[Perspective: Ye Fan]
The Direct Disciple Quarter of the Verdant River Palace, located near the summit of the central peak, was reserved for the true prodigies of the sect… those personally instructed by the Sect Master or the Grand Elder.
Within the most luxurious pavilion, Ye Fan sat cross legged on a mat.
He was twenty years old, and by all accounts, a genius.
His cultivation was at the Peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, and his mastery of sword arts was renowned throughout the sect.
He was the Sect Master's favorite disciple, the golden boy of the Verdant River Palace.
But inside, Ye Fan was bored out of his skull.
He was a transmigrator.
He had arrived in this world five years ago, inhabiting the body of a talented young master, and his inherent talent had carried him the rest of the way.
But he had no 'cheat. ' No system, no grandfather in a ring, no magical gourd. He just had a solid work ethic.
And he hated working hard.
Back on Earth, he had been a software engineer.
A literal 9 to 5 drone who lived for the weekends, surviving on instant noodles and the faint hope of early retirement.
He had transmigrated hoping for an easy life of magic and adventure, only to find that cultivation was basically just a different kind of 9 to 5 grind.
You sat in a room, you breathed in a specific pattern for twelve hours a day, and if you were lucky, you leveled up so you could breathe in a slightly different pattern for fourteen hours a day.
It was exhausting.
"I just want to play video games," Ye Fan muttered, opening one eye to glare at the incense stick burning slowly on his desk. "Or watch a movie. Or sleep in until noon."
He had adopted a strategy of perpetual 'seclusion.' It was the perfect excuse.
He stayed in his luxurious room, avoided sect politics, avoided dangerous missions, and just read old scrolls and took very long naps.
The sect elders praised his "intense dedication to the Dao," completely unaware he was just avoiding human interaction.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Ye Fan sighed. He slowly uncrossed his legs and trudged toward the sliding paper door.
He opened it.
Standing outside was his junior sister, Ling'er. She was a vivacious girl with bright eyes and a quick smile.
She was holding a tiered wooden box that smelled deliciously of roasted spirit duck and sweet buns.
"Senior Brother Ye!" Ling'er beamed, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm sorry to interrupt your seclusion. But I noticed you hadn't come out for meals in three days. I brought you some of your favorites from the kitchens."
Ye Fan's stomach gave a rumble.
The sect's 'spiritual sustenance pills' tasted like chalk. Real food was a weakness he hadn't managed to cultivate away from.
"Junior Sister Ling," he said, opening the door wider and offering a polite smile. "You are too kind. You shouldn't have troubled yourself."
"It's no trouble at all!" she said eagerly, stepping inside and placing the box on his table. She began to unpack the dishes. "The outer disciples were talking about a festival in the mortal city at the base of the mountain tomorrow. They say there will be lanterns and street performers. I was wondering... if you weren't too busy with your insights... perhaps you might want to accompany me?"
Ye Fan looked at her. Going to a festival sounded nice.
But going to a festival meant potentially running into arrogant young masters from other sects who would want to duel him to prove a point.
"Ah, Junior Sister," Ye Fan said, putting on his most solemn expression. "That sounds lovely. Truly. But I am afraid I must decline. During my meditation this morning, I caught a glimpse of a new truth regarding the Verdant Sword Flow. If I break my focus now, the inspiration may vanish forever."
Ling'er's face fell, but she nodded understandingly, completely buying the lie. "Of course, Senior Brother. I understand. Your cultivation must come first. The sect is relying on you."
"Your understanding is a comfort," Ye Fan said, placing a hand over his heart. "Please, enjoy the festival for me. And let me know when you return."
"I will," she smiled, brightening slightly. "I'll bring you back some candied spirit apples!"
"You are an angel," he said.
He ushered her to the door, waving politely as she walked down the path, before sliding the door shut and locking it securely.
He turned back to the room, eyeing the roast duck.
"Finally. Peace and quiet," he muttered.
He was just reaching for a duck leg when a voice echoed directly inside his brain.
[Ding! Hey there, buddy! Sorry I'm late! Your System Daddy is finally here!]
Ye Fan dropped the duck leg. It bounced off his shoe and hit the floor. He stared at the empty room, his heart doing a chaotic drumbeat.
"A... a system?" he whispered.
[You betcha! Loud and clear, right in the old gray matter!]
The voice sounded like an overly enthusiastic game show host.
Ye Fan recovered from his shock. "I've been in this world for five years! Where the hell have you been?!"
[Traffic, man. You wouldn't believe the traffic.]
