Chapter 84 - 81: Array Dao, Exchange, Not Very Optimistic

Chapter 84: Chapter 81: Array Dao, Exchange, Not Very Optimistic

"B-Brother Duan? W-why are you kneeling?"

Turning around, the crowd was instantly dumbfounded to see their revered ’Brother Duan’ drop to his knees with a heavy THUD.

"That’s right, Brother Duan, what’s wrong? Why are you kneeling to a defeated opponent? Hurry up and get up, Brother Duan! Strike this trash down with a single sword slash!"

Several stunning young women chimed in as they watched the scene unfold, clearly failing to grasp the severity of the situation.

However, ’Brother Duan’ was hyperventilating. Utterly consumed by terror, he frantically pleaded.

"Brother Jiang, it’s not what you think! I-I didn’t mean to offend you. They were the ones saying all those things just now. I didn’t agree with a single word from start to finish!

"With your peerless talent, Brother Jiang, I am nothing but a mere ant on the ground. How could I ever be worthy of being compared to you? Please see clearly, Brother Jiang, I had no intention of insulting your reputation. I beg you to be the bigger person and spare me."

As he spoke, ’Brother Duan’ trembled so violently it was visible to the naked eye.

The crowd finally realized that what radiated from him was pure, unadulterated fear. Yet, many of his admirers still couldn’t process the reality.

"Brother Duan, why are you begging a piece of trash for mercy? A defeated opponent isn’t worth panicking over!

"Yeah, Brother Duan, hurry up and rise! Draw your sword! As long as you draw your sword, he’ll be the one kneeling and apologizing!"

Hearing the shameless boasting of his brainless companions, ’Brother Duan’ almost blacked out. He immediately roared at the gorgeous girls, "Shut up! All of you, shut up! If you say another word, you’re going to get me killed!"

After scolding them, he looked back at Jiang Hao, panting heavily. "Brother Jiang, I didn’t say any of that! It was all these blind fools who couldn’t recognize Mount Tai! If you want to settle the score, go after them! It has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Jiang Hao couldn’t help but frown as he looked at the peerless prodigy surnamed Duan, whose survival instinct had suddenly spiked. Staring deeply into the man’s eyes, he asked calmly, "You can see my true strength?"

This took Jiang Hao by surprise. Although he wasn’t actively circulating his Concealment Art to hide his cultivation and aura, he had still reined them in significantly. For the other party to surrender without a fight after just a brief observation was clearly not a good sign.

Hearing this, the prodigy surnamed Duan didn’t dare to answer directly, instead opting for relentless flattery. "Brother Jiang’s talent is unparalleled! You are a chosen son of heaven, so your strength is naturally unfathomable. Even without peering into it, I know I couldn’t withstand a single strike from you."

"Such nonsense," Jiang Hao thought.

His expression darkened slightly.

The next moment, the white-clad youth flickered, instantly transforming into a blur as he charged at ’Brother Duan’.

BOOM!

BANG!

When the two reappeared in the crowd’s line of sight, the latter’s neck was already locked in a large hand. Like a helpless chicken, he was slammed heavily against an ancient tree.

"What?"

Watching this scene, everyone paled in sheer horror, their eyes wide with disbelief.

In a single encounter, their revered ’Brother Duan’ was rendered entirely defenseless. He was pinned dead against the ancient tree, and even the Spirit Transformation Power within his body had been completely sealed off.

Jiang Hao stared intently into the man’s eyes, emphasizing each word. "How did you see through my strength?"

He urgently needed to know. Inside the ancient ruins, this was obviously an extremely dangerous signal. If an ordinary peerless prodigy could see through his guise, he was undoubtedly exposing himself in the open.

Meeting Jiang Hao’s intensely serious gaze, the prodigy surnamed Duan, though confused by the question, replied in terror, "G-Golden Spirit Transformation Power."

Struggling to squeeze out the words, his body trembled to the absolute limit.

As soon as he said this, all the countless proud sons and daughters of heaven following the Cultivator surnamed Duan shuddered. Their scalps went numb, and they froze on the spot.

"G-Golden Spirit Transformation Power?"

"A peerless monster! A peerless monster of the first tier!"

"How is this possible? He... he’s a first-tier existence?"

BOOM!

The revelation struck the entire group like a bolt of lightning. Everyone was dumbfounded, their minds reeling as if struck by thunder.

