The sky was overcast.
Clouds rolled over the spirit forest like waves of ash, casting long, stretched shadows over the treetops.
Lin Fan sat cross-legged beneath his usual tree, legs numb, eyes closed, not cultivating — just breathing.
The Breathing Technique worked around the clock.
Even now, passive streams of spirit energy flowed through his pores, absorbed, filtered, and stored.
His soul power wasn't just denser—it was purer.
And alongside that slow refinement, the number in his system had been silently ticking upward.
He opened his eyes, and with a small mental nudge—
[System Menu]
Gacha Pulls: 10 available
Pull quality enhanced due to extended delay.
Tip: Using multiple pulls at once may result in chaotic outcomes.
▶ Pull x10
Lin Fan stared at the glowing [Pull x10] button.
"…I'm about to become either a genius or a certified idiot."
He pressed it.
[Gacha Pull Activated – 10x Multi-Roll]
Cross-fictional database accessed…
Expect randomness.
Items incoming.
The clearing around him trembled.
The air popped, and a series of *fwump-thud-sparkle-*noises echoed as objects materialized one by one, bouncing into the grass.
A glowing fishbowl — full of sentient, floating goldfish that blinked in sync.
A battle spatula — engraved with flames; suspiciously sticky.
A single black feather — cold to the touch and pulsing with something ancient.
A helmet made of rubber ducks.
A scroll titled "Ten Thousand Year-Old Social Anxiety: A Cultivator's Guide."
A small pouch filled with sugar cubes labeled 'Mood Stabilizers (Animal Use).'
A finger puppet of a dragon.
A sandwich. Still warm.
An empty vial that refilled when insulted.
And finally…
A tiny obsidian medallion in the shape of a broken eye. The moment it touched the earth, a pulse spread across the clearing.
Lin Fan's eyes narrowed.
He could feel it.
This one was different.
Item #10 Acquired: Soul Mark - "False Death Seal"
Origin: Classified
Effect:
Can mark the user with a death seal.
Causes all life force, soul signature, and presence to vanish.
Fool-proof for up to 24 hours.
Works once per recharge (7-day cooldown).
Can be activated instantly with intent.
Compatible with Cloak of Inversion and soul-type artifacts.
Lin Fan held it up between two fingers. The medallion was warm to the touch — not hot, but pulsing, like a heartbeat.
"…Now this is useful."
This was more than stealth.
This was invisibility to fate.
With this, he could fake death if cornered… or deceive detection techniques from enemies and spirit beasts.
And the best part?
It could even fool divine senses.
He slipped it into a hidden pocket inside his new cloak and exhaled slowly.
The rest of the loot was, to be fair, utterly insane.
He took one look at the fishbowl and sealed it inside his inventory before the synchronized blinking gave him a headache.
The sandwich? Eaten. Decent. Bit too much mustard.
The helmet of ducks?
He stared at it.
Then slowly placed it on his head.
"Quack."
He removed it immediately.
"That one's a joke item."
Probably.
He hoped.
By sunset, the clearing was clean again.
Lin Fan sat on the branch of a high tree, watching the village in the distance through narrowed eyes. The fires were lit. A couple of torches flickered near the outer fence.
He saw Huo Yuhao hauling buckets again.
"Still stuck," Lin Fan murmured. "But not for much longer."
Because fate was creeping closer. Like the forest was holding its breath.
And now, with the False Death Seal tucked safely in his cloak…
He was ready to cheat fate itself.