Sect Promotion Preliminary Quest Has Been Activated

Chapter 33 [Sect Advancement Pioneer Mission - Enabled]

And so.

She didn't answer immediately, but slowly raised her head.

Her eyes, stained with tears and blood, stared at the glaring pool of blood on the ground.

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

Lin Qingfeng seized the opportunity, putting on his compassionate demeanor, and was about to persuade her again.

Just then, Su Ling'er's body seemed to have all its strength drained, and she stumbled backward.

Since they're all putting on a show, don't blame me for joining in and using this as an excuse!

She raised her hand, pointing at the empty space in disbelief:

"He... he was just here..."

Her tears finally broke through, rolling down in large drops, mixing with the bloodstains on her face.

"The Heavenly Dao is heartless, the Great Dao is heartless... Why can't it even tolerate one devoted heart?!"

"He... he said he was in love with me when he was alive..."

"His eyes as he died... he was looking at me... he was reminding me..."

"I never expected he loved me so much!"

"There was actually someone in the sect who loved me this much, that they even dared to draw their sword against the wise, mighty, extraordinary, understanding, and considerate Senior Disciple Brother for my sake!"

After praising the Senior Disciple Brother, she then seemed to fall into immense self-blame and pain, grabbing her hair with both hands and crouching down in agony.

"Why?!"

"Why wasn't it me who died?!"

"If... if I hadn't come here, if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have died at all!"

"I killed him!"

"It was me!"

She lifted her face, tear-streaked and stained with blood and tears.

Then she looked at Lin Qingfeng in despair.

"Oh, wise, mighty, extraordinary, understanding, and considerate Senior Disciple Brother..." I..."

She choked, barely able to speak a complete sentence, "His Dao, his regret... are now... weighing on my heart..."

"I... my heart is so confused... my mind is filled with his final moments... I..."

She struggled to stand up and bowed deeply to Lin Qingfeng, as if she might collapse at any moment.

"Please, wise, mighty, extraordinary, understanding, and considerate Senior Disciple Brother... give me three... five days..."

"Please allow your junior sister... to calm her emotions for this senior brother..."

"I currently... have no mind to consider anything else..."

"I need... to keep vigil for him... and more importantly... to figure out..."

"This path he paved for me with his life... how should I... walk it..."

"Wait for me..."

"Once I recover... I will definitely give Senior Disciple Brother... a satisfactory answer."

Lin Qingfeng stroked his chin, looking at Su Ling'er's heartbroken appearance, and felt a bit bewildered.

No way?

Is it that serious?

You guys just met from a hundred meters away?

You haven't even said a word, and now you're crying?

And already saying "why wasn't it me who died"?

Did Qiong Yao participate in the production of this game's backend?!

This is too awkward!

This NPC's emotional feedback mechanism is too outrageous!

Did it generate some non-existent memory for her?

When it generates feedback, can it at least check the database first to see if she recognizes this person?!

And that silly Junior Disciple Brother Zhan, who told him to improvise and add extra drama?

I strongly suspect his performance contaminated Junior Sister's database!

And now "he was in love with you," great.

If anything happened to this only native NPC, I swear I'd tie him to the forging platform and have those Artifact Refining Pavilion folks give him a good "Shedding Sect" treatment!

Thank goodness it didn't come to something like "Only when mountains are flat and seas are dry will I dare to part from you," or I'd really suspect Qiong Yao was involved in the game's development!!!

And Junior Disciple Sister, did your background dialogue generation repeat itself?

Even though I'm this brilliant and mighty, with extraordinary bearing, understanding, and considerate of my juniors.

You admire me so much in your heart, but there's no need to say it so many times!

Forget it, forget it.

Lin Qingfeng sighed inwardly.

He looked at Su Ling'er's sorrowful profile, his face once again donning that expression of compassionate sorrow:

"Alas... foolish child, foolish child..."

Hearing this, Su Ling'er raised her tear-filled eyes and looked at him blankly.

Lin Qingfeng slowly walked to her side, his gaze also falling on the pool of blood, as if reminiscing about something, and said with a distant voice:

"Junior Disciple Brother Zhan... you heard his dying words, didn't you?"

"He used his own life to show you a clear path. His greatest regret was not cultivating the Sword Refining Art sooner, which led to his weak physical body, allowing your brother to easily defeat him with a single counter-attack."

"He doesn't want you to repeat his mistake, Junior Disciple Sister!"

"If you truly grieve for him, you shouldn't just immerse yourself in pain."

"Transforming grief into strength and walking the path he couldn't finish is the best way to comfort him!"

"Cultivate the Sword Refining Art, forge your own body into an ultimate divine weapon!"

"Then, you won't only be able to protect yourself, but you can also... for him, see the scenery at the peak of the sword path!"

"Don't let him... die with regrets!"

These words sent a tremor through Su Ling'er's heart.

She knew Senior Disciple Brother was forcing her, using a "dead man's" last wish to blackmail her.

But at this moment, she had to play along.

She raised her sleeve, wiped away her tears, and though her voice was still choked with sobs, there was a hint of determination:

"Senior Disciple Brother... I..."

She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, "Junior Disciple Sister understands."

