From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 136 The Initial Plan: A Long Road Ahead

Elder Xuanfeng turned around abruptly. Seeing me standing behind him, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Xiao Yao, is there anything else?" he asked calmly, as if my earlier muttering to myself was just my imagination.

I took a deep breath, suppressing my unease. "Elder Xuanfeng, do you have any further comments on my proposal?"

He shook his head. "The Supreme Elder has already made the decision, so I naturally have no objections."

His words were impeccable, but I couldn't ignore the hidden hostility in his eyes. I knew this struggle had only just begun.

Over the next few days, I began to implement my plan. However, things didn't go as smoothly as I had imagined. First, there was the issue of personnel allocation. I needed some disciples skilled in formations and weapon crafting to assist me, but most of these people had already been assigned tasks by other elders, and there were simply no people available. I approached Deacon Wu, who was in charge of personnel allocation, hoping he could help coordinate, but he made various excuses and ultimately only assigned me a few inexperienced new disciples.

"Deacon Wu, I'm afraid these people are not up to the task?" I frowned, looking at the few immature disciples in front of me.

Deacon Wu looked troubled. "Xiao Yao, as you know, this is a critical period for the development of the Immortal Sect. Every department is short-staffed, and there's nothing I can do about it."

I knew he was just giving me the runaround, but I had no choice. I could only start working with these new disciples and hope to train them as quickly as possible.

Besides personnel issues, the allocation of supplies also encountered obstacles. Many of the materials I needed were delayed, which seriously slowed down the progress of the plan. I went to Deacon Wu again to inquire about the situation, but he told me that these materials needed to be transferred from other places, which would take some time.

"Some time? Several days have passed, and there's still no sign of it." I said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Deacon Wu remained unhurried, saying, "Xiao Yao, don't worry. I've already urged them, and I believe we'll have news soon."

His words made me feel powerless. I felt like prey trapped in a spider web, with everything around me binding me and making it impossible for me to move an inch.

Senior Brother Lin and Junior Sister Chu also noticed my predicament. Senior Brother Lin, filled with righteous indignation, offered to help me seek justice, but I dissuaded him. I knew that now was not the time to confront Elder Xuanfeng directly. Junior Sister Chu, on the other hand, looked worried. "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, what should we do now?"

Elder Mingyue's attitude chilled me to the bone. Although she didn't explicitly oppose my plan, she simply stood by and watched, as if it were none of her business. I tried to seek her help, but she only said indifferently, "Xiao Yao, you have to rely on yourself for everything."

I understood; she was implying that I had to face this storm alone. I felt more isolated and helpless than ever before, but my resolve only grew stronger. I couldn't give up. For the future of the Immortal Sect, for those who supported me, I had to persevere.

One evening, I dragged my tired body back to my lodgings, only to find Deacon Wu standing at the door waiting for me. He had a strange smile on his face and was holding a list in his hand. "Xiao Yao, the materials you requested have finally arrived."

He handed me the list, and when I took a look, my face turned deathly pale... The materials on this list were completely different from what I had applied for before.

Deacon Wu's smile deepened as he looked at my expression. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

I gripped the list tightly, my fingertips turning white, almost crushing it. The materials on the list were not only completely different from what I needed, but also inferior substitutes, utterly unusable in my plan. I looked up, my gaze icy as I stared at Deacon Wu, and asked, word by word, "Deacon Wu, what do you mean by this?"

He still wore that fake smile. "Xiao Yao, don't misunderstand. Although these materials weren't originally yours, the effect is about the same. Just make do with them."

"Almost?" I sneered. "With these materials, my plan is simply impossible to implement. You're deliberately making things difficult for me!"

The smile on his face finally disappeared, and his eyes turned cold. "Xiao Yao, I advise you to be sensible and not to refuse a toast only to suffer the consequences. Many people are already opposed to your plan. If you continue to be so stubborn, you will bear the consequences yourself."

