Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Inside the Transmission Hall, the air was still.

Su Ling'er's lecture concluded, but it failed to produce the wave of epiphanies she had anticipated. Instead, it only stirred a dark undercurrent beneath the surface.

Several undercover agents from righteous sects felt cold sweat bead on their foreheads.

They stood scattered in the corners of the crowd, but their hearts were racing with terror.

Those demon beasts and spirit beasts were usually treated like donkeys pulling minecarts or oxen plowing spirit fields. The resentment radiating from each one was so thick you could almost touch it.

'Now she wants us to "care for" them? Isn't that like hand-delivering a fresh meat bun to a rabid dog that hasn't eaten in three days? There's no coming back from that!'

'What if I treat them like family, and they treat me like a punching bag and blast me with a Five Thunders Righteous Skill? Miss Su is probably trying to kill us with a borrowed knife, using us as outlets for those resentful beasts.'

'If one of us gets torn to shreds, she can just wash her hands of it and say our Dao hearts weren't firm enough, that we failed to reform our fellow disciples with love and deserved to die.'

'It's a classic setup!'

'Isn't this a textbook case of the bosses giving orders while the grunts do all the work, only to take the fall when things go wrong?'

Meanwhile, the train of thought for the demonic path agents veered to another extreme.

'The "love" Miss Su speaks of isn't the emotion we understand! It's a profound demonic truth of a higher order!'

'This so-called "love" is about making those defiant beasts understand, down to their very bones, who is the true master!'

'It's about giving them a small taste of kindness when they are in the depths of pain and fear, making them oscillate between hope and despair until their will is utterly crushed and they're reduced to nothing more than tail-wagging, begging dogs! That is true "love." It is control. It is conquest!'

'Miss Su is personally teaching us how to become the kind of superior who can sell someone out and have them help you count the money! A valuable lesson, truly a valuable lesson!'

He was already eager to put this into practice, deciding to give those spirit beasts a little taste of the Guixi Sect's demonic ways.

Then there were the "Big Brain" agents, the ones who thought they were so clever.

They wore expressions of deep pity, filled with the smug superiority of 'I alone am sober while all others are drunk,' as they looked upon their fellow Guixi Sect disciples, whose faces were contorted with either terror or fanaticism.

'These fools have completely failed to grasp the profound intentions of Miss Su and the sect's leadership!'

'From that Wooden Sword being treated as a divine artifact, all of the Guixi Sect's trials have had but one purpose—to temper our Dao hearts and force us to relinquish our egos.'

'Shoveling dung, providing care—it's all a facade! The true purpose is to make us abandon our pride as Cultivators and serve these spirit beasts and demon beasts as if they were our own ancestors! Just think, if you can humble yourself to serve a mere beast, what pride is left that you can't cast aside? This is the mark of a true seeker of the Dao, unreliant on external things, pursuing only one's true nature!'

'It's about perspective, get it? Suddenly, the bigger picture is crystal clear!'

Some of the Big Brains were already plotting. 'Once I get the task, I won't rush into it.'

'First, for His Lordship the Armored Rhinoceros, I'll turn his pen into a grand, three-courtyard estate. I'll pave the ground with the finest Spirit Grass and light three sticks of calming sandalwood incense.'

'Shovel dung? How crude! I'll call it "Retrieving the Sacred Relic"!'

'I'll have to bathe and change, burn incense and pray, and use a shovel made of golden nanmu wood to respectfully retrieve the "sacred object." Then, I'll find a place with excellent feng shui to give it a proper burial!'

'And if I get that postnatal care task, I'll have to treat the mother like my own grandmother! Bird's nest porridge, ejiao gelatin cake, thousand-year-old ginseng soup—three times a day, nothing less!'

'I'll even have to hire the sect musicians to play soothing melodies twenty-four hours a day, ensuring the spirit beast mother and child feel a warmth like a gentle spring breeze!'

'There's no way Miss Su could possibly be dissatisfied with this level of effort, right?'

Su Ling'er stood at the front of the hall, watching the disciples below. They all stood with heads bowed in thought, their expressions shifting constantly, yet no one stepped forward to take a task. Her patience was wearing visibly thin.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

The crowd below shifted their gazes, their eyes darting about, their expressions a kaleidoscope of emotions, yet not a single person would move an inch.

'After all,' they thought, 'such an important test should be assigned by our guide, Miss Su. Rushing forward would seem overly ambitious. What if we offend Miss Su? That would be the worst possible move.'

'Besides, until they could figure out Miss Su's true intentions, no one dared to be the one to stick their neck out.'

The passion for reform that had just ignited in Su Ling'er's heart was doused as if by a bucket of cold water, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

Immediately after, a surge of inexplicable anger flared up inside her.

'A bunch of hopeless demonic spawn!'

'Their demonic purity is still too high!'

'Why is it so hard just to get you to take care of a few little animals?!'

'You're all dragging your feet, making excuses as if I'm asking for your lives! Do you truly not feel the slightest shred of pity or curiosity for these living creatures?!'

'Can't you even be bothered to pretend?'

She was on the verge of a breakdown. Her chest tightened, a knot of frustration caught in her throat, making it hard to breathe.

'My path of reform has barely begun, and I've already hit a wall—no, not a wall, an insurmountable chasm!'

'Are their hearts made of stone? No, even a stone can be warmed! Their hearts must be made of ten-thousand-year-old glacial ice!'

