When the airship cut through the clouds, Falling Sword Peak came into view..its familiar cliffs and crooked pines now shimmering beneath dawn's golden light.
Shen Liang leaned against the railing, his broom resting across his shoulder, a grin tugging at his lips.Last time he'd left this mountain, he was just the sect's "laborer."Now, he was the man who made an Emperor bow.
"Ah," he sighed dramatically, "the scent of home...pine, steel, and unpaid debts."
Zhao Fei chuckled behind him. "Master, even the clouds seem to bow to you now."
"Nonsense," Shen Liang said, swatting the air. "They're just trying to look busy before I assign them chores."
The disciples burst out laughing, their spirits soaring. Their robes fluttered with the new Level 8 insignia, proof that the Heavenly Registry had officially recognized their sect's revival. Once mocked as a forgotten laborer's clan, the Falling Sword Sect now gleamed with respect across the Empire.
At the gates, hundreds of disciples and elders waited—torches blazing, banners unfurled, the air trembling with cheers.
"Elder Shen!The Broom Saint has returned!""Long live the Labor Sword Dao!"
Shen Liang landed lightly on the ground, spreading his arms like an actor taking a bow.
"Please, please—no need to exaggerate," he said with a grin. "I only revolutionized the Empire, cleansed the Sword Dao, and made the Emperor question his life choices."
Laughter rippled through the mountain.
Sect Master Liang Feng, his usually stern face softened with pride, stepped forward and clasped Shen Liang's hand."You've brought back more than glory, Shen Liang—you've brought back faith."
"Faith, hmm?" Shen Liang said. "That's nice. Can faith also rebuild our broken eastern training platform? Because I accidentally swept it into splinters last month."
"...You what?"
"Details," Shen Liang waved him off. "Faith first. Repairs later."
That night, the mountain blazed with life.
Drums thundered, lanterns floated through the air like glowing petals, and disciples danced in the courtyards. Fireworks burst across the peaks, and for once, the laughter in Falling Sword Sect wasn't forced—it was real.
Shen Liang sat on the pavilion roof, a gourd of wine in hand.
System Notification:
[Cultivation Breakthrough Achieved]Current Realm: Core Formation – Early StageSpecial Trait Unlocked:Sword Qi Refinement through LaborAffinity Progress: Luo Yan – Fate Thread: Entangled (65%)
He blinked at the glowing panel, squinting. "Wait. Sixty-five percent? I haven't even confessed yet!"
The System's calm voice replied:
"Emotional influence does not require confession, Host. Proximity, shared experience, and meaningful glances are sufficient catalysts."
"Meaningful glances?" Shen Liang scoffed. "So now Heaven is shipping me with the Empire's Sword Princess?"
"Affirmative."
He groaned and covered his face. "Wonderful. I defeat a prince, impress an emperor, and now my love life is a side quest."
Below, the celebration roared on. Luo Yan stood among the disciples, dressed in soft silver robes, her usual cold composure melting in the lantern glow. When she looked up at Shen Liang, their eyes met for a fleeting moment.
And for that brief instant—the Sword Princess smiled.
He almost choked on his drink.
"Dangerous," he muttered to himself. "That smile could slay a Nascent Realm cultivator."
Zhao Fei's voice called from below. "Master! The disciples are requesting a speech!"
Shen Liang sat up, straightened his torn robe, and leapt down gracefully—only to trip on the last tile and crash spectacularly into a table of dumplings.
A gasp spread through the crowd—then thunderous laughter.
Rising from the wreckage, he brushed off a dumpling from his hair and said solemnly, "This is called Foundational Dumpling Step. A secret movement art I've mastered at Core Realm."
The mountain erupted in cheers again.
When the laughter faded, Shen Liang raised his broom, voice steady and sincere:
"Brothers and sisters! We've proven something today—that labor isn't servitude. That effort isn't shame. We swept, we worked, and we rose! Our brooms are mightier than blades because we clean both filth and arrogance!"
The disciples shouted in unison:"Falling Sword Sect! Sweep the Heavens!"
Sword Qi erupted into the sky, forming a shining broom-shaped streak that pierced the clouds. The mountain trembled—not from destruction, but rebirth.
Later that night, as the stars shimmered above, Su Qinglan joined Shen Liang on the balcony.
"The Empire's eyes are all on you now," she said softly. "You've become a legend."
He chuckled. "Legends are just people who tripped in the right direction."
"You've changed, Shen Liang. You're no longer the lazy laborer everyone ignored."
He smiled. "I'm still him. I just learned to sweep a little higher."
A faint breeze stirred the trees. From within the mountain, a subtle vibration pulsed—Sword Qi fluctuation, almost imperceptible.
Su Qinglan frowned. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah," he said, staring toward the dark forest. "The mountain's veins are shifting."
"What does it mean?"
Shen Liang sipped his wine. "It means the story refuses to let me rest."
As dawn crept across the horizon, he looked down at the sleeping sect below.
[System Update]Main Quest Completed: "Rise of the Sect"Next Quest Unlocked: "The Veins Beneath the Mountain."Reward: Sect Reputation +1000, Luo Yan Affection +10, Core Formation Stability +2%.
Shen Liang exhaled, stretching lazily. "A new quest already? Can't a hero get a nap?"
He stood up, broom resting against his shoulder, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
"Alright then," he murmured. "If Heaven wants trouble… I'll sweep it clean."
The morning sun broke over Falling Sword Peak, casting golden light across the sect reborn—its new Core shining at the heart of it all: Shen Liang, the Carefree Broom Saint of Heaven.