Our Sect

However, he didn't let his excitement get the better of him by making the spirit boat perform mid-air flips or shoot straight up into the clouds.

If he flew too high and accidentally let the villagers see it, he was afraid it would scare them.

After all, from a distance, this spirit boat looked pretty much like a big black lump with two pointy ends.

After thoroughly experiencing the results of his first attempt at artifact refining, Lin Xiao was extremely satisfied with his refining skills.

To think that he could make such a fully functional magical artifact on his very first try, as expected of him.

Speaking of which, the Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Basic Artifact Refining Techniques also introduced how to appraise the grade of a magical artifact.

However, he had been so focused on the refining section earlier that he hadn't paid attention to that.

But grades and such were just fleeting clouds. His requirements weren't high right now; as long as the things he made were usable, it was fine.

He would pursue higher grades later when his skills improved!

Figuring that Mo Yuanjiao in the Artifact Refining Hall should be about done reading and might have some questions, Lin Xiao controlled the spirit boat to land, shrunk it, put it away, and then walked inside.

"How is it? Is there anything you don't understand?"

Mo Yuanjiao looked up from the book and said to him:

"There really is, Senior Brother Sect Master. Like that little boat you just made, is my current cultivation level unable to refine it?"

Lin Xiao smiled and nodded, saying:

"Yes, you can't do it for the time being. Speaking of this, right, for artifact refining, you also need to know how to use spiritual energy to control objects. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to take out the refined materials from the cauldron. I'll get you a manual on Object Control Arts later; you can learn it yourself when you have time."

Then he added:

"With your current cultivation, you can try refining some small things. Look at the spirit runes at the back. You can pick some simple ones from those runes and try making some small magical artifacts with a single spirit rune."

"Oh! Okay!" Mo Yuanjiao nodded in agreement and lowered his head to study again.

Looking at the hard-studying Mo Yuanjiao and thinking of how earnestly he had been cultivating and learning skills and spells recently, Lin Xiao thought for a moment and suddenly spoke to the person burying his head in study:

"Yuanjiao, actually, our place here might not be as good as you imagine."

"Hmm?" Hearing this, Mo Yuanjiao looked up at him with doubt in his eyes.

Lin Xiao considered his words for a moment and continued:

"Actually, our Lingxian Sect doesn't have any long history. It's not some great hidden sect, nor are there any unfathomable seniors, well, except for Senior Liao. Do you know what I mean?"

Mo Yuanjiao looked at him and blinked.

Seeing that he still didn't seem to quite understand, Lin Xiao pressed on:

"Everything here is exactly as you see it with your own eyes. There's no need to use your imagination. It's just a small sect with a dozen or so members, most of whom are still in their youth. Many things are still waiting for us to build up bit by bit.

And the Sect Master is just me, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Senior Liao is a portion of a Nascent Soul cultivator's soul entity that I abducted from a secret realm, and his current strength is even lower than mine. As for my dad, who is your master, he is a genuine, authentic farmer at the first level of Qi Condensation, without any disguise whatsoever."

Having made all this clear in one breath, Lin Xiao felt a long sigh of relief in his heart.

"With that said, you should seriously consider whether you want to leave or stay and be a disciple of my Lingxian Sect."

After hearing Lin Xiao's words, Mo Yuanjiao was stunned for a moment.

After all, what he said was vastly different from what Mo Yuanjiao had always believed.

But on second thought, actually, wasn't it still pretty good?

Seeing Lin Xiao turning around to leave, he hurriedly spoke up:

"Senior Brother Sect Master, wait!"

Hearing him call out so quickly, Lin Xiao turned around in confusion:

"What is it?"

Mo Yuanjiao stood up, walked up to him, and said solemnly:

"Senior Brother Sect Master, although I previously always thought our sect was some hidden sect and my master was some worldly expert, now that you have truthfully told me the whole truth, I don't feel the slightest bit of disappointment in my heart!

To be honest, I joined our sect because I was guided by a serendipitous encounter in a dream. I originally didn't know what my destined opportunity would look like, but after joining the Lingxian Sect, it is a fact that I reached Qi Condensation in a single day, and the various unprecedented things I am in contact with now are also facts. These days, I have never felt the slightest bit of unhappiness or regret. I think this must be my destiny with the Lingxian Sect."

Saying this, he looked at Lin Xiao with a firm and proud gaze and said:

"Besides, rather than joining a so-called large sect that is already set in stone and has a predictable future, it's better to be here with all my fellow disciples, working hard together to build a sect whose future is unknown but full of possibilities!"

Having finished speaking, he formally raised his hands and gave Lin Xiao a deep bow:

"I ask Senior Brother Sect Master to look after me in the future."

Hearing his words, Lin Xiao was deeply touched. Looking at Mo Yuanjiao bowing deeply before him, he also returned a solemn bow and said:

"My Lingxian Sect is fortunate to have Yuanjiao join us. I hope we can advance hand in hand in the future, building and protecting our sect together."

Outside the door, Jiang Youfu and Liu Yunan, who had been hiding and eavesdropping since who knows when, suddenly jumped out. Mimicking Lin Xiao's manner, they said to Mo Yuanjiao:

"My Lingxian Sect is fortunate to have Yuanjiao join us. I hope we can advance hand in hand in the future, building and protecting our sect together."

Hearing their voices, Mo Yuanjiao stood up in surprise.

"Fuzi, Baldy, you guys are here too!"

Because they had all been learning to carve formations in the Formation Hall recently, the three of them had gradually become familiar with each other.

Last night, Mo Que even gave them two of the animals he hunted.

Lin Xiao had actually noticed the two of them a long time ago, but there was no need to hide this kind of thing from them, so he hadn't said anything.

Liu Yunan came in grinning and lightly punched his shoulder, saying:

"Not bad! The words you said almost moved me to tears."

Jiang Youfu dug out a few roasted beans from his waist, stuffed them into his mouth, and nodded while chewing:

"Yeah, yeah. That speech of yours was so well said. Although I feel the same way, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to say it."

Liu Yunan poked his chubby, squishy cheek and said:

"Don't even think about it in this lifetime. Just be a good boy and eat your roasted beans."

Watching them banter, Lin Xiao smiled and said:

"Right, I've been considering something recently. If our sect gradually grows larger, we'll have to start accepting disciples, right? It's fine for now, as we have the time to personally vet the people we take in. But as the number of people increases, it will be impossible to have the time to interact with each one individually to judge their character. So I was wondering if we should set some recruitment standards. Do you guys have any ideas for what these standards should be?"

At this moment, Lin Xiao heard the system prompt sound suddenly ring out in his mind:

Ding—Congratulations to the host for unlocking the Sect Construction Task: Widely Recruiting Disciples (1). An excellent sect must inevitably start recruiting disciples, so evaluating the character of the disciples is an indispensable hurdle. Please construct a qualified Sect Heart-Questioning Path. In the future, all recruited disciples must pass this trial in order to join the sect.