"What are you all standing around for?!"

Su Ling'er's voice suddenly shot up an octave, carrying the spiritual pressure of a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator as it echoed in everyone's ears!

"Knowledge comes from practice! What are you all just standing there for? Are you practicing a vow of silence for me?!"

Her slender brows knitted together and her eyes went wide. She raised a pale hand high and slammed it down on the table beside her.

SMACK!

The sharp sound made everyone in the hall flinch.

"Do I need to personally spoon-feed you the mission slips?!"

"Get a move on!"

She firmly believed that people were inherently good. If they just had a chance to hold those little animals, to feel the warmth and the vibrant heartbeat in the palm of their hands, their dormant consciences would surely awaken!

She wanted a change that came from within, which was why she hadn't assigned the tasks directly. She had let them choose for themselves. Only through free choice could they take responsibility and truly commit!

And so, suppressing the urge to resort to violence, she stepped aside, clearing the path to the task board and Mr. Qian. Her eyes signaled that they could begin.

That single, subtle gesture was the fuse that lit the powder keg.

Several of the demonic path agents shot forward.

Their target was clear.

Trim the Fingernails of a Demon Ape!

"This one is mine!"

He snatched the task slip from the expressionless Mr. Qian, his face flush with excitement.

In their minds, nothing embodied the true meaning of "love" better than abusing and tormenting a demon beast!

The Big Brain agents were right behind them, surging forward as one toward the most grandiose-sounding task.

Spirit Beast Postnatal Care (Advanced)

They reverently "requested" the slip from Mr. Qian, their expressions as pious as pilgrims on a holy quest.

To them, this wasn't just a task. It was the ultimate trial of one's character, a golden highway leading straight into the sights of the sect's leadership!

As if by unspoken agreement, the righteous path agents all targeted the task that seemed to require the least skill and offered the most safety.

"Elder, we'll take this one!"

The group collectively accepted the task Assist in Cleaning Three Tons of Adult Armored Rhinoceros Dung from Mr. Qian.

It might stink, but at least the rhinoceros was a herbivore and seemed docile. It was far safer than trimming an ape's nails or tending to a tigress with postpartum depression.

They had already decided: they would clean it from afar using their skills and would not get within a single step of the behemoth. Maintaining a safe distance was their top priority.

Then, under Su Ling'er's watchful eye, they scattered and headed for the Spirit Beast Garden to begin their tasks.

Watching the scene unfold, Su Ling'er felt a sliver of relief.

The process had been rocky, but they had finally taken their first step toward "love."

...

Meanwhile, Lin Qingfeng was in his cave abode, lost in thought. He was preparing to contribute to the sect's daily tasks, to do his part for its growth and development.

And the subject of this "contribution"? His mount, the Alien Queen!

'Normally, using demon beasts as hosts for breeding the aliens would work just fine. It's simple and direct.'

But Lin Qingfeng wanted to experiment. Could he get an alien to possess a human's Spirit Root?

'What if I used a Cultivator as a host? If the alien absorbed genes that included a Spirit Root, would it hatch a "Spiritual Energy Alien"? Or perhaps an alien that was also an exotic beast, capable of human Cultivation?'

'If this works, they'd have their innate alien abilities and could also cultivate on their own. In the future, everyone could have their own "Cultivating Alien"! With that two-fold enhancement, wouldn't our combat power just skyrocket?!'

'Of course, experiments are always risky.'

'There's a chance the host's Cultivation could be drained, or their stats could just drop.'

Lin Qingfeng, however, operating under the fundamental principle of "better you die than me," had absolutely no intention of being the guinea pig for this himself.

'Hmm... Task publishing mode... select Sect Dailies.'

'Anyway, with so many players in the sect, there are bound to be a few "fated ones" willing to test the waters. Perfectly reasonable.'

'If it works, it's a blessing for the sect. If it fails, well, at least they can't die. The task reward can be used to heal their injuries, and since there's no pain, it can be considered a glorious sacrifice for the sect! So noble!'

'I really am such a caring senior brother, looking out for my sect mates.'

With a clear conscience, he put an artistic spin on the task details and clicked "confirm."

And just like that, a golden light flashed, and a new sect daily task silently appeared on the task board in the Guixi Sect's Transmission Hall.

Just as Su Ling'er was feeling relieved that her disciples had finally "seen the light," she noticed the jade wall of the task board flash with spiritual light as it refreshed with new content.

At the same time, the disciples—be they terrified, fanatical, or solemn—who had just accepted their own tasks, also noticed the change.

A brand-new jade slip materialized before Mr. Qian, several large words engraved upon it:

Help Hatch a New Life (Egg-like Object)

Task Description: This egg is extremely sensitive to external stimuli. The hatching process may involve unexpected changes. It requires a Cultivator to warm it with their body and soothe it with their mind. You will be able to experience the entire grand moment of a life breaking from its shell and emerging transformed, and perhaps even come to understand the true weight and meaning of life itself.

At the very bottom was another line of small, glowing words:

[Generous rewards can be claimed immediately upon completion. The task can be accepted again without returning to the Transmission Hall.]

Su Ling'er's eyes lit up the moment she read the task description.

'Hatch a new life? Understand the weight of life?'

'This... isn't this the perfect teaching tool, delivered right to my doorstep!'