Being fussed over by his master and new junior sister, Chen Ye rubbed his eyes. "Alright, alright. I'll make a few extra dishes to celebrate Junior Sister's arrival."
He turned back to the kitchen and got to work.
At the same time, he queried in his mind, "System, what can you do?"
[Replying to Host, this is the Peerless Senior Brother System. It allows the Host to bind with your nominal junior brothers and sisters. The system will then randomly feed back a portion of their cultivation results to the Host. The stronger they become, the stronger the Host will be!]
Chen Ye's eyes lit up.
What a beautiful system!
Isn't this the ultimate "lie-flat and win" scenario? Let others do the hard work while he reaps the rewards?!
This was perfect. He loved it!
"Can I bind with Xiao Qingluan right now?"
[There is a condition for binding. The target's innate qualifications must be approved by the system. The higher the qualifications, the greater the success rate of binding!]
[Currently assessing Xiao Qingluan's qualifications…]
Chen Ye's heart leaped into his throat.
He prayed that Xiao Qingluan's talent was top-tier.
The better her talent, the bigger the benefits for him!
However, remembering that he himself was a mortal physique hand-picked by the same master, he didn't hold out much hope.
It couldn't be helped.
His master was thoroughly unreliable.
Who knew if she had just picked up another ordinary mortal on a whim?
[Ding!]
[Assessment complete. Xiao Qingluan's qualifications meet the binding requirements. Binding successful. Displaying Xiao Qingluan's basic information...]
[Name: Xiao Qingluan!]
[Cultivation: First Level of True Qi!]
[Constitution: Phoenix Holy Body!]
[Note: Former sovereign of the Qingluan Continent, a peerless empress. Betrayed by her trusted subordinates during a critical seclusion, she suffered catastrophic injuries! On the brink of death, she activated a secret art to reincarnate on the Myriad Dao Continent...]
Chen Ye's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Phoenix Holy Body?!
A reincarnated empress?!
Was this some kind of joke?
Last time she accepted a disciple, she brought back a mortal body like him. This time, she brought back a supreme boss of this caliber. Master, your taste in disciples is a study in contrasts!
The corner of Chen Ye's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
In the world of cultivation, talent was almost entirely dictated by one's physique!
Aside from the rock-bottom mortal physique...
Physiques were generally categorized into Spirit Body, Precious Body, Royal Body, and Holy Body!
Spirit Bodies were the most common. The vast majority of successful cultivators possessed some form of spirit body, like a Water Spirit Body, Fire Spirit Body, and so on.
Above that was the Precious Body!
A cultivator with a Precious Body was already considered a genius.
As for the Royal Body...
That was a monstrous, once-in-a-generation existence.
Every person with a Royal Body was treated as a priceless treasure by the major powers!
And the ultimate Holy Body... that was the stuff of legends. Every Holy Body possessed the potential to become a Saint, or even an Emperor! They were the protagonists of their era!
As long as they didn't perish prematurely, they were destined to become titans of the cultivation world!
And that wasn't even mentioning that she was a reincarnated empress!
Comparing himself, the senior brother, to her, Chen Ye felt utterly miserable.
But now, everything was different.
He was a man with a cheat code too!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, Chen Ye cleaned out his entire pantry and whipped up a grand feast.
Seeing the table laden with exquisite dishes, Shen Ziling and Xiao Qingluan were both stunned.
"I never would have guessed Senior Brother possessed such a skill!"
Xiao Qingluan's eyes sparkled.
[Ding! Xiao Qingluan's favorability +1]
Chen Ye was slightly taken aback. "Oh, the system can track favorability too."
[That is correct.]
"What are my master's and junior sister's current favorability scores?"
[Shen Ziling Favorability: 60]
[Xiao Qingluan Favorability: 40]
Not bad.
Not exceptionally high, but not low either.
At the dinner table, Shen Ziling and Xiao Qingluan ate with abandon, their mouths gleaming with oil. Chen Ye, who barely ate, watched them with a twitching smile.
One was a reincarnated empress, the other a half-step Transcendent...
And yet...
They ate like a pair of reincarnated hungry ghosts. Were they going to fight him for the last piece?
[Ding! Shen Ziling's favorability +1]
[Ding! Xiao Qingluan's favorability +1]
Chen Ye: ...
