Ancestor Worship

During this period of seclusion, as his cultivation base grew, he felt that creating these minor spells was becoming increasingly effortless.

Now at the Golden Core stage, he no longer needed the system's spell creation function; he could develop minor spells on his own.

Before long, everyone saw the pig in the wooden tub visibly turn white and cooked right before their eyes.

Once all the items were prepared and seeing that it was about time, Old Master Lin led the Lin family members to meet up with the other Lin surnamed villagers, and they headed towards Tomb Mountain together.

Along the way, the crowd looked at Old Master Lin's family and couldn't help but feel that something about them was different now.

Especially that kid, Lin Xiao.

Many people wanted to ask questions but didn't quite dare.

Only a few elders of the Lin family walked at the very front, chatting with Old Master Lin.

Naturally unable to contain their curiosity, they asked about them becoming immortals.

Old Master Lin immediately waved his hands and explained to them that they hadn't become immortals; they were just cultivating.

Whether they could actually become immortals was still completely up in the air.

To Old Master Lin, the most shocking aspect of cultivating immortality so far was how efficient and convenient it made farming.

Therefore, when his old buddies asked, Old Master Lin focused his explanation on how convenient and high-yielding farming had become after they started cultivating.

Hearing his words, the group marveled, while simultaneously thinking to themselves: so even after becoming immortals, one still has to eat and farm.

Suddenly, everyone felt that Old Master Lin's family, whom they thought would be completely different after becoming immortals, hadn't really changed much after all.

It was just that farming was less tiring for them now.

But since they were immortals now, wasn't it only natural that farming took less effort?

With this realization, the few little old men who had been somewhat reserved around Old Master Lin broke into wide, wrinkled smiles again. Daring to act just like before, they reached out, gently patted Old Master Lin's arm, and gave him a thumbs up, praising the pig their family carried out today as truly impressive and face-saving.

Hearing them praise his family's pig, Old Master Lin was so thrilled that his eyes crinkled into happy little slits. He proudly introduced to everyone that his eldest grandson had made the cut, his second grandson had scalded the skin, and his youngest grandson had caught the blood.

As for his two sons who had merely lifted the pig's trotters, he completely forgot to even mention them.

Hearing this from behind, Eldest Aunt Lin and several of Grandma Lin's clan sisters-in-law also felt bold enough to start gossiping with them about neighborhood affairs.

Without even needing to turn his head, Lin Xiao could clearly observe the changes in everyone around him.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart.

It was wonderful that the elders in his family could still get along with their old relatives and friends after they started cultivating.

He had previously worried that his elders might become alienated and estranged from their loved ones because of cultivation. Now, it seemed he had overthought it.

Perhaps to them, all this talk of cultivation and becoming immortals simply meant having better health and more ways of getting things done.

It was just like learning a rather impressive new skill.

Nothing more.

Everyone was still living step by step, down-to-earth on this piece of land.

The situation with the other families was largely the same.

In Tietou's family, the aunt and uncle who used to look down on them now didn't dare say any snide remarks; they even flattered Tietou's Mother the entire way.

When Tietou's Mother thought about the previous conscription and how the family had tried to force her Tietou to serve, she felt a sense of vindication, and her tone naturally took on a slightly more arrogant edge.

But after a while, seeing her old friends fawning over her and acting so cautiously, she felt uncomfortable in her heart.

On second thought, sigh, people were all just struggling to survive. Now that life was finally a bit better, what was there to show off about? Even if she wore the skin of an immortal, wasn't she still a villager?

There was no need for this.

Having figured this out, she let go of her haughtiness, returned to her normal attitude, and cheerfully chatted with her relatives and friends again.

Seeing this, the people around her let go of their apprehension and chatted with her more genuinely and enthusiastically.

The Qin family was the same.

Qin Jianghe had rushed back early this morning just to participate in the ancestral sacrifice and celebrate the New Year at home.

Friends who used to speak sarcastically to his family didn't dare say a word, while those who generally had a decent relationship with them now crowded around the family, asking about their well-being.

Jiang Youfu's family was fine, except that the Jiang relatives kept praising Jiang Youfu for indeed being blessed with good fortune, praising him so much that he almost felt embarrassed.

As for the Sun family, there was almost no impact.

The Sun family was a solitary household in Xiushui Village, barely having any relatives at all.

Their relatives were basically all distant in-laws.

Since it was time for the ancestral sacrifice, naturally, there were no relatives or friends walking with them.

Just like that, around noon, every household in Xiushui Village made their way up Tomb Mountain one after another. They laid out the offerings they had brought and began their respective ancestral sacrifice rituals.

Over the past two days, Li Zhanying had inquired about the customs of Xiushui Village. Knowing that the village was holding their ancestral sacrifice at noon today, and having nothing else to do, he followed from a distance to take a look.

At his cultivation level and age, he had long stopped holding any taboos regarding such matters.

As long as he didn't let the villagers discover him and bring them bad luck, it was fine.

Li Zhanying was particularly interested in these rustic folk customs.

This was because they were completely different from what he had learned and known in the palace. Moreover, he always felt that the customs of these villagers possessed the true essence of worldly life.

Having lived deep within the palace for a long time, he particularly envied and yearned for this worldly vitality.

Along the way, listening to the everyday gossip of the people from Xiushui Village, Li Zhanying felt that his constantly tense soul had received a trace of release.

Seeing the villagers' reactions to the families of the Lingxian Sect disciples, as well as the attitudes of those Lingxian Sect families toward their old friends and relatives, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

A pure and honest nature was truly the most precious thing in this world.

To think that the Lingxian Sect would be so different from the sects he had known in the past.

Although he didn't know much about this sect, he could tell their character just by observing their attitude.

As for whether the sect was strong or not, Li Zhanying felt that defeating Wei Hai was proof enough.

What was rare was that the people of this sect were all so pure, unpretentious, and free of arrogance or impatience. Looking at these disciples, one could tell what the sect's atmosphere was like.

For such a sect to appear within their Pusi Kingdom might very well be an opportunity bestowed upon their nation by the heavens.

It seemed he had made the right choice in coming here this time.

Upon arriving near Tomb Mountain, Li Zhanying carefully concealed himself. Then, he stood quietly to the side, watching from a distance as the patriarchs or heads of each family on Tomb Mountain chanted their sacrificial prayers.

The blue smoke from the burning incense rose straight up, gathering in the air before dissipating.

On Tomb Mountain, looking at the tombstones of their ancestors in front of him, Lin Xiao joined all his family members in calming his mind and kowtowing to them with the utmost respect.

In Lin Xiao's heart, his hardworking and diligent ancestors would always be the gods he respected the most.