Chapter 38: Lottery Windfall

Lin Fan walked away from the chaotic central plaza, leaving the sputtering fury of Deacon Meng and the bewildered murmurings of the Outer Sect disciples behind him. The penalty of one month cleaning the Spirit Beast Stables was less than meaningless to him; it was a trivial inconvenience, a footnote compared to the staggering success of his objective. He checked his system interface again, savoring the number: 15,105 System Points. Earned in mere minutes through a calculated act of outrageous squandering. This was the true efficiency of the system.

His steps were directed towards the Northern Paddock, where the stables were located, but his mind was already elsewhere. The lottery called. He had postponed it to execute his SP-generating plan, and now, flush with points, it was time to reap the rewards.

He veered off the main path as he approached the less-frequented Northern Paddock area, finding a small, secluded grove of hardy mountain trees nestled between rocky outcrops, well hidden from casual view. Ensuring privacy, he sat down, closed his eyes, and brought forth the dazzling interface of the Infinite Squandering System's lottery function.

15,105 points. Enough for 151 draws. Doing them all seemed excessive, potentially flooding him with too many items at once and perhaps even drawing unwanted attention from the system itself, if such a thing were possible. A substantial number, however, was definitely warranted.

"System," he commanded, feeling the familiar thrill of anticipation, "Perform fifty standard Lottery Draws. Execute consecutively."

[Acknowledged. 50x Qi Refinement Lottery Draws initiated. Deducting 5000 System Points.]

[Current System Points: 15,105 - 5000 = 10,105]

Ten thousand points still in reserve. Perfect. The wheel of light flared brilliantly, spinning at impossible speeds as the system processed fifty draws in rapid succession. Notifications flooded Lin Fan's mind as items began materializing silently on the ground around him, forming a considerably larger pile than his previous draws.

DING!

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Qi Sight' (Low-Grade Sensory Skill - Auto Mastered)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Bottle of 5x Foundation Tempering Pills' (Low-Grade Pre-Breakthrough Pills)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Shadow Walker Cloak' (Low-Grade Stealth Gear)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Manual: Advanced Wind Blade Variations']

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Chunk of Spirit Iron Ore' (Mid-Grade Forging Material)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Reusable Barrier Talisman' (Low-Grade Defensive Talisman)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Set of 3x Eagle Eye Talismans' (Sensory Boost Talisman)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Alchemy Recipe: Qi Recovery Pill (Basic)']

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Pair of Swiftwind Boots' (Low-Grade Speed Enhancing Gear)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Pouch of 100x High-Grade Spirit Stones'] (A slight chuckle escaped Lin Fan – the system giving him back pocket change).

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Minor Poison Resistance Pill' (x3)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Focusing Incense Sticks' (Aids Concentration during Cultivation/Study)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Technique: Earth Spike' (Low-Grade Earth Element Attack - Auto Mastered)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Weighted Training Vest' (Mundane Training Gear)]

[Congratulations! You have drawn: 'Map to Minor Spirit Stone Vein (Outer Sect Region - Depleted)'] (Useless for him, but maybe tradeable). ...

The stream continued – more pills of varying types (healing, temporary buffs, standard Qi), various low-grade materials, common technique scrolls for weapons he didn't use, utility items like glow stones and water pouches, and the occasional genuinely interesting piece of gear or skill.

After a minute, the light faded. Lin Fan surveyed the large pile of items surrounding him. Fifty draws yielded a much wider variety than his previous attempts. He quickly began organizing, feeding items into his Mid-Grade Storage Ring.

He mentally categorized the highlights:

Skills/Techniques:

'Qi Sight' (Low-Grade Sensory Skill): Instantly mastered. Allowed him to perceive the flow and relative strength of Qi within cultivators (below Foundation Establishment), beasts, and even some objects. A significant upgrade to his perception.

'Advanced Wind Blade Variations' (Manual): Not instantly mastered, but a manual detailing ways to modify his existing Wind Blade Technique – perhaps creating sharper blades, curved trajectories, or multi-blades. Required study.

