Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8362: Resistance (1)

Zhao Hai raised a hand, cutting off the voices of those preparing to speak. "You serve as the shields in our grasp. As we initiate this counterattack, the enemy will inevitably seek other vulnerabilities if they cannot halt our advance. They will likely target the islands in the rear—the very ones you oversee. During such an assault, the integrity of each Island’s magic formation will rest entirely on your shoulders. I cannot spare a large force for you; only one thousand disciples will remain on each Island. These will not be top-tier combatants, as I must take the experts for the front, and they will not be equipped with puppets. You must hold your ground with only yourselves and those thousand disciples. Your mission is paramount. If your defenses hold, we can drive the invaders from our lands. Fail, and we are trapped in a stalemate, which I will not tolerate. Is that understood?"

The weight of their responsibility settled over the group. Even for the smallest Island, a mere thousand disciples was a skeleton crew. It became clear that the defensive arrays were their primary weapon, with the disciples serving only to help manage the formations. They were essentially being asked to hold the line alone, a realization that left them stunned.

Zhao Hai observed their reactions and spoke with a heavy tone, "Regardless of your personal doubts, this task must be accomplished. Rest assured, the defensive arrays I have constructed are flawless. Even should an Island Lord level expert intervene, breaching these defenses will be impossible. Your victory lies simply in holding your position. Do you understand?"

The stewards nodded in unison, their expressions turning grim. They understood the stakes: if an island fell while Zhao Hai was reclaiming territory elsewhere, their progress would be negated. Losing a newly recovered territory or a base in the rear would be a crushing blow to morale.

Zhao Hai continued firmly, "I will not waste words. Return to your islands and select your thousand disciples. Ensure they relinquish their puppets immediately. Once settled, the rest of you are to proceed to Blood Stone Island. It is currently under siege, and we will reinforce it the moment our preparations are complete."

With a final bow to Zhao Hai, the stewards departed. The teleportation formation glowed repeatedly as they returned to their respective posts. Zhao Hai then summoned a cultivator of the Dharma-refining realm who served as the steward of Blood Bone Island. He granted this man control over the island's Dharma artifacts but kept the primary large compass for himself.

Zhao Hai kept the true secret of the compass to himself: it functioned as the master controller for every array across the islands. Once activated, it could override any local control via Dharma artifacts. It was the ultimate key to the region's defenses.

However, revealing this capability to the Sect would only invite suspicion and internal politics. To ensure the success of his strategy, he decided to keep this leverage until the conflict concluded, at which point he would hand the compass over to the Sect authorities.

After finalizing the arrangements for Blood Bone Island, Zhao Hai monitored the progress of his forces. While the disciples were still readying themselves, he did not linger. He used the teleportation formation to travel directly to Blood Stone Island. His earlier report had been no exaggeration; the island was in the thick of a fierce assault.

Shortly after Zhao Hai’s initial departure from Blood Bone Island, the Alliance of the 13 Families had launched their strike. They had deployed over a hundred large-scale magic weapons and ten thousand disciples to seize Blood Stone Island, fully expecting another easy conquest. They were unprepared for the level of resistance awaiting them.

The enemy had previously identified what they believed were structural flaws in the Blood Stone Island defensive array. Their strategy was simple: hammer the weak point until it shattered, forcing the Blood Massacre Sect disciples to flee. This tactic had already allowed them to capture hundreds of islands in recent days. They had become complacent, believing the rumors that the Blood Massacre Sect was voluntarily abandoning the Western Defense line and that these skirmishes were merely a formality.

This arrogance led them to send a relatively small force of ten thousand men. In their minds, this was more than sufficient to force a retreat.

However, the perceived weaknesses in the formation had been erased. Dong Wanqing, strictly following Zhao Hai’s instructions, focused entirely on defense. He was staggered by the formation’s newfound potency; it was a masterpiece of simultaneous offense and defense. Its reach extended twenty miles from the island shore—a staggering distance that allowed him to strike at the enemy long before they reached the coast.

The magic formation unleashed devastating, massive sword Qi. These blades of energy were lethal enough to slay Dharma-refining realm experts instantly and could dismantle large celestial devices in just a few strikes.

Thanks to this array, Dong Wanqing didn't just hold the line; he threw the enemy into a state of chaos. Though he was tempted to launch a full-scale counter-strike several times, he restrained himself. His confidence in Zhao Hai’s leadership was now absolute. If the defense was this formidable, the promised counterattack would surely be world-shaking.

The 13 Family Alliance was in shock. They hadn't expected such a fierce rebuttal from a minor outpost of the Blood Massacre Sect, especially one coming solely from a defensive array. The sudden shift from easy victories to a grinding halt left them panicked.

Their recent successes had bred a toxic pride. They had begun to view themselves as invincible conquerors capable of swallowing the entire Blood Massacre Sect whole.

Encountering such stubborn resistance sparked a transition from confusion to blind rage. It was the reaction of a bully whose victim finally fought back. Stunned by the blow, the Alliance members were now consumed by the need to retaliate with even greater violence.

As reports of the stalemate reached their commanders, the Alliance prepared to escalate. Taking Blood Stone Island was proving difficult, as Zhao Hai’s custom-built array possessed overwhelming defensive and offensive capabilities.

The battle stretched on. Dong Wanqing felt a surge of relief that he had stayed behind the shield; an open engagement might have resulted in heavy losses. Instead, he focused every ounce of his will on managing the formation, keeping the enemy at bay.

Reinforcements for the Alliance soon arrived on the horizon: three hundred large-scale celestial devices and nearly a hundred thousand fresh troops. They immediately commenced a relentless, rotating bombardment of Blood Stone Island.

Dong Wanqing felt a flicker of anxiety. He questioned if a single small island could endure such a massive concentrated assault. However, the array held firm, absorbing the barrage with ease. He shifted his strategy to absolute defense, ceasing his outward strikes to conserve the formation's integrity.

After hours of sustained combat, Zhao Hai arrived. Since the Blood Bone Island forces were still mobilizing, he arrived alone via the teleportation formation. He went straight to the control center where Dong Wanqing was so immersed in managing the battle that he didn't notice his commander's presence at first.

Zhao Hai watched in silence for a moment before Dong Wanqing finally looked up. He greeted Zhao Hai with an enthusiastic nod. "Commander, you've arrived! These fools have been pounding on us for hours and haven't gained an inch. Blood Stone Island is secure." He was visibly energized, fueled by the thrill of holding off an entire army single-handedly through the array.

Zhao Hai gave a calm smile. "Well done. The preparations are nearly complete. Reinforcements from the other islands will be here shortly to begin the counterattack. Continue to stall them. They are blinded by the array and cannot see our movements on the island. Keep them occupied; there is no rush."

Dong Wanqing acknowledged the order and returned his focus to the formation. The island’s shield resembled a massive, spinning hedgehog of energy, covered in lethal, rotating spikes of Qi. Any enemy or magical artifact attempting to close the distance was shredded before they could touch the main barrier. Without an Island Lord level expert to lead them, the refinement realm cultivators of the Alliance found themselves utterly powerless against Zhao Hai’s handiwork.