After answering the city lord’s questions, Wu Tao immediately fell silent, not uttering another unnecessary word.
Having finished speaking, he lowered his head, maintaining that impeccably respectful demeanor that no one could fault.
At this moment, the gazes of these dozen or so Nascent Soul stage powerhouses seemed to have withdrawn, no longer fixed on Wu Tao.
However, Wu Tao could clearly sense that the attention of these dozen or so Nascent Soul stage powerhouses remained fixed on him, never once wavering.
…
As these dozen or so terrifying probing gazes, against which he had no means of resistance or concealment, fell upon him, Wu Tao instantly felt as if everything about him had been exposed.
The sudden sensation of his deepest secrets being peered into flashed through his mind.
Sensing this, Wu Tao became extremely uneasy, yet he showed absolutely no outward signs of it.
"Logically, after you advanced to the Core Formation stage, you should have been promoted to a captain of one of the A-grade squads."
"However, you only have early Core Formation stage cultivation and have not made any significant contributions to Tongguan City. If you were to be given the position of a squad captain, it would be against the rules."
"According to the established procedure, you have three options. One option is to withdraw from the thirty-six A-grade squads and become a captain in one of the B-grade squads, or a grand captain in the C-grade squads…"
"However, the Supreme Elder of Tongguan City, the Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang, has taken a liking to you and believes you are very suitable to be his personal disciple. He has also offered you a position as a deputy director of the War Preparedness Department…"
"Now, I shall ask you, are you willing to become a disciple of Supreme Elder Green Robe?"
The Supreme Elder of Tongguan City, the Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang, was a cultivator with a fearsome reputation within Tongguan City and among the surrounding alien races.
With his early Nascent Soul stage cultivation, he was a figure of considerable renown throughout the human race.
After becoming Shangguan Yujie's disciple, Wu Tao clearly understood how beneficial having a good teacher was for his future path.
"Hahaha… boy, this Supreme Elder truly, truly likes you, which is why I personally spoke to the City Lord. What do you say, agree or not?"
Not long after Tongguan City Lord Xie Yunsheng finished speaking, and before Wu Tao could even react, a man clad in green robes strode up to Wu Tao.
He was a tall man, wearing a green robe, with an incredibly resolute face.
Wu Tao felt that ever since he stepped into the main hall of the City Lord's mansion, his own intelligence felt somewhat inadequate.
First, he was startled by the words of Tongguan City Lord Xie Yunsheng, and now this Green Robe Supreme Elder had immediately created such a situation. With so many things happening at once, how could he not be stunned?
After a moment of stunned silence, Wu Tao immediately regained his senses and said with utmost respect, "So it is Elder Green Robe. This junior thanks the Supreme Elder for his kind intentions…"
As soon as Wu Tao finished speaking, a smile immediately appeared on Tuoba Yang's face.
If outsiders were to see this, they would think Tuoba Yang was some elder relative of Wu Tao.
However, when Wu Tao saw the smile on Tuoba Yang’s face, his heart skipped a beat, because he did not wish to become Tuoba Yang’s disciple. After all, he already had a master.
As the saying goes, a master for a day is a father for life.
He did not want to take another master when he already had one.
Before Wu Tao could think of a tactful excuse to refuse, Tuoba Yang spoke again.
"Don't worry, as long as you agree to be my personal disciple, I guarantee that I will use all my resources to help you advance to the Nascent Soul stage and take my place."
As soon as Tuoba Yang finished speaking, he looked at Wu Tao with an extremely earnest gaze, filled with fondness, truly as if a master and disciple were conversing.
Wu Tao was cornered by this statement. Before these people had appeared, he had envisioned many scenarios and had even prepared himself for a desperate battle.
However, the scenes unfolding before him were completely different from what he had imagined, and could even be said to not align with it in the slightest.
As if sensing Wu Tao's "predicament," one of the figures seated at the table suddenly spoke.
"City Lord, Brother Tuoba, I believe this child is not yet aware of why you both favor him. Could we perhaps postpone the matter of taking a disciple and first confirm what kind of talent this child possesses?"
This vice city lord, who suddenly intervened, Lu Liang, a cultivator in the middle Nascent Soul stage, was the father of Lu Yuehua.
Upon hearing Lu Liang’s words, Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang let out a cold snort, thinking to himself that he would indeed come to cause trouble.
The City Lord and the other Supreme Elders nodded in agreement, as did everyone else.
Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang had black hair, a silver crown, and wore robes of emerald green. His face was like warm jade, his eyes shone like stars, and his long beard flowed gracefully. Judging by his appearance, he was a figure of divine stature.
"Since that is the case, I shall do it myself. Defeating the young master of Old Man Hong’s family, who is in the Core Formation stage, with only Foundation Establishment stage cultivation must mean he possesses some sort of Innate Physique. But I am extremely curious as to what kind of physique it is…"
Hearing Lu Liang’s words, Tuoba Yang’s vigilance greatly increased. Without asking for Wu Tao’s consent, he took a step forward and appeared before Wu Tao.
As he spoke, he suddenly extended his right hand and slapped towards Wu Tao's head.
Hong Tongtian, seeing this scene, could not help but his face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Several malicious schemes immediately flashed through his mind.
Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang paid no mind to what others were thinking. Before Wu Tao could even conceive of dodging, Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang's palm landed on him.
"Bang!!!"
Immobilized. The moment Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang's palm touched his head, Wu Tao found himself completely unable to move. His internal power was confined by a tangible domain.
Knowing what kind of being was acting against him, Wu Tao did not expect to be able to resist when the other party acted. However, he did not let down his guard either, silently informing Youmeng in his sea of consciousness as a precaution.
The instant Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang's palm pressed against Wu Tao's head, streams of pure green light lit up on that hand.
Assimilation!!!
That is, I become one with all things in the world, transforming the power of heaven and earth into my own power. This is the simplest ability within a domain.
In layman's terms, it is to borrow the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and resonate it with one's own spiritual power to unleash the strongest attack.
Although Wu Tao had seen Youmeng's domain before, due to Youmeng's own circumstances, she had always found it difficult to unleash the full power of her domain.
Seeing Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang instantly merge with the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy, Wu Tao's horizons were greatly broadened.
The moment the green light appeared, Wu Tao immediately sensed a supremely gentle power entering his body.
As soon as this power entered, it instantly enveloped Wu Tao's entire body.
From head to toe, every inch of his body was under the domain's shroud, and all his secrets were laid bare.
Except for one place, which Wu Tao had always worried about. Fortunately, although the domain’s power was immense, Youmeng also possessed a domain.
The mutual collision and cancellation of domains resisted that probing force.
A familiar yet unfamiliar aura surged up. As soon as this aura appeared, it completely occupied Wu Tao's entire mind.
In the main hall of the City Lord's mansion, a dozen pairs of eyes were now all fixed on Wu Tao.
There, a figure was undergoing a jaw-dropping transformation. Within Wu Tao's body, there seemed to be inexplicable changes occurring.
After being swept by the domain, a thin strand of golden-yellow sword light had emerged in his dantian.
This golden-yellow sword light was filled with an astonishing aura of sharpness. It seemed like sword energy, yet it was also somewhat not. This was the innate sword energy hidden within Wu Tao's body.
At this moment, it seemed as if the innate sword energy was angered by this domain power. The innate sword energy hummed and was about to break free from his body.
Shocked, he hurriedly reined in his thoughts, trying to restrain the innate sword energy, but it was of no use. The innate sword energy still seeped out of his body.
"Chirp…"
Instantly, a sword's cry arose, clear and resonant. The sword light, which had only been pale golden, suddenly blazed, transforming into a brilliant golden yellow.
This golden-yellow sword light continued to surge out of his body. Wu Tao could no longer restrain it, allowing it to rush out of his body.
"What…"
Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang, who had maintained a smile all along, had a flash of undisguised shock in his eyes.
"Innate Sword Physique, it's actually the Innate Sword Physique!"
On the other side, Hong Tongtian, who harbored malicious intentions, also gaped in disbelief. The young man he had intended to get rid of was actually an Innate Sword Physique!
Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang withdrew his domain, his eyes shining brightly, making Wu Tao somewhat uneasy.
Recalling the scene just now, a look of utter fear and trepidation appeared on Wu Tao's face, as if he had been startled. He then remembered that he was in the main hall of the City Lord's mansion and quickly prepared to kneel and beg forgiveness…
However, just as he bent his waist, Supreme Elder Green Robe Sword Immortal Tuoba Yang immediately steadied him.
Simultaneously, the sound of extremely satisfied laughter came from his mouth, as if he had encountered something incredibly surprising.
"Hahaha… Innate Sword Physique. It truly is an Innate Physique! I have finally found my successor! It's you, my personal disciple. Innate Sword Physique, you are too well-matched, simply a perfect match…"