Is this Yan Hua from the Heavenly Saint Sect?
Jiang Hao found out this person's name when he appraised the puppet armor. Initially, he thought it was a man, but it turned out to be a woman.
And she was right in front of him.
'So, is she the one keeping an eye on me?'
He felt puzzled but had to suppress the thought for the time being.
He planned to appraise this Senior Sister first thing tomorrow morning to understand her intentions.
Later, Senior Sister Yan Hua introduced his task.
His current job was to oversee the mining progress inside the cave.
He had to ensure the work proceeded smoothly, or there'd be trouble.
"Shouldn't be too hard, right?" Yan Hua smiled at Jiang Hao.
"If there's any difficulty, don't hesitate to speak up, Junior Brother."
"None, thank you, Senior Sister." Jiang Hao bowed his head respectfully.
He stayed calm and finished the day smoothly.
The next day.
Jiang Hao met Yan Hua again and activated his divine ability.
Appraising Yan Hua.
[Yan Hua: Mid-stage Golden Core, a fanatic follower of the Heavenly Saint Sect, has been undercover at the Ice Moon Valley of the Heavenly Sound Sect for many years, planting numerous puppets. She noticed you because you destroyed her puppet and, upon discovering you possess the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, is eager to turn you into her puppet, just waiting for the right opportunity.]
Seeing the result, Jiang Hao's heart sank.
She was eager to make a move against him.
Mid-stage Golden Core. Even if he used a special strategy or technique, it might be challenging to win.
She had likely been at the mid-stage Golden Core for many years.
He never imagined a puppet armor would attract such attention from this person.
Moreover, she knew about the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
Has this news spread among the spies?
"Junior Brother, you're here at the right time." Yan Hua said with a smile.
"Today, take the team into the sixth cave; progress there is faster, and it's safer too.
Just oversee them, oh and"
Yan Hua leaned close to Jiang Hao, whispering:
"The people you brought yesterday are also in the group. Elder Wu said to observe them first, it wouldn't hurt to root out any other suspicious individuals.
Be careful."
All four of them?
Jiang Hao suspected Yan Hua was deliberately challenging him or trying to use these individuals to create a chance to act against him.
He agreed without a change in expression, then led the team into the mine.
Just a quick glance revealed these people were expressionless, emaciated, heading deeper with pickaxes.
Like walking corpses.
Only a few newcomers seemed normal.
But they bore whip marks, presumably from being beaten.
Of course, he spotted Situ Jian and the other three.
The four staying together gave them opportunities, and Jiang Hao couldn't say anything.
On the way, he checked his status panel.
[Name: Jiang Hao]
[Age: Twenty-One]
[Cultivation: Early-stage Golden Core]
[Techniques: Hundred Revolutions of Heavenly Sound, Primordial Chaos Heart Scripture]
[Divine Abilities: Nine Revolutions Death Substitution (Unique), Daily Appraisal, Clear and Tranquil Heart]
[Vital Qi: 63/100 (can cultivate)]
[Cultivation: 65/100 (can cultivate)]
[Divine Abilities: 2/3 (cannot obtain)]
Twenty-one already?
Jiang Hao was surprised; a year had passed without him realizing.
In a year, he'd reached the early-stage Golden Core.
But the mid-stage seemed far off.
‘With my cultivation only halfway through, it'd take months to reach a hundred. Could Yan Hua wait, or the four from Situ Jian?’
Finally, he focused on the divine abilities. A purple bubble would grant him a new divine ability.
If it suited him, he might not lose to Yan Hua, not to mention he had the Primordial Heaven Blade.
As the workers began picking at the mine, spirit stones and other objects soon appeared.
Jiang Hao's thoughts started to stir.
On the way here, he'd observed. The sixth mine wasn't ideal for ambushes.
Yan Hua probably wouldn't act, and any others approaching, he'd likely sense.
As for his companions, aside from Situ Jian and the three, no one hid their cultivation.
So...
Jiang Hao approached a fellow disciple holding a whip.
"Any instructions, Senior Brother Jiang?" The outer disciple at the ninth level of Qi Refining stood ready.
"Do you have a pickaxe?" Jiang Hao asked.
Yes, he wanted to test if mining would directly produce bubbles.
Spirit herbs required days to grow.
Beasts dropped bubbles immediately upon defeat, so what about minerals?
Would bubbles appear instantly or require days?
If they appeared right away, quick advancement might not be a dream.
Mines posed dangers, but perhaps opportunities as well.
Not to mention that Senior Brother Mu had found ancient inheritance in the mines.
He wasn’t asking for inheritance, just bubbles.
Amid the outer disciple's surprise, Jiang Hao took a pickaxe and headed to the front.
"Watch the others, don't let them slack," he casually instructed.
Everyone watched him, puzzled why the supervisor took a pickaxe.
Even Situ Jian and others were curious.
Under their gaze, Jiang Hao stood before a rock and swung the pickaxe.
Clang!
They saw Jiang Hao mining tirelessly.
This startled the Qi Refining disciples; they didn't understand the inner disciple's intentions.
Jiang Hao ignored the others, channeling his Foundation Establishment strength into the pickaxe, swiftly striking a piece of ore free.
As it fell, a white bubble emerged alongside it.
It merged into his body instantly.
[Strength +1]
“It worked.”