"oh yeah Ace! Why don't you join a sect?" She gets into a thinking pose. "I'm in the mystic jade sect! With your talent, you can probably become a inner deciple like me in less than five years! Of course the mystic jade sect is the biggest and the most powerful sect in the capital of Tianshang! Well... I would probably say it's at least in the top ten sects in the whole empire! If you want I can recommend you to the outer sect... Since I'm an inner deciple... If you are interested in joining, I can explain everything right now."
I paused, thinking for a moment before responding.
"I appreciate it... But as of now, I'd like to be free... I will tell you if I ever want to join it though!"
Well... Joining a sect would be beneficial if I was a normal cultivator... But thanks to my endless void, I it's better staying here in the forest.. if I go deeper into it, I can encounter more monsters and develop my cultivation to a higher plane..
I smile at her, appreciating her offer.
She sighed but nodded understanding.
"Okay then... Be sure to tell me if you change your mind okay?" She smiled
I nodded before taking her back down from the mountain.
"Do you need me to take you to the city?" I asked
"No! Don't worry! Just drop me off by that hill! Remember where we first met?" She said with a firm voice...
"Alright..."
I flew there with her and put her down, then slowly concentrated on the wings on my back slowly making it disappear as I stopped giving it internal energy, deactivating it.
"There... So..." I looked at her... Not knowing what to say. "Um... Next time then?" I smiled at her.
She nodded and took a step closer to me, planting a small kiss on my cheek.
"Mhm... Next time... See you again!" She responded before walking away...
As she walked away, I raised my hand to the spot she kissed, shocked.
Hm.. next time.. my lips formed a small smile.
I went back to the place I was building my house, and not much time passed I arrived. But it seemed that the sun was about to set. I sat down next to a tree, and got in position to cultivate while I rest for tonight. Recovering my energy and stamina while cultivating.
The next morning I finished, I didn't reach a new stage but I could still feel better than before... I looked around at the wood I had placed down after cutting them before, then going back to rebuilding the house... I hummed while working. Placing the wood one by one to make the walls, after building two of the walls, the house was half done. I look at it proudly as I began to keep building it, I used my QI to reinforce the small veins that's holding the wood, the base was well built so I didn't have to use QI on it... As I built the house a thought about what Xia Xue crossed my mind..
Hm... If I joined a sect I wouldn't have to build this would I? ... But that means I'll have to lose my freedom and do everything the sect asks me... Wouldn't I? And I need to kill monsters. So joining a sect would make it harder... Forget it... It a elder finds out about my ability to absorb energy from monster cores or their ability, they wouldn't let me be, some might try to kill me or some might try to subdue me... Until I'm strong enough I can't trust anyone beside myself...
When I snapped out of my thoughts I realized that, I had already finished building the four walls, and the sun was setting . As usual I sat down next to a tree to cultivate.
I could probably finish the house tomorrow...
A small smile formed as the thought crossed my mind, that I could finally have a house on my own, that I built and only mine, and slowly I cultivated, the night was peaceful as I cultivated and the sunrise came, I stopped my cultivation, I haven't broken through today either.
Cultivating normally is a lot harder than absorbing cores from the monsters huh?...
I sighed as I thought a way to build the ceiling. But before that, I cut out some windows in the walls, I couldn't find a way to make them a open and close windows, same as the door... They were just opened all the time for now.. I started thinking how to make the ceiling first, I used wood for the ceiling as well, but cut the logs into a thinner pieces using my small QI blade, I could only make it as a small dagger for now, and can't actually use it combat, except using wind slashes with it.
The day was over and the house was complete, I used the small QI blade to add some aesthetic to the house as well so it wouldn't be so plain... I haven't had any calories for days now. I completely forgot about it because cultivation replenishes energy, and never felt that much tired. I could feel some stomach ache.
"I should go find something to eat.." I said as I touched my stomach.
I stepped out of the house, and went towards the river, as I arrived there I picked up some stones and looked for fish, I threw the small rocks at some fishes and killed them, I laid the three that I caught and started a small fire using Qi right next to the river and cooked the three fishes. I finally had a full meal after so long. I laid down on the grass next to the river as I looked at the sky, I was happy to have what I have now. Maybe I'll strive for more in the future but I'm grateful enough for what I got now...