446: Chapter 446 Zheng Dafu's Ingenious Plan

"Ao... Pre... Old... Mmph!"

Seeing Zhou Yan emerge from the Sect Master's Immortal Cave, Zheng Dafu wanted to greet him, but he almost let a secret slip. He then wavered between several forms of address, momentarily unsure of what to call him.

Realizing this idiot might ruin things, Zhou Yan grabbed his face to stop him from speaking further.

"Stop using those strange titles. I have returned to the Dao Sect; just call me Old Ancestor."

Zheng Dafu hurriedly nodded.

Only then did Zhou Yan let go.

"Sect Master Zhang has already agreed. Now I need you to find an Immortal Cave within the Sect for my secluded Cultivation."

"Secluded Cultivation?"

Zheng Dafu was very surprised to hear this. Wasn't the other party here as an undercover agent? Why go into seclusion right after arriving? Was this some kind of undercover technique?

"This matter has nothing to do with you."

"If you want to know, you can ask Sect Master Zhang. If he is willing to tell you, you will naturally know the reason."

"If he is unwilling, knowing would only add to your troubles."

"Then I wonder how long Senior intends to remain in seclusion, and if there is anything else you need?" Zheng Dafu's expression turned serious as soon as he heard it involved his Master.

An idea instantly formed in his mind.

Could it be that this big brother he just acknowledged has already started his operation?

To gain the trust of that old fogey Master so quickly upon arrival—truly terrifying!

"Sect Master Zhang will tell you the specifics. Just help me find a long-term, stable Cultivation site."

"This time, it will be sixty or seventy years at the shortest, and possibly a century at the longest. You understand, I need stability."

A hundred years, Master, stability... the Heaven-Kowt Assembly!

I understand now!

Zheng Dafu's eyes instantly cleared.

So that's how it is. First, he briefly gained Master's trust, then immediately chose seclusion because the foundation of trust had been established.

Then the other party wouldn't intentionally interfere with Ao Runzhi's seclusion just to test him. Even if he wanted to test him, he would have to wait until he emerged.

Even if Master still harbored suspicions, someone in seclusion who couldn't go anywhere naturally posed no danger.

Furthermore, the Yao Race's operation was set to launch exactly during the Heaven-Kowt Assembly.

The other party specifically said sixty to seventy years at shortest, or a hundred years at longest, so he would likely emerge before the century was up.

That way, it wouldn't be far from the assembly's time, reducing the time spent sparring with his own Master and avoiding any slips.

Brilliant! Truly brilliant!

It seems I still have much to learn.

In that case... Brother Ao, let me lend you a hand!

"Old Ancestor, this way please. I happen to know of an Immortal Cave that perfectly suits your current requirements. It is absolutely stable."

He emphasized the last two words slightly, perhaps due to excitement.

Combined with the other's strange expression, Zhou Yan somehow felt an ominous premonition.

Surely not. This guy trusts me quite a bit now; I shouldn't have shown any flaws for him to notice.

Since he hasn't realized anything, he has no reason to harm me. So where did this ominous feeling come from?

Zheng Dafu didn't give Zhou Yan much time to think. He summoned a cloud to serve as a cloud bed and carried Zhou Yan straight toward the distance.

After flying for about a thousand miles, a solitary island in the sea appeared before them.

Zhou Yan was stunned.

If not for the abundant Spiritual Qi, the singing birds, and the fragrant flowers—a scene of vibrant life and flourishing vitality—Zhou Yan would have thought Zheng Dafu was exiling him.

Zheng Dafu also began to explain, a slight smile hanging on his lips.

"Old Ancestor, please look at this island."

"This island was originally an overseas Secret Realm. It was later discovered by a Senior of our Dao Sect and developed into an Immortal Cave."

"It is reserved for the cultivation of the Sect's great experts. Not only is it remote and quiet, but its Spiritual Qi is also abundant."

"It even has some special effects that can resolve certain 'troubles'."

"Though it looks a bit remote and small, once Senior moves in, you will naturally understand its wonders."

"So, Senior, please."

Zheng Dafu then gestured with his hand, signaling Zhou Yan to enter the island.

