"Master, your disciple has wronged you."

In Lin Mu's room, Li Xiaotian's face was filled with guilt, feeling he had let his master down.

Lin Mu smiled. "I came uninvited, after all. It was bound to make things difficult for you."

"Master..." Li Xiaotian was deeply moved and made to kneel again.

Lin Mu gave a wry smile. "If your clansmen were to see this, their opinion of me would only worsen."

"Let them see. I never wanted to be Clan Leader anyway," Li Xiaotian said resentfully.

"You..." Lin Mu pointed lightly at Li Xiaotian twice. "You're an old man now. Why do you still speak like a child?"

Li Xiaotian's old face reddened. "Before you, Master, I would not dare act with arrogance."

Lin Mu shook his head. "Alright, that's enough flattery. Go back and cultivate. Focus on refining the Heavenly Punishment Blade as soon as possible."

The Heavenly Punishment Blade was formidable, but Li Xiaotian couldn't fully unleash its power until he had completely refined it.

"Yes, Master. Please rest well. Your disciple takes his leave."

After Li Xiaotian left, Lin Mu pushed open the window, gazing out at the brilliant starlight. The chirping of insects and calls of birds filled the air under a sky dotted with brilliant stars. Even with his eyes closed, Lin Mu could sense the abundant Spiritual Energy that saturated the entire valley.

It's truly a good place for cultivation.

Lin Mu chuckled softly and sat down cross-legged to begin his cultivation. His Cultivation Level had already reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, and it wouldn't be long before he reached the tenth. Once he obtained the Sky Star Grass, Lin Mu planned to dedicate all his energy to cultivation.

He drew Spiritual Energy into his body, tempering his flesh and strengthening his meridians.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Mu's eyes snapped open, a peculiar expression on his face. He lifted his hand. On its back, the Thunder Dragon tattoo seemed to come to life, its eyes abruptly opening.

"ROAR!"

At his thought, the Thunder Dragon let out a roar audible only to Lin Mu as it writhed on his palm. Sensing something, Lin Mu looked up at the sky and laughed heartily.

"This is your opportunity as well. Go!"

With a raise of his hand, the Thunder Dragon burst forth from his skin, shooting straight into the Starry Sea above. In that moment, the depths of Thunder Mountain fell utterly silent. Only the occasional peal of thunder echoed from the Milky Way.

...

「The next day, before dawn.」

Just as Lin Mu was waking from his cultivation, a knock came at his door. The old matriarch of Bai Miao Village stood at the entrance, leaning on a walking stick, her face expressionless. "Mr. Lin, it is time. You should be leaving."

Behind her stood the Second Elder and several others, including the younger members like Li Zhou, his brother, and Li Lai.

"Please forgive us for asking you to leave so early."

"Matriarch, can't Master stay for a few more days?" Li Xiaotian couldn't help but ask.

"Xiao Tian!" The old woman struck her walking stick heavily against the ground. "Have you forgotten how our Li Clan fell into its current state?"

Li Xiaotian's expression changed, and he fell silent. The High Priest of Heimiao Village, his own elder brother Li Xiaofeng, had brought outsiders into the village all those years ago. That act had led to a great catastrophe for the Li Clan, causing it to split in two.

When the old woman brought this up, everyone except for Li Zhou and a few others looked at Lin Mu with eyes devoid of warmth, filled instead with hostility and rejection. In the eyes of the Bai Miao villagers, outsiders were no different from enemies. This was also why they loathed Heimiao Village so deeply. For years, Heimiao Village had maintained contact with the outside world, even starting to cultivate their own forces there, all of which violated the ancestral teachings of the Li Clan.

"Mr. Lin, please forgive the poor hospitality of Bai Miao Village," the old woman said flatly. "But sheltering you for even a single day has already brought shame upon my ancestors."

"Very well. I'll pack my things and leave," Lin Mu said with a faint smile, turning back into the room.

