Chapter 483 - 461: Shocking! A Rare Single Spirit Root’s Only Wish is to Join Our Righteous Immortal Sect—the Guixi Sect

Chapter 483: Chapter 461: Shocking! A Rare Single Spirit Root’s Only Wish is to Join Our Righteous Immortal Sect—the Guixi Sect

Inside the cave abode.

Lin Qingfeng sat in the Grandmaster’s Chair, his fingers frantically swiping through the air, leaving afterimages in their wake.

The combo count in the top-left corner of the screen was skyrocketing.

x98!

x99!

Just one more hit and he’d beat the built-in minigame.

DING—!

A notification sound interrupted his train of thought.

’Who the hell is bothering me at a time like this?’

’Didn’t I already block all those trivial notifications and turn on "Do Not Disturb"?’

Lin Qingfeng glanced up at the mission icon.

[Mission: Guide]

[Description: A new soul is eager to join the Guixi Sect. Please go and guide them, or dispatch a disciple to do so.]

[Aptitude: Dark Spirit Root (a single Spirit Root), Dao Foundation severely damaged, cultivation prospects are bleak, outstanding talent with Yin spirits, carries special tag: [Barely Surviving]]

His impatient expression froze the moment he saw the three words "Dark Spirit Root."

’A single Spirit Root?’

’And a rare type like the Dark Spirit Root, at that?’

’It’s no Celestial or Sword Spirit Root, but it’s still pretty damn good!’

He sat up straight, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

’In a starter zone crawling with multi-root trash, a rare drop like a single Spirit Root actually spawned? And a rare type like the Dark Spirit Root, no less?’

’I thought all the single Spirit Root talents were snatched up by the major righteous sects, rare as pandas. I can’t believe one slipped through the cracks.’

’Normally, a prospect like this would’ve been carved up and claimed long ago. They’d be raised in secret as an illegitimate child before they’d ever be allowed to wander free. And someone from my sect actually managed to dupe them into coming here?! The Guixi Sect truly is favored by destiny!’

As his gaze drifted downward, Lin Qingfeng clicked his tongue.

’Dao Foundation severely damaged? Ah, that explains it. So they’re damaged goods.’

’It’s like finding a winning lottery ticket for the grand prize, only to be told at the claim center that it’s half-burnt and worthless.’

’With a Dao Foundation that shattered, their cultivation journey is basically over. How did they even get into such a state? No wonder nobody wanted them. It’s the only reason my people managed to snag them and trick them into joining.’

However...

Lin Qingfeng grinned.

’So what if they’re a cripple?’

’Sure, they’re crippled and have that shady-sounding "Barely Surviving" tag...’

’But as long as the "single Spirit Root" part is real, they’re a top-tier prospect! What is the Guixi Sect lacking right now? Actual combat power?’

’No! What we’re lacking is prestige! Flexing material! We need screenshots we can post on the *Ashen Heaven* forums that will make other players green with envy!’

’As for a "minor flaw" like a damaged Dao Foundation...’

’I just have to crop out that buzzkill of a line, and presto! The headline writes itself: "Peerless Prodigy Abandons the Dark Path, Begs to Join the Righteous Guixi Sect!"’

’The hype, the traffic—it’ll go viral instantly!’

’Look at the current player base. How many sects out there have a disciple with a single Spirit Root?’

’So what if some other third- or fourth-rate sects have one?’

’You have a single Spirit Root? Okay, but do you have a *rare* single Spirit Root?’

’What’s that? You don’t? Then we’ve already won!’

’Even if we just keep them around as a mascot, it’ll still boost the sect’s mysterious aura!’

’As for how to welcome them...’

Lin Qingfeng glanced at his minigame, which was heating up, and made the decisive choice to be a hands-off boss.

’This kind of grunt work should obviously go to our professional "Sect Guide," my little junior sister.’

’She’s probably finished digesting that blood essence by now, anyway. Perfect time to let her out for some air.’

’Besides, while my little junior sister might be a "Muggle" herself, she’s got the heart of an Auror. With talent like that on the case, it’s a guaranteed success.’

With a flick of his finger, Lin Qingfeng sent a Sound Transmission Talisman flying toward the Artifact Refining Pavilion as a streak of light.

Having done all that, he quickly pulled up the [Divine Thought System] and issued a command.

"Pull up that disciple’s attribute panel. Touch up the image, remove all negative information, and max out the rarity factor. Create the visual impact of a ’Child of Destiny Submitting to Our Sect.’ Finally, generate viral forum copy and post immediately."

As the command was issued, the system interface unfolded layer by layer.

[The Divine Thought Engine is engaging in deep thought...]

Phase One:

User’s core motivations: Showing off, sect brand-building, acquiring traffic.

Target audience: Forum players, potential competitors, and players with a fanatical love for "rare attributes."

Objective: Conceal the target’s practical combat deficiencies due to their "damaged Dao Foundation." Leverage the information gap to create a PR advantage.

Image Layer Analysis:

Items to retain: [Dark Spirit Root], [Outstanding talent with Yin spirits]

Items to remove: [Dao Foundation severely damaged], [Cultivation prospects are bleak]

Phase Three: Copy Generation

Style settings: Clickbait, Humblebrag, Cryptic.

#SingleSpiritRoot #Rare #DontEvenWannaTakeHim #TheStruggleIsReal

Title: *SHOCKING! Rare Single Spirit Root Disciple’s Lifelong Dream Is to Join Our Righteous Sect—the Guixi Sect!*

Phase Four: Execute Output

In the blink of an eye, a screenshot brimming with prestige appeared before Lin Qingfeng. The words describing the damaged Dao Foundation had vanished without a trace.

