The roar of the crowd was deafening. Reporters were shoving recording crystals in their faces. Disciples were screaming for autographs. Elder Mo looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.
Jiang Fan took one look at the chaos and decided he would rather fight the bear again.
"System," he whispered. "Activate Reward: Pocket Dimension."
[ Acknowledged. ][ Teleportation initiating in 3... 2... 1... ]
The world twisted. The noise of the arena was cut off instantly, like a candle being snuffed out.
The blinding sunlight was replaced by a soft, perpetual golden hour glow.
Gu Ling blinked, her internal sensors going haywire for a second. She reset her gyroscopes and looked around.
They were standing—well, she was hovering—on a floating island about the size of a football field. It was suspended in a sea of fluffy, pink-tinted clouds. A gentle breeze smelled like vanilla and fresh rain. In the center of the island stood a small, cozy bamboo cottage with a porch that looked perfect for lounging.
"What..." Gu Ling's voice echoed slightly with her new metallic resonance. "Where are we?"
"Home," Jiang Fan sighed, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. He walked over to the grass and flopped down face-first. "The System calls it the 'Pocket Dimension.' I call it 'The No-Bother Zone'."
Gu Ling glided forward, her chair humming softly. She extended a mechanical sensor array to scan the area.
"Spatial stability is 100%. Qi density is... heavens above." She looked at the readout on her mental display. "The Qi here is ten times denser than the Inner Sect. Just breathing this air is equivalent to meditating."
"Really?" Jiang Fan rolled over. "That's efficient. I can cultivate just by breathing. I love this place."
He sat up and rubbed his hands together.
"Okay. Time for the unboxing video. Let's see what we won."
THE SYSTEM UPGRADE
Jiang Fan waved his hand, and the blue interface expanded into a massive golden window.
[ SYSTEM UPDATE 2.0 DETECTED ][ Reason: Host has formed a "Party" and defeated a "Stage 6 Elite." ][ Installing Patch... Complete. ]
[ NEW FEATURE: SECT MANAGER (Beta) ]
Description: You are no longer just a lazy individual. You are a lazy leader. You can now distribute "Idle XP" and "Resources" to registered Party Members.
[ NEW FEATURE: THE AUTO-FARM ]
Description: A small plot of land in the Pocket Dimension where you can plant Spirit Herbs. They will grow automatically while you sleep. No watering required.
Jiang Fan's eyes lit up. "Passive farming? Sold."
He tapped the [Rewards] tab.
[ ITEM: Bottle of Heavenly Spirit Sap (x5) ]
Effect: Purifies meridians and drastically increases comprehension. Can be used to heal deep nerve damage.
[ ITEM: Blueprint - The Lazy Guardian (Automaton) ]
Effect: Builds a golem that defends your base.
[ ITEM: Skill Book - "Shared Burden" ]
Effect: You can transfer 10% of your Idle XP gain to your teammates.
Jiang Fan stared at the Spirit Sap. He looked at Gu Ling, who was busy analyzing the molecular structure of the grass.
"Hey, Cyborg," he called out.
Gu Ling turned, her violet eyes curious. "Don't call me that."
"Catch."
He tossed a small crystal vial at her. Her mechanical spider leg snatched it out of the air faster than a human eye could blink.
"What is this?" She inspected the glowing amber liquid. "The energy signature is immense."
"Heavenly Spirit Sap," Jiang Fan explained, opening a bag of chips he pulled from his inventory. "It repairs nerve damage and strengthens spirit connections. You just had surgery to fuse your spine with a machine. Drink that, and it should stop the phantom itching."
Gu Ling stared at the vial. This was a treasure that even the Sect Master would fight for. And he just tossed it to her like a piece of candy.
"Jiang Fan... this is priceless."
"If your interface lags during a fight, I have to work harder to cover you," Jiang Fan reasoned between munches. "It's an investment in my own laziness. Drink it."
Gu Ling hesitated, then uncorked the vial and downed it.
Immediately, a warm golden glow surrounded her chair. She gasped. The slight, nagging static she felt at the base of her spine—the friction between flesh and metal—vanished. The connection became seamless. It felt like her chair wasn't just attached to her; it was her.
She extended her sensory field. She could feel the texture of the wind. She could feel the heartbeat of the bamboo house.
"It's... silent," she whispered. "The pain is gone."
Jiang Fan smiled. "Good. Now, I have stuff for the nerd squad and the fat one."
He sorted the rest of the loot.
For Fatty Wu:The Pill of Iron Stomach. (Allows him to eat anything and convert it to Qi. Perfect for a guy who loves food).
