The next morning, Falling Sword Peak was eerily peaceful.
Golden mist rose over the sect as disciples scrubbed the training yards, repaired sword racks, and purified the Spirit Wells. Yet despite the bustle, an invisible heaviness lingered in the air...like the faint smell after a thunderstorm.
Shen Liang yawned, balancing a rice bun on his broom handle as he walked down the slope.
"Disciples," he called lazily, "remember, a clean courtyard reflects a clean heart. Also, whoever used Sword Qi to cut tofu again report to me for punishment and cooking lessons."
A few outer disciples trembled. "Yes, Master Shen!"
Su Qinglan followed beside him, arms crossed. "You look too relaxed for someone who found a demonic heart yesterday."
He grinned. "Relaxation is the essence of efficiency. Can't fight evil with sore muscles."
"Efficiency? You spent half an hour talking to your broom this morning."
He looked at the broom affectionately. "Hey, we were strategizing."
But when they reached the central plaza, his carefree eyes hardened.
The earth still bore faint scars from yesterday's purification...cracks glowing faintly gold. Yet at the center, a thin spiral of black mist still leaked upward.
"Persistent little stain, aren't you?" Shen Liang muttered.
He tapped the ground with his broom.DING!
[Heavenly Sense Activated]Source: Deep Subterranean Layer – Unknown Sealed Structure.Warning: Ancient Residual Qi detected.
Shen Liang crouched. "Subterranean layer, huh? So, the mountain's got a basement full of trouble."
Su Qinglan frowned. "The sect archives mention a cavern sealed ten thousand years ago, beneath the original Sword Vein. Even the old patriarchs forbade entry."
Shen Liang's grin returned. "Forbidden places are just polite invitations."
"Shen Liang..."
"Relax, I'll bring snacks."
Later that day…
They descended through an ancient tunnel beneath the rear cliffs, guided by Shen Liang's glowing broom. Each step echoed through the narrow stone passage, carved with faint sword marks long faded by time.
The deeper they went, the colder it became...Qi didn't flow normally here. Even Su Qinglan's spiritual sense flickered.
"This place is... unnatural," she murmured. "The air is heavy with memory."
"Ah," Shen Liang said cheerfully, "so, basically, an antique shop with ghosts."
"Shen Liang, be serious..."
"I am! Antique ghosts are the worst kind."
He pushed open a heavy stone gate covered in ancient seals. The air whooshed outward, stale, but faintly humming with power. Inside lay a massive cavern, its walls glittering with traces of Sword Essence Crystals, dimmed by age.
At the center stood a black altar, wrapped in chains of light. The stone pulsed faintly with red veins remnants of Demon Qi.
Su Qinglan stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "This energy… it's the same type as the heart we purified."
"Yeah," Shen Liang said softly. "But older. Like the smell of old corruption in a new robe."
He walked around the altar, studying the carvings. Strange runes spiraled along its surface, depicting a figure holding a broom instead of a sword standing between Heaven and Earth, sweeping away darkness.
Su Qinglan blinked. "Is that...?"
"Yup," Shen Liang said. "A fellow janitor."
"No. Look closer." She touched one of the inscriptions. "This title… it says 'The Forgotten Laborer of Heaven.'"
The cavern suddenly hummed. The moment she spoke those words, light flickered across the walls. The carvings began to glow, revealing more scenes battles between divine cultivators and shadowy beings, mountains burning, skies shattering…
And in the center of it all stood that same broom-wielding figure, striking down a demon lord with one sweeping motion.
Shen Liang whistled. "Now that's cleaning."
Then the System chimed:
[Hidden Record Detected]"The Forgotten Laborer of Heaven – First Record Fragment"He once swept the skies clean of corruption, yet Heaven erased his name.Those who bear his mark walk the path of humble divinity.
Su Qinglan turned toward him. "Shen Liang… your broom reacted."
Indeed, his broom was trembling violently, glowing gold-white. The bristles shimmered, and an ethereal voice echoed faintly in his mind:
'Descendant of Labor… awaken the buried oath.'
He blinked. "Buried oath? Can it wait until after lunch?"
The entire cavern rumbled.
Cracks spread across the altar. Black mist burst upward, forming a demonic silhouette with burning crimson eyes.
The voice roared: "Intruders! You dare disturb the seal of the Laborer's Grave!"
Su Qinglan drew her sword instantly. "It's a residual will!"
The mist lashed out—shadowy tendrils shooting toward them.
Shen Liang leapt forward, spinning his broom like a spear. "Now, now, no need for violence! We just wanted to read the wall art!"
The shadow hissed. "Blasphemy! Only the chosen of Heaven's Labor may tread here!"
"Well," Shen Liang said, smirking, "lucky for you, I brought my work ID."
He slammed his broom down. Golden light exploded from the ground, sweeping away the shadows like a divine tide. The mist screeched, reforming, stronger than before.
Su Qinglan unleashed her sword technique—Frost Petal Bloom—freezing part of the shadow. Shen Liang followed, sweeping in circles, chanting, "By dust, by dirt, by unpaid overtime be cleansed!"
The System flared:
Heaven's Labor – Ancient Resonance Activated.Purification Multiplied x10
The broom's glow intensified, manifesting ethereal chains of golden light that wrapped the demonic form. The shadow screamed, melting into mist. As it faded, a whisper echoed:
"The Forgotten Laborer… betrayed by Heaven… buried beneath…"
Then silence.
When the light faded, Shen Liang stood panting, half his robe singed, his broom still glowing faintly.
Su Qinglan exhaled shakily. "You… you just fought a ten-thousand-year-old demonic remnant with a broom."
He grinned. "Correction. I cleaned a ten-thousand-year-old demonic remnant with a broom."
She sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder if Heaven made a mistake giving you power."
He winked. "Maybe Heaven just needed a janitor."
They turned toward the altar. In the center, a golden emblem had appeared—shaped like a sweeping brush, half-faded but pulsing with light.
The System chimed one last time:
[You have obtained: Divine Fragment – Oath of the Forgotten Laborer]Effect: Unlocks hidden quest line.New Trait: Echo of Heaven's Work – Cleansing Power increased by 200% in corrupted areas.Hidden Notification: "Connection established with Ancient Heaven."
Shen Liang scratched his head. "Connection with Ancient Heaven, huh? Does that mean I can file complaints directly now?"
Su Qinglan groaned. "You're impossible."
He smiled, resting the broom on his shoulder as they walked back toward the tunnel."Well, someone's gotta clean up the messes Heaven forgot."
The light behind them dimmed, the altar sealing once again but faint golden motes lingered in the air, forming silent words above the doorway:
"The Laborer Shall Rise Again."