Poverty

The lifeblood and spiritual energy poured in. Hong Meng's Heart Sutra operated in its own way. The spiritual energy passed through the gathering realm and poured down into the energy center.

The spiritual energy in his energy center gathered and compressed as though it was attacking some barrier.

Bang!

Under the strong compression, the spiritual energy became purer and massive. Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief and continued its circulation. The remaining 20 points of lifeblood and cultivation were fully absorbed. He needed to strengthen his cultivation in case of an emergency.

The next day, Jiang Hao opened his eyes and clenched his fists. The powerful force within his body made him happy and relieved. After being in the sect for many years, he knew that only strength could ensure his safety. 

Here, in the sect, without strength, you were nothing. You were at the mercy of others. He couldn't even refuse something without becoming strong. There was always danger.

He was now in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Although that wasn't considered formidable, he was still a step closer to becoming stronger. The trip to the Devil's Den would now be a little less anxiety ridden. However, it wasn't enough. He had very few advantages.

Jiang Hao walked to the courtyard and collected bubbles:

[ cultivation + 1]

[ lifeblood + 1]

[ strength + 1]

The bubbles were provided by the Blue Lotus. Jiang Hao made a fist and a huge rock shattered with a loud boom.

This was the strength of the body made possible by the lifeblood and the power it provided.

'From the looks of it, even if I lose all my cultivation, I still have extraordinary battle strength,' thought Jiang Hao. It had been a good idea to collect white bubbles day after day no matter how insignificant it had looked.

After practicing the Demonic Sound Slash for a while, Jiang Hao went to the Spirit Herb Garden and continued with his daily routine.

The next month, he spent most of his time at his house improving himself, thankfully, no one came to disturb him.

When he practiced the Demonic Sound Slash, he read the secret manual along with it. He found out that it was easier to control his strength if he followed the guidelines. The secret manual given to him by that dangerous woman was really a treasure no matter how hard he tried not to admit it. 

At night, he made talismans. Spirit Concentration Talismans and Divine Sword Talismans were the most common, so he made them a lot.

He also made some Ten Thousand Sword Talismans, but he didn't sell them. They might come in handy in the Devil's Den. He had fifteen of them. He kept them for himself and sold the rest. Now, he had a total of 723 spirit stones

In fact, he hadn't really earned much this month. Business wasn't really good these days and most of his spirit stones were spent buying materials to make the Ten Thousand Sword Talismans.

Jiang Hao planned to buy some magic treasures after he finished tending to the Spirit Herb Garden. 'There are only seven days left before I go to the Devil's Den. I shouldn't delay buying them any longer.'

He had to get used to their magic even after buying them otherwise he wouldn't be able to use them efficiently when the time came. There were only seven days left to practice with them.

However, there was one thing that he was hesitant about. He looked at his interface.

[Name: Jiang Hao]

[Age: 20]

[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Stage]

[Cultivation Method: Heavenly Sound Hundred Revolutions, Hong Meng Heart Sutra]

[Divine Ability: Nine Revolutions Death Substitution (Unique), Daily Appraisal, Clear and Pure Heart]

[Lifeblood: 46/100(can be cultivated)]

[Cultivation: 51/100(can be cultivated)]

[Divine Ability: 1/3(cannot be obtained)]

'Lifeblood and cultivation are almost half full. Should I wait or just use them to break through?' questioned Jiang Hao. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to keep them as it were.

His cultivation had already been consolidated, so it wouldn't be of much help if he couldn't advance by extracting them.

'The probability of them attacking me directly when I enter the Devil's Den is very low. I'll have time to clear the demon dwellers and continue accumulating my cultivation.'

Jiang Hao, having made his decision, left for the sect market. He stood in front of the Stellar Tower and observed for a moment. He felt that this place was much grander than the Snow Lotus Pavilion.

"A Saber-type Foundation Establishment Artifact?" The Fairy guide, after hearing his request, led the way. "Senior Brother, follow me."

After a while, the Fairy guide showed him three sabers:

The first one was completely red, about three fingers wide and three feet long.

The second one was glowing with light, about two fingers wide and one foot long. It was a short saber.

The third one was pitch black, about three fingers wide and two feet long.

"The first is the blazing Sun Knife. It contains a potent fire power, and its blade aura is of very high temperature. It has great destructive power. The price is 888 spirit stones," explained the Fairy guide. "The second is the Seven-Colored Moon-Slaying Blade. It leaves no traces. It has the ability to kill without being seen. The price is 1,100 spirit stones. The third is the Shadow Blade. It is invisible at night. It is not as powerful as the first two, but because of the material, it is extremely strong. The price is 830 spirit stones."

Jiang Hao picked up the Shadow Blade because that was the cheapest among the three. What he wanted the most was the Seven-Colored Moon-Slaying Blade. But that was so expensive. In the end, he negotiated the Shadow Blade for 720 spirit stones. No matter how precious the other weapon was, he couldn't afford it.

After purchasing his blade, he sold some talismans barely earning 30 spirit stones. He then headed to the Spirit Herb Garden for a little while and returned home. He wanted to get familiar with his new blade.

In the dark night, he swung his blade, creating a huge wave. The blade slashed in all directions displaying massive destructive power.

Jiang Hao felt that the blade matched perfectly with the Demonic Sound Slash technique. However, the two weren't compatible. The Shadow Blade was suitable for assassinations and the Demonic Sound Slash was too eye-catching. But combined, they did work powerfully.

'I can catch them off guard.' Jiang Hao looked at the sky. It was getting lighter.

Today was the day. Whether he came back from the Devil's Den or not was something he couldn't know for sure.