Greetings, Lord Ling Feng

The expectant faces of his three students left Hiruzen Sarutobi so furious that his mustache practically bristled.

"Forget about it, all of you! This reward came from the higher-ups. Do you have any idea how much it costs to build a residence that size?"

"That money would be enough to build another Ninja Academy!"

"Or make five hundred full sets of high-quality weapons and equipment!"

With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi stormed off. If he stayed any longer, he probably wouldn't stop until he had torn into them thoroughly, and that would be terrible for his blood pressure.

As they watched Hiruzen Sarutobi leave, the Sannin looked utterly bewildered.

They had earned plenty of merit too, hadn't they?

Yet a kid younger than them, with fewer accomplishments, had received such a lavish reward. It was hard not to feel slighted.

"Comparisons really do drive you mad!"

Jiraiya let out a mournful sigh.

After completing this mission, Ling Feng visited the ANBU and sought out Minato Namikaze. Learning that nearly all the ANBU's current missions had already been assigned, he ignored the low-level missions and returned to his training.

Ling Feng also met with the foreman building his residence to discuss its construction. Since professionals had designed it, everything was more or less satisfactory, and he had no particular requests. He simply thought it was interesting and joined in for a few days.

When he learned that construction would take a month, Ling Feng didn't mind. With no missions lately, he could take the opportunity to recuperate properly and improve his strength.

On a new day, Ling Feng arrived at his Training Ground. After finishing his usual routine, he took a break to prepare for the next round of training.

It was then that Ling Feng opened the System Shop and noticed that his points had reached 1,320.

"With this many points, let's see if there's anything I can exchange them for."

Counting the days, there were still two months until the Chunin Ninja Exams. Ling Feng had a feeling that something else was bound to happen.

So he decided he needed to develop another trump card.

Ling Feng continued browsing through the System Shop.

He skipped ninja tools and the like outright. Those were all external aids, and his priority was to make himself as strong as possible.

He also passed over certain ninjutsu. With his current physical condition, handling some forbidden techniques with harmful side effects would still be a serious strain.

Eventually, Ling Feng settled on the manuals section.

After browsing through it, he chose the Yin Seal.

Ling Feng had several reasons for choosing the Yin Seal.

First, he needed to improve his basic attributes. The Yin Seal allowed him to gather chakra in his daily life and release it all at once during combat, providing a large chakra reserve.

Ling Feng also knew that the Strength of a Hundred Technique and the regeneration technique Tsunade had learned were both forbidden techniques. Activating the Yin Seal was a prerequisite for using either.

The reason was simple: these two forbidden techniques consumed far too much chakra. If an ordinary person used them directly, their chakra would be drained on the spot, killing them instantly.

Even with his sage body, Ling Feng didn't dare try them recklessly.

A sage body merely increased the basic rate of chakra recovery. It couldn't replenish a huge amount all at once.

That made learning the Yin Seal essential.

And that was precisely why the Yin Seal cost 1,000 points to redeem.

Once he confirmed his purchase, the points were deducted, and Ling Feng instantly felt information about the ninjutsu appear in his mind.

Several dozen seconds later, Ling Feng opened his eyes and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Yin Seal, release!"

Hum!

A faint hum sounded, and Ling Feng felt chakra rushing like water into every corner of his body. It surged powerfully, brimming with boundless strength.

This felt incredible!

But the state ended before long, because Ling Feng hadn't yet had time to store much chakra.

Next, Ling Feng activated the Yin Seal's gathering function to collect his excess daily chakra little by little. He planned to release it all at once when a crisis arose, which would surely give his enemies a nasty surprise.

With 320 points left, Ling Feng browsed the shop again, hoping to find something else useful.

But that was far too few points. The good stuff cost thousands or even tens of thousands.

Ling Feng also spotted a Medical Ninjutsu technique, the Mystical Palm Technique, but it was of little use to him personally.

With Chakra Potions available, he could deal with minor injuries perfectly well just by drinking one.

Still, learning the Mystical Palm Technique would let him heal others.

After considerable thought, Ling Feng spent 100 points to learn it.

Although it wasn't particularly difficult, its specialized nature meant it wasn't cheap.

Not every ninja could learn Medical Ninjutsu, after all. It depended on their talent and potential.

"All right, 220 points left. I feel like I've gone broke again in an instant!"

"Better keep training. Hopefully, someone else with a death wish will come looking for trouble so I can earn some points!"

After those two remarks, Ling Feng threw himself back into training.

And so, with no missions to interrupt him, Ling Feng steadily built up his chakra reserves while becoming increasingly proficient with the Yin Seal. His hand seals grew faster and faster, until eventually he could complete them in an instant and truly activate it instantaneously.

Whatever the ninjutsu, Ling Feng could only feel at ease once he could activate it instantly.

A month passed just like that. When word arrived that the residence was complete, Ling Feng decided to take a day off from training and have a proper look.

Upon arriving, Ling Feng found the residence already decked out with lanterns and decorations. Inside, all the furniture had been arranged neatly, and even the flowers and plants in the flower beds had been tended. Everything looked perfectly in order.

Ling Feng was a little surprised by the sight.

Just then, the foreman in charge of construction approached with a smile.

"Lord Ling Feng, Lord Yuguang ordered this. Since it's a reward, naturally, everything should be done properly. Please inspect it, and if there's anything you're dissatisfied with, just let us know. We'll do our utmost to serve you."

Ling Feng smiled at his words. "I'm very satisfied. Thank you all for your hard work."

"As long as you're satisfied. The fifty servants Lord Yuguang sent have already arrived. They're waiting in the courtyard, ready to carry out your orders at any time."

Following the foreman into the courtyard, Ling Feng indeed found fifty servants standing in orderly rows.

They truly were servants of the highest-ranking elite. Their bearing alone set them apart.

"Lord Ling Feng, we'll take our leave now." The foreman said his farewell and led his workers away.

In the courtyard, the servants looked at Ling Feng and bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Lord Ling Feng!"

The corners of Ling Feng's mouth lifted slightly. Being treated like a big shot really did feel fantastic!