Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

Experience is the best teacher! Lin Xiao decided to give it a try. If it didn't work, there was nothing to lose, but if it succeeded, it would prove whether his Ten Miles Peach Blossom Tree was indeed a spiritual plant or just an ordinary peach tree.

Unfortunately, he hadn't brought a hoe up the mountain. Lin Xiao had to run back home to grab one. Since the sect grounds had a protective barrier, he wasn't worried about leaving Jiang Youfu alone in the grass hut.

Lin Xiao quickly sprinted down the mountain, grabbed the hoe from home, and dashed back up again. He moved so fast that Sun Changfu, who had just sent off the shaman and was on his way to thank Lin Xiao after hearing about his help, barely managed to catch a glimpse of him before he was already out of sight.

Sun Changfu couldn't help but admire the young man's diligence, thinking to himself how hardworking Lin Xiao was, even carrying a hoe up the mountain at this hour.

Back on the mountainside, Lin Xiao selected a spot about seven or eight meters away from the grass hut and marked off a square area about two meters by two meters. He then started digging.

The soil on the mountain wasn't very thick, but Lin Xiao had chosen this particular spot because years of rain had washed down and accumulated some soil here, making it somewhat substantial. However, the soil was also quite hard.

After spending more than half an hour, he managed to dig a pit about half a meter deep. The soil he dug up was in hard clumps, which he found difficult to break apart even with the back of his hoe.

Instead of worrying too much about it, Lin Xiao simply tossed the hard clumps of soil into the first slot of the soil synthesis tool. Then, he filled the second slot with water he had drawn from a nearby mountain spring.

Finally, for the third slot, Lin Xiao went to the Ten Miles Peach Blossom Tree, gathered the fallen petals into a pile, and placed them into the slot.

It worked! The indicator light turned green!

Lin Xiao was thrilled.

Materials for spiritual soil synthesis have been successfully input. Beginning synthesis. Please wait.

To make it easier to spread the soil later, Lin Xiao sat beside the square pit he had dug, waiting.

The synthesis process didn't take long.

Synthesis of spiritual soil complete. The soil has been placed in your inventory. Please collect.

Lin Xiao opened his inventory and poured the synthesized soil into the pit in front of him.

Ding—Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the sect's first basic spiritual field (2m x 2m). You have been rewarded with Spirit-Gathering Grass seeds x10. The seeds have been placed in your inventory. Please collect them.

He was pleasantly surprised to receive a reward for creating the sect's spiritual field. However, the field was only four square meters. Lin Xiao wasn't sure if the five Wuchun Grass seeds and ten Spirit-Gathering Grass seeds in his inventory would all fit in this small space.

But if there wasn't enough room, he could always plant the rest later. If nothing grew, well, he'd just have to find someone skilled in farming to join the sect!

So, in addition to finding a literacy teacher, Lin Xiao now had another profession he needed to recruit into the sect.

After watering the field, Lin Xiao felt satisfied with his day's work.

He then went to the mountain spring, washed his face, and used the Dust Removal Technique to clean his dirty clothes, ensuring he wouldn't get scolded when he got home.

Feeling refreshed, he laid down on two straw mats placed side by side under the Ten Miles Peach Blossom Tree and took a well-deserved nap.

The scenery of green mountains, clear waters, and peach blossoms swaying in the spring breeze was a perfect setting for a peaceful dream.

When Lin Xiao next opened his eyes, the sun was already setting.

Jiang Youfu was sitting beside him, looking at him eagerly. "Lin Xiao, it's getting dark. Should we head down the mountain? I'm hungry…"

Realizing how long he had slept, Lin Xiao quickly jumped to his feet and rubbed his face. "Let's go home."

By the time they made it back to the village, it was already completely dark.

At the dinner table, Lin Xiao ate while glancing left and right, looking for any signs of what had happened during the day.

Noticing his behavior, Lin Dayou slapped his chopsticks on the table and glared at him. "Boy! Eat your food and stop gawking! If you have something to say, say it. Don't sit there looking like a fool!"

Lin Xiao straightened up and cleared his throat. "Dad, Brother, didn't you hear anything in the village this afternoon?"

Lin Yun shook his head.

Lin Dayou asked, "What about the village? Did something happen? Or are you talking about those rumors around Widow Liu's place again? Boy, you need to stop paying attention to those messy things!"

Feeling wronged, Lin Xiao quickly explained, "No, Dad! When have I ever cared about that stuff? I was talking about Sun Changfu's family!"

Lin Dayou raised an eyebrow. "The Sun family? You mean the whole thing with his wife being possessed?"

They had heard the news on their way home, as many villagers were talking about it—it was hard to avoid.

Lin Xiao nodded eagerly.

Lin Dayou picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating. "What does her possession have to do with you?"

Lin Yun suddenly looked alarmed. "Lin Xiao, don't tell me you—"

"Stop! Stop right there, Brother! What are you thinking?" Lin Xiao quickly shoved a steamed bun into Lin Yun's mouth to silence him. "How could I possibly harm anyone? I'm the one who saved her!"

Lin Dayou looked at his youngest son in surprise. "You saved her?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You really got rid of the evil spirit?"

"Mm-hmm." After finishing the last bite of his meal, Lin Xiao enthusiastically recounted the events of the day, exaggerating just a bit for effect.

When he was done, Lin Yun's eyes lit up. "Lin Xiao, does that Dust Removal Technique really work that well?"

Lin Xiao nodded proudly. "Of course! Just a wave of my hand, and Sun Yigao's clothes were…"

"Lin Xiao, try that Dust Removal Technique on the house's floor!" Lin Yun nudged him.

Lin Xiao confidently patted his chest. "No problem! Watch this."

With that, he used the Dust Removal Technique on the house's main room floor.

In an instant, the dirt floor gleamed, with all the usual dust completely gone.

Lin Dayou was delighted and immediately said, "Lin Xiao, from now on, you're in charge of cleaning the house! Every morning before you go up the mountain to cultivate, wave your hand a few times and get the whole place spotless."

"What?" Lin Xiao was dumbfounded.

"What do you mean 'what'? It's much easier for you to clean with your magic than for your brother and me to do it the hard way every day. It's settled!" Lin Dayou felt that having a cultivator as a son had its perks.

Lin Xiao couldn't argue with that. His father and brother usually handled all the household chores. Now that he could finally help them in a meaningful way, there was no reason to refuse.

Lin Xiao then used the Dust Removal Technique on his father and brother. "Dad, Brother, I've cleaned you up too. Does that mean I don't have to heat water for your baths tonight?"