Chapter 104: Robbing Him Of His Spirit Herb Garden
In the Spirit Herb Garden, Jiang Hao observed the spirit herbs around him.
He had already carefully checked the herbs sent by the Hundred Bones Forest.
On the surface, they all looked like ordinary spirit herbs. Jiang Hao wasn't able to figure out how Bai Ye had incorporated the Spirit Sealing Technique into them.
Jiang Hao had to admit that Bai Ye was a genius, and he couldn't do anything to thwart Bai Ye's plans. In the demonic sect, disciples had no restrictions and could experiment with things as much as they wished.
!!
Jiang Hao had once heard that someone's experiment had gone so wrong that a spirit beast had appeared in the sect and destroyed a whole city before it was put down. It seemed that the spirit herbs in front of him were also a result of experimentation.
In the afternoon, just as Jiang Hao was about to leave the garden, Miao Tinglian found him.
"Senior Sister Miao, is something the matter?" he asked.
Miao Tinglian smiled. "It is no wonder that others in the Cliff of Broken Hearts overlook you, Junior Brother Jiang. You keep a very low profile and avoid offending people as much as possible."
Jiang Hao didn't say anything to that. It was rare for him to meet seniors who were in the Golden Core Realm.
"Oh… since I'm a new disciple, should I also take care of the Spirit Herb Garden?" asked Miao Tinglian.
"That's not necessary, Senior Sister Miao. You should focus on your cultivation. Leave this to me." Jiang Hao wondered why she was trying to rob him of the
Spirit Herb Garden. He wouldn't let go unless he was allowed back in the mines.
"Actually… I do have some knowledge regarding the spirit herbs, " said Miao Tinglian. "Are you sure you don't need my help in managing a section of the garden?"
Jiang Hao still shook his head.
Miao Tinglian nodded.
"Since you brought me here, I'm going to tell you this in gratitude," said Miao Tinglian as she turned to leave. "If you're not feeling well, it's better to move away."
Jiang Hao realized that Miao Tinglian indeed had sharp eyes. She had seen the problem in the spirit herbs brought by the Hundred Bones Forest when no one else had.
He wondered whether Miao Tinglian and Ming Yi knew each other.
Jiang Hao returned to his house. He looked at the courtyard that was stabilized by an array formation. Nothing seemed conspicuous. Very few people knew that he had the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower in his courtyard.
'If Bai Ye finds out about that, will he try something new?'
The spirit beast ran into the courtyard and spun around. "Master, I love your house. You won't kick me out in the future, right?"
"As long as vou don't turn into a monster…
"Hahaha… You really like to joke! I'm a demon. How could I ever become a monster?"
The spirit beast then settled into a cozy space and stared at the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
Jiang Hao returned to his room and prepared to make talismans. He still had 1,700 spirit stones. He wanted to increase it to five thousand so that he could continue feeding the spirit beast.
Seven days later, Cheng Chou woke up early in the morning and was just heading out to the Spirit Herb Garden when he saw Xiao Li appear at his door.
He was worried. 'Is she alright?'
Cheng Chou knew that outer sect disciples were beaten a lot as punishment. No one really cared about it. Outer sect disciples were practically outcasts.
However, he knew that Xiao Li was extraordinarily talented.
"Junior Sister Xiao Li, were you looking for me?" asked Chang Chou when she didn't speak.
"I want to see Senior Brother Jiang," she said.
Xiao Li knew his name but didn't know how to find him. She knew that Cheng Chou worked with him. So, she had come to seek him out, hoping he would take her to Jiang Hao.
Cheng Chou nodded and took her with him to the Spirit Herb Garden.
On the way, he glanced at her. "Junior Sister Xiao Li, you just have to be patient for two more days. Senior Brother Jiang will then allow you to go out and visit your family."
"Why wait two more days?" Xiao Li asked. "Senior Brother Jiang told me that I could go home for a visit if I made it to the first stage. I already did that." Cheng Chou stopped in his tracks. He looked at Xiao Li in disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Li was puzzled.
"No… nothing." Cheng Chou shook his head.
Cheng Chou remembered that a few days ago, Jiang Hao had told him to make preparations for Xiao Li to be taken to her home for a visit. He thought, at the time, that Jiang Hao was letting Xiao Li go home before she accomplished the goal because he felt sorry for her. But now… Cheng Chou wasn't so sure. Did Jiang Hao already know about her talent?
However, he couldn't sense whether Xiao Li had actually advanced or not.
Jiang Hao had already guessed that Xiao Li was strong, but even he was surprised at the speed at which she had advanced.
If Xiao Li had tried from the time she got here, it wouldn't even have taken this long.
Jiang Hao was stunned and envious.
He looked at his own interface. [Lifeblood: 97/100 (can be cultivated)]
[Cultivation: 90/100 (can be cultivated)]
In another month, he would be on par with Liu Xingchen. He just didn't know how much weaker he was compared to Bai Ye.
However, against the people from the Blackheaven Sect, being at the peak of the Golden Core Realm was not enough.
"Does anyone know that you've advanced?" asked Jiang Hao.
"No, I didn't tell anybody." Xiao Li shook her head.
Jiang Hao nodded. "Pack your things. I'll have Cheng Chou take you home for a visit. I'm going to go inform the outer sect manager."
The sect didn't pay much attention to outer sect disciples, so Jiang Hao wouldn't have any problem asking the manager for his permission.
He gave Cheng Chou five spirit stones for the trouble. He also gave him two Hundred Thousand Swords Talismans, some Healing Talismans, and a bunch of other divine talismans.
Cheng Chou looked at the talismans in surprise.
"Senior Brother Jiang, will I be able to see my family in the future too?" asked Xiao Li.
"Of course. Every time you advance to a new stage, I'll have someone accompany you there.
"When you reach there, can you check on the condition of Xiao Li's family?"
Cheng Chou was taken aback at the question. "Senior Brother Jiang, do you want me to do something so that Xiao Li can cut off ties with her family more easily?"
Cheng Chou thought Jiang Hao was a kind person. He didn't realize that he could be ruthless too.
"Don't be ridiculous," said Jiang Hao. "I want you to check on their health so that they can live a little longer. They sound very old."
Jiang Hao didn't think of himself as a good person. However, Xiao Li's concern for her family had moved him. He wanted to help in any way he could..
Chapter 105: A Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman
Jiang Hao would try to help as much as he was able. Beyond that, he couldn't do anything.
Before Cheng Chou left, Jiang Hao told him to be careful. If there was anything Cheng Chou couldn't face, he told him to send Xiao Li to look for help.
Cheng Chou nodded. He had thought about it too and made his own preparations.
However, Cheng Chou thought he would be safe. He hadn't offended anyone, and he was only at the eighth stage of the Lifeblood Refinement Realm. Who would target him anyway?
!!
Jiang Hao returned to his house. He examined the wrist guard. Elder Baizhi had given him the wrist guard.
He had used his Daily Appraisal ability on it. It would take seven days for the power in it to activate.
[A piece from the Nine Heavenly Battle Armors: The ability of the two pieces of armor has been improved. It has a powerful attack support ability. It can hide a Golden Core Realm attack technique. The effect gets stronger when every piece from the set is obtained.]
He wasn't very clear about it. If he could hide a technique, he would probably Moon-Slaying or Mountain Suppression technique.
Jiang Hao activated the wrist guard. The power seemed to have a suction force that absorbed the power he released.
He used a simple fireball spell. The spell disappeared on the spot, and a mark appeared on the wrist guard.
Jiang Hao extended his hand, and the fireball flew out.
Then, he tried the Demonic Sound Slash. It could also be hidden in the wrist guard. After that, his fingers became blades and attacked.
He tried the same with his other blade, Shiyu. The result was the same.
The treasures Elder Baizhi gave him were too extraordinary. She was very generous since each item from the set of armor could add an extra bonus. The armor was mainly for defense, while the wrist guard was mainly for attack.
'The reward for raising the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower is so generous. If I were to gather all the pieces from the set of Nine Heavenly Battle Armor, how powerful would I be?'
Jiang Hao sighed. He didn't know how long he could take it. He might not last that long. The Blackheaven Sect had their eyes set on him. His future was uncertain.
After tending to the spirit herbs, he went to the market. He wanted to set up a stall to sell talismans and earn some spirit stones.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you're here again," said Fairy Leng Tian. "Let me see what you have today. Hm… so many Healing Talismans… you even have Hundred Thousand Swords Talismans! Please give me five of each type!"
"Of course," said Jiang Hao. "That'll be three hundred spirit stones." Jiang Hao sighed. Senior Sister Leng was indeed very rich.
"Thank you, Junior Brother Jiang," she said. "I feel that the quality of the talismans is better than before. You have a real talent when it comes to making talismans. If only I had such talent, I wouldn't have to buy talismans every time!"
"Junior Brother Jiang, are you in need of medicinal pills? I have a few with me," said Fairy Leng Tian.
