Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8481: Recruitment (1)

"Moon in the sea!" The burly man roared loudly. He seized the spear end of his hammer and lashed it toward Zhao Hai. Yet right at that instant, the blade in Zhao Hai's grip stirred, and he declared, "Shen Ji, heavenly net!" With those words, Zhao Hai's form vanished abruptly. In its stead emerged a vast net surging upward from below. The burly man struck the mesh, but its suppleness proved unbreakable. He sensed it weighed like a ten-thousand-pound lance, utterly immovable. Compelled to pause, his features flushed deep crimson.

Now the massive net coiled around him, enveloping his frame completely. A wave of numbness surged through the big man's body. Every vital acupoint got sealed by an invisible force, leaving him frozen in place.

Suddenly, Zhao Hai materialized next to the burly man. He cast a glance at his captive and smirked, "I'll let you live for now, but I'll handle you soon enough." With that, Zhao Hai shifted his gaze to the group below and let out a chilly huff. He flicked the flexible sword in his grasp and thrust it toward them. At the same moment, he bellowed, "Seamless saber array!" As his command echoed, the loose cultivators beneath heard a thunderous boom. The landscape around them twisted, and they found themselves in an enclosed realm. Within this area rose thirty-six towering columns. Before each column loomed four iron figures, each guarding a cardinal direction. Every iron sentinel clutched a massive saber. Soon, the iron warriors stirred, swinging their enormous blades in wide arcs.

A sweeping saber glow blanketed the whole domain. The loose cultivators panicked, unleashing their various techniques against the iron guardians. Explosions rang out as the saber formation shattered. Still, by the time it collapsed, almost half the loose cultivators lay slain.

During Zhao Hai's prior use of the seamless saber array, he had wiped out every pursuer. But this round, he eliminated only about half. The survivors had shattered the assault and fled. Evidently, this bunch outmatched the previous foes in strength.

Zhao Hai refrained from launching another strike. Sword in hand, he remained poised, eyeing those who had just escaped the array. A grin played on his lips as he spoke gravely, "What do you all make of my divine weapon? I'll offer you one last chance. Refuse to yield, and I won't hold back."

The loose cultivators reeled from the shock. Zhao Hai had deployed just two and a half techniques thus far, with one and a half aimed at the hammer-wielding brute. Against them, he'd unleashed only one, yet it claimed half their numbers. Though the fallen were the weaker ones, Zhao Hai's methods struck with eerie unpredictability. That seamless saber array defied all logic; it formed a true barrier. Escape demanded breaking free of it. Had they failed, the assault might have persisted endlessly. Such an odd tactic lay beyond their experience. Fear now gripped them.

The rogue cultivators huddled close, staring up at Zhao Hai. He met their stares with icy resolve and demanded, "Well? I've handed you an opportunity. Squander it, and I won't show mercy. Speak—will you submit?" Sword steady, Zhao Hai exuded lethal menace.

The unaffiliated cultivators hesitated, dread coiling within. Zhao Hai's last technique had terrified them utterly. Plus, he'd subdued the burly man in a mere one and a half strikes. Capturing alive proved tougher than slaying outright, yet he'd done it swiftly. Zhao Hai's might overwhelmed them. Confronting such dominance bred fear. Several already leaned toward surrender.

As rogue cultivators, their path to this point had demanded far greater toil than sect disciples endured. Death held no appeal, fueling their unease. Then, from their midst, a white gleam rocketed skyward and vanished instantly—a message spell.

"You're courting death!" Zhao Hai's shout erupted. He slashed his sword ahead while intoning deeply, "Shen Ji, cloud piercing arrow!" A razor-sharp sword beam lanced from his blade at blinding speed. It targeted not the sender but the fleeing spell. The beam overtook the glowing orb and struck it down.

