Lu Yang's senior brother noticed the task and chuckled softly, "Every time I see this long-term task, I always think of the great achievements of our senior sister."
Another person added, "When our senior sister claimed she had created a technique from the ruins of the cave, it caused quite a stir when the truth came out."
"I heard from the master that there's a place in Lingnan called the Sishui Cave, and the most precious treasure there is a technique called 'Chaotic Dawn Technique,' left behind by the cave's master."
"Our senior sister once falsely claimed she found a technique called 'Chaotic Dawn Technique' in the Sishui Cave, saying that mastering it could break through chaos and reveal all truths of the world."
"After her lie was exposed, not long after, someone accidentally made their way through many dangers and reached the deepest part of the Sishui Cave, where they found the real 'Chaotic Dawn Technique.'"
"When our sect compared the two, they found that the real technique was actually harder to practice than the one our senior sister made up, and the final results were vastly different."
"Since then, many techniques have been discovered in the ruins, and any technique with the same name as our senior sister's was found to be weaker. The elders were silent for several days after hearing this."
Lu Yang: "..."
Lu Yang had never seen the Yun Zhi section of the scripture repository. It was probably because the techniques created by their senior sister were too extraordinary, stored at the highest level of the repository, and could not be accessed without special permission. This was commonly referred to as a taboo.
"Our senior sister has incredible talent, rare throughout the ages, and possesses the ability to shape the world. That's why everyone says it's a good thing for the sect leader to be in seclusion and let our senior sister act on their behalf."
"I also heard a rumor that our senior sister seized power and locked the sect leader away, wanting to become the true sect leader herself. She even has dirt on the eight elders, so the higher-ups dare not resist. Someone heard sobbing sounds at Tianmen Peak at night, and that was the sect leader in the dungeon!"
"Hahaha, that's definitely nonsense. There's no way that could happen."
Lu Yang hadn't heard any so-called sobbing sounds from the sect leader at Tianmen Peak, so he didn't take it to heart and continued looking for tasks.
Finally, he found one that fit the criteria.
"According to the people of Taiping Township in Quhe County, a type of bird monster has appeared that can speak human language. The specific type is unknown, and there are no records of it harming anyone or using monster techniques. Please, Daoist of the Sect, resolve this bird monster issue."
Lu Yang thought for a moment and accepted the task.
From the description, it seemed like a monster that had accidentally wandered into human territory or a monster that had gained intelligence through some fortunate encounter. Such monsters typically wouldn't be stronger than the Foundation Establishment stage, were not very aggressive, and might even be friendly toward humans, making it perfect for a newcomer like him.
Moreover, the reward offered for the task confirmed this.
The task reward was thirty contribution points.
That was the lowest reward for a task.
The rewards were calculated by a dedicated person from the sect and then verified by another, ensuring accuracy with double checks, so mistakes were rare.
The lower the reward, the simpler the task.
Lu Yang went to the front desk, "Senior brother, I’ll take this task to deal with the bird monster."
"I’ll take this task to deal with the bird monster too." Another voice chimed in, almost at the same time.
The voice belonged to a young girl in a light pink dress, with delicate features and fair skin, looking like a blooming peach blossom, quite charming.
With her sweet appearance and being at the Foundation Establishment stage like Lu Yang, her identity was obvious.
"Peach Yao Ye, what a coincidence," Lu Yang said with a smile. He had only seen Peach Yao Ye when he first joined the sect, and after that, he spent a year at Tianmen Peak with little contact with outsiders.
Lu Yang had ranked first in the entrance exam, so until the rankings were redone, he was the senior brother of this batch.
In reality, Peach Yao Ye choosing this task was not a coincidence. There were not many tasks suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage, and for their batch, they had only a few options.
"Ah, it’s Senior Brother Lu. Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment. There aren't many tasks for our level, so how about we work together to complete this one and split the reward?" Peach Yao Ye suggested with a sweet smile, curious about this rarely seen senior brother.
Lu Yang gladly agreed.
Completing tasks wasn't just about the rewards; they were more interested in gaining experience through the process.
"Quhe County isn’t very close. Shall we take a flying boat?"
...
"Peach Yao Ye, did you know that our human race is quite a contradictory one? People often fear what they also admire and long for."
"I heard that in ancient times, monsters were rampant, disasters were frequent, and humans were weak, struggling to survive in between."
"Those great monsters relied on their bloodlines, strong bodies, and innate powers to dominate the wild lands."
"Humans feared these great monsters, seeing them as natural disasters that were unbeatable, yet they also admired them, wishing to gain powers like theirs."
"Thus, ancient ancestors developed cultivation methods, learning from the bloodlines of monsters, overcoming numerous difficulties, and standing at the peak of the continent, creating a new world for humanity, which is how our race began!"
"Take thunder and lightning, for example. The ancient ancestors feared them but also longed for them, as they represented the might and authority of nature, an unstoppable natural will!"
"Humans yearn for them and wish to gain the power and authority of nature. The ancient ancestors questioned the heavens, faced thunder directly, and understood the principles of 'humans follow the earth, the earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Dao, and the Dao follows nature,' discovering various ways of cultivation!"
"Have you noticed? This contradictory mindset is an essential element for humans to become the rulers of the continent!"
"Also, take the sky. Humans long for the sky, hoping to soar freely like birds, yet they also respect it, feeling it is mysterious and unpredictable. This sense of awe flows in our blood; it's a mindset every human has, whether obvious or hidden..."
On the flying boat, Lu Yang was filled with excitement. As he spoke passionately, he suddenly stood up, gesturing with his hands and discussing grandly.
Peach Yao Ye thought for a moment and interrupted Lu Yang's lengthy speech.
"So, is that why you're afraid of heights?"
"Yes."
Peach Yao Ye: "..."
The two sat inside the flying boat, which was soaring among the clouds. The bottom of the boat was inscribed with a balance formation made by a master, so even when strong winds and heavy rain came, those inside wouldn’t feel a thing.
At that moment, the sky was clear, making it a perfect opportunity to sunbathe and enjoy the view on the deck. Peach Yao Ye suggested they go out, but Lu Yang, with his strong resolve, firmly refused.
Peach Yao Ye, more curious than usual, kept asking until Lu Yang had to explain his fear of heights, starting from ancient history, citing examples and reasoning, to prove that his fear was a reasonable and ancient psychological trait that, on a larger scale, even helped humanity progress.
Fortunately, Peach Yao Ye didn’t believe a word of it.
(End of Chapter)