Lofty State of Mind, The Sect Master Arrives

"Senior Brother, do you still remember the Heart-Refining Path from several years ago?"

The head of Treasure Pill Valley, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

"How could I forget?"

Upon hearing this, not only Master Green Feather but all the other elders and heads nodded in succession.

The crisis on the Heart-Refining Path that time had also caused them endless headaches.

They had finally managed to devise a solution and, trembling with fear, went to prepare to seal the Outer-Realm Heavenly Demon.

Yet, they discovered that the opponent had already vanished.

Just like this time, there were no traces of a struggle.

Initially, everyone had worried that the Heavenly Demon had escaped.

However, several years had passed, and there was still no sign of it.

Given the vengeful nature of an Outer-Realm Heavenly Demon, having been imprisoned for tens of thousands of years, it would have harbored deep hatred for the Feathering Sect. If it had truly escaped, it would never have failed to retaliate.

Therefore, there was only one possibility: it had also been wiped out without a sound.

Thinking back now, the two incidents were surprisingly similar.

"It seems our sect truly has a Great Vehicle ancestor watching over us from the shadows."

"Indeed, it must be so!"

For a moment, the elders could not help but feel invigorated.

Even Master Green Feather was no exception.

Although it was merely a guess, the probability was very high.

If it were not a senior of their own sect, how could they have resolved the Feathering Sect's crises at every critical juncture?

"Very well. Even if it is a senior ancestor, since he does not wish to reveal himself, we must not speak of it recklessly. This matter must be kept secret."

"One day soon, I will personally go to the Founder's Shrine to pay my respects. Whether he can hear us or not, we must express our gratitude as juniors; we must not be the slightest bit disrespectful."

"Yes, we shall follow the Sect Master's decree."

The elders bowed in salute.

"Then, let us disperse."

Master Green Feather stood up after speaking.

However, his face turned pale, and his figure swayed slightly.

"Senior Brother, you..."

"It is nothing, my injuries have simply not yet fully healed."

Master Green Feather waved his hand, indicating it was of no great concern.

The head of Treasure Pill Valley, however, furrowed his brows slightly.

Among all the elders, he was the weakest in strength, but he excelled at alchemy and was the most knowledgeable about pharmacology.

Of everyone present, the Sect Master had suffered the most severe injuries, and the demonic energy left behind in his meridians was like maggots on rotting bones.

It was by no means something that could be cleared away easily.

Founder's Shrine.

Rising early in the morning, Lin Xiaoyao picked up his wooden bucket, rag, and broom, and began his chores with practiced ease.

Five years had passed, and though he did this every single day, he remained perfectly content.

He was so diligent that even the deacon uncle in charge of miscellaneous affairs felt a bit embarrassed.

He had personally asked a few times if Lin Xiaoyao wanted to change his assignment.

Lin Xiaoyao shook his head.

Naturally, he refused without the slightest hesitation.

Just kidding—looking across the entire Feathering Sect, where else could be more peaceful and undisturbed than the Founder's Shrine?

Moreover, this was a place where he could repeatedly sign in; why on earth would he want to go anywhere else?

Thus, Lin Xiaoyao refused with righteous indignation.

He bowed solemnly, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Uncle, but this disciple's aptitude is dull. Even if I were to take on another chore, my cultivation speed would not necessarily improve."

"It is better to stay here at the Founder's Shrine. Firstly, I am already accustomed to it, and secondly, this is where the ancestors of our sect are enshrined. Being qualified to clean this place is a blessing for this disciple."

The deacon uncle sighed in admiration.

Young people were usually prone to impatience, yet he was able to remain as calm as still water. On the surface, he appeared to lack ambition, but in reality, he possessed the rare virtue of self-awareness.

Such a state of mind was truly commendable.

It was a pity that his aptitude was too poor; he would likely find it difficult to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Even without illness or disaster, a Qi Refining cultivator would only live for about a hundred years.

What Lin Xiaoyao did not expect was that these remarks of his actually earned him a bit of fame within the sect.

Many people knew that there was such a disciple who was content with loneliness, sweeping the Founder's Shrine and refusing to move, as if he were a monk keeping company with nothing but a green lamp and an ancient Buddha.

Some laughed at him for being foolish, some for being obsessed, and others felt he lacked ambition.

However, there were also those whose favor for him increased greatly.

After all, cleaning the Founder's Shrine was a notoriously bitter chore.

Yet, it was a task that had to be done. Originally, everyone would push the responsibility onto others, fearing it would be their turn, but now, it was a relief to have someone else do it for them.

Upon learning that he had become famous, Lin Xiaoyao was initially very worried. He only wanted to be a quiet wallflower and stay hidden; he did not want to attract any attention.

But facts proved that he had worried too much.

Although his choice made the other disciples marvel, who would have any interest in paying attention to a fellow disciple with such mediocre, or even poor, aptitude?

Not to mention one who lacked ambition.

Therefore, the buzz quickly faded.

Cultivation was like sailing against the current; everyone was busy with their own progress. At most, they would discuss him for a sentence or two when they heard his name, only to quickly cast it to the back of their minds.

This made Lin Xiaoyao heave a sigh of relief.

Thus, he returned to his peaceful life of the past.

He swept and signed in every day, and when he had nothing to do, he would wander around. He lived a life free from worldly disputes, appearing to lack ambition, yet he lived comfortably and serenely.

Moreover, his cultivation was increasing with each passing day.

Lin Xiaoyao was very satisfied with his current life.

In any case, he would never easily venture out until he had cultivated to a level matching the status of a Saint.

After all, although he had heard that the Feathering Sect was a major immortal sect that shook the region for tens of thousands of miles, this world was vast.

Boundless and endless.

In those further places, even to the extreme distances that the sect's predecessors and founders had never reached during their travels, heaven only knew how many big shots were out there.

Lin Xiaoyao did not know, and he did not want to investigate right now.

Curiosity killed the cat.

He liked his current peaceful life and looked forward to his daily sign-ins.

They always brought him new surprises, though, of course, there were often items that other cultivators viewed as treasures but were useless junk to him.

It was a pity to throw them away.

All these "chicken ribs" were tossed by him into the system space in one go.

This morning, Lin Xiaoyao was humming a tune while sweeping the Founder's Shrine.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow.

Someone was actually coming to the Founder's Shrine?

One had to know that, except for some important days when the sect's big shots would bring disciples to pay their respects, very few people ever set foot here.

Could it be someone not from the sect?

What was the intruder's intent?

However, Lin Xiaoyao soon realized he had overthought it.

The person arriving was none other than the Sect Master.

Master Green Feather!

Today did not seem to be a day for worship, so why was he here?

Lin Xiaoyao felt slightly surprised.

But he quickly returned to a calm expression.

It was as if he had noticed nothing at all.

Of course, he also stopped humming.

He continued sweeping the Founder's Shrine with nimble yet very careful movements.

This was work he had been doing for five years, so he was naturally very skilled at it, and when he focused, he appeared even more meticulous.

Master Green Feather, who had stepped through the door, could not help but nod at the sight.

Although he handled the major affairs of the sect every day, leaving smaller or trivial matters to his disciples, he was not like a mortal; cultivators possessed abundant energy.

Therefore, even he had occasionally heard an interesting little story from his nephew, a deacon at the Miscellaneous Affairs Yard.