Hearing the crowd’s words and reactions, Jiang Hao instantly understood.

"So that’s how it is," he realized.

Now that he had his answer, he decided against a massacre. Slowly releasing his grip, he subconsciously glanced toward Ji Qingxue and the others.

Meeting Jiang Hao’s somewhat meaningful gaze, the experts of Nanling were equally bewildered.

They wondered, "No way, does he actually not know what kind of terrifying existence he is?"

With just one look, the group from Nanling came to a sudden realization. That white-clad figure seemingly had no idea what Golden Spiritual Power represented. To be terrifyingly powerful yet completely oblivious to it—that was somewhat absurd.

Meanwhile, the Cultivator surnamed Duan crumpled softly to the ground like a dead dog after being released. Overwhelmed with relief, he panted heavily, having nearly wet himself in fear.

Having figured out the reason, Jiang Hao shifted his gaze to the individuals who had incited the crowd earlier.

"You are not Cultivators from the Earth Realm of Xingyue City, nor have you ever met me. So how do you know everything about those matters like the back of your hand? If you utter even half a lie, I don’t mind burying every single one of you right here."

RUSTLE!

At those words, the faces of the group turned as pale as paper. They finally understood why ’Brother Duan’ had been so terrified.

"It... it was Wang Jiang from the Earth Realm of Xingyue City! He’s the one spreading the news everywhere. We just overheard these things by accident, but they’ve already reached the ears of many Cultivators by now." One Cultivator’s chest heaved as he gulped frantically, blurting out the explanation in panic.

"Wang Jiang?"

Hearing that name, two glints of cold light burst from Jiang Hao’s eyes; murderous intent had already taken root.

Through these people, Jiang Hao learned that not only had Wang Jiang become a follower of a terrifying team from the Celestial Sword Sect, but he also spread these rumors everywhere at every given opportunity. Over time, many Cultivators had come to learn about Jiang Hao’s past.

He thought, "Wang, I’ve repeatedly let you off the hook, yet you oppose me at every turn. Do you really think I won’t kill you?"

The cold gleam in his eyes flashed and faded. Jiang Hao coldly swept his gaze over this group of peerless geniuses.

"Get lost."

Hearing this command, the crowd felt as though they had been granted a second lease on life. They scattered frantically, terrified that he would change his mind if they were even a second too slow.

However, the peerless prodigy surnamed Duan remained rooted to the spot, not daring to move a muscle without Jiang Hao’s permission.

"You get lost too. Don’t let me see you again."

"Thank you, Brother Jiang! Thank you, Brother Jiang! I promise I will never appear in front of you again!" Duan De breathed raggedly as he thanked him repeatedly, his soul having long been scared out of his body.

Who could have thought that just by going with the flow and acting tough, he had almost thrown his life away?

After watching this group of proud heaven’s chosen depart, Jiang Hao looked toward the crowd from Nanling and asked awkwardly, "Is Golden Spiritual Power very strong?"

Ji Wufeng and the others were left speechless.

Time slowly flowed by. In the blink of an eye, another day had passed. On this day, as everyone was sitting cross-legged in meditation, Jiang Hao approached the three Array Masters.

"Brother Jiang." Seeing it was Jiang Hao, the three immediately stood up and bowed deeply.

Jokes aside, this was a peerless monster and a world-shocking Pill Master. Although Array Masters also held distinguished status, they simply weren’t on the same level as Pill Masters.

"Haha, there’s no need for such formalities, brothers," Jiang Hao said with a chuckle. He returned the bow and motioned for the three to sit down.

After taking their seats, the three exchanged glances. In terms of cultivation, they were the weakest existences among the thirty-odd people present. For Jiang Hao to approach them instead of cozying up to the more formidable Cultivators meant he clearly had business with them.

"Brother Jiang, may I ask what brings you to the three of us?" one of the Array Masters asked tentatively.

Jiang Hao didn’t beat around the bush and immediately stated his intentions. "To be completely honest, brothers, I have a favor to ask."

Hearing this, the three looked at each other again. "Brother Jiang, please feel free to speak your mind. If it is something our trio can accomplish, we will absolutely not decline."

Jiang Hao smiled awkwardly at their words. Only then did he notice that these three Array Masters did share some physical resemblances; they might truly be biological brothers.

