Chapter 18: Master Gave Me A Mountain

Li Taixing was taken to a mountain peak by the Fifth Elder. As soon as they landed, he rushed to a nearby boulder and started vomiting uncontrollably.

"Ah, disciple, why are you vomiting?" the Fifth Elder asked, puzzled.

"...," Li Taixing was speechless, his forehead covered in black lines. He began to doubt whether this master was serious. 'Isn't it your fault?' he thought but kept silent.

The Fifth Elder, however, didn't seem to care. "After all, this is where your future life will be," she said.

Li Taixing's interest was piqued, but as he glanced around at the so-called place where he'd be living, his eyes widened.

"What the f**k, what kind of dump is this?"

He found that there was practically nothing on the top of the mountain. It was barren, with just a few simple wooden houses. If it weren't for the fact that this was the Xuantian Sect, he'd have thought he was in some forsaken wasteland.

Li Taixing couldn't believe that this was going to be his future home. 'Aren't cultivator realms supposed to look like heavenly paradises? How did I end up here? This place is worse than a refugee camp!'

"Oh, dear disciple," the Fifth Elder continued, "I may not have many possessions, but I'm very generous! As my only student, everything here is now yours."

"Master, my name is Li Taixing."

"Too good! That's a great name!" the Fifth Elder said, laughing. "Yes, too good indeed! It's only right to entrust this mountain to you!"

She beamed with pride, as if she'd come up with a genius idea.

"Here, this is the Chifeng Token. As long as you hold it, everything on this mountain belongs to you. Don't lose it, or you won't be able to return here."

"Master, you're giving me a whole mountain right from the start? Don't I get anything else?"

"Well..." The Fifth Elder sighed dramatically. "It's tough being a teacher." She flipped her long black hair, gave him a playful wink, and even blew a kiss in his direction. "Alright, goodbye, my dear disciple."

With that, she soared into the sky on her sword and disappeared, leaving Li Taixing standing there in the wind, dumbfounded.

'Damn it. My master is way too unreliable,' Li Taixing thought with frustration. He suddenly remembered the saying: Men are afraid of entering the wrong profession, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. He now felt like he had indeed chosen the wrong profession... or at least the wrong master.

He sighed. "I thought I'd at least get some benefits... but apparently, I was thinking too much."

Looking at the Chifeng Token in his hand, Li Taixing shook his head in disappointment. Even so, becoming an official disciple did have its perks. The sect would still provide him with resources, and that was something to look forward to. His only gripe was how unreliable his master turned out to be.

After his initial frustration subsided, Li Taixing began to think more practically. Managing a mountain wasn't the worst outcome, and he wouldn't have to deal with the rigors of Outer Sect training anymore. 'At least I have some freedom here,' he thought.

With that, he decided to check out the wooden houses. Surprisingly, thanks to the Chifeng Token, he could walk freely across the mountain without any obstacles, even entering the houses easily.

The largest wooden house caught his eye first. He walked in, but immediately backed out, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"F**k, my master is too shameless! How can she just leave her... her clothes lying around like that?"

Recalling the sight of the scattered women's garments, Li Taixing shook his head, trying to banish the thought before he got a nosebleed. Realizing the largest house belonged to his master, he quickly moved on to explore the smaller ones. The smallest one turned out to be a kitchen, and another modest room had a wooden bed and nothing else.

"Well, at least there's a bed. It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

What really caught him off guard, though, was the presence of a library. Curious, Li Taixing opened the door, only to be greeted by a strong musty smell.

"Cough cough... My god, when was this place last used?"

The room was covered in cobwebs and dust so thick that it almost seemed to have a life of its own. The bookshelves were in a similar state—abandoned and unkempt. 'How long has it been since anyone cleaned this place?' Li Taixing thought to himself, once again cursing his unreliable master.

"Still, it's nice to have a quiet place."

Despite his frustrations, Li Taixing felt a sense of relief. He had been high-profile while in the Outer Sect, but that had been necessary to garner attention. Now that he'd achieved that, it was time to keep a low profile and focus on his cultivation.

With the safety net of having a master, even if she was unreliable, Li Taixing was content. She had given him a mountain, after all, even though it was a barren one.

He took another tour of the mountain. It was called Scarlet Peak and stood over 2,000 meters high. However, unlike the lush, vibrant peaks nearby, Scarlet Peak was entirely barren—no plants, just rock and dust.

"Why..." Li Taixing sighed as he gazed at the stark contrast between his mountain and the colorful, vibrant ones surrounding it.

Resigned, he returned to his room and waved his hand. Instantly, brand-new furniture appeared, and soon the whole room was decorated and livable. Feeling more at ease, he noticed the lack of a proper fence around the area. So, with his immense strength, he erected a fence made of sandalwood to encircle the entire space.

When he was finished, though, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Why does this feel more like a bandit's lair than a place of cultivation? Where's the immortal aura?"

'Forget it,' Li Taixing thought, rubbing his forehead. 'It'll have to do.'

Next, he contemplated what could grow on this desolate mountain. "I should check that library," he decided, and set about cleaning it. Donning a mask and grabbing a feather duster, Li Taixing began sweeping away the cobwebs and dust.

Thanks to his increased physical strength, what would have been a daunting task before was now manageable. He spent most of the day cleaning, and by evening, the library was spotless.

Surprisingly, the Fifth Elder hadn't returned yet. 'Unreliable, as expected,' he thought, not particularly surprised.

"Whatever, it's probably for the best she didn't come back today. After all this work, I can finally relax and read."

Despite the long day of cleaning, Li Taixing didn't feel tired or hungry. He casually devoured a few Spirit Stones and quickly restored his energy.

With the library now clean, Li Taixing began browsing through the books, eager to immerse himself in knowledge.