Of course, he had nothing to pack. It was just that the Thunder Dragon had entered the Starry Sea to cultivate last night and still hadn't returned. Lin Mu connected with it using his Divine Sense, only to find the creature had fallen into a deep slumber and would need a significant amount of time to awaken.

Lin Mu was exasperated. That creature...

...

「In the courtyard.」

Li Xiaotian said, his face etched with displeasure, "Matriarch, it's not even dawn. Why are you in such a hurry to make Master leave?"

The old woman huffed. "This boy's origins are unknown. Of course, we can't let him stay in Bai Miao Village. Sheltering him for one day was already breaking the rules."

The Second Elder also spoke up, "Xiaotian, we know you've been adventuring in the outside world for many years and were deceived by this person into calling him Master. But you must remember that you are the Clan Leader of the Li Clan!"

"If it comes to that, I'll just step down as Clan Leader!" Li Xiaotian gritted out. He had never wanted to be the Clan Leader in the first place. It was only because the High Priest had turned traitor and was desperate to seize the position that he had been forced into the role.

"Nonsense!" The old woman was furious. "Xiao Tian, do you realize what you're saying? How can you say such things to your departed father and mother?"

"I..." Li Xiaotian was at a loss for words. He sighed. "But he is my Master, after all. You don't know his true strength. If you did, you would never drive him away like this."

Li Xiaotian knew he was far stronger than anyone present, but as a member of the Li Clan, he still had to abide by its rules.

"The matter is settled." The old woman was resolute. "This man must leave immediately."

The Second Elder added, "That's right. He killed people from Heimiao Village. The High Priest will not let him go. We might be able to protect him for a time, but not forever."

A dark-faced elder chimed in, "Indeed. There's already discord within our village. Some have even suggested we hand him over to Heimiao Village to sue for peace."

"What?" Li Xiaotian was enraged. "I'd like to see who dares!"

The elder immediately replied, "So isn't asking him to leave now simply to prevent Heimiao Village from coming to demand him from us later?"

The old woman also said, "Xiao Tian, you don't understand. For many years, we've been brutally suppressed by Heimiao Village. This isn't just because of that beast Li Xiaofeng; it's also because the clan leaders of the Xiao, Yang, Long, and Zhao families are all Half-step Grandmasters. If Li Xiaofeng manages to rally all the people of the Nine Villages and Eighteen Caves, our Bai Miao Village will truly be finished."

"So, making the boy leave is for his own good," she concluded.

Li Xiaotian let out a long sigh. You've all completely misjudged the situation. With Master's level of cultivation, who in this world could possibly be his opponent? It would be useless even if Heimiao Village threw everything they had at him. But no one would believe me if I said that. Since the Matriarch and the others have made their decision, I'll let it be. If worst comes to worst, I will beg Master to help Bai Miao Village resolve this crisis, even if it means being expelled from his tutelage.

As they were speaking, Lin Mu pushed the door open and walked out.

"Master..." Li Xiaotian hurried to greet him.

Lin Mu smiled. "I heard everything. You stay here and handle your clan's affairs. Don't worry about me."

Of course, he had no intention of leaving. The Thunder Dragon hadn't woken up yet, and he still hadn't obtained the Sky Star Grass. Leaving now would mean this entire trip was for nothing.

Since the Thunder Dragon is still asleep, I'll just make a trip to Heimiao Village and get the Sky Star Grass first.

"Mr. Lin, let's go. I will personally see you out," the old woman said, watching him closely, afraid the young man might try to stay.

"There's no need to trouble yourself. I remember the way back," Lin Mu said with a light smile, preparing to depart.

"The mountain paths are treacherous with many forks. It's better if I escort you." The old woman insisted, leaving no room for argument.

Just then, Lin Mu suddenly stopped. He turned to look toward the mountain gate and smiled faintly. "Right on time."

"What do you mean?" the old woman asked, startled.

Suddenly, flashes of fire and piercing screams erupted from the village entrance nearby.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The Matriarch's expression changed drastically. "This is bad! It's the people from Heimiao Village!"

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