Li Kai was dead. It happened right before Ming Zuoqian, and he couldn't stop it.
His face was splattered with blood, and a cold, powerless feeling spread from his heart.
However, as a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, Ming Zuoqian reacted immediately.
But before he could fully respond, a blade had already pierced from behind him.
Clang!
His protective garment automatically shielded him.
This brought Ming Zuoqian a brief moment of relief, but he couldn't afford to waste any time. As his power surged, a flash of purple light passed by.
His defenses shattered, and the protective garment disintegrated.
Thud!
A silver-white blade, enveloped in purple aura, pierced through Ming Zuoqian's body.
From the moment Li Kai was killed to the instant the blade broke his protective garment and pierced through Ming Zuoqian, it all happened in a blink.
"My lord, I am willing to surrender my spirit and serve you," Ming Zuoqian said, trying to persuade the person behind him.
He felt the blade could suppress his spiritual energy.
"In this life, no. Perhaps in the next." Another black blade, also laced with purple aura, sliced across his throat.
The voice was cold, yet firm.
Ming Zuoqian tried to struggle, but the blade was even quicker.
In an instant, blood sprayed from Ming Zuoqian’s neck.
"You, I am a True Disciple," he managed to utter.
Swish!
The blade swung once more, unleashing the second form of the Heavenly Blade, Mountain Suppression.
In a single stroke, his opponent was reduced to pieces.
After watching for a while, Jiang Hao quietly commented, "A True Disciple still only has one life."
Then, he took the storage artifact and left the scene.
—
In his room, Jiang Hao glanced at the storage artifact with a slight feeling of regret.
It was something Li Kai had taken out earlier, not Ming Zuoqian's.
A thorough inspection revealed no additional artifacts, leaving him uncertain whether they had been left behind or destroyed by the Mountain Suppression.
Beyond that, the identity of the orchestrator remained unknown.
"Who exactly is Bai Ye?"
Ming Zuoqian possessed a mid-stage Golden Core cultivation. If even he was being commanded, Bai Ye’s cultivation level must be quite high.
I might not be able to handle it now, Jiang Hao thought.
This was precisely why he had to act; there was no reason to wait any longer.
He didn't wish to wait any longer either.
Before taking action, he appraised Ming Zuoqian but found no information regarding Bai Ye.
It was apparent that profit was secondary. It was the nourishment he truly sought.
"In total, there were only 1600 spirit stones in the storage bag, but quite a few black beads."
These are used to replenish the land’s nutrients.
"1600, and I alone got 500. The others together only amounted to 1100?"
Jiang Hao had heard that at least four others had experienced something similar.
Four people sharing 1100 was still significant.
On average, nearly 300 each.
Having guarded the Spirit Herb Garden for so long, he mostly received sect resources.
"Come to think of it, it's been years since I last received my resources."
After collecting the spirit stones and nearly 3000 black beads, he destroyed Li Kai’s storage artifact.
Next, he would have to face the Law Enforcement Hall’s investigation.
A True Disciple had died; it was bound to stir trouble.
Logically, after seven days, they shouldn’t be able to trace it back to him.
He just hoped Liu Xingchen wouldn’t come.
Afterward, Jiang Hao focused on studying the Divine Ability, Hidden Spirit Manifestation.
At dawn, Jiang Hao opened his eyes, feeling an explosion of strength much greater than before.
It was a formidable and substantial power.
However, he swiftly dissipated the energy without delay.
"It’s truly impressive."
He clasped his fists in admiration.
Moments ago, he used the Hidden Manifestation, applying the latent power to his existing strength.
Each advancement fortified his body with blood energy, enabling him to endure even double the strength.
So, in that moment, his power was unprecedentedly mighty.
It seemed he would handle later stages with incredible ease.
For a moment, he toyed with the idea of encountering a mid-stage Golden Core opponent to test his prowess.
But such dangerous thoughts were immediately discarded. It was too reckless, his arrogance too excessive.
However, Hidden Spirit Manifestation could serve as a pivotal trump card, suitable for endurance or explosive situations.
"Divine Abilities are indeed marvelous. I wonder how long it will take to gather three more."
Not to mention Divine Abilities, his cultivation and blood energy should accumulate soon.
Once Hidden Spirit was restored, Jiang Hao left the room.
In the courtyard, the rabbit stood at the gate.
"You’re up early?" Jiang Hao asked curiously.
Normally, the rabbit would be lounging beside the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
"Master, something big has happened." The rabbit clutched its collar anxiously, saying, "Look, it’s torn. You need to get me a new one. Without it, it will break."
"Just don’t wear it anymore," Jiang Hao replied nonchalantly.
"No, no! Without the collar, how will others know I’m your rabbit? Please, master, buy me a new one, and I’ll tell you some great news," the rabbit pleaded.
What great news could the rabbit have?
A collar cost thousands, barely affordable even with a fortune.
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly, even with last night’s haul, he only had 1900 spirit stones.
Selling the Ten Thousand Sword Talismans fetched about the same amount.
Spending a thousand would leave him with just nine hundred.
He couldn’t even afford tea, let alone rare spirit herb seeds.
Still, without a collar, the rabbit might attract unwanted attention.
He would have to check the market next time.
After storing the bubbles, he appraised one of the black beads.
[Nutrient Beads: Bai Ye’s creation, designed for cultivation advancements, these beads provide nourishment to the soil and can enhance spirit entities abnormally.]
It seemed Bai Ye had crafted them to advance his own cultivation.
Jiang Hao was curious about Bai Ye’s intended level of advancement.
He seemed formidable, and Jiang Hao wondered if keeping so many seeds would attract trouble.
But trouble had already arrived, rendering further concern pointless.
He needed to focus on advancing quickly.
With the sun shining brightly, Jiang Hao ventured to the Spirit Herb Garden to gather bubbles.
He hadn’t gone far when Liu Xingchen appeared, with two Law Enforcement Hall disciples following him, all looking grave.
This gave Jiang Hao an uneasy feeling. They came so soon?
He had anticipated at least a two or three day delay.
"Junior Brother Jiang, we meet again. This time, we’re here on official business," Liu Xingchen announced seriously.
It was clearly a matter of importance, leaving no room for casualness.
"What brings you here, Senior Brother?" Jiang Hao asked politely.
"A True Disciple has had an unfortunate incident. We haven’t found the culprit yet. So we need to take a few individuals related to him for investigation," Liu Xingchen explained.
At that moment, Jiang Hao realized the severity of killing a True Disciple.
By early morning, they had nearly completed their investigation and were now taking people away without asking questions.
"Am I involved?" Jiang Hao asked knowingly.
"Yes," Liu Xingchen nodded slightly. "There’s some connection, so you need to come with us. Before leaving, we must also examine your quarters."
"Do you mind, Junior Brother?"
Jiang Hao shook his head, indicating indifference.
Liu Xingchen was courteous. In other places, they wouldn’t even ask; they would search directly.
Jiang Hao had no idea what they intended to find.
"Junior Brother, come along then. We’ll ensure not to damage your possessions," Liu Xingchen said as they headed into the courtyard.
Inside, Liu Xingchen didn’t search himself but stood with Jiang Hao. He casually inquired, "Do you have anything important in your storage bag?"
Jiang Hao’s heart tightened at the question, though he showed no sign of it.
"Just some spirit talismans and elixirs," he replied.
"Good," Liu Xingchen seemed less stern. "Upon reaching the designated area, a supervising Senior Brother or Elder may check your storage artifact."
Jiang Hao was taken aback.
This was serious trouble.