Chapter 612

Under the blazing sun, Tang Luo and a few others stood on the training ground, their captain standing right before them.

Other squads were nearby.

Normally, such temperature and scorching sun would be nothing to Foundation Establishment cultivators—just standing there, even for ten or so days, would cause no problem.

But the periphery of their area had a sword formation set up, so everyone felt a suppressing force.

Under such strong suppression, standing like this became agony.

Currently, among all outer disciples, fewer than ten are ordinary people who, after joining, have not yet drawn Qi into their bodies and become cultivators.

They do not need to participate in training now.

After large-scale recruitment of disciples, those without cultivation will formally train while drawing Qi into their bodies, embarking on the path of immortality.

Now, those without cultivation are all connected through relations, so they won't make the already-cultivated outer disciples train together—they couldn't bear it.

Just the suppression from the sword formation is enough to make ordinary people collapse to the ground, unable to stand.

The captain standing before Tang Luo and them had dark skin, a fierce aura, scars on his face, a cruel smile at the corner of his mouth, and not a trace of the immortal wind and Dao bones aura of cultivators.

Even though in this world everyone is a sword cultivator, and cultivators generally have a sharp aura, lacking somewhat in immortal aura.

Ordinary sword cultivators, compared to this captain, would be considered immortals among men.

This man gives the impression that if you gave him a sword, he could wield it like a great cleaver.

"You, dissatisfied?"

His gaze lingered on Tang Luo and the five for a moment; the man named Yi Longtao sneered and asked.

Besides the cultivator who had just arrived three days ago glancing dissatisfiedly, the other three made no extra movements.

It's the custom in the military: for new recruits, you must properly wear down their sharpness, smooth out the troublemakers before they can be managed well.

Especially those who can enter the Qing Tian Sword Sect—all are capable.

This ability: for those with connections, it shows in their connections; for normal entrants, it shows in talent and cultivation.

Among those with connections, troublemakers are especially numerous, unavoidably troublesome, so they must be strongly suppressed—pressed until these people break down, even pressed into obedient, fighting dead soldiers—no problem, no need to worry about anything going wrong.

Because truly powerful people or super geniuses would not appear in the outer sect.

These, frankly speaking, are neither high nor low.

"You're dissatisfied, I can see it." Yi Longtao looked at the young man who joined the sect three days before Tang Luo, "Come, tell me what you're dissatisfied with."

"We are cultivators, not soldiers." The young man said.

Lu Ren self-taught, cleverly saved a noble, entered the Qing Tian Sword Sect—however you look, he's a protagonist template.

As a result, upon arriving at the Qing Tian Sword Sect, it turned out to be this situation?

No way! I came here to become the strongest sword cultivator, but now I'm being made into a soldier?

"Hah." Yi Longtao sneered, "Cultivator? You trash—do you even deserve that?"

"You!"

"What, being called trash makes you angry? What, you think joining my Qing Tian Sword Sect, achieving Foundation Establishment cultivation, means you're not trash?" Yi Longtao began mocking, "You don't even know what trash is!"

"I am not trash!" Young man Lu Ren growled low.

Seeing Lu Ren's appearance, Yi Longtao was very satisfied—this is exactly the reaction he wanted.

Anger them, then shatter their self-respect—this works best.

Yi Longtao is just like that; now he wants to return what he himself endured back then—if they can't bear it, let them explode.

Now in the Qing Tian Sword Sect, we don't accept trash!

"Not trash, good." Yi Longtao contemptuously patted Lu Ren's face, "I'll give you a chance to prove it—come defeat me, and I'll admit you're not trash."

"Good!"

Lu Ren couldn't withstand this provocation? He let out a fierce shout, slapped his waist, and the hidden small sword flew out, transforming in his hand into a three-foot blue blade!

"Stand by and rest!"

Many squads nearby had issued such orders; many people looked at Lu Ren with eyes full of schadenfreude and sympathy.

The poor little friend doesn't yet know what he'll encounter next.

That guy Yi Longtao doesn't know what "knowing when to stop" means.

Back then, his own captain accidentally struck him severely; after healing, he was left with aftereffects, stuck at Foundation Establishment for life.

And his captain was a "second-generation sword" from the Qing Tian Sword Sect just playing around—although he struck a little harshly, his intentions were good, just a minor, insignificant mistake.

He was merely recalled, no longer serving as captain, counted as punishment.

Yi Longtao has never been able to take revenge on others in his life, nor does he have the courage to leave the sect, so he can only swing his sword at others.

His squad members are always especially miserable.

Mental torment is more common—for example, now, with everyone watching later, it won't be as simple as just being defeated.

Yi Longtao will use various methods to trample this young man's dignity.

The other captains and squad leaders won't be like Yi Longtao—they'll always give a big stick then a sweet date.

They just let those who aren't very new recruits watch, to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, making them more reverent.

After all, increased strength makes people swell with pride.

The three-foot blue blade in Lu Ren's hand was wrapped in a faint blue glow, sharp yet carrying a hint of vibrant vitality.

Even the suppression from the sword formation had lessened somewhat, and his whole body felt much more relaxed.

In the future, when he comprehends and cultivates sword intent, it will most likely be wood sword intent.

Though wearing gray cloth clothes, at this moment Lu Ren looked like a sword immortal.

Opposite him, Yi Longtao gripped a black great sword, its blade as wide as a palm, the dark blade bearing dull bloodstains, a bloody smell assaulting the face.

Lu Ren, however, felt no fear—he had come from a loose cultivator to now, his path all along being one of slaughter and battle.

A mere bit of bloodstain and bloody smell—what's that? A fart!