"Since that’s the case, brothers, I will speak frankly," Jiang Hao said, finally voicing the thoughts he had been mulling over for the past few days.

"Truth be told, I am quite interested in the path of the Array Dao. If possible, would you three be willing to share some of your knowledge with me?"

"Brother Jiang, are you asking for Array manuals?" The three brothers instantly understood what he meant.

Jiang Hao nodded without hesitation. "Rest assured, brothers, I absolutely won’t take them for free. I also don’t need your most closely guarded secret techniques—just some standard Array Dao manuals that are allowed to be passed on.

"Of course, as I just mentioned, I won’t take them for nothing. If you are willing, I can offer three Foundation Establishment Pills in exchange."

RUSTLE!

At those words, even Ji Qingxue and the others instantly looked over, their eyes filled with shock. The three Array Masters were even more astounded, their eyes lighting up the moment they heard the words ’Foundation Establishment Pill’.

"F-Foundation Establishment Pills? How could we possibly accept that?"

"It’s no trouble. As a Pill Master, this type of pill is merely a matter of quantity to me." Jiang Hao immediately dispelled their concerns. Foundation Establishment Pills were incredibly precious, and the trio might not dare to accept them otherwise.

As for Ji Wufeng and his peers, these peerless prodigies of ancient clans were the future of their respective families. Their elders had undoubtedly prepared Foundation Establishment Pills for them long before they entered the ancient ruins. However, the same could not be said for these three brothers. They hailed from an Array family, and while their background was substantial, they were not the most outstanding members of their generation. Thus, a Foundation Establishment Pill was indeed something they dreamed of obtaining.

"What’s wrong? Is it too difficult for you?" Jiang Hao asked with a hint of disappointment when he saw them hesitate.

Little did he know, the three simply hadn’t recovered from their shock. This stroke of immense luck had come too suddenly, catching them completely off guard.

"You must be joking, Brother Jiang. How could we be unwilling?

"To be honest, although Array Masters may not match Pill Masters in status, the strict requirements for both professions are essentially on par.

"Furthermore, there’s no such thing as an ’un-passable’ standard Array manual. If you need them, Brother Jiang, we can just give them to you as a gift. As for the Foundation Establishment Pills..."

Before they could finish speaking, Jiang Hao pulled out a delicate small bottle and tossed it directly to them.

"Here are three Foundation Establishment Pills. Since you three are willing, it’s a deal."

Looking at the Foundation Establishment Pills they had obtained so easily, the three Array Masters were so thrilled that their hands trembled. Without any unnecessary chatter, one of them promptly handed over several brand-new manuals.

"Brother Jiang, since we are traveling, we didn’t bring many Array manuals with us. We only have a few handwritten copies of Tier Two Arrays. If you need more in the future, you can find the three of us in Xuanwu City after leaving the ancient ruins. We will definitely present you with higher-tier Arrays."

Receiving the several Array Dao manuals, Jiang Hao felt a surge of anticipation.

However, in the very next moment.

"Brother Jiang, are you hoping to cultivate the Array Dao?"

Hearing this, Jiang Hao gave a noncommittal smile and replied, "I might not have the talent for it. I’m just looking out of curiosity."

Though he claimed he was merely looking, a brilliant gleam flickered in his eyes. Anyone with half a brain could see right through his intentions.

Seeing that Jiang Hao actually had thoughts of pursuing the Array Dao, the three couldn’t help but smile bitterly. "Brother Jiang, although our lineage of the Array Dao is different from the path of a Pill Master, it still requires immense talent. If you wish to walk this path, you must at least be able to sense the elemental attribute powers between heaven and earth.

"As it happens, I have a book here on how to sense elemental attribute powers. I’ll gift this to you as well."

Despite handing over the method to sense attribute powers, the three brothers were left not knowing whether to laugh or cry. An Array Master didn’t just need to sense all elemental attribute powers; the most difficult part was carving Array Patterns and infusing those powers into the patterns to deploy a grand Array.

It was glaringly obvious that the three brothers didn’t have high hopes for Jiang Hao. As the saying goes, every profession has its specialty. For a halfway interloper like Chen Yaojin to suddenly try and step into the Array Dao was undoubtedly a fool’s dream.

Even Ji Qingxue and the others didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

This peerless monster was being a bit too arrogant for his own good.