Chapter 243: Delayed Poison Plan Enacted, Three Days to Sweep and Search

“Well killed.”High above, two Nascent Soul cultivators watched. Fu Ning’an burst out laughing. “Beautiful kill!”Yu Xian’s every move had been within their line of sight. From the feigned fighting, the mirrored shadow decoy, to finally revealing himself and killing in one blow—it had all been executed flawlessly under their watchful eyes.From start to finish, Yu Xian maintained a clear plan and executed it with precision, culminating in the swift execution of Chao Lang. The depth of strategy left Fu Ning’an genuinely impressed.What a fine young man!If his earlier thought to accept Yu Xian as a personal disciple was merely a motivational ploy, now he truly began considering it. Yet, taking a personal disciple was no small matter—it required serious contemplation.After all, a personal disciple inherits the master’s legacy, receives complete support, and could one day bring honor to the master by becoming a cultivator of great renown.This Yu Xian, based on spiritual root alone, may not be anything extraordinary—perhaps just a high-grade root before Foundation Establishment—but his comprehension, perseverance, cunning, and mental fortitude were exceptional.Perhaps… he truly is worth grooming?As for the old Daoist, his face was dark and expression cold. With a cold snort, he left the observation area.Fu Ning’an stroked his beard and glanced once more at Yu Xian with satisfaction before following after.Yu Xian, face calm, shook the blood from his fist. With a wave of his hand, a storage pouch flew into his grasp from the headless corpse.”Getting harder to kill each time…”Pocketing the pouch, he looked at the hill and murmured, “They’re getting smarter… The ones coming later will only be more cautious. If it takes a year or two just to kill one, how can I stay here for ten-plus years? The moment I leave, I’d be time-warped to death.”Yu Xian was thinking far ahead.In the short term, dragging things out worked in his favor—it gave him time to cultivate and grow. But in the long run, he would be the one suffering. This was, after all, the Xuantian Secret Realm. Time flowed differently here. A few years might not matter, but ten-plus years? The moment he left, external time laws could crush him instantly.Fu Ning’an probably understood this too, but said nothing. Clearly, sect victory mattered more than individual survival.Then again, even he probably didn’t expect someone to fight in here for over a decade.But Yu Xian had no choice—he had to plan for the long term and survive.Originally, things shouldn’t have been so difficult. With An Wenyuan, Wang Chengxing, and Chao Lang all dead, those coming afterward shouldn’t be stronger.However, due to that old Daoist leaking information, all his methods—body cultivation, vines, Five Elements Handprint, mirrored shadow decoy, even his deceptive performances—would now be expected.The fourth one to come down would be extremely difficult. Trickery would no longer work. A swift kill? Impossible.Returning to the small hill, Yu Xian contemplated. After about an incense stick’s time, he muttered, “Now that I have so many spirit stones, I might as well focus on cultivation. If I can break through to late-stage Foundation Establishment within a year or two, things will get easier. Sharpening the blade does not delay the chopping of wood… Yes, exactly.”He’d lingered at mid-stage Foundation Establishment for over two years. Though not honed to perfection, given the situation, it was better to break through now—even with minor flaws.Back on the hill, Yu Xian waved his hand—Whoosh!Tens of thousands of spirit stones flew out and formed a massive platform purely made of spiritual stones.Yu Xian sat cross-legged on the platform and began cultivating using the Ten Thousand-Year Wood Spring Canon.With so many spirit stones supporting him, the surrounding spiritual energy was thick to the extreme.Such an extravagant move—any Foundation Establishment cultivator who saw it would likely die of jealousy.This particular technique drastically accelerated cultivation, stronger than his previous methods.He then began studying a new escape technique.”More cultivation again?”Even Fu Ning’an raised an eyebrow, muttering to himself.The old Daoist, however, smirked coldly. “Drag it out… every extra day is in our favor. There are still eleven Blood River Sect disciples out there. Let’s see how long he lasts.”Time passed. Though the pressure was high, Yu Xian was in no rush. He studied diligently—reading, practicing, failing, trying again.This continued for five months.By then, Yu Xian had been inside the Xuantian Secret Realm for two years and five months.”Ling Body Step.”Standing atop the hill, Yu Xian suddenly opened his eyes, his figure blurred into motion. He stepped into the air as if it were solid ground and shot forward like an arrow.His speed now was twice as fast as with Soaring Cloud Technique. Combined with Woodlight Agility Art, he was almost as fast as An Wenyuan had been!High above, he swept across the land like a hawk, searching every inch.The entire 2,000-mile-wide Xuantian Secret Realm wasn’t that large once you excluded the dangerous areas. That hidden enemy couldn’t hide forever.With a piercing gaze, Yu Xian quickly swept through the majority of the realm in just half a day—but still found no trace.That cultivator had clearly hidden well, yet no matter how well he hid, spiritual presence couldn’t be fully erased.Yu Xian remained unfazed. He swept the remaining area