A Chance of a Purple-Gold Bubble?

"A spirit beast?"

Jiang Hao was somewhat surprised.

The past month had been unusually peaceful. Liu Xingchen had not come looking for him, and his master had not asked him anything.

Jin Zhouheng's death seemed to have caused no ripples at all.

There was no reason the death of a Golden Core cultivator should have passed so quietly.

But until the Law Enforcement Hall came looking for him, there was nothing he could do. He could only work hard to accumulate cultivation, then consolidate it.

He just needed to do what he was supposed to.

The spirit beast that had suddenly appeared also fell within his responsibilities.

Arriving at the spirit fields, Jiang Hao searched around.

Since it had not caused any major damage, it probably was not particularly dangerous.

But the Qi Refining disciples lacked discernment. They might not have recognized how dangerous the spirit beast was.

Rustle, rustle!

As Jiang Hao approached, some of the spirit herbs began to sway, indicating that the spirit beast had noticed him.

Whoosh!

A white figure suddenly appeared and lunged at him.

Jiang Hao instinctively dodged.

The spirit beast then plunged into the spirit herb field and vanished again.

"It's small, but incredibly fast."

Jiang Hao now had a rough idea of its capabilities. Even a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator might not be able to match that speed, so naturally, the Qi Refining disciples could do nothing.

Rustle, rustle!

It attacked again, and Jiang Hao drew Half-Moon to block it.

Clang!

The powerful blow forced Jiang Hao back a step. The beast was likewise knocked away and disappeared into the spirit fields.

"Its attacks aren't weak, either. Is this a Foundation Establishment Early Stage spirit beast? Whose is it?"

The Heavenly Sound Sect had no place dedicated to raising spirit beasts, and most spirit beasts had owners.

Since it had appeared at Heartbreak Cliff, it most likely belonged to some true disciple or an elder serving as a steward.

To avoid offending them, Jiang Hao could not strike too hard.

Rustle, rustle!

The instant he detected its position, Jiang Hao swung Half-Moon.

Demonic sound surged.

Boom!

The saber descended, and the demonic sound rolled forth like a crashing tide.

For a moment, the spirit herbs fell still.

Jiang Hao had thoroughly mastered Demonic Sound Slash. He could now release only the demonic sound, without unleashing the blade's edge.

As the demonic sound swept past, everyone else looked over. The disturbance had naturally alerted them.

If a fight broke out, they would have to flee for their lives immediately. After all, a large portion of them were ordinary people.

"It's fine. Keep working."

After reassuring them, Jiang Hao walked toward the spirit beast.

The others breathed sighs of relief and returned to work, though they stole glances at Jiang Hao as they busied themselves.

They were curious about what had happened over there.

Jiang Hao parted the spirit herbs and peered inside.

A snow-white spirit beast had fainted, foaming at the mouth. It had a pair of long ears and a rather pleasing appearance. At first glance, it looked like a rabbit.

Jiang Hao lifted it by its ears and discovered that it differed from an ordinary rabbit. Its body was not shaped like an animal's, but rather a human's, with two legs and two arms.

It looked like a rabbit that had grown a little crooked, though it was not ugly.

On the contrary, it was quite endearing.

"I wonder which senior brother or sister it belongs to."

Curious, he activated Appraisal. If he could return it, he would do so as soon as possible.

Keeping it in the Spirit Medicine Garden would interfere with his tending of the spirit herbs.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than his divine ability provided feedback.

[Rabbit: A Foundation Establishment Early Stage spirit beast that has yet to awaken its spiritual intelligence. It carries a treasure for locating the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. Once it finds the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, it can periodically obtain terrain information and images. An undercover agent deliberately planted by Azure Heaven Mountain. It possesses a hidden Lie Beast bloodline. Feeding it one spirit stone a day for seven days can begin awakening its hidden bloodline. Feeding it spirit stones daily can increase its affection toward you.]

Jiang Hao: "..."

Humans, ghosts-everyone was coming here to work undercover.

He had thought this was some senior brother or sister's spirit beast. He had never expected it to be an undercover agent sent by Azure Heaven Mountain.

Azure Heaven Mountain was the righteous sect closest to the Heavenly Sound Sect.

Their strength was roughly equal, and neither could overcome the other. They had coexisted peacefully for many years.

Only recently had a major conflict arisen, at the very place where Han Ming had gone to temper himself.

That they, too, were after the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower was truly surprising.

What made them think they could pull it off?

The Haotian Sect, the Heavenly Saint Church, and the Sunset Glow Sect did not dare act rashly. Even if Azure Heaven Mountain came out in full force, it would be useless.

Lifting the rabbit a little higher, Jiang Hao began to suspect that someone stood behind Azure Heaven Mountain. The treasure this rabbit carried was no ordinary thing.

He just did not know how to extract it.

Of course, his immediate priority was dealing with this spirit beast.

Logically, he should kill it outright. But seeing that he could help awaken its hidden bloodline made Jiang Hao hesitate.

This was somewhat similar to watering the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.

Perhaps it could produce another purple-gold bubble?

At worst, there might still be a purple one.

"Taking it back would mean being watched. That's a little dangerous."

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to buy a magical treasure that could restrain spirit beasts and keep the rabbit in the woods behind his courtyard.

Seven days would be enough.

After tending to the spirit herbs, Jiang Hao left the Spirit Medicine Garden.

He sealed the rabbit inside the pavilion. Taking it shopping would be inconvenient, so he would come back for it once he had finished buying things.

His senior brothers and sisters had been rather busy lately and rarely came by, so it was unlikely to be taken away.

Still, Jiang Hao could not help feeling rueful.

It was not because the sect was full of undercover agents.

Rather, it was because all those undercover agents would end up right beside him.

Whether human or spirit beast, everyone had their eyes on the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.

Without quite understanding how, he had been swept into the sect's major affairs, yet he still lacked the ability to protect himself.

Sometimes he wondered whether this matter would have fallen to him if he had not accepted the task of tending the Pure Yang Flowers.

Unfortunately, there was no answer.

A short while later.

He arrived at the market, bought a collar for restraining spirit beasts, then went to buy books on talisman-making.

He spent six hundred spirit stones in total.

It was hard to believe.

In the past, he would never have had so many spirit stones, not even if someone beat him to death.