After setting up a basic formation, Jiang Hao left his courtyard.
Due to the presence of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, he couldn’t trust anyone else to watch over his spiritual herbs. He was worried something might go wrong—not just with the flower, but also with people.
There was always the risk of theft or even being killed.
His courtyard was constantly under watch. The moment he left, someone might try to make a move.
“I wonder if that woman will come. If she thinks I’ve fled, will she take the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower with her?”
Jiang Hao pushed the thought aside. That woman was a “big fish,” and Elder Bai Zhi was surely already taking action.
He could only rely on himself for now.
At this point, he glanced at the values on his panel.
* Vitality: 56/100
* Cultivation: 61/100
“Over halfway. I wonder if I’ll have the chance to reach 100. If I do, I’ll need a quiet place to advance.”
This was his final trump card.
Before leaving Duànqíng Cliff, Jiang Hao made a trip to his master’s residence, intending to bid farewell.
Unfortunately, his master wasn’t there.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Jiang Hao headed toward the Law Enforcement Peak.
“Junior Brother, ready to set out?”
Liu Xingchen approached as Jiang Hao arrived.
“Good morning, Senior Brother,” Jiang Hao replied politely.
He found the situation amusing. Even the undercover agents seemed concerned about him now. Perhaps they all wanted him to survive, though he couldn’t figure out why.
“Junior Brother, your situation isn’t looking good,” Liu Xingchen said as he walked alongside Jiang Hao.
The two of them headed toward the sect’s mission assembly point.
“I saw the roster. The strongest is in the late Foundation Establishment stage. There’s also another late-stage cultivator who doesn’t get along with Tianhuan Pavilion. That should work in my favor,” Jiang Hao said.
“True. Originally, Tianhuan Pavilion assigned one mid-stage and one late-stage cultivator. But then something unexpected happened.” Liu Xingchen sighed.
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“They were replaced?” Jiang Hao asked in surprise.
“No,” Liu Xingchen shook his head. “They advanced.”
Jiang Hao froze upon hearing this, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
He suddenly remembered the slip of paper mentioning the phrase “close to breakthrough” for two of the individuals.
So, the mid-stage and late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators had now become late-stage and perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators?
This was bad news.
“Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother.” Jiang Hao quickly expressed his gratitude.
Liu Xingchen nodded and walked off without saying anything further.
“I need to find a way to quickly accumulate enough cultivation and vitality, then attempt a breakthrough,” Jiang Hao thought to himself.
At the mission assembly point, Jiang Hao saw the four teammates.
There was a cold and elegant woman in white and a ferocious man in black with a savage glint in his eyes.
Opposite them stood a refined man in white holding a paper fan, with a woman in blue by his side, her sword drawn as she cast a provocative gaze at the other two.
Qing Xue and Lou Feng from Tianhuan Pavilion, Zheng Shijiu from Ice Moon Valley, and Xin Yuyue from Thunderfire Peak.
Although these four clearly didn’t get along, Jiang Hao didn’t think he could form alliances with Zheng Shijiu or Xin Yuyue either.
When he arrived, all four of them turned to look at him.
Some were observing him, some were disdainful, and some wore mocking expressions.
Under their gazes, Jiang Hao stepped forward and said politely:
“Greetings, Senior Brothers and Sisters. Apologies for being late.”
In truth, it was they who had arrived too early.
“You’re not late; you’re just in time,” Lou Feng said with a smile that seemed to have been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Then let’s set out,” Zheng Shijiu said coolly.
“Yeah, staying with people from Tianhuan Pavilion for too long is disgusting,” Xin Yuyue said with a look of disdain.
Jiang Hao nodded slightly, choosing to remain silent.
‘The two from Tianhuan Pavilion are concealing their cultivation. They haven’t revealed their new stages.’
Thanks to his understanding of the Nameless Secret Manual, Jiang Hao could now discern that the two had hidden their true cultivation levels.
For safety, he decided to appraise Qing Xue.
* Qing Xue: Disciple of Tianhuan Pavilion under Tianyin Sect. Perfected Foundation Establishment. Holds a deep hatred for you due to her obsession with her master.
Jiang Hao: “…”
A lunatic.
That was the only thought he had.
In the Devil Sect, it seemed normalcy was the rarest trait among disciples.
By noon, they arrived at the entrance to the Demon Cave.
The Demon Cave was located at the center of Tianyin Sect’s main lake.
Inside was an expansive world of its own. Since the entrance was within the sect’s territory, the cave was considered part of the sect.
“I heard most of the demons inside are at the early or mid Foundation Establishment stages. Let’s split up and act separately,” Qing Xue said coldly.
Lou Feng nodded in agreement. “I support that.”
“I don’t think so,” Zheng Shijiu interjected, shaking his head. “At the beginning, the number of demons is high. If we stick together, we’ll not only have enough firepower, but we can also watch each other’s backs.
If we split up and encounter rare late-stage or perfected Foundation Establishment demons, it’ll be certain death. Splitting up right away is just seeking death.”
“I agree with Senior Brother Zheng,” Xin Yuyue chimed in.
“I agree with Senior Brother Zheng as well,” Jiang Hao said without hesitation.
Sticking with the group was the only viable option for now. He wasn’t capable of facing perfected Foundation Establishment demons on his own.
He had come prepared, but so had the others.
“Then we’ll clean up most of the demons first, then split up to hunt the stragglers,” Qing Xue said coldly, glaring at Zheng Shijiu.
Jiang Hao could clearly sense her displeasure, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that.
He needed time—and plenty of demons to slay.