cultivating in secret beside a demoness
Chapter 12
Jiang Hao followed behind elder Qian Xu to the White Moon Lake. He glanced at the calm surface of the lake and discovered that the spiritual energy here was very dense. If he cultivated here, he would definitely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
The Cliff of Broken Hearts was very different from here.
After a short while, they arrived at a pavilion by the lake. It gave him a strange, unreal feeling as though this place wasn’t tangible. It felt like a fairyland on Earth.
“Come in,” said a voice from the inside. It sounded gentle but dignified.
When they did as they were told, Jiang Hao saw a beautiful woman in white, her hair tied up in a simple but elegant bun. She sat at the pavilion looking regal and powerful. Her powerful aura shocked Jiang Hao.
Elder Qian Xu cleared her throat. Jiang Hao was brought back to the present. He hurriedly bowed his head in respect.
“Junior Jiang Hao pays his respects to you, Elder,” he said reverently.
Elder Qian Xu took the pure Yang Flower and handed it to the beautiful woman. She explained the whole situation to her.
“Is that so?” asked Baizhi, smiling at Jiang Hao. “It seems that you are quite capable. Coincidentally, I have another matter that I need you to do. If you do it well, there will naturally be rewards.”
‘Empty promises…,’ thought Jiang Hao.
“If it’s not done well, you should already know what you will face,” Baizhi said with a smile.
“Of course, Elder.” Jiang Hao nodded. He felt helpless. He had done two meritorious deeds and yet he was threatened for it. The Devil Sect was always so unreasonable.
Jiang Hao walked out of the pavilion with a seed in his hand. Senior Sister Zhou Chan escorted him out of the White Moon Lake. The identity of the elder he had just met eluded him. He asked Senior Sister Zhou Chan who the elder was.
She explained to him that she was one of the four great guardian elders, Elder Baizhi, the acting Sect Master of the Heavenly Note Sect and the Devil Sect. She had absolute power over life and death.
Jiang Hao stared at her in disbelief. So, the elder who was the acting Sect Master had just met him? When did he have such luck?
But Jiang Hao was happy with the mission he had completed. Elder Qian Xu had given him 40 spirit stones instead of 20!
However, he found it confusing that someone as great as the acting Sect Master had handed him a seed. She had asked him to plant it and tend to it. She hadn’t even mentioned anything to take note of or what kind of results she expected. He was given no rules and no guidelines. That was unusual.
‘There should obviously be so many people who are more capable and powerful than me,’ thought Jiang Hao. ‘So. Why did the Sect Master choose me to plant this particular seed? There must be some other reason.’
Jiang Hao was filled with doubts. He wanted to appraise the seed to find out what it actually was. But his Daily Appraisal ability could be used only once a day. He would have to wait until tomorrow.
He also realized that his heart had been as calm as still water even when he saw the beautiful elder Baizhi. That worried him. He wasn’t happy that the poison pill was still affecting his body. As for the one who had poisoned him… it was better if he didn’t have to see her ever. It was dangerous.
…
In the afternoon, Jiang Hao returned to his house. After meditating for a while, he opened the interface:
[Name: Jiang Hao]
[Age: 19]
[Cultivation: Early Foundation establishment Stage]
[Cultivation Method: Heavenly Sound Hundred Revolutions]
[Supernatural Ability: Nine Revolutions Death Substitution (Unique), Daily Appraisal]
[Lifeblood: 27/100(can be cultivated)]
[Cultivation: 32/100(can be cultivated)]
[Divine Ability: 3/3(can be obtained)]
His lifeblood and cultivation had both increased by quite a bit, and he was now closer to reaching a 100. The most important thing was the last line. When the divine ability bar was full, he could obtain it. After observing his surroundings and making sure it was safe, Jiang Hao chose to obtain it.
In the blink of an eye, the divine ability went from 3 to 0. A Ray of light appeared in his body. Something was forming within. There was no pain. Instead, there was a feeling of comfort, peace and tranquility. Jiang Hao knew that this was the effect of divine ability. When he had obtained Daily Appraisal ability, it had felt different than this.
A moment later, the light disappeared, and the feeling of comfort faded away. When he observed his interface, he found that another ability had been added.
[Divine Ability: Nine Revolutions Death Substitution (unique) Daily Appraisal, Clear and Pure Heart]
‘Clear and Pure Heart?’ Jiang Hao could sense the existence of the divine ability within him but he didn’t know how it functioned, yet.
‘Let’s give it a try,’ he said to himself.
He activated his new divine ability. Immediately, it felt like a bucket of ice water was running through his body. His entire body felt so cold he thought he might freeze to death. The coldness went to the depths of his mind. A certain clarity speared in his consciousness as if the filth in his mind had been completely removed. His mind felt transcendent.
Jiang Hao was surprised but the clarity also gave him comfort. When he looked around, everything was clear. He could observe minute details on things as though he was looking at them from a fresh perspective.
He took out the talisman manual. When he read through it, he came upon a new understanding. He stood in front of his table. He picked up the talisman pen, dipped it in cinnabar and started to create talismans. This process surprised Jiang Hao, and even made him feel extremely comfortable.
The pen flowed like clouds and fresh spring water. He felt as if he could do anything he wanted to. Every stroke he drew seemed as though it came from the will of God. Jiang Hao completed the last stroke. After a flash of light, he regained his calm.
The Talisman was complete.
“This divine ability came just in time.” Jiang Hao put down the talisman pen and grinned. He stayed up to make talismans again. This time he made two Spirit Concentration Talismans, two Divine Sword Talismans, and one Fire Talisman.
Excluding the cost, he could still earn more than 10 spirit stones. This was only the beginning, and the success rate would only get higher and higher. If things went well, he might be able to gather 1000 spirit stones in less than two months.
‘It’s good but… it is a little tiring.’ Jiang Hao sat on his balcony watching the rising sun. He took out the seed from his pocket. He could use his Daily Appraisal today.