Ye Fan blinked. "Traffic? What kind of traffic?"
[System traffic, obviously! You know how saturated the market is nowadays? Everyone and their grandmother gets a system now! You've got your 'Sign In' systems, your 'Villain' systems, your 'Return from the Dead' systems... it's a bloodbath out there in the void! I had to throw down with a 'Supreme Chef System' and a 'Pet Evolution System' just to secure the binding rights to your soul. You should be thanking me! I got an eye for you!]
Ye Fan stared at the ceiling, utterly bewildered. This was... unorthodox.
"Fine, fine. Thank you for your service," Ye Fan said, pacing around. "So, what kind of system are you? Am I going to become a sword god? Do I get a daily login bonus of divine artifacts?"
[Better. Way better. Prepare to have your mind blown, buddy. I am the 'Lying Flat System'!]
Ye Fan stopped pacing. He tilted his head. "'Lying Flat'? As in... doing nothing?"
[Exactly! The ultimate dream, right? Why work hard when you can hardly work?]
A grin spread across Ye Fan's face. It was as if the universe had looked into the core of his soul and created a tool specifically for him.
"This is the greatest day of my life," he breathed. "Tell me the functions. What should I do?"
[Function: For your very first time entering official seclusion, your cultivation speed, comprehension, and passive energy gathering will be multiplied by 100%! You literally just have to stay in your room, and you will grow twice as fast as you would if you were training out there sweating like a peasant until you reach the peak of this world!]
"A hundred percent? Just for staying in my room? That's... that's insane. I could reach Golden Core in weeks and Nascent Soul in months. All while taking naps."
[That's the spirit! You're getting it!]
"Wait," Ye Fan paused, his brain catching a detail. "You said 'first time.' What happens if I go out?"
[Ah, good question. If you break the initial seclusion, the 'Lying Flat' bonus resets. From then on, any time you enter seclusion, the bonus is only 20%. Still good, but not God Tier.]
"Why the massive drop?" Ye Fan asked.
[Consider it a sign on bonus! A one time gift to my first and favorite host for putting up with the wait! The system encourages commitment to the art of doing absolutely nothing.]
"Commitment to doing nothing," Ye Fan repeated. "I can do that. I am a master of that."
He looked at the door. He looked at the window.
The outside world, with its politics, its duels, its arrogant young masters, and its needy junior sisters, suddenly looked utterly repulsive.
Why would he ever leave? He had a comfortable bed. And now, he was getting paid in phenomenal cosmic power just to stay put.
"I won't disappoint you, System," Ye Fan said, a look of determination settling on his face.
He walked over to his desk. He grabbed a brush and a piece of thick parchment. He wrote, in large characters:
[IN DEEP SECLUSION. DO NOT DISTURB UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. EVEN IF THE MOUNTAIN IS ON FIRE.]
He opened the door a crack, grabbed the little wooden plaque that hung on the outside, and slapped the parchment over it.
He slammed the door shut, slid the heavy wooden locking bar into place, and pulled the curtains over the window.
The room was plunged into a twilight.
"Alright," Ye Fan said, turning back to the center of the room. "I am in seclusion. What's next?"
The blue interface flickered in his vision. It was a digital clock. It started counting from 24:00:00.
[Next step: Nothing. Just relax, buddy. Enjoy the ride.]
Ye Fan stared at the clock, a feeling of relief washing over him.
He thought about his old manager at the tech firm, a red faced tyrant who demanded weekend shifts and eighty hour work weeks.
He thought about the endless grind of his past life.
He walked over to his bed. He pulled back the silk covers, kicked off his boots, and slid under the blankets.
He fluffed the pillow, getting perfectly comfortable.
"Goodnight," Ye Fan said. "Wake me up when I'm a god."
He closed his eyes. Within five minutes, he was snoring softly.
PS: We need only 36 more Power Stones for the bonus chapter.
PS: There are 10+ Advance chapters available on the Patreon for those who want to read ahead. www.patreon. com/Drrajnovel
PS: I'm really sorry, guys, for not uploading any chapters over the last two weeks cause we were on a free trip to the Philippines, hahaha. The whole trip was sponsored by our HOD cause it was his birthday. So first of all, huge thanks to HOD for letting me experience some really beautiful beaches. Seriously, it was beach after beach after beach, hahaha. We also tried some exotic food like "balut," which is a fertilized egg. It was really weird at first, but honestly, it was kind of tasty, haha. We also tried all kinds of seafood during the trip. Anyway, I'm back now, so I'll start working on the chapters again. No worries, hahaha.