Inside the Goblin Forest, Elder Ning Xinyi was a force of nature.
She killed Goblin Boss in one casual attack, and didn't even bother to look at it. Lin Fan was in shock as a series of system notifications showed the same loot as Su Mei got after killing the Goblin Boss.
Lin Fan started drooling at the fact that 500 runs is going to be very profitable. He hasn't noticed that he has underestimated Ning Xinyi.
At first, the dark, twisted trees and hidden paths were confusing. Her first run through the dungeon, killing every goblin including the boss, took her nearly ten minutes. Su Mei took more than an hour.
Also Ning Xinyi was being cautious, learning the layout.
The second run took five minutes.
By her third run, she had a perfect map of the entire forest in her mind. She knew where every goblin pack was camping. She knew the fastest route to the Goblin boss.
After that, it was no longer a fight. It was a speedrun.
She moved like a blue cold phantom through the forest. A flash of sword light would erupt, and an entire group of goblins would turn into Ice dust and XP notifications for Lin Fan. She did not even need to use powerful techniques. A simple flick of her wrist was enough.
A run now took two minutes. Sometimes, if she was fast, she could do it in 90 seconds.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan was sitting in her courtyard, watching his System screen with a growing sense of horror and regret.
The notifications were a blur.
[Host Lin Fan receives: +9 XP.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +10 Currency.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +9 XP.]
[Host Lin Fan receives: +10 Currency.]
His XP bar was filling up at a crazy speed. His currency was skyrocketing. But all he could feel was pain. The pain of a terrible business decision.
"Five hundred times," he muttered to himself, clutching his head. "Why did I only say five hundred? I am the world's biggest idiot!"
At this rate, she would finish the entire quest in less than a day. He should have said five thousand. Or fifty thousand! He could have milked this one dungeon for weeks!
While Lin Fan was cursing himself, Ning Xinyi was having her own thoughts.
After her very first kill, she felt the violent shaking in her dantian stop completely. After the third or fourth run, her foundation, which had felt like cracked glass, was now as solid and stable as steel.
A logical thought appeared in her mind: 'I am already cured. My foundation is stronger than it has ever been. Do I really need to kill these weak green creatures 496 more times?'
The chore seemed pointless. But then, she remembered Lin Fan's serious, romantic words. 'Samsara Foundation Reforging Art... like forging a divine sword... you cannot stop halfway.'
She immediately pushed all doubts out of her mind. Lin Fan was the grandmaster. He knew the profound secrets. This must be a necessary step to ensure her foundation would never crack again. She must trust the process.
So, she found a new motivation. The task was no longer a chore. It became a game. A personal challenge. She started competing with herself.
'Last run was 105 seconds. This time, I will do it in 100.'
The act of destroying the goblins was also a great way to vent all the fear and frustration she had felt for the past one month. With every flash of her sword, she felt lighter and more powerful.
In what felt like no time at all, the final run was complete. The green portal opened, and she stepped out into her courtyard. She was not even breathing hard. There was not a single speck of dust on her blue robes.
Lin Fan immediately stood up, his face a mask of praise and adoration. "Xinyi! You have returned! That was magnificent! A perfect, flawless execution of the purification ritual!" he said, his voice full of passion.
Inside, he was screaming: 'It's over! It's over already! My first big client, and I messed up the contract!'
She blushed at his open admiration. She had never been spoken to like this before. She felt a strange warmth in her chest. "Thank you, Elder Lin. I followed your instructions."
"Are you tired? Do you need to rest?" he asked, trying to sound concerned.
She shook her head. The feeling of a stable, powerful core was exhilarating. She felt like she could fight for three days straight. "Not at all. I feel wonderful. I could do another five hundred runs if needed."
Lin Fan's heart stopped. 'Did she just say...?'
But she did not voice the idea as a serious offer. To her, the number 500 was a sacred rule set by the grandmaster. She would not dare to suggest changing it.
Lin Fan, being a scumbag and not a mind reader, missed the golden opportunity. He assumed she was just being polite. He quickly moved on to the next phase of his plan before she could change her mind about their "payment."
"Excellent," he said with a serious expression. "The purification was only the first step. It was a warm-up, to prepare your foundation for the real test."
He gestured to the Obelisk. "Now, we begin the true reforging. The next realm is called the 'Skeleton Cave'."
His tone became genuinely serious. This was not a lie. "Listen to me carefully, Xinyi. I have not tested this Secret realm with anyone else, but you are an expert so I trust your expertise. The creatures inside are different. They are undead, animated by resentment. Your normal attacks might be less effective. Do not get complacent just because the first trial was easy. This is where the real danger begins. This is where the real Foundation Forging begins."
His genuine warning made his entire act more believable. She saw him as a Master who was not just powerful, but also careful and responsible.
"You would have to do this 500 times too so brace yourself and be careful."
She nodded, her expression turning serious as well. "I understand. I will be careful."
Lin Fan activated the next dungeon on his System. The green portal on the Obelisk turned a ghostly white. A cold, dead air flowed out from it.
She gave him one last look of trust, then stepped through the portal without hesitation.
The moment she was gone, Lin Fan checked his status.
[Currency: 350,650]
He had enough to buy new dungeon slots. He let out a happy, perverted giggle. The milf mommy was a treasure trove.