Something Unexpected Happened

After setting up a basic formation, Jiang Hao left his courtyard.

Because of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, he could not ask anyone else to help look after his spirit herbs.

He was worried something might go wrong.

Not just with the flower, but with the people, too.

They might steal what they were guarding, or be killed by someone else.

In short, people had their eyes on this courtyard at all times. Once he left, someone might decide to make a move.

I wonder if that woman will come. If she thinks I've fled, will she take the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower away?

A moment later, Jiang Hao stopped dwelling on it. That woman was the big fish, and Elder Bai Zhi was surely making her own moves.

He had better pray for his own survival first.

At that moment, he checked the cultivation and blood essence on his panel.

[Blood essence: 56/100 (Can cultivate)]

[Cultivation: 61/100 (Can cultivate)]

They're over halfway there. I wonder if I'll get the chance to accumulate a hundred. Even if I do, I'll need somewhere quiet to advance.

This was his last trump card.

Before leaving Heartbreak Cliff, Jiang Hao paid a visit to his master's residence.

Unfortunately, his master was not there.

He had come to say goodbye.

A little while later.

He arrived at the foot of Law Enforcement Peak.

"Junior Brother, are you setting out?" Liu Xingchen walked over.

"Good morning, Senior Brother," Jiang Hao said politely.

He suddenly found it amusing. Were all the spies concerned about him now?

They probably all wanted him to return alive, though he did not know why.

"Your situation isn't looking good, Junior Brother," Liu Xingchen said as he walked beside Jiang Hao.

They headed toward the gathering point for sect missions.

"I've seen the list. The strongest is at the Foundation Establishment late stage, and there's another at the Foundation Establishment late stage who is at odds with the Heavenly Joy Pavilion.

"That should be a good thing for me," Jiang Hao said.

"Yes, the Heavenly Joy Pavilion originally selected one middle-stage disciple and one late-stage disciple, but something unexpected happened," Liu Xingchen said with a sigh.

"They changed the people?" Jiang Hao asked in surprise.

"No." Liu Xingchen shook his head, then said:

"They advanced."

Jiang Hao froze at those words. For a moment, he felt he was in deep trouble.

Only then did he remember the words "close to a breakthrough" on the slip of paper. Both of them had those words in their descriptions.

So the original Foundation Establishment middle-stage and late-stage disciples had become late-stage and perfection-level disciples?

Now he was in danger.

"Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother." Jiang Hao immediately thanked him.

Liu Xingchen nodded, then said no more and headed elsewhere.

I need to find a way to gather enough cultivation and blood essence quickly, then attempt a breakthrough.

Jiang Hao thought to himself.

When he reached the mission gathering point, Jiang Hao saw four people.

There was a cold, beautiful woman in white and a fierce-looking man in black, his eyes brimming with savage malice.

Opposite them stood a refined-looking man in white holding a paper fan. Beside him stood a woman in blue with a sword in hand, looking provocatively at the two before her.

Qing Xue of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion, Lou Feng of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion, Zheng Nineteen of Frozen Moon Valley, and Xin Yuyue of Thunderfire Peak.

Although these four disliked one another, Jiang Hao did not think he could befriend Zheng Nineteen and Xin Yuyue.

When he appeared, all four looked over.

Some appraised him, some looked disdainful, and some looked amused.

Under their gazes, Jiang Hao walked over and said politely:

"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. Sorry I'm late."

In truth, the four of them had arrived too early.

"You're not late. You're right on time." There was a smile in Lou Feng's eyes.

He seemed to have been waiting a long time for this day.

"Then let's set out," said Zheng Nineteen of Frozen Moon Valley.

"Exactly. Spend too long around people from the Heavenly Joy Pavilion and you start feeling sick," Xin Yuyue of Thunderfire Peak said in disgust.

Jiang Hao nodded slightly without speaking.

Both of them from the Heavenly Joy Pavilion are concealing their cultivation. They haven't revealed their new realms.

Having gained some understanding of the Nameless Manual, Jiang Hao could now see that these two were concealing their cultivation.

To be safe, he still chose to appraise Qing Xue of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion.

[Qing Xue: A disciple of the Heavenly Sound Sect's Heavenly Joy Pavilion, with Foundation Establishment perfection cultivation. Because she is infatuated with her master, she harbors a deep hatred for you.]

Jiang Hao: "..."

Lunatic.

That was all Jiang Hao could think to say about it.

In a demonic sect, having no abnormal disciples would be abnormal.

At noon, they arrived at the Demon Grotto Entrance.

The Demon Grotto was located at the Heavenly Sound Sect's Central Lake.

Inside was a world unto itself, extraordinarily vast. Since its entrance was within the sect, its interior was also considered part of the sect's territory.

"I hear most of the demonfolk inside are at the Foundation Establishment early and middle stages. In that case, let's split up," Qing Xue of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion said coldly.

Lou Feng nodded at her words:

"I agree."

"I don't think we should." Zheng Nineteen of Frozen Moon Valley shook his head.

"There are plenty of demonfolk at the outset. Together, we'll have enough offensive power, and we can also look out for one another if something happens.

"If we split up and encounter a rare late-stage or perfection-level Foundation Establishment demonfolk, we'll practically be headed down a dead end.

"Splitting up as soon as we enter would be no different from seeking our own deaths."

"I agree with Senior Brother Zheng," Xin Yuyue of Thunderfire Peak chimed in.

"I agree with Senior Brother Zheng, too." Jiang Hao did not stand on ceremony either.

He had to stay with everyone at this point. Otherwise, he could not possibly match someone at Foundation Establishment perfection.

He had come prepared, but so had his opponents.

"Then once we've cleared out most of them, we'll split up to hunt down the stragglers," Qing Xue said coldly, staring at Zheng Nineteen.

Jiang Hao could clearly sense her displeasure, but this was no time to worry about that.

He needed time, and he needed to clear out demonfolk.