Back within the meager confines of his hut, Lin Fan sat cross-legged on his worn straw mat. The door was shut, a flimsy barrier against the outside world, but his focus was entirely inward. The intricate pathways of the Nine Cycles Refining Art flowed through his mind, as natural as breathing.
He took a deep breath, initiating the technique. Immediately, the ambient spiritual energy – thin and sparse as it was in the Outer Sect courtyard – rushed towards him, drawn like iron filings to a magnet. It flowed through his meridians along the new, complex routes, nine distinct minor cycles completing before merging into one major circulation. The efficiency was staggering compared to the sluggish crawl of the basic 'Azure Origin Chant'.
This alone is incredible, Lin Fan thought, excitement bubbling within him. But the system gave me infinite wealth for a reason.
His eyes snapped open. He looked at the remaining 65 System Points displayed on the mental interface. Not enough for another draw. And that Novice Mission – "First Taste of Power" – required him to use a system reward to achieve something tangible. The reward was the technique itself. The obstacle? His own weak cultivation base, and perhaps... annoyances like Zhao Feng.
He needed to cultivate, fast. And he had the means.
With a thought, a single, gleaming High-Grade Spirit Stone appeared in his palm. Its pure, concentrated energy felt almost overwhelming. Cultivating directly with a High-Grade Spirit Stone was something only Core Disciples or Elders typically did! Even Inner Disciples mostly relied on Mid-Grade stones. Using one at the mere third layer of Qi Refinement was unheard of, potentially dangerous if one's meridians couldn't handle the influx.
But the Nine Cycles Refining Art felt robust, designed for rapid intake. Let's test the limits.
He grasped the stone, channeling the Nine Cycles Refining Art.
BOOM!
An invisible torrent of pure spiritual energy surged from the stone into his body. It felt like trying to drink a river through a straw. His meridians flared, aching under the strain, but the nine cycles spun frantically, absorbing, refining, and circulating the energy at a breathtaking pace. The High-Grade Spirit Stone, which could power a Sect's protective array for hours, visibly dimmed within minutes as Lin Fan devoured its essence.
His internal Qi, previously a trickle, swelled into a rushing stream. It grew denser, purer, impacting the bottleneck of the third layer. Under the sheer volume and purity of the energy, guided by the superior technique, the bottleneck that had held him back for over a year began to crack.
Crack... Peng!
With a soft sound audible only to him, the barrier shattered. His Qi surged forward, expanding his Dantian (the body's Qi reservoir) and strengthening his meridians. Warmth spread through his body, washing away fatigue and filling him with newfound strength.
Qi Refinement Realm, fourth layer!
He had broken through! Just like that! A process that might have taken him months, if not years, of painstaking effort with meager resources, was completed in less than fifteen minutes!
DING!
[Detected Host utilizing system reward ('Nine Cycles Refining Art') to overcome cultivation bottleneck.]
[Novice Mission: First Taste of Power - COMPLETE!]
[Rewards Issued: 200 System Points, 1x Bonus Low-Tier Lottery Ticket.]
[Current System Points: 65 + 200 = 265]
[Current Lottery Tickets: 1x Low-Tier]
Lin Fan opened his eyes, feeling the distinct increase in power. His senses were sharper, his body lighter, his connection to the surrounding spiritual energy stronger. The High-Grade Spirit Stone in his hand was now dull, depleted of nearly all its energy.
One High-Grade Spirit Stone took me from early stage third layer to solid fourth layer... The implications were terrifyingly wonderful. He could potentially reach the peak of Qi Refinement (ninth layer) in a matter of days, maybe even hours, if he just sat here and burned through High-Grade Spirit Stones!
But... the system thrived on squandering and interaction. Just sitting here cultivating wouldn't earn him points for more lottery draws, skills, or bloodlines. Power wasn't just about cultivation level; it was about techniques, tools, and abilities.
He needed more points. He now had 265, enough for two draws. Plus a free low-tier ticket. But more was always better.
Time to make a bigger splash, he decided. Giving away low-grade pills was one thing. Giving away Spirit Stones directly to Xiao Mei was better. What next?
He considered the Daily Giveaway Quota: 10,000 items. He'd barely used 110.
An idea formed. Outer disciples constantly lacked resources, not just pills or stones, but also basic tools – slightly better practice swords, durable robes, maybe even low-grade talismans for simple tasks.
Lin Fan stood up, flexing his fingers. He felt good. The fourth layer wasn't high, but it was a significant jump for him. Enough to handle minor annoyances.
He opened his hut door and stepped out. The commotion from the pill scramble had died down, but many disciples were still lingering, casting curious, envious, or greedy glances towards his hut.
Zhao Feng and his two lackeys were among them, standing a short distance away, whispering amongst themselves and glaring at Lin Fan. Zhao Feng's face was particularly dark. Lin Fan's sudden, inexplicable generosity had made him look foolish, and the potential source of such wealth gnawed at him.
Lin Fan ignored them for the moment. He cleared his throat, projecting his voice using a touch of his newly strengthened Qi.
"Attention, fellow disciples!"
Heads turned immediately. The courtyard fell silent.
"Yesterday's pills were just an appetizer," Lin Fan announced, a casual arrogance lacing his tone. "Today, I feel like clearing out some old inventory."
With a wave of his hand – a deliberately dramatic gesture – piles of items materialized on the ground before his hut. Not Spirit Stones this time, but practical goods. There were sturdy Ironwood Practice Swords, at least fifty of them, far better than the chipped, worn-out ones most outer disciples used. There were stacks of new Outer Disciple Robes, easily a hundred sets, made of tougher fabric and cleaner than the rags many wore. And most eye-catchingly, there was a small pile of Low-Grade Sharp Edge Talismans – single-use talismans that could briefly enchant a weapon or tool with extra cutting power. There were about thirty of them, each worth a significant sum to an outer disciple.
