He had truly recovered!
There wasn't a single hidden ailment left.
Even the damage to his foundation had healed, nourished by the medicinal power of the spirit pill.
It was something he had never even dreamed of, much less dared to hope for. And now, it had all come true.
Master Green Feather couldn't help but weep tears of joy.
Then he could no longer contain his surging joy.
Facing the direction of the Founder's Shrine, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, paying his respects with utmost reverence.
"Thank you, Founder!"
"Your immense kindness will never be forgotten by your disciple."
At that moment, in Master Green Feather's heart, the nameless Founder was practically like a second set of parents who had given him new life.
There was no exaggeration in that.
His injuries had healed.
His old ailments were gone, and now his foundation was complete. Surely he would soon reach even greater heights and break through the bottleneck that had held him back for decades.
And all of it had been bestowed by the Founder.
How could he not be overwhelmed with gratitude?
His reverence and excitement at that moment came straight from the heart.
He was deeply grateful.
The Founder's Shrine.
Lin Xiaoyao was cleaning.
Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing.
He turned and glanced to his left.
"Did I put on a bit too much of a show? I actually moved the sect leader to tears."
He muttered to himself.
Then he shook his head.
With a smile, he said, "But come to think of it, being the big shot behind the scenes feels pretty good. The spell I comprehended from the Heavenly Demon Origin really came in handy!"
Time passed.
Four years later.
Lin Xiaoyao had spent the past four years in great comfort, and the Feathering Sect had faced no further crises.
Life in the mountains was peaceful, and the disciples all worked hard at their cultivation.
Lin Xiaoyao had not contacted the sect leader again, either.
Although his System Space had gained many more treasures he had no use for, it was better to give help when someone was in need than to add to their good fortune. Since the Feathering Sect's disciples were healthy and safe, there was no need to rush to hand out those treasures.
His own strength had also made great strides.
Not long ago, he had entered the late stage of the Mysterious Mastery Realm.
The Mahayana ancestors whom everyone admired and revered no longer seemed so far beyond his reach.
At that moment, he was walking along a path in the mountains, nearing Treasure Pill Valley.
"System, let me sign in!"
"Congratulations, host. Sign-in successful. You have obtained the 'Immortal Ganoderma Ice Spirit Pill.'"
The Immortal Ganoderma Ice Spirit Pill?
Lin Xiaoyao was delighted.
It was another legendary treasure of the cultivation world. They said that if a mortal swallowed one, they could ascend through the rosy clouds and become an immortal.
Naturally, the legend was exaggerated.
But even Mahayana ancestors, and even Tribulation Transcendence ancestors, coveted this pill.
Seeing no one around, Lin Xiaoyao claimed it and swallowed it right away.
In an instant, a vast medicinal power unfurled in his dantian, and his cultivation increased by nearly a thousand years.
After reaching the Mysterious Mastery Realm, cultivators normally made progress with great difficulty. But with the help of his sign-ins, Lin Xiaoyao continued advancing at an astonishing pace.
Today's sign-in reward was pretty good, and he was in excellent spirits. So he decided to take a leisurely stroll and keep walking.
"Have you heard? Junior Sister Su went into seclusion three days ago to form her Golden Core."
"Good heavens... I knew she was a genius, but this rate of cultivation is terrifying! Our batch of disciples came up the mountain together, and it hasn't even been ten years. Most of us are still stuck at Qi Refining, and only a handful have reached Foundation Establishment. Yet Junior Sister Su is already preparing to form her Golden Core?"
"Of course. They say she's a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius in our sect. Her cultivation speed ranks in the top five in the sect's history. Even some of the Mahayana ancestors of old didn't cultivate as quickly as she does."
"No wonder the sect leader personally arranged for his eldest disciple to take Junior Sister Su under his wing as a direct disciple as soon as she joined."
"I heard that if the sect leader hadn't sworn never to take another disciple, he might even have taken Junior Sister Su under his own wing."
"The senior members of the sect all say Junior Sister Su is certain to succeed this time."
As Lin Xiaoyao walked along, he heard plenty of talk like that.
"Junior Sister Su?"
He raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then remembered.
When she had first joined the sect, she had innocently asked whether anyone had become an immortal in the past several thousand years.
The innocent, adorable little girl with a spiritual air about her had since grown into a graceful young woman.
Her name, he seemed to recall, was Su Zhiyan.
Three days earlier, she had gone into seclusion to form her Golden Core.
The news had sent the entire Feathering Sect into an uproar.
If she succeeded, she would be a Golden Core cultivator before turning twenty.
And counting from when she joined the sect, she had been there for less than ten years.
She truly was a peerless genius, a rare talent in cultivation.
The elders praised her without exception.
Even the sect leader was extremely pleased with and kind toward his grand-disciple.
No one could say for certain that she would become an immortal, but given time, Mahayana was within reach. She even had a chance of becoming a Tribulation Transcendence ancestor.
Lin Xiaoyao remained silent.
He wasn't interested in the matter.
No matter how peerless a genius Su Zhiyan was, compared with him, she was no more than a firefly's glow.
Early the next morning.
Lin Xiaoyao was once again cleaning the Founder's Shrine, as usual.
"System, let me sign in!"
"Congratulations, host. Sign-in successful. You have obtained the 'Spirit Root Aptitude Pill.'"
A mechanical, emotionless voice rang out.
The Spirit Root Aptitude Pill?
Lin Xiaoyao was taken aback.
He hadn't expected today's sign-in reward to be this. It wasn't much use to him; gaining another decade or century of magical power would have been more practical.
But it was different for other cultivators.
Even Mahayana ancestors would be green with envy.
This pill could improve a cultivator's spiritual root aptitude. If it ever appeared in the world, the entire cultivation world would fight over it.
"Fine, I'll put it away for now!"
"Maybe it'll come in handy someday."
He casually tossed it into the System Space.
Then he continued humming as he cleaned the Founder's Shrine.
Although he hadn't received anything that increased his cultivation or magical power, it didn't seem to affect his mood.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyao furrowed his brow and looked up toward the window.
The sky had been clear a moment ago, but now it had suddenly darkened.
Dark clouds were gathering, though it didn't look like rain was coming.
Could it be...
Then he turned to look toward Empty Bright Valley, not far from Sword-Flying Peak.
Junior Sister Su's cave abode was deep in that valley.
"Has something happened?"
Lin Xiaoyao murmured.
The sudden change in the sky also drew curious remarks from the Feathering Sect's disciples.
The weather in the mountains changed often, but a scene like this was still rare.
Most people merely commented on it and didn't take the matter to heart.
Inside a cave abode on the Feathering Sect's main peak, which towered a thousand zhang high.
Master Green Feather was meditating and practicing his breathing.
The fortuitous encounter four years ago, the Founder's legacy, had healed his injuries. Now he had reached even greater heights, and soon he should be able to break through his bottleneck and enter the middle stage of the Mysterious Mastery Realm.
Though he was cultivating, the corners of his mouth seemed to carry a smile.
Suddenly, his brows lifted. His eyes snapped open in astonishment, and his face filled with disbelief.
Without hesitation, he stopped his cultivation technique, transformed into a streak of white light, and flew out of the cave abode. He stood atop a broad stone platform and gazed into the distance.
Before you continue