Yi Longtao's brows furrowed imperceptibly. This guy — he's not an easy opponent to deal with.

Fortunately, this is his home turf.

"Huu—"

A dull sound of air being torn rang out; because of the sword array, the battle between these two Foundation Establishment sword cultivators looked just like a duel between mortal martial artists.

Three feet of green edge and the black heavy sword collided together.

What should have been an evenly matched clash instead sent Lu Ren flying backward directly; midair he vomited a large mouthful of fresh blood, yet at the same time he forced himself to hold on, fingers forming a sword seal, and his figure flashed.

Sword Control Technique!

The sharp sword in his hand flew out, stabbing toward Yi Longtao, but under the sword array's suppression, the sword light that should have been swift as wind was now very slow.

Slow enough that Yi Longtao could easily block it with his black heavy sword, letting Lu Ren's sharp sword fall to the side — he even deliberately stepped on it.

"I said you're trash, why just won't you believe it?" Yi Longtao grinned savagely, walking toward Lu Ren.

"You—" Lu Ren was heavily injured, unable to even speak properly.

He wasn't stupid; the moment they clashed just now, he sensed that the other party hadn't been subjected to the sword array's suppression at all.

As captain, he can lift the sword array's suppression.

That's why Lu Ren suffered such a crushing defeat; otherwise the outcome would have been unknown.

"That kid's talent and strength are pretty good."

"Letting Yi Longtao mess with him like this — won't it be a waste?"

"Forget it, none of our business. The Sword Gate has never lacked geniuses; those who die young never count as geniuses."

In some minor sects, the ability Lu Ren displayed might be treasured as a supreme treasure; any way you look at it, he has the potential to reach Nascent Soul.

For a minor sect, Nascent Soul is a foundation, a sect-guarding elder.

But in the Soaring Sword Gate, a Nascent Soul cultivator might not even qualify to become an elder.

Yi Longtao walked up to Lu Ren, bent down, grabbed his ankle, and dragged him along.

Lu Ren struggled laboriously, utterly powerless to resist.

The training ground was dirt and stone; after being dragged a stretch, Lu Ren's topknot came undone, his face gray with dust, plus the bloodstains — where was the sword immortal bearing from just now? He didn't even compare to a beggar.

"What are you doing…" Lu Ren spoke with difficulty.

"Let everyone get a good look at you, this piece of trash." Yi Longtao said, "From start to finish, in meticulous detail."

Lu Ren's reaction was still fairly quick; he looked toward that giant sword in the middle of the training ground.

He understood what Yi Longtao intended to do — he wanted to hang him up there, and hang him up there stripped naked!

"You dare!" Lu Ren's voice turned sharp.

"You're really smart." Yi Longtao said with a smile, "In this respect, you're not quite trash."

Dragging the ceaselessly struggling, utterly helpless Lu Ren past Tang Luo, Yi Longtao stopped, glanced at him, and said: "Next up is you."

Since he's already made a move, this one naturally can't be let off either.

Moreover, for some reason, Yi Longtao found this white-haired man very displeasing to the eye — the kind that comes from the bottom of his heart.

Even though the other party didn't act like a troublemaker at all, that bearing, those eyes, made Yi Longtao very angry.

"No need for 'next up'." Sure enough, Yi Longtao got his confirmation; just as he turned around, he heard Tang Luo's voice from behind.

"Right now works too."

Tang Luo looked at the turning-back Yi Longtao and said.

As an undercover agent, one naturally has to climb upward.

An undercover agent who doesn't want to be the boss isn't a good monk.

If you don't undercover your way to becoming the organization's number one, what's the difference from a salted fish?

"Fine, since you're also in a rush to be hung up." Yi Longtao tossed Lu Ren aside.

As an undercover agent, me becoming a sect master shouldn't be a problem, right?

"He won't—" Lu Ren tried to warn Tang Luo, but the quick-eyed, fast-handed Yi Longtao kicked him unconscious, knocking out several teeth.

Even with a Foundation Establishment cultivator's recovery ability, teeth regrow relatively slowly — at least a month or two.

The black heavy sword he'd been gripping all along lifted, pointing at Tang Luo; Yi Longtao said: "Draw your sword!"

A sword cultivator naturally fights with a sword.

Thus, under everyone's watchful eyes, Tang Luo pulled out a black short rod with golden patterns — Xuan Bian.

???

The onlookers' expressions instantly turned strange; what is this thing? It doesn't look like a sword pellet either.

Although there are all kinds of swords — short swords, long swords, giant swords, paired swords, flexible swords, and the like — a sword's form never escapes that framework.

The only different one is the tiny, round sword pellet.

"This is my sword pellet." Facing everyone's puzzled gazes, Tang Luo explained.

"Your family's sword pellet looks like THIS!" Some people nearly blurted out.

It's clearly a short rod!

Moreover, a sword pellet isn't something a Foundation Establishment cultivator can master; at minimum one must reach Golden Core to transform a sword pellet into a sword for combat.

Everyone saw that white-haired man grip the short rod, sword essence surge out along the short rod, about to condense into form by relying on the short rod.

"Oh…" The crowd realized.

Very similar to a sword pellet, achieving the same end by different means; however, unlike a sword pellet, it cannot leave the hand — it counts as a rare exotic weapon.

"Y-o-u— t-h-i-s— i-s— w-h-a-t!"

The next breath, Yi Longtao enunciated word by word.

That short rod transformed into a black, gold-patterned large hammer.

"This is a sword."

Tang Luo's face was serious. "Named 'Wang · Great Hammer,' it is the invincible divine sword Master Wang the blacksmith next door forged for me."