Of course, that thought had been nothing more than a joke. Deep down, Lin Xiaoyao was actually quite touched.
Over the years, he had helped the Feathering Sect a great deal, practically becoming the perfect power behind the scenes.
But in public, he was a complete nobody.
He stayed out of worldly affairs and avoided trouble, but that also made it easy for people to overlook him.
What Lin Xiaoyao hadn't expected was that, at a time like this, the sect hadn't forgotten him.
The Sect Leader had passed down an edict: all disciples below the Golden Core Realm were to be divided into several groups, each meditating in the pear grove at a different time.
He had thought that as a nobody tucked away in the Founder's Shrine, he would surely be forgotten. He hadn't expected them to notify him, too.
"Once you've come up the mountain, you're a disciple of our sect. Though each of you will have different fortunes and achievements in the future, you are all cultivators of the Feathering Sect. We take pride in you."
Lin Xiaoyao recalled the pledge spoken ten years ago by the senior uncle who had welcomed them to the mountain, addressing the group of young boys. At the time, he hadn't taken it seriously.
Now, looking back, he felt a little more attached to the sect.
So... staying here and keeping a low profile really had been the right choice.
It felt like home.
Lin Xiaoyao was more determined than ever: he wouldn't come out of seclusion until he truly possessed cultivation worthy of a Sage.
He grinned foolishly. This feeling of gratitude had given him the perfect excuse for keeping to himself in the Feathering Sect.
It was just like in his previous life: the bed was so warm that he didn't want to get up in the morning. The logic was just as simple.
"Senior Brother Lin, what are you smiling about? Are you that happy?"
The disciple who had come to deliver the message was a boy of seventeen or eighteen. He had joined the sect later than Lin Xiaoyao, so they were peers.
"Nothing."
Lin Xiaoyao certainly couldn't tell him what he was thinking.
"Then let's hurry. So many disciples are meditating in the pear grove that each group has only a short time. If we arrive late and lose even a little of it, that'd be a real waste."
What could Lin Xiaoyao say?
Should he tell the boy that the immortal miracle everyone was bowing down to had come from something he'd said offhand?
Making pear trees bloom was nothing. Even in the depths of winter, covering every fruit tree on the mountain with heavy, ripe fruit would have been child's play.
Of course Lin Xiaoyao wasn't foolish enough to say that.
He didn't want to be the center of everyone's attention.
Wasn't it better to be a nobody and quietly pull the strings behind the scenes?
And even if he wanted to show off, he couldn't do it in some tired, obvious way. He had to make it look effortless.
So Lin Xiaoyao said nothing and followed the disciple toward the pear grove.
Along the way, they ran into plenty of other cultivators.
By now, the news had spread.
Every cultivator in the Feathering Sect was bowing down in reverence to that mysterious immortal.
That was right. Everyone believed that only a True Immortal could have wrought such a miracle.
Perhaps it was an ancestor of their sect, descended from the heavens to leave a blessing for his juniors. Otherwise, how could such good fortune have befallen their sect in particular?
The disciples were beside themselves with excitement.
All along the way, praise and adoration rang without end.
As someone who had transmigrated, Lin Xiaoyao thought he had a pretty thick skin. Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.
There was no helping it. Thousands of people were praising him.
That was no exaggeration at all.
If it had only been a bunch of men, that would have been one thing. But as they made their way along, the sect's various female cultivators praised him just as much.
Their eyes sparkled with admiration!
A True Immortal—that was a legendary powerhouse.
Though one had appeared in the sect's history, that had been so long ago that it felt impossibly distant. This was the first time everyone had felt the presence of one, so the miracle had sent the entire Feathering Sect into an uproar.
Everywhere he went, Lin Xiaoyao heard one compliment after another.
Quite a few people even said outright that if they could meet the True Immortal just once, they would be content to hear the Dao in the morning and die by nightfall.
Lin Xiaoyao: "..."
Lin Xiaoyao was at a loss for words. He was standing right beside them.
He just couldn't tell them.
Still, being the power behind the scenes felt pretty great.
In the ten years since coming up the mountain, he had always thought that cultivators were just like the ones in novels: detached from worldly desires, with nothing able to move them besides cultivation.
But Lin Xiaoyao now knew he had been wrong.
Terribly wrong.
It wasn't that nothing could move them. It was just rare.
Cultivators didn't worship wealth or power.
They worshiped the strong.
The enthusiasm the disciples were showing right now was no less than that of fans meeting their favorite celebrity in his previous life.
The praise and admiring looks and words made Lin Xiaoyao feel a little embarrassed, but he had to admit that he was enjoying it.
Help others, and you help yourself. This Word of Law was really handy. One casual remark had earned him so much goodwill.
Lin Xiaoyao was thoroughly satisfied.
At last, they arrived at the pear grove, where he joined the others and pretended to cultivate.
"Senior Brother, this month, the number of our disciples who successfully achieved Foundation Establishment is more than five times higher than in previous years."
An elder in a brown robe and square headscarf reported to Sect Leader Master Green Feather, his eyes full of delight.
"Oh? That many?"
He knew the fragrance of the pear blossoms greatly benefited low-level cultivators, even helping them achieve Foundation Establishment.
But the fact that five times as many disciples as usual had achieved Foundation Establishment this year still came as a pleasant shock to Master Green Feather.
It was simply unbelievable.
The results had far exceeded his original expectations.
"That's not all. The other disciples have made great progress in their cultivation, too. Those youngsters are advancing so quickly it's almost beyond belief."
The brown-robed elder continued to share the heartening news.
Then he sighed. "What a pity."
"What is?"
Master Green Feather turned to look at him.
"The pear blossoms only last a little over a month, and we wasted some time at the beginning. So the disciples' actual cultivation period was extremely limited..."
The brown-robed elder lamented bitterly, regretting the overly cautious decision they had made at first.
If they had been able to make use of the half-month they had wasted, the disciples' achievements would have gone far beyond this.
Hearing his junior's words, Master Green Feather couldn't help laughing.
"The Way of Heaven takes from what has abundance and gives to what lacks. Junior Brother, you're too attached to appearances."
The brown-robed elder was taken aback. Was he being told that he was too greedy?
That was true.
But he still felt a little regretful.
Then he sighed again. Though the fragrance of the pear blossoms had greatly benefited the sect's young disciples, the trees had failed to bear fruit when the flowering season passed.
Everyone, who had been full of anticipation, was deeply disappointed.
It wasn't just him. Now that they knew the blossoms had faded without producing fruit, the cultivators of the Feathering Sect—who had been eagerly discussing how incredible the fruit might be, given how wondrous the fragrance of the blossoms alone had been—were lamenting in unison.
In the Founder's Shrine, Lin Xiaoyao continued sweeping in silence.
How could he not know that this was the topic everyone in the sect was talking about?
He chuckled softly. "The trees didn't bear fruit because, back then, I only said two words to grant the wish of those siblings: 'Bloom.'"
"I never told the pear trees to bear fruit. That's all there is to it."
That was the effect of the Word of Law. It couldn't be weakened in the slightest.
If I wished something to happen, then even if it defied the laws of nature, this world would have to obey.
That was how a single word—'Bloom'—had made tender buds sprout from the pear trees in the depths of winter, filling them with blossoms in full flower.
But since I hadn't said they should bear fruit, they naturally wouldn't dare take that extra step.
That was the true effect of the Word of Law.
Before you continue