When the sun started to appear on the horizon, the sound of the wind could be heard on the training grounds.
Ling Xu had woken up early, eager to start training in the Three Purities Sword technique.
Moving the sword, he made the three basic moves of the sword, slashing horizontally, then vertically and at last thrusting into the air.
Repeating this cycle for a long time without stopping, Ling Xu couldn't remember how many times he had done every sword move.
[Name]: Ling Xu
[Realm]: 7th stage of Blood Qi (48%)
[Cultivation]: Basic Blood Circulation (perfection), Existence Shadow Will (27,1%)
[Techniques]: Three Purities Sword (entry 3%), Blood Thread Transformation (completed)
After two hours of nonstop training, Ling Xu observed the small change in his status panel.
"I can't believe it's this hard to progress without the help of the enlightenment, I still have a long way to go until I reach perfection in the Three Purities Sword technique."
Planning to use the enlightenment after waiting a bit longer, Ling Xu didn't stop swinging the sword, trying his best to do the correct technique.
"I wasn't the first to wake up this early in the morning, I wonder who the other person is."
Apart from Ling Xu, another person could be seen entering the training grounds.
Not noticing the other person, he kept moving his body, making the wind sound wherever the sword went to.
"To have such focus while displaying the entry level of the Three Purities Sword technique. I didn't expect him to be so diligent."
After a few minutes, the person observing Ling Xu's technique noticed something strange whenever he saw him swinging the sword.
"Why do I feel that senior brother Xu has started to learn to use the sword for a very short time?"
The person that was observing him was none other than the self-proclaimed junior brother who struck up a conversation in the selection of disciples.
Xiao Lao could see that Ling Xu was having a hard time slashing his sword, not because of a lack of strength as that was what he had the most.
The problem was placed in the precise control it required to land the sword in the same spot without damaging the technique.
Right now, Xiao Lao had a shocked face, seeing his new senior brother having a hard time to do something that every person his age had already mastered when they were still at Lesser Crimson Town.
After all, every young cultivator who aspires to enter Formless Sword Sect has to previously practice any kind of sword technique.
In this way, once they enter the sect, they won't have to struggle just like Ling Xu and will be able to learn the foundational sword technique much faster.
Unable to properly swing the sword without having several mistakes done in the same sword movement, Xiao Lao couldn't see anymore.
He decided not to bother his senior brother as he admired his absolute focus, which was the only thing that could be scrapped from his pathetic sword performance.
Unsheathing his own sword, he also started practicing the basic moves of the Three Purities Sword technique.
…
"Ufff..ufff..ufff."
Another hour passed and Ling Xu had finally ended his training, sheathing the sword inside the scabbard he got from a small shop.
He was sweating a lot as he had used every bit of his body's strength to assist in the technique, although he was far from doing so.
"Is that Xiao Lao?"
A dozen meters apart from him, he found that his junior brother Lao had also been training in the Three Purities Sword technique after arriving to the training grounds.
He saw him swing his sword with great precision, making almost no effort at landing the sword to the same spot.
"Amazing! To have such precise control, I wonder how much effort it took him to reach this level."
Noticing that Ling Xu had ended his training, Xiao Lao also stopped and took the sweat off his forehead.
"Greetings, senior brother."
"Good morning, junior brother."
Ling Xu still couldn't shake off the strange feeling of being called senior brother by someone else as he had no blood relatives and he wasn't accustomed to the etiquette used in this world yet.
"Senior brother Xu, can I ask you something?" taking him out from his thoughts, Xiao Lao asked carefully.
"Sure, what is it?"
All of a sudden, Ling Xu could see him looking to the side as he was hesitating quite a bit about the question he wanted to ask.
Understanding what worried his junior, he clarified "Don't worry, whatever it is I won't feel offended."
Hearing those few words, Xiao Lao looked up again and asked right away "The thing is that when I saw you training, although I was surprised by your great focus, I felt as if it was almost your first time in using the sword."
"So that was it." Ling Xu's eyes opened, realizing that his junior didn't want to offend him by suggesting that his technique was worse than trash, in case he had practiced the sword for a very long time.
"I didn't expect you to see right through me after observing for such a short time, was it that obvious?"
Although Xiao Lao heard the answer he expected, he was still very shocked at his response.
After all, who would enter a sect that mainly taught the sword without having any previous training with it.
"For those who have just entered the sect, it's actually not that obvious."
"Uh.. then why did you manage to figure it out if the rest isn't able?"
"It's not that I'm special or anything of the sort, but I have quite a bit of talent when it comes to the sword."