Next, Zhao Hai aimed his sword at the cluster and yelled, "Seamless saber array!" No—with the thrust came another beam plunging into the throng. The group scattered in chaos, bolting every which way. But motion barely began when a cry pierced the air. One cultivator's neck got skewered by Zhao Hai's strike.

Gazing at the scattering loose cultivators, Zhao Hai snorted disdainfully. He'd infused it with the Buddha's lion's roar. Every loose cultivator's ears rang like thunder had burst inside. Their forms shuddered, halting them dead. Faces twisted in horror. They hadn't imagined Zhao Hai's prowess ran so deep. A mere snort disrupted their dharmic powers entirely. His strength daunted them.

Zhao Hai eyed the rogue cultivators and sneered, "You fools, how bold to challenge me? Even if you outmatch me, even with the Sinister Wind Ghost Flag in hand, what's the point? Don't you grasp the flag's dread power? Don't you see how vital it is to the great sects? Would those sect heirs idly let you claim it? The moment you seize the Sinister Wind Ghost Flag, your doom arrives at their blades. Better to join me than become shades under their swords. I'm just at the refinement realm, but with the Sinister Wind Ghost Flag, I can face Island Lord-level foes. The flag holds another gift: it unites our collective might. Channel that power, and we'll not only tackle Island Lord experts—we'll shatter island defenses with ease. Soon, we'll rampage the realms like the Ghostwind Bandits, amassing endless treasures. What holds you back?"

Zhao Hai's speech left them dumbfounded, then their gazes ignited with fervor. Truth be told, as rogue cultivators unbound to great sects, they lacked the sect scions' deep grudge against the Ghostwind Bandits. Far from revulsion, they idolized them. The Ghostwind Bandits embodied rogue cultivator defiance, the core dream of bucking major sects and all their tyranny.

Countless times had these wanderers dreamed of wielding such might, lording over the world like the Ghostwind Bandits. Then, cultivation methods, artifacts, crystals, rare elixirs—all would be theirs.

Zhao Hai scanned them and intoned solemnly, "Friends, unite with me, and the world falls to us eventually. What say you? Will you stand together?" His eyes blazed as he regarded the assembly. Alone, he'd draw too much scrutiny. He needed allies to redirect eyes toward the Ghostwind Bandits' legacy, away from his lone self.

Though confident his secret held firm, caution ruled. He dared not belittle the great sects' cunning. They weren't dimwits. His emergence as Zou Xiao timed perfectly with Zhao Hai's seclusion. Link those dots, and they'd suspect the truth.

Better to escalate boldly, cementing his role as the Ghostwind Bandits' premier leader. Let all fixate there, ignoring his origins. That guarded his true face. Thus, Zhao Hai sought recruits.

"Boss, count me in! Damn those sect disciples—I've choked on their arrogance forever. I'll trail you into epic war. Die in glory? That's a life well-lived; I won't have wasted my time here!" A gravelly shout broke the tension.

All turned toward the voice, spotting the initial hammer attacker—the burly man. Though bound by Zhao Hai's hold, speech remained his. He bellowed with wild zeal, as if eager to charge alongside Zhao Hai and slaughter all foes.

Zhao Hai regarded the burly man inwardly with respect. Beneath the brute's rough exterior lurked sharp wits. Seeing capture inevitable, he'd pledged first to secure life. Now Zhao Hai must release him. Clever ploy.

Yet delight stirred in Zhao Hai. The display deepened his regard. He nodded, gesturing to lift the burly man's bonds. Then, eyeing him, Zhao Hai said, "Fine, you're with me starting now. Your name?"

The burly man dropped to his knees before Zhao Hai and rumbled deeply, "Boss, name's Xu Gang!" Xu Gang knew flight was impossible, so allying with Zhao Hai beat death. For a rogue like him, reaching this height was a feat with his meager arts. Advancing demanded superior techniques and ample resources—elusive prizes alone. But under Zhao Hai, they might flow his way. Crucial gains. Better a blaze of battle than fade forgotten in obscurity!