Lin Fan lay back in his chair. He closed his eyes, but he was not sleeping. A small screen floated in front of his vision. It was the System's spectator mode. He could see everything Su Mei was seeing.
She was in a dark forest. Tall, twisted trees grew everywhere. Small green creatures with sharp teeth and big ears jumped at her. They were goblins, the weakest monsters in his dungeon template.
Swish!
Su Mei swung her sword. It was a clean strike. The blade cut a goblin in half. Green blood sprayed on the ground.
Instantly, a series of notifications appeared in Lin Fan's mind. Only he could see these notifications.
['Su Mei' has killed a Level 5 Goblin.]
[Base Reward: 10 XP.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +10 Currency.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +9 XP.]
[Su Mei receives: +1 XP.]
Lin Fan felt a small flow of energy enter his body. It was his 9 XP. He smiled.
[Su Mei's XP is automatically converted into a special 'Qi'. This special Qi will repair and strengthen her cultivation foundation.]
"Perfect," Lin Fan whispered to himself. "This is the perfect scam."
Su Mei did not know about XP. She just felt a tiny, warm Qi enter her body after the kill. She didn't even need to perform any breathing exercise, the Qi flowed towards and assimilated within her.
It flowed to her dantian.
The shaking inside her felt a little calmer. She thought it was a miracle of this unique Secret Realm. She felt hopeful.
She gripped her sword tighter and charged at another goblin.
Lin Fan watched her fight. He sipped his tea. He was like a man watching a very interesting movie.
Another goblin died.
[Disciple 'Su Mei' has killed a Level 5 Goblin.]
[Base Reward: 10 XP.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +10 Currency.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +9 XP.]
[Disciple Su Mei receives: +1 XP (Converted to a special Qi).]
Lin Fan checked his own status.
[Host: Lin Fan]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation, Level 3]
[Progress to Level 4: 20/1000 XP]
He had a long way to go. But he did not have to move. He just had to wait.
"Lin Fan!"
Suddenly a sharp, angry voice came from his courtyard gate. Lin Fan opened his eyes. An old man in grey robes stood there. His face is angry. It was Elder Chen, the head alchemist.
"Elder Chen," Lin Fan said, not bothering to get up. "You look angry today, again. Is your stomach not good after eating pills all day?"
Elder Chen stomped into the courtyard. "Do not play games with me! A disciple, Su Mei, came to see you. What demonic trick are you using on these Disciples?"
Lin Fan sighed. This old man was like a broken record.
"Elder Chen, we have had this talk," Lin Fan said calmly. "I am a formation master. This Obelisk is my greatest creation. It uses the principles of heaven and earth to create a safe training space. It is pure Dao, not demonic arts."
This was pure cultivation bullshit, his perfect lie, his perfect cover story.
"Formations cannot do this!" Elder Chen shouted, his face red. "They can trap enemies, confuse the mind, defend a city or open gates to Lost Realms. They cannot fix a cultivator's broken foundation! It is impossible! You are a fraud, and you are endangering our sect!"
"Endangering the sect?" Lin Fan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did Sect Master send you with this message?"
Mentioning the Sect Master was like pouring water on Elder Chen's fire. The Sect Master was very happy. His disciples were getting stronger without the risk of Qi deviation. The Green Cloud Sect's reputation was growing.
"The whole sect knows that the Sect Master supports me. Who are you to question my methods?"
"You... you are hiding something," Elder Chen sputtered. "One day, your evil secret will be revealed. And I will be there!"
"I will save you a front-row seat," Lin Fan said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, please leave. You are disturbing my very important work."
He closed his eyes, pretending to focus. Elder Chen huffed in anger and stormed out of the courtyard.
Lin Fan napped for an hour and then reopened his spectator mode to check upon Su Mei. She's been fighting for over an hour. She was tired and had a few cuts, but she was still going. His XP bar was climbing steadily.
[Progress to Level 4: 850/1000 XP]
"Almost there," Lin Fan thought with a grin.
Suddenly, a huge goblin appeared. It was twice as tall as the others and held a crude stone club. It was the boss monster.
Every other disciple who came to fix their foundation ran away at this moment, None has ever attempted the Goblin Boss, he hoped Su Mei would.
Su Mei saw it. Her face turned pale with fear, but also with determination. She knew this was her final test. She took a deep breath and charged.
The fight was hard. The goblin boss was strong and smashed the ground with its club. Su Mei dodged and weaved, using her sword to make small cuts. She was exhausted, but she did not give up. With a final shout, she put all her remaining Qi into one powerful stab.
The sword went right through the goblin boss's heart.
The giant creature fell with a loud thud.
Lin Fan's mind exploded with notifications.
[Goblin Boss Defeated by Su Mei!]
[Base Reward: 1500 XP!]
[Loot Drop: Goblin King's Crude Sword (Green Tier)!]
[Currency: 650 units]
[Applying XP Distribution Rule: 90/10.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +1350 XP!]
[Item 'Goblin King's Crude Sword' sent to Host's System Inventory.]
[Disciple Su Mei receives: +150 XP (Converted to a special Qi).]
[XP Threshold Reached! You are ready to level up.]
Lin Fan didn't wait and chose to level up.
[You have Leveled Up!]
[Host: Lin Fan]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation, Level 4]
[Strength +1, Agility +1]
A warm, powerful wave of energy flooded Lin Fan's body. He felt his muscles get stronger, his senses sharper. He had leveled up just by sitting in his chair.
"Hahaha! This is the best!" he laughed.
Su Mei was panting hard on the ground wondering what's left. Not realizing that she has completed the Dungeon Run.
Her mission was complete. Lin Fan activated the Portal and a Portal opened in front of Su Mei.
The stone Obelisk glowed. The green exit portal opened. Su Mei stumbled out, covered in dirt and green blood. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were shining with pure joy.
She immediately felt the change in her body. The unstable, shaking Qi was now calm and solid like a rock. Power was gathering in her dantian, ready for the next step.
"Elder! It worked! My foundation... it's perfect!" she cried, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks.
Lin Fan stood up and walked to her, putting on his kindest, most mysterious smile. "I told you it would. The Dao of my formation is profound."
"Those filthy green creatures? I have never heard, seen or read about them. What are they?" She asked with fascination. "Their corpses vanished into dust and smoke when they died."
Lin Fan smiled. "That's the perk of my Formations, how I designed it. The hard work I poured into it." He lied shamelessly, he didn't do any hard work. It was not a hard coding job like he had previously.
He thought and imagined and System did it. All done in a few seconds. In fact. This Goblin Forest is a standard template for the beginners to show the basics of Dungeon design.
Su Mei nodded.
He looked at the setting sun. "You have fought hard, disciple. You need rest." He paused, his smile turning slightly perverted. "And I have worked hard to maintain the realm. My energy is very low. I need to recover too."
Su Mei's face blushed a bright red. She looked down and nodded shyly. "Yes, Elder. This disciple understands. I will come to your room tonight and help you recover well."