Chapter Six: Laundry and Cooking as Exercise-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

On the morning of the third day, after finishing his chores, Zhao Changsheng could no longer contain himself. He approached Ye Xinghe and knelt with a thud, his eyes slightly reddened. "Master, your disciple does not understand. Why do others train with such intensity while you only have me do these menial tasks? I am not afraid of hardship, but I fear disappointing your expectations and failing to become the top disciple of the outer sect."

Ye Xinghe slowly opened his eyes and reached out to help Zhao Changsheng up, his expression serene. "Changsheng, on the path of cultivation, the greatest enemy is impatience and restlessness. You must understand, no matter how powerful the technique or abundant the spiritual energy, at critical moments one can easily fall into demonic paths and reveal fatal flaws."

"I assign you these trivial tasks to temper your mind and character. Even if you face a formidable opponent ten days from now, you will remain calm and unshaken, your spirit undisturbed by external distractions."

Zhao Changsheng pondered deeply, carefully digesting his master’s words. In his naive understanding, he seemed to grasp the meaning and nodded earnestly. "Master, your disciple understands!"

To be honest, Ye Xinghe was simply slacking off.

Why worry?

He had a system backing him.

In the days that followed, Zhao Changsheng continued to obey Ye Xinghe’s orders, diving into the water when told, but mostly engaged in menial chores.

The various peak masters and the Holy Lord constantly monitored Ye Xinghe’s situation, hoping to discern some sign of secret training. Instead, each day they only saw Zhao Changsheng busily sweeping, cooking, washing, and dusting.

The Holy Lord was so furious he swept his sleeve and snorted coldly, "Hmph! Ye Xinghe is simply fooling around! Such a promising talent entrusted to him, yet he is wasted like this. Surely he intends to lose on purpose, deliberately slacking off?"

The Alchemy Peak Master stomped his foot anxiously, veins twitching on his forehead. "I have precious pills that enhance cultivation and stabilize foundations. Just a few could have propelled this boy’s progress by leaps and bounds. Instead, he’s stuck doing chores, squandering this rare talent’s precious time. It’s infuriating!"

The Spirit Sword Peak Master wore a grim expression, swinging his sword in the air as if to strike Ye Xinghe himself. "Our peak has many exquisite sword techniques, any one of which could boost his combat power drastically. Yet Ye Xinghe discards them like trash. What is he hiding? If he ruins Zhao Changsheng’s future, can he bear that guilt?"

Their anger only grew as they spoke. They all believed such a talent was being wasted in Ye Xinghe’s hands.

Such a person did not deserve to remain here.

To prevent Ye Xinghe’s reckless behavior, each peak master summoned their top disciples back to their domains, sternly urging them on.

"This matter is critical. Ye Xinghe’s reckless actions cannot go unchallenged! You must train day and night, using all the resources I provide. In ten days, you must trample Zhao Changsheng beneath your feet and drive this troublemaker Ye Xinghe from the sacred grounds forever. Do not disgrace our peak!"

The disciples nodded, clutching their newly acquired treasures and pills tightly, throwing themselves into their training rooms without rest. The spiritual energy within pulsed frequently.

They were all in cahoots with their master, long displeased with the useless peak master.

Now was their chance to oust him!

Meanwhile, Zhao Changsheng went about his daily chores—sweeping, cooking, washing—occasionally glancing up to see Master Ye Xinghe leisurely enjoying himself.

Ye Xinghe sat in a pavilion bathed in warm sunlight, a table laden with delicious food before him. He held a wine jug, sipping slowly, occasionally teasing the spirit bird in its cage. The bird’s feathers shone brightly and its clear, melodious song echoed as it played at Ye Xinghe’s fingertips, making him laugh heartily.

Zhao Changsheng: ...

The surrounding clamor seemed irrelevant to him; there was no hint of the tension expected before a great battle.

At first, Zhao Changsheng was doubtful. After all, this wager concerned whether he could remain by his master’s side, and whether his master would be driven away.

He worried: what if a truly powerful opponent appeared?

So why was his master so relaxed?

But as time passed and Zhao Changsheng reflected quietly, he grew more convinced that his master’s actions concealed profound meaning.

One night, after finishing his chores, Zhao Changsheng quietly walked to Ye Xinghe’s courtyard. Bowing respectfully, he asked softly, "Master, I have doubts. The outside world says you neglect teaching and only indulge in pleasure, but I know this cannot be true."

"I boldly speculate that your realm is far beyond what others see. They think you are a half-Saint, but I feel you must have reached the pinnacle of the Great Completion stage. That is why you remain so calm and composed, and why you have me do these trivial tasks. Is that correct?"

Ye Xinghe set down his wine cup and looked at Zhao Changsheng, a flicker of approval shining in his eyes.

This disciple was quick-witted.

But he couldn’t just say, "Master has a system and fears nothing!"

He rose and strolled over to a spirit tree in the courtyard, lightly running his hand over its rough bark. "On the path of cultivation, mindset is as important as foundation. Your technique and absorption of spiritual energy surpass many, but if your mind is restless and your foundation unstable, a single setback could lead to ruin."

"Sweeping clears the clutter from your mind."

"Cooking trains your control of spiritual flame."

"Washing clothes cleanses the dust from your spirit. When you understand these mundane tasks thoroughly, you will be able to release your power freely and use your spiritual energy skillfully."

Zhao Changsheng’s eyes brightened as he listened, his heart racing with realization. "I see now! Master’s painstaking intention is clear. From today on, I will devote myself to understanding this."

Little did he know Ye Xinghe was seriously talking nonsense!

On the eighth day, dawn’s first light filtered through mottled shadows into the courtyard.

Ye Xinghe stretched lazily, yawned, then slowly approached Zhao Changsheng. With a toss of his hand, he casually flung a worn manual with curled edges into Zhao Changsheng’s arms.

The cover was faded and the characters blurred.

It had been rained on recently when he left it out to dry.

Zhao Changsheng caught it clumsily, bewildered. "Master, what is this?"

Ye Xinghe scratched his head, waved dismissively, and hiccupped drunkenly.

He had drunk a few sips of fine wine the night before and was still a bit tipsy. "Oh, that’s an old thing passed down from your grandmaster, called the ‘Primordial Galaxy Art.’ Back in the day, your grandmaster used this technique to defeat nearly every foe. Take it and study it yourself. Once mastered, it will certainly benefit you."

Zhao Changsheng nodded deeply, clutching the manual as he sat down on the ground.

He eagerly opened to the first page.

Immediately, a flood of obscure and profound knowledge surged into his mind. Fortunately, he was naturally gifted and had been previously enlightened by his master, allowing him to quickly organize and absorb the information.