Chapter 1086: I Follow the Master's Way, You Uphold the Student's Etiquette, This is Called 'Transmission'

"Xu Xiaoshou, do you want to learn the sword?"

In the uninhabited area of Gu Cheng, as Mei Si Ren's light and casual words settled, Xu Xiaoshou's once fervent spirit—bolstered by his two super invincible bodyguards as he barreled through the Sin One Hall—cooled instantly.

The sword...

Once upon a time, learning the sword was the most primal dream of this body.

He had spent three years pouring all his effort into it, with the original owner of this body determined to master the first form of the Houtian Ling Ji Bai Yun Jian Fa.

In the end, due to a botched seclusion that led to suicide, fate twisted, and Xu Xiaoshou crossed over.

He switched to a passive system and quickly drew "Sword Mastery," allowing him to slay gods and Buddhas alike, with his sword intent progressing from Houtian to Xiantian, then to Zong Shi, and finally to Wang Zuo—everything flowing as naturally as breathing.

But at some point, this progress stalled. Xu Xiaoshou was already a Sword Dao Wang Zuo, possessing the vast knowledge foundation from "Sword Mastery" that encompassed all aspects of Sword Dao.

Yet, as a Sword Dao Wang Zuo, he was as ineffective as water.

His peers, Gu Qing One, Two, and Three, had long mastered one or two of the Nine Great Sword Arts and Eighteen Sword Styles, with a broad understanding of the Three Thousand Sword Paths.

He, however, was utterly clueless about the ancient sword cultivation path.

No matter how rich his theoretical knowledge—like an vast ocean—Xu Xiaoshou's channel to convert theory into combat power was like a tiny pipe drawing from that sea: a mere trickle, insignificant and harmless.

I'm already strong enough... Before the night battle in Dongtian Wang Cheng, Mei Si Ren had thoughts of taking him as a disciple, but Xu Xiaoshou was arrogant back then, believing he could break through the constraints of sword techniques by relying on his brute skill points without needing a master.

Or perhaps it wasn't arrogance; Xu Xiaoshou truly believed that, given time, he could achieve it all.

But breaking through that Sword Dao barrier required one prerequisite...

Time!

In other words, he needed "time"!

Along his journey, he had witnessed Rao Yao Yao's Red Dust Sword, heard Xiao Kong Dong's grand descriptions of the Nine Great Sword Arts, and faced increasingly dangerous situations with ever stronger enemies, so Xu Xiaoshou had long regretted his choices.

"Time is what I lack the most!"

If not for that, he wouldn't have started thinking about finding Ba Zun An to seriously study ancient sword techniques.

If not for that, after refusing Mei Si Ren once, he wouldn't hesitate to seek sword instruction upon seeing him again.

In Miracle Forest, Mei Si Ren's supreme "Sword Image"—with his feet on the Ten Halls of Ghost Kings and ten thousand swords paying homage, his four realms unified in a single strike that could slay saints—which sword cultivator wouldn't be moved?

—Xu Xiaoshou was desperately moved!

During his invisibility technique, he frantically memorized everything, wanting to etch those scenes into his heart for later study, hoping to grasp some insights.

If that failed, he could always go find Ba Zun An later and ask him to explain...

...After all, with such a massive background, why not use it?

But Xu Xiaoshou never imagined that before he could meet the elusive Ba Zun An, Mei Si Ren was giving him a second chance!

"I..."

Gazing at the stone sword extended before him, Xu Xiaoshou's face flushed, feeling a mix of shame and embarrassment.

This stone sword was so plain and unadorned!

Yet, what he saw in it was the most mysterious gateway of ancient sword techniques opening for him a second time. The hand pushing that gate wasn't straining from behind to break through.

Instead, it belonged to someone seated on the highest Wang Zuo within the gate—a supreme figure in Sword Dao who could effortlessly shatter the lofty threshold of ancient sword cultivation for ordinary people.

