Chapter 81: The Cemetery Duty Task

“You’re certain about accepting the cemetery duty task?”

Elder Brother Huang stared at Chen Luo before him, feeling utterly stunned.

The cemetery duty was typically reserved for older disciples who had failed their advancement and were awaiting their end in retirement. The spiritual energy there was scarce, the rewards minimal, and it required a significant time commitment. Normally, no one would willingly choose this task. Yet now, a newly promoted disciple approached him, requesting to undertake the cemetery duty, leaving him momentarily questioning if he had misheard.

Having been with the Divine Lake Immortal Sect for over three months, Chen Luo was well-versed in its common practices. Under normal circumstances, no one would opt for such a task.

For new disciples, this period should be marked by immense confidence; each believing they possess the potential of true immortals!

Achieving Foundation Establishment is not even the ultimate goal; reaching Pill Formation is considered the bare minimum. Only after experiencing the harsh realities of the cultivation world and the disappointments of failed advancements do some realize that even reaching Qi Refinement stage isn’t as straightforward as initially thought. It’s then that they start considering these safe yet less lucrative tasks.

“Shidi, you must think carefully. The spiritual energy at the cemetery is notoriously thin,” Huang Butong cautioned, offering a gentle reminder.

Huang Butong had already cautioned his Shidi Chen Luo numerous times.

From the moment he entered the sect, Chen Luo had been a slacker, neglecting his duties and squandering his talent with three spiritual roots. While others ventured out on missions to vanquish demons, he idled away time in the Scripture Pavilion. When peers competed bravely for rewards in the newcomers’ tournament, he yawned lazily at the training grounds.

If not for knowing he was a recent entrant, one might suspect him of being a senior disciple preparing to leave the mountain.

“I’m certain. I’ve always preferred tranquility since childhood,” Chen Luo replied earnestly.

Naturally, he couldn’t reveal his true intentions to Huang Butong; it’s best to keep grave-digging activities discreet. How could he explain to Elder Brother Huang that he enjoys cleaning the skulls of his predecessors?

‘Prefers tranquility? More like loves to slack off! So lacking ambition at such a young age will surely get you expelled from the mountain someday.’

Huang Butong decided against further conversation with this Shidi. Instead, he dutifully retrieved the mission booklet and began the standard questioning.

“Have you learned the Dust-Removal Technique?”

“Yes.”

With a swift motion, Chen Luo summoned a small whirlwind within his palm.

With a thought, Chen Luo dispersed his spiritual energy instantly. The wind in his palm swirled briefly before dispersing rapidly, transforming into a faint green aura that swept throughout the entire room. After circulating once, the diffused Qing Qi gathered dust and impurities as it returned to his hand, without even stirring the straw at the doorway.

‘This Dust-Removal Technique is truly well-executed.’

Huang Butong was momentarily stunned.

Chen Luo’s use of the Dust-Removal Technique was exceptionally flawless; even Huang Butong himself couldn’t have performed it better. With such outstanding cultivation talent, he believed Chen Luo should seize opportunities aggressively, venture down the mountain, and undertake trial missions to slay demons and monsters. If fortune smiled upon him, there might be a slim chance for Foundation Establishment success. Had Huang Butong possessed similar aptitude, he wouldn’t find himself here, merely welcoming newcomers.

The thought intensified his frustration, lamenting the wasted potential.

“A sheer waste of talent!”

“Elder Brother?”

Chen Luo waited patiently, noticing Huang Butong alternately gritting his teeth and displaying expressions of deep regret. It was unclear what thoughts were running through his mind.

“Alright, your task is recorded now, but I still want to remind you…”

Huang Butong sighed, gathering his thoughts and wrote Chen Luo’s name beneath the tomb-guarding task. With a flash, the mission disappeared from the book. Once recorded here, it would vanish elsewhere to prevent duplicate assignments.

“Many thanks, Elder Brother Huang.”

Taking the mission token, Chen Luo turned and swiftly left, leaving no chance for idle chatter with Elder Brother Huang. Lately, instead of playing with his tiger-headed puppet, he had become quite talkative.

Chen Luo, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

Finally securing the long-awaited task marked a significant leap forward on his cultivation path!

‘Now, all that remains is figuring out how to dig graves.’

With the plan progressing smoothly, Chen Luo’s confidence surged. He decided to familiarize himself with the area first before seizing the right opportunity to act. Hopefully, the predecessors at Wu Dao Peak were not cremated; otherwise, this mission would be futile.

“At least fifty graves need to be excavated. I wonder if there will be any brains from Foundation Establishment cultivators; finding them would truly be a jackpot,” Chen Luo contemplated.

When he broke through to the second level of Qi Refinement, his strength significantly increased, allowing him to handle more brainwave frequencies. Additionally, he planned to discard the brains of those travelers with limited learning capacity, as they couldn’t keep pace with his progress and served little purpose, only occupying valuable space.

“Shidi, always remember to focus on improving your cultivation and endure the necessary hardships! Otherwise, once opportunities pass you by, they may never return.”

Watching Chen Luo depart, Huang Butong loudly added his unspoken advice as Chen Luo walked away.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’m well accustomed to enduring hardships,” Chen Luo replied with a wave, leaving without looking back at Huang Butong’s room.

The cemetery lay at the rear of Wu Dao Peak.

Located beyond the mountain’s spirit gathering formation, it had sparse spiritual energy and a dismal environment. Overgrown weeds obscured the paths, indicating that no one had tended to this place for quite some time.

Following the task marker, Chen Luo arrived here without any trouble.

Upon entering, he took in the expansive view before him.

As far as the eye could see, the entire hillside was covered with graves, densely packed together—there must have been at least two thousand or more. Several appeared newly constructed, with fresh mounds of earth.

These were the burial sites of Divine Lake Immortal Sect disciples, many of whom perished while slaying demons and monsters in the mountains below. People often overlooked the dangers involved, focusing only on the high rewards of such endeavors. After all, every demonic or monstrous cultivator causing havoc outside is formidable in their own right.

“What a familiar place.”

As Chen Luo gazed at these familiar graves, memories of his time as a grave digger in Qingya County with Third Uncle resurfaced.

Passing through the sea of tombs, Chen Luo reached the end of the cemetery where he found several thatched huts. One of them emitted wisps of steam from its roof.

It was the residence of the gravekeeper.

“Is anyone there?” Chen Luo stood by the door and tentatively called out.

“Bury the dead yourself; I’m too busy to help. Visit the graves on your own, and remember to sweep clean afterward.” A frustrated voice responded from within the hut.

Chen Luo’s expression turned blank upon hearing this.

Are gravekeeping duties taken so lightly here? Now he understood why the weeds had grown unchecked. With such an attitude from the gravekeeper senior, it was surprising that even seeing the mounds intact could be considered courteous.

“Senior Brother, I’ve come for the gravekeeping duty,” Chen Luo knocked again, clarifying his purpose this time.

“For the duty, you say?” Inside the hut, there were sounds of rustling, and moments later, the door opened. A disheveled young man peered out, looking utterly dejected. Despite his appearance, his aura was surprisingly strong, indicating a cultivator in the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.

“Finally someone takes the duty! Come, come, please step inside!” Once confirmed that Chen Luo bore the task mark, the gravekeeping disciple promptly guided him in.

Upon entering the hut, Chen Luo was immediately dumbfounded.

The interior felt warm, yet everything was cluttered except for a cleared space in the middle, housing a wood-burning stove with a pot atop it. The pot simmered with stewed dog meat, filling the air with enticing aromas.