thoroughly, then began again.One day. Another. Then another.He swept the entire secret realm over a dozen times, showing no irritation—only a cold, methodical will.His spirit stones were enough to sustain this.Meanwhile, deep in a mountain valley, one figure remained hidden beneath a pond.The man stared at the sky, watching Yu Xian pass overhead again.”Heh… getting desperate, aren’t you? Keep looking. I won’t fight you. I’ll just outlast you.”He smiled coldly, forming a water-breathing spell, content to wait it out.But just as he lowered his head—A sudden shock ran through him. He looked up in alarm!Yu Xian was diving toward him like a meteor!”There you are!””Wood Qi gathers, a tree of three zhang grows. Spirit of Elm, all-encompassing.”Meanwhile, back atop the hill—Yu Xian whispered, “Late Foundation Establishment—achieved.”His sea of Qi had expanded to 33 zhang. The elm tree had grown three zhang tall and over a meter thick—its base glowing verdant green, inscribed with countless mysterious, indecipherable runes.After a year and three months of intense cultivation, he had stepped into late Foundation Establishment.It had cost him over 380,000 lower-grade spirit stones!He had basically been bathing in liquefied spiritual energy for over a year.Still, the results were clear. Even if it was brute-forced, he had successfully broken through—saving three to five years of hard work.”One year and three months…”He gazed around. “Looks like he’s just trying to stall—knows staying here too long is dangerous for me.”With this new breakthrough, Yu Xian had now been inside the secret realm for over two years. At most, he could afford two or three more years.If the enemy wanted mutual destruction, Yu Xian wouldn’t let it happen.He looked up toward the sky where the two Nascent Souls should be watching. “Poison plan, eh? Not bad.””He finally gets it,” Fu Ning’an sighed, “Had you clung to that hill forever, I don’t know how we’d rescue you.”The old Daoist’s eyes gleamed coldly. “Hmph. Arrogant brat.””You think he’s wrong?” Fu Ning’an snorted. “You think I don’t know you leaked information? Otherwise, how could all three enemies know about his body cultivation and prepare?””What proof!? Lies!” the old Daoist shouted. “You think these juniors are idiots? You think you’re so clever just because you’re lucky with talent? Laughable. You’ll never enter the true Dao!”Fu Ning’an merely scoffed and turned back to watch Yu Xian.He now held every advantage—time to act the part of the aloof master.The old Daoist’s expression didn’t change, but a vein twitched at the corner of his eye.Back below, Yu Xian knew time was short—he couldn’t stay forever. But he didn’t act immediately.”Let’s not rush this…”He raised his hand and summoned three scrolls.Ling Body StepWind Riding Cloud Flow ArtGreat Wind Movement TechniqueThese three movement techniques, taken from his defeated enemies, all surpassed his old Soaring Cloud Technique.He studied them carefully. After a day of contemplation, he kept one: Ling Body Step.Used by a sharp mind like An Wenyuan, it had to be formidable.The secret realm’s spiritual energy was barely enough for cultivation under normal conditions, but with his vast spirit stone array, he was essentially cultivating in a dense spiritual mist.Activating Ten Thousand-Year Wood Spring Canon, wood Qi swirled around him, elm leaves flickered through the air.He was now aiming for the sixth level of the technique—late Foundation Establishment.The Ten Thousand-Year Wood Spring Canon had twelve levels. Each three levels marked a major boundary—from Qi Condensation to early Nascent Soul.With enough progress, he could become a Wood Spirit Nascent Soul cultivator.Time passed quickly.After ten hours, a warped portal flickered outside—and a fourth Blood River Sect disciple stepped through, vanishing into the realm.At that moment, a voice echoed in Yu Xian’s mind: “Yu Xian, another has arrived.”Fu Ning’an had used Nascent Soul-level mental transmission, gentle enough to alert without disturbing.Yu Xian’s brow twitched, but he continued cultivating calmly.This hill was his territory—he had nothing to fear from surprise attacks.That fourth cultivator wouldn’t dare attack him directly—not under the pressure of his three previous kills.He would hide. Scout the terrain. Seek favorable ground.So Yu Xian continued cultivating.Spirit stones released their energy, feeding his sea of Qi and strengthening the elm tree.Inside, the elm grew more branches. A cool aura radiated from it, soothing and nurturing Yu Xian’s spiritual sea, soul, will, and mind.This was the Wood Spirit Mind-Linking Method, always operating subtly in the background.Now, Yu Xian finally sensed its gentle mental nourishment.It was the source of plant awareness and awakening.While he had no need for enlightenment, this spiritual Qi made him feel clearer, wiser.He didn’t think further, letting it continue its quiet work. Over time, it might bring unexpected benefits.And he resumed cultivation.Eventually, the spirit stones below him turned white—completely drained.Without opening his eyes, Yu Xian waved a hand. The white stones were swept away, and new ones took their place.The process repeated.His sea of Qi continued expanding—26 zhang, 27 zhang, 28, 29…He replaced over twenty full sets of stones.And no one came to disturb him.That fourth enemy was clearly determined to wait it out.He’d remembered the Elder’s words well: Don’t fight him. Just hide. Just stall. Time is your greatest weapon.Thus passed another year and three months…