NOVEL WEB Chapter 329: A Cunning Plan
Chapter 329: A Cunning Plan
“What should I do next to seize the Metamorphosis Substance?”
Xu Lian began to contemplate, adhering to his usual habit of careful planning before taking action.
In a little over two months, the Metamorphosis Substance would be refined. But how could he get his hands on it?
Forget about the presence of a Quasi-Supreme; even the alchemist of the Sage Realm was far beyond his current capabilities.
It made sense – after all, the Metamorphosis Substance was an essential core cultivation resource for ascending to the Sage Realm. Naturally, it would be heavily guarded. There was no way that it would be easy to steal.
“If O were to intervene, it would be easy to deal with a Quasi-Supreme,” Xu Lian thought. “But for such a small amount of Metamorphosis Substance, it wouldn’t be worth her making a move. After all, as the ruler of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, her involvement would only escalate the situation.”
Xu Lian felt the weight of this challenge.
As if guessing his intentions, the five-colored spider cautiously asked, “Great One, are you planning to steal the Metamorphosis Substance?”
Xu Lian bluntly replied, “Yes. Do you have any ideas?”
Three heads are better than one… brainstorming was always better than relying on a single mind.
The five-colored spider thought for a moment and said, “If I’m not mistaken, the Great One’s cultivation is at the Origin Tracing Realm, not yet reaching the Sage Realm. Since your strength isn’t enough for a direct confrontation, the only option is to use cunning tactics.
“In this exclusive cultivation resource zone, the strongest individual is the Quasi-Supreme, followed by the Sage Realm Alchemist. Next in line are the Alchemist’s three Unity Realm disciples. Your cultivation has surpassed that of these three disciples. I believe the Great One could start by targeting one of them,”
Xu Lian’s eyes gleamed. This was indeed a solid plan. He could capture one of the disciples and take their place, infiltrating the operation and acting opportunistically. Given his lack of overwhelming strength, this was undoubtedly the best approach.
Most importantly, he had brought the skull fragment of the Supreme Godly Being, which would allow him to perfectly impersonate one of the alchemist’s disciples. Even the Quasi-Supreme wouldn’t see through his disguise – unless he stood before a true Supreme Being, in which case he might be exposed.
That settled it!
“Which disciple do you think I should capture and impersonate?” Xu Lian humbly asked the five-colored spider. Having been here for such a long time, she likely knew more about this place than he did.
The five-colored spider was surprised. “The Great One intends to impersonate one of the alchemist’s disciples?”
Xu Lian nodded. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have secret techniques for disguising myself that even Sages and Quasi-Supremes cannot see through”.
After some thought, the five-colored spider replied, “If the Great One is confident of remaining undetected, then I believe impersonating the Third Disciple would be the best choice.”
Xu Lian asked, “Why the Third Disciple?”
The five-colored spider explained, “Among the alchemist’s three disciples, the eldest is the most favored. He often assists the alchemist directly in refining the Metamorphosis Substance. If the Great One were to impersonate the eldest disciple, you’d have to participate in the refining process. Can you do that?”
Xu Lian shook his head. “No…”
“That’s why,” the five-colored spider continued, “Great One can’t impersonate the eldest disciple, because you’d be exposed quickly. The second disciple is a woman, and since Great One is male, it wouldn’t be easy to impersonate her. That leaves the third disciple as the only viable option.”
“…” Xu Lian found her reasoning sound.
Impersonating someone of too high a status would risk exposure. On the other hand, impersonating a lowly gardener wouldn’t grant access to the Metamorphosis Substance. Impersonating the third disciple was really the best choice.
He discussed further details with the Five-Colored Spider, planning step by step: first this, then that, and finally that.
Perhaps to facilitate the discussion, the five-colored spider transformed into a human form – a slender young woman with unusually long limbs.
Xu Lian couldn’t help but glance at her a few times, once again reminded of Qin Liu’s Face Spider Beauty. Spiders that transformed into humans had one characteristic in common – their limbs were disproportionately long.
Sensing his lingering gaze, the young woman instinctively moved away and clarified, “Great One, I have no interest in humans.”
Xu Lian’s expression darkened. “Rest assured, I have no interest in spider spirits either. It’s just that I have a friend who married a spider spirit as his consort, so I was curious and looked at you a bit longer.”
The young woman relaxed visibly. If this powerful man had insisted on something inappropriate, she wouldn’t have been able to refuse, given that her life was entirely in his hands.
After finalizing the details of their plan, the two of them began to chat casually. Through their conversation, Xu Lian learned that her name was Cai Yi, which suited her well.
He was curious about the Skyfall Forest. “I’ve heard that a Demon Emperor with the strength of a Great Supreme Being resides deep within the Skyfall Forest.”
Cai Yi shook her head. “The deepest parts of the Skyfall Forest are forbidden not only to your race, but to us as well. We only inhabit the middle regions and have never ventured into the depths. No one knows what lies there.”
They waited until nightfall before they began their plan. Leaving the narrow cave, they stealthily approached the residence of the alchemist’s third disciple.
With Cai Yi possessing the Nine Tribulations Realm cultivation and Xu Lian at the Origin Tracing Realm, they could have reached their destination in an instant. However, for safety’s sake, they slowed down their pace, moving like ordinary martial artists and avoiding the gardeners returning home after work.
“Great One, the third disciple lives here,” Cai Yi whispered, leading Xu Lian to a small courtyard.
Xu Lian noticed that the living quarters here were quite modest. It made sense – everyone here was here to serve the refinement of the Metamorphosis Substance. They weren’t here for luxury, but to work, so the simple accommodations were expected.
Cai Yi added, “The third disciple is very hardworking. He gets up the earliest and returns the latest every day. At this time, he should still be inspecting the medicinal fields and hasn’t returned yet.”
Xu Lian said, “Then let’s go inside and wait for him. Once he returns, I’ll subdue him immediately.”
Cai Yi led him into the courtyard and they hid inside the house.
Xu Lian glanced at her. “You are very familiar with this place. How long have you been trapped here?”
Cai Yi’s expression became somber. “Over a thousand years, I guess.”
Xu Lian was puzzled. “In addition to the back door, this exclusive cultivation resource zone must also have a main entrance. If you couldn’t leave through the back door, why didn’t you try to escape through the main entrance?”
Cai Yi explained, “The main entrance is heavily guarded. Everyone who enters or leaves is thoroughly checked to prevent infiltration or theft of rare herbs. I couldn’t escape through the main entrance.”
To avoid detection by the third disciple, Xu Lian cast a concealment technique on Cai Yi. As for himself, he didn’t need it-a Unity Realm cultivator would not be able to sense him.
The two of them hid behind the bookshelf in the study and remained silent as they patiently waited for the third disciple to return.
They waited for over an hour.
Finally, as night fell, Xu Lian heard movement in the courtyard. He subtly extended his perception and confirmed that it was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, matching Cai Yi’s description.
Making sure no one was paying attention to the courtyard, Xu Lian sprang into action.
Silent and swift, he appeared behind the middle-aged man. With one hand gripping the back of the man’s neck and the other pressing down on a vital point on his back, Xu Lian unleashed a surge of overwhelming force into the man’s body, immobilizing him instantly.
The middle-aged man froze, unable to move or make a sound, reduced to a statue-like state.