Jiang Hao shook his head. "I don't really need them at the moment."
"Such a pity," she said, "but… that's alright. I have a lot of pills. If you ever need them, you just have to tell me. I'm going to refine them more."
"Senior Sister Leng, are you an alchemist?" asked Jiang Hao in disbelief. It was no wonder she was so rich.
Fairy Leng Tian chuckled. "I'm just an amateur right now." She looked around cautiously. "Junior Brother Jiang, do you have any thoughts on making high-grade talismans?
"What do you mean?" asked Jiang Hao warily.
"I see that you have great talent when it comes to talisman-making. I was just wondering whether you might be interested in a talisman. I could sell it to you for two thousand spirit stones."
"What talisman is it?" Jiang Hao asked.
"I don't know. We got it by accident when we went out, but it was damaged. It felt… extraordinary. We were afraid that people would think we had stolen the second half, so we didn't ask others."
Jiang Hao hesitated briefly. "Could you bring it to the Cliff of Broken Hearts tomorrow?"
Leng Tian smiled and then nodded. "I heard that people from the Blackheaven Sect are arriving soon, Junior Brother Jiang. You have to be careful. This is the first time I have seen anyone in the sect provoke so many people at once."
Jiang Hao smiled awkwardly and watched Leng Tian leave. He did not want to miss that chance of discovering a powerful talisman.
Things weren't very good for him right now. The sale of the talismans wasn't what he expected. He needed to make better talismans to earn more spirit stones.
After selling a few more talismans, Jiang Hao went back to his house. He hadn't been able to sell too many talismans today, but he had managed to make 2,100 spirit stones in total. That was at least something.
Jiang Hao suddenly remembered that he had never used his Daily Appraisal ability on Leng Tian before. He didn't believe that she could be a traitor.
If he hadn't already used his ability on the wrist guard today, he would have appraised Leng Tian.
The next day, Jiang Hao saw Leng Tian walking toward him.
"Junior Brother Jiang, your house is in a very isolated area. I almost couldn't find it," said Leng Tian. "Can we talk inside?"
"Of course, Senior Sister Leng," said Jiang Hao. He wondered if any traitors watching him would find this strange. However, people generally visited each other. So, there was nothing strange about it.
Jiang Hao led Leng Tian inside. She was surprised to see the interior.
Jiang Hao made some tea and served it to her.
"I brought the… thing," said Leng Tian. She brought out a small wooden box and opened it. There was a broken stone tablet inside with half of the talisman character drawn on it.
The talisman looked complicated, but Jiang Hao didn't sense any divine intent from it. Jiang Hao activated the Daily Appraisal ability.
[Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman: At noon, when your mind is clear, you can begin drawing the first half of the talisman. You can receive the inheritance and comprehend the Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman. Leng Tian and the other seniors obtained this talisman with great difficulty. They almost died in the process.]
Jiang Hao was surprised. 'A Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman?!'
If there came a time when he couldn't live in the Heavenly Note Sect anymore, could he use this talisman to escape?
This kind of talisman was very, very rare. It was extremely difficult to create such a talisman. "Could you sell it for a little cheaper?"
"I… uh Leng Tian looked troubled. "This doesn't belong to me alone. We found it as a group. I can't really make it any cheaper than it already is.."
Chapter 106: Rise Up In Rank
"Then can I offer some talismans instead of spirit stones?" asked Jiang Hao. Leng Tian frowned. "What talismans are you willing to give me?"
"Ten Healing Talismans and ten of Hundred Thousand Swords Talismans," said Jiang Hao.
"Deal!" said Leng Tian without hesitation.
Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to spend all his hard-earned spirit stones on one talisman.
!!
He ended up giving her 1,500 spirit stones, ten Healing Talismans, and ten Hundred Thousand Swords Talismans. Jiang Hao was only left with six hundred spirit stones now.
He wondered how much it would cost to make a Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman.
"Here," said Leng Tian as she handed him the box with the talisman. "This is yours now, but I have to warn you. This is something that we obtained through painstaking efforts. If it's useful for you, that's great! However, if you choose to sell it… please be careful. You might get in trouble."
"Really?" Jiang Hao pretended to be surprised. "If you obtained it with such difficulty, are you willing to sell it for this price?"
"You look like someone who'll use it instead of selling it somewhere," said Leng Tian as she laughed. "Two thousand spirit stones is enough for us. I wouldn't be worried if it was the whole talisman… but having half of it is… dangerous. So, be careful, Junior Brother Jiang."
Jiang Hao bowed to her. "Of course. Thank you for the warning, Senior Sister Leng."
Leng Tian smiled. "I should get going."
Jiang Hao led her out to the courtyard. The spirit beast was hanging upside down from a tree.
"Junior Brother Jiang, your spirit beast is really extraordinary." Leng Tian laughed.
Jiang Hao laughed too. The spirit beast was being a nuisance as always.
After that, Leng Tian said goodbye and left.
Jiang Hao hesitated for a moment, then decided to go to the Spirit Herb Garden.
He decided to make the talisman today. If he succeeded in making the Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman before the Blackheaven Sect arrived, he would have an option for escape.
The ones who came after him would definitely be in the Golden Core Realm. If only he could advance to the peak of the Golden Core Realm, he would have a way out. However, that would be his last resort.
"Master, why are you so popular with women?" asked the spirit beast as it landed back on the ground.
"That's not true," said Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao didn't meet many women. Leng Tian was just here to exchange the talisman for spirit stones. The others had been all traitors.
"Is there a lover among these women?" asked the spirit beast.
"No, there is not," said Jiang Hao.
"Who is it?"
A red shadow surfaced in Jiang Hao's mind. He didn't say anything further.
Although Jiang Hao definitely didn't love that person, he knew that as long as her Heaven Extinction Gu Poison was in his system, it was impossible for him to feel anything toward other women.
Even if there was a way to remove the poison, he wasn't sure if he was willing to do it. The Heaven Extinction Gu Poison's benefits outweighed its disadvantages. He was often reckless and had to depend on that poison to keep him calm. It had helped him out on many occasions. It especially helped him resist bewitching spells.
Jiang Hao shook his head and sighed. Sometimes, he felt that the price he had to pay to survive was far too heavy.
He didn't think about it anymore. He turned around and returned to his room.
Jiang Hao put away the stone slab, prepared some water and a brush, and began to meditate to calm his mind.
At noon, Jiang Hao sat at his desk. He picked up the brush, dipped it in water, and activated the Clear and Pure Heart ability.
Then, he began to draw.
He remained focused. He was afraid that heid mess it up.
Before this, Jiang Hao had practiced a few times already to get the characters right.
With the help of the ability, Jiang Hao's hand moved with ease and finally finished the last stroke.
A beam of light radiated from the stone tablet. The light entered his body via the brush he held in his hand.
At this moment, a golden light appeared in his mind. The golden light drew runes in his mind. Every single one was powerful.
Jiang Hao was attentive. He didn't want to miss anything. When the runes reached completion, Jiang Hao was delighted.
The moment the talisman was formed, the golden light disappeared entirely.
At this point, Jiang Hao had memorized the entire talisman.
The stone tablet on the desk cracked with a crisp sound.
Jiang Hao was surprised, but not for long. He knew that the Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman needed many materials like a Golden Core Realm spirit beast's skin, beast's blood, and a talisman brush made out of Golden Core Realm materials.
Jiang Hao put everything away and headed to the Spirit Herb Garden. He collected some bubbles and then headed to the market to buy some materials.
It cost him a total of five hundred spirit stones for the materials. It was surprisingly expensive.
Fortunately, with the materials he had bought, he could practice the talisman at least ten more times.
He only had one hundred spirit stones left. Jiang Hao sighed. The spirit stones he had just earned were gone just like that!
Jiang Hao returned to his house and practiced drawing the talisman once again. He didn't use any spiritual energy for now. He only practiced the strokes.
After a while, Jiang Hao sat at his desk again. When he started making it, he realized that it consumed a lot of spiritual energy.
When his spiritual energy was exhausted, he could no longer continue. The beast's skin burned on the spot. It was another failure.
Jiang Hao was too exhausted to continue.
The next day, Jiang Hao was just planning to head to the Spirit Herb Garden when he met Liu Xingchen.
He looked very serious. Jiang Hao knew that something bad was coming.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you've been restricted from moving out of the sect," said Liu Xingchen gravely. "The Blackheaven Sect will be here in fifteen days."
Jiang Hao bowed and thanked him for the information. Liu Xingchen seemed to speak less when the matter was serious. Jiang Hao had noticed that about him.
He guessed that he was chosen to be the scapegoat to take the fall for the sect. Jiang Hao said goodbye to Liu Xingchen and headed to the Spirit Herb Garden.
He collected some bubbles and tended to the spirit herbs.
Even Mu Qi seemed worried about him. "Junior Brother Jiang, are you still tending to the herbs? Maybe you should go meet the Cliff Master..
