Lin Xiaoyao was very satisfied.
Word of Law was the best gift he had received from checking in over the past ten years, apart from the Saint Fruit Position. With it, many things became simple and easy.
Some of the thorny problems that had troubled him were now resolved with ease.
Now, hearing the cultivators outside lamenting and even wailing, Lin Xiaoyao had no intention of making the pear tree bear fruit.
Though it would have been no more than a snap of his fingers for him.
There was no need.
Everything had its limits.
His unintentional act of making the pear tree bloom had already caused a huge commotion, while bringing many benefits to the sect. There was no need to keep forcing things along.
He had once thought that, to live quietly and safely, he needed to raise the overall strength of the Feathering Sect. But circumstances had changed, and that idea had now shifted.
First, he needed to be restrained with miracles like this. Even if the sect leader, the True Person, issued an order to keep quiet, with so many people talking, there was no guarantee the news wouldn't get out. It might even bring trouble.
This time, the matter had already made quite a stir. Why add fuel to the fire?
Second, Lin Xiaoyao had seen things clearly. No matter how quickly the Feathering Sect grew stronger, compared with him, the difference was like heaven and earth. Take the sect leader, the True Person: he was only in the middle stage of the Mysterious Mastery Realm.
There was simply no comparing their rates of progress.
So, of course, they could deal with ordinary troubles and difficulties themselves. But if they really encountered a great crisis, instead of expecting them to stand on their own, in the end they would still have to rely on him.
But Lin Xiaoyao didn't mind being bothered. He was living quietly here, so helping out was only right. Besides, he'd grown quite attached to the Feathering Sect.
The key was that helping out as the big shot behind the scenes meant he could bask in everyone's praise and admiration afterward. It felt just like lurking and watching the chat in a group back in his previous life... pure bliss.
The thought even made him a little excited.
So Lin Xiaoyao had no intention of making the pear tree bear fruit. He'd done enough this time.
There was no need to gild the lily. If he did, it might even have the opposite effect.
As far as he was concerned, the matter was over.
As time passed, discussion of the incident within the sect gradually died down.
Though the cultivators were bitterly disappointed that the pear tree had failed to bear fruit, not one of them dared complain or show discontent.
Only fools failed to appreciate a kindness. The cultivators were sharp enough to know better. They believed this was the immortal's will. Though they didn't know the reason, surely it held profound meaning.
It was for their own good!
A tree that stood out in the forest would be battered by the wind. This was first meant to teach them that cultivation was hard work, that cultivation levels could not be had for the taking, nor could they rely on others' charity. Second, it was to avoid displaying too many miracles and thereby bringing trouble upon the sect...
At some point, this opinion began circulating within the sect.
When people thought about it, it did seem to make sense.
So everyone praised the immortal's painstaking efforts, and the younger generation was moved to tears with gratitude.
Lin Xiaoyao was utterly bewildered.
What was going on?
He hadn't done anything. Why had those people from the Feathering Sect started praising him again?
Whenever he went out for a stroll and heard people discussing the matter, they showered him with praise, heaping every flattering word upon him. Qin Yan, listening beside him, couldn't help feeling embarrassed on his behalf.
He really wasn't as far-sighted as they imagined.
But when he saw all those pretty female cultivators discussing him with looks of admiration, their beautiful eyes sparkling like stars, it really did feel wonderful.
Time flowed like water, and before long, spring had arrived in full bloom.
Now, even without Lin Xiaoyao's Word of Law, the Feathering Sect's main headquarters was awash in color, cloaked in fresh green.
Spring made everything seem so beautiful.
The only thing that seemed a little strange was that the Feathering Sect's disciples had suddenly taken to meditating beneath fruit trees, especially pear trees. The young cultivators were the most numerous.
Perhaps it was a lingering effect of that incident.
Lin Xiaoyao was quite speechless about it, but he could only pretend that it had nothing to do with him.
Every day, he swept the Founder's Shrine when it was time to sweep the Founder's Shrine, and wandered about as usual when it was time to wander. His cultivation continued to shoot up, and his days were comfortable and carefree.
Night fell, and the moon hung high overhead.
Lin Xiaoyao happily got ready for bed.
At his current level of strength, he didn't really need to sleep. But the habits of his previous life remained, and he still found it more comfortable to sleep until he woke naturally.
Suddenly,
Lin Xiaoyao's expression shifted.
He abruptly sat up.
Someone had entered the Founder's Shrine.
What did they want at this hour of the night?
A glimmer of curiosity appeared in Lin Xiaoyao's eyes.
In all the years he'd spent here, he had never encountered anything like this.
The Founder's Shrine was an important place for the sect, but that was because it housed the memorial tablets of the sect's successive founders.
Other than that, there was nothing here for anyone to covet.
But whatever the reason, Lin Xiaoyao was wide awake now. This was his turf, and someone had actually dared to come here and cause trouble?
Were they itching for a beating?
At the same time, a shadow came sweeping toward the Founder's Shrine.
The moon was dim tonight, and nearly all the stars were hidden behind the clouds. The indistinct figure blended perfectly into the darkness. Not only was he invisible to the naked eye, he could even easily fool a cultivator's spiritual sense.
"The king has a blood feud with the Feathering Sect. He sent me to scout out their strength. I didn't need to make a move, but since I'm here already, how could I leave empty-handed?"
"The guards at Sword-Flying Peak, the Library Pavilion, and Treasure Pill Valley are all too vigilant. Not only are high-ranking cultivators patrolling day and night, but powerful formations and restrictions protect them as well. Breaking in would be walking straight into a trap."
"But they'll never expect me to come to the Founder's Shrine."
"If I destroy this place, the Feathering Sect will lose face, and the king will surely reward me handsomely. Then I'll have a chance to break through my bottleneck."
The shadow muttered to himself.
A faint trace of demonic aura emanated from his body.
Had anyone come closer, they would have seen that although his height and build were much like those of a human cultivator, his eyes were narrow, his mouth wide and tusked, and his entire body covered in fine scales.
He was certainly no human cultivator.
He was a member of the Demon Race!
He was a shapeshifted Demon Cultivator, with strength roughly equivalent to that of a human Nascent Soul Ancestor.
His innate supernatural ability was not suited to killing, but was instead a concealment technique, perfect for hiding and spying on secrets.
Even a great expert in the Mysterious Mastery Realm might not discover him lurking nearby if he stayed completely still within thirty feet.
That was why the Demon King had sent him here.
Now, looking at the quiet Founder's Shrine in the dark, he couldn't help letting a savage grin spread across his face.
Destroying this place would surely win the Demon King's favor, and the king had always rewarded and punished fairly...
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