The village square was louder than it had ever been.
People gathered around Lin Tian, speaking over one another in excitement and relief.
"You saved us!"
"They would have taken everything this time!"
"Thank the heavens you appeared!"
Lin Tian stood quietly while listening to the chaotic flood of voices.
To him, the situation was still somewhat… unfamiliar.
Across countless civilizations he had observed, gratitude existed, but rarely with such raw emotion.
Here, the villagers spoke as if he had changed their entire fate.
Old Master Zhang raised his hands.
"Everyone, calm down," he said gently.
The villagers slowly quieted, though their eyes still shone with excitement.
Zhang Wei then turned toward Lin Tian with deep respect.
"Sir," the old man said, bowing slightly, "you have protected our village. Please allow us to properly thank you."
Lin Tian shook his head.
"There is no need."
But the villagers insisted.
"You must stay for dinner tonight!"
"We will prepare the best food we have!"
"You cannot refuse!"
Lin Tian paused.
Food itself was not something he required. His body functioned through a far more efficient energy system than ordinary humans.
However…
He had come to this world partly to experience life here.
So after a moment, he nodded.
"If it would make you happy."
The villagers immediately began smiling.
Some people rushed back to their homes to prepare meals.
Others started discussing the events excitedly.
The injured young man approached Lin Tian again.
He looked embarrassed but determined.
"My name is Chen Yu," he said, bowing slightly. "I was the one who rushed forward earlier."
Lin Tian remembered him.
"You acted out of courage," Lin Tian said.
Chen Yu scratched his head awkwardly.
"Or stupidity," he admitted with a small laugh. "If you hadn't stepped in… I would probably be dead."
Lin Tian studied the young man carefully.
His body carried faint injuries from the spiritual attack earlier.
Without treatment, those wounds might cause long-term harm.
Lin Tian raised one hand slightly.
"Stand still for a moment."
Chen Yu blinked.
"Huh?"
A faint ripple of invisible energy flowed from Lin Tian's hand.
It entered Chen Yu's body like a gentle breeze.
Within seconds, the pain in Chen Yu's chest vanished.
The bruising under his skin dissolved.
Even his fatigue disappeared.
Chen Yu's eyes widened.
"I… I feel fine!"
He looked at Lin Tian in amazement.
"You healed me!"
Lin Tian lowered his hand.
"It was a minor injury."
For him, adjusting a human body at the cellular level required almost no effort.
But to the villagers watching nearby, the act looked miraculous.
A woman gasped.
"Did you see that?"
Another villager whispered.
"He must be an incredible cultivator!"
Old Master Zhang observed quietly.
Unlike the others, his gaze held thoughtful curiosity.
"Sir," Zhang Wei said slowly, "may I ask something?"
Lin Tian nodded.
"You said you were a traveler."
"Yes."
"Where are you traveling to?"
Lin Tian looked toward the distant mountains.
"I have not decided yet."
The answer surprised the old man.
"Most travelers have a destination."
Lin Tian considered the statement.
"That may be true."
Then he added calmly,
"But sometimes the journey itself is the destination."
The old man smiled faintly.
"That sounds like something a wise man would say."
Lin Tian did not reply.
A few minutes later, a group of villagers approached with tables and chairs.
They placed them in the center of the square.
Smoke began rising from cooking fires.
The smell of roasted meat and fresh vegetables slowly filled the air.
Children ran around excitedly.
For the first time since the riders arrived earlier, the village atmosphere felt warm again.
Lin Tian watched the preparations quietly.
Something about the scene felt… peaceful.
Chen Yu sat beside him.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking…"
Lin Tian looked at him.
"You used incredible power earlier," Chen Yu continued. "Are you from one of the big sects?"
Lin Tian tilted his head slightly.
"Sects?"
Chen Yu nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! Cultivation sects! Powerful organizations where cultivators train."
He pointed vaguely toward the mountains.
"There are many famous ones across the continent."
Lin Tian absorbed the information calmly.
So this world had structured cultivation groups.
That meant a hierarchy of power existed.
Potentially valuable for learning more about this civilization.
"I am not part of a sect," Lin Tian said.
Chen Yu looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Chen Yu stared at him with growing admiration.
"Then you must be a wandering master!"
Lin Tian did not correct the assumption.
Just then, Old Master Zhang returned with two bowls of steaming soup.
"Please eat," the old man said kindly.
Lin Tian accepted the bowl.
He studied the liquid briefly before tasting it.
The flavor was simple but warm.
Vegetables, herbs, and meat cooked slowly over fire.
A very basic meal.
Yet strangely satisfying.
Chen Yu grinned.
"Not bad, right?"
Lin Tian nodded once.
"It is… pleasant."
The villagers laughed happily.
As night slowly approached, the small celebration continued.
Stories were told.
Food was shared.
Laughter echoed through the village streets.
And while Lin Tian sat quietly among them, observing every small interaction…
He began to realize something unexpected.
For someone who had once been connected to the entire universe…
This small human village felt surprisingly meaningful.
Meanwhile, far away on the mountain road—
The riders who had fled earlier continued their journey in silence.
The scar-faced leader finally spoke.
"Liu Kang."
"Yes, Captain?"
The leader's voice was cold.
"That man… what do you think he really is?"
Liu Kang's face looked pale even now.
"I'm not sure," he admitted.
"But one thing is certain."
"What?"
Liu Kang looked back toward the distant village.
"We should report this to Iron Ridge City."
The leader frowned.
"Report him?"
Liu Kang nodded slowly.
"A cultivator like that appearing in a remote village…"
His expression grew serious.
"…could change the balance of power in this entire region."
And without realizing it—
Lin Tian's quiet arrival had already begun to ripple through the world.