Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8429: Shocking (1)

Ha Jing gave a nod and remarked, "You're absolutely right. On another note, you mentioned earlier that we're gathering refuse from the rival sects, and we've made some headway. Disciples from our own group have been dispatched to handle this. The purpose of assigning our disciples stems from our distrust of outsiders. If the other sects discover we're collecting their waste, they could uncover our strategy, causing major issues."

Zhao Hai nodded in agreement, "Indeed. In fact, there's a significant advantage to gathering trash from different sects. Through the refuse, we can examine the primary focus of each sect's progress, or learn about their ongoing studies. This proves quite helpful for us too. It's simply that nobody has considered this approach until now."

Upon hearing Zhao Hai's explanation, Ha Jing halted his steps and spun around to stare at Zhao Hai with astonishment. "Can you truly uncover so much information? That seems unlikely, doesn't it?" Ha Jing had never imagined that insights could be drawn from mere garbage. As cultivators of esteemed standing, they seldom bothered with mundane affairs, much less sifting through waste. Who would stoop to rummaging in trash?

Zhao Hai grinned and replied, "It's entirely feasible. Consider our sect for instance. Lately, a substantial amount of trash has arrived from us, including numerous damaged magic tools. These are the standard ones employed by our members. This indicates that our sect recently endured a major conflict. Plenty of low-tier disciples' tools got wrecked, so the sect must forge fresh ones to replenish their supplies. Meanwhile, the quantity of spoiled high-grade pills has risen sharply. Among those discarded pills, many serve solely for advancing to the Island Lord stage. Thus, it appears that numerous cultivators in our sect are attempting to reach the Island Lord level."

Ha Jing stood frozen in surprise. They were aware of these details, though Zhao Hai likely wasn't. Curiosity compelled him to inquire, "So, can you estimate how many sect members are pushing for the Island Lord breakthrough?" Ha Jing's interest was piqued; he yearned to see what Zhao Hai could deduce from the waste.

"Based on the elixir count, I'd say around 70 to 100 cultivators are striving to become Island Lords. Am I correct in this assessment?" Zhao Hai pondered briefly before responding. His evaluation hit the mark precisely. He had no prior knowledge of the exact number of sect disciples aiming for Island Lord status.

In a mighty organization like the Bloody Massacre Sect, any cultivator seeking to advance to Island Lord must notify the sect, which then supplies complimentary elixirs. Each successful breakthrough adds an entire Island to the sect's domain, bolstering its overall power. This holds immense value for the sect, prompting them to treat such endeavors with utmost seriousness.

As Zhao Hai held no senior position within the sect, he naturally lacked details on the count of members pursuing Island Lord advancement. Yet, he'd lately acquired a heap of discarded pills. Typically, these flawed ones would be discarded outright without reaching him, since the sect deemed them worthless and unsuitable for puppet crafting. Zhao Hai, however, saw potential in extracting toxins from them to brew diverse poisons. That's why he'd gathered them all. By gauging the volume of wasted pills and their failure rates, he swiftly determined the number of sect members attempting the Island Lord breakthrough.

Ha Jing's face shifted upon Zhao Hai's revelation. He hadn't anticipated such precise calculations from him. Zhao Hai's figure was spot on—exactly 87 individuals sought the Island Lord level, a fact unknown to Zhao Hai. Naturally, this wasn't classified data. Still, the depth of Zhao Hai's insight left Ha Jing reeling. While this particular deduction wasn't highly sensitive for the sect, what if future analyses exposed their covert projects? How would they handle that?

They needn't fret over Zhao Hai himself, but imagine if a rival sect performed such scrutiny. The implications would be horrifying—like handing over all their secrets to enemies, allowing countermeasures to be devised. That prospect chilled the blood.

With these thoughts swirling, Ha Jing's features flickered through various emotions. Initially dismissive of Zhao Hai's ideas, he now regarded them gravely. Gazing at Zhao Hai, he spoke solemnly, "I never imagined refuse could yield such revelations. It looks like we must handle this aspect with greater care."

Zhao Hai replied softly, "I'll monitor it closely. If the sects desire, they could dispatch a few dedicated individuals to train under me. Should future sect trash arrive here, we'd gain sharper insights into their pursuits. This could prove valuable to the sects."

