The forest beneath Falling Sword Peak was unnaturally quiet. No birds sang. No insects chirped. The only sound was the faint drip… drip… of black sap falling from the roots of ancient trees.
Shen Liang stood at the edge of the sect's Spirit Well, broom in hand, nose wrinkling."Ugh. Smells like a demonic pig rolled in rotten peaches," he muttered.
Zhao Fei, gagging behind him, covered his face with his sleeve. "Master, that's not a smell. That's evil."
"Evil," Shen Liang said, "still smells worse than burnt tofu."
Su Qinglan sighed. "Focus, Shen Liang."
He crouched down, brushing the soil with his hand. The ground pulsed faintly with black veins — not veins of Qi, but roots. They writhed like worms, glistening with oily sheen, stretching deep beneath the sect.
"Lovely," Shen Liang murmured. "Nothing like a morning infestation to remind you you're still mortal."
Su Qinglan's eyes narrowed. "These roots… they're feeding on Sword Qi."
He nodded. "Yeah. Like spoiled tea drinkers—only worse manners."
She frowned. "They're draining the sect's essence from below. If this continues, the entire Sword Vein will collapse."
"Collapse, you say?" Shen Liang tilted his head. "That sounds like more work."
"Shen Liang!"
He grinned. "Alright, alright. Let's see what the System says."
DING!
[System Alert: Heaven's Labor Detects Impurity]Anomaly Class: Demonic Essence (Corrupted Growth)Suggested Action: Purify through Labor Dao.Caution: Source unknown. Root contamination deep.
The broom in his hand began to tremble.
"Eh?" he blinked. "You too, old friend?"
The divine broom glowed faintly gold, its bristles vibrating as if alive.The tremor wasn't fear — it was rage.
The System chimed again:
Heaven's Labor Resonates: 'Impurity detected. Filth opposes order.'
Shen Liang rubbed his chin. "Filth opposes order… so, cleaning time again?"
Su Qinglan folded her arms. "This isn't cleaning, Shen Liang. It's corruption on a spiritual scale."
"Exactly. Big mess, big broom."
He stepped closer to the roots. The air grew heavier. The ground exhaled a foul, damp breath.
One of the roots twitched — then lashed upward, slicing through the air like a whip!
SHHHK!
Shen Liang ducked lazily, the tip grazing his hair. "Rude! I haven't even introduced myself!"
Another vine erupted, lunging straight for Su Qinglan. She flicked her sleeve, a blue talisman flashed, slicing it mid-air. The severed end shrieked like a wounded animal, spraying black mist.
Shen Liang's grin faded. "Yep. Definitely demonic. Regular weeds don't scream."
The disciples behind him panicked. "Master! The corruption's spreading!"
The roots began crawling across the ground, forming grotesque patterns that pulsed like veins beneath the soil. The trees themselves leaned inward, as though drawn by unseen gravity.
Shen Liang's voice hardened. "Everyone, fall back to the courtyard. Elder Zhou, set up a Qi barrier—now!"
The disciples obeyed instantly. It wasn't the command of a lazy laborer anymore it was the voice of a man who carried a sect's life in his palm.
As the last of them retreated, Shen Liang's carefree smirk returned though his eyes burned like molten gold.
"Alright, you vine-faced freeloaders," he said, spinning his broom. "You've invaded my sect, stolen my Qi, and ruined my forest. That's three crimes. Usually, I'd just fine you… but today, I'm feeling generous."
He pointed the broom downward. "So, free sweeping service, one way to oblivion!"
Boom!
Golden light exploded from his broom as he unleashed the Flow of Discipline. The spiritual wind roared across the clearing, slamming into the black vines.
The corrupted roots shrieked, thrashing violently. Black Qi hissed against gold light, steam rising where purity met corruption.
"Master, it's not enough!" Zhao Fei cried.
"I know," Shen Liang muttered, eyes narrowing. "They're not just feeding on our Qi...they're anchored."
"Anchored to what?"
Shen Liang's aura flared. His Core pulsed, glowing through his skin like molten gold. "To something below us. Something big."
He swung the broom in a grand arc, golden waves slicing through the forest floor. Dirt and Qi exploded upward, revealing a cavernous pit lined with writhing roots.
Deep inside the darkness, a faint crimson glow pulsed, rhythmic, alive.
Su Qinglan's breath caught. "That… that's a heart."
The black vines connected to it like arteries, drawing energy from the land above.
Shen Liang's usual humor vanished completely. His voice turned sharp."No wonder the Sword Qi's dying. Someone planted a demon heart beneath our sect."
DING!
[Quest Update: The Veins Beneath the Mountain – Stage II]Objective: Purify or Seal the Demonic Heart.Reward: ???Warning: Contamination spreading.
The ground trembled violently. Cracks split open, oozing black mist. The vines lashed again, faster now, dozens at once.
Su Qinglan conjured a storm of talismans. "We can't fight this here! The heart's feeding on our Qi flow!"
"Then let's starve it," Shen Liang said calmly.
He slammed the broom into the ground.A vast golden circle spread from beneath him... the Heavenly Labor Array, a divine construct powered by effort and intention.
"Rule number one of cleaning," he said, grinning, "start from the center."
BOOOOM!
The array flared. Golden wind howled through the forest, turning every motion of Shen Liang's broom into a miniature cyclone. He swept once... and thousands of corrupted roots disintegrated into ash.
Su Qinglan shielded her face from the wind, eyes wide. "He's channeling Core Formation power through a cleaning technique?"
Zhao Fei laughed wildly. "That's our master!"
The vines recoiled, screeching as the golden storm consumed them. The demonic heart pulsed violently, cracking under the divine pressure.
Finally, Shen Liang raised his broom, eyes gleaming. "Time to polish your grave."
He swept one final time.Heavenly Sweep — Pure Form!
Light engulfed the cavern. The vines screamed and crumbled. The crimson glow shattered into dust, dispersing into motes of fading shadow.
Silence fell. The forest sighed, as though exhaling relief.
Shen Liang leaned on his broom, panting lightly. "Whew. See? Easy. Just a little spring cleaning."
Su Qinglan pinched her brow. "You call that easy?"
"Of course," he said with a smirk. "Labor builds character. And occasionally eradicates demonic infestations."
The System chimed again:
[Quest Progress: 100%]Reward: "Heavenly Sense – Purity Detection" Unlocked.New Alert: "Residual Signature Detected — Unknown Hand Manipulated Demon Heart's Growth."
Shen Liang frowned, the humor fading just a little. "Someone planted this thing here… deliberately."
Su Qinglan's voice dropped. "A rival sect?"
He gazed at the horizon, the wind lifting his hair. "Maybe. Or maybe Heaven's testing how clean a broom can really sweep."
Then he smiled again, tapping his broom lightly. "Either way, I'm charging extra next time."