Cultivating In Secret Beside A Demoness

“Do you want to go back?”

Jiang Hao was referring to his hometown.

His home was there and also the resting place of Lin Zhi’s mother.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, Lin Zhi was no longer the same as before. He could return.

He had the qualification to kneel in front of his mother’s grave and declare that he had become an immortal.

Unfortunately, it had come too late.

Lin Zhi remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Hao patiently waited.

Some people could return home, while others didn’t even have a place to return to.

“I…” Lin Zhi hesitated for a while. “Can someone at the first stage of the

Lifeblood Refinement Realm really go out?”

Jiang Hao smiled. “As long as you’re willing.”

“There are still many things to attend to at the mines, ” Lin Zhi said worriedly.

Jiang Hao suddenly realized that Lin Zhi was entangled in many things.

He wanted to go back, but his situation prevented him from doing so.

He had tasks to accomplish, and duties restricted him.

Returning home would affect many things.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go back, but he was simply occupied.

Jiang Hao felt sentimental. The current Lin Zhi was akin to his past self. Once too much attention was drawn, he would easily become the target of others.

Everyone wanted a peaceful life.

“That’s not a problem,” Jiang Hao said.

Once one’s cultivation reached a certain realm, many things would become easier.

But…

Not everything waited for his cultivation to improve.

Some things would eventually pass and were beyond his control.

After bidding farewell to Lin Zhi, Jiang Hao returned to his courtyard.

He hadn’t visited the Spirit Herb Garden today, but his gains surpassed those from the garden.

He could frequently use Lin Zhi as an excuse to go to the mines, but doing so for a long time would attract attention.

People would become suspicious.

It was quite troublesome, especially with Hong Yuye.

She was very perceptive.

While other things being discovered might be manageable, the discovery of the bubbles in the mines must be avoided at all costs.

Everything now rested on the kindness of others.

But where was kindness in the cultivation world?

Sitting in the courtyard, the only thing Jiang Hao could do was to adapt to the situation as much as possible and try to gain more bubbles.

He needed to slowly improve.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Hao started making talismans.

Many things were difficult and living through it meant enduring numerous hardships. Yet, he still wanted to strive and hope.

The more he did, the easier the future would be.

Even in despair, he wanted to find a glimmer of hope.

Blaming his fate or others wasn’t his style.

What he had to do now was earn spirit stones and obtain another golden bubble from the beast.

The Immortal Peach Tree’s incarnation had to wait until next year, but there was no hurry.

Time passed swiftly, and in just over ten days, May arrived.

The sect remained as quiet as ever, and this peace continued for several months.

Lin Zhi descended the mountain and left.

Jiang Hao initially thought of sending Cheng Chou with him, but he eventually gave up on the idea.

Lin Zhi was no longer the teenager from years ago.

He was now a young man in his twenties. He had his own thoughts and his own path to make.

Not everything needed to be protected.

However, on the day after Lin Zhi left, Chu Chuan came looking for him. He intended to descend the mountain to find Lin Zhi.

Jiang Hao agreed to his request.

They were the same age. It wouldn’t hurt for them to explore the world together.

At this point, everyone Jiang Hao intended to set free wasn’t around him.

“It’s really quiet now…”

In the Spirit Herb Garden, Jiang Hao was filled with emotions.

He needed to get used to such silence.

At the Bright Moon Sect, Xu Bai sat under a tree and gazed at the sky.

The spiritual energy flowed gently around him and gradually entered his body.

At that moment, a hint of the sword’s intent emerged from his magic treasure and interfered with the spiritual energy.

For a while, the spiritual energy was tainted by the sword’s intent, then it poured into Xu Bail s body.

When the amount of spiritual energy was sufficient, the sword’s intent was repelled.

It surged out of Xu Bai’s body and entered the magic treasure.

Only then did he open his eyes.

His aura had become heavier, and he appeared somewhat taller.

With that, he stood up and left.

He arrived at another peak.

“Greetings, Senior Brother,” someone on the path said respectfully.

Xu Bai nodded slightly and walked toward the peak.

The once bright sky gradually gave way to stars as he entered the mountain, and the night was speckled with more stars.

