Chapter 41: Chapter 34: Even a Foundation Establishment Expert Has to Suffer This Humiliation?

The next day, daylight tore through the paper window.

Su Ling’er opened her eyes and stretched. A warm current rose from her Dantian, nourishing her entire body.

Her Spiritual Power was more abundant than ever before.

’I’ve finally reached the peak of Qi Refining...!’

This was a realm she wouldn’t have even dared to dream of back at Qingxu Temple.

Normally, even if she had cultivated diligently, she would have been well past seventy by the time she reached the peak of Qi Refining.

But now, she had gone from the third layer of Qi Refining to the peak of Qi Refining in a single day!

’The foundation of this demonic sect is truly unfathomable!’

But the sticky, warm blood from yesterday seemed to splash back onto her face.

The disciple’s unwilling, mournful cry before death, and his so-called "admiration," still echoed in her mind.

’Three days...’

She sat up and clenched her fists. ’At most, I have five days!’

’Before I’m thrown onto that Forging Platform to endure a thousand hammer strikes, I must gather enough intelligence within these five days, send some of it back, and then... escape!’

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The knock on the door came unexpectedly.

"Junior Sister, are you awake?"

"We have things to do today! Wakey wakey, the sun’s already high in the sky!"

Lin Qingfeng’s voice slipped through the crack in the door.

’Here we go.’

Su Ling’er took a deep breath, her expression instantly shifting to one of grief, as if she hadn’t yet recovered from the sorrow of a "senior brother dying out of admiration for her" yesterday.

Her eyes held a hint of haggard confusion, inspiring pity.

She composed her expression and straightened her clothes before walking to the door and pulling open the shabby wooden panel.

She looked at her senior brother outside...

...

This was the second time she had walked the path to the Transmission Hall.

Lin Qingfeng walked ahead, his black robes fluttering, his figure ethereal from behind.

"Junior Sister, are you still troubled by what happened with our junior brother yesterday?"

Su Ling’er lowered her head, the very picture of despondency, and did not answer.

Lin Qingfeng sighed, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed at the sky, speaking slowly.

"Alas... the Cultivation Realm is just this cruel. Life and death are often decided in an instant.

My actions yesterday were merely a normal defensive counterattack after being ambushed. It was also to make you see that relying on external items is ultimately the wrong path.

You heard that junior brother yourself. If he had practiced the Sword Refining Skill, he wouldn’t have died!

It’s because his own body was too fragile—he couldn’t even withstand a single magical treasure—that he perished utterly!

But the Sword Refining Skill forges the body until it is indestructible, allowing one to face powerful enemies without relying on external items!

Your Dao heart is one in a million, making you the perfect candidate to cultivate this technique!"

Su Ling’er’s steps faltered slightly.

’Such skillful manipulation!’

’Such a "good senior brother," thinking so profoundly about his junior sister’s future!’

’If I hadn’t seen you take a life with a smile, treating a human life as a tool for a performance;’

’If I hadn’t heard you all loudly plotting to tie me up to cultivate...’

’...I might have actually believed you!’

...

Inside the Transmission Hall, the same grand chamber stood before her.

A figure was strolling out from the depths of the hall. It was Mr. Qian.

His gait was still stiff, his eyes still vacant.

Every time Su Ling’er saw Mr. Qian in this state, her conviction to "eradicate the demonic path" grew stronger.

’For a senior of the righteous path to be reduced to a flesh-and-blood puppet after death, forced to endlessly serve a demonic sect... how truly tragic and deplorable!’

But when she recalled the True Understanding of Ten Thousand Transformations Returning to the Origin that had been poured into her mind by Mr. Qian, a sliver of hope remained in her heart.

She hurried forward and bowed deeply to Mr. Qian.

"Su Ling’er greets Mr. Qian.

This disciple has now reached the peak of Qi Refining and feels a breakthrough is imminent, yet I am distressed for I lack a protective cultivation technique. My heart is filled with apprehension.

I wonder if the sect has a suitable Cultivation Technique for this disciple, one that would allow me to better serve the sect!"

She did this not only to gather intelligence and unearth cultivation techniques for Qingxu Temple, but also in the genuine hope of obtaining another divine skill.

Mr. Qian’s lifeless eyes finally landed on her.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion:

"You, Su Ling’er, have made no contribution to the sect."