But I did refuse once before... While his heart still wrestled with this, a little figure in his mind jumped out, red-faced and yelling:

"What's with the pride, Xu Xiaoshou! If you don't seize this opportunity, you'll be the undisputed biggest fool on Sheng Shen Continent!"

"'Perception' at Wang Zuo level—wasted? Is your brain just for decoration? With those huge ears, didn't you hear Mei Si Ren deliberately teaching through his swordplay in Miracle Forest? With those big eyes, didn't you see who saved you at the critical moment before facing the saint?"

"Don't you know where the 'Teleportation Charm' was finally locked? Don't you get the deeper meaning in that?"

"If Ba Zun An hadn't stepped in, could Mei Si Ren have the 'Teleportation Charm'? Could you get this second chance from Mei Si Ren?"

"And now, with the opportunity right in front of you, you're still hesitating?!"

In a flash of insight, his thoughts crystallized. Xu Xiaoshou paused slightly, lifting his gaze from the ordinary stone sword to the warmly smiling Mei Si Ren.

"I do!"

Xu Xiaoshou finally spoke firmly, giving his most direct thought and affirmative answer.

He was incredibly sharp—able to manipulate even a Ban Sheng—so how could he not see what Mei Si Ren's act of coming to Miracle Forest with the "Teleportation Charm" to save him truly meant?

But even so, Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare reach out to take the sword.

Mei Si Ren offered it so casually, but he couldn't accept this inheritance so lightly.

"If you want it, then take it." Mei Si Ren smiled, his hand holding the sword steady as if it had been tempered a thousand times.

Xiao Kong Dong watched anxiously from the side.

At that moment, he wished he could possess Xu Xiaoshou, grab the stone sword for him, kowtow in reverence, and then return control to Xu Xiaoshou.

He knew all too well what kind of "force-feeding" teaching he had endured when he met his teacher, Ba Zun An!

In mere moments, his teacher had demonstrated the Nine Great Sword Arts, Eighteen Sword Styles, and Three Thousand Sword Paths to a clueless kid, then vanished the next second, running off with his mistress.

He didn't care if the kid understood; he sealed the memories and left him to grow, absorb, and learn on his own.

That's how Xiao Kong Dong grew up.

It wasn't until years later, when he had matured, fully comprehended everything, and established his own orphanage "Wan Fu Tang," renaming it "Can Yue Xian Cheng," that he saw his teacher for the second time.

On that second meeting, he received his second lesson in Sword Dao and realized "Sword Thought Incarnation."

So, with such a "mad" sword-learning experience, Xiao Kong Dong understood all too well...

How impossible it was to get sword instruction from a "wanderer" like Ba Zun An; and how incredibly rare it was to encounter a true "mentor" like Mei Si Ren!

He didn't understand what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking right now.

If it were him, he wouldn't hesitate—he'd take the sword, bow, and call him master!

But everyone's experiences differ, and Xiao Kong Dong's thoughts were something Xu Xiaoshou neither knew nor considered. At that moment, Mei Si Ren's words rippled through his heart, stirring countless thoughts.

Want it, then take it... How could it be that simple?

This unprepared "battle" caught Xu Xiaoshou off guard; he had to sort through the tangled mess of thoughts provoked by that statement. "Why is Mei Si Ren giving me a second chance? Ba Zun An shouldn't be able to persuade him...

"I've already had one master, and Sang Lao hasn't even been rescued yet. If he were here, would he agree to me taking another master?

"Taking the 'Teleportation Charm' and directly offering to teach me sword—this must have deeper implications. Could Ba Zun An be scheming against me again, pulling some trick?"

Chaotic thoughts swirled, varied and directionless.

But the next second, as Xu Xiaoshou's eyes locked onto Mei Si Ren's pure, sincere, dust-free, and transparent gaze, the fireworks of confusion in his mind exploded and vanished into nothingness.

Before him, only the waiting stone sword remained, and the mentor with a gentle, affectionate smile...

