16: Chapter 16 Madam, this task was set by the founder, it really wasn't my idea!

After seeing off Qian Tong from the Wanbao Pavilion, the Hehuan Sect returned to its usual tranquility.

Inside the main hall, Wang Yang sat on the throne, looking at the massive sum of [1090] points on the System panel, feeling his backbone straighter than ever before.

"Having money and not spending it makes you a fool."

With a grand wave of his hand, Wang Yang muttered in his heart: "System, open the mall! Spend! Shop!"

Currently, although the Hehuan Sect had the [Spirit Gathering Array] and the [Spirit Spring], it still had too few functional buildings.

Especially that fully automatic Pill Furnace—its output was too low.

Now that his wife was at the Foundation Establishment Stage and his Disciple was also cultivating, there had to be enough Medicinal Pills provided.

Wang Yang locked his gaze and clicked to purchase without hesitation:

1. [Elementary Pill Refining Room (Upgraded version of the fully automatic Pill Furnace)]

Price: 500 Points.

Description: A professional Alchemy building with its own independent earth fire veins.

Capacity: 100 Qi Refining grade pills/day; 10 Foundation Establishment grade pills/day.

Note: Automatic daily output, no manual supervision required.

2. [Sect Task Hall]

Price: 500 Points.

Description: The core of Sect management. The System automatically issues tasks; once a Disciple completes them, rewards are distributed directly to the individual.

"Bought! Install!"

[Ding! 1000 points deducted. Remaining points: 90.]

[Generating buildings...]

The next second.

Rumble—

The ground trembled slightly.

On the empty ground to the right of the main hall, space seemed to be torn apart by a pair of invisible giant hands, and countless golden lights converged.

In the blink of an eye, a crimson pavilion (Pill Refining Room) and a solemn, majestic hall (Task Hall) manifested out of thin air, as if they had stood there since ancient times.

Ye Qingcheng and Lin Xiaowan, who were resting in the side hall, heard the commotion and rushed out.

When they saw these two magnificent buildings that had appeared out of nowhere, both were stunned.

"This... this is..." Lin Xiaowan's mouth hung wide open as she rubbed her eyes.

As for Ye Qingcheng, her pupils constricted in shock.

In her original understanding, to construct a building containing Dao Rhyme, countless Formation Masters would need a long time.

But Wang Yang had just waved his hand while sitting in the hall, and high buildings rose from the ground?

"Void Creation?! Words becoming law?!"

Ye Qingcheng looked at the calm figure inside the hall, the awe in her eyes deepening.

"So my husband's Realm has long since exceeded my imagination... Such methods, I'm afraid even Soul Transformation Stage experts couldn't achieve them. No wonder he doesn't deign to explain; is this the power of an Immortal?"

Under the System's "Rationalization Halo," all these illogicalities were automatically filled in by them as manifestations of Wang Yang's unfathomable strength.

...

Inside the hall.

Wang Yang had no idea he had been "deified" once again.

He called the two women in and handed the Storage Pouch containing over a thousand Spirit Stones to Ye Qingcheng.

"Qingcheng, you are the Sect Master's wife. From now on, the Sect's financial power is in your hands."

Holding the Storage Pouch, Ye Qingcheng was so moved her eyes reddened slightly: "With my husband's trust, Qingcheng will not fail the task."

On the side, Lin Xiaowan pouted and muttered softly, "Revered Master is biased... having a Mistress makes him forget his Disciple. I'm also very good at accounting..."

Wang Yang amusedly tapped her head: "Stop being sour. I'll take you to see the new Task Hall; that's where you'll earn your resources."

...

The three of them walked into the brand-new [Sect Task Hall].

In the center of the hall stood a massive white jade stele, shimmering with flowing light; it was the Sect task board automatically generated by the System.

"Come look, this is our Sect's task distribution area."

Wang Yang stood with his hands behind his back, full of confidence.

However, when he clearly saw [Task One] pinned at the top of the stele, the smile on his face instantly froze.

At the very top of the stele, written in bold, red, and ambiguously glowing pink letters, it said:

[Sect Core Task (1): Spreading the Lineage for the Sect Master (Permanent)]

Task Description: As the strongest Hehuan Sect, how can the Sect Master have only one Dao Companion? The Great Dao of Yin and Yang values many children and much fortune; the more, the better!

Requirement: Find and match high-quality Dao Companions for the Sect Master (Beauty Score 90+).

Reward: One god-level beauty preservation pill (Beautification, Eternal Youth). One Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact (Random).

Note: This is an ironclad rule set by the Ancestral Master of the Hehuan Sect. For the future of the Sect, please be generous, Madam Sect Master.

Dead silence.

The air suddenly became as quiet as death.

Wang Yang felt cold sweat instantly pour down his back.

He stiffly turned his head, meeting Ye Qingcheng's smiling eyes that held a hint of a "kind" aura.

"Husband..."

Ye Qingcheng pointed at the stele, her voice so gentle it made one shiver: "This task... is it your idea? Or... the Ancestral Master's idea?"

