[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness":3,"chapter-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-957":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cultivating In Secret Beside A Demoness",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1122359,1453,"Chapter 957: Selection For Top Disciples","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-957",957,"\u003Cp>Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main hall of the Shangguan Clan, Jiang Hao stood in the center. The people around him didn’t dare to sit down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Shangguan Qicheng only dared to stand in front of him and speak with his head lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was terrified of the person at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao remained calm. The people looked at him in admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fellow Disciple, please take a seat.” Shangguan Qicheng gestured to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let Jiang Hao sit at the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shangguan Qingsu was shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t seem so smug anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time she had seen Shangguan Qicheng so humble, and she was filled with many emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she was young, Shangguan Qicheng had been stubborn and intimidating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, at that moment, he lowered his head and didn’t dare to speak too loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People aged like that. It sometimes seemed like just an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao was posing as Smiling San Sheng, so he obviously wasn’t very polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the top step by step, then turned around and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already stated my condition. Now, tell me yours. Of course, I heard it. But I want you to say it again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was fearless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shangguan Qicheng broke out in a cold sweat. He was under a lot of pressure as a leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the spokesperson, so he had to bear the burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, I will repeat myself,” Shangguan Qicheng said carefully. “We agree to obey your orders, but we hope to have a chance to choose what to do after ten tasks. But if you want anything else, we can discuss it. I hope you can understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Shangguan Qicheng stopped talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao frowned. ‘Just that? I thought they wanted to say that they can end the deal whenever they want…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao sighed inwardly. “Just like what you said before, we can cancel the cooperation at any time. Everyone will have a choice. Do you have further doubts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shangguan Qingsu sighed. She realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This could cancel the cooperation at any time, but that would be a loss for the Shangguan Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shangguan Clan would be giving up on an opportunity that was tied completely to this arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would regret this cooperation? Only time would tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We want to test if you really have the ability to suppress the curse,” Shangguan Qicheng said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was what everyone cared about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it didn’t work, then everything was just empty promises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Shangguan Qicheng did not dare to make any elaborate requests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party had mentioned that they could end this cooperation at any time, which surprised him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it made him a little worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more others looked down on his clan, the more he felt threatened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many days are left for it to manifest?” Jiang Hao asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was logical to ask for a test, and he wanted to show off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, how would he convince an entire clan to listen to him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he had to inform Gui about the situation and force Gu Changsheng to compromise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing Gu Changsheng was his main goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are still six days left,” Shangguan Qicheng said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao nodded. Then, a scroll flew out from his hand. “Find a hidden place and set up a formation according to the requirements. Ten of you can enter the formation to experience its effects. We can discuss further plans later. I’ll be back on the sixth day. I hope you’ll be ready then,” Jiang Hao said after the other party had gotten the scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he finished, he disappeared and left everyone astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao appeared in the courtyard and reverted to his original self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heaved a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shangguan Clan surprised him. At the same time, he knew how much damage the curse had done to their clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he had to do was wait for the right time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The array formation was easy to set up. Any idiot could set it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for where they would set it up, it was unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Shangguan Clan is not very strong. Their people are all on the decline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao had looked at them closely. There was no one who could ascend to immortality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like there was a ceiling they couldn’t break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew if they would really fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Shangguan Clan had a lot of resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had accepted a mission. He could go out as he pleased for the next five months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main thing was that he had to go out continuously and was not sure if it would be safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was going to take a long time, but if he failed, he would have to pay 5,000 spirit stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have to pay about 5,500 spirit stones for taking the job twice, so he took this job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five months was enough for him to fight Gu Changsheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Jiang Hao began to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spirit Herb Gardens still had one hundred more spirit herbs to water. He couldn’t stay outside for very long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the people heading West, they had already set off. Xiao Li was going too, but when she heard that it was to read some book, she ran away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took the spirit beast and went into hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Chou felt helpless when he found out about this. He tried his best to help her, but Junior Sister Xiao Li avoided him and everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People were indeed different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he did not mind. After all, his luck was already good enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Cheng Chou saw Jiang Hao coming to the Spirit Herb Garden, he hurriedly went up and said, “Senior Brother Jiang, the sect has released some news…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?” Jiang Hao was puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sect was still recuperating. If they kept fighting, the sect might face a crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s news about the top disciple,” said Cheng Chou. “The sect is thinking of selecting some disciples who are qualified to challenge the top disciples.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Challenge the top disciples?” Jiang Hao was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the sect trying to provoke the ten top disciples?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were trying to select people who were powerful enough to challenge them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that way, only powerful people will be in the top positions. They would be stronger than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before, anyone strong enough to challenge the top disciples could do it. However, now, there will be a screening process before they can challenge the top disciples. They would need to pass the pre-selection before they can challenge the top disciples. In short, it won’t be as easy as before,” Cheng Chou said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did they say when one can challenge the top disciples after the preliminaries?” Jiang Hao asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The elimination is held once every fifty years. Those who join later will have to wait for the next elimination. During the elimination period, the challenger can ask for a match every year to challenge the top disciple. Anyone can,” said Cheng Chou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was more systematic now, but the pressure on the top disciples had increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happens if the challenger loses?” Jiang Hao asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three failures and you’ll be kicked out of the qualifiers,” Cheng Chou said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao sighed. Every fifty years, he would have three chances in exchange for one elimination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he participate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I also heard that as long as you successfully become a top disciple, you will be received by the Sect Master.” Cheng Chou sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never seen the Sect Master before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao found it very strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect master might be Elder Baizhi.\u003C\u002Fp>",1275,"2026-06-03T11:46:09.612Z","2026-06-03T11:46:12.506Z",1,"novelbin.me","eb4ade3c56b197487a0279396639fa973ccffdcdeed388843980963472ef9ba4","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-958","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-956",2139,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-cover.jpg"]