"Senior Brother Jiang."
The two disciples on guard duty lowered their heads in greeting.
Jiang Hao nodded in acknowledgment and walked inside.
The Spirit Medicine Garden's fields stretched far and wide, with many medicinal herbs growing around the edges and bright red Nine-Leaf Flowers planted at the very center.
This flower was called heartbreak grass. Normally, its fragrance remained dormant; only when its petals fell would its scent spread everywhere. Rich in spiritual energy, the fragrance could draw people into illusions and leave them trapped by love.
Once refined, it could serve as the main ingredient for three kinds of pills. The first was the Spirit-Gathering Pill. Consuming it allowed one to rapidly absorb the surrounding spiritual energy and speed up cultivation. It was easy to concoct.
The second was the Heartbreak Pill. Its scent could suppress inner demons. Placing one nearby during a breakthrough could increase the chances of success by twenty percent. It was difficult to concoct.
The third was the World of Ultimate Bliss. Consuming it could draw someone into endless illusions. Those who emerged successfully would see their cultivation soar, while those who failed would die, their cultivation extinguished. It was extremely difficult to concoct.
After reviewing the uses of heartbreak grass, Jiang Hao looked toward the simple pavilion in the center. That was where he needed to go.
As a newly promoted inner sect disciple, he was naturally the one assigned to oversee the garden.
Unlike the guards, his main job was to check whether the medicinal herbs were growing normally. He did not need to stay here at night; some senior brothers and sisters would occasionally come to keep watch then.
As he passed the medicinal herb fields, Jiang Hao spotted several small bubbles.
Most were white, with only one green bubble. They floated above the herbs.
As he walked past, the bubbles automatically merged into his body.
Notifications appeared on his panel.
[Strength +1] [Endurance +1] [Strength +1] [Spirit +1] [Spirit-Gathering Pill +1]
Jiang Hao's expression remained unchanged. He had experienced this countless times.
This was also why he had been so eager to become an inner sect disciple. Only by gaining access to more places could he obtain more things.
This Spirit Medicine Garden, for instance-as long as he helped with the planting, he could keep collecting them.
Strength and endurance were not listed on his panel and could be absorbed automatically.
Among those at the same cultivation level, his strength far surpassed everyone else's.
Perhaps one day, a casual punch would be enough to smash someone at his level to pieces.
"I need a cultivation method or divine ability that can conceal my cultivation."
Without a way to conceal his cultivation, he dared not advance too quickly. It would be easy to attract unwanted attention.
The bubbles came in different colors, each indicating the quality of what they contained.
From what he had gathered, the rough order was white, green, blue, and purple.
White was the most ordinary, containing things like strength and endurance that could be absorbed directly. Green contained ordinary pills and magical treasures.
Qi-blood and cultivation came in blue bubbles, while divine abilities came in purple ones.
As for anything above those...
He had yet to see any.
A fairy was waiting beneath the pavilion.
When she saw Jiang Hao approach, a smile curved her lips. She was alluring by nature.
The Heavenly Sound Sect had Twelve Main Branches, and Heartbreak Cliff was one of them. The woman before him was Fairy Yun Ruo, an inner sect disciple of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion.
Her natural allure, enhanced by her cultivation method, always stirred unusual feelings in others.
Unlike the upright orthodox sects, those on the demonic path rarely concealed such seductive charms.
Every encounter with someone from the Heavenly Joy Pavilion gave Jiang Hao quite a headache.
But...
Why don't I feel anything strange today? Has my spirit grown stronger? Jiang Hao was rather surprised, but he did not show it. Instead, he said respectfully:
"Greetings, Senior Sister Yun Ruo."
Fairy Yun Ruo said with a bright smile:
"I heard you're close to Foundation Establishment, Junior Brother? Reaching Foundation Establishment at twenty-how impressive."
"Just a little luck." Jiang Hao dared not put on airs.
Yet his heart was far too calm in the presence of this beautiful, alluring senior sister, and he immediately felt something was wrong again.
Has the woman before me lost her charm, or is something wrong with me?
Fairy Yun Ruo smiled and said softly:
"I heard you're an upright person, Junior Brother. If you joined another renowned sect, they would surely make your training a priority."
She thinks I'm a good person?
Her words put Jiang Hao on guard. Unsure why she had said that, he promptly asked:
"Are you here for medicinal herbs again, Senior Sister?"
"Indeed, but I mainly came to congratulate you, Junior Brother. I imagine you'll reach Foundation Establishment within a year or two." Fairy Yun Ruo moved closer to Jiang Hao, smiling cheerfully.
"You flatter me, Senior Sister. I'll have someone prepare your herbs right away." Taking the list and confirming there were no problems, Jiang Hao turned and left.
His senior sister had been radiating seductive charm just now. If not for his unusual condition today, he could not say whether he would have remained so clearheaded.
A short while later, he handed her the medicinal herbs.
"Thank you, Junior Brother. I won't trouble you any further today, then," Fairy Yun Ruo said with a smile.
"You're too kind, Senior Sister." Jiang Hao returned her smile, though inwardly he thought it would be best if she did not trouble him in the future, either.
Fairy Yun Ruo started to leave, but after just two steps, she returned to Jiang Hao's side. Her soft, delicate voice sounded beside his ear:
"Junior Brother, if you were given a chance to join a renowned immortal sect, would you seize it?"
Startled by her words, Jiang Hao looked at Fairy Yun Ruo in alarm.
"Pfft!"
Fairy Yun Ruo covered her mouth with a smile. Only after a moment did she say softly:
"Look how frightened you are, Junior Brother. This is a trick some so-called immortal sect disciples use. They often exploit us disciples of the demonic path this way.
"They never really give us a chance.
"Be careful, Junior Brother. Don't let yourself be deceived. Make sure you get to the bottom of it."
With that, Fairy Yun Ruo drifted away.
"What did she mean? That I can join once I get to the bottom of it? Or..." Suddenly, Jiang Hao felt that this senior sister was somewhat dangerous.
Her words had sounded like a joke, but she might also have been using that approach to tell him the truth.
"If she really is an undercover agent from another sect, does that mean she's set her sights on me? Does she want to recruit me to help her?"
"No, it's also possible the sect suspects me and she's testing me."
"If it's the former, Senior Sister Yun Ruo is at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Once she asks, I'll only have two choices. First, refuse, and she'll kill me to silence me.
"Second, agree.
"Wouldn't that be throwing myself into fire and water?
"I'd be better off staying a disciple of the Demonic Sect."
"No, I need to reach Foundation Establishment first."
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