Near Netherworld Mountain, Qin Hao was squatting beside a lake.
According to the System's prompt, he knew that the Heavenly Demon Sect's encampment was nearby.
This time, the Netherworld Mountain Secret Realm had attracted three of the Seven Great Sects: the Zhengyi Sect, the Heavenly Demon Sect, and the Dao Sect.
If Qin Hao wanted to enter the secret realm and explore it, he had to approach one of these three sects. Otherwise, entering the secret realm would be utterly impossible.
The area around the secret realm was now under the watchful eyes of the disciples from the three great sects. Anyone else who tried to enter would be persuaded to leave by the disciples of the three great sects. Those who stubbornly refused might even be surrounded and attacked by them.
The reason he chose the Heavenly Demon Sect was that, within the Heavenly Demon Sect, the strong were revered, and relations between disciples were generally poor. After all, anyone could tell from its name that the Heavenly Demon Sect was not a righteous sect.
Thus, infiltrating the Heavenly Demon Sect would be far easier for Qin Hao than infiltrating either of the other two sects.
Of course, one should pick the softest persimmon to squeeze!
Qin Hao did not have to wait long. Before long, a Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple burst out from beneath the lake. Heavenly demon sect disciples generally wore black robes, along with the standard sect tokens of the Ten Thousand Mountains sects. The person before Qin Hao was a heavenly demon sect outer disciple.
Immediately afterward, a crocodile burst out from the bottom of the lake and charged at the outer sect disciple.
Qin Hao took a closer look and saw that the disciple was holding a medicinal herb. Qin Hao naturally did not recognize it, but the System did!
“This is lakebed grass. It only grows at the bottom of lakes inhabited by demon beasts. Its medicinal power is potent, and it is extremely useful to women who cultivate certain special techniques.”
After hearing the System's explanation, Qin Hao instantly understood the Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple's intention.
So he was trying to pick up girls!
The Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple was already covered in wounds, and his aura was extremely weak. Qin Hao estimated that, if left before him, the disciple would not survive ten breaths.
This was not Qin Hao being conceited. Although he could not perfectly control all his strength at present, his cultivation level had already reached the seventh layer of qi refinement. Moreover, because he had cultivated the Undying Corpse God Scripture, his spiritual power was denser than that of an ordinary eighth layer of qi refinement Cultivator. Combined with his Corpse King Physique, he could even contend with an ordinary ninth layer of qi refinement Cultivator!
This Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple was only at the fifth layer of qi refinement.
“He actually dared to provoke a demon beast crocodile with the strength of the seventh layer of qi refinement while only being at the fifth layer of qi refinement. This kid is truly bold.”
As Qin Hao analyzed the situation, he released wisps of spiritual energy and deliberately created a spiritual power fluctuation, intending to make the Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple notice him.
Sure enough, after sensing a spiritual power fluctuation nearby, the Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple immediately shouted.
“May I ask which daoist friend is nearby? Please lend me a hand! I, Zhang San, will be eternally grateful!”
Zhang San? Why not Li Si or Wang Wu, too!
After Qin Hao grumbled inwardly, he immediately walked out. He saw the Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple swimming across the lake, with the crocodile chasing him from behind. It was obvious that the crocodile was considerably faster than the Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple. It was only a matter of time before the crocodile caught up.
“I am Ma Liu. How would you like me to help, daoist friend?” Qin Hao stood on the shore with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed.
When Zhang San saw this, he cursed inwardly. He knew that the person before him was asking for benefits.
Under normal circumstances, he absolutely would have fought the other party. But staying alive was more important now, so he could only pay a price.
“If daoist friend Ma Liu is willing to help, I am willing to give you a storage ring with ten cubic meters of storage space!”
Zhang San felt a little pained, but he knew the rules of the Cultivation World. If his reward was not tempting enough, Ma Liu might simply turn around and leave. More likely, he might even take advantage of Zhang San's misfortune!
“Very well. I, Ma Liu, have always been warmhearted. Since I have seen a daoist friend in danger today, how could I refuse to help?”
After hearing about the storage ring, Qin Hao admitted that he was tempted. He immediately leaped into the lake. Seeing this, Zhang San cursed inwardly. What an idiot! Could he really defeat the crocodile in the water? This was a crocodile with the cultivation level of the seventh layer of qi refinement. The only reason Zhang San had managed to pluck the lakebed grass under its nose was because he had used his trump card!
Wasn't Qin Hao practically throwing his life away by coming down here so recklessly?
“It seems that I, Zhang San, am destined to be buried at the bottom of the lake today.” Zhang San let out a sigh.
“It is still too early to say that, daoist friend!”
By then, Qin Hao had already appeared beside Zhang San. He grabbed Zhang San with one hand, unleashed the power of the corpse king, and tossed him directly onto the shore. Zhang San landed on the ground with a bewildered look on his face, then was overcome with joy.
“Thank you, daoist friend. However, that crocodile is simply too powerful. I will go and bring back reinforcements for you.”
After saying this with a grin, Zhang San turned around and was about to leave. Since he had already reached the shore, there was naturally no way he would stay here. If he waited for Qin Hao to come ashore, would he not lose a storage ring for nothing? Besides, did he not have to deliver the lakebed grass to his senior sister?
“No reinforcements are necessary. I will be up in a moment.”
Qin Hao shouted and reached the shore at an eerily fast speed. Amid Zhang San's stunned expression, he flung the seventh layer of qi refinement crocodile onto the shore.
At some point, the crocodile had acquired a huge wound in its neck, and blood flowed incessantly from it.
“How did you kill the crocodile?” Zhang San asked in astonishment.
Only a few breaths had passed, yet the crocodile had already been dealt with by Qin Hao?
“What are you talking about, daoist friend? I just chopped it with my woodcutter's knife, then grabbed it with my hand. Wasn't that enough to deal with it?”
Qin Hao deliberately looked at Zhang San with a face full of bewilderment and waved the woodcutter's knife in his hand.
Zhang San swallowed and did not know what to say. Qin Hao's strength was simply inconceivable. He had dealt with a seventh layer of qi refinement crocodile using nothing but an ordinary woodcutter's knife. Moreover, the crocodile was three or four meters long and weighed at least five hundred kilograms. Qin Hao had casually flung it onto the shore. He definitely possessed monstrous strength!
Qin Hao giggled and placed one hand over the crocodile's wound. The crocodile's blood was then rapidly absorbed by Qin Hao. In less than fifteen minutes, the crocodile's sturdy body had turned into a dried corpse, while Qin Hao's aura had grown considerably stronger.
“The host has successfully devoured a seventh layer of qi refinement crocodile and obtained five devouring points.”
At this moment, Zhang San felt that Qin Hao was the true Demon Sect. He had never heard of or witnessed such methods before!
He could actually devour a demon beast's blood and increase his own strength. This was unquestionably a method of the heretical path!
This Ma Liu was definitely not a good person!
Therefore, Zhang San immediately presented the storage ring to Qin Hao with both hands, offering it with utmost sincerity.
Qin Hao accepted it, slipped it onto his little finger, dripped blood onto it to establish ownership, and inspected the storage ring. He nodded in satisfaction.