"It's just... this matter concerns my cultivation path, and even more so, this Senior Brother's dying wish..."

"I... I must be extremely cautious and not make a hasty decision, lest... I fail to live up to his earnest intentions."

Lin Qingfeng nodded upon seeing this.

"Very well, choices regarding one's path should indeed be made with utmost caution."

"Since you have this intention, your brother will grant you three to five days."

"Go back to your thatched hut and calm yourself, think about how you can best honor his dying wish."

"I hope you will ultimately make the right choice."

"Thank you... Senior Disciple Brother."

Su Ling'er felt as if she had been granted amnesty. She bowed deeply again before turning to choose a small path that could suitably reflect her current state of mind.

She then stumbled away from this Sword Mound that sent chills down her spine.

Her retreating figure, against the backdrop of the scene, appeared desolate yet resolute.

[Progress 100%]
[Shedding Sect Advancement Preliminary Quest - Activated]

Watching Su Ling'er's retreating figure, and now that the progress bar was full.

Lin Qingfeng finally opened the quest panel.

[Gui Xi Sect Advancement - Preliminary Quest]
[Current Sect Level: Level 1 (Just Starting Out)]
[Conditions for Upgrade:]
1. Sect Contribution (Player): 0/500000
2. Sect Contribution (NPC): 0/500000
(Note: During the preliminary quest, both contribution points must reach the target simultaneously to unlock the formal Sect Advancement Quest - [Gui Xi Secret Realm])
[Contribution Point Acquisition Rules:]
Players can obtain contribution points by completing sect quests, participating in sect activities, etc.

NPCs can gain contribution points by completing their own sect missions, participating in sect activities, and so on.

(Note: Player and NPC contribution points are calculated independently.

During the introductory quest period, NPCs must personally complete daily tasks and cannot have them done by others or spirit servants.

Recovery or buffing pills cannot be consumed during the quest.

Recovery pills cannot be consumed within X hours after the quest ends (X is the average duration for recovering Spiritual Power using the current cultivation method).

Otherwise, only basic rewards will be provided, and sect contribution points will not increase.)

Lin Qingfeng looked at the glaring "0/500000" on that line.

It was fine for the players; the sect had many people, and they could eventually gather enough by grinding.

But for NPCs...

He watched Su Ling'er's retreating figure. Currently, she was the only proper NPC in the sect, and she had so many restrictions...

"Sigh, it looks like I'll have to trouble Junior Disciple Sister Pal more in the future."

He shook his head and flew his sword towards his luxurious cave dwelling.

Meanwhile, Su Ling'er, unaware of the terrifying future she would face, finally returned to her dilapidated thatched hut.

She closed the door, leaned against the cold wooden panel, and slowly slid down.

Only today did she truly see the horror of this sect.

There were no reasons or logic here, only naked scheming and a cruelty that treated human lives as less than grass.

She recalled everything that had happened in the past two days.

From the evil formation that plundered life force, to the Food Pavilion that stratified people into different classes for suppression.

Then to the Pill Room where living people were refined into pills, and then to the Artifact Refining Pavilion where they were used for blood sacrifices to forge artifacts...

The "Human Origin Soil" in the Hundred Herbs Valley, cultivated with the flesh and blood of cultivators.

The "spirit servants" in the Spirit Beast Garden, squeezed to death.

The Yao souls in the Monster Locking Tower, eternally reincarnating, the bizarre illusions on the Dao Seeking Ladder, and finally, the disciple in the Sword Mound who "died" for her...

Scene after scene flashed through her mind, and she suddenly noticed a strange detail.

Whether it was the offerings in the alchemy furnace, the figures on the forging platform, or the Junior Disciple Brother who had just died before her eyes...

She couldn't seem to remember their faces clearly, only having a vague outline in her mind, as if they all had plain, unremarkable faces.

What was the name of that senior disciple who just died?

Never mind, it wasn't important.

She shook her head, circulated the Myriad Transformations Return to Origin True Manual within her body, and cast a cleansing spell to wash away the bloodstains.

In the next few days, she would gather more intelligence. Before the deadline given by the Senior Disciple Brother, she would transmit some of it back to Qing Xu Temple and request the Sect Master to provide cover and protection during her escape.

After all, if she transmitted all the intelligence at once, she wouldn't dare to gamble whether the Sect Master would come to save her.

She herself was a pawn, with no intelligence value left, and no need to be saved.

As long as she held a large amount of useful intelligence for Qing Xu Temple, the Sect Master would surely help her escape this Demon Den when she fled!

Bone Cleansing Marrow Washing, reshaping her roots and bones...

By then, she, Su Ling'er, could still establish her Foundation, still embark on the path of immortality, and there would be no need to risk her life here!

Afterward, she looked at the pot of "Worry Flower" she had brought back.

You little monster, what should I do with you now?

She carefully placed the Worry Flower beside her thatched hut.

Looking at the desolate scene of overgrown weeds around her.

This was clearly the heart of the sect, yet it was inexplicably deserted. It should, probably, be fine.

From then on, this peculiar plant became the only adornment beside her dilapidated hut.

She hoped... that nothing else would go wrong in the next few days.

After finishing all this, she returned to the pile of moldy straw and fell into a deep sleep