The Imperial Grand Arena had seen countless duels from saintly sword prodigies to demonic warlords... yet none began with a man holding a broom.
Dust swirled, banners trembled, and the air shimmered with spiritual tension as Shen Liang stood calmly at the arena's center, broom in hand, robes slightly wrinkled, hair tied with a strip of discarded cloth. Opposite him floated Prince Wei Yun, still shaken from the last battle yet burning with a cultivator's pride.
From the imperial dais, the Emperor leaned forward. His gaze, usually serene and distant, now held curiosity and something else: awe...
"Laborer Shen," the herald called, voice amplified by spiritual runes, "the Emperor grants you one final chance... demonstrate the essence of your Dao before Heaven's gaze!"
The crowd erupted.
"Let's see if the janitor can actually fight this time!"
"He probably cultivates dust!"
"Bet his ultimate technique is a mop twirl!"
Shen Liang waved cheerfully at the crowd. "Ah, such faith warms my heart. Truly, ridicule is the sunshine that helps my broom grow."
The Calm Before the Sweep
Prince Wei Yun drew his sword, a celestial blade forged from the spine of a fallen dragon. Its edge hummed with thunder.
"I underestimated you before," he said, his tone sharpened. "But this time, I will unleash my true strength."
Shen Liang nodded. "Good! Nothing makes sweeping easier than a strong breeze."
The prince blinked. "What?"
Before he could ask again, Shen Liang began to move slowly, deliberately, dragging his broom across the ground in a circular motion. Each stroke left behind faint glowing patterns, forming the shape of a giant spiral that pulsed like a living thing.
The Emperor's brows rose slightly. "This pattern... it's not a formation. It's a rhythm... he's syncing with the world's Qi flow."
The Empire's Sword Array
Prince Wei Yun thrust his sword upward, chanting, "Imperial Edict: Heaven's Mandate Formation!"
The entire coliseum shook as a thousand spectral swords appeared above him, forming a spiral of divine steel. Each blade resonated with imperial will an overwhelming tide of order and authority.
The Emperor's officials bowed instinctively under the pressure. Even Luo Yan gritted her teeth, her sword quivering.
But Shen Liang? He scratched his head.
"Thousand swords, huh? I once cleaned the whole sect's toilets in one night. This feels easier."
The crowd gasped... some in disbelief, others trying not to laugh.
"Is he serious?"
"He's mocking the prince mid-duel!"
"Who IS this man!?"
The Heavenly Sweep
Then it happened.
Shen Liang took one deep breath... slow, peaceful, steady. His robe fluttered gently, though no wind blew. The air around him softened, as though Heaven itself inhaled with him.
Then he moved.
Just one motion.
The broom arced in a half-circle, and the world shifted.
Sound vanished. Light folded. The thousand swords above began to shatter like reflections on water, dissolving into golden dust that spiraled upward. Each fragment of sword Qi, once sharp enough to cut through reality, turned to harmless light motes and danced around him.
[System Notification]
Mythic Technique Activated: Heavenly Sweep (Dao-Tier)
Effect: Neutralizes all hostile Qi and resets the battlefield to Heavenly Equilibrium.
Additional: Bonus Cleanliness +100%.
The audience froze. The coliseum's spiritual barrier cracked. The ground beneath Shen Liang's feet shimmered with divine light, the sweeping path forming a yin-yang symbol of dust and brilliance.
Then came the sound.
A single resonant "whoooosh" echoed across the arena, as though Heaven sighed in relief after millennia of imbalance.
The Emperor's Shock
The Emperor rose from his throne, his usually calm composure shattered. "That… that was not swordsmanship. That was… the reordering of Heaven's rhythm!"
Luo Yan's lips parted in awe. "He didn't destroy the swords… he cleaned the corruption within them."
Even the Flowing River Sect master fell to his knees. "His sweep… cleansed our Sword Qi deviation!"
Meanwhile, Shen Liang dusted off his hands, looking mildly unimpressed. "Hmm. Could've done better. Missed a spot over there." He pointed at a distant cracked pillar, as if he had merely been tidying the place up.
The entire coliseum "tens of thousands of cultivators", stood in stunned silence.
The System's Declaration
Then the familiar golden text appeared before Shen Liang's eyes:
[World Event Triggered!]
You have altered the Empire's Sword Dao.
New Path Recognized: The Dao of Effortful Harmony.
Heaven acknowledges your understanding: True Strength Lies in Balance.
Reward: 1,000,000 EXP
Title Unlocked: Heaven's Custodian
Hidden Achievement: "Janitor of the Cosmos."
Shen Liang blinked. "Custodian of Heaven? Sounds like more work. Can't I get a lazy title for once?"
The System responded silently, as if sighing.
The Emperor Speaks
The Emperor finally stepped down from the dais, his steps creating ripples in the air. He stood before Shen Liang, robes of gold flowing like rivers of sunlight.
"Shen Liang," he said, voice echoing through the coliseum, "tell me...what was that technique?"
Shen Liang bowed casually. "Just sweeping, Your Majesty. Heaven left a bit of clutter lying around. I took care of it."
The Emperor's eye twitched the first time in a century anyone had seen that happen. "You… call that sweeping?"
"Of course! If you think about it, we all spend our lives sweeping away dust, mistakes, regrets… even pride."
For a moment, even Heaven seemed to pause at his words.
The Aftermath
When the Emperor returned to his throne, he waved his sleeve. "The Falling Sword Sect shall rise two ranks to Level 8. And Shen Liang…"
He paused, gaze narrowing. "You have my Imperial Favor."
The crowd exploded with cheers.
Luo Yan smiled softly, whispering, "You've changed everything again, haven't you, Shen Liang?"
He grinned, spinning his broom lazily. "Me? Nah. Just keeping Heaven tidy. Someone's gotta do it before it gets dusty again."
Humor and Foreshadowing
As Shen Liang walked off the shattered arena, disciples swarmed him with teary eyes.
"Master! You destroyed a thousand sword techniques in one sweep!"
"Are you secretly an immortal?"
"Can you teach us to clean like that!?"
Shen Liang sighed, putting a hand behind his head. "First rule of sweeping, kids always start from the heart. The rest will follow."
Then he stopped, looking up at the sky where the fragments of broken sword Qi floated like glowing petals.
"Hmm," he murmured, eyes narrowing with playful mischief. "Heaven looks a bit dusty too. Guess I'll have to bring a bigger broom next time."
The disciples laughed and somewhere deep within the Imperial Palace, the Heavenly Laws themselves trembled, as if preparing for the next absurd, world-altering act of the Sword Laborer of Heaven.