Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8429: Shocking (1)

Ha Jing gave a nod of agreement and remarked, "That's right. On another note, you mentioned earlier our intention to gather refuse from rival sects, and we've achieved certain advancements. Disciples from our own sect have been dispatched for the job. We opted for our disciples because we can't rely on external help. Should the other sects learn we're picking up their waste, they could uncover our scheme, causing serious issues."

Zhao Hai nodded in response, "Indeed. In fact, there's another significant advantage to gathering trash from different sects. Through the refuse, we can examine the primary focus of their development or uncover their research efforts. This proves quite useful for us. It's simply that nobody has considered this approach until now."

Upon hearing Zhao Hai's explanation, Ha Jing halted his steps and spun around to stare at Zhao Hai with astonishment. "You can truly uncover so much from it? That seems unlikely, doesn't it?" Ha Jing had never imagined that insights could be gleaned from garbage. After all, as cultivators of elevated standing, they seldom handled mundane affairs, much less sifting through waste. Who would bother rummaging through trash?

Zhao Hai grinned and replied, "It's entirely feasible. Consider our sect for instance. Lately, a substantial amount of refuse has arrived from our sect, including numerous damaged magic tools. These are the everyday implements used by sect members. This indicates that our sect recently endured a major conflict. Plenty of low-rank disciples' tools got wrecked, so the sect must forge fresh ones to replenish their supplies. Meanwhile, the count of spoiled high-grade pills has risen sharply. Among those discarded pills, many serve solely for advancing to the Island Lord stage. Thus, it appears numerous cultivators in our sect are attempting to reach the Island Lord level."

Ha Jing stood dumbfounded. They were aware of these details, though Zhao Hai likely wasn't. Curiosity compelled him to inquire, "Then, can you determine the number of sect members attempting to advance to the Island Lord level?" Ha Jing's interest was piqued; he yearned to see what Zhao Hai could deduce from the trash.

"Based on the quantity of elixirs, around 70 to 100 cultivators seem to be striving for Island Lord status. Am I correct in this assessment?" Zhao Hai ventured after a moment's reflection. His evaluation hit the mark precisely. He had no prior knowledge of the exact count of disciples pursuing Island Lord realm breakthroughs.

In a mighty organization like the Bloody Massacre Sect, any cultivator aiming to ascend to the Island Lord level must notify the sect, which then supplies complimentary elixirs. Each successful breakthrough grants the sect an additional Island, bolstering its overall power. This holds immense value for the sect, so they treat such endeavors with utmost seriousness.

As Zhao Hai held no senior position in the sect, he naturally lacked awareness of how many were pursuing the Island Lord level. Yet, he'd lately amassed a heap of failed pills. Typically, such waste would be discarded outright without forwarding to him, since the sect deemed them worthless for puppet crafting. Zhao Hai, however, saw potential in extracting toxins from them for poison production. That's why he'd gathered them all. By gauging the volume of these wasted pills and their failure rates, he swiftly figured out the number of sect members attempting Island Lord breakthroughs.

Ha Jing's face shifted upon Zhao Hai's words. He hadn't anticipated such precision from Zhao Hai. The figure was spot on—exactly 87 individuals sought to become Island Lords. Zhao Hai remained oblivious to this fact. Naturally, it wasn't classified information. Still, Zhao Hai's revelation stunned Ha Jing. While this particular insight wasn't highly sensitive for the sect, what if future analyses exposed covert projects? How would they handle that?

They needn't fret over Zhao Hai himself, but envision another sect performing such deductions. That would prove utterly alarming. It'd mean rivals grasping every secret of their sect, allowing them to devise countermeasures. The prospect was downright chilling.

This realization caused Ha Jing's features to flicker with varying emotions. Initially dismissive of Zhao Hai's comments, he now regarded them gravely. Gazing at Zhao Hai, he spoke solemnly, "I never imagined refuse could yield such revelations. It looks like we must devote greater attention to this aspect."

Zhao Hai responded quietly, "I'll monitor it closely. If the sects desire, they could dispatch some diligent individuals to train under me. Should future sect trash arrive here, we'd gain sharper insights into their activities. This could offer real value to the sects."

Ha Jing nodded affirmatively, "I'll discuss it with the sect and arrange for some personnel. Plenty in the sect have served loyally despite stalled progress in strength. They're currently idle, save for instructing novice disciples. This gives them a purposeful role now."

