Hmm, I'll put that thought aside for now. I can always synthesize a crude and inferior cultivation method later to see how it turns out.
The immediate problem was that he didn't have five spirit stones.
He had just used one spirit stone for AFK cultivation, leaving only four in his private storage.
Lin Xiao suddenly remembered that there was a reward he hadn't checked yet.
Exiting the store, he immediately opened his private storage.
He discovered that a Sect Uniform Synthesis Blueprint x1 and Spring Mist Grass Seeds x5 had been added to his private storage, and the number of spirit stones had increased from four to nine.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao decisively entered the store and bought the Simplifier.
"Do you wish to synthesize the simplified version of the Peach Source Myriad Void Incantation?"
Lin Xiao selected yes.
A row of familiar glowing grid slots then appeared in front of him.
Unlike the previous time he synthesized a cultivation method, there were only two slots this time. One slot was labeled "Paper" and the other was labeled "Ink".
In the corner of the thatched hut base, a pile of leftover paper mulberry bark that Lin Xiao had peeled earlier was still sitting there.
Lin Xiao smiled at Jiang Youfu and said,
"Your simplified cultivation method will be ready in a moment. Just wait."
With that, Lin Xiao got up to fetch the paper mulberry bark.
Jiang Youfu watched as he picked up the bark from the ground and held it out in front of him, only for the bark to suddenly vanish into thin air.
Immediately after, he saw Lin Xiao holding something else in his hand and doing the same motion in mid-air.
Before long, a book suddenly appeared in his hands.
Lin Xiao handed the new book to Jiang Youfu, took back the previous one, and stored it away in his private storage.
"Fuzi, even though this one is simplified, you still need to know how to read. Even if it's not for the sake of cultivating immortality, learning to read isn't a bad thing for us."
"Yes, yes, yes." Jiang Youfu nodded repeatedly.
Lin Xiao smiled. "Look at the pictures first. In a bit, I'll teach you the words on the first page. We'll learn a few words each day and cultivate slowly. There's no rush."
For the time being, Lin Xiao didn't rush to study the newly acquired Sect Uniform Synthesis Blueprint and Spring Mist Grass Seeds.
He first needed to teach Fuzi how to read this cultivation method.
Thus, the two sat in the thatched hut and began to study this illustrated, simplified version of the Peach Source Myriad Void Incantation. Lin Xiao taught Jiang Youfu word by word, while Jiang Youfu held a small twig, looking and listening as he scribbled on the ground, trying his best to memorize and understand.
It had to be said that doing this also allowed Lin Xiao to calm his mind and truly absorb the cultivation method himself.
Even though he had the AFK cultivation function and didn't need to learn it himself at all.
It was currently the beginning of spring, and the daylight hours were starting to grow longer.
As dinnertime approached, the two people studying earnestly in the thatched hut remained completely oblivious.
"Erlang, Erlang! Huh, how did a peach tree end up here?"
The voice of Lin Xiao's older brother, Lin Yun, suddenly rang out from outside, finally snapping the two out of their deep focus.
Then they heard a loud thud outside, as if something had crashed onto the ground.
At the same time, a system notification chimed in Lin Xiao's mind.
Ding—Congratulations to the host for successfully advancing to the First Level of Qi Refining.
On one hand, Lin Xiao thought that the person outside sounded like his brother, and oh no, he had forgotten to grant his family members access to the base. On the other hand, he wondered if personally comprehending the cultivation method would accelerate his cultivation progress.
Outside the thatched hut, Lin Yun was sitting on the ground, clutching his forehead with a bewildered expression.
Unsure of what had crossed his mind, his expression suddenly changed, and he began shouting in an incredibly anxious tone,
"Erlang! Erlang! Are you in there? Erlang—"
Suddenly, the curtain of the thatched hut was thrown open, and Lin Xiao walked out.
Seeing Lin Yun's bright red forehead, he rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment.
"Brother, are you okay?"
