Chapter 1094: Xu Xiaoshou, Call Me Teacher

"Mr. Si Ren?"

"Mr. Si Ren, wake up! Weren't you supposed to be protecting me? Why are you spacing out?"

This was far too irresponsible... Xu Xiaoshou, having emerged from his Heart Sword Technique cultivation, returned to reality. A quick glance back revealed that he wasn't the only one who had fallen into a deep trance; Mei Si Ren had too.

He didn't dare to move recklessly. After waiting for a long time, and once the situation seemed to improve, he persistently patted Mei Si Ren for quite a while, finally snapping the old Sword Immortal out of his dazed state and waking him up.

"Die!"

The moment Mei Si Ren opened his eyes, monstrous demonic energy erupted again, instantly enveloping an area hundreds of miles wide. Simultaneously, a Sword Avatar materialized behind him, rising into the air with chilling murderous intent, and a sword strike came down directly overhead.

"Attacked: Passive Points +1."

"!" Xu Xiaoshou's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Without a word, he executed a "Disappearing Art," then shifted sideways, staring dumbfounded as Mr. Si Ren's Sword Avatar struck viciously where he had just been.

—Absolutely merciless!

Sword energy streaked for thousands of miles, tearing open a translucent path through the Giant Kingdom, destroying countless ancient buildings before fading into the horizon.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

What kind of move was that?

Mr. Si Ren, you genuinely wanted to kill me just now, didn't you?

What did I do? I only patted you a couple of times, right? I even thoughtfully covered my palm with spirit energy, so it shouldn't have hurt you, should it? Why such an extreme reaction?!

"Ugh..." Mei Si Ren, whose eyes regained clarity and whose demonic energy faded, as if his consciousness had finally returned, stared at the sword strike he had just unleashed, equally stunned.

What have I done?

In that moment, Mei Si Ren almost wanted to hold his head and scream.

Xu Xiaoshou... died?

Annihilated by my single sword strike?

"Xu Xiaoshou?" He looked around, trying to call out, "Xu Xiaoshou, where are you?"

Silence all around, no response.

Regret suddenly appeared in Mei Si Ren's eyes. He gripped the stone sword tightly in his hand and muttered to himself, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I couldn't control myself..."

"Mr. Si Ren?" Just then, a surprised and uncertain voice sounded from behind him.

Mei Si Ren whirled around and saw Xu Xiaoshou standing perfectly unharmed behind him, his eyes immediately widening.

"You little rascal..."

With a tap of the stone sword on Xu Xiaoshou's head, he felt a massive force, accompanied by a shocking rebound. His passive abilities, including "Rebound" and "Resilience," were actually dispelled, and his body was instantly blasted into a deep pit underground.

What kind of path was this now? The Path of Tremor?

Still confused, Xu Xiaoshou flew back up, rubbing his head with a wronged expression. He mumbled, "Why are you hitting me, Mr. Si Ren? You were the one who tried to kill me first, so I had to disappear and dodge!"

"You..." Mei Si Ren was fuming. He had been truly terrified moments ago, genuinely believing he had killed Xu Xiaoshou with a single sword strike after losing control. After all, Xu Xiaoshou was only a Grandmaster; no matter how extraordinary his methods, he definitely couldn't withstand a direct blow from his Sword Avatar.

Don't be angry, don't be angry...

It's good that he's not dead, it's good that everything's fine...

Mei Si Ren tried to calm himself, recalling his actions in Xu Xiaoshou's spiritual world just now. He gave a slight shake of his head, deciding not to dwell on the memory.

"What happened to Mr. Si Ren earlier? Why were you just standing there, unresponsive even when I called?" Xu Xiaoshou, like someone utterly devoid of tact, asked softly, his eyes full of curiosity and innocence.

"You called me too? How long was I out of it then...?" Mei Si Ren froze upon hearing this, his old face flushing before quickly returning to normal. He cleared his throat twice and said, "This old man was... um, how long was I thinking?"

"About ten-something breaths, I guess. After I woke up and turned around, I saw Mr. Si Ren... uh, thinking. What were you thinking about that took so long?" Xu Xiaoshou blinked, appearing innocent, but in reality, his alertness was at its peak, ready to retreat instantly if he annoyed the old Sword Immortal.

I was completely out of it for...Over ten breaths?!

Mei Si Ren froze on the spot upon hearing this, then asked dazedly, "So, did you see anything... unusual?"

"Unusual?" Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head, thought for a moment, then replied, "Nothing unusual..."

"That's good, that's good..." Mei Si Ren breathed a sigh of relief. The scene of being controlled by demonic energy and battling the Heart Demon You Tu for three hundred rounds flashed through his mind again, filling him with intense shame.

