[Ding! Served your master and your junior sister a sumptuous meal and made them happy. Reward: Six months' worth of cultivation]
Jiang Ming washed the plates as he listened to the pleasant notification from the system. His mood improved further with this notification.
As for his master feeling sorry for his misfortune while also feeling angry at his resignation toward his current situation, he did not dwell on it nor did he let it bother him. He knew his master, Gu Hai, very well, and his master was like his father.
"That was great!" Gu Hai patted his belly with a satisfied expression on his face. Then, he looked at Jiang Ming and said, "If you don't want to cultivate, you should at least prepare one meal for every day until you decide to cultivate diligently again!"
"You just want to eat the delicious food I cook, right?" Jiang Ming asked.
"Nonsense! This is your punishment!" Gu Hai stood up and walked away. Before he left, he said, "Build a house for Linglong as soon as you can."
Gu Hai's voice had barely faded when his figure had already vanished from sight.
"That old man ran off to fool around again!" Jiang Ming shook his head.
After putting the plates away, Jiang Ming began to urge Linglong to cultivate again. However, she said, "I'll help you, Senior Brother! I'm a Foundation Establishment cultivator now. My cultivation base is higher than yours now. Stop treating me like a child!"
"Alright." Jiang Ming nodded. Then, he asked, "What kind of house do you like?"
"A simple bamboo house will do. When my cultivation base improves further, and I learn how to manifest items, I'll build a manor or a palace," Zi Linglong said, "At that time, you can stay with me!"
Jiang Ming laughed. "Alright! I like the sound of that."
…
After laying the foundation for the house, Jiang Ming and Zi Linglong went to the back of the mountain again. There was a black bamboo grove on the slope of the mountain.
Black bamboos carried a unique fragrance that repelled insects. Moreover, they were sturdy as well, making them suitable for building houses.
As cultivators, they only made ten trips before they had gathered enough bamboo.
By dusk, the duo had completed the building of the two-story bamboo house.
"You're amazing, Senior Brother. You built this house in such a short time!" Zi Linglong said cheerfully.
"Of course! I'm a master builder, after all!" Jiang Jin said haughtily. Then, he added, "Be careful when you cultivate. This house can't withstand a lot of force…"
"I'm a gentle and quiet girl; I'll be fine. If anything, I'm worried you'll damage the house when you visit."
"Would I do something like that?!"
At this time, the sun was setting, faintly lighting up the sky with a myriad of colors.
From the rooftop, Jiang Ming could see the mountains and the forest.
The scenery made Jiang Ming feel refreshed. He took a seat and listened to the system notification.
[Ding! Built a bamboo house for your junior sister and made her happy. Reward: One year's worth of cultivation base and a Basic Formation Almanac]
'Did I get more rewards for making my junior sister happy?' Jiang Ming asked the system.
If people knew about the way he cultivated, they would die of envy. A year of cultivation was equivalent to the amount of mana one would accumulate after cultivating for a year in seclusion without food or drink in a suitable environment. For ordinary people, that was a few years' worth of cultivation.
At this moment, Zi Linglong flew up to the rooftop. As she placed a tray on the roof, she said, "Senior Brother, I brewed a pot of tea and washed some grapes…"
Her movements were nimble as she poured Jiang Ming a cup of tea. She surveyed her surroundings for a moment before she said, "Senior Brother, don't you think the rooftop is too boring. You should have placed some plants or hanging vines here. You can also build a small gazebo to shade us from the sun and rain…"
"Hm? This is really unlike you, Linglong…" Jiang Ming said, puzzled.
Zi Linglong scoffed, scrunching her nose. Then, she grinned, revealing her teeth, before she said haughtily, "I'm not at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. My thought process is 100 times faster than before! I can easily remember and learn everything I see…"
Jiang Ming lay back against the recliner and said, "You're right. Genius cultivators have always been smart. Looks like I'll be able to rest easy from now on. Anyway, what would you like to have for dinner?"