Jiang Hao thanked him, but he knew it was useless. He wasn't a True Disciple, so the help his master could provide was… limited.
Mu Qi knew this too.
For the next few days, Jiang Hao continued to tend to spirit herbs in the Spirit Herb Garden during the day and tried to make talismans at night.
He failed for seven consecutive days. After that, he rested for three days straight.
During these ten days, Miao Tinglian watched as Jiang Hao quietly tended to the spirit herbs and cleaned up the Spirit Herb Garden.
She turned to Mu Qi. "If Junior Brother Jiang is allowed to live in safety and peace, he'll rise up in rank. He's going to face a great crisis in just five days, yet he seems so calm.."
Chapter 107: Moving In Together
"I went to meet my master to help Junior Brother Jiang, but he didn't say anything," said Mu Qi. "Master wanted to take in Junior Brother Jiang as a disciple but with the Law Enforcement Hall's investigation… It's a little troublesome to help him now. It seems some people want to use him as a scapegoat."
The Blackheaven Sect also wanted to punish someone to save its reputation. It seemed that both sects had agreed to choose someone as a sacrifice.
"What will happen to Junior Brother Jiang?" asked Miao Tinglian.
!!
Mu Qi frowned. "I'm not sure. Maybe the Blackheaven Sect will take him away.
If he isn't taken away by them, he'll likely end up in the Lawless Tower."
Miao Tinglian was shocked at that. 'The Lawless Tower?!'
"How cruel!" she said. "I remember you saying that all those who had any kind of grudges against Junior Brother Jiang are dead… Maybe the people from the Blackheaven Sect will end up dead this time too."
Mu Qi glanced at her. "It's not the same thing."
They fell silent.
"Does your master know about our… relationship?" asked Miao Tinglian.
"Why do you ask?" asked Mu Qi.
"If he does, I can just move in with you. As long as I don't create any problems in a year, I'll be accepted into the sect without conditions anyway."
Mu Qi's silence angered Miao Tinglian.
"Why aren't you saying anything? We secretly had an affair in the past, and you were so eager. Now that I defected from my sect to be with you, and you suddenly despise me? Are you dating someone else?"
Mu Qi sighed. "If you make our relationship public, it'll be used against us."
"I'm just asking to move in with you… I won't cause any trouble."
Mu Qi nodded. "Don't go back on your word."
Jiang Hao had just arrived at the Spirit Herb Garden when he saw Mu Qi and Miao Tinglian leaving the garden.
Ever since Senior Sister Miao had joined the sect, Senior Brother Mu Qi had changed. He seemed to have softened a bit.
If Miao Tinglian turned out to be a traitor, everything would fall apart. He wondered what Mu Qi would do then.
However, Miao Tinglian didn't seem to have any intention of bringing down the sect for now. She had come here for Mu Qi and had paid a heavy price in doing so.
Jiang Hao felt that it was really difficult to be in a demonic sect with human emotions. Nowhere was safe.
Mu Qi and Miao Tinglian both had been treating Jiang Hao well these past few days. Maybe both were grateful to Jiang Hao because he had brought her into the Cliff of Broken Hearts.
Jiang Hao collected some bubbles and returned to his house. Jiang Hao ate a spirit-gathering pill and then activated the Clear and Pure Heart ability. He realized that this wasn't enough.
He used the Reappearance of the Hidden Spirit ability too.
When the ability ran out of energy, the pill would replenish it, while he focused on making the talisman. This was the only way to maintain an uninterrupted flow.
If he failed again even after this, then there was no chance for him to master the talisman. He only had three pieces of beast skin talisman paper.
That night, Jiang Hao sat at his desk. 1–1e ate the pill and activated the Clear and Pure Heart ability. fel. cm
He raised his brush and then activated the Reappearance of the Hidden Spirit ability.
Jiang Hao then began to draw. Every stroke was done carefully by filling it with just enough spiritual energy. His hand was steady, and his mind was clear.
After a while, the energy provided by the Reappearance of the Hidden Spirit reached its limit. The pill replenished his energy at that time.
Early the next morning, Jiang Hao was still at it. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat. His spiritual energy was about to be exhausted. At the last moment, he finished it.
However, the moment he was done with it, the beast's skin caught fire and the talisman was destroyed.
'I failed again?!' Jiang Hao was confused. He had prepared meticulously this time. He had done everything right. 'How did I fail?'
He retraced every step he had taken. 'Is it because I didn't do it at noon?'
Jiang Hao tried again at noon the next day. There were only two days left. He was running out of time.
Jiang Hao couldn't even go anywhere else. He had to wait to be summoned by the sect.
The Heavenly Note Sect also wanted to solve the matter with the Blackheaven Sect without any problems. The sect wasn't taking any chances because they weren't dealing with something like Azure Mountain this time.
The Blackheaven Sect, the Wind Lightning Sect, and the Sunset Immortal Sect were very powerful. If the negotiation failed, the three sects would band together and attack the Heavenly Note Sect. No one wanted that to happen. Therefore, they had chosen a disciple to act as a peace offering.
Jiang Hao understood why they had chosen him, but he still felt despair. He sat at his desk and tried again.
He used the same method. He ate a pill and activated the Clear and Pure Heart ability.
Jiang Hao then activated the Reappearance of the Hidden Spirit ability and picked up his brush.
He began drawing.
At this moment, he was on fire. His mind was clear, and he was focused. A beam of light emanated from the talisman brush and entered his body.
He had an inexplicable joy. His body, his heart, and his mind were in perfect harmony.
The light became brighter and there was a gentle wind in the room. Jiang Hao put down the last stroke. The moment he did that, his spiritual energy was devoured rapidly.
Pain spread throughout his body and mind. If he hadn't taken precautions, he would have fallen to the ground unconscious. Fortunately, it didn't last long.
The talisman flashed once and returned to normal.
Jiang Hao was gripping the side of his chair, sweating profusely. He covered his face in his hands. 'It's too exhausting… I can't continue
A Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman was terrifying to make.
He took a break. When he was able to get up again, he used the Daily Appraisal on the talisman he had just finished creating.
[Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman: Inferior. Ignores all spells and barriers. Randomly teleports to any place within 700 miles to 1,000 miles. Can be activated directly with blood or spiritual energy. Cannot be interrupted.]
Jiang Hao was surprised. The talisman was impressive. 'This talisman is worth more than two thousand spirit stones
It only worked within a seven hundred to one thousand miles radius, so the price might be a little less for this particular talisman. However, it wasn't bad. Seven hundred miles was still far enough.
As long as he wasn't caught, this talisman could give him a head start. He had to stay alert..
Chapter 108: Preparing To Defect
At noon the next day, Jiang Hao sat cross-legged in the courtyard. He looked at the spirit beast jumping around as it chased a butterfly.
Tomorrow was the day when the Blackheaven Sect would arrive. He had just recovered his strength and had also stored two attacks in his wrist guard. He had chosen Moon- Slaying and Mountain Suppression. Those were his two powerful attack techniques.
As for the Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman, he couldn't make another. He was too exhausted to use two abilities at the same time.
One was enough for now. After he advanced further, he might have a chance of making another of that talisman.
"Master, will you come back home tomorrow?" The spirit beast looked at Jiang Hao strangely.
Jiang Hao didn't know how to answer that question. Nothing was certain. There was a high chance that he might not really come back here. He neither wanted to be taken away to the Blackheaven Sect nor did he want to be thrown into the Lawless Tower.
If he was thrown into the Lawless Tower, he would lose all his cultivation. It was better to just run away. He didn't have a choice before, but now he did. He had a Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman! Jiang Hao wished he could advance quickly.
He looked at his interface.
[Lifeblood: 100/100 (can be cultivated)]
[Cultivation: 96/100 (can be cultivated)]
If only he could advance to the peak stage of the Golden Core Realm, he would have a chance.
"Master, I plan to go down the mountain tomorrow," said the spirit beast.
"Why?" Jiang Hao asked.
"My friends think it is the right time for me to embark on the path to becoming a great demon," said the spirit beast righteously.
Jiang Hao was glad that the beast wouldn't be here if he didn't come back.
As for other things…
Jiang Hao looked at the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. He couldn't take it with him, so he decided to leave it behind. He felt a little sentimental.
Jiang Hao had spent much of his life being careful and trying to stay safe. In the end, nothing even mattered.
In the afternoon, Han Ming came to meet him. He was there to challenge Jiang Hao to a fight.
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly. He agreed. It only took two slashes to defeat Han Ming.
"Thank you for going easy on me, Junior Brother Han," said Jiang Hao and bowed.
Jiang Hao had wanted to go easy on Han Ming, but he decided against it at the last minute. He was going through so much and Han Ming wanted a fight! He was really annoying.
Han Ming looked at Jiang Hao. He then turned around and left.