A moment later, a notification popped up: Forum post successful!

Then, Lin Qingfeng went right back to his tense and exciting minigame.

...

「Artifact Refining Pavilion.」

DONG—!

Su Ling’er bit her lip, the pain washing over every nerve in her body.

But with every strike of Shi Gandang’s hammer, she could clearly feel herself breaking past her limits, little by little.

That was power.

’This is the power Eldest Senior Brother bestowed upon me—the means to survive in this cruel demonic sect.’

It was silent outside the window.

A dozen pairs of eyes watched the scene, no one daring to speak. They even suppressed their breathing to the barest minimum.

Wang Wu glanced out of the corner of his eye at the few "people" beside him—other undercover agents—who all wore fanatical expressions.

’This demonic sect is full of lunatics. They get this excited watching Miss Su get tortured? Anyone who would endure such humiliation to stay here must be a bloodthirsty demon who kills without batting an eye.’

He withdrew his gaze, looked again at Su Ling’er, and swallowed hard.

’The methods of this demonic sect... they’re cruel, savage, completely devoid of ethics!’

’But... they’re so damn effective.’

Wang Wu could feel it. Su Ling’er’s once-unstable aura of bloodlust and resentment was becoming incredibly dense under this inhuman torture. It was a foundation he could never have built, not with all the suppression and exploitation he’d faced in his own righteous sect.

’No, I can’t keep watching.’

Wang gritted his teeth as a sense of crisis washed over him.

’The cultivation speed in this demonic sect practically defies the Celestial Dao! If I keep slacking off like this, in less than three months, I won’t even be worthy of carrying that fiend’s shoes.’

’When that happens, I’ll be too weak. How will I survive in this den of wolves? How will I... uncover their deepest secrets?’

’Right, it’s for the intelligence! I’m not trying to get stronger for myself. I’m doing this to critically analyze the demonic sect!’

’This is a necessary sacrifice to infiltrate their inner circle! For the good of all people, I, Wang, will bear any infamy, even if it means hatching those stupid eggs! It’s absolutely, definitely not because I’m greedy for this demonic sect’s resources!’

At this thought, Wang’s expression turned resolute. He turned and left.

Not far from him, the other undercover agents—the ones Wang had pegged as perverted demons—were trembling.

’This is a necessary act to survive in a demonic sect! If we looked horrified watching our senior sister suffer, we’d just be asking for trouble, wouldn’t we?’

’To gain power in this sect, we have to shatter our former selves!’

One of them saw Wang turn and leave, and an alarm went off in his head.

’That deadpan guy is leaving! Look at that grim face—he must be one of the top grinders in this sect!’

’These demon spawn, pretending to be loyal... they all act so low-key, but when it counts, they’re more ruthless than anyone!’

’It’s a shame my body is too weak. I’d be asking to die if I went up there to get hammered. Miss Su must have assigned us to egg-hatching duty so that we can one day be forged just like her!’

’But if I let Wang get the jump on me and I end up at the bottom of the pecking order... I’m screwed! In a demonic sect, being worthless is a death sentence!’

’No! I have to hatch those eggs! I’ll hatch a whole new world out of them! Only by showing a more fanatical desire for the Dao than these other demon spawn can I survive! Only then can I... pry some small opportunity to grow stronger from Miss Su!’

The man took a deep breath, a ferocious and bizarre smile twisting his face as he forced on the mask of a Demon Cultivator to conceal his terror.

He too turned, ready to accept the mission to help hatch new life once more!

...

The figures outside the window disappeared one by one.

Not a word of conversation, not a single greeting.

’In their eyes, everyone else was a purebred demon spawn, ready to climb over their corpses to get ahead.’

’Dammit, these lunatics don’t even sleep!’

’Shit, that guy’s running so fast. He must be going to suck up to the deacons!’

’To protect my cover, I have to be a better actor than them! Only by becoming the most diligent Demon Cultivator here will no one ever suspect I’m a beacon of the righteous path!’

’HYA HYA HYA HYA! This is my demonic paradise! When is my old sect gonna get wiped out already?!’

「Under the cover of night.」

The dozen or so figures, having witnessed Miss Su’s method for growing stronger, felt their competitive spirits ignite. Each harboring their own secret plans, they went back to the task of hatching new life.

...

「Inside the pavilion.」

A streak of light shot through the window and hovered before Su Ling’er, coalescing into a familiar voice.

"Little Sister, stop with all that screaming."

"A few more new disciples are at the mountain gate. Go guide them in."

On the anvil.

The unfocused look in Su Ling’er’s eyes sharpened.

’Guide them in?’

’More people who don’t know any better, trying to step into this demonic den?’

She struggled to rise, her bones groaning in protest.

She sighed to herself. ’It seems Eldest Senior Brother still has high hopes for me. Even though I haven’t managed to dissuade those dozen or so stubborn ones, I did succeed in turning away nearly three hundred others, sending them back to the mortal world.’

’Eldest Senior Brother is cold on the surface but warm at heart. He can’t bear to watch people descend into this man-eating den, slowly becoming monstrous fiends just to survive. That’s why he entrusted this important mission to me.’

’If that’s the case, then I will use this broken body—this vessel fresh from a baptism in purgatory—to show the newcomers that this is no immortal paradise. This is the Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs!’

’If I can just act terrifying and cruel enough, I can at least scare some of them back to the mortal world, where they can live out their mediocre but peaceful lives.’

’Though I have fallen into endless darkness, I will stand on the precipice and do all I can to turn the tide.’

"Ling’er... accepts this mission!"

As her voice fell, Su Ling’er’s eyes flew wide open. The Spiritual Qi in her body surged and unified, condensing into liquid form.

She had reached the Fake Core Realm!