"A spirit beast?" Jiang Hao was a bit surprised. He hoped readers would remember their domain here.
For the past month, things had been unusually calm. Liu Xingchen hadn't come looking for trouble, and his master hadn't asked any questions. The death of Jin Zhouheng hadn't stirred any waves. For a Golden Core cultivator, such peace was unbelievable.
Before the Law Enforcement Hall came knocking, there wasn't much he could do but focus on building his cultivation and solidifying his foundation. Doing what needed to be done was all that mattered. The sudden appearance of a spirit beast fell under his duties as well.
Arriving at the Spirit Field, Jiang Hao began to search around. Since there hadn’t been any major negative impact, it indicated that the threat wasn't high. But for the disciples in the Qi Refining stage, who might not understand the danger level, it could be challenging.
Rustle!
As Jiang Hao approached, the spirit herbs began to sway, signaling that the spirit beast had detected him.
Whoosh!
A white figure darted out, attacking him. Jiang Hao instinctively dodged. The spirit beast then dove back into the spirit herb field, vanishing again.
"Not very large, but extremely fast." Jiang Hao realized it moved with a speed that even early stage Foundation Establishment cultivators might not catch, leaving those in the Qi Refining stage without any chance.
Rustle!
The adversary launched another attack, prompting Jiang Hao to pull out his crescent moon blade to block.
Clang!
The powerful force pushed Jiang Hao back a step, while the opponent was also knocked away, retreating into the Spirit Field.
"The attack power isn't weak either. Is this a spirit beast at the early stage of Foundation Establishment? Whose could it be?"
The Heavenly Sound Sect didn't have a place for raising spirit beasts. Most spirit beasts usually belonged to someone. Given its appearance at Broken Hearts Cliff, it likely belonged to a true disciple or a supervising elder.
Not wanting to offend any of these people, Jiang Hao couldn’t afford to go all out.
Rustle!
Upon spotting the opponent, Jiang Hao swung the crescent moon blade. Waves of demonic sound surged forth.
Boom!
The blade descended, and the demonic sound rolled out like tidal waves. For a moment, the spirit herbs stopped swaying.
Jiang Hao had fully comprehended the Demonic Sound Slash, allowing him to produce only sound waves, without the blade itself. As the demonic sound passed, others in the vicinity turned to look, this commotion naturally drawing their interest. If a fight erupted, they needed to flee at once, given that many of them were ordinary folks.
"It's fine, continue your work," Jiang Hao reassured them as he moved towards the spirit beast’s location. Relieved, the others resumed their tasks, though they still sneaked glances out of curiosity.
At that moment, Jiang Hao parted the spirit herbs and peered inside. A snow-white spirit beast, frothing at the mouth, was knocked out. It had long ears, looking much like a rabbit at first glance. Jiang Hao picked it up by the ears and noticed that, unlike ordinary rabbits, it resembled a human in shape, with two legs and two arms. It was like a rabbit grown out of shape, but not unsightly. Rather, it was quite charming.
"I wonder which senior brother or sister it belongs to."
Curious, he activated his appraisal divine ability, intending to return it as soon as possible. Leaving it in the Spirit Herb Garden would interfere with his management duties. As his thoughts settled, the divine ability provided feedback.
[Spirit Beast: Intelligence not yet awakened. Foundation Establishment early stage spirit beast. Possesses a treasure for locating the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. Once the flower is found, it can periodically obtain terrain and imagery. It's a spy specifically placed by Azure Sky Mountain. Contains deceptive beast bloodline. Feed it one spirit stone a day for seven days to awaken the hidden bloodline initially. Feeding it daily will increase its favorability.]
Jiang Hao was speechless. "Seems everyone wants to be a spy."
He had initially thought it belonged to some senior brother or sister, never expecting it to be a spy sent by Azure Sky Mountain. Azure Sky Mountain was the closest righteous sect to the Heavenly Sound Sect. Both possessed similar strength, unable to overpower each other, and had maintained peace for years. Only recently had conflict arisen, particularly in the area where Han Ming went for training. Unexpectedly, they too sought the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. But how?
Even larger sects like the Vast Heaven Sect and the Heavenly Saint Sect wouldn't dare make a rash move, so what could Azure Sky Mountain hope to achieve? Jiang Hao speculated there might be someone backing Azure Sky Mountain, given the quality of the rabbit's treasure. Yet he had no idea how to extract it. For now, dealing with the spirit beast took priority.
By the norm, he should have exterminated it outright, but the potential to awaken its hidden bloodline made him hesitate. It hinted at the chance for a purple gold bubble, akin to nurturing the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. If not purple gold, a purple one at least.
"Taking it back would mean being spied upon. It poses a risk."
After some hesitation, he decided to purchase a treasure to confine the spirit beast temporarily, keeping the rabbit in the small forest behind his courtyard. Seven days would suffice.
With that settled, Jiang Hao tidied up the Spirit Herb Garden before leaving. He stored the rabbit within the attic, finding it inconvenient to carry while shopping. He'd retrieve it afterward.
Lately, senior brothers and sisters had been busy, seldom visiting, so there was little risk of them taking it away. Jiang Hao found himself reflecting. Not on how the sect teemed with spies, but more on how they all ended up around him. Whether human or spirit beast, everyone seemed focused on the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
Unwittingly, he had been entangled in a significant sect affair without the means to protect himself. He sometimes pondered, without the task of overseeing the Clear Sun Flower, if he would have been swept into these events. But he was left without answers.
Shortly after, he reached the marketplace, buying a collar to restrain the spirit beast and some books on talisman crafting. It cost him a total of six hundred spirit stones—a sum he couldn't have imagined spending in the past.