Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8294: Persistant _1

Once this minor issue was resolved, Zhao Hai continued his collaboration with Li Ruohai, though he remained internally vigilant. Recognizing that Li Ruohai was far from a magnanimous individual, Zhao Hai knew the man would seize any opportunity to exact his revenge. This realization forced Zhao Hai to stay on high alert during their interactions.

After the crowd had dispersed, Zhao Hai scanned the area and spoke in a low tone, "Senior Brother Li, I am entrusting the manor's safety to you for the time being. I must return to the rear to inspect the array. I am concerned that the exit passage might not open in six months as expected. If that happens, we will truly be trapped. Consequently, we must finish constructing the array without delay."

Despite his desire to move against Zhao Hai, Li Ruohai understood that cooperation was his only viable path forward. Attempting to sabotage Zhao Hai now would be incredibly perilous; it could result in no one escaping, or worse, the total dissipation of his soul. Therefore, he had no choice but to work alongside Zhao Hai for the moment.

Zhao Hai cast a glance at Li Ruohai and offered a small smile. "Senior Brother Li, to finalize the magic array, I require your assistance. Could you inquire if anyone else among us is skilled in the art of magic arrays? Even a basic understanding is sufficient. If they can help me, we can accelerate the completion of the formation."

"Very well, I will handle it," Li Ruohai replied. "Where exactly are you setting up the formation? May I observe the progress?" Li Ruohai was genuinely intrigued and wanted to see the location of Zhao Hai’s work. Zhao Hai saw no reason to refuse and escorted Li Ruohai to the partially finished structure.

Li Ruohai possessed some knowledge of formations, yet the sight of Zhao Hai’s construction made him realize the immense disparity in their skills. Unable to decipher the complexities of the design, he watched for a moment before saying, "I understand. I will go find those people now." He then flew back toward the manor. Zhao Hai watched him depart with a subtle smirk.

Zhao Hai was well aware that his previous display of lethal force had intimidated Li Ruohai. Without that shock, a man as ambitious as Li Ruohai would never have truly cooperated. Now, however, the situation was stable. Li Ruohai was guaranteed to assist, allowing Zhao Hai to feel somewhat relieved.

Furthermore, Zhao Hai’s assessment was correct: within the confines of this manor, anyone he marked for death would surely perish. Even without resorting to the demonic seed, Zhao Hai could easily end Li Ruohai's life in this place. Thus, he harbored no real fears and was prepared to eliminate anyone who became a problem.

Shortly thereafter, several cultivators arrived, followed by Night Demon and his companions. Yan Bei and Zhao Wuji remained behind to continue greeting the new arrivals. Zhao Hai immediately tasked the newcomers with assisting in the formation's construction. Within an hour, Yan Bei and Zhao Wuji arrived as well, having grown tired of welcoming people and handing that responsibility over to Li Ruohai.

Zhao Hai remained silent, fully understanding Li Ruohai’s intentions. Li Ruohai wanted to distance Zhao Hai from the manor’s daily operations so that the newcomers would only recognize his own authority. By doing this, he hoped to establish his prestige and consolidate power.

From Zhao Hai’s perspective, Li Ruohai was failing to grasp the gravity of their situation. His obsession with status was blinding; instead of struggling for power, he should have been focused on survival. Considering his life would be at risk once he reached the refinement realm and triggered the demonic seed, his current power play seemed foolish.

However, Zhao Hai had no interest in managing Li Ruohai's life. His only goal was to escape the Spiritual Array Sect. He didn't care what happened afterward, as he intended to never cross paths with Li Ruohai again. Whether the Corpse Demon Sect or its Sect Master would target him later was uncertain. The Sect Master had only killed that Elder to assert dominance and ensure Li Ruohai’s safety in the world, not out of genuine care for the boy. The Blood Slaughter Sect was a formidable power, nearly equal to the Corpse Demon Sect. Even a Sect Master wouldn't want to provoke a group of suicidal lunatics without a very good reason, so Zhao Hai wasn't worried.

Nevertheless, Zhao Hai knew he couldn't kill Li Ruohai. Offending him was one thing—the Sect Master wouldn't start a war between the Blood Slaughter Sect and the Corpse Demon Sect over a minor grudge. But killing Li Ruohai was different. The Sect Master viewed Li Ruohai as a potential second Nascent Soul or a vessel for his own longevity. Taking Li Ruohai’s life would be like cutting away half of the Sect Master's own life, which would trigger a relentless pursuit. This was why Zhao Hai let him live.

For now, Zhao Hai and Li Ruohai existed in a state of mutual suspicion. They would maintain this uneasy peace until they escaped. Zhao Hai saw through all of Li Ruohai's petty manipulations, but as long as he controlled the array, those tricks were meaningless.

Over the following days, the attacks from the Spiritual Array Sect’s formations grew more intense. More survivors flocked to the manor, bringing the total to over a thousand, with more arriving in increasingly desperate conditions.

Zhao Hai ignored the manor's internal politics, leaving those matters entirely to Li Ruohai. If the man wanted to rule, let him. Zhao Hai focused all his energy on the array at the back, knowing that their survival depended entirely on its success.

Even Zhao Hai realized he couldn't simply leave whenever he wished. He had once believed his Space made him invincible, but this place proved that a sufficiently powerful barrier could block even his abilities.

As time passed, the construction of the magic array accelerated. Zhao Hai noticed that while the sect's Mountain-protecting array was becoming more violent, there were periods where the pressure suddenly eased. He eventually realized this was due to external forces. People outside were likely attacking the barrier to break in, forcing the array to divert power to its perimeter. This revelation gave Zhao Hai hope; if the outside pressure continued, they could hold out longer and eventually shatter the formation from within.

A month went by, and the manor's population swelled to nearly three thousand. This seemed to be the limit, as no new survivors had appeared for ten days. Those who hadn't made it by now were likely dead. During this time, the internal attacks became so fierce that Zhao Hai had to personally manage the defensive energy flow of his manor array to prevent a collapse.

To cope with the constant strain, Li Ruohai organized the cultivators into shifts. While one group funneled Qi into the defensive array, others rested. This rotation ensured they wouldn't be overwhelmed by the Mountain-protecting array's might.

Despite these efforts, the threat grew daily. The power of the sect's formation seemed to be intensifying, which puzzled Zhao Hai.

Fortunately, the escape array was almost finished. Once active, it would allow them to pierce through the barrier and flee. This was their final opportunity, as Zhao Hai was certain they wouldn't survive the six months required for a natural rift to form.

Though they numbered three thousand, the constant battle against the formation had left everyone exhausted. Even for cultivators, this relentless, hopeless struggle was draining both physically and mentally. If the psychological pressure became too much, their collective defense would crumble.

Endurance has its limits. If the survivors broke down, the manor would fall. While Zhao Hai could retreat into his Space, escaping the sect entirely would become much more difficult. Therefore, they had to finish the formation and leave as quickly as possible.