Chapter 611: What's It Like to Be an Undercover Agent in a Cultivation Sect?

I contacted the two Red Essence Daoists.

Like Tang Luo and the others, the two of them also basically confirmed their plan to infiltrate the Shu Mountain Sword Sect and the Hidden Sword Mountain Villa.

This made Tang Luo and the others suspect for a while that, in the end, when they revealed themselves, the various major sects would lift their clothes—

Unexpected, huh! I'm the undercover agent.

What, I'm also an undercover agent!

Me too!

So everyone is actually an undercover agent?

Such an embarrassing situation.

Before Tang Luo and the others gave them the method, the two Red Essence Daoists naturally also had means to infiltrate the two major sects, namely the remnant pages of Jiang Shang's Investiture of the Gods.

Jiang Shang has the fate of Jiang Ziya, just like Red Essence Daoist, and their original names were worn away over a hundred years.

Besides their old acquaintances and themselves, no one knows their real names.

Zeus and Odin are the same.

Jiang Shang has in his possession two items that best represent the identity of his fate's holder: one is the equipment, the God-Beating Whip; the other is the item—the remnant pages of the Investiture of the Gods!

The contract signed by the Martial Arts Myth is something Jiang Shang conjured up using the remnant pages of the Investiture of the Gods.

Whether the God-Beating Whip and the Investiture of the Gods remnant pages are related to the two treasures of the Mountain and Sea Realm, Tang Luo and the others are unclear.

First, they only caught a glimpse of Jiang Shang's God-Beating Whip in this mission, which looks like a decent treasure.

Second, even if Tang Luo and the others obtained Jiang Shang's God-Beating Whip and Investiture of the Gods remnant pages to study them a bit, at most they could only judge whether these two items are powerful or not.

Because even Zhu Bajie has never seen the true God-Beating Whip and Investiture of the Gods.

It should be said that even Jiang Ziya has never seen them, let alone his treasure.

Just as Red Essence Daoist and the others would not deliberately go inquiring into or investigating Tang Luo and the others' secrets, Tang Luo and the others would not casually take someone else's vital equipment to study it carefully.

The friendship of gentlemen is as light as water; we seek common ground while reserving differences, and mutual help is enough.

One day later, Qi Jinghuan received the answer from the three that they all planned to seek wealth through danger, and he laughed, happily making various promises.

The big pie was drawn very large.

Regarding how the three would enter the Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect, Qi Jinghuan also made arrangements.

It would definitely not work for all three to enter at once.

In two months, the Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect will have an open recruitment for disciples, and Qi Jinghuan needs two people to enter through this method.

As for the third, Qi Jinghuan can directly use his sect's recommendation power to send him into the Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect, and it can be done in a few days.

A typical case of using connections.

Qi Jinghuan let Tang Luo and the others discuss among themselves who would go first and who would follow later.

In terms of cultivation, it's not a problem; entering with Foundation Establishment level and bringing skills is fine.

The Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect does not mind new disciples having a certain cultivation foundation, but the highest allowed is Foundation Establishment.

Tang Luo and the three all meet the requirements, so Qi Jinghuan doesn't need to make any further arrangements.

The result of their discussion was naturally that Tang Luo would go first to scout the way, with Zhu Bajie and Ao Yu Lie following later.

Before that, the two would also conveniently scout this Sword-Destroying Alliance.

Regarding the situation of the Sword-Destroying Alliance, Qi Jinghuan did not reveal more, only saying, "Our comrades are everywhere, and their traces can be found in every place."

For the incoming undercover Tang Luo, he only said that the Sword-Destroying Alliance has undercover seniors who will secretly look after him.

Let him not worry.

As for who specifically, he cannot tell Tang Luo for now.

This is reasonable; although Qi Jinghuan keeps saying everyone is absolutely an ally and comrade-in-arms, newcomers just entering would want to know the organization's big secret, which is absolutely not allowed.

There must be a period of observation.

The Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect is located on a towering mountain range, but not in the usual way sects are built against mountains.

Instead, a rift was split in the middle, forming a valley; the valley is not naturally formed but man-made, and its overall shape resembles a sword.

A sword slanting, pointing obliquely toward the sky.

The hilt's position is the sect's gate; standing at the gate, one can see a sharp peak piercing the clouds, as if holding up the heavens.

That is the tip of the blade, and also the highest point of the sect.

Legend says this valley was split open by the founding ancestor's sword.

Like other sects, the Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect is divided into outer and inner doors.

Newly entered disciples are all outer door disciples, arranged in the same place, where they can receive some cultivation methods, spells, and supernatural powers to practice on their own.

A "Sword Discussion Course" is scheduled every three days.

The Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect holds large-scale open recruitment every two years, with numbers ranging from a few hundred to two thousand, and during this period, many like Tang Luo who enter through connections become outer door disciples.

Outer door disciples are mostly at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment levels, with a few at Golden Core.

To become an inner door disciple, there are two requirements: one is Golden Core cultivation, and the other is passing the sect's trial.

The latter is mandatory; if one can pass the sect's trial, even without Golden Core cultivation, one can become an inner door disciple.

Conversely, if one has Golden Core cultivation but fails the trial,

one remains an outer door disciple.

Legend says that among ten thousand people, fewer than ten Golden Core disciples are like this—having reached that cultivation level but failing the trial.

"Ten years, I hope you can become an outer door disciple; as long as your strength is sufficient, promotion will absolutely not be a problem." Before sending Tang Luo into the sect, Qi Jinghuan put forward his requirement, "Also, a few months later, when you meet your two friends, there's no need to pretend not to know each other; just look out for one another."

"Ten years?"

