79: Hibernation and sharpening the knife

Old Dog Xuan Gu was jumping up and down, blockading and crusading, making the Immortal Realm a mess. The disciples Lin Xuan sent out to cause trouble indeed gave Xuan Gu a headache, with smoke constantly rising from his backyard.

But Lin Xuan knew in his heart that these petty skirmishes couldn't fundamentally harm Xuan Gu. That old dog had the backing of the Immortal Alliance's ten thousand years of accumulation, and the great banner of Dao Yan Immortal Venerable; he could simply outlast Lin Xuan. Not to mention the Asura Clan and Nether Skeleton Emperor secretly watching.

Trying to outlast him? Confronting him head-on? That would be suicide.

Lin Xuan squatted by the Chaos Thunder Tribulation Pool, watching the crackling lightning snakes inside, then glanced at the Little Blue Bird in his arms, still unconscious and only kept alive by Chaos vitality. He sucked his teeth with a 'zzzz' sound.

"Can't snatch it, can't outlast him," he scratched his head, looking dejected. Go to the lower realms to scrape resources? He couldn't bring himself to do that. The Small Immortal Realm and those mortal small worlds in the lower realms were the foundation, the future. If he drained the pond to catch the fish, even if it felt good for a while, it would lead to ruin later. No matter how powerful the System's returns were, disciples still needed to break through first.

"Master," Yun Qingyao walked over, her expression still cool and aloof, but with a hint of fatigue in her brows. "Old Dog Xuan Gu has intensified the blockade. Several of our secret material exchange points have been taken down. Although resource delivery from the Small Immortal Realm is stable, the shortage of many high-level materials unique to the Immortal Realm is growing. If this continues, array maintenance and the refining of high-level elixirs will all run into problems."

Lin Xuan didn't speak, his fingers unconsciously tracing lines on the ground.

After a long while, he suddenly looked up, the unruly glint back in his eyes, but with a few more traces of calm.

"Issue orders," his voice was not loud, but it carried decisiveness. "First, all teams sent out to harass and destroy are to withdraw. We're not playing outside with him anymore."

Yun Qingyao was stunned: "All withdraw? Then Old Dog Xuan Gu wouldn't he be—"

"Let him jump around," Lin Xuan interrupted her. "Second, the Star Palace's ten-thousand-mile dojo is to enter the highest state of alert. All defensive arrays are to be fully activated, retaining only the bare minimum of external channels. Tell the outside world that I've been scared witless by the Immortal Venerable and am going into a death seclusion, becoming a coward."

"Third, and most importantly," Lin Xuan looked at Yun Qingyao, his gaze sharp. "Tell all disciples, especially those little rascals, that for the next few years, they are to do nothing but cultivate like their lives depend on it! Elixirs, spirit stones, Thunder Pool body tempering, Enlightenment Pagoda—all resources are to be supplied without reservation! No holding back! We will bankrupt ourselves to push them forward!"

He paused, then added: "Tell them, whoever breaks through a major realm first will receive a personal grand reward! If anyone slacks off, they'll be sent to mine in the Heavenly Abyss until they die!"

Yun Qingyao instantly understood Lin Xuan's intention—to lie low! To accumulate strength!

"Yes, Master!" A glint flashed in her eyes, and she immediately turned to make arrangements.

Soon, the Star Palace, this war chariot that had just been setting fires everywhere and acting arrogantly, slammed on the brakes and rapidly retreated to its lair in the Flowing Fire Desert. All array lights blazed, completely shifting to a defensive posture, almost completely cut off from the outside world.

When the news spread, the Immortal Realm was in an uproar.

"See! I told you Lin Xuan wouldn't be arrogant for long! The moment Dao Yan Immortal Venerable showed up, he got scared witless!" "A coward! I thought he was someone important!" "Hmph, death seclusion? I think he's hiding to await death! Alliance Master Xuan Gu will never let him go!"

When Xuan Gu heard the news, he first froze, then chuckled sinisterly: "He knows what's good for him! Does he think being a coward will let him escape? Dream on! Issue orders, continue the blockade! We'll trap him until he dies! When this Alliance Master completely integrates the Immortal Alliance, that will be his death day!"

He was convinced that Lin Xuan had caved, that he wanted to buy time, but he simply didn't believe Lin Xuan could stir up any waves in just a few years. Immortal cultivation, the further one went, the harder it became; it was normal to be stuck in a minor realm for hundreds of years. A few years? Just a blink of an eye.

However, Xuan Gu completely underestimated Lin Xuan's cheat and the depth of resources the Star Palace now possessed!

Inside the Star Palace, with Lin Xuan's command, the atmosphere abruptly changed.

The previous tense, battle-ready atmosphere was gone, replaced by an almost frenzied cultivation craze!

The Cultivation Technique Hall, Elixir Hall, Thunder Pool, and Enlightenment Pagoda—all places that could boost cultivation—were packed around the clock! Disciples were cultivating, sparring, and challenging trials like they were on stimulants.

Why? Resources were truly abundant!

High-level elixirs that usually required painstaking effort to acquire could now be applied for as long as one's cultivation reached the required level! The Chaos Thunder Pool, usually only accessible for a short soak after rendering great service, was now entered in timed shifts! Profound cultivation techniques that were usually incomprehensible were now explained by senior brothers, senior sisters, and even elders in rotation!

The Hall Master said, no holding back! We'll go bankrupt to push them!

More importantly, the sixteen direct disciples cultivated even more fiercely!