Ling Xu was surprised by his junior's words as he didn't expect him to be talented in something, not because his impression of him was poor but because he only knew his name and the fact that they have entered the same sect.
"You may not know but the majority of those who entered the sect have already learned their own sword techniques, reaching the proficient level of mastery in it. But I have managed to reach the great success level, allowing me to learn faster the Three Purities Sword technique and to discern better between the sword techniques of those who have a lower level of mastery."
Ling Xu remembered hearing, while walking to where the selection of disciples took place, that even before the kids awaken the blood qi they already started learning to use the sword.
There are even kids who start learning the sword before they reach the age of ten years old.
A great example is the young lady of the Yu family, who has touched the sword ever since she was eight years old. Surpassing every one of her generation in the use of the sword, after working extremely hard for so many years.
"I never expected with your cultivation level to have not touched a sword before, is it possible that you aren't originally from Lesser Crimson Town?" asked Xiao Lao confused about Ling Xu's origin.
Hearing a question that put him quite on the spot, he reacted very fast "You are right, I come from a small place that is several weeks apart from the town."
Ling Xu continued with the same explanation the guard at the entrance of the town created for him, as that was the fastest answer that appeared in his mind.
"If you came from such a remote place, then how were you able to get a high grade semi-treasure sword?"
"Are questions the only thing you can do?" left speechless, Ling Xu thought of something else.
After all, it was very strange for someone who came from a small place to have a weapon that only the young masters from the three big families at Lesser Crimson Town had.
"It was a gift from the entire village as I was their only hope to enter a big sect like Formless Sword Sect."
Hearing his senior's explanation, Xiao Lao finally had no more doubts "So that is the reason why you have one."
Thinking of the pressure Ling Xu must feel, he tried comforting him "It must have been very hard on you to have such high expectations."
"It's okay, I use them as my motivation to move forward."
Finally leaving his junior without anymore questions, he could finally ask his piece.
"Anyway, what task did you chose?"
"I chose to feed the life stock, what about you?"
"I chose to guard the border of the sect's array."
"I wonder how these tasks will be, I only chose mine because I didn't know better but who knows. If you decide on changing tasks next month you can come with me, I will try my best in guiding you." puffing out his chest, he had an expression of having a big back to rely on.
Ling Xu looked at him feeling funny, he never expected his junior to try to take his senior brother status after giving it to him so willingly a day before.
"That would be fine."
Ling Xu and Xiao Lao then departed in different directions after hearing the sound of the bell that could be sensed throughout the periphery of the sect.
This bell was the signal for him and the rest of the menial workers to go to their respective stations and start completing their tasks of the day.
…
After a stick of incense passed, Ling Xu was already in the station waiting to be instructed.
He was in a small circle, next to dozens of new disciples who came from different towns and cities.
Looking around, he only recognized one person who also came from Lesser Crimson Town just like him.
It was Ma Dongpil, the young master of the Ma family.
Even if the rest were from the same town, Ling Xu wouldn't know as he didn't know anyone.
The only reason he recognized him was because he was the young master of one of the three families who ruled the town.
Feeling someone's gaze, Ma Dongpil turned around, meeting Ling Xu's eyes with quite the fierce look.
"It's him!" he thought inwardly.
Ling Xu didn't know but the young master of the Ma family had already gotten his eyes on him.
After seeing the special attention that Xie Lan paid at him, he couldn't help but wonder which person from the younger generation would be able to get it.
So once Ling Xu was selected and Ma Dongpil saw him going up the flying boat, he had already gotten his face imprinted in his mind.
Taking away his eyes from the intense staring of the young master, Ling Xu tried to get his attention off of him.
Although it felt weird, he never expected to get from this small exchange without words his first rival.
A few more seconds passed and someone finally appeared, going up the small platform so he could get the attention of everyone.
"She looks so fierce."
"How can a woman look so dominant?"
Hearing the whispers of several disciples, Ling Xu also looked at the woman who had gone up the platform inadvertently.
"Greeting everyone, I'm the outer disciple and your senior sister Zhou Shan. You can call me senior sister Shan."
"Why does she speak so soft?" he was bewildered hearing her delicate voice, which didn't match at all her outer appearance.
"The task of guarding the border of the sect's array is simple, you only need to patrol around the area you are assigned and when you find a beast you kill it."
Feeling the strong intent contained in the word kill, everyone recovered from their previous impression and remembered that they were looking at a seasoned disciple who had fought against several beasts.
The mark on the left side of her face showed it clearly, having a scar that went from the top of her left eye and passed right through it, all the way to her cheek.