What in the world is this place?

Even mighty Foundation Establishment experts can only sweep floors and fetch water?

Seeing Su Ling’er’s dumbfounded expression, Lin Qingfeng’s heart skipped a beat.

’You’ve got to be kidding me.’

’Did she bug out again?’

’Or is she just baffled by this low-level task?’

’You’ve only just joined and reached the peak of Qi Refining thanks to the Asking Dao Ladder’s power infusion. You haven’t actually contributed anything to the sect yet.’

’Of course the sect is only going to open up the most basic, repeatable daily tasks for you at first!’

’Even if you used the Asking Dao Ladder to grind your way to Foundation Establishment or Nascent Soul, you’d still have to start from the bottom!’

’Besides, these basic daily tasks may be simple, but their advantage is that they’re risk-free.’

’For players like them, you can even go AFK while grinding. The experience and contribution points are decent enough.’

’Once your contribution score is higher, you’ll naturally be able to accept other tasks.’

’As for that Foundation Establishment Stage guy...’

’Duh. After reaching Foundation Establishment, you can manipulate objects and fly. Sweeping leaves and fetching water is way faster than doing it at the Qi Refining Stage, isn’t it?’

’Compared to AFK grinding monsters in the Demon-Locking Tower where accidents can happen, it’s better to just honestly AFK grind safe, repeatable tasks.’

’This little junior sister probably shot to the heavens on the Asking Dao Ladder, reached the peak of Qi Refining, and now can’t bring herself to stoop so low. She must think doing these menial chores is beneath an expert of her stature.’

’This won’t do!’

’For the sect to be able to level up, it looks like it’s up to me, the reliable senior brother, to step in again!’

Lin Qingfeng let out a soft cough, that philosophical smile once again appearing on his face.

"Little Junior Sister, are you perhaps... troubled by something?"

He walked to Su Ling’er’s side, raised his hand, and pointed to the dim jade slip.

"You see this task and perceive only its ’smallness,’ but you have failed to see its ’truth.’"

"What is sweeping leaves?"

"It is not about sweeping the leaves in your hand, but about sweeping the dust from your heart.

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

Only when you can sweep all the fallen leaves on this mountain completely clean will your Dao heart truly be free of dust."

"What is fetching water?"

"It is not about fetching the water for the vats, but about facing the self in the mirror.

Look at the water’s surface, like a mirror. It can reflect all of heaven and earth, and it can also reflect the ripples in your own heart.

Only when the water you carry creates not a single ripple will your state of mind become truly as tranquil as an old well."

"The Great Dao is simple. It is a return to one’s true, unadorned self.

True Cultivation is not about hunting powerful demon beasts, but about whether you can hold onto a pure, untainted heart amidst the most ordinary, tedious tasks."

"Go, Little Junior Sister."

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

"I will be watching you always!"

Su Ling’er: "..."

She stared blankly at her senior brother, at his eyes that were filled with the look of an "enlightened master."

She was impressed. Truly, genuinely impressed!

The sheer thickness of this man’s skin, the sheer volume of his twisted logic... it had reached the Transformation Realm!

He could actually package such blatant humiliation and torment as a trial for her Dao heart, and speak with such sincerity, as if his words contained the highest truth!

If she weren’t of sound mind, she might have actually been moved to tears of gratitude by his speech, ready to fetch water and sweep floors, thinking it was a blessing from the sect!

’How terrifying. This man is absolutely terrifying!’

’If I were still just a third-level Qi Refining outer sect disciple, I might have actually believed him.’

’But I’m now at the peak of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment!’

’Even Qingxu Temple wouldn’t make its Inner Sect Disciples do such time-wasting chores!’

’It’s terrifying!’

She took a deep breath, forcing all her shock and sarcastic retorts back down.

Then, she gave Lin Qingfeng a deep bow, a perfectly crafted expression of guilt and sudden enlightenment on her face.

"Senior Brother, this junior sister has been taught a lesson!"

Seeing this, Lin Qingfeng stroked his nonexistent beard, a gratified expression on his face as if to say, ’This child is teachable.’

"The path of the Great Dao begins with a single step.

