Here's a question, if the fundamental laws of the universe started breaking down, would you be a hero and try to fix them? Or would you find a cheat code and get rich off the bugs?
For Lin Fan, that wasn't even a question. He'd take the cheat code every single time and live a cozy life.
And that was exactly what he was doing right now, lying back on his favorite bamboo recliner in his quiet little courtyard. The sun was nice and warm, a gentle breeze kept him cool, and it was a perfect day for doing absolutely nothing.
This was his routine, and he was very serious about it.
Officially, he was an elder of the Green Cloud Sect. But really, he didn't want any responsibilities, he had no pressure to cultivate like a madman, and he definitely didn't have time to train a bunch of snot-nosed disciples.
He is very busy enjoying his new life, no time at all left for anything or anyone else. It was his new job called permanent vacation, and he planned to be the best at his job.
"Ah, this is life," he mumbled to himself.
It had been a full year since he'd woken up in this world, inside this ridiculously handsome body. A whole year since good old Truck-kun had smashed his previous life as a stressed-out game designer and isekai'd him here.
From that moment on, he had decided not to waste a single day. He had diligently enjoyed every moment by doing as little as possible.
And this world is the Azure Flame Continent, a landmass that is millions of miles wide. He has no idea if it's a planet or some kind of flat-earth thing floating in space, but it was a world full of cultivators.
Here, the only thing that mattered was power. With enough cultivation, you could shatter a mountain with one punch, boil the sea with a glare, and live for thousands of years. Immortality wasn't just a genre to write on, it was real.
Because of that, everyone clawed at each other for every little resource, every pill, every technique that could give them an edge. They'd fight, kill, and scheme without a second thought.
But this whole world now has a big problem. A really big one.
A silent sickness was spreading around. People called it the Cultivation Collapse or Heaven's Resentment Curse. But whatever it is, it's a terror that keeps even the strongest old monsters up at night.
A cultivator could spend centuries training, getting stronger step by step, and then one day, without any warning, their own power would suddenly abandon them.
It would start with a little shake deep inside their spiritual foundation. Then their Qi, which was supposed to be stable and calm, would suddenly go wild and berserk.
This was what they called a Qi Deviation.
Their dantian, the core of their power, would crack or even shatter completely. All that hard work, all those centuries of effort, would just leak away in a few years, months, or sometimes just a few days. Everything they had, gone.
It happened to everyone. Young geniuses who were the hope of their sect, and ancient elders who had ruled for ages.
Nobody was safe.
The result was always a disaster. A mighty figure could be turned into a weak old man overnight.
Whole sects would disappear because all their strong members suddenly became mortals again. They just went back to being dirt, as helpless as the ants they used to look down on.
The entire continent was drowning in fear, and nobody had a cure.
Lin Fan, however, was not afraid. Not at all. Because he had the cure. He had the cheat code.
[Dungeon Game Designer System]
[Host: Lin Fan]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation, Level 3]
[Talent: Very Poor]
His cultivation was trash.
Any new disciple who had just joined the sect was probably stronger than him. But he really didn't care. This system was his real power. He used to be a dungeon game designer back on Earth, and now, he was a dungeon designer in this cultivation world, too.
It wasn't that he was a unique formation master. Other formation masters could open Secret Realms too, but those were just gates to places that already existed somewhere in the void.
What Lin Fan did was different. He didn't 'open' realms; he 'created them, just like he used to design dungeons back in his old job.
The catch with his created Secret Realms was pretty sweet too which also makes it him being the only one with the cure.
When other cultivators went into his dungeons, they fought monsters and leveled up, just like in a game. But the XP they earned was converted into a special Qi that stabilized their spiritual foundation.
No more Qi deviation. No more shattered dantians.
So to everyone else, he was this miracle worker, a genius formation master who created a divine training ground. To him, he was just farming them for XP while he lounged around in his chair. Lazy cultivation at its finest.
Just then, he heard a soft sound from his courtyard gate, and a female disciple walked in. A real beauty, dressed in the white robes of an inner sect disciple. Her black hair was long and silky, but her pretty face was pale with worry.
Lin Fan peeked at her from under one eyelid and gave her a good scan. Her waist was nice and small. Her chest was definitely not. Her legs were long and slender. He nodded to himself. 'Yep, grade-A jade beauty.'
The disciple saw him looking and hurried over to his chair, immediately dropping to her knees.
"Elder Lin Fan!" she cried out, her voice trembling. "Please, you must help this disciple!"
Lin Fan slowly sat up, putting on his most profound-looking elder face. He looked down at her. "Speak, disciple. What matter has brought you before this elder?"
"My name is Su Mei," she said, tears already welling up in her big eyes. "I am at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, attempting a breakthrough. But my Qi… it feels unstable. It is shaking within me. I am so afraid, Elder. I believe I have been afflicted by the Heaven's Resentment Curse."
Lin Fan just listened. This was a story he heard almost every day now. They always came to him like this, desperate and ready to beg.