"A misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"

Wang Yang jumped up instantly, pointing at the stele with grief and indignation: "This is a rule set by the Ancestral Master! It has nothing to do with me! I, Wang Yang, swear to the heavens that having you, Qingcheng, is enough for me! What kind of trash task is this? It's simply ruining my Dao Heart!"

Seeing Wang Yang's panicked state, the jealousy in Ye Qingcheng's heart actually dissipated quite a bit.

In her "rationalized" perception, this stele was a product of the Heavenly Dao, and the tasks on it indeed represented some kind of inheritance rule of the Sect.

"Hmph, since it is the Ancestral Master's rule..."

Ye Qingcheng's gaze fell on the [god-level beauty preservation pill] in the reward column, her beautiful eyes lighting up slightly.

Eternal youth... this was an irresistible temptation for any female cultivator.

The corner of her mouth curled into a playful arc: "Since the reward is so generous, if there truly is such a peerless woman who can catch my husband's eye and pass my inspection... for the sake of the Sect, I wouldn't mind having an extra sister to share the 'pressure'."

Wang Yang wiped his cold sweat: "Cough, Madam is magnanimous... Uh, let's look at the next one, look at the next one!"

He quickly moved his gaze down.

[Sect Daily Task (2): Broadly Recruiting Disciples]

Task Type: Long-term Task

Requirement: Recruit Disciples with clean backgrounds, proper features, and Spiritual Root potential (Females only).

Reward: For every Mortal Disciple recruited: 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, 20 Qi Induction Pills or 1 foundation establishment pill. If they already have a cultivation base, the reward increases accordingly!

"Wow! foundation establishment pill!!"

Lin Xiaowan, who had been in a daze, saw these words and her eyes instantly turned into stars.

foundation establishment pills were rare and expensive outside; even the Wanbao Pavilion in town rarely had them for sale.

Now, just by recruiting a Genius Junior Sister, she could be rewarded with a foundation establishment pill directly?

"Revered Master! I'll take this task!"

Lin Xiaowan jumped up excitedly, a figure instantly appearing in her mind.

It was her only best friend in Qingshi Town, Su Qingge!

Although Su Qingge appeared to be just the daughter of a tavern owner in Qingshi Town, usually just playing the zither or cooking, Lin Xiaowan knew this sister was definitely not simple!

That night, when Li Feiyu was performing a blood sacrifice on the whole town, Lin Xiaowan happened to be hiding in Su Qingge's tavern.

She saw with her own eyes that when the blood light was about to consume the tavern, an ancient longsword appeared in Su Qingge's hand at some point, and her aura instantly became terrifyingly powerful, feeling even stronger than Li Feiyu!

Su Qingge was just about to draw her sword when her mistress Ye Qingcheng's saber light arrived first.

Seeing this, Su Qingge silently put her sword away and turned back into that weak zither girl.

"Sister Su is so beautiful, she definitely meets the Sect's beauty requirements! And she's a hidden expert; her talent must be incredible!"

Lin Xiaowan's little mental calculator was clicking away.

If she could pull Sister Su into the Sect, not only would she get the pill reward, but she'd also have a playmate!

As for [Task One]... Lin Xiaowan peeked at her Revered Master.

"Sister Su is so beautiful, maybe I can even get that [god-level beauty preservation pill] along the way?"

"If I take the [god-level beauty preservation pill], will my beauty also meet the Sect Master's requirements?"

Thinking of this, Lin Xiaowan shouted excitedly:

"Revered Master, I'm going to Qingshi Town to recruit! I have a candidate who definitely meets the requirements!"

After saying that, Lin Xiaowan took the token Wang Yang gave her and rushed out of the hall like a whirlwind.

Looking at his Disciple's mysteriously excited back, Wang Yang felt a chill down his spine.

"This girl, she doesn't really want to find a 'sister' for her mistress, does she?"

He turned around and met Ye Qingcheng's thoughtful eyes.

Ye Qingcheng watched Lin Xiaowan's receding figure and sighed softly in her heart.

Her gaze swept over the harsh condition of [Task One]—Beauty Score 90+.

"What a pity..."

Ye Qingcheng shook her head inwardly, "Although Xiao Wan is loyal and can be considered pretty (Beauty Score around 85), she's still a bit short of the '90' threshold set by the Ancestral Master."

"If Xiao Wan could reach this standard, I wouldn't mind letting her take on 'Task One'. Keeping the benefits within the family is better than some unknown woman from outside..."

"It seems this [god-level beauty preservation pill] isn't so easy to get."

Thinking of this, Ye Qingcheng withdrew her gaze and looked at Wang Yang beside her, her eyes turning gentle yet dangerous once more:

"Husband, it's late. Since no one can take the Ancestral Master's task for now... for the prosperity of the Sect, shouldn't we go back and continue 'cultivating'?"

Wang Yang's legs went weak.

"Madam, how about... resting tonight?"

"No, for the sake of the Sect."