In that instant, the ten thousand "whys" in his mind disappeared, everything boiling down to one final thought:

"Xu Xiaoshou, are you going to make Mei Si Ren hold that sword forever? Until his arm gets tired? How big of an ego do you have? Do you expect a sword immortal to beg you to learn?"

With a soft click.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands to take the stone sword from Mei Si Ren.

The sword was ancient and simple, incredibly light, yet it felt as heavy as ten thousand jun in his grasp, weighing down his usually silver-tongued mouth until he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"I..."

After holding it in for a while, his face turning red, the jumbled thoughts in his mind finally cleared once he held the sword, making all those questions unnecessary.

I want it.

Mei Si Ren is willing to teach.

Isn't that the best outcome? Why overthink?

Holding the stone sword, almost instinctively, Xu Xiaoshou finally managed to say:

"I-I'm not very talented. I once studied 'Bai Yun Jian Fa' for three years and only mastered the first form. Mei Si Ren, if you're teaching me, you really need to prepare yourself..."

Bai Yun Jian Fa?

Xiao Kong Dong, standing nearby, looked at Xu Xiaoshou as if he'd seen a ghost, wondering if this was some "forbidden technique" or "sacred martial art," or even something surpassing his teacher's "Sword Thought."

With Xu Xiaoshou's sword intent, it took three years just for the first form of "Bai Yun Jian Fa"?

Mei Si Ren didn't care about any of that. He chuckled, withdrew his hand, and unfurled his paper fan.

On the fan appeared bold, flourishing characters: "Are you stupid?"

"What's my question about?" Mei Si Ren asked softly.

Xu Xiaoshou, you want to learn the sword... Xu Xiaoshou stared blankly at the characters and big question mark on the fan, pondering if this was intentional or coincidental, as the memory was stirred by Mei Si Ren's words.

Mei Si Ren nodded and continued: "So, aside from 'want,' did I ask you anything else?"

"No..." Xu Xiaoshou finally stammered out.

"In that case, if you 'want' it, that's enough. Why look left and right, think ahead and back, hesitate and waver?"

With a swish, Xu Xiaoshou looked up, his mind snapping back as if his wits had returned, suddenly realizing everything.

—In this world, no one can persuade Mei Si Ren, so if he wants to teach sword, it's purely his own idea, without any external interference, not even a hint!

"I understand." Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth.

"Besides, your sword body is already rare in the world—how could you lack talent in Sword Dao?" Mei Si Ren's lips curved up. What he had noticed about Xu Xiaoshou at Tian Shang First Tower was precisely his Sword Dao talent!

"When did I have a sword body?" Xu Xiaoshou was confused.

"Hah." Mei Si Ren sized up Xu Xiaoshou, stepped forward, folded his paper fan, and tapped it firmly on Xu Xiaoshou's head.

A buzz—

This infusion of sword intent, with Xu Xiaoshou's body as the medium, sent sword energy radiating in all directions, tracing a perfect circular formation within a ten-zhang radius.

"Isn't this your talent?" Mei Si Ren laughed.

Xu Xiaoshou finally realized that Mei Si Ren meant his passive skill—"Sharp"!

He was stunned.

Among his many passive skills, Mei Si Ren's fan strike had no spiritual energy fluctuation; not only did it not get repelled, but it also unleashed so much of his own sword energy.

Or rather...

"Sharp Light"!

Xu Xiaoshou knew that without activating "Boundary Force Field," this "Sharp Light" on him was hard to release, so how could Mei Si Ren's light tap scatter it all?

As if sensing Xu Xiaoshou's doubt, Mei Si Ren put away his fan and said earnestly:

"In the Three Thousand Sword Paths, this is called 'Transmission.' The path of 'Transmission' is the root of why sword energy can be born.

"When cultivated to the extreme and paired with a sword cultivator's weapon, it leads to the so-called 'Famous Sword Heavenly Solution,' transmitting all power outward.

