She raised her sleeve and wiped away her tears. Though her voice was still choked with sobs, it now held a hint of resolve.

"Eldest Brother... I..."

She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind about something.

"I understand now. It’s just... this concerns my Dao path, and more importantly, the dying wish of that senior brother... I... I must be extremely cautious and cannot make a rash decision, lest I... fail to live up to his earnest intentions."

Seeing this, Lin Qingfeng nodded as well.

"Very well. The choice of one’s Dao path should indeed be made with utmost caution. Since you feel this way, I will grant you three to five days."

"Go back to your thatched hut and calm down. Think carefully about what you must do to honor his dying wish. I hope you will ultimately make the right choice."

"Thank you... Eldest Brother."

As if granted a pardon, Su Ling’er bowed deeply once more.

Only then did she turn, pick a small path that suited her current desolate mood, and stumble away from the sword graveyard that sent shivers down her spine.

Against the backdrop of the scene, her retreating figure looked bleak and resolute.

Meanwhile, behind a pile of rocks, an oblivious passerby player watched it all with a melancholic look on his face.

"Zhan got to play a dating sim! Damn it! Good thing Eldest Brother stabbed him to death! Did he have some kind of cheat code or something?! Hmmm, I’m gonna log off and look it up!"

...

Meanwhile, Lin Qingfeng watched Su Ling’er’s retreating figure as his progress bar filled up.

[Progress: 100%]

[Sect Advancement Prequel Quest—Activated]

[Guixi Sect’s Advancement—Prequel Quest]

[Current Sect Level: 1 (Fledgling)]

[Upgrade Requirements:]

1. Sect Contribution (Players): 0/500,000

2. Sect Contribution (NPCs): 0/500,000

(Note: During the Prequel Quest, both contribution quotas must be met to unlock the official Sect Advancement Quest—[Guixi Secret Realm].)

[Contribution Point Acquisition Rules:]

Players can earn Contribution Points by completing sect quests, participating in sect activities, etc.

NPCs can earn Contribution Points by completing their own sect quests, participating in sect activities, etc.

(Note: Player and NPC Contribution Points are calculated independently.

During the Prequel Quest, NPCs must complete their daily quests personally and cannot have them done by others or spirit pets;

No recovery or buff-type pills may be consumed during the quest;

No recovery-type pills may be consumed for X hours after the quest’s completion (where X is the average time required to recover Spiritual Power by circulating a Cultivation Technique).

Otherwise, only the basic reward will be given, and no Sect Contribution Points will be added.)

Lin Qingfeng stared at the glaring "0/500,000" on the screen.

The player side was fine. The sect had plenty of people, so they could grind it out eventually.

But the NPC side...

He looked at Su Ling’er’s retreating figure. Right now, she was the only proper NPC in the sect, and she had so many restrictions...

’Sigh. Looks like I’ll have to work my little Palu junior sister extra hard from now on.’

He shook his head and flew on his sword toward his luxurious cave residence.

Meanwhile, Su Ling’er, still unaware of the terrifying future that awaited her, finally returned to her dilapidated thatched hut.

She closed the door and leaned against the cold wood, her body slowly sliding down.

Only today had she truly seen the terror of this sect.

There was no reason or logic here, only naked scheming and a cruelty that treated human lives as worthless weeds.

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

From the evil array that plundered life force, to the Dining Pavilion where people were divided into classes and oppressed layer by layer.

Then there was the alchemy chamber where living people were used to refine pills, and the Artifact Refining Pavilion where blood sacrifices were used for artifact refining...

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

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

The eternally reincarnating demon souls in the Demon-Locking Tower, the bizarre illusions on the Asking Dao Ladder, and finally, the disciple in the sword graveyard who had "died" for her...

As these scenes flashed through her mind, she suddenly noticed a strange detail.

Whether it was the sacrifices in the Pill Furnace, the figures on the Forging Platform, or Zhan who had just died before her eyes...

She couldn’t seem to recall any of their faces clearly.

There was only a blurry outline in her mind, as if they all had the same plain, generic face.

’What was the name of that senior brother who just died...?’

’Never mind. It’s not important.’

She shook her head, circulated the True Understanding of Ten Thousand Transformations Returning to the Origin within her, and cast a cleaning spell to wash the blood and grime from her body.

’In the next few days, I’ll gather more intelligence. Before Eldest Brother’s deadline, I’ll send a portion of it back to Qingxu Temple and ask the Sect Leader to provide cover and protection for my escape.’

’After all, if I sent all the intel back at once, I couldn’t bet on whether the Sect Leader would even come to save me.’

’I’m just a disposable pawn. Without my intelligence value, there would be no need to rescue me.’

’As long as I still hold a large amount of information useful to Qingxu Temple, the Sect Leader will surely help me escape this demonic den when the time comes!’

’Washing Marrow, recasting my bones... ’

’Then, I, Su Ling’er, can still achieve Foundation Establishment and walk the path of immortality. There’s no need to throw my life away here!’

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

’You little monster, what am I supposed to do with you?’

She carefully placed the Sorrow Flower down beside her thatched hut.

She looked at the desolate scenery, overgrown with weeds.

’This is supposed to be the heart of the sect, but for some reason, it’s completely deserted. It should... probably be fine.’

From then on, this strange potted plant became the sole decoration next to her dilapidated hut.

’I hope... nothing else weird happens in the next few days.’

Having done all this, she returned to the pile of musty straw and fell into a deep sleep...

...

[Secrets of the Outer World]

Ashen Heaven Realm.

A storm was sweeping across the entire Cultivation Realm.

Its source pointed to the heart of the neutral territories—the Jade Heart Secret Realm.

As was tradition, the [Jade Heart Secret Realm], jointly guarded by several major neutral sects such as the Cloud Fall Sect, the Immortal Sword Sect, and Baihua Valley, opened at the auspicious time that came once a century.

This secret realm was a relic of ancient times, filled with countless heavenly treasures. It was the perfect place for disciples of the major sects to temper themselves and search for opportunities.

However, no one could have predicted that this trial, which should have belonged to the younger generation, would be met with a sudden turn of events.

The sleeper agents were activated.

They might not have included any astonishing, heaven-blessed prodigies, but each one could be considered a pillar of their sect.

They had lain dormant in their respective sects for many years, earning considerable trust and status.

And just as they made their move inside the secret realm, the main forces of both the Righteous and Demonic paths, long since assembled outside, launched a furious assault on the array guarding the entrance!

An attack from within, coordinated with an assault from without!

To save an ancient immortal vine, the Righteous and Demonic paths had actually set aside their millennia-old blood feud and brazenly joined forces!

At this moment, the so-called distinction between good and evil seemed so pale and laughable in the face of immense personal gain.

In this battle, all three sides suffered heavy losses.

The neutral sects suffered countless casualties, losing more than half of their elite disciples. The secret realm they had guarded for a century was forcibly breached, and they lost all face.

The price paid by the Righteous and Demonic paths was equally enormous.

But fortunately, their efforts were not in vain.

They obtained the "Mellow Sap" from beneath the legendary [Tree of the Spirit Eye].

As one of the pillars of the Righteous Alliance, the Celestial Furnace Sect had naturally invested a hefty price in this gamble.

And those losses, of course, would need to be recouped from elsewhere...