Three days later.
Outer Sect Plaza.
Flying Spirit Boat rental platform.
By the time Jiang Li arrived, the members of the subjugation squad were already all present.
There were six of them in total.
Four men and two women.
Murong Qing was the absolute center of attention. Dressed in plain robes, she was cool and aloof, like a winter plum blossom.
Beside her stood a young woman in green robes. Her eyes sparkled brightly, full of life, and when she smiled, two little dimples appeared on her cheeks. She had the air of a vibrant young girl.
She and Murong Qing were completely different styles.
One was cool and distant, the other sweet.
Each had her own beauty.
The remaining four male cultivators each had their own distinctive traits.
Two 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 yet a disciple of the Transformation Class, so let me introduce you."
The girl in green was named Li Xi. Her cultivation had reached the Qi Refining Level 9 Peak. She specialized in spells and had cultivated two Foundation Establishment Realm techniques.
The twin brothers were named Li Fu and Li Rong. Both had Qi Refining Peak cultivation and specialized in talismans and formations.
The young man in blue was named Shen Lin, a Sword Cultivator at Half-Step Foundation Establishment.
The burly man in leather armor was named Fang Shi, a Body Cultivator at Half-Step Foundation Establishment.
Jiang Li secretly clicked his tongue.
The Transformation Class probably referred to the Elite Training Program.
To dare name it so directly, Heavenly Mystery Holy Land clearly held great expectations for this group of geniuses.
They intended to pool their resources to nurture Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators.
Compared to these geniuses, he truly seemed much more ordinary.
"Jiang Li, Qi Refining Level 6. You could say I'm also a Sword Cultivator."
Jiang Li introduced himself.
Upon hearing that,
their reactions varied.
The twin brothers were stunned, the young man in blue frowned, the burly man in leather armor was surprised, while the girl in green was curious.
Among them,
Shen Lin, the young man in blue, reacted the most strongly.
"What is this? 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.
Among the four male cultivators, the twins only cared about formations and talismans, while the burly man in leather armor was a rough and reckless brute. He alone was a refined young gentleman, the face of the team.
But with Jiang Li here, he had been pushed into second place.
Of course,
the most important thing was still strength.
If Jiang Li had possessed Qi Refining Level 9 cultivation or above, then no matter how dissatisfied Shen Lin was, he would not have spoken up. One more person meant one more share of strength.
But Jiang Li's cultivation was too low.
He was not even in the late Qi Refining stage.
It was so low that he fundamentally did not belong in the same league as them.
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 coolly, "He won't hold us back."
Her teacher was on good terms with Elder Cui of the Law Enforcement Hall, and she had learned of Jiang Li's exploits from him. At Qi Refining Layer 4, Jiang Li had been able to slay a demonic cultivator at the Qi Refining stage. Now that he had reached 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.
On the other side,
Jiang Li had no intention of continuing to keep a low profile.
He had already accepted this mission, and the dog cultivation method, the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Art, was already sharpening its knife for pigs and sheep. He did not dare guarantee what the cultivation method might do if he gave up.
Likewise, option three required the entire subjugation 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 within the team.
Therefore,
Jiang Li began to show what he could do.
Mana surged around him, gathering at his fingertips into a solid pale-golden sword aura.
"Though my cultivation isn't high, I do have some strength. At the very least, I won't hold anyone back."
Jiang Li said modestly.
The burly man in leather armor exclaimed in surprise, "Fourth-grade Mana quality, and Sword Qi Transformation as well. An ordinary Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator likely couldn't receive that sword strike. With Junior Brother's talent, why haven't you joined the Transformation Class?"
Jiang Li smiled. "Once this subjugation operation is over, I should be able to join."
He still remembered that his requirements for joining the Transformation Class were lower than normal. He only needed to reach Qi Refining Level 7.
Once this operation ended, he would officially advance within a few days.
The Transformation Class was only one step away.
The twins also congratulated him. "Then let us congratulate Junior Brother in advance. To comprehend Sword Qi Transformation while still in the mid Qi Refining stage, Junior Brother's talent in the sword must be beyond imagination. The number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect can be none other than Junior Brother."
At those words,
Shen Lin snorted in displeasure.
