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

After reading the letter, Lin Xiao shifted his gaze to the black disc inside the wooden box. The others around him watched in silence, not daring to interrupt.

Lin Xiao reached into the box, taking out the black disc. As he was about to examine it closely, a notification from the system sounded in his mind.

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Heaven and Earth Shifting Array Disk. A branch mission for sect development, "Experience in the Cultivation World (1)," has been activated: To successfully run a sect, connections and the flow of information are essential. Please venture into the cultivation world and make connections with five Foundation Establishment cultivators or a cultivation family with at least three Foundation Establishment cultivators.]

Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned.

Go to the cultivation world?

According to Elder Liao, the cultivation world was extremely distant from where they were, and Lin Xiao had no idea in which direction it even lay. How was he supposed to get there?

Wait...

He looked at the black disc in his hand.

The system had just called it the "Heaven and Earth Shifting Array Disk." Could it be that, like the Yin-Yang Life and Death Array Disk, this was... a teleportation array?

In that case, the system's sudden mission to connect with the cultivation world made sense.

Lin Xiao quickly stored the Heaven and Earth Shifting Array Disk in his private storage and used the identification function to examine it.

[Heaven and Earth Shifting Array Disk, Earth-grade array disk, capable of teleporting to any location you wish (provided you know the exact location). The maximum capacity is five people. It can be powered by spirit stones or used in conjunction with a Spirit Gathering Array. The specific teleportation distance depends on the amount of spiritual energy absorbed and the number of people in the array. Current spiritual energy value: 0.]

This...

While it seemed to be a teleportation array, and one that didn't require dual-way setups, the condition that he needed to know the exact destination location was a problem. Lin Xiao had never been to the cultivation world, so even with this teleportation array, he still couldn't get there...

Wait a minute.

Although he didn't know the location, someone in their sect certainly did.

Everyone watching Lin Xiao saw him suddenly lift his head and look toward the upper section of Guiyuan Mountain Residence. Following his gaze, they all turned their heads in unison to see that he was looking in the direction of Elder Liao's residence.

Lin Xiao smiled as he stared at Liao Pantao's house.

Wasn't this a perfect guide? As long as Elder Liao used the Heaven and Earth Shifting Array Disk, the problem would be solved.

However, the thought of venturing into the unknown cultivation world made Lin Xiao realize he needed to quickly enhance his cultivation level. After all, that place was full of cultivators.

Even though he could use the array disk to escape if things went south, it was always wise to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

Strengthening his cultivation as much as possible remained a priority.

So, after everyone had eaten their fill and chatted, Lin Xiao visited his family at the Lin household before returning to the sect and locking himself in the cultivation chamber to focus on his training.

With plans to leave the next day, his cultivation time felt all too scarce.

Fortunately, the system's auto-cultivation function had been running continuously, even during his busy schedule. He hadn't missed a day of the five-spirit-stone fee.

Thanks to the spirit stone mine they had acquired, Lin Xiao had made a point of extracting several hundred spirit stones, securing half a year's worth of auto-cultivation time.

While Lin Xiao immersed himself in cultivation within the sect, Qin Jianghe in Songming County was facing a tricky situation.

Songming County, under Taimao Prefecture in Hufang Province, was where the Lingxiao Escort Agency's headquarters were located.

In the rear courtyard of the agency on San Zhao Street, a stout young man who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen was reporting to Qin Jianghe.

This was Fang Manliang, one of Qin Jianghe's cousins whom he had brought along.

"Jianghe, only Chen Dali managed to escape with the cargo. The other three brothers stayed behind to cover him... They were all killed by those bandits..."

Qin Jianghe, seated at the head of the room, wore a heavy expression.

After sending a letter to Lin Xiao, he had left Anfeng County with Gu Yuxiao and moved to Songming County.

When he first arrived in Anfeng County, he observed the situation and decided that working as an escort would suit him best. After gaining experience at the Luo Escort Agency, he had planned to start his own business.

Of course, given the size of Anfeng County, he couldn't set up a rival business and compete with his old employer. Instead, he chose to establish himself in the more populous Songming County.

He had mentioned this to Lin Xiao in one of his letters to Shoushui Village.

However, Songming County already had two established escort agencies. Unfortunately, recently, a group of bandits had appeared out of nowhere along the road to the neighboring province. They had attacked several caravans, and the cost of compensating the families of the deceased escorts had taken a heavy toll on the agencies. As a result, the two escort agencies in Songming County had stopped taking that route, opting to transport small goods on safer roads to stay afloat.

Qin Jianghe, however, had opened his own agency in Songming County, relying on the fact that he had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining a month earlier. After successfully completing two deliveries to the neighboring Suiyan Province without incident, he had quickly made a name for himself.

But now...

A sharp cracking sound echoed as Qin Jianghe crushed the teacup in his hand.

He looked out at the empty courtyard, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"Those bandits clearly didn't get the message last time. They must think they can get away with anything! It seems the lesson I taught them before wasn't nearly enough. Now, they dare target us even after seeing our agency's insignia!"

Qin Jianghe was no longer the person he had been two months ago.

Since joining the Luo Escort Agency, he had seen more in one month than he had in his ten years in Shoushui Village.

After setting out on his own in Songming County and encountering ruthless bandits on his first major job, Qin Jianghe had tasted blood. His first kill had completely changed him, burying the somewhat crafty but innocent boy from Shoushui Village deep inside.

Now, a faint scent of blood lingered around him, and his hands had been stained with the crimson of life.

Under his leadership were a group of people who depended on him to make a living.

And, of course, there was their Lingxiao Sect.

In just over two months, Qin Jianghe had grown up—completely.

Releasing his grip, the shards of the teacup fell onto the table as he stood up, grabbing a large, cold-bladed sword from nearby and heading into the courtyard.

"Double the compensation for the families of our fallen brothers. I'll handle the next job to Suiyan Province myself."