A new mission

Lu Shang's eyes lit up as he walked through the palace, countless dazzling decorations filling his sight.

"Quite something, huh, System Sis? All this glittering gold hardly looks like the home of a reclusive master! It looks more like some huge villa a corrupt mortal official built out in the wilderness after raking in a fortune!"

Although everything looked magnificent, Lu Shang did not seem particularly fond of it. It was too dazzling.

"Then take your time building your own. I'll be taking all of this back."

"Never mind, never mind! I was joking. Don't take it seriously, System Sis."

Lu Shang was clearly a little flustered now. After all, if he had to build it himself, who knew how much time and effort it would take? And even then, he could never make it this good.

As for his dissatisfaction, that was only because, in Lu Shang's eyes, shouldn't a palace like this have a Daoist style? At the very least, it shouldn't have gemlike things everywhere! And the surroundings were covered in things that looked like gold, too.

Just then, an icy female voice rang out.

"Let me remind you, host: the Foundation Establishment Stage gives you a lifespan of less than two hundred years! If you want to become a true Immortal, this level of cultivation is nowhere near enough!"

Lu Shang replied unconcernedly, "There's no rush. I'm only seventeen, still plenty young. It won't hurt to have some fun first. Besides!"

The system asked in confusion, "Besides?"

"You keep telling me to cultivate, but you haven't given me a single cultivation technique! If I ran into a cultivator at the same level, I'd probably be completely outmatched!"

"So that's my fault?"

"Whose fault would it be if not yours? Look at all the other systems-which one doesn't hand out both cultivation and cultivation techniques? Are you really willing to let the other systems outshine you? I don't mind, but certain systems... probably rank right near the bottom among their kind!"

His words grew noticeably sharper toward the end. Without a doubt, he had deliberately said them to provoke System Sis.

"Hmph! That kind of provocation won't work on me! If you want cultivation techniques, you'll have to complete missions to get mine. Otherwise, don't even dream of it."

Lu Shang rolled his eyes, no longer wanting to bother with the system.

Lu Shang leaped up and reached the main seat inside the hall in an instant.

A moment later, Lu Shang felt comfortable in both body and mind.

"This seat's pretty comfortable. Sitting here makes me feel like an emperor, too. Pretty nice."

"Host! Since being an emperor feels so good, don't you want a beauty in each arm like an emperor, too?"

Without even thinking, Lu Shang replied, "Of course I do! Isn't that a pointless question, System Sis?"

"Then raise your cultivation! You need to reach at least the Core Formation Stage!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. All I'd have to do is take a stroll through the capital of the Ten Thousand Nations, and who knows how many girls would throw themselves at me? Besides, my face is even more handsome than Eddie Peng's. Who knows how many more girls would want to throw themselves at me because of that?"

As he spoke, Lu Shang traced the contours of his face with his slender fingers. He seemed thoroughly satisfied with his current character model!

"Hey, System Sis, do you think I should start a sect, too? After all, in the original novel, plenty of Qi Refining Stage cultivators gave themselves some Revered Master title and went around swindling people. If I started recruiting, wouldn't a thousand people come here to become my disciples without any effort?"

"No. I absolutely won't allow it. This place wasn't made for you to become an elder or a hall master. It was made for you to live as a recluse, just as you said you wanted! If you start recruiting people everywhere, I'll have no choice but to reclaim all of this," System Sis refused sternly.

Lu Shang replied helplessly, "Fine, fine, fine. I won't take disciples, all right? But as for cultivating... I'll still have to think about it."

"After all, once I start cultivating, who knows how many years it'll take? I don't want to squander the glorious years of my youth. At least..."

Lu Shang pondered for a moment.

System Sis asked in confusion, "At least?"

"At least let me wait until I'm past twenty-five, like the protagonist in the original novel! I'm still young. Of course I should have some fun."

"Why don't you give me a few cultivation techniques, System Sis? Once I have them, I'll cultivate properly. Besides, you don't really want me to get killed, do you?"

A moment later.

"You don't, right?"

Lu Shang was clearly growing nervous. If System Sis really didn't care, he would truly have no choice but to do missions.

Although the missions wouldn't be particularly difficult, they were tricky.

"Ding!"

"Mission issued: reach the Core Formation Realm before the age of fifty."

"Failure penalty: sealed for ten years for every year overdue."

"Success rewards: cultivation techniques-Wild Desolation True Demon Art, Heavenly Origin Sword Art."

Lu Shang stared at the words before him in alarm.

"Ten years sealed for every year overdue? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake, System Sis? You know that reaching Core Formation within a hundred years already makes someone outstanding even among prodigies! Even the protagonist only succeeded at a hundred and twenty. Sure, I have a mutated spirit root, but I can't be that fast! Aren't you just determined to seal me away? Besides, there isn't much spiritual energy here!"

With shock and panic on his face, Lu Shang read the white words on the blue panel before him over and over in disbelief.

"That has nothing to do with me. Besides, haven't I given you loads of Spirit Stones? You still have nearly a thousand left, don't you? Either cultivate properly or wait to be sealed!"

After saying that, System Sis fell silent.

"Hey, hey, System Sis, I was wrong! I'll definitely cultivate properly, but thirty-two years really isn't enough! I don't want to be sealed for centuries!"

Some time passed without a response.

"Hey, hey, System Sis? System Sis? Are you still there?"

"Either cultivate properly or wait to be sealed. Do I need to explain your choices again, kid?" an icy mechanical voice replied.

"All right, I'll find somewhere to cultivate right now."

With that, Lu Shang prepared to search the palace thoroughly for a suitable place to cultivate.

After all, cultivating in the palace's main hall really was a little too out in the open. If someone barged in, they might disturb his cultivation.

Lu Shang did not think any cultivators above Core Formation would come here. After all, this place had uniquely favorable conditions.

First, this part of the Ten Thousand Nations lay close to the far west, making it decidedly remote for other cultivators;

Second, Core Formation Cultivators were pitifully scarce in the Ten Thousand Nations and the surrounding countries, let alone Nascent Soul Cultivators;

Third, the spiritual energy here was simply too sparse. Never mind high-level cultivators-even low-level cultivators might not think much of it. After all, the spiritual energy was about the same throughout the surrounding area, so there was no reason to fight other cultivators over this mountain.

But what if-what if a cultivator really did come and disturb Lu Shang's cultivation? Here, he would probably be interrupted directly, without enough time to prepare.

Half an hour passed as Lu Shang wandered through the building, but he still found nowhere suitable.

Lu Shang asked, "System Sis, this palace is so big, with several buildings. Is there anywhere suitable for cultivation? Cultivating in the main hall really is a little too out in the open!"

"Since you've asked so sincerely, I suppose I'll reluctantly tell you. There's a cave abode farther up this mountain, built along with the palace. Go find it yourself."

After saying that, the voice vanished once more.