Chapter 175: The Unexpected Accident

“Junior Brother Jiang, are you in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm?” asked Yue You in surprise.

Xin Yuyue didn’t seem surprised at all, but she was curious to know how Jiang Hao had advanced so quickly.

However, her trip to the Devil’s Den with Jiang Hao before had taught her that he wasn’t ordinary. He was strong.

“I had a fortuitous encounter during my journey and luckily advanced, but I am still far behind from being a true late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator,” Jiang Hao said humbly.

“Mm… advancing too quickly can easily lead to an unstable foundation. Junior Brother Jiang, you should spend some time refining your cultivation,” said Yue You with kind intentions.

Jiang Hao nodded gratefully.

He noticed that Yue You and Xin Yuyue were both at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, while Zheng Shijiu had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. There were only two cultivators at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

“The disciple you recruited… are they doing well?” Xin Yuyue asked. “The three I brought back are average, but fortunately, one of them is putting in some effort. Otherwise, I was afraid of getting chastised for bringing in useless people.”

At this time, the group went deeper into the Devil’s Den. Jiang Hao confirmed that there were no major problems outside.

“The three disciples I brought back are okay, but I wouldn’t say they are outstanding,” Zheng Shijiu said. “Perhaps in a few years, they will shine.”

Jiang Hao was quite curious if he was talking about the last disciple he had picked. The person had average talent but extraordinary perseverance.

Jiang Hao thought about what to say. “I haven’t paid much attention to them in the past few days, but there is one disciple that stresses me out.”

“Junior Brother Jiang, you don’t need to worry too much. After all, you brought back a Golden Core Realm cultivator,” Zheng Shijiu said. He was a little envious. “I asked around after returning to the sect, and it seems that Lin MO, the disciple I recruited, entered the Law Enforcement Hall.”

He turned to look at Jiang Hao. “You know that friend Lin MO and Junior Sister Zhao had? The one you recruited. It seems that he suffered quite a blow. They are growing apart because of the gap in their strength.”

“As expected,” said Jiang Hao.

“Indeed.” Yue You sighed. “Having friends like that can be a good thing sometimes, but it can also be stressful. Junior Brother Lin Zhi is not strong enough, but if he forcefully tries to keep up, he will only invite trouble.”

“I heard that he knows how to hide. It’s only his two friends who can ever find him,” said Zheng Shijiu with a chuckle. “They probably still consider him a friend, despite their high talent and strong cultivation.”

Jiang Hao looked down at the passing woods and remained silent. Lin Zhi was already having more difficulties than the others, both in terms of cultivation and circumstances.

If it were just him alone, it wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, his two friends had exceptional talent, which put immense pressure on him. It would make him feel very bad whether his friends chose to ignore him or stay with him. In a few more years, those two friends might look down on him. It might not happen intentionally, but it would feel like that anyway. The differences always got in the way. However, it seemed Lin Zhi had secrets of his own.

‘Next time, I will use the Daily Appraisal on him.’

“We’re almost there,” said a voice from the front.

Jiang Hao and the others stopped talking and looked ahead.

They could see a barrier of light enveloping the area. It sealed off the entire region. In front of the barrier, there was a temporary defensive line with people patrolling the surroundings.

After landing, the senior who led them turned to look at them. “You can stay near here and wait for instructions. If you don’t arrive when instructions are being issued, we’ll assume you are going on a solo mission. Check in here every day to confirm your whereabouts. Find accommodations on your own, and then take turns investigating the situation. You have three days of rest. After three days, you’ll need to move.”

Jiang Hao and the others began to search for accommodations. Jiang Hao observed his surroundings, trying to confirm whether there were any powerful individuals here. He also wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

He discovered three Golden Core Realm cultivators. The rest were all at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

There were no Lifeblood Refining Realm cultivators present, which was understandable. The Devil’s Den was not for someone at the Lifeblood Refinement Realm.

He suddenly thought of something. In the future, if Lin Zhi and the others advanced to higher cultivation, would they choose to go out for missions?

Jiang Hao found a decent spot and started to build a wooden house for himself. He maintained his peak condition to prevent any accidents.

The next day, Zheng Shijiu found him.

“I heard that it’s very easy to encounter Demon Dwellers there. Moreover, the strength of Demon Dwellers varies, so it might get very dangerous. Some people never got to leave from here.”

Jiang Hao frowned. “Are they still assumed to have undertaken solo missions?”

“Huh?” Zheng Shijiu shook his head. “I think they are filed under missing persons.”

“I see.”

It would be much easier for him to leave the team. He didn’t want to leave unless it was necessary.

It seemed better to wait for his turn. It would be best if he could find some spirit herbs to plant here. He had an uneasy feeling that something was brewing here.

“Ice Moon Valley’s Zheng Shijiu, Cliff of Broken Heart’s Jiang Hao… are you here?” asked a voice.

Jiang Hao and Zheng Shijiu turned to see who was calling them.

“Yes,” they said.

“Follow me. Something happened to the reconnaissance team,” Ye Ji said in a low voice. Jiang Hao was surprised. He hadn’t expected his turn to come so soon. He followed them anyway.

He realized that Yue You and Xin Yuyue were also there. There was also a middle-aged man with a scar on his face. He was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The group of six people passed through the defensive barrier and rode their swords deeper into the Devil’s Den.

“If you encounter anything dangerous, you can retreat. Don’t try to be reckless. I cannot save you,” said Ye Ji.

Jiang Hao and the others didn’t say anything. This was normal. It was unrealistic to expect help from others in a demonic sect.

Zheng Shijiu and the group looked deeply worried. If the scouting team had encountered a problem, it meant danger was ahead.

It meant that they would be taking a huge risk by entering the danger zone. However, they couldn’t refuse. The mission had to be carried out. Soon, Jiang Hao and the others saw signs of a fight in the forest ahead.

“Let’s go down and take a look.” Ye Ji slowly descended.

Jiang Hao followed along. However, the moment he landed, he sensed an attack incoming.

Ye Ji quickly noticed it too. “Be careful!”

She stretched out her hand and cast a shield spell.

Boom!

A giant rock was blocked from hitting them.

Jiang Hao immediately looked to the side and frowned. There were so many well-hidden Demon Dwellers in this place.

Ye Ji only noticed it only when it was too close to them. “Be careful!”

She was being held back by a powerful force. It was too late to think about escape.

Zheng Shijiu and the others also noticed that something was wrong. There wasn’t enough time to counterattack.

Just as they were about to take this attack head-on, a beam of moonlight appeared. Jiang Hao drew his saber and swung it down.

Boom!

The moonlight slash cut through the attack and destroyed the Demon Dweller’s disguise.

It was a late-stage Foundation Establishment demon.

Zheng Shijiu and the group stared in disbelief. The demon was just two meters away from them. They had been caught off guard.

Jiang Hao didn’t stop there. He used the Demonic Sound Thousand Miles to arrive in front of the Demon Dweller and slashed at it.

The demon was beheaded. Jiang Hao stepped back and sheathed his saber.

“Seniors, please be careful. I think there are more of these things here..”