Ha Jing nodded and stated, "I'll discuss it with the sect and arrange for some personnel. Plenty in the sect have served loyally despite stalled cultivation. They're idle at present, beyond instructing novice disciples. This offers them a meaningful role."

Zhao Hai remained silent. He understood precisely whom Ha Jing meant. Across sects, numerous cultivators lingered at the Refinement Realm due to diverse obstacles, forever barred from Island Lord status. Such figures weren't feeble, so sects wouldn't abandon them, yet promotions eluded them. They often managed as overseeing elders or mentored entry-level disciples. Opportunities for greater contribution were scarce. Sects required only a limited number of administrators, leaving many stagnant experts without fitting placements.

Zhao Hai's suggestion now demanded a sizable workforce, presenting an ideal chance to deploy those individuals. Not everyone could join, but it would occupy some productively. He recognized this as an unavoidable aspect of cultivation. Talent flaws, mindset issues, or other hurdles halted progress for many, yet they formed a substantial faction within the sect. Thus, support was the only option. Though they persisted in practice, distractions arose—like founding clans, instructing pupils, delving into arrays, alchemy, or forging. Still, a portion disdained such pursuits, idling away their days.

This fell under the sect master's purview, unrelated to Zhao Hai, so he offered no comment. Once Ha Jing and Zhao Hai departed Blood Gale Island, Zhao Hai summoned the Blood Lotus and ushered Ha Jing and the bronze statue inside it.

The Blood Lotus housed an inner realm, distinct from the bronze statue's. A spacious manor graced this space, surrounded by abundant flora. Spiritual Qi flowed thicker here, rendering the Blood Lotus's interior far more inviting than the statue's confines.

Surveying the Blood Lotus's inner domain, Ha Jing turned to Zhao Hai with a grin. "Well done, lad. I never suspected you'd concealed such a fine retreat. Excellent work—truly a splendid spot." The ambiance delighted Ha Jing, prompting repeated commendations.

Within the manor, the pair settled across from one another. Zhao Hai gestured, sending two jade cups gliding to the table. Stalactite essence then filled them. Smiling at Ha Jing, Zhao Hai explained, "This manor came from the Spiritual Array Sect's central hall. They once forged an eye array, infusing every stone and beam with Yin souls. Not only does it construct this dwelling, but it can serve as a magic tool in crises. Yet, I choose to preserve it as a serene haven for repose."

Ha Jing nodded approvingly. "Quite impressive. Who knew the Spiritual Array Sect possessed such treasures? A rare find indeed." Envy didn't stir in Ha Jing toward Zhao Hai. His own Blood Buddha Temple ranked as the Blood Sea Realm's premier Dharma artifact, leaving no room for jealousy.

Zhao Hai chuckled and continued, "Curiously, this artifact's tale is intriguing. Eldest Senior Brother gifted it to me back on Blood Drop Island. Its prior owner was Seventh Senior Brother, who later defected and fell to my hand. Originally mundane, it transformed into a life-bound magic tool through unknown refinements, evolving into its current form. Fate works in mysterious ways."

Ha Jing nodded gravely and inquired, "Little Hai, I've yet to probe deeply. To what extent have you mastered the Blood Sea God-Killing Technique? Has the backlash truly vanished?" This lingered as a persistent concern for Ha Jing. He knew Du Wan Sha and Dao Qian Zhan intended heavy investment in Zhao Hai's growth. But if the technique's slaughter aura drove him to Qi deviation, disaster would follow.

Zhao Hai smiled reassuringly and answered, "No such issue exists—truly none. Grandmaster, you might not realize, but in the lower realm, I delved into Buddhist methods. Though I don't practice them, I'm familiar with their sutras. Beyond that, I explored the Dao of talismans down there. Thus, when cultivating the Blood Sea God-Killing Technique and forming its Dharma image, upon learning of the backlash risk, I devised a Buddhist counter to suppress it." "Hence, despite the Dharma's visage of corpse mountains and blood oceans, a mighty Buddha oversees it, ceaselessly reciting scriptures to cleanse all beings. The cadavers atop the peaks have morphed into Buddhist corpse Buddhas like Lin Master. They've nearly eradicated the slaughter intent. Coupled with my vast kills in the lower realm granting command over such auras, backlash poses no threat."