Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8531: The system (1)

The term 'sweep' perfectly captured Zhao Hai's assault on the Blood River Sea. No sects in the Blood River Sea had anticipated such a devastating defeat in this conflict. Master Withered Leaf's Wen Butong perished in the fight, and the army dispersed completely. The all-out onslaught from Zhao Hai's forces left the Blood River Sea inhabitants in utter shock.

They were abruptly stunned to realize they couldn't halt the enemy's advance whatsoever. The foes aimed to seize the island, yet they possessed no means to fight back. Throughout this period, they launched counteroffensives, only to discover soon after that these efforts proved utterly futile. Upon encountering the attackers, defeat struck them instantly. This left them utterly bewildered and unsure of their next move.

Zhao Hai and his allies also adjusted their assault tactics. Initially, their goal was to wipe out every sect and cultivator in the area. But later, they noticed these cultivators put up rather feeble resistance, which caught them off guard. Consequently, Zhao Hai shifted his approach right away and started capturing individuals instead. Surrenderers would be spared. This tactic weakened the resisters even further, amplifying Zhao Hai's astonishment. He struggled to grasp the mindset of these opponents.

Subsequently, several Island Lord-level powerhouses chose to yield. Zhao Hai and his group quickly understood the reasons behind these surrenders. It stemmed from a large number of folks unwilling to align with the sects. They resisted returning to the Cloud Sea Realm. Life in the Blood Sea Realm had become their norm. Here, they held their own sects, influences, and significance. But returning to the Cloud Sea Realm meant stepping into an entirely unfamiliar setting and integrating into a fresh sect. No matter how kindly the sect members treated them, the environmental shift alone unsettled many. Thus, plenty actually preferred staying put in the Blood Sea Realm. Previously, the sects had quashed any such sentiments, preventing open expression.

With all major sects crushed by Zhao Hai's forces, and the surviving ones unable to endure the onslaught, this reality was plain for all to see. Rather than drifting as lone cultivators, aligning with Zhao Hai's side offered a superior path compared to isolation.

Zhao Hai found himself at a loss for words regarding these individuals. Nonetheless, he promptly altered his strategy. He viewed the Blood River Sea cultivators as possessing solid potential. With proper guidance, they could serve as future underlings. Hence, Zhao Hai established a policy: regardless of whether they were Island Lord-level experts or regular cultivators, surrenderers would face binding restrictions applied solely by him. He alone could impose them. All who yielded would lead the charge in upcoming clashes, serving as the vanguard. Proving their worth through ten undefeated battles at the forefront would earn them official status in the Bloody Massacre Sect. Publicly, they would be declared members of the Ghostwind Bandits, and full-fledged ones would indeed belong to the Ghostwind Bandits.

Upon hearing these terms, the surrenderers felt deeply stirred. Survival was their priority. They paid little mind to facing former allies in the next skirmish. Even kin from their old sects would become targets, for refusal meant certain death. Engaging in battle offered a shot at a prosperous future. In truth, scarce few opt for death under such circumstances. Had they truly sought a fatal stand, they wouldn't have lingered this long. Surrender signaled a desire to endure, rendering the decision straightforward.

As a result, these yielded fighters exerted themselves beyond normal in combats. Moreover, Zhao Hai's rapid strikes wrapped up the ten required bouts swiftly. Numerous individuals thus integrated officially into the fold. Of course, Zhao Hai claimed to have lifted all bindings on them, though in reality, he hadn't. Should any plot betrayal against him, Zhao Hai would detect it instantly and eliminate the threat.

Through these maneuvers, Zhao Hai's forces expanded like a rolling snowball. Upon conquering two-thirds of the Blood Sea's islands, his command swelled past 200,000 strong. This included 100 Island Lords. Such figures arose because their operations skirted the Blood Sea Realm's core, where populations thinned out. Islands there hosted far fewer cultivators than those nearer the center. That's why Zhao Hai commanded only 200,000, excluding Chang Jun and his core group.

Zhao Hai recognized that conventional management wouldn't suffice for their current setup. Thus, he avoided standard administrative methods. His aim was dominance: instilling fear of rebellion, dread of disobedience. They must heed his every command, even suicidal ones, without defiance. Only then could he rein in this motley crew.

Zhao Hai's approach boiled down to a rigid hierarchy. He positioned Chang Jun and his longtime cultivator companions at the pinnacle, answerable solely to him. Beneath them sat the surrendered Island Lord-level experts. Yet, these couldn't oversee the Bloodghost Squad, Ghost Wind Squad, or Divine Arms Battalion leaders. In essence, the surrendered Island Lords held parity with those squad heads.

Further down ranked those surrenderers who had endured over ten battles, excelled in charges, and displayed utmost loyalty. Zhao Hai elevated them personally. Each oversaw a thousand-man unit as leaders, enjoying prime privileges. They accessed the Hidden Pavilion's initial two tiers but not the third. Only surrendered Island Lords and Bloodsucker Team members could venture to the third level of the Sutra Library. Even they barred from the fourth and fifth. Access there reserved for Zhao Hai, Chang Jun, and similar elites.

In truth, Bloodsucker Team members grasped why Zhao Hai restricted the upper floors. Those levels brimmed with Bloody Massacre Sect techniques. Entry would expose their affiliation instantly, sparking complications.

Nobody realized the surrenderers hailed from the Bloody Massacre Sect. Since Zhao Hai forbade their use of Bloody Massacre Sect methods, the newcomers remained oblivious to the origins. They simply believed they'd inherited Ghostwind Bandits' legacy.

Beyond the thousand-man leaders, others who freshly completed ten battles with strong showings qualified as potential leaders. They managed squads of ten or a hundred, their perks decent though inferior to top leaders. Second-floor Sutra Library access awaited them.

Squad leaders oversaw the rank-and-file members. These were recent surrenderers who'd joined over five battles with solid results. They counted as ordinary members, yet not the lowest tier. Beneath lurked another stratum: the Death Troops Camp.

The Death Warriors Camp housed those in fewer than five battles, fresh surrenderers sans combat experience, or veterans of over five with subpar efforts. Assigned there, they bore restrictions and spearheaded assaults. Strong performance across five bouts promoted them to ordinary status. Ten battles earned squad leadership.

Death soldiers enjoyed minimal rights and scant resources. Yet, bold fighters claiming kills kept half the spoils, surrendering the rest. Just ten such engagements promised advancement, a boon indeed.

At every rank, deference to superiors was mandatory—bowing or facing penalties, even execution. This ironclad hierarchy fueled ambition among cultivators. Island Lord levels aside, consider a Dharma Refinement Realm cultivator bowing to a Dharma Essence Realm peer who'd battled ten times excellently, while the former just yielded and toiled as a death warrior. Such indignity spurred relentless drive.

Besides the hierarchy, Zhao Hai instituted team-based penalties. It worked thus: groupings into ten-man units. If any fled or turned traitor without team reports, all shared the offender's fate.

Early in accepting surrenders, mass casualties occurred. A massive uprising once erupted from the influx, but within the small boat's space, Zhao Hai quashed it lethally. Thereafter, desertion or betrayal ceased. Survivors of the purge watched underlings hawk-eyed, loath to face collateral doom. What injustice! Simultaneously, they witnessed Zhao Hai's merciless nature—a coldblooded killer dispatching thousands sans remorse. Betrayal? Unthinkable.