"I'm not hungry," Zi Linglong took a seat next to him before she said, "I want to spend time with you, Senior Brother."
Jiang Ming sighed. "It must be hard for you. You don't have anyone your age to play with on the mountain…"
"Senior Brother, I'm the happiest when I'm with you!"
Jiang Ming laughed. "You sly little girl, you're getting more and more eloquent."
The duo continued chatting happily as the sun set behind the mountains. Darkness descended, and the stars twinkled merrily in the sky.
At this moment, Gu Hai flew up to the rooftop. When he saw Jiang Ming relaxing on the recliner, he grew angry again. "You lazy pig! Why aren't you cultivating? Even your junior sister has surpassed you!"
"Linglong is already a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. It's impossible for me to catch up to her right away. I'd need at least several decades to catch up to her. Moreover, she's a peerless genius. When I reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, I'm sure she'll already be at the Core Formation Realm!" Jiang Ming stood up and pulled another chair for his master. "There's only room for one genius here. Let me deal with the logistics from now on!"
"You have no ambition at all!" Gu Hai snorted before he turned to Zi Linglong. A smile bloomed on his face immediately. "I had a look at the Sect Master's books regarding your condition. All you have to do is cultivate as usual. If you experience anything strange, inform me immediately. I'll try to stay on the mountain from now on so you can look for me whenever!"
"Okay, Master!" Zi Linglong nodded obediently.
"You're going to stay on the mountain more often? The sun must be rising from the west!" Jiang Ming said mockingly.
"Hey, I'm the master of this peak! The First Seat!" Gu Hai said indignantly.
"Alright, alright. Cheers to the master of this peak!" Jiang Ming said as he poured his master a cup of tea before lying back down on the recliner.
Gu Hai felt a strange itch in his hand as he looked at his eldest disciple. In the end, he picked up the teacup and emptied it in one go. Following that, he lay down on the recliner as well. "Ah, look at the starry skies! What wouldn't I give to spend my days like this?"
Jiang Ming was filled with the urge to mock his master, but in the end, he forcefully swallowed the words hanging on the tip of his tongue.
The master and his two disciples enjoyed the quiet night together. It was a rare occasion for them to do this.
In the end, the old man was the first to leave.
"Go to sleep, girl."
"I don't want to sleep yet. I want to stay with Senior Brother!"
"You see him every day. Be a good girl and go to sleep."
Zi Linglong pouted before she finally relented. "Alright."
…
When Jiang Ming returned to his room, he sat cross-legged on his bed.
"System, retrieve the cultivation."
The next moment, a torrent of energy flooded his Dantian and swiftly turned into mana. Some of the mana suffused his body, further changing his body constitution.
Changing one's body constitution was a long-term project; it was not something that could be completed in a day.
Jiang Ming could clearly feel his body had become much more powerful. Currently, he could easily overpower a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator with his physical strength alone.
…
The next day…
After making breakfast for his junior sister, he walked to the back of the courtyard and continued tilling and clearing the land. With his strength, he was done in just a few hours.
[Ding! Congratulations on clearing a plot of land. Reward: Six months' worth of cultivation]
Jiang Jin did not pay attention to the notification as he wondered out loud, "What should I plant? I have enough vegetables, but I can't plant fruits here."
Since he could not decide, he pushed the matter aside for now. Then, he went to the adjacent plot.
The purple carrots, honey carrots, and jadeite cabbages he planted here were ready to be harvested. He would store them in the cold room after they were harvested.
He had built the cold room using a simple Cold Air Formation.
[Ding! Congratulations on harvesting the fruits of your labor! Reward: Three years' worth of cultivation and a Basic Talisman Alamanac]
Jiang Ming inhaled sharply. He did not expect to receive so many rewards from a single harvest.
'You're amazing, System!' He mentally gave the system a thumbs-up.
Following that, an idea appeared in Jiang Ming's mind as he looked at the barren land again. Then, he glanced at the abandoned buildings in the distance and rubbed his hands together.