For Han Yu:Blueprint: Scrap-Metal Golem. (He likes building junk; this will teach him to build good junk).
For Little Que:Beast Taming Manual: The Insect Queen. (She likes bugs. This will make her bugs scary).
"I'll give it to them later," Jiang Fan muttered, storing the items. "Right now, I need to check one last thing."
He pulled out the Mysterious Egg.
It was the size of an ostrich egg, black with veins of pulsating gold magma. It was warm to the touch.
[ System Alert: Egg requires 1,000,000 XP to hatch. ][ Current contribution: 0/1,000,000 ]
"A million XP?" Jiang Fan groaned. "That's like... a week of sleeping. You better be a dragon, little guy. If you're a chicken, I'm making an omelet."
He placed the egg in the corner of the bamboo hut, wrapped in a blanket.
THE SUMMONS
"We can't stay here forever," Gu Ling said, floating over to the edge of the island. She looked down into the pink clouds. "The Sect Master summoned us. If we ghost him, he'll declare us rogue cultivators and hunt us down."
"I know, I know," Jiang Fan stood up and dusted off his pants. "I just wanted ten minutes of peace."
He walked over to her. The contrast between them was striking—him in his wrinkled, loose robes, looking like a beggar, and her in her sleek, glowing mechanical throne, looking like a queen from the future.
"Are you ready?" Jiang Fan asked. "The Sect Master isn't like Elder Mo. He's actually smart. He's going to ask how a Stage 4 nobody and a paralyzed girl defeated his Golden Child."
Gu Ling checked her weapons. The ice cannons hummed. Her spider legs sharpened.
"Let him ask," Gu Ling said, her voice filled with a new, cold confidence. "I am not the same girl he ignored for ten years. We have leverage now."
"Leverage?"
"We are stronger than his best student," Gu Ling smirked. "And we have the patents for my chair. If he wants the Sect to advance, he needs us more than we need him."
Jiang Fan whistled. "Ruthless. I like it."
He grabbed her shoulder.
"System, exit Pocket Dimension. Destination: Sect Master's Palace."
[ Teleporting... ]
THE SECT MASTER'S STUDY
The transition was instant. The fresh air of the island was replaced by the smell of old books and sandalwood.
They appeared in a massive circular room lined with thousands of scrolls. In the center sat the Sect Master, behind a simple wooden desk. Elder Mo stood in the corner, looking like he had sucked on a lemon.
The Sect Master didn't look surprised that they appeared out of thin air. He just put down his brush.
"Space-Time manipulation," the Sect Master noted calmly. "No chanting. No artifacts visible. Interesting."
Gu Ling floated forward. She didn't bow. She simply nodded.
"Sect Master."
Elder Mo exploded. "Insolence! Kneel before the Sect Master! You use forbidden demonic arts to modify your body, and you dare stand tall?"
"I cannot kneel, Elder Mo," Gu Ling said coolly. "As you have reminded me for years... my legs do not work."
"You—!"
"Enough," the Sect Master raised a hand. The pressure in the room vanished.
He looked at Jiang Fan.
"Jiang Fan. Three months ago, you were on the list for expulsion. You had zero talent. You were lazy. Today, you crushed Long Aotian with a gravity technique that shouldn't exist in this realm."
The Sect Master leaned forward.
"I don't care about your secrets. Everyone has secrets. What I care about is loyalty."
He placed a token on the desk. It was made of black jade, carved with a dragon.
"The Secret Realm of the Ancestors opens in two days. Usually, I send a team of ten. This year, I am sending just you two."
Jiang Fan frowned. "Just us? That sounds like extra work."
"It is," the Sect Master admitted. "Because inside that realm lies the Core of the Mountain. It is failing. If it dies, the Sect's spiritual veins dry up. We all become mortals."
He looked at Gu Ling's mechanical legs.
"Your technology... and your unique cultivation," he looked at Jiang Fan. "You are the only ones weird enough to fix it."
"If we refuse?" Jiang Fan asked.
"Then I confiscate your snacks," the Sect Master said with a straight face.
Jiang Fan froze. He narrowed his eyes.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
Jiang Fan sighed. He looked at Gu Ling.
"He held my snacks hostage. We have no choice."
Gu Ling rolled her eyes, but she picked up the black jade token.
"We accept," she said. "But on one condition."
"Name it."
"Elder Mo," Gu Ling pointed a mechanical finger at the spluttering old man. "He tried to blow up my workshop. I want his budget. All of it. Transferred to the Frost Forge Pavilion."
The Sect Master smiled. It was a terrifying smile.
"Done."
Elder Mo fainted.