Chapter 12: Weren’t You the One Joking with Me First?

Hearing Ye Li's words, Luo Xing thought he had misheard...

Two months?

The Qi Refining Realm?

And the late stage at that?

'Do you even hear what you're saying?'

His sister, Luo Han, possessed a Fairy Spirit Root, and even she had only reached the middle stage of the Qi Refining Realm after two months of cultivation.

He only had a medium-grade spirit root!

Wasn't she just making things impossible for him?

"Ma... Master..." Luo Xing said with a look of difficulty, stammering, "This... reaching the late stage in two months... isn't that a bit..."

Indeed, asking Luo Xing, someone with a medium-grade spirit root, to reach the late stage within two months was a bit over the top. Even Ye Li herself felt that his hesitation was reasonable.

But...

Was that something she needed to consider?

Clearly not.

At least, that was what she believed...

"I don't care about any of that." Ye Li turned and walked toward the bamboo hut. "I only require results. As for the process in between, I don't care if you take medicinal pills or find someone for dual cultivation."

She paused, looking back at Luo Xing with a smile. "Of course, I'm not an unreasonable person. You can do what the servant disciples do and make contributions to the sect to exchange for cultivation resources."

With that, she entered the bamboo hut and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, leaving Luo Xing standing alone in a daze.

"Heh... hehe... hahaha..."

It turns out that when a person is beyond frustrated, they really do start laughing...

Take Luo Xing, for example...

Setting aside the sheer difficulty of a medium-grade spirit root reaching the late stage of the Qi Refining Realm in two months, there was the issue of cultivation resources.

Others were servant disciples; they had no choice but to earn resources through sect contribution points. But him...

If he remembered correctly, he was a direct disciple, wasn't he?

He already didn't have enough time, and now he had to carve out even more time to earn cultivation resources?

Was this something a human would do?

Luo Xing was certain now that he hadn't transmigrated into the wrong book. This Ye Li had a natural, professional talent for tormenting people...

However, because of this, he had no choice but to accept her arrangement.

No matter how unwilling he was, what could he do? Did he really think he was the Great Emperor from his dream?

Damn it!

How could he endure this?!

He couldn't!

Fuming with rage, Luo Xing made a decision...

He would wait for tonight!

Tonight, he would...

Have another dream!

Then, in the dream, he would "reason" with Ye Li properly!

He couldn't handle Ye Li in reality, but was he supposed to let this woman bully him in his dreams too?!

As for now...

Luo Xing looked silently at the newly built kitchen.

He should eat first...

He had already thrown out the food box his sister brought yesterday.

He really couldn't be blamed for not appreciating his sister's kindness! Life was already bitter enough; he couldn't let his food be bitter too, right?

---

Entering the kitchen, Luo Xing first surveyed his surroundings. The stove was new, and all the necessary pots, pans, and ladles were there. There were also some supplies like rice, flour, oil, salt, and ingredients.

'Well, Ye Li is at least somewhat human. At least she prepared the basic necessities for me.'

Gathering some firewood, Luo Xing prepared to start a fire and cook. But just as he was about to use the fire striker, he suddenly remembered the two skills in his mind...

**[Starting Fire: 9/10]**

**[Cooking: 9/10]**

To be honest, Luo Xing still hadn't figured out how the skill points for these "skills" were obtained.

In these two months, he had definitely started a fire more than nine times, and he had cooked more than nine times. Yet, the points only increased occasionally, while other times there was no reaction at all...

"Tsk... what a pain..." Luo Xing muttered under his breath. "There isn't even an instruction manual..."

*Scritch!*

The sparks from the fire striker landed on the fine wood shavings. The weak flame hesitated for a moment before greedily licking the dry firewood.

The fire... was lit...

**[Starting Fire: 10/10]**

Just as Luo Xing stuffed the burning wood into the stove, the skill in his mind suddenly changed.

'The skill is maxed? How did it max out? What happens now?'

While Luo Xing was feeling lost, the image in his mind changed once again...

**[Starting Fire: 10/10]** → **[??: 0/10]**

There were two options. Whichever one Luo Xing looked at would light up...

'So... it's a choice between two? I can choose to strengthen the first skill or develop a new one?'

Since Luo Xing only had a vague understanding of this "system," he could only cross the river by feeling the stones. He decided to try strengthening the skill.

**[Starting Fire Lv 1: 0/20]**

'Oh...'

'So it's a level up...'