After checking repeatedly and confirming there was nothing wrong with the island, Zhou Yan finally nodded, giving the other man a strange look at the end.

Why is this guy smiling so creepily? Damn, why did he smile even more creepily after I looked at him?

Forget it, time is short. It's better to hurry and achieve Soul Transformation. Once I succeed, half the problems will be solved, and I won't have to keep guessing.

Watching Zhou Yan fly onto the island, the outer barrier rippled as he entered.

It lasted until the ripples subsided.

Only then did Zheng Dafu secretly pinch a hand seal within his sleeve.

It was very casual and hidden, like an unconscious flick of the hand.

What Zheng Dafu hadn't mentioned was that this island also had the function of reversing time and space.

The laws of time within this island differed from the outside world. It was only through the arrangement of Formations that the time inside and outside the island were synchronized. That was why the island looked so full of life while the surroundings were ordinary.

It was also because Zhou Yan suffered from a lack of experience that he only thought the island was special without immediately connecting it to the specific reason why.

Brother Ao, because of your identity, you had to use the excuse of seclusion to delay for a while. To avoid being too obvious, you said sixty or seventy years.

But I know your goal has always been the Heaven-Kowt Assembly a hundred years from now.

As long as I slightly adjust the barrier to let the internal time return to its original flow rate, and then find a chance to send messages inside under the guise of delivering resources...

This way, you only need to stay for ten or twenty years before you can come out and directly participate in the Heaven-Kowt Assembly, saving a lot of trouble.

And afterward, I'll just take the blame, saying I forgot to reset the barrier and caused a blunder.

I might receive some reprimand, but in exchange, you get a perfect opportunity, Brother Ao. Consider it my way of repaying the favor for covering my identity earlier.

Thinking of this, Zheng Dafu recalled the expression the other had before entering.

That nod and that meaningful gaze.

He must have realized it, so he approved of my idea and was thanking me.

No rush, no rush. Once the plan succeeds, we shall drink and be merry.

The corners of Zheng Dafu's mouth curled up further, and his mood lightened considerably. He immediately steered his cloud toward Great Liang.

He had to pretend to have urgent business to attend to, acting very hurried to cover up the blunder of adjusting the time.

At the same time, he needed to think of a reasonable excuse to send in resources and messages.

Otherwise, if the other party didn't understand the laws of time and truly stayed inside for decades, the opportunity would be long gone by the time he came out.

Zheng Dafu began his startlingly brilliant plan.

Zhou Yan, however, had no idea what the other man had imagined.

If he knew, he probably would have chosen to blow him up back then rather than fool him.

"Whew—the air really is fresh."

Zhou Yan took a deep breath, his Divine Sense already covering the island.

"This island has all of the Five Elements' Spiritual Qi, circulating in balance. It hasn't become oversaturated with Water and Wood Qi just because it's an island.

It truly is a fine place."

In the center of the island was a peach forest surrounded by green mountains, which in turn were set against clear waters. It was quiet all around, with few sounds of insects or beasts.

An Immortal Cave was hidden at the island's highest point, showing no signs of artificial carving.

Stone tables and chairs were arranged neatly, vines hung as curtains, and roots formed racks; every object followed its natural shape, perfectly integrated with nature.

Water seeped from the four walls, and a few Spiritual Plants peeked out from the stone crevices. Everywhere one looked, there was the natural beauty of the world.

If the environment in the Qingxu Grotto-Heaven revealed the professionalism and rigor of artificial carving, this place leaned more toward nature.

Although overall it wasn't as good as the Qingxu Grotto-Heaven, the Cultivation speed wouldn't be much different, and these natural features might even provide a little extra bonus.

Well... at least seeing all this put Zhou Yan in a good mood and reduced his Cultivation pressure significantly.

"In that case, let's begin the Breakthrough.

First, let me organize my inventory, then learn the 'Useless Person Essence'. With such a good environment, perhaps I'll succeed in one trip to the Luyuan Heaven."

At this moment, Zhou Yan was incomparably confident, but what he didn't know was that his original escape plan had already been ruined from the very start.