After that, no one disturbed Jiang Hao. There was not one person in this sect he was close with. He knew many people, but they avoided him.
Jiang Hao didn't seek out anyone because he didn't want to make their lives difficult.
The only person he was remotely close to was Cheng Chou. However, Cheng Chou wasn't here today. He had gone with Xiao Li to her house.
'Xiao Li
Jiang Hao didn't know what would happen to her. He hoped for her to be safe.
The next day, Jiang Hao woke up early. Today was the day.He was not in a hurry to meet the Blackheaven Sect. He watered the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower for the last time.
He was not in a hurry to meet the Blackheaven Sect. He watered the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower for the last time.
After a while, Liu Xingchen visited him. "Junior Brother Jiang
'Finally…
Jiang Hao understood why he was here. He walked out of the courtyard to meet him.
"You seem very calm," said Liu Xingchen as they walked.
Jiang Hao smiled but didn't say anything. It wasn't like he had any other choice.
This whole world was too brutal. Anyone could be sacrificed to fulfill a common interest. The world was driven by personal interest, not justice.
"Everything might go smoothly Liu Xingchen looked at him. "Your master is also going to be present. He might speak up for you."
Jiang Hao nodded and thanked him. He had made it to the top ten disciples list. That had its own advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages were that, as one of the top ten disciples, he could go to the Lawless Tower to cultivate, he had received the Immortal Peach Tree, and the Law Enforcement Hall couldn't lock him up.
The disadvantages were almost fatal.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you're in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, right?" Liu Xingchen suddenly asked.
"Yes." Jiang Hao nodded.
"If you're taken to the Lawless Tower… the people managing it are usually in the late stage or the peak stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, " said Liu Xingchen. "I… can't interfere. Usually, if those people can't handle something, then someone in the early stage of the Golden Core Realm will be sent to handle it. Or, if it is even more serious, then someone at the peak stage would be sent to investigate. There was a person who betraved the sect and someone in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm captured him. I couldn't interfere even if I wanted to."
Jiang Hao was a little surprised. Was Liu Xingchen telling him that if he tried to flee, only those in the Foundation Establishment Realm would be sent to capture him?
If they didn't succeed, then others would be sent to handle the matter…
Knowing Liu Xingchen, he was probably bored and wanted a good show, but still, Jiang Hao was grateful.
"Where are we going?" Jiang Hao asked.
Liu Xingchen led Jiang Hao to a mountain peak in front of the sect.
"The Blackheaven Sect, the Wind Lightning Sect, and the Sunset Immortal Sect don't want to enter the sect. They plan to talk outside."
Jiang Hao could see the plaza below and some cultivation sites. There were mountains and fields as far as his eyes could see. He also saw some people there.
It seemed people were waiting for the negotiation to be completed. Maybe some people just wanted a good show.
Jiang Hao waited patiently. He saw some figures approaching from the sky. There were thirteen of them.
When they got closer, Jiang Hao was surprised to find that he couldn't see the cultivation of the others except for one young man who was at the peak stage of the Golden Core Realm.
At this moment, three people from the Heavenly Note Sect also arrived. A beautiful woman, a middle-aged man, and a very old man.
"The first is the Peak Master of the Misty Cloud Peak, Senior Qingyan. You already know about the Cliff Master, Ku Wu Chang. The third is an elder from the Law Enforcement Hall," said Liu Xingchen. "Senior Qingyan will lead this negotiation. "
Jiang Hao nodded.
Soon, the thirteen experts stood outside the entrance of the Heavenly Note Sect. Their leader was an old man who stood at the front, with two middle-aged men on either side.
Both sides bowed in greeting. The negotiation began. Jiang Hao lowered his head and listened attentively..
Chapter 109: Drawing A Saber
"I am Yang Huo of the Blackheaven Sect." The man in the lead introduced himself.
"I'm Chi Yuan from the Wind Lightning Sect."
"I'm Xin Dong of the Sunset Immortal Sect."
Senior Qingyan smiled at them. "Not a single big shot is here."
"Yes, but we have been given the authority to conclude this… negotiation. I hope that is enough for the Heavenly Note Sect," said Yang Huo haughtily.
"Then… Do you agree with our conditions?" asked Senior Qingyan.
The Heavenly Note Sect didn't want another war at the moment. They had just finished fighting Azure Mountain. If they had to fight these three sects together, they would be at a disadvantage.
If the negotiation failed, both sides would suffer.
"We can agree to spirit stones, magic treasures, and pills, but we can't give you the cultivation techniques and spells," said Yang Huo. "However, we'll replenish the spirit herbs, pills, and spirit stones. We'll give you whatever you need."
Senior Qingyan and the others were surprised.
"Do the others agree to that too?" asked the elder from the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Yes," said Xin Dong. "Whatever you want, but we do have a small condition."
Jiang Hao lowered his head. 'Here it comes
The condition they had would probably be something to do with him. This was the moment of truth.
"What condition is that?" asked Qingyan.
"One of our disciples died at the hands of your sect's disciple. The disciple who died is an important person. The sect wants her avenged. We are prepared to pay anything to get that murderer," said Xin Dong.
"Who are you talking about?" Senior Qingyan asked.
"Jiang Hao of the Cliff of Broken Hearts," said Xin Dong.
Some appeared surprised, while others already knew about the matter. Jiang Hao knew that some people weren't happy because he had made it to the top ten.
Jiang Hao remained silent. He didn't think it was wise to speak up. reewnol. c
"Do you want to take him away or do you want him dead?" asked Ku Wu Chang.
"Both," said Xin Dong.
Xin Dong really wanted to take Jiang Hao away with him to the Sunset Immortal Sect. As for Jiang Hao's fate there, that was still undecided, but it wouldn't be anything pleasant.
"No," said Ku Wu Chang. "I am the Cliff Master and the Cliff of Broken Hearts will not hand Jiang Hao over."
That surprised Xin Dong and the others. They weren't the only ones. Even Senior Qingyan was surprised.
"If you aren't willing to offer anything in exchange, why do you make such demands?" asked Xin Dong indignantly.
Yang Huo of the Blackheaven Sect smiled. "Don't tell me the Heavenly Note Sect hopes to rob us. You're not willing to hand over even one person, but you want everything in return. Do you think we're afraid of you? If you're not willing to hand him over, at least cripple him, so he can't cause any more harm and pay for his crimes. He shouldn't be allowed to cultivate for the rest of his life. Tomorrow, we'll hand over the spirit stones and resources you've asked of us, but you have to cripple him in front of us. The most outstanding disciple of the Blackheaven Sect was captured because of him, we can't just let him go around like nothing happened."
"No," said Ku Wu Chang again.
"Then there is nothing to talk about," said Chi Yuan.
"In that case, why are we still standing here?" Yang Huo and the others planned to leave.
"Since the Heavenly Note Sect doesn't uphold their end of the bargain, this negotiation is over," said Xin Dong.
"Why are you all in such a hurry?" Senior Qingyan asked. "Let's talk it out properly. You can reduce the amount of resources by 20%. As for Jiang Hao, he seems to have offended all of you. We can't hand him over to all of you at the same time. What if we punish him ourselves?"
"How?" Yang Huo asked.
In order to appease their anger, the Heavenly Note Sect had to punish the person, no matter how outstanding he was.
The Heavenly Note Sect didn't care about their reputation, but they did care about resources.
"We'll have him thrown into the Lawless Tower where his cultivation will be stripped to nothing before having him thrown out of the sect," said Senior Qingyan. "Will that be enough?"
The negotiation couldn't fail. It would be disastrous if it did.
"I heard that he stabbed our sect's disciple in the neck when he killed her," said Xin Dong. "I'll agree to your proposition if you let me stab him. Let him feel the same pain. After that, whether he lives or dies will be none of our concern."
Ku Wu Chang frowned, but he didn't say anything.
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly. He didn't blame his master for not speaking up this time. He was an ordinary inner sect disciple who had been involved with too many traitors. His master didn't owe him anything, after all. He had already supported him twice.
If he had to enter the Lawless Tower tomorrow, Jiang Hao would flee tonight.
After that, too many people would be chasing him. There would be no more peaceful days for him. However, Jiang Hao didn't have any other choice.
Hundred Flowers Lake.
Hong Yuye stood under the pavilion, dressed in red. She looked into the distance.
Today was a clear day with a gentle breeze. It was relaxing. The wind scattered the fragrance of the flowers.
At that moment, a white figure landed outside the pavilion.
"Sect Master," said Baizhi. "The people from the other sects have arrived. They agreed to our condition, but they have their own conditions as well. They want Jiang Hao from the Cliff of Broken Hearts. Cliff Master Ku Wu Chang had rejected their requests so far, so our sect also reduced the requirements by 20%. However, Jiang Hao is to be thrown into the Lawless Tower and then exiled from the sect. The Blackheaven Sect and the Sunset Immortal Sect seem to agree with it. The Wind Lightning Sect doesn't care much."
