Evening.
Jiang Hao went in and out of the Spirit Medicine Garden, leaving only after making sure there were no problems.
He usually helped process the spirit herbs; otherwise, very few bubbles would drop the next day.
Before he had access to the Spirit Medicine Garden, he had relied on luck to collect bubbles.
That was why it had taken him several years to accumulate a hundred points each of vitality and cultivation.
Only after becoming an inner sect disciple had he occasionally come across divine ability bubbles.
It seemed that the better the spirit herbs he encountered, the easier it was to pick up good bubbles.
Back at his residence, Jiang Hao carefully surveyed the surroundings. Only after confirming that no one else was there did he enter the cultivation room and begin cultivating.
Senior Sister Yun Ruo's appearance that day had given him an inexplicable sense of danger.
It never hurt to stay alert.
Sitting cross-legged, Jiang Hao selected vitality and cultivation at the same time.
When he joined the sect, his aptitude had been tested as above average. With normal cultivation, he could hope to reach Foundation Establishment in his thirties or forties.
Now he was twenty, considerably ahead of schedule. There would probably be a bottleneck, and using both together would make it easier to break through.
A short while later.
Pain filled Jiang Hao's eyes as vitality churned within his body and spiritual energy surged.
Heavenly Sound, Hundred Turns circulated furiously, absorbing vitality and spiritual energy.
Crack!
The sounds of transformation came from within Jiang Hao's body as his flesh and bones endured a thousand hammer blows and ten thousand temperings.
If he endured it, he would successfully reach Foundation Establishment.
Crack!
The transformation continued for a long time. At dawn, the sounds faded, his vitality began to settle, and spiritual energy flowed along his meridians, returning to normal.
Everything fell into place like water flowing into a channel.
After circulating his energy through another full cycle, Jiang Hao opened his eyes. He could feel an entirely new power filling his body.
"I've reached Foundation Establishment. Everything went fairly smoothly. I'm much safer now."
Letting out a long breath, he looked at the system panel, which had changed after he reached Foundation Establishment.
[Name: Jiang Hao] [Age: Nineteen] [Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Early Stage] [Cultivation method: Heavenly Sound, Hundred Turns] [Divine abilities: Nine-Turn Substitute Death (Unique), Daily Appraisal (Available to learn)] [Vitality: 36/100 (Available for cultivation)] [Cultivation: 41/100 (Available for cultivation)] [Divine ability: 1/3 (Unavailable)]
"I can learn Daily Appraisal now, but there's no reward?"
Since he had received a divine ability like Nine-Turn Substitute Death at the beginning, he had thought he would be given a cultivation method after reaching Foundation Establishment.
Although Heavenly Sound, Hundred Turns was powerful, it would not take him far. He needed a formidable cultivation method.
"Forget it. I'll learn Daily Appraisal before heading to the Spirit Medicine Garden. I'll find a way to deal with the cultivation method later."
It took Jiang Hao an hour to master Daily Appraisal, though he still did not know exactly what it did.
Curious, he stepped outside his residence and appraised the wooden house.
He soon received the result.
[Jiang Hao's wooden house: Built three years ago using green forest wood, a sturdy, wear-resistant material. Jiang Hao built it himself. Although it looks solid, its internal structure has numerous hidden defects and could collapse at any moment.]
Jiang Hao: "..."
So it provided appraisal information.
Having roughly understood its purpose, he set off for the Spirit Medicine Garden.
He would collect bubbles, then help tend the garden.
"I should find some time to learn construction, then renovate the wooden house."
The Spirit Medicine Garden.
[Strength +1] [Spirit +1] [Cultivation +1] [Ordinary Spirit Sword +1]
Jiang Hao walked into the pavilion, absorbing the bubbles around him. This was always the happiest part of his day.
Only after resting for a while did he begin helping tend the garden.
Most of those who tended the medicine garden were ordinary people.
In the past, what these ordinary people feared most was the inner sect disciple overseeing the garden, because the slightest mistake could bring death upon them.
Since Jiang Hao had taken over, they no longer faced such danger.
That was also why others considered Jiang Hao relatively upright.
That was not a good reputation to have in a demonic sect, but he would not actually slaughter ordinary people at whim.
Fortunately, it had not brought any worse consequences.
Jiang Hao did not tell anyone that he had advanced to Foundation Establishment.
Three days later.
He encountered Senior Sister Yun Ruo again, and only then did others learn that he had reached Foundation Establishment.
Fortunately, it caused no stir.
For some time afterward, Senior Sister Yun Ruo often came to see him, merely chatting about everyday matters.
Occasionally, she said that those on the demonic path often had no control over their circumstances, and that she had wanted to be a good person as a child.
As she appeared more and more frequently, Jiang Hao's sense of danger grew stronger.
During that time, he extracted all his vitality and cultivation for training, consolidating his cultivation.
A month later.
Jiang Hao stepped out of his residence. The sky was clear for ten thousand miles that day, yet it brought no sense of warmth.
"Senior Sister Yun Ruo hasn't come to see me these past few days. I wonder whether everything is fine now, or whether this is a warning of trouble."
After thinking for a moment, he headed toward the Scripture Pavilion.
Over the past month, he had discovered a very serious problem.
Senior Sister Yun Ruo belonged to the Heavenly Joy Pavilion. Naturally alluring, she was a stunning beauty within the sect.
Yet no matter how close she came to him, he had no reaction whatsoever.
Not only that, but even when he tried to stir a response, nothing happened.
This gave him a deeply ominous feeling.
Although he was devoted to pursuing the Dao and did not want romantic feelings to sway him, not wanting to was one thing; being unable to was another.
This condition had begun after he encountered that woman. The only possibility was that something had been wrong with what he had swallowed.
Even after spending two days in the Scripture Pavilion, Jiang Hao could not find an answer.
He did, however, unexpectedly spot a purple bubble.
[Divine Ability Fragment +1]
An unexpected delight.
With one more divine ability fragment, he would be able to obtain a brand-new divine ability.
"They seem to be compiling a list of disciples lately. Has something happened?"
As he left the Scripture Pavilion, Jiang Hao overheard some people talking.
They said the sect had suddenly begun taking a census of its disciples, as though searching for someone.
Looking for a traitor? Senior Sister Yun Ruo was the first person who came to Jiang Hao's mind.
After being humiliated by that woman of peerless beauty last time, he had known something would happen within the sect.
But he had not expected that whatever happened might drag him into it.
"Senior Sister Yun Ruo has been at Foundation Establishment for years. My chances against her aren't good."
Jiang Hao began planning for the worst.
He hoped he was worrying too much.
Before you continue