Mo Tianliao frowned. Perhaps humans couldn’t use this energy, but he wasn’t purely human now. And since he could see the green light, then perhaps… He swung the axe down again, and more green light escaped. Mo Tianliao instantly activated his spiritual power. The spiritual energy of the thousand-year-old tree slid along his fingers like a tiny green snake and entered his body.
Celestial trees contained spiritual energies humans couldn’t use, but that wasn’t a problem for a man with a divine tree body.
From the looks of it, he could skip meditation and just cultivate by chopping trees. He didn’t even need to bother separating the five-colored spiritual energies, because whatever wafted out was sure to be the wood element.
And so, Mo Tianliao spent the whole day tirelessly and happily chopping trees like he was on a treasure hunt.
When he was finally done with chopping wood and splitting it into firewood, he noticed the white cat sleeping soundly on a rock. The glow of the setting sun bathed its fluffy white fur in amber.
Mo Tianliao walked over, dusted off the sawdust from his hands, and picked up the cat—once the sun set, that rock was going to get cold.
Surprisingly enough, the usually alert cat didn’t wake up when he cradled it. Mo Tianliao chuckled despite himself. Carefully, he tucked the cat into the usual spot against his chest, squatted down to start a fire, and began to carve a few wooden spikes with his axe, each about nine inches long.
A great master wasn’t limited by his tools. In Mo Tianliao’s hand, the cumbersome axe became a delicate carving knife, and in no time at all, he’d carved out a set of smooth spikes. He fiddled with one, twirling the gleaming wooden spike around his slender, dexterous fingers.
Nearby, some brightly colored pheasants pecked around for food, clucking softly. Mo Tianliao focused his spiritual energy at his fingertips and flung the spike, nailing a passing pheasant’s spread wing to a tree trunk.
“We have meat to eat now, Pawpaw.” Mo Tianliao looked down at the little fluffball, who’d just woken up and was poking his head out of his collar for a look, and took him along to collect the pheasant.
The Art of Burning Wood seemed to always have some kind of weird grilling request, and so the limited space inside Mo Tianliao’s inventory bangle was now fully stocked with various seasonings and even clothing. As he skewered the pheasant drumsticks on long sticks pared down from the wood, Mo Tianliao sighed. The wood wasn’t exceptionally precious, but it was still rare. It was a shame there was no more room in his inventory. He really needed to craft a new inventory device first thing after the feast tomorrow.
Man and cat gobbled up the grilled pheasant before strolling back to the courtyard.
Suwen, who had been waiting there for a long time, promptly went up to Mo Tianliao and presented a tray. “Shishu, these are the gifts I’ve prepared. Do we need to add anything else?”
Mo Tianliao was attending the feast tomorrow, so naturally, he needed to bring gifts from Woqing Sanctum. Being new to the sect, though, he barely knew Yanlie, so he didn’t need to give him anything too valuable. A certain quantity of spiritual stones and spiritual herbs would suffice, and that could all come from the public repository.
Not finding anything missing, Mo Tianliao nodded. “Hold on to these for now. You can accompany me tomorrow.”
Suwen’s eyes lit up in delight. “Yes, Shishu!”
After he’d dismissed Suwen, the attendants in white from Qingning Palace arrived.
“What brings you all here, Jiejie?” Mo Tianliao welcomed them inside with a smile. These girls weren’t disciples of Woqing Sanctum, and they didn’t have particularly high cultivation either—they were just attendants who waited on the sanctum-master.
The cat in his shirt tried to peer out, but Mo Tianliao pressed his head down. Spirit beasts were exceedingly precious, and at its current level Mo Tianliao’s cultivation was too meager to protect him, so he couldn’t let anyone see him.
The unhappy fluffball scratched him through his inner garment. Those attendants aren’t even a hundred years old, and this guy has the nerve to call them jiejie? He really has no shame!
“We’re here on the sanctum-masters’ order to deliver some outfits.” They set several trays which held three sets of fine, black wide-sleeved robes on the table.
“Black?” Mo Tianliao picked one up and frowned. Everyone in Woqing Sanctum wore white. Why were they giving him black, which was the same color as Xuanji-zhenren’s robes?
“Woyun Sect isn’t particular about your attire, so you don’t need to worry about it,” one of the attendants explained. They all curtsied and left.
Mo Tianliao thought about it. The first-generation disciples he’d seen at Woyun’s grand hall had indeed worn whatever they pleased, in all the colors of the rainbow. Perhaps the second-generation disciples of Woqing Sanctum wore white to please his master?
The next day, Mo Tianliao dressed up in a black wide-sleeved robe topped with a sheer outer robe embroidered with silver cloud patterns. An obsidian dragon crown inlaid with silver completed the look, giving him the appearance of a distinguished gentleman. He hadn’t been that striking in ordinary cotton clothes, but now, dressed in this finery, his exceptionally handsome face really stood out.
The little cat sitting on the bed glanced up at Mo Tianliao to find he’d finally become a little more pleasing to the eye. He sprang onto Mo Tianliao’s shoulder and swished his tail. Let’s go!
Mo Tianliao put the cat back down on the bed. “Be good. Play by yourself here. I’ll be back this afternoon.” The feast would be crowded, and he couldn’t let anyone catch sight of Pawpaw.
Displeased, the cat clawed at the bedsheet.
Mo Tianliao walked out to the courtyard and found Suwen waiting there, telling her, “Let’s go.”
Suwen’s eyes widened and she gaped at the stunningly handsome elder before her. She only closed her mouth and got it together to stumble after him when he called out to her.
✦ ✦ ✦
MINI EXTRA
Woodworker: Shixiooong, this is a gift from my shizun.
Yanlie: *speechless*
Disciple A: It must be a spiritual treasure that bewitches whoever hears it ring.
Disciple B: It must be a key to a secret dungeon you open by ringing it.
Sect Leader: What a pretty bell! Come, dear disciple, wear it around your neck!
Yanlie: *speechless*