It was true what they said: the way to a person's heart is through their stomach!
Chen Ye was quite confident in his culinary skills. After all, during his three years of "lying flat," his main focus had been on food and drink. Combined with the countless cooking shows he'd watched in his previous life, he was certain that even the top chefs of this world couldn't hold a candle to him!
After finishing her meal, Xiao Qingluan elegantly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. She looked at Chen Ye with a peculiar glint in her eye. "This senior brother of mine is quite skilled in this regard."
Shen Ziling leaned back, producing a toothpick from thin air, and spoke while cleaning her teeth, "Ye'er, I never knew you could cook so well."
"As long as Master and Junior Sister enjoyed the meal," Chen Ye replied with a faint smile.
"Indeed. A full stomach makes one sleepy. I'm going back for a nap. You two should get along."
Shen Ziling stretched languidly, then turned and glided back towards her cave residence.
Chen Ye knew what that meant.
Once she went in, she wouldn't emerge for at least ten days, maybe a month. A year or two wasn't out of the question.
He turned his gaze to Xiao Qingluan and smiled. "Junior Sister, I'm usually around Jade Bamboo Peak. If you need anything, just come find me."
"Any questions regarding cultivation..."
Xiao Qingluan stood up, her expression calm. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. I will not be troubling you with matters of cultivation."
What a joke. She was the reincarnation of an empress!
If not for her recent reincarnation and depleted strength, she wouldn't have even bothered coming to a place like Jade Bamboo Peak. At her peak...
A minor sect like the Azure Cloud Sect? She could obliterate several of them with a single slap!
To have a Qi Gathering realm disciple guide her cultivation? Preposterous!
It would be a blessing if he didn't come pestering her and disturbing her progress!
Hearing this, Chen Ye just smiled faintly and said nothing more.
He was only being polite, after all.
"Senior Brother, I'll take my leave."
Xiao Qingluan gave a slight nod, then turned and departed.
Chen Ye watched her retreating figure, then glanced at the mountain of used bowls and plates on the table. He sighed, "Couldn't one of you at least stay and help with the dishes?"
Eat and run?
Two absolute scoundrels!
Chen Ye felt he had far too little authority on Jade Bamboo Peak. If he was just a little more assertive, would he be stuck washing the dishes himself?
With no other choice, he began gathering the plates to wash them.
Meanwhile.
Xiao Qingluan, having left Chen Ye's hut, didn't go far. She found a grove of bamboo and, with her own hands, began constructing a small house not far from Chen Ye's.
Her practical skills were excellent, and with the aid of her True Qi, she quickly erected a sturdy wooden dwelling that could shelter her from the elements.
She smiled with satisfaction, entered, and took out daily necessities like bedsheets and a quilt from her storage ring, arranging them neatly inside.
Gazing at the small home she was filling, a spark of ambition ignited in Xiao Qingluan's eyes. "This will be the starting point for my return to the summit!"
"Give me three hundred years to rebuild my foundation, and I will dare to command the sun and moon! You traitors... just you wait. I, Xiao Qingluan, will definitely return to the Qingluan Continent!"
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Qingluan sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
And within her Dantian, a ruler, half pitch-black and half pure-white, slowly materialized, its surface carved with countless profound and cryptic patterns.
This was an ancient artifact she had obtained by chance in her previous life.
She had always felt it was extraordinary and kept it with her. She never expected that upon her reincarnation, this artifact would follow her soul!
"Even the Emperor-grade weapons I personally forged and refined could not cross the veil of reincarnation with me, yet this ruler did. It must hold a heaven-shaking secret!"
"The grade of this item is likely far beyond that of an Emperor Weapon!"
"Could it be... a legendary Immortal Weapon?!" Xiao Qingluan murmured to herself.
Suddenly.
The black-and-white ruler pulsed with a mystical light, and a stream of information flooded directly into Xiao Qingluan's mind!
[Yin-Yang Celestial Ruler!]
[When Yin and Yang find their balance, the Heavenly Dao is revealed! The wielder of this ruler can initiate a Comparison with another cultivator once per month! The Comparison can encompass cultivation level, combat power, or martial techniques. The winner of the Comparison will receive a Heavenly Dao reward! Rewards include, but are not limited to: cultivation techniques, cultivation base, magical artifacts, spirit pills...]