Pausing, Mei Si Ren's expression turned serious as he said gravely: "The first sword I'm teaching you today is this 'Transmission.' Remember it well!"

Transmission...

Xu Xiaoshou felt as if a stone had been dropped into the ocean in his mind, instantly creating ripples.

Without needing Mei Si Ren to explain further, he could extract all the knowledge of "Transmission."

Gripping the stone sword, without even swinging it, just with a thought, a several-zhang-long sword energy shot out through his body's "Sharp," shining brilliantly!

In that moment, Mei Si Ren froze.

Xiao Kong Dong beside him also froze, recalling what Xu Xiaoshou had said earlier: "I'm not very talented..."

You're not talented?

If you're not talented, then after Mei Si Ren just tapped you, you directly grasped the connection between the stone sword and your sword body, mastering "Transmission" in an instant?

Xu Xiaoshou, what kind of joke are you making?

It took me a full hour to master "Transmission" back then!

Xiao Kong Dong was frantic, feeling that Xu Xiaoshou's face screamed one word: deserving a beating!

"Under scrutiny, passive value +1."

"Under angry glare, passive value +1."

"Is this 'Transmission'?"

Gripping the stone sword, Xu Xiaoshou excitedly turned his head.

It was this feeling—smooth, natural... the sensation of being "unblocked"!

Previously, his mind was full of knowledge, but he couldn't apply it in practice. Mei Si Ren's tap had opened, shattered, and cleared that channel connecting his pipe to the ocean.

Now, it was a rushing torrent, unstoppable!

Mei Si Ren held back with great effort, stopping himself from flipping open his fan to scold again. He had planned to explain if Xu Xiaoshou struggled with the sword, but this guy truly got it with just a hint—no need for more teaching!

Maintaining his demeanor, staying composed—I'm the teacher now... he reminded himself inwardly, then nodded lightly with a serene expression.

"Mm."

After a small hum, he casually added: "It's passable, I suppose, but still needs improvement and practice."

Passable? That's good enough!

Retracting the sword energy, Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was truly about to take off.

If the knowledge from "Sword Mastery" could be drawn out by Mei Si Ren, then the "first realm" and "second realm" of the Nine Great Sword Arts and Eighteen Sword Styles wouldn't be far off.

In his excitement, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized he had overlooked the most crucial point!

Mei Si Ren had already started teaching the first sword, formally declaring him a disciple, but he hadn't made any gesture, not even completing a proper apprenticeship ritual.

"Mei Si Ren, how should I..." Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily at a loss.

He didn't know the rituals for ancient sword cultivation inheritance, so he thought of following the same apprenticeship rite he had performed for Sang Lao by the Ge Lake and knelt down.

But then, a pair of hands reached out, stopping him.

"There's no need for that."

Mei Si Ren could see Xu Xiaoshou's intentions clearly; such a pure heart—what more could a teacher ask for?

He smiled, steadied Xu Xiaoshou, and said seriously: "I follow the path of a mentor, you hold the etiquette of a student—this is 'Transmission.' Why add a formal apprenticeship rite?"

Xu Xiaoshou gripped the stone sword, touched by Mei Si Ren's kindness.

This is "Transmission"...

In that instant, he finally understood why Mei Si Ren's first sword was this one.

Among the Three Thousand Sword Paths, he chose only to transmit the way.

To transmit the way is to "transmit" and also to "teach the way"!

Just as when he had taken the stone sword earlier, Mei Si Ren could transmit casually, but Xu Xiaoshou dared not treat it lightly.

After a brief pause, his mind flashed with the image from Miracle Forest that made all things pay homage and unite, and he instantly knew what rite to perform.

In the majestic Gu Cheng, on the long street...

Facing the elder before him, Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, stepped back half a pace, bowed at the waist with head lowered, raised the stone sword high above his head with both hands, his demeanor earnest, solemn, and serious. With Xiao Kong Dong as witness, he declared aloud:

"Student, greets Mei Si Ren."