Yun Qingyao moved directly into the Moon Essence Secret Realm, drawing in the essence of the Grand Yin to temper her body and comprehend the law of ice seal. Chu Xinghe locked himself in the core of the array, maintaining the grand array while deducing even more terrifying Chaos killing arrays. Leng Yuechan, clutching her sword, directly clashed with the residual Sword Intent of past generations in the Sword Mound. Su Yuan, facing the Heavenly Evolution Array Disk, unleashed his full computing power to deduce his own path and the future of the sect. Linglong gathered the Demonic Sound Sect disciples, repeatedly testing the effects of demonic sound on several captured Soul Devouring Worms. Kong Ming led the Martial Monk Corps, sparring daily, getting bruised and battered, yet his Buddha's Light grew increasingly solid. Feng Qiqi delved into the earth firepulse, madly absorbing fire elemental energy, attempting to make her Nirvana Fire transform again. Mo Sha, Ye Chen, You Ye, Yu Lin—each found the most suitable way to temper themselves, pushing themselves to their limits. Even the unconscious Jin Bao and Little Blue Bird were placed in the core of the spirit herb garden, enjoying the most concentrated Wood elemental spiritual energy and Chaos vitality nourishment. Jin Bao's dragon body slowly absorbed power in its sleep, and the black mist on Little Blue Bird's body was slowly forced out. A Zi was even more exaggerated; relying on her Thunder God Body, this girl directly sat by the Thunder Pool, her small face blackened by electricity, her hair standing on end, yet she grinned foolishly, absorbing lightning even faster than Lin Xuan!

Lin Xuan himself wasn't idle. While handling sect affairs and overseeing resource allocation, he soaked in the deepest part of the Thunder Pool, frantically consolidating his Late-stage Heaven Immortal cultivation, and simultaneously refining the power feedback from the bronze battle axe. He knew that the power returned from his disciples' breakthroughs was the main source; his own arduous cultivation was more about solidifying his foundation.

Time passed day by day amidst this frenzied cultivation.

One year, two years, three years... The Star Palace completely fell silent, as if it had truly become a giant turtle shell. Outside in the Immortal Realm, Xuan Gu gradually consolidated his power, annexing many forces, appearing infinitely glorious, but the rumors and small-scale resistance in the dark never ceased.

On a certain late night in the fourth year.

Boom! A sharp, unmatched Sword Intent, as if capable of severing everything in the world, suddenly erupted from the Sword Mound, soaring into the sky, but was instantly suppressed by the Star Palace's grand array.

Ding! Detected that direct disciple Leng Yuechan has successfully broken through to Mid-stage True Immortal! Triggering ten thousand times return! Host receives cultivation feedback: Late-stage Heaven Immortal to Peak Heaven Immortal!

Lin Xuan's whole body shook, a pure and vast sword dao cultivation surged into his body out of thin air, making his stagnant realm suddenly leap forward a huge step!

"Good! Yue Chan, well done!" Lin Xuan was overjoyed.

With the first, there would be a second!

In the fifth year, Chu Xinghe's array dao broke through, drawing in the power of the stars to temper his body, stepping into Mid-stage True Immortal! In the sixth year, Su Yuan comprehended the wondrous Heavenly Evolution method, his immortal soul cleansed by the light of wisdom, breaking through! In the seventh year, Linglong's demonic sound reached great mastery, condensing a demonic sound dao seed in her soul sea, breaking through! In the eighth year, Kong Ming's Merit Golden Wheel condensed a tangible texture, his Buddhist body advanced further, breaking through! In the ninth year, Feng Qiqi's Nirvana Fire underwent its third transformation, her cultivation skyrocketing! In the tenth year, Mo Sha comprehended the true meaning of ancient demons amidst slaughter, breaking through! ... In the following years, it was as if a floodgate had opened, and the direct disciples successively began to break through!

Each breakthrough was accompanied by the System's notification sound and a massive surge of ten thousand times return cultivation pouring into Lin Xuan's body!

His realm, built upon the foundation of Peak Heaven Immortal, was continuously pushed upward by this powerful force! Although the power returned from each disciple was not enough to directly break through a major realm, accumulation led to qualitative change!

His Chaos Nascent Soul grew increasingly solid, like a sleeping ancient god. The Thunder Pool ocean in his dantian expanded several times, and the lightning became even more violent. The bronze battle axe was connected to his will, like an extension of his arm. Demon Venerable's origin, Sword Intent, life essence—all kinds of powers perfectly merged.

Finally, in the fifteenth year, when the last direct disciple also successfully broke through to Mid-stage True Immortal!

Ding! Detected that all direct disciples have reached Mid-stage True Immortal or above! Accumulated return cultivation has reached the critical point! Host's realm has increased, from Peak Heaven Immortal to Early-stage Golden Immortal!

Rumble!

A terrifying pressure, far exceeding anything before, uncontrollably erupted from within Lin Xuan! Chaos energy permeated, demonic might surged, Sword Intent hummed! He suddenly opened his eyes, in his left eye the Chaos Thunder Sea was born and destroyed, in his right eye all things returned to ruin, and the vertical eye between his brows rotated, discerning the illusions of the world!

Golden Immortal!

The Indestructible Golden Body was initially forged! The Undying Golden Nature nourished his immortal soul! His control over laws entered a brand new realm!

He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the immense power within him, capable of overturning rivers and seas, tearing apart stars, and a cold arc slowly formed at the corner of his mouth.

Fifteen years of lying low, today!

The blade is sharpened!

"Old Dog Xuan Gu!" "Your Grandpa Lin!" "Has emerged from seclusion!"