How Were These Still the Same Two Tasks?

What kind of place was this sect, anyway?

Even Foundation Establishment experts could only sweep floors and haul water?

Lin Qingfeng watched Su Ling'er's vacant expression, and his heart gave a little lurch.

No way.

Was she stuck again?

Had these low-level tasks left her completely baffled?

You'd only just joined the sect. You'd reached Qi Refining Great Perfection thanks to the Dao Seeking Ladder's infusion, but you hadn't contributed a thing to the sect.

Of course they'd only unlocked the most basic repeatable daily tasks for you!

Even if you used the Dao Seeking Ladder to grind your way to Foundation Establishment or even Nascent Soul, you'd still have to start with the basics!

Besides, these basic daily tasks might be simple, but they were risk-free.

For players like them, they could be left on auto-grind, and the experience and Contribution Points were decent enough.

Once your Contribution Points were high enough, you'd naturally be able to take other tasks.

As for that Foundation Establishment cultivator...

Obviously, once you reached Foundation Establishment, you could fly on a magic item. You'd sweep leaves and haul water a lot faster than someone at Qi Refining!

Compared with idling in the Monster Locking Tower to fight monsters, where something could still go wrong, it was better to stick to safe, repeatable tasks.

This junior sister had probably shot straight to Qi Refining Great Perfection on the Dao Seeking Ladder, and now she couldn't bring herself to do menial work, thinking it would tarnish her reputation as an expert.

No!

If the sect was going to level up, it looked like I, the dependable Senior Disciple Brother, would have to step in again!

Lin Qingfeng gave a light cough, then once again wore a smile steeped in philosophical wisdom.

"Junior Sister, is something troubling you?"

He walked over to Su Ling'er and raised a hand toward the dim jade slip.

"You see this task and think it 'trivial,' but you have yet to see its 'truth.'"

"What does it mean to sweep leaves?"

"It is not about sweeping the leaves before you, but the dust in your heart.

One leaf, one world; one sweep, one bodhi.

Only when you can sweep every fallen leaf on this mountain clean will your Dao heart be truly free of dust."

"What does it mean to haul water?"

"It is not about carrying water in a vat, but carrying the self reflected in the mirror.

Look at the water, still as a mirror. It can reflect all things under heaven, and it can also reflect the ripples within your heart.

Only when the water you carry no longer stirs with a single ripple will your state of mind be as still as an ancient well."

"The Great Dao is simple; return to the uncarved simplicity of nature.

True cultivation does not lie in hunting powerful monsters, but in whether you can preserve a childlike heart amid the most ordinary tedium."

"Go, Junior Sister."

"This is the true trial the sect has bestowed upon you."

"I'll be watching you all along!"

Su Ling'er: "..."

She stared blankly at Senior Disciple Brother, at his eyes brimming with the air of an enlightened sage.

She gave up. She really did.

His shamelessness and his endless twisted logic had reached the pinnacle!

He'd actually dressed up such blatant humiliation and torment as a trial of the Dao heart, and said it with such heartfelt sincerity, as though it contained some supreme truth!

If she weren't in her right mind, she might really have been moved to tears of gratitude and gone off to haul water and sweep floors, believing it was the sect's gift to her!

Terrifying. This man was truly terrifying!

If she were still an outer disciple at Qi Refining Level 3, she might actually have believed him.

But she was now at Qi Refining Great Perfection, just one step away from Foundation Establishment!

Even Qing Xu Temple wouldn't make inner disciples waste their time on this kind of menial chore!

Terrifying!

She took a deep breath and shoved all her shock and complaints back down.

Then she bowed deeply to Lin Qingfeng, her face wearing just the right mix of guilt and sudden enlightenment.

"Senior Disciple Brother, your words have enlightened me!"

Seeing this, Lin Qingfeng stroked a beard that wasn't there and put on a gratified expression, as if to say, "You're a quick learner."

"The path of the Great Dao begins beneath your feet.

Do not look down on sweeping leaves and hauling water. Within them lies a truth that you and I may spend our entire lives without ever comprehending.

