Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8494: The heavens changed (1)

Zhao Hai remained completely unaware of these events. Right now, he guided the Ghostwind bandits while concealed inside the Dark Ghost Sect. They probed various areas of the Dark Ghost Sect, and at this point, they examined a fresh spot. Still, no assault occurred. The Ghostwind bandits puzzled over Zhao Hai's inaction but lacked the courage to inquire. His cold-blooded killing style had truly terrified them all.

Zhao Hai grasped the situation fully. From his sporadic raids, he detected that the Dark Ghost Sect had implemented certain countermeasures. On the surface, the islands appeared largely unchanged, yet Zhao Hai's vigilant scrutiny soon uncovered the truth: they were lax on the exterior but heavily guarded within. Full battle preparations were in place. Striking those islands presently would spell certain doom. Enemy backups would surge forward the very second they stirred, plunging them into peril.

After roughly ten days of patience, Zhao Hai spotted an odd shift. His recent surveillance of the Dark Ghost Sect revealed irregularities in disciple movements. Forces seemed to be consolidating. Moreover, internal security within the Dark Ghost Sect had tightened sharply. Even lurking underground felt too risky now. The Dark Ghost Sect had deployed numerous powerhouses, who patrolled the controlled sea regions relentlessly. Reckless behavior was out of the question.

Zhao Hai couldn't fathom the Dark Ghost Sect's scheme. What scheme were they brewing? Still, he avoided hasty actions. He also had no intention of heading back to the Blood Slaughter Sect. He trusted that even a joint assault by the other top ten sects wouldn't topple the Blood Slaughter Sect effortlessly. Upgraded defensive formations shielded all its islands now. No issues would arise. Even a united front from the seven sects might fail to breach those barriers.

This confidence freed Zhao Hai from any anxiety over the issue. Instead, he planned to linger in the Dark Ghost Sect's domain. Should the Dark Ghost Sect truly launch an offensive against the Blood Slaughter Sect, he could unleash chaos in their rear flanks. That would force the Dark Ghost Sect into a divided mess, compelling a withdrawal.

Meanwhile, word reached the Blood Slaughter Sect about the seven major sects amassing troops. Tension gripped its members. Dao Qianzhan summoned the six elders to Blood Slaughter Island. In his study, he eyed them gravely and rumbled, "You all know the seven great sects are mobilizing, so no need for lengthy talk. I just want your views on how to handle this."

Du Wansha pondered briefly before replying deeply, "Little Hai enhanced every island's protective array in our sect. I've tested them—their might is immense. Breaching won't come easy. With thorough preparations and endless puppets this round, we should shift our strategy."

"Explain thoroughly. If the seven great sects truly target us now, we must deliver a crushing blow." Dao Qianzhan seethed with real fury this time. He never imagined the foes bold enough to scheme against them anew. The Blood Slaughter Sect had been vulnerable before, so plots made sense then. But with recovery underway, such audacity screamed suicide. A severe lesson was unavoidable.

"We'll treat each island as a stronghold and grind them down gradually. If they fail to shatter the protective array, we'll prolong the fight, steadily draining their resources. That way, exhaustion will claim them bit by bit. Once their power wanes, we strike with everything we've got."

Du Wansha's suggestion left Dao Qianzhan momentarily taken aback. He scanned the group and intoned seriously, "Your thoughts?" Deep down, Dao Qianzhan harbored some concerns, yet he saw merit in Du Wansha's approach. It offered a solid way to counter the seven great sects' coalition.

The rest agreed with nods, and Ha Jing added, "If Little Hai truly is Zou Xiao, he'd detect the seven major sects' buildup. His absence means he's untroubled by it. Plus, his position outside benefits us. As the seven major sects advance, their backsides weaken. Little Hai can exploit that for strikes, and those fools will suffer the fallout."

Dao Qianzhan and the others nodded in accord. Faith in Zhao Hai ran deep. During their nadir, Zhao Hai's tactics had thwarted the seven major sects' onslaughts. He couldn't miss the present dynamics. His choice to stay away signaled a deliberate scheme. Thus, worries faded. They trusted his judgment to yield the optimal outcome.

