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

However, Lin Xiao didn't get too carried away by his success with the spirit vessel. He refrained from showing off with any fancy mid-air flips or shooting into the sky. After all, he didn't want to alarm the villagers below by having them spot what essentially looked like a giant black lump flying through the air.

Feeling satisfied with the functionality of his first crafted item, Lin Xiao returned to the crafting hall, shrinking the spirit vessel back to its compact form and storing it away. Inside, he found Mo Yuanjiao still engrossed in studying the "Basic Tool Crafting Techniques" manual.

"How's it going? Any questions?" Lin Xiao asked.

Mo Yuanjiao looked up and replied, "Actually, yes. Master, with my current cultivation level, I probably can't craft something like the small boat you just made, right?"

Lin Xiao nodded with a smile. "You're correct. For now, your cultivation isn't high enough. Speaking of which, crafting requires the ability to control objects with spiritual energy. If you can't retrieve the materials from the cauldron, you won't get very far. Later, I'll give you a manual on 'Object Control Technique' for you to study."

He continued, "For now, you should try crafting smaller items. Check out the spiritual patterns in the later chapters and start with something simple. Try crafting single-pattern artifacts."

Mo Yuanjiao eagerly nodded and buried his head back in the manual. Watching him study so diligently, Lin Xiao suddenly felt compelled to speak his mind.

"Yuanjiao, I want to be honest with you. Our sect... might not be what you think it is."

"Huh?" Mo Yuanjiao looked up, puzzled.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath and continued, "The Lingxian Sect doesn't have an ancient history. We're not some hidden, powerful sect, and we don't have a roster of mysterious elders—well, except for Elder Liao. What you see here is exactly what we are. We're a small sect with about a dozen disciples, most of whom are still quite young. We're still in the early stages, and there's a lot that needs to be built from scratch."

He paused, then added, "I'm the sect master, and I'm only in the Foundation Establishment stage. Elder Liao, who you've seen, is actually a part of a Nascent Soul cultivator's soul that I brought back from a secret realm. Right now, his strength isn't even on par with mine. As for your master, my father—he's just a simple farmer, at the first stage of Qi Refining, with no hidden talents or secrets."

Lin Xiao sighed with relief after saying all this. "So, take your time and think carefully about whether you want to stay and become a disciple of the Lingxian Sect."

Mo Yuanjiao was momentarily stunned. The reality Lin Xiao described was far from what he had imagined. But after thinking it over, he realized... it wasn't so bad.

As Lin Xiao turned to leave, Mo Yuanjiao quickly called out, "Master, wait!"

Lin Xiao stopped and looked back. "What is it?"

Mo Yuanjiao stood up and walked over to him. With a serious expression, he said, "Master, even though I initially thought this sect was some hidden powerhouse, and that my master was some kind of reclusive expert, after hearing the truth, I don't feel disappointed at all."

He continued, "To be honest, I joined this sect because of a vision I had in a dream—a dream that guided me here. I didn't know what my fate would look like, but after joining the Lingxian Sect, I've advanced to the Qi Refining stage in just one day. Everything I've encountered here is new and exciting. Not once have I felt regret or dissatisfaction. I believe this is fate, connecting me to this sect."

Mo Yuanjiao's gaze was filled with determination and pride. "Besides, who wants to join a large, established sect where everything is already set in stone? I'd rather be here, working alongside my fellow disciples to build something from the ground up—a sect with limitless potential and an unknown future!"

With that, he gave Lin Xiao a deep bow. "Please, Master, take care of me from now on."

Moved by Mo Yuanjiao's words, Lin Xiao returned the gesture with a solemn bow. "The Lingxian Sect is fortunate to have you, Yuanjiao. I look forward to us working together to build and protect our sect."

At that moment, Jiang Youfu and Liu Yunan, who had been eavesdropping from outside, suddenly burst in and mimicked Lin Xiao's bow. "The Lingxian Sect is fortunate to have you, Yuanjiao. Let's work together to build and protect our sect!"

Startled, Mo Yuanjiao exclaimed, "You two are here too?!"

Having recently spent time together practicing formation carving, the three of them had grown close. Mo Que had even brought them some of his hunting spoils the previous night.

Lin Xiao, who had noticed them long ago, hadn't said anything because he didn't mind their presence. Liu Yunan grinned and gave Mo Yuanjiao a playful punch on the shoulder. "You really know how to give a speech! You almost made me tear up."

Jiang Youfu, munching on a few roasted beans, nodded. "Yeah, you said everything I was feeling but couldn't put into words."

Liu Yunan nudged Jiang Youfu's chubby cheeks. "You're hopeless. Just stick to your roasted beans."

Watching them joke around, Lin Xiao smiled and suddenly changed the topic. "By the way, I've been thinking about something. As our sect grows, we'll need to start recruiting more disciples. Right now, we can personally vet each new member, but as our numbers increase, we won't have time to do that for everyone. I'm considering setting up some criteria for accepting new disciples. Do any of you have suggestions for what those criteria should be?"

Just then, Lin Xiao heard a notification sound in his mind from the system:

[Ding—Congratulations, Host, for unlocking the Sect Building Task: Expanding the Sect (Part 1): A successful sect requires excellent disciples. Choosing disciples with the right qualities is essential. Please build a proper Sect Entrance Trial that will ensure all future disciples pass this test to join the sect.]