Zhao Hai remained silent. He understood precisely whom Ha Jing meant. Across sects, numerous cultivators lingered at the Refinement Realm due to various obstacles, forever barred from Island Lord status. Such figures abounded everywhere. Not feeble by any means, the sect wouldn't abandon them, yet promotions eluded them. Thus, they often oversaw as managing elders or mentored beginners. Opportunities to contribute meaningfully were scarce. Sects required only a finite number of administrators, leaving excess stalled cultivators without fitting placements.

With Zhao Hai's suggestion now in play, it demanded numerous hands—a perfect chance to deploy those individuals. Not all could go, of course, but it occupied some productively. Zhao Hai recognized this as an unavoidable reality. Cultivation carried such pitfalls: talent shortages, mindset flaws, or other hurdles halted advancement. Regardless, these folks formed a substantial faction within the sect. Hence, support was the only option. Though they persisted in cultivation, many diverted energies elsewhere—like founding clans, instructing pupils, delving into arrays, alchemy, or forging. Yet a portion disdained such pursuits, idling away days instead.

This fell under the sect master's purview, unrelated to Zhao Hai, so he paid it no mind and uttered nothing. Once Ha Jing and Zhao Hai departed Blood Gale Island, Zhao Hai summoned the Blood Lotus, boarding it alongside the bronze statue bearing Ha Jing.

The Blood Lotus housed an inner realm, distinct from the bronze statue's. A manor graced this space, surrounded by abundant flora. Spiritual Qi flowed richer here, rendering the Blood Lotus's interior far cozier than the statue's.

Surveying the Blood Lotus's inner domain, Ha Jing turned to Zhao Hai with a grin. "Impressive lad, I never suspected you'd concealed such a fine spot. Excellent, truly excellent— a splendid haven." The setup delighted Ha Jing immensely, prompting repeated commendations.

Within the manor, the pair settled across from one another. Zhao Hai gestured, sending two jade cups gliding to the table. Stalactite liquid then materialized inside them. Smiling at Ha Jing, Zhao Hai explained, "This manor came from the Spiritual Array Sect's central hall. They once forged an eye array, infusing every stone and beam with Yin souls. Not only does it construct this dwelling, but it can double as a magic tool in emergencies. Still, I choose not to; I've kept it intact as my personal retreat."

Ha Jing nodded appreciatively. "Quite the gem. Who knew the Spiritual Array Sect possessed such treasures? Remarkable indeed." Envy eluded Ha Jing toward Zhao Hai. His own Blood Buddha Temple stood as the premier Dharma artifact in the Blood Sea Realm, leaving no room for jealousy.

Zhao Hai chuckled, "Curiously, this artifact carries an intriguing history. Eldest senior brother gifted it to me back on Blood Drop Island. Its prior owner was Seventh senior brother, who later defected and fell to my hand. Originally mundane, it somehow evolved into a life-bound magic tool, transforming thus. Fate works in mysterious ways."

Ha Jing nodded gravely, "Little Hai, I've yet to probe deeply. To what extent have you mastered the Blood Sea God-Killing Technique? Does the backlash truly pose no threat?" This lingered as a persistent query for Ha Jing. He knew Du Wan Sha and Dao Qian Zhan intended heavy investment in Zhao Hai's growth. Yet, should the Blood Sea God-Killing Art trigger Qi deviation via overwhelming killing intent, complications would ensue.

Zhao Hai smiled reassuringly, "No such issue exists; truly none. Grandmaster, you might not realize, but during my time in the lower realm, I delved into Buddhist methods. Though I don't practice them, I'm familiar with their scriptures. Beyond Buddhism, I explored the Dao of talismans there too. So, when cultivating the Blood Sea God-Killing Technique—which demands a Dharma image—and learning of potential backlash, I devised a Buddhist counter to tame it. Thus, despite my Dharma embodying corpse mountains and blood oceans, a mighty Buddha oversees it, ceaselessly reciting sutras to cleanse all beings. The corpses atop those piles have morphed into Buddhist corpse Buddhas like Lin Master. This has neutralized nearly all killing aura. Coupled with the vast foes I've slain in the lower realm, granting me command over such intent, backlash remains absent."