His words sank my heart. I realized he was acting under Elder Xuanfeng's orders, deliberately trying to trip me up. A surge of anger welled up inside me, but I suppressed it. I knew now wasn't the time to openly confront him. I took a deep breath and threw the list back at him. "In that case, I'll go find the Supreme Elder and let him judge this!"

After saying that, I turned and left, leaving Deacon Wu standing there with a livid face.

However, things were far worse than I had imagined. Before I even had a chance to go see the Supreme Elder, I heard rumors that my plan would harm the interests of ordinary disciples, and many disciples began to feel dissatisfied with me. Only then did I realize that someone was spreading rumors behind my back to slander my plan.

I found Senior Brother Lin and told him what had happened. After hearing it, he was also indignant, "Who's behind this? I'll go and find out right now!"

I stopped him. "No need to investigate, I know who it is."

I knew perfectly well that it couldn't be anyone but Junior Sister Chu. She had always been dissatisfied with me, and this time she had finally found an opportunity to try and hurt me.

I found Junior Sister Chu, who was gathered with several disciples, badmouthing me. Seeing me approach, she didn't stop; instead, she became even more aggressive, "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, will your plan really harm our interests?"

I looked at her coldly, "Junior Sister Chu, you are spreading rumors and causing trouble."

She looked completely innocent. "I didn't spread any rumors. I was just concerned about everyone's interests."

I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I turned and left. I knew that arguing with her would only be a waste of time; what I needed to do was resolve the immediate predicament as quickly as possible.

Back at my lodgings, I felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Sitting at my desk, staring at the mountain of materials before me, I was filled with a sense of powerlessness. Was I really going to give up? No, I couldn't give up! For the future of the Immortal Sect, for those who supported me, I had to persevere!

I picked up a document and began to study it carefully. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into my mind. I thought of a new method to achieve the desired effect using these inferior materials. Although it would be more time-consuming and laborious, it was better than doing nothing at all.

I immediately began revising the plan, adjusting the original schedule to fit the available materials. Time ticked by, and I became completely immersed in my work, forgetting my fatigue and everything around me.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door. "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, are you there?" It was Senior Brother Lin's voice.

I opened the door and saw Senior Brother Lin standing anxiously outside. "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, something bad has happened..." "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, something bad has happened! Elder Xuanfeng wants you to go to the council hall immediately!" Senior Brother Lin looked anxious, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

My heart sank. It seemed the final showdown had finally arrived. I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I understand, senior brother. I'll go right away."

The atmosphere in the council hall was heavy. Elder Xuanfeng sat in the main seat, his face grim and his gaze piercing. Elder Mingyue sat to the side, looking at me with concern. Deacon Wu stood behind Elder Xuanfeng, a barely perceptible sneer playing on his lips. Junior Sister Chu stood in the crowd, her eyes filled with schadenfreude.

“Xiao Yao,” Elder Xuanfeng’s voice was deep and authoritative, “I have carefully reviewed your plan, and it is full of flaws and simply cannot be implemented. Do you have anything else to say?”

I raised my head, looked him straight in the eye, and said firmly, “Elder, my plan is not flawed, but rather the optimal solution given the current situation of the Immortal Sect. I know that using alternative materials will increase the difficulty of implementation, but it is not impossible. I have readjusted the details of the plan and conducted preliminary simulations, and the results have proven that my plan is feasible.”

I handed the revised plan to Elder Xuanfeng and explained the changes in detail. I pointed to a low-quality material on the list and said, "Although this material has poor spiritual energy conductivity, it is cheap and plentiful. I will mix it with another material and use their different properties to improve the overall efficiency."

I spoke eloquently, explaining every detail of the plan clearly. I even answered Elder Xuanfeng's tricky questions one by one, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"What you've said are all just theoretical deductions," Elder Xuanfeng sneered. "In practice, it's probably not that easy."

“Elder, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth,” I said without backing down. “I beg you to give me a chance to prove that my plan is feasible.”