"Practice swords, new robes, some minor talismans," Lin Fan said lazily, gesturing at the piles. "Take what you need. One item per person, first come, first served. I've got no use for this junk anymore."
Junk?! The word echoed in the minds of the assembled disciples. Ironwood swords were prized! New robes were always needed! And Sharp Edge Talismans? Those could be life-savers during mandatory sect tasks like hunting low-level demonic beasts in the outer forests!
For a second, there was stunned silence. Then, pandemonium erupted, far exceeding the scramble for the pills.
"Ironwood Swords!" "New Robes! Finally!" "Sharp Edge Talisman! He's giving those away?!" "Don't push!"
Disciples surged forward like a tide, eyes blazing with desire. The scene was utter chaos.
DING!
[Detected large-scale squandering/giveaway action!]
[Triggered emotions: Intense Shock (+150 Points), Unbelievable Greed (+200 Points), Raging Envy (+250 Points), Utter Disbelief (+180 Points), Confusion (+50 Points), Fleeting Gratitude (among recipients, +100 Points)]
[Daily Giveaway Quota used: 50 (Swords) + 100 (Robes) + 30 (Talismans) = 180. Total Today: 180. Cumulative: 110 + 180 = 290/10,000][Total System Points earned: 930]
[Current System Points: 265 + 930 = 1195]
Almost a thousand points! Lin Fan grinned inwardly. This was more like it! Triggering stronger emotions in a larger crowd yielded far greater results. And he hadn't even touched his Spirit Stone hoard yet.
As the chaos unfolded, Zhao Feng and his two lackeys pushed through the crowd, their faces contorted with fury and greed. They managed to snatch an Ironwood Sword each, but their eyes were fixed on Lin Fan.
"Lin Fan!" Zhao Feng bellowed, shoving aside a smaller disciple who had just grabbed a robe. "Where did you get all this stuff? Did you rob an Inner Sect disciple? Or stumble upon some hidden cave?"
Lin Fan turned to face him, an amused expression on his face. "Rob? Cave? Zhao Feng, can't you comprehend that some people are just... wealthy?" He deliberately let his newfound fourth layer Qi Refinement aura leak out slightly.
Zhao Feng flinched, his eyes widening in shock. "Fourth layer?! You... how?! Yesterday you were third layer!"
The surrounding disciples, momentarily distracted from the goods, also sensed the change. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Breaking through a layer overnight? Unheard of! Unless... unless he used extremely precious resources!
"How?" Lin Fan chuckled. "Maybe I used a few High-Grade Spirit Stones for a quick cultivation session. They clutter up my storage ring, you know."
High-Grade Spirit Stones! Used for a quick session! The crowd sucked in a collective breath. This wasn't just wealth; it was insane luxury! Even Zhao Feng, whose family had some minor influence, felt a pang of intense jealousy. His father, a Sect Deacon, only gave him Mid-Grade stones occasionally!
"Impossible!" Zhao Feng snarled, though his voice lacked conviction. Greed and envy warred with fear. Lin Fan's sudden wealth and power spike were deeply unsettling. "You must have stolen them! Hand over your storage ring!"
He signaled his two lackeys, who hesitantly stepped forward, flanking him. They were only third layer and fourth layer respectively. Facing a newly advanced fourth layer Lin Fan, who also possessed seemingly infinite resources, was daunting.
Lin Fan sighed dramatically. "Still barking like a dog? I guess some ants never learn." He didn't even bother drawing the practice sword he still held. He simply channeled his purer, denser fourth layer Qi, refined by the Nine Cycles Art, into his palm.
"Since you're so eager to experience my 'stolen' goods..." Lin Fan said, taking a casual step forward. He didn't use a technique, just raw Qi reinforcement. He moved faster than Zhao Feng expected, appearing right before him.
Smack!
A crisp slap echoed through the courtyard. Lin Fan's hand, empowered by his superior Qi, struck Zhao Feng across the face with surprising force.
Zhao Feng stumbled back, a red handprint blooming on his cheek. He stared at Lin Fan in stunned disbelief. He, Zhao Feng, a proud fifth layer disciple, had been slapped by the former trash Lin Fan? Lin Fan was fourth layer. Yet, the slap landed clean and hard. Why? Because Lin Fan's Qi, refined by the Nine Cycles Art, was significantly purer and denser than Zhao Feng's Qi, cultivated using the sect's standard method. Quality trumped quantity in that brief exchange.
"You... you dare hit me?!" Zhao Feng roared, humiliation burning hotter than the sting on his cheek. He drew his own standard-issue sword, Qi flaring around him.
Lin Fan merely looked bored. "Why wouldn't I dare? You challenged me." He glanced at the two lackeys, who instinctively took a step back, intimidated by the slap Zhao Feng received.
"Consider this a free lesson," Lin Fan said calmly, his eyes sweeping over Zhao Feng and the stunned crowd. "My generosity has limits. My patience, even more so. Don't mistake my squandering for weakness."
He didn't need to fight further. The slap, his breakthrough, and the sheer absurdity of his wealth had made their point. Zhao Feng stood frozen, sword half-raised, torn between rage and a dawning realization that Lin Fan was no longer someone he could bully. The surrounding disciples watched with a mixture of fear, awe, and excitement.
Lin Fan turned his back on them, walking towards his hut amidst a sea of complicated stares. He had points, he had advanced, and he had put an old annoyance in his place.
Now, he thought, feeling the 1195 points burning a hole in his metaphorical system pocket, and the unused Low-Tier Lottery Ticket waiting. Let's see what fortune awaits in the next draw.