He was still standing right here. What did they mean, the number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect could be none other than Jiang Li?
He had not yet established his foundation, 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, meanwhile, had comprehended Sword Qi Transformation in the mid Qi Refining stage. His talent in the sword truly far surpassed Shen Lin's.
Once Shen Lin advanced to Foundation Establishment and became an Inner Sect Disciple, Jiang Li would be the genuine number one Sword Cultivator of the Outer Sect.
He had no choice but to accept it.
Thinking of this,
Shen Lin's expression eased considerably.
"I was blind to greatness, Junior Brother Jiang. Please don't take offense. This subjugation operation is simply exceedingly dangerous. One careless mistake could result in casualties. I only didn't want anything to go wrong."
"I understand."
Jiang Li nodded.
If the dog cultivation method had not jumped out, he actually would not have wanted to wade into these muddy waters.
"Junior Brother Jiang is truly magnanimous."
Shen Lin was convinced.
He felt ashamed of his behavior in looking down on others with dog eyes.
After some pleasantries,
the atmosphere in the team became harmonious.
Murong Qing said nothing, but her expression showed that she greatly approved of Jiang Li's actions.
The subjugation squad was one whole. If a rift arose, it could easily affect their battle plan.
"Let's go."
Murong Qing was concise.
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 a county beneath Frostfeather City called Long River County. According to intelligence, these small-to-medium experimental strongholds generally have only one Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator stationed there. There will not be more than ten late Qi Refining stage cultivators, while most of the rest will be below the mid Qi Refining stage."
"One thing worth noting is that most Yin Puppet Sect disciples have Yin Corpses accompanying them. They may also possess experimental subjects grafted with demonic beast bodies. Do not let your guard down. I will resolve the Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed there as quickly as possible, then come assist you. Do not attempt to lure the enemy too deeply."
Everyone listened attentively.
None of them doubted Murong Qing's strength.
After all,
a Heavenly Spiritual Root nurtured by a Holy Land, even if she had only just entered Foundation Establishment, could not be compared with an ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. She had every right to say she would finish the battle quickly.
After discussing the battle plan, Jiang Li was preparing to rest when Li Xi, the girl in green, suddenly sidled up to him 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 weren't connected, why would Senior Sister Murong spend all that extra money renting a large Spirit Boat? We could have flown there on our swords. 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 rented a large Spirit Boat to accommodate him?
He had genuinely never considered that.
He had thought that was simply how team missions were done.
He unconsciously tilted his head and looked toward Murong Qing, who was reviewing the plan.
Murong Qing seemed to sense it. She looked up, and her gaze collided with Jiang Li's.
Jiang Li withdrew his gaze.
He drew in a breath.
"Perhaps Junior Sister Murong was just looking after the weak."
Li Xi's eyes rolled, and she said nothing further. Yet her little gaze remained fixed on the two of them.
Like a little hamster secretly foraging for food, she looked extremely furtive.
At that moment,
Shen Lin, the young man in blue, also walked over.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you haven't been practicing sword aura for long, have you?"
Jiang Li did not understand what he meant.
But he still nodded.
From learning the Dragon Slaying Sword to mastering sword aura, then reaching Sword Aura Manifestation, less than a month had passed.
It really had not been long.
"Then that's wonderful. No, I mean, I can pass on some of my sword dao experience to you. We can verify our understanding of the sword dao against each other. Consider it compensation for my dog-eyed behavior in looking down on you. What do you think?"
Shen Lin was quite serious.
He had mastered sword aura more than half a year ago. Moreover, one of the Transformation Class instructors was a Sword Cultivator. This had brought Shen Lin's 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 of his understanding of the sword dao came from the technique Dragon Slaying Sword. He truly was not sure what level he was at.
Mutual verification would be good.
"Alright."
Jiang Li nodded.
They prepared to discuss the Dao.
Shen Lin was ready as well.
He had many insights into the sword dao in his mind, more than enough to guide Jiang Li.
Ten minutes later,
"Eh? Is that how it works?"
Shen Lin was shocked.
Thirty minutes later,
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is. So the power of sword aura can transform in this way as well."
An hour later,
"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang, your insights into the sword dao 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-level?"
Jiang Li smiled faintly. "Yes, yes, I do."
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