"Do the people from the Blackheaven Sect agree to that as well?" Hong Yuye asked calmly.
"The Blackheaven Sect hadn't said anything yet, but the person from the Sunset Immortal Sect wants to stab Jiang Hao to avenge the traitor who was killed."
Hong Yuye nodded. "It's what they would want since they have suffered a heav) loss. The more the Cliff Master refuses, the more excited they will become."
Hong Yuye walked to the flowers. Her steps were light and graceful. Her dress trailed behind. She walked a few steps and then stopped.
Baizhi felt that something was wrong. Hong Yuye bent down a little and reached among the flowers. She slowly pulled out a saber from the flowers. It was covered in cracks.
Baizhi felt fear. "Baizhi," said Hong Yuye. "Yes?" Baizhi knelt. However, the next words confused Baizhi. "What do you think of this saber?" asked Hong Yuye as she stared at the silver saber..
Chapter 110: One Slash From The Saber Terrifies The Entire Heavenly Note Sect
Hong Yuye held the silver-white saber. She looked at it and asked Baizhi about it.
Baizhi was puzzled. She observed the saber that was about to shatter. "The saber… is usually used by those in the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, it looks like it's going to shatter any minute. I don't think it can be used anymore."
Hong Yuye nodded. "You're right. It can't be used anymore."
She walked to the edge of the pavilion with the saber in hand. The wind ruffled her dress. The flowers swayed around her.
"I recall that you used to like blades," said Hong Yuye.
Baizhi nodded. "But you told me sabers weren't suitable for me. I am grateful. Without you, I wouldn't be here today." Baizhi had achieved so much because Hong Yuye had nurtured her talents.
Only with Hong Yuye's direction, Baizhi had managed to reach where she was. She had even proved herself enough to become the Acting Sect Master.
"I remember that you used to learn the Moon-Slaying technique?" Hong Yuye said.
"Yes." Baizhi nodded. She didn't know why Hong Yuye was asking about this so suddenly.
Hong Yuye raised the saber and caressed the blade gently. "I know you. You are obsessed with learning new things. Although you've let it go, you always wanted to know how it feels to master the Luna Shadow technique. Am I right?"
Baizhi felt a little ashamed that she had given up learning different saber techniques. She nodded. "Yes. There were some things I absolutely wanted to master."
"Then open your eyes wide and watch." Hong Yuye swung the saber. It seemed to dance in her hands.
Hong Yuye shone like a bright moon illuminating the earth. The pure white light left a shadow under the scorching sun. Then, she swung the Half-Moon Blade.
Hong Yuye moved with the saber. The sharp blade could cut through everything in its path.
Under the sunlight, the shadow of the moon bloomed, as if all light was concentrated on it.
Baizhi was in a daze, then she saw the direction where Hong Yuye meant to slash in. She felt terrified. This was…
Hong Yuye was aiming for the ones from the Blackheaven Sect and the others!
"Tomorrow, I will stab him in front of Lawless Tower and watch him enter the tower," said Xin Dong. "If you agree to that, we're willing to give you all the resources you asked for." He wanted to make Jiang Hao pay for his actions.
"The Blackheaven Sect agrees to it, although we will only pay the 20% reduced resources as discussed before. We also want to witness Jiang Hao enter the Lawless Tower," said Yang Huo.
Chi Yuan did not speak.
Senior Qingyan felt that it was fair. Just as she was about to nod in agreement, she felt a chill run down her spine. She turned around.
A bright moon suddenly appeared in the depths of the Heavenly Note Sect. The moonlight cut through the void and headed toward them.
The sharp and bright moon was the only thing in their vision.
In the blink of an eye, the moonlight flew past them. A terrifying chill spread through the world. They were frozen in fear.
The bright, razor-sharp light slashed toward Yang Huo and the others.
Yang Huo stared at it in disbelief. "How dare you? Are you trying to start a war?"
They defended themselves. However, their efforts were futile. The light passed through all defenses and all protective magical treasures.
"The Heavenly Note Sect is really shameless. You actually dare
Whoosh.
The slash of moonlight passed by the terrified Yang Ho and Xin Dong and caught up to Chi Yuan, who was fleeing with the others.
This blade was like a gust of wind. It was almost intangible.
Among the thirteen people, only one in the Golden Core Realm survived. He cried in fear but realized that he was fine. Twelve people spat blood and collapsed. They had been beheaded.
The entire Heavenly Note Sect fell silent.
Baizhi knelt in fear. The Sect Master personally taking action could only mean that she, as an Acting Sect Master, hadn't done her job well.
Hong Yuye buried the saber among the flowers again. She looked at Baizhi. "Send a message to the Blackeaven Sect. Tell them that if they want to negotiate, they should send someone who is more sincere next time. Also, send the prisoner to the Lawless Tower for five days. If they don't send someone who is sincere the next time, their captive won't be released from the Lawless Tower."
Hong Yuye walked back to the pavilion in the center. "You may leave."
"Understood, Sect master," said Baizhi.
Only at this moment did Baizhi understand Jiang Hao's significance. Perhaps no one could plant and raise the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower except him. She should never have allowed Jiang Hao to be brought to the limelight.
Baizhi was still confused. The Sect Master clearly didn't seem to care about Jiang Hao and still…
Baizhi didn't dare ask. She left.
After Baizhi left, Hong Yuye pressed her fingers to her lips and coughed softly. She seemed a bit unwell.
Outside the Heavenly Note Sect, Senior Qingyan and the others broke out into cold sweats. If the blade had hit them…
Their hearts were filled with fear and respect.
A white shadow descended from the sky. It was Elder Baizhi from the Hundred Flowers Lake.
Senior Qingyan, Ku Wu Chang, and the elder from the Law Enforcement Hall bowed in respect.
Baizhi ignored them all. She looked at the only surviving member of the convoy.
"Are you from the Blackheaven Sect?" she asked.
"Y-Yes," said the young man who was in the Golden Core Realm.
"Go back to your sect and tell your people to show some sincerity next time. If not, don't dare approach this sect at all. You'll be thrown into the Lawless
Tower with no chance of escape if you pull something like this again. Leave." The person scrambled away from the Heavenly Note Sect.
Baizhi looked at Senior Qingyan and the others. "Sect Master isn't out of seclusion yet, but the twelve branches shouldn't stoop lower in her absence. Those who refuse will have to abdicate, or I'll help them fall from power." Baizhi then turned around and left.
Jiang Hao was stunned. He hadn't expected this outcome even in his wildest dream.
"Was it Elder Baizhi who did that?" he asked.
"Do you really think so, Junior Brother Jiang?" asked Liu Xingchen.
Jiang Hao shook his head. It didn't seem like it. Senior Qingyan and the others wouldn't have been that terrified if it was Elder Baizhi.
There was only one other person in the Heavenly Note Sect who was more terrifying than Elder Baizhi herself. That was the Sect Master. The Heavenly Note Demoness..
Chapter 111: The Sudden Appearance Of The Demoness
Jiang Hao was silent on the way back. Some people bumped into him and told him that he was lucky.
He thought so too.
The Sect Master had been in seclusion for so long, but she suddenly made a move. Jiang Hao recalled that when Elder Baizhi had given him the armor, she had mentioned that the reward was from someone else.
'Was it the Sect Master who sent the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower to me?' It was only a guess that Jiang Hao had no way of confirming.
Jiang Hao decided that it didn't matter. He couldn't afford to offend the Sect Master or Elder Baizhi.
He returned to his courtyard. Liu Xingchen told him that he was no longer under surveillance. He couldn't leave the sect because of the matter with the Law Enforcement Hall, but there was no other restriction on him.
Jiang Hao fell onto the wooden chair. He took out the Thousand Miles
Teleportation Talisman from his pocket. He couldn't believe that he didn't need it anymore.
Jiang Hao realized that he was not strong enough. He got up and began to clean his courtyard. It wasn't dirty, but he needed to get his mind off of things.
Now that the matter had been solved, he slowly calmed down. He had prepared so many things and imagined all kinds of scenarios. He had been on edge. Suddenly, he was safe again.
He saw that his fingers were trembling slightly. His knowledge and strength were far inferior to the ones he had met today.
Suddenly, a fragrance wafted in the air. It was not the smell of the flowers he had in his courtyard.
He turned to look. He found someone sitting at the wooden table in his courtyard. She sat there casually and watched the Immortal peach tree.
Hong Yuye.
Jiang Hao was surprised. He hadn't expected her to visit today. He had assumed she would have tried to find him after he escaped.
"Why are you surprised? Are you still not familiar with the scent of my body?" asked Hong Yuye.
"It's not that" Jiang Hao lowered his head. "I… The fragrance is different. It's a mix of many flowers. "
He was just telling the truth, but his heart raced. Since the Heaven Extinction Gu Poison had no effect when he faced her, he could only rely on his own mind.