"If really not possible, fifteen years……" Qi Jinghuan stepped back, "You have great potential; I'm optimistic about you."

"Ten years is too long, isn't it?" Tang Luo said, "I'd rather go in earlier."

"......??" Qi Jinghuan's face was full of question marks. "Kid, where does your confidence come from?"

You have to understand, back then he sent in an undercover agent who was supposedly a genius into the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate — not as a recommendation, but through normal channels.

The agreement was three years to enter the inner gate, but it became three years and another three years, three years and another three years; nearly ten years have passed already, and still no movement.

Qi Jinghuan helplessly made some inquiries, and the result was that the agent was still wasting away in the outer gate.

From then on, Qi Jinghuan set his target at ten years; set your requirements too high, your expectations too high, and in the end you'll only disappoint yourself.

He didn't expect another one who boasts big would come this time.

Qi Jinghuan didn't say anything further; he patted Tang Luo's shoulder, encouraged him a bit, and admonished: "Remember, once you enter, forget your identity as an undercover agent. Don't be restless and eager to act unless you see this mark. Only upon seeing this mark may you act! If you don't see it, you're just an ordinary Soaring Heaven Sword Gate disciple, understand!"

The final admonition was extremely stern; at the same time, he drew a mark of a shattered object in the void.

Tang Luo was sent in by him via direct recommendation.

Once something goes wrong, it will inevitably implicate Qi Jinghuan, equivalent to severing an important channel.

Therefore, Tang Luo belongs to the deep-cover agent among deep-cover agents; in spy warfare terms, he doesn't move unless necessary, but one move means a major event occurs, and moreover he moves only once.

Tang Luo nodded, behaving very calmly.

Qi Jinghuan quite appreciated these three people's calm quality; truth be told, he'd seen no small number of non-sword cultivators.

But beautiful jade as suitable for undercover work as these three people was truly rare.

These few — they're born material for undercover work!

After a few more words of encouragement, Qi Jinghuan promised that if possible, he would come check on Tang Luo.

This was only right and proper; after all, Tang Luo was someone he had directly recommended.

And so, Tang Luo officially began his undercover career.

After entering the gate, he soon felt something was off!

What kind of experience is being an outer gate disciple in most major cultivation sects?

According to Tang Luo's superficial understanding, it's basically a university student's experience.

Look: a sword-discussion class once every three days, attend or not as you please, no one manages you.

The External Affairs Hall offers various missions; completing them yields rewards to sustain cultivation needs — if you have money yourself, you don't need to take missions at all, just cultivate.

If you want to obtain better cultivation methods and sword arts from the sect, you still need to complete missions; money alone can't buy them.

Clearly it should be this kind of relaxed, carefree, entirely self-motivated life with no one supervising.

But why is the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate's outer gate's style different?

A vast training ground, a simple commercial street, an External Affairs Hall, a plaza arranged around a giant sword serving as the "classroom" for "sword-discussion classes."

Besides that, just rows upon rows, neatly aligned little huts, divided into two areas total — the men's camp and the women's camp.

The male-to-female ratio is nine to one, 9:1; this ratio is quite exaggerated.

You have to know, in ordinary sects, the male-to-female ratio among cultivators is roughly six to four.

Yet the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate has such an exaggerated male-to-female ratio; even beyond the outer gate, going upward, overall the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate's male-to-female cultivator ratio hovers around 8:2.

"Was this place a monk temple before?" This was Tang Luo's complaint.

The real situation is that the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate implements militarized management!

That's right, the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate's outer gate uses troop-training methods to train these outer gate disciples.

Qi Refining early, middle, late stages; Foundation Establishment early, middle, late stages — six camps total.

Conducting troop training: ten men a squad, five squads a platoon; squad leaders, platoon leaders, six camp commanders, and above them a chief camp commander.

The seven camp commanders are seven Golden Core cultivators — completely different from the rumored situation of being unable to enter the inner gate because they couldn't pass the trial.

Before this, Qi Jinghuan hadn't mentioned any of this at all.

The Soaring Heaven Sword Gate's outer gate is actually like this!

This guy deliberately concealed this information; after all, cultivators are all free!

"This old brat is so sinister, and this Sword Gate is actually such a trap?" Ao Yulie said, instantly losing interest in the undercover assignment.

He is a free dragon!

"Master, then you right now......"

"Listening to the squad leader give me a lecture." Tang Luo said with a smile, not angry at all.

The lodging, on the basis of being divided into men's camp and women's camp, is further divided into six parts.

After Tang Luo entered the gate, due to his middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he joined a squad in the second camp, making this squad's headcount become six.

This squad was the second camp's last; like Tang Luo, all five squad members were connection-based entrants.

The squad leader wasn't; the squad leader had stayed in the outer gate for several years, and his cultivation advanced to middle stage.

He was then transferred over to lead the new connection-based entrants.

If any more middle-stage Foundation Establishment connection-based entrants enter, they'll also be added to Tang Luo's squad.

Excluding Tang Luo, among the four cultivators the earliest to enter was one month ago, the latest was three days earlier than Tang Luo.

This lecture wasn't just addressed to Tang Luo.

It's said the outer gate's situation like this is because that Golden Core chief camp commander, before becoming a cultivator, was a general who drilled troops and fought wars.

Strength extraordinary; with Golden Core cultivation he fought a Nascent Soul cultivator, a protagonist template of cross-level battle.

This person deeply felt the Soaring Heaven Sword Gate outer gate disciples' laxness, proposed it to the Sect Master, and initiated the "university student military training mode."

It's been trialed for ten-odd years now, with quite good results.

Soaring Heaven Sword Gate disciples fight in formations, like warfare, extremely fierce!