Cultivating In Secret Beside A Demoness

Chapter 393: Five Hundred Years

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“At first, although they fell ill, they recovered quickly. It wasn’t a very big deal,” said Cheng Chou as he walked with Jiang Hao. “But later, it changed. It started with one group falling ill and then recovering, but now it’s become a cycle where one group falls ill just as another recovers. If this continues, we’ll have no choice but to find more workers.”

Jiang Hao shook his head. If this was a deliberate attack, it wouldn’t matter how many new people they recruited to work here.

By that time, the Cliff of Broken Hearts would become their purgatory.

“Master.” The spirit beast jumped onto Cheng Chou’s shoulder. “A friend told me that people are discussing you.”

“Discussing me?” Jiang Hao was puzzled.

“Yes, a friend told me about it,” the beast said.

“What are they saying?” Jiang Hao asked.

“They say that your previous hypocrisy is starting to unravel. Nowadays, you’re using those who willingly stay here to practice an evil technique called the Path of Blood Wish. This technique requires people to willingly offer their blood to use as nourishment for the technique. The Path of Blood Wish allows for rapid cultivation improvement and breaks the shackles. That’s why your cultivation has progressed so rapidly. All those years of so-called righteous deeds were for this purpose. Now that you’re on the verge of making it to the Golden Core Realm, you don’t have enough to go on. So, the truth has come to light,” said the spirit beast.

Jiang Hao was surprised. ‘Path of Blood Wish…’

This was the first time he had heard of such a cultivation technique.

“Is this technique inherently evil?” Jiang Hao asked.

“The full name it seems is the Refinement Technique of the Blood Wishing Path. In short, it’s called Path of Blood Wish Technique,” said the beast.

“Senior Brother Jiang, if everyone thinks like this, what will you do?” Cheng

Chou seemed concerned.

He always felt that Jiang Hao was different from other seniors. He had always been kind and righteous.

If he was slandered, he would be affected the most.

“How will that affect me?” Jiang Hao asked calmly. “Tell me, what kind of sect are we?”

“I know… But many people who respect you genuinely will come to fear you. They’ll even become more reserved around you. Everyone views you as a righteous immortal disciple, but now, they might see you as some kind of demon.”

“People who respect me?” Jiang Hao turned to look at Cheng Chou. “Are you referring to those who work in the Spirit Herb Garden?”

Cheng Chou nodded.

“How long can they live anyway?” Jiang Hao said as he walked on ahead. “The lifespan of ordinary people is short. It ranges from twenty to thirty years to a

hundred years at most. What do they have left after a hundred years? A mound of dirt. And what about us after a hundred years?”

Jiang Hao stopped and turned to face Cheng Chou. “Junior Brother Cheng, now that you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, how long do you think you will live?”

“About two hundred years or so,” Cheng Chou said.

“With your talent, there’s hope for advancing to the Golden Core Realm. After that, how many years do you think you will live as a Golden Core Realm cultivator?” Jiang Hao asked.

“About five hundred years or so,” Cheng Chou said once more.

“Yes… five hundred years,” Jiang Hao said. “So, looking back, do you need to be concerned about the attitudes of those who only have a few decades of lifespan? What harm can their misunderstandings bring to your long life? We can cherish the good things, but the rest are just passers-by in our lives. Fleeting as smoke. Whether they respect me or fear me doesn’t make an ounce of difference to me.

“Senior Brother Jiang, you are indeed magnanimous,” Cheng Chou said.

He couldn’t quite achieve that state.

“Is that so?” Jiang Hao said.

He felt that he wasn’t truly magnanimous. Sometimes he would intervene in certain matters that didn’t concern him. For example, he had gotten involved in Lin Zhi, Xiao Li, and Shang An’s matters. Each of these matters brought him trouble, but in the end, he still did what he had to.

He didn’t care whether these people were grateful to him or if they hated him. He just did what he thought was right at the time. Just like now, even if these people hated and feared him, he didn’t mind. As long as it didn’t affect his cultivation, he didn’t care.

“Junior Brother Cheng, you can also broaden your perspective. Perhaps it will be helpful in your advancement to the Golden Core Realm,” Jiang Hao said calmly.

Cheng Chou nodded.

As for reaching the Golden Core Realm, he felt like he didn’t have any hope for it in this lifetime.

However, if Jiang Hao said there was a chance, he believed it. He would try to understand and practice according to Jiang Hao’s advice.

Perhaps he really did have a chance to become a Golden Core Realm cultivator.

In the past, he never dared to think about reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, but now, he was actually beginning to think about advancing to the Golden Core Realm!

Cheng Chou felt like he was going crazy.

However, he stopped thinking about it and decided to practice his cultivation more diligently.

Jiang Hao noticed the change in him.

He felt that although the hope for the Golden Core Realm was slim, sometimes hope could change a person’s attitude.

“Master, it seems like I’m about to become a Golden Core little demon,” said the spirit beast.

“I thought it was the Golden Core great demon,” said Jiang Hao.

“Master, you’re joking! Being in the Golden Core Realm is nothing! I’ll still be considered a little demon,” said the spirit beast solemnly.

Cheng Chou was dumbfounded.

Jiang Hao had to admit that the spirit beast’s progress was very fast.

Although it couldn’t compare to Xiao Li, it was still impressive. The spirit beast had no limitations, so it was easier for it to advance quickly.

“Master, I’m in the early stage of Golden Core Realm. Will this collar soon become unusable?” the beast asked.

“It can still be used,” Jiang Hao said.

Buying a new one was too expensive. He didn’t have many spirit stones left.

After a short while, Jiang Hao arrived at the place where ordinary non-cultivators lived.

He entered a small courtyard where eight people lived. Four men and four women.

They were around fifteen or sixteen years old.

These eight people had fallen ill together.

“I’ve asked about their diet. They’ve been eating and drinking usual food, just like everyone else,” Cheng Chou said.

Jiang Hao walked to a young man. From his gaze, it was clear that he was feeling weak due to the cold.

However, there seemed to be a different kind of aura within him.

He wasn’t a medical expert, so he didn’t understand what exactly it was.

He used his spiritual energy to help the young man heal his body.

Quickly, the young man recovered, but Jiang Hao could clearly see that it was only on the surface.

That strange aura was still present and corroding his body. After some time, he would fall ill again.

Only those who had read the nameless manual like him could perceive these things.

Cheng Chou couldn’t.

He used the Daily Appraisal on the young man.

[Chen Sangou: Captured by the Heavenly Note Sect in his childhood. He finally built a stable life on the Cliff of Broken Hearts. Likes Xiang Xiang and hopes to accumulate enough years of work to exchange for a marital room, then confess his love to Xiang Xiang and live together. He is grateful, respectful, and loyal toward you. Afflicted by a specially made Toxic Wind and Cold by Yu Xuan. She wants to force you to buy medicine from her and obtain your spirit stones over a long period of time. She wants to cut off your chance of advancing to the Golden Core Realm.]

‘Yu Xuan?’

Jiang Hao thought this might be the doing of Qian Chen, but it turned out to be someone else. He had never heard of this person before.

‘Specially made toxins… Wind and Cold…’

It shouldn’t be difficult to find her based on this information. However, she didn’t seem to plan on letting it go after a single encounter.

Instead, she wanted to strip him of his spirit stones for a long time to come.

It was probably to prevent him from accumulating enough spirit stones for the Heavenly Rejuvenating Pill.

“For now, rest well,” Jiang Hao said to the young man and got up.

“Thank you so much, Immortal Elder.” Chen Sangou knelt on the ground and expressed his gratitude..