With discussions wrapped, Dao Qianzhan and company turned to execution. Blood Slaughter Sect disciples mobilized fully for defense. Puppets distributed across positions. The entire Blood Slaughter Sect hummed with readiness.

The sole unaffected spot in the Blood Slaughter Sect was Zhao Hai's Blood Gale Island. No oversight was required there. The sect never considered relocating the Blood Ghost Team. It struck them as pointless. Besides, Blood Gale Island housed the sect's puppet assembly line, demanding the Blood Ghost Team's vigilant guard. Hence, no transfers occurred.

Though smaller and mid-tier sects in the Blood Sea Realm grasped neither the trigger nor the cause for the Blood Slaughter Sect and seven major sects' fresh mobilizations—like an epic clash loomed—they geared up anyway. They knew well: any war among these eight giants could ensnare them too.

Time flew, and a month elapsed swiftly. Despite the seven major sects' assembled disciples, Ren Bao showed no trace. This baffled the Blood Slaughter Sect folk. They puzzled over the delay. Even Zhao Hai, skulking in the Dark Ghost Sect, scratched his head in confusion. The opponents' intent eluded him entirely.

On a routine day, Blood Slaughter Sect members held their watch but eased somewhat. Nearly a month of enemy buildup yielded zero action. Perplexity spread. Vigilance lingered, yet routines resumed gradually.

Dao Qianzhan and the six elders stayed put on Blood Slaughter Island. Though the foes' inaction after assembly puzzled them, full relaxation was off-limits. As long as those forces lingered, alertness persisted. As prime targets of the seven major sects, carelessness was forbidden.

Inside the study, Dao Qianzhan and the six elders conferred on affairs. Abruptly, a thunderous boom echoed from above. Like stifled thunderclaps, it rattled souls. The anomaly drained color from Dao Qianzhan and the elders' faces. They bolted from the study at once.

Emerging, they beheld the once-bright sky shrouded in ominous clouds. Within those roiling masses, endless lightning flickered wildly. It resembled serpentine bolts writhing through the gloom. Darkness swallowed the heavens, mimicking night's sudden descent.

This sight twisted Dao Qianzhan and the six elders' features in alarm. Unease gripped them—they sensed impending doom. Dao Qianzhan bellowed instantly, "Hurry! Activate every island protective formation to shield Blood Slaughter Island. Now!"

A massive compass, over a meter wide, materialized in Du Wansha's grasp. His fingers danced, channeling incantations into it. The device blazed to life, firing a radiant beam skyward. Accompanying it, myriad runes streamed forth. They fused gradually with the Blood Slaughter Sect's island-shielding array. Blood Slaughter Island flared like a grounded star, blazing fiercely.

Thousand Blade's tension held firm. He barked, "Fast—move it to Sen Luo Palace. I'll fetch the Blood Slaughter Blade. Wansha, keep your hands off the Killing God Blade. We're priming the Blood Slaughter Blade for full deployment. If worst comes to worst, hurl the Killing God Blade into the Blood Sea. Gods forbid it's as I fear." His form blurred and vanished. Solemnity etched Du Wansha and the others' faces as they fixed gazes on the brooding clouds overhead.

By then, every soul on Blood Slaughter Island gaped skyward in stunned silence, clueless to the chaos. Dao Qianzhan reappeared aloft moments later. A hefty, plain broadsword now rested in his grip. Its dark crimson blade stretched over three feet, with a one-and-a-half-foot handle. A red tassel dangled from the pommel's ring, whipping in the breeze like a blood-drenched banner.

This seemingly ordinary weapon was the Blood Slaughter Blade, the sect's supreme treasure. Wielded by the Blood Slaughter Sect's founder, it had absorbed nurturance from successive leaders, amassing unmatched potency. It stood as the sect's mightiest artifact. Reserved for existential crises, it rarely saw use.

Clutching the Blood Slaughter Blade, Thousand Blade's stare pierced the overhead clouds. Abruptly, realization struck, and he yelled, "Ha Jing, swift—pack all Blood Slaughter records and texts into space artifacts, then seal them in the secret realm. Do it without delay." Ha Jing acknowledged and faded away. He rematerialized in the Blood Slaughter Sect's central scripture vault, brimming with archived tomes.