Elder Mingyue also spoke up, saying, "Senior Brother Xuanfeng, since Junior Nephew Xiao Yao is confident, why not let her give it a try?"

Elder Xuanfeng pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright, I'll give you one month. If your plan hasn't made any progress after one month, you'll have to give up."

I was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder!"

I know this past month will be exceptionally difficult. Elder Xuanfeng won't let me off easily; he'll definitely try every means to hinder me. And Junior Sister Chu will continue to stir up trouble and create chaos behind the scenes.

After leaving the council chamber, I immediately began implementing my plan. I gathered my supporters together, assigned tasks, and clearly defined roles. I knew I had to achieve some results quickly to gain the trust and support of more people.

For the next few days, I worked almost non-stop. I personally guided my students in processing and resolving various problems they encountered during implementation.

Gradually, I skillfully resolved some minor obstacles, and the implementation of the plan gradually got on track. Some disciples who had initially been hesitant began to express their support for me.

However, I knew this was only temporary peace. Greater challenges lay ahead. Elder Xuanfeng wouldn't give up easily; he would surely be secretly observing my every move, waiting for me to make a mistake.

I stood by the window, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, my heart filled with anxiety. I must quickly gain more support to ensure my survival in the struggle to come.

But what should be done...? Suddenly, Senior Brother Lin pushed open the door and entered, "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, the Supreme Elder..."

Senior Brother Lin suddenly pushed the door open and rushed in, a hint of panic on his face. "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, the Supreme Elder... summons you!"

The Supreme Elder? My heart skipped a beat. This elder has been in seclusion for years, detached from worldly affairs. Why has he suddenly summoned me today? Could it be that Elder Xuanfeng has done something behind the scenes?

Without time to think, I immediately followed Senior Brother Lin to the Supreme Elder's cave. Along the way, I tried my best to remain calm and ponder why the Supreme Elder had summoned me.

Inside the cave, a faint scent of sandalwood filled the air. The Supreme Elder sat cross-legged, his hair and beard all white, his eyes closed, like an old monk in deep meditation.

"Disciple Xiao Yao greets the Supreme Elder." I bowed respectfully.

The Supreme Elder slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as the sea, seemingly able to see through everything. "You are Xiao Yao?"

"Exactly the disciple."

"I've heard that you've proposed a new plan. Could you elaborate?"

My heart skipped a beat; it seemed the Supreme Elder had already heard of my plan. I dared not delay and reported the details of the plan, as well as the problems encountered during implementation and their solutions, to the Supreme Elder.

The Supreme Elder listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking questions now and then. His questions were all very sharp, hitting the core of the plan, forcing me to be on my guard.

After the report, silence fell over the cave. The Supreme Elder closed his eyes in deep thought, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "Your plan does have its merits, but it also carries some risks. Have you considered what the consequences would be if the plan failed?"

I took a deep breath and said firmly, "I understand that the risk of the plan failing is very high, but I believe that as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to overcome the difficulties and achieve final victory."

The Grand Elder smiled slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. "Good, you have this determination, very good. I will keep an eye on your plan, and I hope you will not disappoint me."

"This disciple will certainly do his utmost to live up to the elder's high expectations."

Emerging from the Supreme Elder's cave, a huge weight was finally lifted from my heart. The Supreme Elder's support undoubtedly gave me a powerful boost of confidence.

Upon returning to my residence, I immediately summoned my supportive disciples and conveyed the Supreme Elder's opinion to them. The disciples were overjoyed and their morale soared.

I know that with the support of the Supreme Elder, my plan will be implemented more smoothly. However, Elder Xuanfeng and Junior Sister Chu will not give up so easily; they will definitely try every means to obstruct me.

I must expand my influence as quickly as possible and gain more support. I racked my brains, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck me…

I got up and walked to the table, picked up a pen and wrote a letter, then handed it to Senior Brother Lin, whispering, "Give this letter to..."