"No contribution, no reward."

"There is no suitable Cultivation Technique for you here."

"If you seek karmic destiny, first contribute to the sect."

Mr. Qian’s head turned toward the left side of the great Transmission Hall.

"In the Inner Hall, at the Task Elder’s post, you will find your path."

...

The Task Elder’s area was a cacophony of voices.

Hundreds of disciples crowded in front of a massive stone wall, spittle flying as they shouted.

"Forming a team for the seventy-fifth floor of the Demon-Locking Tower! Anyone want to join? We still need a meat shield, any brothers or sisters available?"

"Yesterday, I escorted Qian Buyu to the pavilion to find his forgotten ancient book, but the guy got stuck in a rock again!

I failed the mission. Everyone, be careful about accepting this goddamn frustrating task. If he gets stuck, you just have to give up!"

On the stone wall, over a hundred jade slips glowed with varying degrees of brightness.

Su Ling’er’s gaze swept over the jade slips.

[Hunt the demon beasts on the twenty-fifth floor of the Demon-Locking Tower fifteen times]

[Escort the designated Mr. Qian to the pavilion to find an ancient book]

[Assist Mr. Qian in managing the Spirit Beast Garden]

[Go to Siguoya and guard the disciples who have broken the rules]

Aside from the tasks involving Mr. Qian, these all seemed relatively normal.

Moreover, these people didn’t look like they were being coerced; on the contrary, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Junior Sister, it’s your turn.

Because this is your first time, the tasks here are all relatively simple.

But the more you do, the better the rewards will become."

’Rewards...’

Su Ling’er thought of the Spirit Stones from the Demon-Locking Tower and the gift from the Asking Dao Ladder that had caused her Cultivation to skyrocket, and a flicker of anticipation grew in her heart.

’What kind of mission will it be?’

’And what will the reward be?’

She reached the front of the line, standing before the Task Elder. He had the exact same face as Mr. Qian and stared at her coldly.

He extended a hand and gave her a jade slip, the dimmest one of them all.

Su Ling’er took the slip. Two lines of simple, ancient characters slowly materialized on its surface.

[Sweep the fallen leaves in the sect]

[Haul water to fill the nine water cisterns on the back mountain]

Su Ling’er: "..."

The world fell silent.

She stared at the two lines of text, her mind going blank.

’Did I read that wrong?’

’Sweep fallen leaves?’

’Haul water to fill cisterns?’

She looked up at the "hunt demon beasts" and "escort elder" missions on the stone wall, then looked down again, feeling the ceaseless flow of Spiritual Power in her Dantian.

That power told her in no uncertain terms that she, Su Ling’er, was a Cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining!

A being just one step away from Foundation Establishment!

At Qingxu Temple, someone who reached the peak of Qi Refining at her age would undoubtedly be the cream of the crop among the Inner Sect Disciples!

And now that she had reached the peak of Qi Refining, they wanted her to do this kind of menial labor?!

’Isn’t this the kind of chore meant for outer sect disciples at the first, second, or third layer of Qi Refining?!’

’Could it be that the Guixi Sect wants to use this to humiliate me?!’

’They want to subject me to thorough and complete mental torture!’

’This must be their way of grinding down my sharp edges and destroying my dignity to pave the way for the next stage of torment!’

’But... it’s fine.’

’If I were just a young girl new to the path of Cultivation, my Dao heart would probably be shaken by this.’

’But who am I?’

’I am Su Ling’er, the one who did countless chores back at Qingxu Temple, who relied on diligence and desperation to finally be noticed by the Sect Leader and given this undercover mission!’

This wasn’t enough to crush her.

Just then, a fierce wind howled in from outside the hall.

A figure descended on a sword, their aura astonishing.

’It’s a Foundation Establishment Stage expert!’

A chill went down Su Ling’er’s spine.

The Foundation Establishment senior brother didn’t even glance at anyone else. He walked straight to the Task Elder, skillfully took a similarly dim jade slip, and turned to leave.

Su Ling’er saw it clearly.

On that jade slip were the same tasks: [Sweep the fallen leaves in the sect] and [Haul water to fill the nine water cisterns]!

’What is going on?!’

She couldn’t comprehend it.

’Are even experts at the Foundation Establishment Stage only fit to do these menial chores and suffer such humiliation?!’