'And then? You could at least tell me what use there is after leveling up!'

'Can I start fires faster? Or will they burn more fiercely? Aside from telling me that the next level requires more experience points, I can't see anything!'

'Go back! I want to choose again!'

But that was clearly impossible...

There was no such thing as a "skill reset" option to be found.

Feeling like he had been scammed, Luo Xing could only start cooking while grumbling...

He wondered if the **[Cooking]** skill would level up after he finished this meal. If it did, he would try to branch out into a new skill.

One hour later...

A pot of rice and a fried fish served as Luo Xing's simple meal.

**[Cooking: 10/10]** → **[??: 0/10]**

Just as he suspected, the **[Cooking]** skill had indeed maxed out. This time, he chose to derive a new skill.

**[Cooking: 0/10]** → **[Slicing Technique: 0/10]**

'Slicing Technique?'

'Slicing Technique?!'

Luo Xing was so angry he nearly flipped the dining table.

'Are you kidding me?! First you give me cooking, and now you give me slicing? What does that even mean?!'

'Am I supposed to go be a chef for you?'

But just as Luo Xing was about to flip the table in his rage, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind...

'Wait...'

'If things like **[Cooking]**, **[Starting Fire]**, and **[Massage]** can be considered skills...'

'Then it wouldn't make sense if the system didn't generate a few skills for cultivation... right?'

'Perhaps...'

'This is the opportunity I need to change my fate!'

"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

Thinking of this possibility, the gloom in Luo Xing's heart vanished instantly, and he couldn't help but laugh wantonly.

Inside the bamboo hut, Ye Li set down her wine jug and frowned as she looked out the window. 'Has he been driven mad by my pressure?'

---

One month later, at the Fengling Sect.

The pear blossoms on the back mountain of the Fengling Sect had not yet finished falling. As a gentle breeze blew, the petals drifted like snow, brushing over the bluestone path and the unfinished stone chessboard on the table.

"Do you have something on your mind?"

A woman who appeared to be in her early thirties placed a white piece on the board. Then, looking at the board, she spoke as if casually, "Is there a problem with your cultivation?"

Her skin was fair, her features were as beautiful as a painting, and she exuded an air of distant elegance. A simple silver orchid hairpin was tucked into her dark hair, and a tear mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of maturity to her charm.

She was the Third Elder of the Fengling Sect, Ji Chuying, currently at the middle stage of the Integration Realm.

Sitting opposite her was a young woman of eighteen, with lively eyes, dressed in a plain cyan dress.

Mu Shan, the direct disciple of Ji Chuying, was at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Ah?" Mu Shan's hand, which was holding a black piece, couldn't help but tremble. She gave her master a dry laugh and said, "Master... you noticed?"

Ji Chuying didn't speak, but merely lowered her gaze slightly, looking at the black piece that had landed in its square...

"Speak. What is it that has left you so restless?" Ji Chuying tossed her piece back into the basket and picked up the teacup beside her.

Mu Shan hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Master, you know about the Fairy Spirit Root that appeared in the Xuantian Sect... right?"

"Yes, I've heard a bit about it."

"Then... why don't we try to snatch that Fairy Spirit Root for ourselves?"

In the cultivation world, the strong preyed on the weak. Resources were snatched, opportunities were snatched, and fresh blood was especially sought after.

Therefore, it was not uncommon for sects to fight over talented disciples.

As soon as those words were spoken, Ji Chuying, who was about to drink her tea, suddenly froze. The tear mole at the corner of her eye twitched...

Mu Shan asked tentatively, "Master? What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Ji Chuying set down her teacup with a faint smile, then looked at her beloved disciple. "It warms my heart to see that you have such grand ambitions."

A look of joy appeared on Mu Shan's face. "Right! Master, you think so too?!"

Ji Chuying nodded slightly. "Yes. How about this: you head east right now, and you'll reach the Xuantian Sect. Don't worry about anyone else in the sect, including the Sect Master. There is only a woman named Ye Li. Beat her down, bring back that Fairy Spirit Root disciple, and I'll tell the Sect Leader to step down so you can become the leader of the Fengling Sect."

Hearing this, Mu Shan was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. "Ah? Me... I'm to be the Sect Leader? Master... I... you aren't joking, are you?"

Ji Chuying gave a slight smile. "Weren't you the one joking with me first?"

'What a joke.'

'Snatching someone right under that woman Ye Li's nose?'

'Was her disciple too brave, or did she just have too many lives to spare?'