Go, and let me see how far your 'Dao' can take you amid these worldly chores."

"Remember! I'll be watching you all along!!!"

His words were lofty and proper.

Su Ling'er raised her head, her face already an image of tearful gratitude.

Her eyes brimmed with remorse, as though she were thinking, "How could I have failed to realize this sooner? I've let Senior Disciple Brother and that deceased senior brother down."

Senior Disciple Brother, you don't have to say you're watching me twice!!!

Don't you have anything of your own to do?

Don't you need to cultivate...

Well, it seemed he really didn't need to cultivate.

He took me to sign a demonic contract, and his cultivation improved;

he took me to the Sword Mound, and his cultivation broke through again...

Comparing yourself to others was enough to drive anyone mad!

She no longer hesitated and took the jade slip from the task elder.

The jade slip felt cool beneath her fingertips.

As her consciousness entered it, the task's location was clearly imprinted in her mind.

Su Ling'er tucked the jade slip back into her sleeve.

Fine. It was just sweeping and hauling water.

It wasn't as if she'd never done it before. Now that she was at Qi Refining Great Perfection, how could a little chore stump her?

And so, Su Ling'er arrived at a courtyard in the sect.

It was quiet and empty, like a deserted yard.

The autumn wind sighed, and golden leaves covered the ground. They rustled softly beneath her feet.

Su Ling'er looked around. Was this what Senior Disciple Brother meant by "sweeping the dust from your heart"?

Then she extended her delicate finger and pointed lightly toward the middle of the courtyard.

A gentle whirlwind of Spiritual Power rose from the ground, swept up the fallen leaves, and spun them into a trash heap in the corner.

A moment later, the entire courtyard was spotless, without a speck of dust.

She dusted off her hands, a smile curling her lips.

As expected, Qi Refining Great Perfection was much faster than Qi Refining Level 3 had been. Using Spiritual Power to clean hadn't taken much at all.

She turned and followed the jade slip's directions toward the back mountain.

On the way, she saw a disciple carrying a large broom pass her.

He was headed straight for the courtyard she'd just left.

The stone path wound uphill. At the end stood only that secluded courtyard—there was nowhere else to go, and no great hall or other building.

Su Ling'er slowed her pace, a strange feeling rising in her heart.

What... was he going to sweep?

She'd just cleaned that courtyard until it was spotless with her Spiritual Power.

Could it be...

Elder Qian, who had assigned the task, had given them the same location by mistake?

She shook her head, trying to clear the lingering strangeness from her mind.

Ah, never mind.

This Demonic Sect was strange in every way. One more weird thing wasn't worth worrying about.

She suppressed her doubts and continued toward the back mountain.

At the foot of the back mountain stood nine enormous vats in a row, each wide enough for three people to sit side by side. Their bottoms were empty.

Su Ling'er walked over to the stream and looked at its clear water. Then she formed another hand seal.

A water dragon leapt into the air from the stream, arced through the sky, and roared into the first bronze vat.

A moment later, the first vat was full.

She repeated the process, and in less than half an hour, all nine enormous vats were filled with clear mountain spring water.

Su Ling'er looked proudly at her handiwork, and the last of her displeasure quietly faded.

No wonder Qi Refining Great Perfection felt so good~

Work was just that easy!

This so-called "torment" was nothing much at all~

Humming a little tune, she bounced back to the Transmission Hall and turned in the task.

Elder Qian, who was responsible for assigning tasks, still wore the same wooden expression.

Su Ling'er handed over the completed jade slip, feeling a little proud.

"Elder, do you have any new tasks?"

The elder took the jade slip, gave her a few copper coins, then handed her another jade slip.

Su Ling'er glanced at the copper coins but didn't think much of them.

After all, at Qing Xu Temple, sweeping and hauling water were unpaid chores.

She took the new jade slip. Though it looked just as dim and lifeless as the last one, she still accepted it.

Then two lines of text she knew all too well appeared again.

[Clear fallen leaves from the sect]

[Fill the nine water vats on the back mountain]

Su Ling'er: "???"

How were these still the same two tasks?!