Fortunately, he did not make a fool of himself.
Hong Yuye sat quietly by the table. The wind rustled the leaves on the tree.
Jiang Hao eventually calmed down.
"Take care of my flower and follow me to the nearby town when I come to get you," said Hong Yuye. "Otherwise, you'll not be able to handle my fury."
Jiang Hao saw her turn into a red shadow and disappear. He was puzzled. She hadn't even inspected the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower like she usually did.
Jiang Hao looked at his hands. They weren't trembling anymore. He took a deep breath and congratulated himself on surviving another day.
He needed to discuss with Liu Xingchen the matter of visiting the nearby town.
Jiang Hao didn't want to face Hong Yuye's anger.
At noon, the spirit beast returned home.
"Didn't you leave the mountain?" Jiang Hao sat on the wooden chair.
The spirit beast shook his head nonchalantly. "I came back. In the future, when
I finally decide to go, you should follow me, Master."
Jiang Hao smiled but didn't say anything. He wasn't sure why the beast had decided to return. It was full of lies on the best of days, after all.
"Master, will you eat people in the future?" asked the spirit beast. "1 passed by a place on the way down the mountain today. A man threatened to eat a woman. She seemed to be… begging. When he told her to go, he seemed… upset. I couldn't understand."
Jiang Hao was speechless. He thought of Hong Yuye for no reason at all.
"Don't eavesdrop on other people," said Jiang Hao.
"I just heard it… accidentally. I wasn't meaning to!"
The Heavenly Note Sect was still a little conservative. Who would do such a thing in broad daylight?
'Maybe the Heavenly Joy Pavilion
"Then… the man was eaten by the woman. Or at least she was trying to. His mouth was in her mouth. His innards were all scattered on the ground The spirit beast looked at Jiang Hao. 'Master, you should be careful. Don't let a
Woman eat you."
Jiang Hao was stunned. 'What in the hell did it actually see?'
"Did she see you?" he asked.
The spirit beast shook its head.
Jiang Hao nodded. If what the beast said was true, then a woman might have killed someone.
If it was a disciple of the Heavenly Note Sect, then it wouldn't be long before the Law Enforcement Hall intervened.
However, who would dare to kill someone in the Heavenly Note Sect?
Jiang Hao was worried that the person might be hiding something. According to Liu Xingchen, the Law Enforcement Hall might use the Heavenly Essence Soul Modeling Mirror to catch the murderer. If that happened, he would get in trouble too.
Jiang Hao decided to visit Liu Xingchen soon. He wanted to find out if the Law Enforcement Hall had found new leads on the murders, and also ask him if he could leave the sect to visit a nearby town.
He wasn't in a hurry. He would advance in a few days and would become stronger.
The next day, Jiang Hao stood at the entrance of his courtyard. From today, he decided to resume his daily routine. He also needed to earn spirit stones. When he arrived at the Spirit Herb Garden, Jiang Hao realized that Cheng Chou had been away for more than half a month. He didn't know when he would return.
"Good morning, Junior Brother Jiang," Miao Tinglian. She had been helping out
In the garden. She had been in the process of planting a bunch of spirit herbs.
"Good morning, Senior Sister Miao," said Jiang Hao politely.
Miao Tinglian looked genuinely happy to see him, but he didn't know if she had any ulterior motives.
"Junior Brother Jiang, are you free right now? I have something to ask you," she said. "It's related to Senior Brother Mu Qi.."
Chapter 112: Her Heart Is Full Of Love
Jiang Hao tended to a medicinal herb as he listened to Miao Tinglian talk. "Junior Brother Jiang, your method of handling that is acceptable, but it doesn't help the root," said Miao Tinglian. "You have to find some Blue Lotus leaves and bury them around the herbs. That way, you can prevent them from withering away."
Jiang Hao was speechless. She did know a lot about spirit herbs. He thanked her.
"What did you want to ask about Senior Brother Mu Qi?"
Miao Tinglian's face turned serious. "Junior Brother Jiang, are you familiar with
Senior Brother Mu Qi?"
"I'm only an inner sect disciple, so I rarely get to meet True Disciples," said Jiang Hao.
"Then… have you ever seen Senior Brother Mu Qi with other senior or junior women?" she asked.
'Wow… she is so straightforward,' thought Jiang Hao.
"No," he said.
"Ah… me neither," she said.
However, she had sought him out last night, but he just wanted to cultivate. He wasn't like that in the past at all.
"Is there anything else that's different about him?" she asked.
"How so?" asked Jiang Hao.
"Was he injured or something?" asked Miao Tinglian.
Jiang Hao told her how Mu Qi had gotten injured once in the mines.
Miao Tinglian then stood up. "Junior Brother Jiang, you should be careful if a woman approaches you. The Law Enforcement Hall has already found a man dead. They are trying to investigate the matter. If you encounter any difficulty in the future, you can tell me. I'll help you," she said before turning around and leaving.
Jiang Hao was stunned. Maybe Miao Tinglian wasn't a traitor, after all.
Jiang Hao used his Daily Appraisal on her receding figure.
[Miao Tinglian: One of the Saintesses of the Heavenly Saint Sect. In the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm. Extremely talented. She defected from her sect and joined the Cliff of Broken Hearts to avoid being captured by the Heavenly Saint Sect. Troubled by Mu Qi and concerned about him. She wants to check on his injuries. She wants to help you because you brought her to the Cliff of Broken Hearts. Since you have no grudge against Mu Qi and seem to be friendly with him, she is just happy to help you in any way she can.]
'She's actually a good person?' Jiang Hao didn't know how to feel about that. He noticed that she was willing to help him because he had no grudges against Mu Qi. If he happened to be on Mu Qi's bad side…
Jiang Hao definitely didn't want to get on her bad side.
Someone who was a Saintess and had defected to join another sect…
A person like that was extraordinary. It was just that her heart was full of love, and it led her to do the craziest things.
She had left everything behind for Mu Qi. If Mu Qi abandoned her…
Jiang Hao didn't want to imagine how terrifying she could become.
Jiang Hao shook his head in disbelief. Hopefully, Mu Qi wouldn't do something like that.
However, meeting a woman like Miao Tinglian wasn't necessarily a good thing in a demonic sect. It was too difficult to survive, let alone protect someone else.
With Jiang Hao's current strength, he couldn't protect anyone else, no matter how much he cared for them. If, for some reason, he needed to flee, he would be putting his partner in danger too.
It was better to be alone.
He then thought about what Miao Tinglian had said. The Law Enforcement Hall hadn't been able to catch the person who had killed a man recently.
This surprised Jiang Hao. The person might be really dangerous. Otherwise, they wouldn't have so casually killed someone else in the sect.
Jiang Hao walked around the garden to make sure the spirit herbs were all growing well. A thud came from behind. He turned to see a young girl fall to the ground.
"S- Sorry." The young girl knelt in front of Jiang Hao.
He noticed that her face was pale, and she was wobbly on her feet. She was probably overworked.
"That's alright. You can take a rest in a corner if you want," said Jiang Hao. She looked up at him in disbelief. "Thank you, Senior."
She must be around fourteen or fifteen years of age. She wasn't a cultivator. She was just an ordinary person.
Usually, people joined the Heavenly Note Sect in three ways. Either they were sold, robbed, or born here as slaves.
The young girl must have arrived at the Cliff of Broken Hearts just recently. Jiang Hao didn't understand why she was so overworked.
He looked around at the people in the Spirit Herb Garden. Most of them were missing.
He asked around and found out that some had transferred to other gardens to help. There were fewer people in the Spirit Herb Garden than there used to be.
Jiang Hao frowned. The Law Enforcement Hall didn't care about the disappearances of common people.
It was a pity that Cheng Chou wasn't around. Otherwise, he would have paid extra attention to any changes in the Spirit Herb Garden.
Jiang Hao called the spirit beast to him and instructed it to scout the garden.
He then sent someone to the outer Dart of the Cliff of Broken Hearts to get
Some outer sect disciples to help around in the garden temporarily.
He hadn't paid much attention to the Spirit Herb Garden these days because of the matter with the Blackheaven Sect. Otherwise, this wouldn't have happened. The spirit beast bounded back to find him. "Master, I found something!" "So fast?" Jiang Hao followed the beast outside.
He walked along the main road and soon reached an area where the non-cultivators people mostly lived. He saw a middle-aged man lying on the ground.
"His lifeblood is weak. He doesn't seem to be conscious and doesn't look like he's overworked either. He looks… sick."
Jiang Hao squatted down to check. He examined the person on the ground. The man had a high fever.
"Senior?!" The man panicked.
"It's alright… have you seen anything strange around here in recent days?" asked Jiang Hao.
The man told him of a dream he had. He saw a woman trying to seduce him. Jiang Hao was surprised. 'What kind of spell is that?'
He couldn't understand why the woman was targeting common people. They couldn't even cultivate. The common people were mostly tasked with menial jobs. It was a harsh world for them. This was a demonic sect, after all..
