pack ultimate strength, but it sufficed for the moment.

Task complete, he headed to an intact annex hall on the island to check on Li Daya and Tu Ling. Li Daya and Tu Ling paid no mind to such duties. With Zhao Hai handling things, they had zero worries. So they lounged in the annex hall.

Zhao Hai's arrival brought grins to their faces. He'd shone brightly this round. Rumors of his command skills had reached them before, but they'd dismissed them without seeing proof. Now, having witnessed it firsthand—from the assault's launch to the battlefield's mop-up—everything flowed under Zhao Hai's steady hand. Such talent lay beyond the average sort.

Zhao Hai clasped his fists toward them. "Elders, the outside's all wrapped up. Time to message the Grand Elder. He must be pacing with impatience by now." Zhao Hai grasped that speed mattered most here. The Thirteen Families Alliance's core isle likely knew of Lone Mountain Island's fall already. They'd respond soon. Then, the full push on the main isle could begin.

Li Daya gave a nod. "Fine, get that letter off to the Grand Elder. We launch our all-out strike on their main isle next." "Yes," Zhao Hai acknowledged, then hurried to send the dispatch. Afterward, he rallied every Blood Slaughter Sect disciple on the island for rest and readiness to fight.

Shortly after the message went out, the island's teleportation circle glowed white, and Du Wansha stepped through. Zhao Hai rushed forward at once. "Greetings, Grand Elder. Grand Elder, we've claimed Lone Mountain Island. Ready for the following phase."

Du Wansha grinned and inclined his head. "Well done, excellent work. I never thought you'd snag Lone Mountain Island this fast. Splendid, truly splendid. Hahaha." As he spoke, he clapped Zhao Hai on the shoulder. Zhao Hai hastily demurred and guided Du Wansha to the annex where Li Daya and Tu Ling awaited.

The pair rose and bowed as Du Wansha entered. He waved it off with a laugh. "Hahaha, you've got some real fortune here, claiming Lone Mountain Island with such ease. Now, we'll strike out from this spot straight to the Thirteen Families Alliance's heart island. No issues with that, I hope?"

They both shook their heads. Zhao Hai spoke gravely, "Grand Elder, this disciple has a suggestion. Could we detach a squad to hold Liuguang Island? During your push on the main isle, if they pull forces from outer islands to bolster it, we seize the moment to raid and claim those outposts. That puts the foe in a bind. Guarding the core means abandoning the fringes. Holding the fringes leaves the core exposed. It plays right into our hands."

Du Wansha nodded approval. "Solid thinking. Here's the plan: You take the Bloodsucker Squad back to Liuguang Island. I'll assign a few Island Lords to back you up and lock in the win. I'll take the bulk of our forces and charge their main isle headlong. Breaching the Thirteen Families Alliance's stronghold won't come cheap—they'll resist fiercely. If they ditch the outer isles, you sweep them up. We'll pin down the core. The fringes still need handling one by one."

"Understood, heading out now," Zhao Hai responded promptly. This matched his initial scheme. Storming the main isle demanded heavy lifting, so leaving it to powerhouses like Du Wansha made sense. His own might remained too low. He could manage those under Island Lord rank, but facing higher tiers spelled doom. Better to steer clear of the central fight.

"Can't spare you a huge force this go. Your Bloodsucker Squad gets 100,000 total, plus twenty Island Lords. But count on those Island Lords pulling their weight for you—no one's crossing your path. Move out." "Yes," Zhao Hai said, then spun on his heel and departed.

Once Zhao Hai was gone, Du Wansha turned to Li Daya and Tu Ling. "You've clashed with the lad— what's your take?" Du Wansha aimed to endorse Zhao Hai, so elders like Li Daya and Tu Ling couldn't push back without sparking trouble. That's why he'd paired them with Zhao Hai and now probed for their views.