Departure, Discussing the Dao Aboard the Flying Skiff

Three days later.

Outer Sect Plaza.

Flying Spirit Boat rental platform.

By the time Jiang Li arrived, all the members of the extermination squad had gathered.

There were six in total.

Four men and two women.

Murong Qing was undoubtedly the center of attention. Dressed in plain clothes, she was cool and aloof, like a winter plum blossom.

Beside her stood a girl in green, her bright eyes sparkling with life. Two little dimples appeared whenever she smiled, giving her the look of an energetic young girl.

She was the complete opposite of Murong Qing.

One was cool and distant; the other was sweet.

Each possessed her own beauty.

The remaining four male cultivators each had their own distinguishing traits.

Two of them were twin brothers, one dressed in a blue robe and the other in leather armor.

"You're here."

Murong Qing nodded in greeting.

"You're not a Transformation Class disciple yet, so I'll introduce you."

The girl in green was named Li Xi. She was at the peak of Qi Refining Level 9, specialized in spells, and had cultivated two Foundation Establishment Realm techniques.

The twin brothers were named Li Fu and Li Rong. Both were at the peak of Qi Refining and specialized in talismans and formations.

The blue-robed young man was Shen Lin, a Sword Cultivator at Half-Step Foundation Establishment.

The burly man in leather armor was Fang Shi, a Body Cultivator at Half-Step Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Li secretly clicked his tongue.

Transformation Class—this probably referred to the Elite Training Program.

For them to name it so directly, it seemed the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land held great expectations for these geniuses.

They intended to pool their resources and nurture Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators.

Compared to this group of geniuses, he truly seemed rather ordinary.

"Jiang Li, Qi Refining Level 6. I suppose I'm also a Sword Cultivator."

Jiang Li introduced himself.

Upon hearing this,

everyone reacted differently.

The twins were stunned, the blue-robed young man frowned, the burly man in leather armor was surprised, while the girl in green was curious.

Among them,

Shen Lin, the blue-robed young man, had the strongest reaction.

"What's this supposed to mean? A Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator is joining the operation too? Are we supposed to carry him along so he can gild himself?"

There was no other reason.

Men repelled one another.

Of the four male cultivators, the twins only cared about formations and talismans, while the leather-armored brute was a rough and reckless fellow. He alone was the refined young gentleman, the face of the team.

But with Jiang Li's arrival, he had been pushed into second place.

Of course,

strength was still the key issue.

If Jiang Li possessed cultivation at Qi Refining Level 9 or above, Shen Lin would not have voiced his displeasure no matter how dissatisfied he was. One more person meant one more share of strength.

But Jiang Li's cultivation was far too low.

He was not even in the late Qi Refining stage.

It was so low that he and the others were practically not from the same world.

Under such circumstances, bringing along deadweight was simply asking for trouble.

"Junior Sister Murong, say something."

Shen Lin looked toward Murong Qing.

Murong Qing said blandly, "He won't hold us back."

Her teacher had a good relationship with Elder Cui of the Law Enforcement Hall, and she had learned of Jiang Li's exploits through him. At Qi Refining Layer 4, he had been able to kill a demonic cultivator at the Qi Refining stage. Now that he was at Qi Refining Level 6, his strength would not be much weaker than the others'.

Of course,

she did not explain any of this.

After all, it was Jiang Li's secret.

Meanwhile,

Jiang Li had no intention of keeping a low profile any longer.

He had already accepted the mission, and the cultivation method, the "Profound Yellow Heart Refining Art," was already sharpening its blade at pigs and sheep. He did not dare guarantee what the cultivation method might do if he gave up.

Likewise, option three required the entire extermination squad to work together in order to clear it.

There was no need for him to play at being a pig to eat a tiger and create a rift in the team.

So,

Jiang Li began to show what he could do.

Mana surged around him as he condensed a pale golden, tangible sword aura at his fingertips.

"My cultivation may not be high, but I do have a little strength. At the very least, I won't hold anyone back."

Jiang Li said modestly.

The burly man in leather armor said in surprise, "Fourth-grade Mana quality, and Sword Qi Transformation as well. I imagine even an ordinary Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator couldn't withstand this strike. With Junior Brother's talent, why haven't you joined the Transformation Class?"

Jiang Li smiled. "Once we return from this extermination operation, I expect I'll be able to join."

He still remembered that his requirements for joining the Transformation Class were lower than normal. He merely needed to reach Qi Refining Level 7.

Once this operation was over, it would only take him a few days to advance officially.

The Transformation Class was only one step away.

The twin brothers also congratulated him. "Then we'll congratulate Junior Brother in advance. To comprehend Sword Qi Transformation while still in the middle Qi Refining stage, Junior Brother's talent in the sword dao is plain to see. The title of number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect belongs to none but Junior Brother."

Upon hearing that,

Shen Lin gave an unhappy snort.

He was still standing right here. What did they mean, the number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect belonged to no one but Jiang Li?

He had not yet achieved Foundation Establishment, so in theory, he was still an Outer Sect Disciple.