Chapter 113: Bewitching Men To Death
In the evening, Jiang Hao was practicing his saber techniques in the courtyard.
He was just practicing some moves and didn't infuse the saber with any power.
The Seven Forms of Heavenly Blade also talked about some saber techniques which weren't really for fighting. Instead, the moves helped familiarize the person with the saber and were useful while cultivating.
After a while, he sat down on the ground and started refining his saber.
The spirit beast hadn't returned yet. Jiang Hao had asked it to look around and find some information on what was going on.
The girl in the Spirit Herb Garden and the sick man were all the confirmation Jiang Hao needed to know that the next target for the culprit was the Cliff of Broken Hearts.
The matter had nothing to do with Jiang Hao, but he knew it would affect the Spirit Herb Garden too. It would become impossible for people to work there if he ignored the problem.
It was not easy to find people to work in the garden. The situation would get worse if Jiang Hao couldn't find the reason for it.
Jiang Hao looked up at the full moon that hung high in the sky. 'It's great that I can still stay here and cultivate
It hadn't been easy going through everything with the Blackheaven Sect, the Heavenly Joy Pavilion, and the Sunset Immortal Sect. For now, Bai Ye also had no reason to attack him.
There were fewer traitors than before. It was the right time for him to cultivate and advance. Nobody could cause trouble for now. Yet, someone had attacked the DeoDle in the SDirit Herb Garden.
Whoosh!
A white figure suddenly barged into the courtyard.
"Master, I found something!" The spirit beast ran to Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao lifted his saber. "Lead the way."
If the culprit was stronger than him, he would quietly retreat. He would approach Liu Xingchen and ask him for help. He didn't want to cause any trouble.
The spirit beast ran at a speed.
After a while, they reached the edge of the forest.
"Over there." The spirit beast pointed at a middle-aged man outside the forest.
"Is that the one you saw before?
Jiang Hao quietly approached the man. He looked listless. His eyes were pale.
'Who bewitched him?'
"Are you going to find that woman, Master?" asked the spirit beast.
"We'll follow him for now and see where it leads us," said Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao moved cautiously. He wasn't afraid of being discovered by the man in front. The man looked like an empty shell.
Jiang Hao was afraid of being discovered by someone hiding in the forest.
"Master wants the woman too?" asked the spirit beast. "I have no interest in women," said Jiang Hao impatiently.
He followed the man into the forest.
After walking deeper into the forest, Jiang Hao sensed something in the distance.
The person who stood there was only in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
'How dare you kill so boldly when you are so weak?' thought Jiang Hao.
The heavenly Note Sect was a demonic sect. All sorts of strange things happened here, but it was rare to see someone in such a low cultivation realm going around killing people without a care in the world.
'But why does she keep killing non-cultivators?
Jiang Hao walked up to the middle-aged man and knocked him unconscious.
He walked toward the woman. He masked his energy and his realm. The woman shouldn't be able to sense his strength at all.
He was at the late stage of the Golden Core Realm. He didn't need to fear her.
The moon peeked through the forest canopy, lighting his way.
With every step, Jiang Hao lowered his cultivation. He had now dropped to Foundation Establishment Realm. After a while, he dropped his cultivation realm to the Lifeblood Refinement Realm.
He stopped when he reached the third stage of the Lifeblood Refinement Realm. The woman wouldn't suspect him and would consider him weak. He could find out what she was after.
However, he felt strange that there were no people from the Law Enforcement Hall around here to investigate.
He had found her so easily. There was no way that the Law Enforcement Hall couldn't have caught her already.
After a while, he reached an open meadow in the forest. He saw the woman lying on the ground with her shoulders exposed.
Her hair was messy. She was radiant in the moonlight. Her pale skin was striking in the moonlight.
Jiang Hao felt calm. He didn't feel anything else. This was the effect of the Heaven Extinction Gu Poison.
He used the Daily Appraisal on the woman. She was pretending to be asleep.
[One of the avatars of the Greater Thousand Spirit: This is one of the avatars of Wen Yin of the Great Thousand God Sect. She has absorbed the spirit and devoured the flesh and blood to reach the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. A portion of it has been secretly transferred to the main body and is currently using the Greater Thousand Charm Technique on you. She intends to devour you completely after mating with you. In order to hide, the avatar does not share memories with the main body.]
'The Great Thousand God Sect?'
Jiang Hao had never heard of such a sect before. 'So… the woman is just a clone?'
It was no wonder no one from the Law Enforcement Hall had been able to find her. Fortunately, she didn't share her memories with the main body. Otherwise, the enemy would be on alert.
After confirming it, Jiang Hao no longer suppressed his cultivation. He raised his level to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The sudden change startled the clone lying on the ground. She was so frightened that she opened her eyes and tried to escape.
Jiang Hao shook his head and used the Demonic Sound Thousand Miles technique. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of her and blocked her way.
The clone of Wen Yin looked at Jiang Hao in panic. "Senior Brother, please let me go. I have done nothing wrong. I just enjoy… the company of other people. If you let me go, I will do anything you want. I'm even willing to come with you to your house!"
Jiang Hao swung the flat of his blade and struck her on the head. She dropped to the ground.
He didn't kill her. He told the spirit beast to look for Liu Xingchen.
Soon, Liu Xingchen flew down to him from the sky. He was surprised to see the scantily dressed woman on the ground.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you're truly cautious, aren't you?" said Liu Xingchen. "She's from the Great Thousand God Sect. She's just a clone. If it wasn't for the fact that the main person is hidden very well, we would've already caught them by now."
"Great Thousand God Sect?"
"The Great Thousand God Sect is a sect that specializes in helping people. They are often active in the Milky Way Sea. I hadn't expected them to infiltrate the Heavenly Note Sect. We have nothing against them. They are probably here for something," said Liu Xingchen. "They probably don't know the rules of our sect. I think that's why they killed people in the sect, hoping nothing would happen to them."
"I'll take her back," said Liu Xingchen. "Should I mention you?"
Jiang Hao didn't want people to know that he did this. If he wanted the credit, he wouldn't have sent for Liu Xingchen. He would've called his master instead.
As for the arrival of the Great Thousand God Sect, it was probably related to the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
Jiang Hao hesitated. "Senior Brother Liu, if I want to go out of the sect to a nearby town, what should I do?"Liu Xingchen was stunned. He wondered if he had heard it wrong..
Chapter 114: Giving Advice On Cultivation
Jiang Hao and Liu Xingchen stood in the forest. In front of them lay the unconscious woman.
"What?"
"I wanted to go out of the sect for something," said Jiang Hao.
Although Liu Xingchen was surprised, he didn't ask his reason for it. "It's not that difficult to go out. The thing is… will you be able to make it back to the sect? It's better to leave secretly when no one is watching. Be careful, though. The Blackheaven Sect and the Sunset immortal Sect might be waiting for you outside the sect. If you sense something, it's better to retreat quietly." fenl.
Jiang Hao thanked him. If something like that happened, he was prepared to use the Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman. The demoness could find him anywhere. He didn't need to worry about her.
"Your current situation is okay. You just need to ask the Law Enforcement Hall for permission, and they'll give you a mission. It shouldn't be that difficult. When are you going out? I can ask them for you. If they agree, you can leave, but you'll be given a time limit," said Liu Xingchen. "You'll need to be back before the time runs out. They usually give up to three months to return."
"Three months should be enough. I wonder what the mission would be
"Law Enforcement Hall usually gives missions to recruit disciples or eliminate traitors. When recruiting disciples, they'll give you detailed information," said Liu Xingchen. "As for eliminating traitors, you'll have to pay compensation if you can't do it. Don't worry… if you're at the Foundation Establishment Realm, you'll be sent to deal with traitors in their Foundation Establishment Realm.
But sometimes… the information gets mixed up, and you might have to face a Golden Core Realm cultivator. If that happens, you only have to return to the sect and compensate by paying some spirit stones."
'Spirit stones?' Jiang Hao sighed. This demonic sect only sought to rob people in broad daylight.
Jiang Hao hesitated. "Then… if I fulfill the mission, do I get a reward?"
"Of course," said Liu Xingchen and smiled. "The Law Enforcement Hall will find you less suspicious. You can even make it out of their suspect list."
Jiang Hao sighed. "How many spirit stones are needed to pay the compensation?"
"Well… it starts from three thousand spirit stones."
Jiang Hao looked shocked.
"The Law Enforcement Hall needs spirit stones too, but they guarantee that they will suspect you less. If anything goes wrong, they'll bear responsibility," said Liu Xingchen.
"Are there many people who go out on missions for the Law Enforcement Hall?" asked Jiang Hao.
"Yes. People on the suspect list don't have a livelihood. Not everyone is like you. They don't have a job here and can't go out on missions for the sect. So, they accept the Law Enforcement Hall's missions to earn some spirit stones and to improve their cultivation."
