Just like that, a great disaster was erased before it could take shape.
Otherwise, if the Founder's Shrine were destroyed, it would surely cause an uproar throughout the Feathering Sect.
Lin Xiaoyao wouldn't be held responsible, but he'd spent ten years lying low here and had grown attached to the place. Besides, it was an exceptionally remote, quiet, and comfortable spot to check in.
If it were gone, where would he go?
Lin Xiaoyao certainly couldn't let that happen.
That fellow really had some nerve, daring to make trouble on his turf.
Lin Xiaoyao glanced at the Demon Cultivator who had died right there, then snapped his fingers softly.
In an instant, the corpse crumbled to dust and melted into the night, as though it had never existed in this world.
"This isn't over yet. The Demon King of Black Python Mountain is still alive. Sooner or later, he'll become a threat."
Faced with Lin Xiaoyao's Saintly might, the Demon Cultivator had known his death was certain, yet still hadn't dared to lie or hide the slightest thing.
He'd explained the whole story from beginning to end.
It was actually quite simple.
A certain Demon King had a blood feud with the Feathering Sect.
Well, it had happened several thousand years ago.
Back then, one of the Feathering Sect's great masters had roamed the world with a sword, vanquishing demons and exorcising evil spirits. He had slain countless fiends and monsters.
Still, some had inevitably slipped through the net.
For example, a little black snake from those days had swallowed some unknown miraculous fruit and gained an astonishing celestial fate. Now it was a great demon in the Mysterious Mastery Realm, known as the Black Python Demon King.
With its cultivation advanced, the creature had grown restless. It actually wanted revenge on the Feathering Sect.
The other side had been cautious, though, and first sent a subordinate skilled at concealment to scout the area.
And so, this scene had unfolded today.
"The fool who came to make trouble at the Founder's Shrine has already been dealt with, but that Demon King is still alive. Even after this setback, it may not simply give up and lie low."
Lin Xiaoyao muttered to himself, as if weighing the matter. "Hmph. There are a thousand days to be a thief, but where's the sense in guarding against one for a thousand days?"
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to remove this threat. Otherwise, it'll come here to make trouble again."
It wouldn't matter if the creature went after the Feathering Sect, but Lin Xiaoyao worried that when the city gates caught fire, the fish in the moat would suffer. It could ruin his grand plan to lie low here, check in every day, and live the carefree life of a happy layabout.
So the danger had to be eliminated.
The threat had to be snuffed out in its infancy.
But how?
Should he wait for a chance, send an anonymous letter, and report what had happened to the sect leader, the True Person?
No, no. Lin Xiaoyao shook his head. That would only alert the enemy and might even bring about greater complications.
He remembered all too well how, last time, he'd casually told a pear tree to blossom, only for it to trigger unbelievable consequences within the sect.
Even now, whenever the female cultivators in the sect mentioned that mysterious immortal, their eyes still sparkled.
Plenty of disciples also liked to meditate beneath fruit trees, and the pear tree was considered the best of them all.
One butterfly effect like that was more than enough!
So it was better not to alert the sect leader, the True Person. He'd find a way to quietly deal with the trouble himself.
But Black Python Mountain was a full ten thousand miles away...
And Lin Xiaoyao didn't want to make a long journey, much less leave right now. He was only a minor cultivator. Staying safe and comfortable in the sect was best.
All right, he admitted it. He was just lazy.
So what should he do next?
Lin Xiaoyao raised his head and looked ahead. About ten paces away stood a large locust tree.
Its shadow swayed, and its branches and leaves were thick and lush.
"You'll do."
A smile suddenly tugged at the corner of Lin Xiaoyao's mouth.
Then he walked over to the locust tree.
He reached out his right hand, gently stroked the huge trunk, and smiled. "Old locust tree, I've swept the Founder's Shrine and watered you plenty of times in my spare moments. As the saying goes, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Would you do me a favor now?"
Lin Xiaoyao spoke as if making a polite request. It was as though he wasn't facing a huge locust tree, but an old friend he knew well.
At some point, the moonlight had brightened. There was no wind, yet the branches began to tremble, rustling loudly as if they were truly answering him.
Lin Xiaoyao smiled and patted the trunk. "You've agreed. A tree that repays kindness—now that's a good tree."
"How about lending me one of your branches? Just one, about three feet long."
Snap.
As soon as he finished speaking, a branch overhead suddenly broke off by itself, though there was no wind, and landed right in Lin Xiaoyao's palm.
Lin Xiaoyao examined the gnarled branch. It was about three feet long, straight and sturdy.
He couldn't help clapping his hands and laughing. "That's a fine branch."
Though it held not a trace of spiritual power and was nothing more than an ordinary piece of wood, what did that matter?
Lin Xiaoyao toyed with it for a moment, then swept his hand across it. Wood shavings fell in a flurry and vanished into the night. In his hand, a wooden sword had appeared.
The sword wasn't antique-looking; it appeared quite ordinary.
It was even a little crude!
It looked as if it had been made by a carpenter's apprentice. Forget using it to slay demons and exorcise evil spirits—even as a toy for a child, it might be rejected.
"Alas, for a first attempt, this craftsmanship is a little..."
Lin Xiaoyao shook his head.
Though he sighed, he didn't seem to care much.
It was only a wooden sword. Why carve it with painstaking care? As long as it looked the part and could be used, that was enough.
Then he picked up the wooden sword and examined his handiwork.
It was a little rough, but he was more or less satisfied.
Qin Yan stroked the blade. He would rely on it to slay demons and exorcise evil spirits, and eliminate the hidden threat to himself.
As for what to do next?
There was no need to fret over that. He'd already given his Word of Law a trial run.
Should he put on a solemn expression, summon an imposing aura, and tell it to slay the demon?
Lin Xiaoyao shook his head.
How boring.
It might sound impressive, but he was all alone here. Showing off without an audience was utterly pointless.
So...
He raised the Immortal Sword, laid it flat on his palm, and smiled as he instructed it. "You're a mature Immortal Sword now. You need to learn to slay demons and exorcise evil on your own."
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Hum!
The air trembled.
The Immortal Sword, carved from nothing more than an ordinary locust branch, now rose into the air by itself.
It pointed its blade toward Qin Yan and gently dipped it, as though bowing in salute.
"All right, go on. Don't disappoint me!"
Lin Xiaoyao nodded with a smile, clearly very pleased with the result.
Ordinary Word of Law couldn't accomplish this, but when combined with his Saint Fruit Position, it could turn the rotten into the miraculous.
It had brought forth the incredible miracle before his eyes!
Hum...
The air trembled once more.
Then the Locust Wood Immortal Sword transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and straight into the clouds.
In the blink of an eye, it reached the highest heavens, riding the astral winds at tremendous speed. In an instant, it covered a thousand miles, moving at an unbelievable pace.
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