Eventually, the sky became a sea of stars.

Xu Bai paused in front of a star platform. “I, Xu Bai, respectfully request an audience with Master.”

“Come on up,” a deep said from above.

Xu Bai smiled and stepped up.

After a while, he stopped in front of an elder with white hair, and a compass floated in front of him.

Inside the compass, there were myriad stars. There were faint fluctuations within.

Xu Bai didn’t know what these fluctuations represented.

He didn’t have much understanding of this.

“Why did you suddenly come to find an old man like me?” The Ancient One slowly raised his head and asked the young man in front of him.

“May I sit?” Xu Bai asked.

“You’re being quite polite now. When I invited you to be my disciple back then, you were quite impolite when you refused.” The Ancient One chuckled. “Master, you must be joking. It was you who refused,” said Xu Bai awkwardly.

Then, he sat down.

“Speak. What’s the matter?” The Ancient One glanced down at the star compass. Xu Bai smiled. “Master, do you know about the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl?”

The Ancient One raised his eyebrows and glanced at the person in front of him.

“Do you want to know about that, or do you want to say something else?”

Xu Bai didn’t beat around the bush and got to the point. “I’ve heard that the

Earth Extreme Silent Pearl might be on the brink of breaking the seal.” The Ancient One frowned. “What? Where is the pearl now?”

“The southern region,” Xu Bai said.

“It seems your answer isn’t entirely false. But are you really here to ask me to verify whether the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl is truly about to break its seal?” asked the Ancient One indifferently. “Let me tell you this… after the appearance of the Heavenly Fate Misfortune Pearl, I started to calculate the possibility of such calamities occurring. I only got an answer recently. The Earth Extreme Silent Pearl won’t be an issue this soon.”

“Perhaps there have been other recent changes?” Xu Bai asked. “The End of All Things might offer some clues.”

“That’s just child’s play. Do you truly believe that you can find the location of the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl by relying on The End of All Things? Even if they know, they can’t enter the place. The predecessors who sealed the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl aren’t comparable to those from The End of All Things,” said the Ancient One.

“Master, you are indeed stubborn,” Xu Bai said helplessly. “How about at least taking a look?”

The Ancient One snorted coldly. “What do you expect me to do then?”

Xu Bai pointed to his head. “Try it here on the spot?”

“And if there’s no reaction?” asked the Ancient One.

Xu Bai thought for a long time. “Then… treat it as if I never came here to pester

you witn ‘

The Ancient One sneered. “You’ve got some nerve.”

Xu Bai’s face remained unchanged. He looked up at the starry sky for a long time before withdrawing his gaze. “I’m not that bold or shameless. I’m just here to tell you that I won’t lose, Master.”

“You are quite confident. Let’s see what the consequences of your confidence will be.” The Ancient One coldly snorted and slapped the table with a hand.

The surrounding stars began to emit a strong light.

For a moment, the stars in the sky revolved, and the cycle of cause and effect converged.

A burst of starlight erupted from the Ancient One, and his whole being merged with the stars of heaven and earth.

After a while, he frowned, squeezed out from the stars, and his previous calmness was replaced with shock.

“Something big is about to happen.”

Xu Bai was surprised. Was the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl’s movement so significant?

“No. It’s not just the Earth Extreme Silent Pearl this time. It might involve the Heavenly Fate Misfortune Pearl. Within half a year, we must find its location and attempt to stabilize the seal,” said the Ancient One and once again entered the stars.

Xu Bai sighed. ‘Half a year…’

He had a bit of time, after all.

It was just that the situation was dire.

The Earth Extreme Silent Pearl might be possible to block, but the Heavenly Fate Misfortune Pearl couldn’t.

And the Heavenly Fate Misfortune Pearl was near the Earth Extreme Silent

Pearl…

“Maybe I need to pay a visit to the Clear Sky School…”

Visiting the Clear Sky School wasn’t a big deal for him. It was just the right time to go and see Shang An.

It was said that one could see his back on a certain mountain peak. One could even converse with him.

Speaking with a sage was a good thing.

Asking him about matters in the southern region might also lead to new discoveries..