Jiang Hao nodded. He didn't need to go out of the sect to earn spirit stones or to improve his cultivation. It was too difficult to find any bubbles outside the sect.
"Are there any restrictions on accepting missions?" Jiang Hao asked.
"I can get someone to do it for you. You can then head to the Law Enforcement
Hall to accept it. If you fail… save spirit stones to pay them. The Law Enforcement Hall isn't unreasonable. You can pay back on a monthly basis within three years. I can find something that is profitable for you."
Jiang Hao thanked him. Liu Xingchen left with the woman.
Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief. He needed to earn more spirit stones. Then, he needed to make another Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman.
It would be best if he could save up three thousand spirit stones before heading out.
Jiang Hao wanted to take the middle-aged man back with him. Just as he walked to the unconscious man, there was another person standing beside him, looking very flustered.
When he saw Jiang Hao, he was scared. "Senior Brother, it wasn't me! He was here in this state when I arrived!"
"I know. It's alright," said Jiang Hao. "Why are you here so late?"
The young boy beside the unconscious man was Lin Zhi. One of the people he had recruited to the Cliff of Broken Hearts.
Jiang Hao had never used his Daily Appraisal ability on him, but he had sensed something strange from him. He hadn't expected to meet Lin Zhi here.
"The Seniors are resting. I came to the forest to cultivate," said Lin Zhi.
He usually practiced his cultivation and stillness technique here in the forest. It was impossible for people who just started cultivating to circulate the spiritual energy in their bodies because they couldn't sense it properly yet.
He couldn't absorb spiritual energy well either. The dynamic techniques were used to better absorb and guide the spiritual energy.
Jiang Hao went over to the unconscious man lying on the ground.
Lin Zhi hurried to his side. "Let me help, Senior Brother!"
Jiang Hao let him do it.
"There are three steps to entering the basics. Perceive the spiritual energy the movement technique to guide the spiritual energy into the body, and finally accumulate enough spiritual energy to travel through the meridian circulate it into the cultivation realm. Have you been able to do that yet?" Jiang Hao.
"I am only able to sense my spiritual energy to some extent." Lin Zhi was ashamed.
He heard that Lin MO and Zhao Qingxue were about to advance. He was jus short of a full cycle.
"It's alright. It'll happen soon," said Jiang Hao to comfort him. "Cultivation always takes time. The key is to do it step by step. When you are impatient anxious, it'll confuse the spiritual energy. You need to practice mindfulnes first. It'll come in handy. Keep yourself calm in all situations."
Along the way, Jiang Hao explained the movement techniques to Lin Zhi. I Zhi listened eagerly. He was overjoyed. Jiang Hao had cleared many of his doubts.
As an outer sect disciple, it was rare for Lin Zhi to receive personal guidan from someone in the Golden Core Realm.
After dropping the man at his house, Jiang Hao told Lin Zhi to head back "Don't go out too much during the night. It's not safe. Go and rest."
Lin Zhi nodded.
Jiang Hao also returned to his own house.
Lin Zhi's path wasn't easy. His two closest friends had top-notch talent, while he was just average. The gap between them was too huge. Lin Zhi couldn't manage to make any mistakes. He would end up dead. This was a demonic sect, after all.
"Master, are you going out again?" asked the spirit beast when he saw Jiang Hao heading out. "Take me along with you."
"You stay here and watch the house," said Jiang Hao. "Master, will you bring me gifts?" asked the spirit beast.
Jiang Hao sighed. "What do you want?" "Maybe a magical treasure that suits me."
"I'm not buying you treasures."
"Please, Master. Just one.."
Chapter 115: The Terrifying Sect Master
Early that morning in the Blackheaven Sect, Ren Shuang was listening to a senior explaining a cultivation technique in the square.
At around noon, she turned around and left.
These few days, she had only one thing in mind. She wanted an update on the seniors who had gone to the Heavenly Note Sect to negotiate.
She even asked a junior to find out any information regarding it. However, a few days passed with no news at all.
Ren Shuang was more concerned about the person Situ Jian talked about. She hoped he was wrong. That person wasn't very strong. He was only average in his talent.
Even if he was as powerful as Situ Jian thought he was, he couldn't really cause trouble against the Blackheaven Sect, the Wind Lightning Sect, and the Sunset Immortal Sect combined.
She saw a junior running to her. "Senior Sister Ren, something bad has happened!"
"What? What's wrong?" Ren Shuang saw that the junior was shaken. "Take a deep breath and tell me slowly. Is it news from the Heavenly Note Sect?" "Yes!" She nodded.
Xiao Xue took a deep breath. "Everyone who went to the Heavenly Note Sect was killed except for Senior Brother Dongfang Cheng. The elders are dead!"
"What?! No one else survived?" Ren Shuang was flabbergasted. If her father had gone with them, he would've been dead…
Ren Shuang felt a chill down her spine. She couldn't quite believe it. This matter was directly connected to Jiang Hao.
The Heavenly Note Sect.
The matter with the Blackheaven Sect had been solved… for now.
Many disciples couldn't forget that fateful day. They hadn't even been able to see the moon slash that killed everyone except one person from the other sects.
Many wondered if they would have to fight the three great sects.
Some of the formidable disciples were puzzled. They wondered why their sect hadn't chosen the most logical and less bloodthirsty way of negotiation.
Only the masters of the twelve branches knew why this had happened, and there was nothing they could do. They couldn't disobey the Sect Master.
The Sect Master had made a move. That meant that the rest of the masters had to be prepared. If they couldn't face the situation, they could always abdicate from their positions.
It had been decades since they had seen the Sect Master, but the thought of her still made them tremble in fear.
In order to appease her, they sent numerous resources to the main sect's pavilion. With sufficient resources, they could fight. This was also meant to show their loyalty.
Jiang Hao didn't know about that.
He spent his time earning spirit stones to buy more talisman-making materials.
He now needed to save up four hundred spirit stones to make another Thousand Miles Teleportation Talisman.
Seven days later, Jiang Hao managed to make 463 spirit stones. He went to the market to buy the necessary materials.
After he was done with it, he headed to the Spirit Herb Garden.
"Master, the cannibal woman hasn't attacked anyone else for the past few days. Maybe she is scared of me. Can I return home tonight?" asked the spirit beast.
Jiang Hao had instructed the spirit beast to patrol the area at night. Fortunately, nothing had happened.
However, the people of the Great Thousand God Sect had not been captured yet. The Law Enforcement Hall was proving to be a bit incompetent these days.
"Master, do you want some carrots?" said the spirit beast. "Some friends have left these carrots for me!"
Jiang Hao examined one of the carrots. It had no spiritual remnants. It was safe. "We'll have an extra meal tonight."
"Alright!"
Jiang Hao was about to leave the Spirit Herb Garden when suddenly he felt an energy fluctuation.
He turned around to see someone walking toward him. Judging from her aura, she must be at least at the peak stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Jiang Hao walked out of the garden.
There was a woman in ragged clothes who was fleeing. "What right do you have to arrest me? Why are you making such a big fuss? I only killed an outer sect disciple. That's no use to you!"
The Heavenly Note Sect had mobilized many disciples in the peak stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm to hunt the clones.
"There is no use running away. Do you think our Law Enforcement Hall is useless?"
The four people rode on their flying swords and pursued the woman. They had already managed to injure her.
The woman spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, she charged at Jiang Hao. Since this sect values its disciples so much, she'd take one as a hostage!
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly when he saw the woman charging at him. 'Another clone?'
He unsheathed his Half-Moon Blade.
He used the first form from the Seven Forms of Heavenly Blade, also called the Moon-Slaying technique. The blade glinted and slashed toward the woman.
The attack made her stumble. The four disciples rushed to her and pinned her to the ground. The woman let out an ear-piercing scream.
"Why are you chasing me? It was just an outer sect disciple! I am also a disciple of this sect. How dare you arrest me?"
"If you have anything to say, say it at the Lawless Tower. You claim to be the sect's disciple. I assume you know what happens in the Lawless Tower."
The three disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall picked her up and left. The fourth disciple approached Jiang Hao.
"Thank you for helping us, Junior Brother."
"It's nothing," said Jiang Hao and bowed.
The woman seemed to be clueless about how the sect worked. The Law
Enforcement Hall needed to capture murderers and throw them into the
Lawless Tower to accumulate spiritual energy. The disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall were more than willing to participate in the capture because they were rewarded for it.
The disciple nodded and left.
Jiang Hao sighed. 'Capturing and threatening the prisoner… what's the use anyway?
"Master, are we still having an extra meal tonight?" asked the spirit beast as it handed carrots to Jiang Hao.
"Of course," said Jiang Hao. "Save these for dinner."
He headed back into the Spirit Herb Garden. He wanted to get back to work.
There were fewer and fewer people in the garden now. He needed to find some non-cultivators to work in the garden.
'But how?'