Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8431: Traps (1)

A burst of white light flashed, and Zhao Hai materialized in a vast emptiness. As soon as his vision sharpened, he scanned the area around him. Shock gripped Zhao Hai when he grasped that he'd entered a profoundly odd realm. It was a domain beyond his wildest dreams.

Green meadows stretched all around him, blooming with vivid blossoms. Towering trees flanked the floral patches. From time to time, rabbits darted across the scene. It evoked the image of a heavenly haven on the mortal plane. Such beauty wouldn't typically alarm him, yet Zhao Hai's perceptive gaze detected the irregularity right away.

Zhao Hai spotted a shared trait among the meadows, blooms, timber, and even the bunnies. None pulsed with vital essence. These weren't mere phantoms, though. Crafted from metallic substances, the greenery consisted of pliable emerald alloy, the petals of iridescent metal, the trunks of earthy-toned material, and the foliage mimicking the meadows closely. All formed mechanical puppets. What astonished Zhao Hai most was their lack of magical fuel. Instead, they operated via clockwork-like mechanisms.

This realm brimmed with alloys, contraptions, and snares. Though serene in appearance, Zhao Hai sensed the lurking menace of death. Such a revelation left him amazed. He burned with curiosity about the nature of this domain.

Suddenly, Zhao Hai's attention caught on shattered puppet remnants a short distance to his rear. They seemed familiar. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as the very fragments he'd uncovered in the hidden lair of those clans. The discovery left Zhao Hai at a loss for words. Never had he suspected those clans would stumble upon puppet debris in this spot. That implied they hadn't ventured deeper into the zone. They'd merely accessed the transport circle, grabbed the scraps, and extracted them for analysis? Such haste seemed reckless.

Zhao Hai misjudged this instance. Those clans refused to abandon the hidden domain so easily. They dispatched explorers into the mystery, who exited the portal to probe the terrain. Tragically, every one perished within. Only a fortunate handful escaped, carrying out some mangled puppet parts. Thus, the clans acquired the debris.

One could say the prominent clans endured heavy casualties in this domain. Ultimately, they resorted to examining the puppet shards. Had alternatives existed, they wouldn't have settled for mere fragments. Though lacking Zhao Hai's insight to discern flaws in the foliage and turf, their avarice surpassed his own.

Zhao Hai surveyed the vicinity and detected no immediate oddities. Right as he prepared to ascend, an oppressive force weighed upon him. He paused in surprise, then comprehended instantly. A flight-ban formation governed the area, barring cultivators from soaring. This discovery heightened Zhao Hai's intrigue toward the location.

Zhao Hai eyed the meadows with a grin and advanced. His initial step compressed the blades, but upon reaching a limit, they rebounded with amplified vigor. The rebounding greenery turned rigid like iron spikes. Without magical shielding for the soles, traversing the turf proved impossible.

Yet Zhao Hai dismissed the hazard. His physique possessed immense durability, far exceeding hardened currency. He ignored protections and no formations, proceeding at a leisurely pace. The springing blades merely elevated his steps, letting him tread their edges and progress. They offered no peril to his soles.

Naturally, Zhao Hai's footwear wore out completely, leaving him unshod soon after. Still, concern eluded him. He pressed on methodically, observing the landscape while murmuring, "Interesting. This place is truly fascinating. It doesn't seem like something common folk could construct."

Amid his words, Zhao Hai sensed a coil around his ankle. Before he could glance downward, a mighty pull yanked from below, toppling him ahead. Alarm surged through Zhao Hai. In the instant before response, a rattling noise emanated from his form. Then, the grip on his limb slackened, and he tumbled. Next, he registered support from myriad piercing elements. Only now did Zhao Hai comprehend the ambush.

The assault stemmed not from an array but a device. Zhao Hai had long admired the Divine Secrets Sect's puppet mastery, assuming their legacy encompassed trapcraft. Now, he truly appreciated the potency of the Divine Secrets Sect's mechanical arts. He'd just succumbed to one, and without his robust frame, death would have claimed him.

The assailant device was the most basic type: a spinning panel. To ensnare a cultivator, however, it demanded enhanced force. This panel packed considerable might. Primarily, flight prohibition rendered it effective. Moreover, the local blades sharpened intensely, compelling typical cultivators to channel spiritual force to their feet for movement. Each stride landed with weight, akin to donning weighted boots that thudded heavily.

The terrain here mimicked soil, shielding against spiritual probes. Cultivators, however, often overlooked the earth, deeming it beneath notice. They wouldn't anticipate such a rudimentary spinning panel targeting them.

Thanks to the sense-blocking soil, the concealed panel evaded detection. As they lumbered onward, binding grass vines snared their ankles abruptly. Once entangled, the panel spun at once. With limbs bound and rotation swift, reaction proved futile, hurling them face-first. The device revolved fully, akin to a cycle in the snare. It housed retractable spikes linked to its workings. During spin, spikes withdrew; upon reversal, they protruded to strike fallen cultivators. After completion, the grass uncoiled from the victims' feet. The cultivator dropped from the panel, which reset seamlessly.

This chain of devices might sound prolonged in explanation, yet it unfolded in a flash. The panel vanished into the ground, resuming normalcy. Were it not for Zhao Hai's resilience, fellow cultivators would have met their end here.

With that realization, Zhao Hai extended his spiritual sense across the area. As expected, he located several remains. Dark stains marred the spikes, resembling congealed blood. Concurrently, Zhao Hai examined the device plainly. It plunged roughly three meters, already harboring multiple bodies. He perched atop a spike. Absent his sturdy build, punctures would riddle his form.

Zhao Hai exhaled deeply and whispered, "Impressive. Such a basic device could scheme against cultivators. The Divine Secrets Sect truly excels. No surprise the Cloud Sea Realm forces sought its annihilation. Left unchecked, their growth would doom those foes."

With this in mind, Zhao Hai rose gradually. Balancing on two spike tips, he shoved the overhead lid. It quivered faintly. Zhao Hai smirked and exerted full force, flipping it open. He shifted and leaped from the pit.

The exterior realm remained tranquil, unaltered in appearance. Tiny rabbits continued bounding through the meadows, mimicking lively creatures. Yet Zhao Hai now knew perils riddled the domain, far from simplistic to counter.

Undeterred, he wasn't fazed. He glanced about, then at the rear panel snare. It had reverted flawlessly, blending indistinguishably with the environs. Zhao Hai marveled inwardly at the Divine Secrets Sect's clever engineering. Conceiving such feats stretched imagination.

Zhao Hai grinned and muttered, "The more elaborate, the more captivating. My interest in this domain deepens. I eagerly await uncovering its secrets and the essence of its constructs." With that, Zhao Hai advanced steadily, vigilance fixed on his surroundings.

At that instant, a small rabbit approached Zhao Hai, fixing him with a gaze. It resembled a genuine bunny perfectly—a snow-furred white rabbit, red-eyed, with a tri-lobed mouth. Its allure was undeniable, exuding no hint of threat.

Yet suddenly, the rabbit's coat launched at Zhao Hai. Composed of metallic strands, the fur projected like steel pins. Proximity rendered evasion impossible. Still, Zhao Hai had no desire to evade. He swept his hand, tracing a loop around himself. The fur streaked into his grasp like homing birds to their nest. In moments, a clutch of pristine white rabbit fur rested in his palm.