Fear

"Therefore, as long as we don't announce this matter, the outside world actually won't know about our sect's cultivation situation for a period of time."

Hearing Lin Xiao's words, General Mo thought about it and agreed that it was indeed the case.

So far, the only people who knew that the Lingxian Sect could cultivate without a spirit root, aside from the people of the Lingxian Sect themselves, were probably close associates like himself.

Knowing that spreading this matter too early would definitely be detrimental to the sect, no one would speak of it.

He certainly wouldn't say anything, anyway; after all, his own son was in this sect.

And who's to say, maybe his whole family might come over to cultivate in the future?

Then it was even more impossible to put this sect in a dangerous situation.

Furthermore, even if he really wanted to harm his son and insisted on spreading this matter, as a mere mortal, who knew how many cultivators would actually believe him.

After all, being able to cultivate without a spirit root was an absurdity unheard of since ancient times.

Let alone coming from the mouth of a mortal like him.

But General Mo thought for a moment and then said:

"A few years is fine, but if a long time passes, unless the Lingxian Sect never takes in new disciples, this matter will be exposed sooner or later."

Lin Xiao smiled gently and nodded slightly, saying:

"That is true, so I will work hard to improve my strength as soon as possible, and I will also urge everyone in the sect to cultivate well. When the time comes, even if it is exposed, what does it matter?"

Seeing Lin Xiao's confident expression, General Mo pondered for a moment and then nodded with a smile.

This young man before him had achieved the Golden Core stage in less than a year, which was simply an impossible feat for so many people.

Although the others in the sect did not cultivate as fast as he did, their speed was still incomparable to other sects in the outside world.

Thus, who knows, in a few years, this Lingxian Sect might truly no longer need to fear those other sects.

So General Mo bid farewell to Lin Xiao and left the sect's main hall.

And he was already pondering in his heart whether he should bring his family over after the new year and let them join the Lingxian Sect.

After bidding farewell to General Mo, Lin Xiao sat alone in the sect's main hall for a while, staring blankly at a corner of the hall.

Originally, he had thought that after going into seclusion and reaching the Golden Core stage, he would have some free time to just fool around.

However, General Mo's words today had shattered his sweet dream.

Reminding him that he still had to cultivate; in the eyes of these surrounding sects, the Golden Core stage was still not quite enough.

Lin Xiao, who had been sitting on a straw mat, leaned back and lay flat on the ground with his arms and legs spread wide.

Ah, being a sect master is so hard.

The more the sect developed, the heavier the burden on his shoulders became.

Sigh.

"Sys, is it still not too late for me to disband the sect?"

System: ...

[Replying to the host, once a sect is established, it cannot be disbanded. Even if you disband it in name, as long as the disciples still have the Lingxian Sect in their hearts, they can continue to cultivate. It will exist in reality even if it perishes in name. At that time, the sect disciples will still face the various risks and dangers you are currently worried about. Disbanding the sect has no use other than making the host a cowardly turtle evading responsibility.]

Lin Xiao: ...

Damn, did you have to be so harsh?

However, Lin Xiao also knew that the system was right.

Unless their sect only had these few people for a lifetime, never took in new members, and became a super hidden sect that never emerged into the world, they would inevitably face those problems.

But he also had a dream of allowing all people with pure and firm hearts to cultivate immortality...

Suddenly, Lin Xiao said to the system:

"Sys, what if our sect avoids the world first, becomes a hidden sect for a few decades or centuries, and waits until everyone in our sect has achieved great cultivation before emerging. How about that?"

The system replied in his mind:

[Regarding the sect's development strategy, it is entirely up to the host.]

So Lin Xiao began to ponder in his heart about letting the sect hide from the world for a period of time.

To be honest, he was a little panicked.

Before, when they were only at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages, their sect was nothing significant, so he didn't feel that his sect would need to face too many things.

But now that the sect had stepped into the country's field of vision, as well as the eyes of the three major sects that had been entrenched in the Pusi Country for a long time, he was a little worried.

He was afraid that his relatives and friends around him would have accidents due to some unpredictable events.

He was afraid that Xiushui Village would face some devastating disaster because of him and the Lingxian Sect.

Such consequences were a bit too heavy for him.

Lunchtime arrived.

Jiang Youfu brought out plates of steaming dishes from the stove.

The people of the Lingxian Sect had long been waiting by the dining table, looking forward to this moment.

"Is Brother Xiao not here yet?"

Qin Jianghe didn't see Lin Xiao's figure and asked aloud.

Mo Yuanjiao looked in the direction of the sect's main hall and happened to see Lin Xiao coming out, so he smiled and said:

"He's coming, he's coming!"

Everyone saw Lin Xiao walking over with a calm expression. He pursed his lips into a smile at everyone and said softly:

"Were you just waiting for me? Let's eat."

Lin Dayou glanced at him but didn't say anything.

After Jiang Youfu served all the dishes, everyone began to eat lively.

After lunch, Lin Xiao locked himself alone in the sect's main hall for a long time again.

Sun Yigao faintly felt that Lin Xiao seemed to have something on his mind, but since Lin Xiao didn't say anything, he thought about it and didn't ask for the time being.

It wasn't until after dinner, when everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and dispersed to carry out their private activities, that Lin Xiao found his father, Lin Dayou, who was resting and chatting with Old Master Lin.

Seeing Lin Xiao coming to find him, Lin Dayou didn't ask anything. He stood up, said a word to Old Master Lin, and led Lin Xiao toward the back mountain.

In the ink-like darkness of the night.

The father and son walked side by side in silence on the path.

Lin Dayou walked forward with his hands behind his back for quite a distance before suddenly asking aloud:

"You brat, if you have something to say, just say it. Do you still need your old man to start the conversation for you?"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao took a deep breath before speaking:

"Dad, I'm a little panicked. I want to hide the sect."

Lin Dayou didn't stop walking and continued to walk steadily in front, his voice as steady as his footsteps:

"Do you feel that things have expanded too fast, and you're scared?"

Lin Xiao, following behind Lin Dayou, nodded,

"I'm scared. If it weren't for someone giving an early warning this time, and if Senior Liao and the others hadn't defended properly, Xiushui Village would have long vanished into nothingness. These past few nights, whenever I think about what would have happened if any step had been missed or not done well, the people in the village might have been gone. I feel terrified."

To his surprise, he saw Lin Dayou in front of him nodding and saying:

"It's good to be scared. Knowing fear is a good thing. I was just afraid you wouldn't know what fear is."

"Erlang, from birth we were just ordinary people without any extraordinary means. Ever since you started cultivating, watching your cultivation level soar day by day, I sometimes really worried about you, afraid that you wouldn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, and wouldn't know what fear is."