"Hey, I heard you're going to China Joy this year?" Fang Jueyu had just finished watching Guo Xinyu's livestream and was about to sleep when she sent him a message.
"You too? You're going?"
"Yes! Since I gained so many new followers recently, the Zhuzi platform invited me as a guest. I might appear at the Zhuzi booth!" Guo Xinyu added a cheeky emoji.
"Alright, then I'll treat you to a meal!" Fang Jueyu had been wanting to meet Guo Xinyu in person for a long time. This might be her first time revealing her face during a livestream.
"No way! You've helped me so much, it should be me treating you!" Guo Xinyu's followers had grown to over two million, and just a few days ago, Zhuzi platform signed her to a long-term contract.
This contract brought her enough revenue to pay off her family's debts and improve her lifestyle, all thanks to Fang Jueyu.
"Alright, then I won't be shy. I'm looking forward to seeing you!" Fang Jueyu stopped insisting.
"Hehe, don't get your hopes too high! I'm not as pretty as you might imagine. Don't forget, the fans in my stream call me 'Qiao Biluo!'" Guo Xinyu teased.
"I don't believe it. You girls are always too hard on yourselves, thinking you're not pretty enough or slim enough. A woman's words are nothing but tricks to fool men."
"Okay, it's late. I'm going to sleep now. See you in Shanghai!" Guo Xinyu was already feeling drowsy as it was past midnight.
"Goodnight, sleep well!" Fang Jueyu, however, was wide awake. He didn't know if it was because of his body's enhancements, but no matter how late he stayed up, he always felt energetic the next morning.
"Wait a minute, I feel like I've forgotten something," Fang Jueyu suddenly sat up from his bed. "Xiao Yi, didn't you forget to give me the reward for that last mission?"
The term "ancestors' unwanted junk" sounded unappealing, but Fang Jueyu trusted that it was something impressive.
"Ah, so the host finally remembered. If you don't claim the reward within a week, it'll be gone!" Xiao Yi replied.
"Seriously? Why didn't you remind me or just give me the reward directly?" Fang Jueyu huffed. If he hadn't remembered, all that mission work would've been nearly for nothing, aside from a bit of mission progress.
"It was an instruction from the 99th-generation host," Xiao Yi suddenly mimicked Fang Huai's voice. "That brat is always so scatterbrained. If you get the chance, give him a little lesson to help him remember things better in the future!"
Xiao Yi perfectly imitated the voice and tone, leaving Fang Jueyu with no complaints. If it was his father's idea, he couldn't really be mad at Xiao Yi.
However, he made a mental note: next time he completes a mission, he would claim the reward immediately. After the school celebration mission, the rewards were supposed to be even more generous.
"Fine, give me the reward now!" Fang Jueyu said, eager to see what kind of treasure this "unwanted junk" would turn out to be.
As soon as he finished speaking, a small square space appeared in his mind. This space wasn't connected to his world—it was an independent realm!
"Xiao Yi, what is this? Is this an independent space?" Fang Jueyu felt as if he was in a science fiction world.
"Correct! This is a mobile independent space created using advanced spatial technology. Theoretically, it can be vast, but due to permission limits, you can only use one cubic meter for now."
"Wow!" Even just one cubic meter was enough to do a lot of things. "How is this even possible?"
"The civilization that created me is far more advanced than Earth. Such spatial technology is trivial for them!"
"What happened to your civilization?" Fang Jueyu had never asked Xiao Yi about its origins before.
"It was destroyed due to overexploitation of resources, and the entire star system collapsed. My data was carried by gamma rays during the star's destruction, eventually reaching Earth and embedding itself in your ancestor, the first host, 99 generations ago."
"So that's how it happened." Fang Jueyu realized that this moment had forever altered his family's destiny.
"How do I use this space?"
"You just need to control it with your mind."
Fang Jueyu imagined pulling the space closer to himself, and sure enough, the space drew nearer in his vision. It was almost empty, except for a small porcelain bottle.
He retrieved the bottle. "Is this some kind of antique?"
"You could say that. It's from the time of your 15th-generation ancestor, so it's quite valuable. But the real reward is what's inside the bottle!"
"Oh?" Fang Jueyu quickly opened the bottle, and a fragrant herbal scent filled the air, instantly refreshing his spirit.
Inside were five black, marble-sized pills, irregular in shape.
"What the heck is this? It looks like my ancestors saved up their boogers for thousands of years!"
If his ancestors were alive to hear that, they would probably beat him senseless on the spot.
"These are failed products from your 15th-generation ancestor's attempt at refining medicine!"
"What? Medicine? Like in those immortal cultivation stories?" Fang Jueyu couldn't help but laugh.
"This is science!" Xiao Yi said seriously. "Many plant compounds, when extracted and refined, can greatly benefit the human body. Though Earth's plants are a bit low-grade, the essence extracted from them, while not granting immortality, can certainly prolong life and preserve youth!"
"And these..."
"These are failures from when your 15th-generation ancestor tried to create an immortality elixir for Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The cauldron exploded, so the pills were flawed, but I kept them anyway!"
"My... Qin Shi Huang..." Fang Jueyu was at a loss for words. Even the first emperor of China was involved now.
"Your 15th-generation ancestor learned many alchemical techniques from my database and became quite a skilled alchemist. While he couldn't create anything miraculous, with the right materials, he could easily extend someone's life by ten or twenty years!"
"That impressive?" Even modern medicine struggled to give dying patients a few extra days. His ancestors were truly remarkable.
"When Emperor Qin was nearing death, he asked your ancestor to create an immortality elixir," Xiao Yi laughed. "But the most precious materials on Earth couldn't do it, so he produced only three pills that could extend life by a decade or so."
"And then what?" Fang Jueyu was increasingly intrigued by this bit of family history.
"Those three pills were intercepted by Zhao Gao. But that wasn't your ancestor's concern—he had already mastered body potential enhancement techniques and escaped the chaotic palace with the rewards Emperor Qin gave him..."
"Hahaha, my ancestors were truly amazing!" Fang Jueyu felt a surge of pride. "So, what do these five 'failures' do? Can they extend life?"
"Not quite," Xiao Yi said. "Since they're failed products, the effects are a bit off. But I analyzed the ingredients, and they can regenerate damaged cells quickly. They won't cure all diseases, but they can heal almost any injury, unless it's something like a missing limb."
"Including cancer or AIDS?"
"Yes, they can heal those too!"