'Earth Spike' (Low-Grade Earth Attack): Instantly mastered. His first earth-element attack, allowing him to cause sharp spikes of rock to erupt from the ground. Added elemental variety to his offense.

Gear:

'Shadow Walker Cloak' (Low-Grade Stealth Gear): A dark cloak that seemed to subtly absorb light and dampen sound when Qi was channeled into it. Offered minor concealment.

'Swiftwind Boots' (Low-Grade Speed Gear): Boots designed to slightly enhance movement speed and reduce stamina cost when infused with Qi. Would likely stack well with his enhanced Wind Step.

'Reusable Barrier Talisman' (Low-Grade Defense): A jade talisman that could project a defensive light barrier capable of blocking several Qi Refinement level attacks. Unlike single-use talismans, it could be recharged with Qi multiple times (perhaps 5-10 uses) before finally breaking. Very practical.

Pills:

'Foundation Tempering Pills' (Low-Grade, 5x): The most significant pills. Specifically designed to strengthen the body and meridians in preparation for the difficult breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. Highly valuable even in the Inner Sect.

Other Notables: An actual alchemy recipe ('Qi Recovery Pill'), more materials including Mid-Grade Spirit Iron, useful talismans ('Eagle Eye'), and concentration aids ('Focusing Incense').

Lin Fan felt extremely satisfied. The 5000 SP investment yielded excellent returns, particularly the Qi Sight skill, the Foundation Tempering Pills, and the Reusable Barrier Talisman.

He immediately equipped the Shadow Walker Cloak over his vest and under his outer robe, and swapped his standard boots for the Swiftwind Boots. He then activated Qi Sight. The world subtly shifted. He could now perceive the faint Qi signatures of distant disciples, the flow of energy within the trees of the grove, the concentrated energy within his own Dantian, and even the faint residual energy signatures left by his own lottery item materializations. It was a powerful new sensory tool.

With his gains secured and integrated, Lin Fan finally turned his attention back to the mundane reality of his penalty task. He stood up, dusted himself off, ensured his appearance was unremarkable save for the quality sword on his back, and exited the secluded grove.

He followed the signs towards the Northern Paddock Spirit Beast Stables. As he approached, the sounds and smells became unmistakable – the snorts, bellows, and chirps of various beasts, mingled with the pungent aroma of animal dung and feed. The facility consisted of several large, fenced paddocks holding various low-to-mid level spiritual beasts used by the sect (perhaps for transport, materials, or basic training), along with long, low stable buildings and sheds. Several disciples in soiled robes were engaged in the laborious tasks of mucking out stalls, hauling feed, and scrubbing down muddy beasts.

A stern-faced, muscular Outer Disciple, clearly older and stronger than the others (perhaps peak seventh layer Qi Refinement), leaned against a fence post, overseeing the work with a bored expression. This was likely the supervisor for the stables, or at least for the penalty workers.

Lin Fan walked up calmly. "Disciple Lin Fan, reporting for assigned service," he stated, holding out his disciple token which would show the penalty assignment.

The supervisor eyed him up and down, a flicker of recognition mixed with disdain crossing his face. He clearly knew who Lin Fan was and why he was here. "Lin Fan," he grunted, taking the token briefly to verify. "Right on time. Thought someone like you might try to skip out." He gestured towards a particularly large pile of manure near a pen holding agitated-looking, boar-like beasts. "Grab a shovel. That pen needs mucking out. Don't slack off."

Lin Fan glanced at the steaming pile of dung, then back at the supervisor, his expression unreadable. Cleaning stables for a month. A fittingly mundane punishment for someone who could casually give away fortunes. He merely nodded. "Understood."

He walked towards the indicated pen, ignoring the curious or scornful glances from the other disciples performing their duties. His mind, however, was already calculating. How could he make this 'penalty' productive, or at least, less tedious? Perhaps it was an opportunity to observe Spirit Beasts up close, or maybe… test some new skills discreetly. The next month promised to be... fragrant.