Seeing Lin Xiao standing perfectly fine in front of him, Lin Yun hurried over and patted him all over. Only after confirming that he was completely unharmed did he ask in confusion,
"What is going on here? There's clearly nothing around, yet I crashed into something hard."
Jiang Youfu glanced at Lin Xiao, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, sensibly kept his mouth firmly shut.
Unable to explain it clearly on the spot, Lin Xiao stepped forward and threw an arm over his older brother's shoulder—or rather, practically hung off it, as he was more than half a head shorter than Lin Yun.
"Brother, what did you come looking for me for?"
Lin Yun allowed himself to be turned around and led down the mountain path.
"It's because of you. It's already dinnertime and you still haven't come home. Dad told me to come fetch you for dinner."
"Ah, right, look at my memory, I completely lost track of time playing. Brother, what are we having for dinner today?"
"What else? Pickled vegetables and steamed buns. I caught a fish in the river this afternoon and made a soup with some wild vegetables."
"Oh wow, you actually caught a fish! Tomorrow, let's go catch some shrimp together..."
Jiang Youfu watched as Lin Xiao smoothly distracted Lin Yun. Sensibly, he hoisted the machete, shovel, and other tools lying outside the thatched hut onto his shoulder and followed the Lin brothers down the mountain.
Upon reaching the village, Lin Xiao took the tools back from Jiang Youfu. They said their goodbyes and headed to their respective homes.
The dining table was already set up in the Lin family's courtyard.
On the table sat a small bowl of pickled vegetables, a large bowl of fish soup, and a small basket containing exactly seven steamed buns.
Lin Dayou had clearly been waiting at the table for quite a while.
Seeing Lin Yun bringing Lin Xiao back, he picked up his bowl.
"Out all day just playing around. Hurry up and wash your hands, I'm not waiting for you."
Lin Xiao lowered his head, nearly laughing out loud.
His dad was really adorable, insisting on waiting until he got home to eat, only to then claim he wasn't waiting.
Lin Yun scooped a ladle of water from the nearby water vat, and after the two of them washed their hands clean, they joined the table and began to eat.
At the dining table, after giving Lin Yun a few instructions about tomorrow's chores, Lin Dayou ignored Lin Xiao and began eating in large bites.
Holding a steamed bun, Lin Yun seemed to suddenly recall the bizarre incident at the thatched hut. He glanced at Lin Xiao, then at Lin Dayou, but held his tongue.
Lin Xiao was also pondering the matter inwardly.
After mulling it over for a long while, he couldn't come up with a good excuse.
Besides, they were his family—his own father and older brother. He felt there was no need to keep it a secret from them.
So, he simply set down his bowl and chopsticks and laid his cards on the table.
"Actually, I have a sect now. An immortal cultivation sect, and I'm the Sect Master."
Chewing on a mouthful of pickled vegetables and steamed bun, Lin Dayou stared at his youngest son, who seemed to have suddenly lost his mind.
"Immortal cultivation? Sect? What the heck are you talking about?"
Lin Yun wore the exact same expression as Lin Dayou, as if to say: I just want to ask if you've been possessed by a ghost. Why are you saying things I can't understand?
Lin Xiao looked at the two of them, picked up his bowl, and ladled himself some fish soup.
Bringing the bowl to his lips, he blew on it, lowered his head, and took a slow sip.
Mmm, delicious!
Lin Dayou couldn't hold back anymore. "If you dawdle any longer, brat, I'll whip you!"
So, Lin Xiao recounted the same story he had given Jiang Youfu to Lin Dayou and Lin Yun.
An old immortal, a fateful encounter in a dream, immortal cultivation, establishing a sect, seeking the Dao of longevity...
After finishing his tale, ignoring the dumbfounded father and son, Lin Xiao rewarded himself with another sip of fish soup.
Then, he said to Lin Yun,
"Brother, that invisible thing you bumped into on the mountain earlier was actually the defensive array of my sect's grounds. You can think of it as an invisible yet incredibly sturdy dome that covers the entire area around my thatched hut. Without my permission, no one else can enter."