However...

He had only comprehended Sword Qi Transformation after reaching Half-Step Foundation Establishment, with liquefied spiritual power as the prerequisite.

Jiang Li, on the other hand, had comprehended Sword Qi Transformation in the middle Qi Refining stage. His talent in the sword dao truly surpassed Shen Lin's by far.

Once Shen Lin advanced to Foundation Establishment and became an Inner Sect Disciple, Jiang Li would become the genuine number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect.

There was no arguing with that.

Thinking this,

Shen Lin's expression eased considerably.

"I was blind to your true worth, Junior Brother Jiang. Please don't take offense. This extermination operation is extremely dangerous. One careless mistake could cost us a member, and I simply didn't want anything to go wrong."

"I understand."

Jiang Li nodded.

If the Dog Cultivation Method had not suddenly appeared, he would not have wanted to wade into these muddy waters either.

"Junior Brother Jiang is magnanimous."

Shen Lin was convinced.

He felt ashamed of having judged someone through dog eyes.

After exchanging a few pleasantries,

the atmosphere within the team became harmonious.

Murong Qing did not speak, but her expression showed that she greatly approved of Jiang Li's handling of the matter.

The extermination squad was a whole. If a rift emerged among them, it could easily affect their battle plan.

"Let's go."

Murong Qing was brief and to the point.

They rented a large Flying Skiff and set off toward their destination.

Aboard the Spirit Boat.

Murong Qing was explaining the details.

"Our target this time is one of the Yin Puppet Sect's secret strongholds. It is located in Long River County, a county beneath Frostfeather City. According to our intelligence, medium-sized and small experimental strongholds like this generally have only one Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator in charge, no more than ten late Qi Refining cultivators, and most of the rest are below the middle Qi Refining stage."

"Worth noting is that most Yin Puppet Sect disciples have Yin Corpses at their side, and there may very well be experimental subjects grafted with demon beast bodies. Do not let your guard down. I will deal with the Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge as quickly as possible before coming to assist you. Do not attempt to lure the enemy in too deeply."

Everyone listened attentively.

None of them doubted Murong Qing's strength.

After all,

a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivated by the Holy Land, even if she had only just entered Foundation Establishment, was not someone an ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator could compare to. She had every right to say she would resolve the battle quickly.

After discussing the battle plan, Jiang Li was preparing to rest when Li Xi, the girl in green, suddenly leaned closer and asked mysteriously, "Senior Brother Jiang, what is your relationship with Senior Sister Murong?"

Jiang Li was somewhat puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

Li Xi narrowed her little eyes, looking as though she had already seen through everything. "If you two had no relationship, why would Senior Sister Murong waste money renting a large Spirit Boat? We could have flown there on swords ourselves. It would have been faster too. Isn't it because Senior Brother, you still can't fly on a sword?"

Jiang Li froze.

Murong Qing had chosen to rent a large Spirit Boat to accommodate him?

He truly had not considered that.

He had thought all team missions were handled this way.

He instinctively tilted his head and looked at Murong Qing, who was reviewing the plan.

Murong Qing seemed to sense something. She looked up, and her gaze collided with Jiang Li's.

Jiang Li withdrew his gaze.

He took a deep breath.

"Perhaps Junior Sister Murong is simply taking care of the weak."

Li Xi's eyes spun, and she said nothing more. Yet her little gaze remained fixed on the two of them.

Like a little hamster sneaking food, she carried an air of furtive thievery.

At this moment,

Shen Lin, the blue-robed young man, also walked over.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you haven't been practicing sword aura for long, have you?"

Jiang Li did not understand why he asked.

But he still nodded.

From learning the Dragon Slaying Sword to mastering sword aura, then to Sword Aura Manifestation, less than a month had passed.

It truly had not been long.

"Then that's wonderful—no, I mean, I can impart some experience in the sword dao to you. We can verify our sword dao insights against each other. Consider it compensation for my dog-eyed judgment of you. What do you think?"

Shen Lin was quite earnest.

He had mastered sword aura for more than half a year. Furthermore, there were Sword Cultivators among the Transformation Class instructors, which had brought his understanding of the sword dao to an astonishing level.

Within three years, he would certainly reach the sword dao realm of Sword Aura Manifestation.

Jiang Li was tempted.

All his understanding of the sword dao came from the technique, the Dragon Slaying Sword. He truly was not certain what level he stood at.

Mutual verification would be good.

"Alright."

Jiang Li nodded.

They prepared to discuss the Dao.

Shen Lin was prepared as well.

He had many insights into the sword dao in his mind—more than enough to guide Jiang Li.

Ten minutes later.

"Huh? Is that how it works?"

Shen Lin was startled.

Thirty minutes later.

"So that's how it is. So that's how it is. The power of sword aura can actually transform in this way."

An hour later.

"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang, your sword dao insights are indeed astonishing, but they're still too profound for me. I can't quite understand them. Do you have any insights that are simpler and more low-end?"

Jiang Li smiled faintly. "Yes, yes, I do."