Do not look down on sweeping leaves and fetching water. Within them lies a truth that you and I may not be able to grasp in our entire lifetimes.

Go on. Let your senior brother see how far your ’Dao’ can go amidst these mundane, worldly affairs."

"Remember! Your senior brother will be watching you always!!!"

His speech was so grand and pompous.

Su Ling’er lifted her head, her face now a mask of tearful gratitude.

Her eyes were filled with the heartbroken anguish of someone thinking, ’Why didn’t I have this realization sooner? I’ve utterly failed the expectations of Senior Brother and that deceased senior brother.’

’Senior Brother, you didn’t have to tell me you’d be watching me twice!!!’

’Don’t you have anything better to do?’

’Don’t you need to cultivate...’

’Right, it seems you really *don’t* need to cultivate.’

’You had me sign a Demonic Contract, and your Cultivation improved.’

’You took me to the Sword Mound, and your Cultivation broke through again...’

’Comparisons are just maddening!’

She hesitated no longer, turning to accept the jade slip from Mr. Qian.

The jade slip was cool to the touch.

She sent her consciousness into it, and the task’s location was clearly imprinted in her mind.

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

’Fine. It’s just sweeping floors and fetching water, isn’t it?’

’It’s not like I haven’t done it before. I’m at the peak of Qi Refining now. How could I be stumped by such trivial matters?’

...

And so, Su Ling’er arrived at a courtyard within the sect.

The place was quiet and deserted, like an empty yard.

A desolate autumn wind blew. Golden leaves carpeted the ground, making a soft RUSTLE when stepped on.

Su Ling’er glanced around. ’So this is what Senior Brother meant by "sweeping the dust from your heart"?’

Then, she extended a delicate finger and tapped lightly toward the center of the courtyard.

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

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

She clapped her hands, a smile gracing her lips.

’As expected, being at the peak of Qi Refining is much faster than when I was at the third level. Cleaning directly with Spiritual Power didn’t even use up much of it.’

She turned and headed for the back mountain, following the directions on the jade slip.

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

He was headed in the direction of the very courtyard she had just left.

The narrow, winding stone path led only to that secluded courtyard and nowhere else. There were no grand halls or other buildings at its end.

Su Ling’er’s pace slowed for a beat, a strange feeling rising in her heart.

’What... is he going to sweep?’

’That courtyard... I clearly just cleaned it spotless with my Spiritual Power.’

’Could it be...’

’Did Mr. Qian, who assigned the task, give out a duplicate location?’

She shook her head, trying to cast the lingering, strange feeling from her mind.

’Ah, forget it.’

’This demonic sect is strange through and through. One more weird thing doesn’t really matter.’

Suppressing her doubts, she continued toward the back mountain.

...

At the back mountain, nine giant vats were lined up at the base of the mountain. Their mouths were wide enough for three people to sit on side-by-side, and they were completely empty.

Su Ling’er walked to the side of a mountain stream. Looking at the clear water, she once again formed a hand seal for a Technique.

A dragon of water soared out of the stream, arced through the air, and roared as it poured into the first copper vat.

A moment later, the first vat was full.

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

Su Ling’er looked at her handiwork with satisfaction, the little bit of displeasure in her heart quietly dissipating.

’As expected of the peak Qi Refining realm~’

’Getting work done is just this easy!’

’So this is all their so-called "torment" amounts to~’

Humming a little tune, she skipped back to the Transmission Hall to turn in the tasks.

...

Mr. Qian, the elder in charge of assigning tasks, still wore that same wooden expression.

Su Ling’er handed over the completed jade slip, a small sense of pride in her heart.

"Elder, are there any new tasks?"

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

Su Ling’er glanced at the copper coins but didn’t really care much about them.

After all, at Qingxu Temple, you had to do things like sweeping and fetching water for free.

She took the new jade slip. Although it looked just as dim and lackluster as the last one, she still chose to accept it.

Then, two lines of small text she was all too familiar with appeared once more.

[Sweep the sect’s fallen leaves]

[Fill the nine water vats in the back mountain]

Su Ling’er: "???"

’Why is it these two tasks again?!’