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

As soon as Lin Xiao entered the Natural Platform, he immediately felt the abundant spiritual energy within.

It was completely different from the last time he had entered.

The concentration of spiritual energy had nearly doubled.

Lin Xiao felt that the 2,300 spirit stones he had spent were well worth it.

After all, the Natural Platform wasn't a one-time use structure; it could be used repeatedly in the future.

Without further ado, he walked directly to the white stone platform in the center of the still pond, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate with a calm mind.

The gentle stream trickling into the pond from the rock wall produced a faint sound that seemed to have a calming effect, helping Lin Xiao quickly enter a state of meditation.

His cultivation method circulated swiftly within him, and the surrounding spiritual energy continuously poured into his body.

As Lin Xiao focused entirely on his cultivation, his cultivation level began to grow rapidly.

After watching Lin Xiao enter his seclusion place, everyone else left and headed to the cultivation chamber.

Qin Jianghe, too, returned to the familiar cultivation chamber with the others to cultivate together.

During his time away, he hadn't neglected his cultivation. In fact, he had been more diligent than ever, making the most of every free moment to practice.

Although he hadn't had access to the dense spiritual energy found in the sect, his persistence, combined with the Peach Blossom Spirit Gathering Pearl, had helped him reach the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Returning to the sect after so many days and seeing everyone focused on their cultivation filled Qin Jianghe with joy.

Their sect was growing steadily, and they had even attracted a Foundation Establishment cultivator to join them.

He thought to himself that he would work hard to develop the sect and make it even stronger.

In the future, he also wanted to establish an information network for the sect to keep track of important events and developments across the country.

Today was his last day in Shushui Village.

Early the next morning, he would have to leave the village and return to Songming County to continue running their security bureau.

He aimed to expand the sect's external affairs as soon as possible.

By noon, after finishing a morning of cultivation, Jiang Youfu used the Immortal Cuisine set given to him by Brother Xiao to prepare a delicious meal for everyone.

After lunch, the members of Lingxian Sect couldn't help but notice that their spiritual energy seemed to have become a bit more solidified.

It wasn't a drastic change, but everyone felt it.

When they discussed this feeling with each other, they realized that everyone had experienced the same thing.

This revelation left everyone even more amazed by Jiang Youfu's culinary skills.

After lunch, Liu Yunan explained the purpose and function of the newly established Affairs Hall to everyone.

He informed them that they would now collect their monthly salaries from the hall.

With Senior Liao's presence, everyone was now well aware of the value and uses of spirit stones.

Only Old Lin's family, who had just joined the sect, were unfamiliar with these details, so Liu Yunan took the time to explain everything to them.

After that, everyone dispersed to begin their free time for the afternoon.

Qin Jianghe, along with Liu Yunan, distributed the monthly salaries in the Affairs Hall and handed out sect uniforms to the new members like Liu Chun and Mo Yuanjiao.

Once those tasks were completed, Qin Jianghe, Liu Yunan, Senior Liao, Sun Yigao, and Lin Yun gathered in the sect hall to discuss some miscellaneous matters.

Liu Yunan also suggested expanding the farmland to plant the various seeds stored in the sect's treasury.

After the meeting ended, the sun was already starting to set.

Since he would be leaving Shushui Village the next day, Qin Jianghe decided to go straight home.

Although he had already convinced his parents to start cultivating a few days ago, they were lifelong farmers and still felt shy about it. Despite their son's encouragement, they didn't feel mentally prepared, so they postponed their plans to go up the mountain.

Qin's mother suggested that the next day, they would visit Old Lin's family to chat and learn more about the situation before joining them.

Qin Jianghe understood his parents' hesitation and agreed that it would be good for them to go with Old Lin's family.

After all, his parents had a good relationship with Brother Xiao's uncle and aunt.

Having familiar peers with them might help his parents feel more confident.

After discussing these matters, Qin's mother quietly asked Qin Jianghe:

"Jianghe, do you still remember the Niu family?"

Hearing this, Qin Jianghe was momentarily puzzled and didn't immediately recall which Niu family she was referring to.

Seeing his confusion, Qin's mother hesitated, unsure whether to continue.

However, in the next moment, Qin Jianghe remembered that his mother only knew one family with the surname Niu, so he asked:

"Are you talking about Niu Xiaoxue's family? What happened to them?"

Seeing that he had remembered, Qin's mother felt a bit frustrated with herself.

Originally, she had wanted to comfort her son in case he still harbored resentment over the Niu family breaking off the engagement. But seeing that her son had clearly forgotten all about it, she felt like she had brought up an old wound unnecessarily.

However, since he had already remembered, she decided it was better to finish the story.

So Qin's mother said:

"You remember that girl from the Niu family, right? She was recruited by that so-called immortal sect. Her family thought they were about to rise to prominence and have been lording it over their village ever since, boasting about how great things would be when their daughter returned.

But months have passed, and their daughter hasn't returned home even once. Recently, some people in their village started saying that she might have been taken by the immortals to be used as a human pill ingredient. When the Niu family heard this, they began crying and wailing in the village. Niu's eldest son even mustered the courage to go to the county seat, demanding that the county magistrate return his daughter."

Qin Jianghe listened calmly, raising an eyebrow slightly and responding indifferently:

"That's quite normal. Even in the outside sects, no matter how good their spiritual root talent is, cultivation isn't easy. It's unlikely that a sect would let their disciples return home after just a few months, especially…"

He paused but didn't continue.

During his travels, and thanks to his correspondence with Baldy, who often shared knowledge he had learned from Senior Liao about the cultivation world, Qin Jianghe had come to understand just how different their sect's cultivation method was from those outside.

He also knew how outside sects typically treated their disciples.

However, he didn't share these details with his mother.

Qin's mother wasn't one to pry, so she didn't press for details. She just nodded and said:

"I just wanted to remind you not to let it bother you if people in the village start gossiping about the Niu family breaking off the engagement. Let's see who ends up better off in the long run."