In the spirit field, a young man crouched with one hand resting against the ground. His hand was aligned with the sheath of a blade, emitting a faint icy glow.
“Immortal, spare my life,” the young man pleaded with his head lowered.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao remained calm. "What's your name?" he asked.
Before the young man could respond, Jiang Hao moved, his hand slightly nudging the handle of his blade.
A flash of steel severed the opponent's arm with thunderous speed.
The sudden attack left the young man in shock. He glared at Jiang Hao with deep resentment and began to retreat. "Attack!" he shouted loudly.
Jiang Hao thrust the blade's handle into the ground, flinging the hidden explosive high into the air.
Boom!
An explosion echoed above, causing others to scatter in fright.
Yet Jiang Hao continued his assault, swiftly moving towards a group of men and women about to act. His long blade danced through the air, instantly taking down four of them.
Facing the last person, who had already activated a magical artifact, Jiang Hao wielded his crescent moon blade, the moonlight shimmering like a painting across the sky.
Heavenly Blade Severing Moon.
The slash neatly severed the opponent’s hand along with the artifact in one clean motion.
The man, now furious, glared menacingly at Jiang Hao as black energy enveloped him, ready to attack. But Jiang Hao was already at his side, the blade poised at his neck.
Slosh!
The man fell with a crash.
Jiang Hao shifted his gaze to the first retreating man, who hesitated for a moment before attempting to flee. But how could someone at the Qi Refining stage outrun Jiang Hao, a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
A mere blink later, Jiang Hao was at his side, striking the man's temple with the hilt of his blade.
Thud.
The man fell unconscious.
Having dealt with them, Jiang Hao turned towards Cheng Chou. "Go get help."
Understanding whom to call, Cheng Chou dashed outside instantly.
Meanwhile, a rabbit that had been watching trembled in fear, too scared to enter the spirit field. Its undeveloped intelligence warned it that entering might lead to being cut down.
Jiang Hao paid no mind to the rabbit, instead instructing the others, "Continue with your work but stay away from the damaged spirit field for now."
Despite being a step late, the damage to the spirit field was minimal.
These people appeared suspicious from the moment Jiang Hao arrived. Initially, he thought they might cause trouble for him again. But upon closer inspection, there seemed to be no significant threat, and the items buried in the soil carried a distinct spiritual energy.
He realized it was a magical artifact.
These individuals weren’t targeting him but intended to blow up the spirit field. If they succeeded, Broken Hearts Cliff would suffer greatly.
After some thought, he chose to appraise the situation.
[Puppet Armor: Planted during youth by Yan Hua of the Heavenly Saint Sect as a puppet seed, gradually taking over. This time, it was to sabotage the Heavenly Sound Sect's Spirit Herb Field to let Azure Sky Mountain advance into the sect.]
Heavenly Saint Sect's Yan Hua?
Jiang Hao had never heard of this person, but the people from the Heavenly Saint Sect were indeed dangerous.
A plan laid out ten years ago?
Especially amidst ordinary people or Qi Refining disciples, it's almost impossible to guard against.
Had he not appraised himself before, Jiang Hao might have suspected a puppet seed within him as well.
It seemed the Heavenly Saint Sect had learned of the existence of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower and wanted to be the first to act, aiding Azure Sky Mountain’s efforts.
If they were puppets, capturing them alive held no value.
Soon, Mu Qi arrived on the scene; he surveyed the spirit field and glanced at the fallen individuals on the ground, visibly relieved. “It was lucky we had you, junior brother. I heard other spirit herb gardens suffered significant damage, fortunate ours remains unharmed.” Mu Qi respectfully addressed Jiang Hao: “I’ll report this truthfully to Master. We’ll need your help in the days to come.”
“Senior brother, you're too kind.” Jiang Hao replied humbly.
Mu Qi, a true disciple, was someone Jiang Hao had met a few times. He suspected Mu Qi's cultivation wasn’t far behind Liu Xingchen’s. Jiang Hao always felt it was best to avoid him.
Within the Demonic Sect, though camaraderie wasn’t absent, Jiang Hao and true disciples like Mu Qi lacked such bonds.
Understanding one’s position, respecting those who deserve it while being unyielding to those who don’t, was crucial.
Afterwards, Mu Qi took away the Puppet Armor, noting that any findings would be shared with Jiang Hao. He was off to handle matters at the mines and had no time to linger.
Jiang Hao nodded, letting his senior brother tend to his affairs.
“The mines are having issues too?”
Watching Mu Qi leave, Jiang Hao mused aloud. It seemed the Heavenly Sound Sect was growing unstable, and he needed to prepare for its potential downfall.
Otherwise, he’d be caught off guard.
However...
Could he really leave, given that he was tending to the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower?
It seemed many would eye him first.
Subsequently, the Spirit Herb Gardens ceased allowing others to assist, and no further ambushes occurred.
Other spirit herb gardens indeed sustained significant damage, putting extra pressure on Broken Hearts Cliff. The demand for spirit herbs surged.
Three weeks passed in this fashion.
Jiang Hao worked from dawn till dusk until the other spirit herb gardens restored themselves, easing their burden significantly.
Everyone felt a sense of relief.
During this time, word spread that Jiang Hao had a pet rabbit. The rabbit, familiar now with those in the Spirit Herb Garden, had undergone spiritual awakening twice and even learned to speak.
However, those it deemed dangerous, it dared not provoke. If even Jiang Hao showed deference, what chance did a mere spirit pet have?
"Great Spirit Beast, what would you like today?" Cheng Chou inquired courteously.
"Call me Lord Rabbit," the rabbit demanded with pride and arrogance. Its voice, neither young nor innocent, belonged to a male.
“Lord Rabbit, what shall you eat today?” Cheng Chou, accustomed to this, replied without surprise.
"Humans," the rabbit declared fiercely.