He looked at Su Mei again. Her eyes were big and wet. Her robes were pulled tight across her chest, and one of the buttons loose and another struggling for its life due to tightness, as if it would snap any moment, giving him a great view, a divine view. It was amazing how desperation made these proud beauties bold.
He liked that a lot.
"I have heard tales of your Secret Realms, Elder," Su Mei said, her voice full of hope. "All say they are a miracle, that they can restore a cultivator's foundation. Please, grant me entry. This disciple will do anything!"
A small smile played on Lin Fan's lips. "Anything?"
Su Mei's face immediately turned red. She was a smart girl; she knew exactly what he meant. All the disciples who came looking for him were smart.
"But I am certain you have heard other whispers," he said, testing her. "Rumors say that I am some kind of a charlatan, peddling unorthodox arts. Are you not concerned you might be led down an unorthodox path?"
Su Mei shook her head fiercely. "I have spoken to those who received your blessing, Elder. I believe in your righteous methods." As she said that, her chest heaved up and down, and Lin Fan's eyes stayed glued to that button, to that divine view while he nodded seriously.
"Opening my Secret Realms is not a simple matter," Pure bullshit, it was easy as thinking a thought. "It drains this elder's essence. It is very taxing."
"I have spirit stones!" Su Mei said quickly, pulling out a small pouch. "It is all my savings. Please, accept them."
Lin Fan waved his hand dismissively. "This elder has no need for such worldly things." His eyes never left her.
Su Mei bit her lip, knowing what was coming. It was the only price he ever seemed to ask from the female disciples. Her face got even redder, but her fear of losing her cultivation was a lot stronger than her pride.
She shuffled closer on her knees, and her voice dropped to a soft, breathy whisper. "Elder Lin, this disciple is very skilled at massages. My… my hands are very soft. I can help you relax and recover your energy."
Lin Fan's smile widened. "A massage... hmm. Indeed, such a service could replenish this elder's energies. Sincerity is the foundation of the Dao, after all."
"I am very sincere, Elder," she whispered, leaning forward. He got a whiff of her flowery scent, and that divine view from the loose button got even better. He practically gulped.
"Very well," Lin Fan said, wiping a bit of drool from the corner of his mouth as he stood up. "Your sincerity has moved this elder. Follow me, and I shall open the gateway for you."
Su Mei's face lit up with pure joy and relief. "Thank you, Elder! Thank you so much!"
He led her to a smaller courtyard behind his main one. In the center of it was a huge stone pillar, about ten meters tall and covered in weird runes. This was the Obelisk, the entrance to his dungeons. Lin Fan put his hand on the cold stone, and the system menu appeared in his mind.
[Select Secret Realm Template]
[> Goblin Forest (Level 1-10)]
[> Skeleton Cave (Level 11-20)]
[> Cursed Temple (Locked)]
He picked 'Goblin Forest'. It was perfect for someone at her level.
[Create New Party?]
[> Yes / No]
He thought, 'Yes'.
[Party Leader: Lin Fan]
[Invite Member: _ ]
He glanced over at Su Mei.
[Member Added: Su Mei]
And now for the most important part.
[Set Loot Distribution]
[XP Share: Party Leader (50%) / Members (50%)]
[Loot Share: Party Leader (50%) / Members (50%)]
Lin Fan sneered in his head. He mentally adjusted the sliders.
[XP Share: Lin Fan (90%) / Su Mei (10%)]
[Loot Share: Lin Fan (100%) / Su Mei (0%)]
Perfect. She would go in there and do all the hard work, fight for her life, and he would get almost all the rewards while sitting comfortably in his chair. The 10% XP she got was just enough to stabilize her foundation and help her break through. It was a win-win. Mostly for him, of course.
"The gateway will now open," he announced to Su Mei, clicking the final option in his mind.
The runes on the stone pillar started to glow with a soft green light. A swirling green portal appeared on its surface.
Su Mei gasped, her eyes wide with amazement. "It is real!"
"Enter," Lin Fan said. "The Qi within that realm is perfectly stable. It is filled with small, green spirit beasts. Slay them, and your own Qi will grow stronger and more stable. But be warned. Death within the realm is final. This elder cannot save you. Do you accept these terms?"
She nodded, her face turning serious. She looked from the portal back to him. "Elder, I will never forget your kindness. I will come to your chambers tonight to perform my... sincere massage."
"This elder will be waiting," Lin Fan said, keeping his face straight while his eyes were practically sparkling with perverted glee.
Su Mei took one last deep breath, stepped into the green portal, and vanished. The portal swirled shut, and the glowing runes went dark.
Lin Fan turned around, walked back to his bamboo recliner, and plopped down. He grabbed a juicy red fruit from the small table beside him and took a big bite.
He closed his eyes again, pulling up his system screen.
[Status: Su Mei has entered the 'Goblin Forest'.]
He let out a low chuckle, his handsome face twisting into a perverted scumbag who couldn't wait for the night to come. He wiped the drool again.
Life is damn good.