Jiang Hao swore he had no intention of getting caught up in battles beyond the Golden Core stage. But now, circumstances left him with no choice. With both sides locked in a standoff, and him nearby, he got noticed.
If he had known this would happen, he would never have come to this forest. Now, with eyes on him, he could only pretend to make a move. Activating a Ten Thousand Swords Talisman was his limit. He hoped the opponent would block it, allowing him to leave safely. He had done his best.
Appearing as a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, daring to make a move was praiseworthy enough. He hoped one of the chief ten disciples wouldn’t trouble him. Otherwise... he would have to quickly surpass them in strength and quietly eliminate such nuisances.
With a swoosh, Jiang Hao activated and threw out the Ten Thousand Swords Talisman. The teleportation array was incredibly mysterious, beyond Jiang Hao's comprehension. His Foundation Establishment-level Ten Thousand Swords Talisman shouldn't hinder the opponent at all.
As the swords pierced towards the teleportation array, Jiang Hao thought they would be blocked. However, the swords penetrated the array, not only stopping the teleportation but also piercing Xuanyuan Tai’s thigh.
Seeing the disrupted teleportation array, Xuanyuan Tai turned to glare at Jiang Hao, a hint of resentment in his eyes. Jiang Hao felt speechless.
“Do you not set up a defense? For such an important teleportation array...”
If his status panel could alert him to hatred, he probably would have gotten a hatred bubble by now. Hatred +1.
But Jiang Hao didn't hesitate. He quickly retreated, wary of the opponent's potential outburst.
Boom!
As Jiang Hao moved back, the Barbarian Dragon broke free, laughing heartily, and in a flash, was in front of Xuanyuan Tai, pinning him to the ground. Successfully capturing him.
Alive, that’s valuable.
“Tch, don’t get so excited, do you think you captured me?” Xuanyuan Tai stared coldly at the Barbarian Dragon.
“A captive still holds on to pride?” The Barbarian Dragon didn’t mind, instead turning to Jiang Hao and saying, “I’m Barbarian Dragon, a disciple from the Horizontal Waterfall Sect. And you, Junior Brother?”
“Jiang Hao from Broken Hearts Cliff.” Jiang Hao kept a distance and spoke politely.
“Good, the credit is yours. I’ll only report this. Even if I get no credit, I’ve put in effort. Junior Brother, understand?” The Barbarian Dragon laughed.
“Senior Brother, you jest. The credit is all yours; I just happened to pass by.” Jiang Hao replied quickly, not daring to claim credit.
“Hahaha!” The Barbarian Dragon laughed heartily and said, “Smart Junior Brother. Yet, if my credit is enough, the rest will be yours. I’ll remember this favor.”
“By the way, Junior Brother, stay here until tomorrow. The issue with the mine should be resolved by then. Running around can be dangerous.” Before leaving, the Barbarian Dragon advised with good intentions.
Seeing him leave, Jiang Hao sighed in relief.
What favor did he mention? Jiang Hao paid no heed. It’s just polite talk; taking it too seriously would only invite dislike. He truly didn’t want the credit, knowing that capturing an important disciple from the Profound Heaven Sect would make him a target.
He’d already crossed the Falling Sunset Sect; he didn’t wish to provoke the Profound Heaven Sect too. Otherwise, cleaning his name would become immensely difficult—how could he remain forever as a Demonic Sect cultivator?
Then he withdrew into the depths of the forest. Though the Barbarian Dragon said it was safer here, he didn’t fully trust his words. Better to wait in a secluded spot where no one knew his whereabouts.
He believed one thing: the crisis at the mine would soon be resolved.
Deep in the woods, Jiang Hao sat cross-legged beneath a tree, the Primordial Heaven Blade resting on his lap. He cultivated both the blade and his strength, ready to react at any moment.
Readying himself gave him an advantage. Even against a Golden Core cultivator, he might hold his own for a bit.
He remained in this state for an entire day.
By the following morning, the commotion from the mine had significantly calmed down.
At dusk, he approached the vicinity of the mine. From afar, it seemed truly settled now.
“Everything seems fine; the mine appears undamaged.”
Not blowing up the mine indicated the Profound Heaven Sect's failure. So, he returned to his previous exit and continued inward to where he found Wu Jing and the miners.
They were all sitting cross-legged, showing signs of panic. The mine had been trembling frequently, injuring some, and escape seemed impossible.
Everyone understood that to step outside amid such uproar meant certain death. They could only await the outcome in despair. The ones who urged them to wait hadn’t returned, making abandonment likely in their minds.
Thankfully, Jiang Hao made it back.
"Senior Brother Jiang, you're finally back," Wu Jing said, visibly relieved.
Others found a glimmer of hope in him, even if inner disciples typically mistreated them. Seeing an inner disciple now, they genuinely felt glad.
In their eyes, Foundation Establishment was synonymous with power.
Jiang Hao nodded, handing out Pain-Relief Talismans to the injured miners before checking in with Wu Jing. Learning that Yan Hua had been there, he kept silent, only appearing puzzled and then moving on.
Among the miners, there were people from other sects, as well as from the Heavenly Sound Sect; those who could run had already done so. The remaining ones were essentially bound to a life as miners, unless someone bought their freedom.
“I’ve found a way out, follow me.”
With that, he led the miners out.
Soon after, he encountered Liu Xingchen entering the mine.
“Just in time, Junior Brother, there are things we must discuss,” Liu Xingchen smiled, as if aware that Jiang Hao was alright.