Hearing those words, Jiang Hao fell silent.

He hadn’t expected that Senior Sister Yun Ruo could have such a role. If he had known earlier…

Perhaps he might have hesitated to kill her back then, but only for a moment. Letting her go would have meant his own demise sooner or later.

So, while he felt a twinge of emotion, he harbored no regrets.

"You might not believe this," Liu Xingchen said after giving Jiang Hao some time to think. "Demanding a thousand spirit stones from you isn't targeting you. On the contrary, it's to help you constrain that person from Tianhuan Pavilion.

"As long as you properly compensate them, that person won’t be able to act against you in the short term.

"Be cautious, and demonstrate your value. The Broken Sentiment Cliff will do its best to protect you.

"As for forbidding you from leaving the sect, it's partly because you're under suspicion and partly because Yun Ruo had some admirers within her sect.

"Some of them are not only influential but also of high status. Reportedly, if Yun Ruo hadn’t had a unique role to play, one of them would’ve already taken her back.

"Now that she’s dead, you’ve attracted the attention of some people from the Luoxia Sect.

"In short, Junior Brother, your situation is quite precarious."

Jiang Hao: "..."

He had rendered a service to the sect, but instead of receiving a reward, he was made to pay compensation. And now, they claimed it was for his benefit.

The most infuriating part was that he couldn’t even refute it.

After all, in a demonic sect, it was no big deal for a pavilion master to target an inner disciple.

"Thank you for the information, Senior Brother," Jiang Hao said gratefully.

"Take care, Junior Brother. If you uncover any news about other traitors, feel free to let me know." With a wave, Liu Xingchen departed.

Once Jiang Hao was alone in the courtyard, he glanced at the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.

He understood now—this Senior Brother had his own agenda. Otherwise, why would he bother explaining so much? Not only had he defused Jiang Hao's grievances against the Enforcement Hall, but he’d even managed to gain some of Jiang Hao's appreciation.

"Did he not recognize it, or is he waiting for the right moment?" Jiang Hao couldn’t quite figure it out.

He resumed his usual routine of collecting energy bubbles and selling talismans.

From that day on, however, it seemed that more unfamiliar faces began appearing in the Broken Sentiment Cliff’s spirit herb garden.

Some were steward elders, while others were inner disciples.

Initially, Jiang Hao paid them little mind.

Until one day, a senior sister persistently asked him about spirit herbs. That was when he realized there was more to her visit.

Sure enough, a week later, this senior sister appeared at his residence, claiming to have obtained a rare spirit herb and asking for his opinion.

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"Junior Brother, you don’t have any guests, do you? If so, I’ll come back another time," the senior sister, Ming Yi, said, peering into the courtyard.

"No, not at all. But Senior Sister, I think you overestimate me—I’m not very knowledgeable about spirit herbs," Jiang Hao said honestly.

Lately, his focus had been on talisman-making, leaving little time to deepen his understanding of spirit herbs.

Thankfully, his progress in talisman-making had been swift—he’d reached a 90% success rate and was ready to tackle more challenging ones.

In the past week, he had earned 150 spirit stones, bringing his total to 450.

With just over two months left, he was halfway to the compensation amount.

As for this senior sister, she was from the Misty Cloud Peak. Having recently ended a long period of seclusion, she hadn’t met many people yet, which was why she’d approached him.

Jiang Hao didn’t believe her words for a second. He immediately activated his divine ability.

In a flash, feedback appeared before him:

**[Ming Yi: A candidate saintess of the Heavenly Saint Sect, with a Golden Core early-stage cultivation. An undercover agent in the Tianyin Sect’s Misty Cloud Peak, she seeks to uncover the sect’s rise to power.

"According to her orders, the key item is in your courtyard. Using this as an excuse, she intends to probe further. Ruthless and cunning, she hides her malice behind a charming smile.]**

Upon realizing her cultivation level, Jiang Hao bowed his head.

These undercover agents were either at the Golden Core stage or true disciples—or even saintesses.

But one thing surprised Jiang Hao: the reason for the Tianyin Sect's rise was supposedly in his courtyard.

Could it be the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower?

Wasn’t this plant something entrusted to him by the acting sect master? Why would it be tied to the sect’s rise?

Jiang Hao couldn’t make sense of it.

He resolved to search the sect's archives later.

Still, it was clear now—this whole situation was a trap. His current predicament was dire.

Ming Yi didn’t linger long. She briefly glanced around the courtyard and handed Jiang Hao the spirit herb to examine.

It was indeed a remarkable herb, but one Jiang Hao didn’t recognize.

Unbothered, Ming Yi thanked him politely and took her leave.

With a sigh, Jiang Hao resumed his usual routine.

Over a Month Later.

Inside his room, Jiang Hao counted his spirit stones with delight.

"Nine hundred and twenty-six—so close. Just a few more days, and I’ll have the thousand spirit stones."

He had spent the past month tirelessly crafting talismans to earn money.

Though he occasionally attempted more advanced talismans, the low success rate meant he couldn’t rely on them.

Still, he planned to master them eventually. Stockpiling spirit stones was always wise.

After all, with so many undercover agents around, it wouldn’t hurt to have a financial cushion for potential payouts.

Setting those thoughts aside, Jiang Hao checked his personal panel:

[Name: Jiang Hao][Age: 19][Cultivation: Early Foundation Establishment][Techniques: Tianyin Hundred Revolutions, Hongmeng Heart Scripture][Divine Abilities: Ninefold Substitute Death, Daily Insight, Purity of Mind][Vitality: 100/100][Cultivation Progress: 100/100][Divine Ability Uses: 0/3]

The purple-gold legend was gone, but the Hongmeng Heart Scripture had been added.

The most eye-catching aspects were his maxed-out vitality and cultivation progress, thanks to the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower and the abundance of energy bubbles from the spirit herb harvest season.

Finally, the day he had been waiting for had arrived.

With the Hongmeng purple aura concealing his cultivation, Jiang Hao no longer feared progressing too quickly.

Without hesitation, he extracted the vitality and cultivation energy and began circulating the Hongmeng Heart Scripture.

Theoretically, he could break through to mid-Foundation Establishment in one go.

Vitality surged, and spiritual energy roared within him.

The purple aura circulated through his body, refining the energy and expanding its reach.

Soon, it flowed into his dantian.

Jiang Hao’s cultivation advanced visibly.

Boom!

The barrier between early and mid-Foundation Establishment shattered under the force of the purple aura.

He had successfully stepped into mid-Foundation Establishment.

"It worked."

The sense of newfound strength filled Jiang Hao with relief.

Calming himself, he looked outside and noticed it was getting late. He decided to water the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.

But as he stepped into the courtyard, his pupils contracted.

Standing there was a woman.

Dressed in red, her figure was bathed in sunlight, revealing a flawless profile—stunningly beautiful, beyond words.

"It’s her."