The forest burned with demonic fire. Black smoke curled into the sky, choking the air with the stench of sulfur. The disciples of Azure Heaven Sect trembled as more figures cloaked in shadow emerged, their laughter echoing like the cries of hungry wolves.
Lin Xueyao stood at the front, her sword gleaming like ice. Her voice cut through the chaos, calm yet commanding.
"Form ranks! Hold your ground!"
But panic had already set in. Many outer disciples stumbled backward, their grips unsteady, their knees shaking. Against the Demon Sect, their flimsy training felt like paper shields against a storm.
One disciple screamed as a demonic cultivator slashed across his chest. Another fell, coughing blood. Fear spread like wildfire.
And then, in the middle of it all, Jiang Hao sighed.
"This is why I avoid overtime," he muttered, adjusting his robe.
A hulking demon cultivator spotted him and grinned, revealing fangs blackened by corruption. "A weakling? Perfect. I'll devour you first."
The man lunged, his blade howling with demonic qi.
Jiang Hao didn't bother to draw his sword. He raised one hand lazily, palm open. The strike halted midair, as though the blade had been trapped in invisible stone. The cultivator's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, his body shattered—bone, blood, and qi dissolving into dust carried away by the wind.
The disciples around him froze.
"Did… did he just…?"
"No, I must've blinked. That can't be Jiang Hao."
"Impossible. He never trains!"
Lin Xueyao, her cold expression flickering with surprise, caught his movement—or rather, the lack of it. He hadn't moved at all, yet an enemy at the Foundation Establishment stage had died instantly.
Jiang Hao dusted off his hands as if swatting away dirt. "All right, let's get this over with. I don't want this cutting into my evening tea."
Another wave of Demon Sect cultivators charged, their blades dripping with dark energy, their eyes glowing with madness. Jiang Hao stepped forward, his robe fluttering in the corrupted wind.
The disciples expected sword clashes, explosions of qi, perhaps even desperate shouts.
Instead, they saw nothing.
One moment, the enemies were there—snarling, rushing forward. The next, they were gone, their bodies collapsing into motes of ash as though burned by invisible flames. Not a single sound echoed, not a single strike was seen.
The battlefield was silent.
Jiang Hao stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back, eyes half-lidded with boredom. His voice was calm, almost drowsy.
"Go home. Overtime doesn't suit me."
Lin Xueyao's sword arm trembled slightly, though not from fear. She studied him carefully, her mind reeling. She had thought him a useless outer disciple, barely worthy of notice. But what she had just witnessed defied reason.
Who was this man, really?
The next morning, the surviving disciples returned to Azure Heaven Sect, shaken and silent. Word of the attack spread quickly, but so did whispers of Jiang Hao's impossible strength.
At the main hall, Elder Wu Tian awaited them. He was a tall man with silver hair and sharp eyes, robes flowing like storm clouds. His presence alone silenced the hall. He stood just beneath the Sect Master in rank, a figure of both fear and reverence.
His gaze swept across the group before landing on Jiang Hao.
"You," he said simply.
Jiang Hao stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Elder Wu."
The elder studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to everyone's shock, his lips curved into the faintest of smiles.
"You've grown."
Gasps filled the hall. Elder Wu Tian, the strict, unforgiving elder, known for never praising anyone—smiling at Jiang Hao?
Lin Xueyao's eyes widened. "Elder Wu… knows him?"
Jiang Hao scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I didn't grow much. Just doing my nine-to-five, Elder."
The elder chuckled softly, a sound like thunder rumbling in the distance. "You sound just like before."
Before? The disciples exchanged confused looks. What did that mean?
Wu Tian turned to the hall, his tone sharp. "The Demon Sect grows restless. This will not be the last attack. Train harder, guard your hearts, and remember—Azure Heaven Sect stands for the human realm!"
The disciples shouted in unison, though their eyes still flicked toward Jiang Hao.
When the hall emptied, Elder Wu Tian placed a hand on Jiang Hao's shoulder. His gaze softened, filled with something rare for him—genuine care.
"You could shake the heavens if you wished. But I know you, boy. You seek peace. I won't force you, but… be cautious. Power hidden too long attracts the wrong eyes."
Jiang Hao met his master's gaze and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Elder. I'll never work overtime."
The elder laughed heartily, shaking his head. "You stubborn brat."
For a moment, Jiang Hao felt something warm stir in his chest. In his past life, no boss, no manager, no elder had ever cared whether he lived or died. But here, in this strange new world, he had someone who treated him almost like a son.
And for that, maybe, just maybe… he'd accept a little overtime.
If only to protect this peace.
That night, the sect was quiet again. Jiang Hao sat outside his hut, sipping tea beneath the stars. The world hummed with hidden threats—Demon Sect plots, heavenly tribulations, rival sects. But for now, it was just him, the tea's warmth, and the silence of a world at rest.
His lips curved into a lazy smile.
"To live quietly… that's the true dao."
The stars twinkled above, as if amused by his vow. Somewhere in the distance, fate stirred, watching closely.
But Jiang Hao paid it no mind.
After all, he refused to work overtime.