"I, a dignified Seven Sword Immortal, who just beheaded Jiang Buyi's Demigod Avatar with a single sword, was unexpectedly controlled by Xu Xiaoshou's Heart Sword Technique due to a momentary lapse in caution!" Although it was due to a lack of prior vigilance, it showed that this kid's cultivation achievements were indeed something.

"Heart demon..." Mei Si Ren sighed internally, deciding not to mention this matter again.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly seemed to remember something. He clapped his hand to his head and said, "Oh, right, if I had to say 'unusual,' there was one thing. Mr. Si Ren, demonic energy surged from your body just now. Doesn't that count? It was quite frightening!"

"Uh." Mei Si Ren's expression stiffened, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.

"I originally thought Mr. Si Ren had gone into a meditative trance, but then I reconsidered and realized that couldn't be it. You were protecting me, so how could you fall into a trance, right?" Xu Xiaoshou frowned, speaking with a hint of contemplation.

"Yes, I was indeed thinking about something..." Mei Si Ren's voice unconsciously dropped. After taking the hint and continuing the conversation, he suddenly looked up and asked, "Besides seeing the demonic energy, did you hear anything else?"

"Hear anything?"

Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment.

Mei Si Ren's heart inexplicably quickened.

"Yes!"

"You did?"

"Mmm."

"So, what did you hear?" Mei Si Ren grew tense, and his hand, gripping the stone sword, unconsciously started sweating.

"Could I really say this...?" Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his chin, darted a glance at Mr. Si Ren, then quickly looked away.

After a long silence, he decided he couldn't miss this excellent opportunity. Finally, he risked his life and said, "I heard some unspeakable secrets."

"Speak!" Mei Si Ren's voice was firm, his expression already somewhat solemn.

"First, promise you won't kill me." Xu Xiaoshou recoiled a step in fright. "No, promise you won't strike or harm me."

"If this old man tells you to speak, then speak!" Mei Si Ren made no promises, his face darkening considerably before quickly smoothing out into a calm smile. "It's fine, just describe it casually. This old man won't get angry."

"You promise."

"Alright! I promise!"

The moment Mei Si Ren's words fell, Xu Xiaoshou took a big leap backward, then raised the stone sword high in his hand.

Under the old Sword Immortal's bewildered gaze, he then strode forward, thrusting the stone sword forward, striking an incredibly embarrassing pose, and shouting with great theatricality:

"You Tu, taste my sword!"

Mei Si Ren: ???

His eye twitched, his entire old face instantly turning green, then red. His molars clenched tightly, a faint grinding sound emerging.

"Whoa, whoa..." Xu Xiaoshou immediately withdrew his sword in fright. "Mr. Si Ren, you told me to say it, and you promised you wouldn't hurt me!"

Mei Si Ren's face was distorted with anger. Suppressing his fury, he tried to calm himself, then "calmly" said, "And? What else did this old man say?"

As soon as Xu Xiaoshou struck a pose, Mei Si Ren's gaze hardened. "No more actions like that!"

"Oh, right." Xu Xiaoshou recoiled slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards before being quickly suppressed. He painstakingly put on an innocent, naive expression, then suddenly looked up at the sky and bellowed:

"You Tu, is that all you've got? Show me everything you have!"

Mei Si Ren: "..."

His left hand clenched into a fist, barely restraining himself from striking Xu Xiaoshou's brazen face.

"I told you no actions!"

"And also, when would this old man make such an expression? Even when I was in a trance, it wasn't as exaggerated as your acting!"

"And what else! What else did you hear?!" Suppressing his raging fury, Mei Si Ren's words were squeezed out through gritted teeth.

"I have to keep going? If I do, I'll really be dead..." Xu Xiaoshou subtly withdrew his Perception from Mr. Si Ren's murderous fist. He suddenly took a huge leap backward, placed his hands on his hips, and burst into unrestrained laughter, looking up at the sky:

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Mei Si Ren was momentarily stunned.

Xu Xiaoshou... was mocking him?

How dared he show it!

"Don't misunderstand, Mr. Si Ren, I'm not mocking you." The laughter abruptly stopped. Xu Xiaoshou, in his busy schedule, took a moment to explain, then continued with his hands on his hips, mercilessly stating:

"I'm merely imitating your final actions..."

He seized the last moment to continue his wild laughter.

"Hahaha, Brother You Tu, today's battle was truly exhilarating! You've finally been defeated by my sword!"

"You never expected this day, did you? Haha! Ha, ha!"

The moment the modulated laughter ceased, Xu Xiaoshou ascended to the sky in a single step, teleporting away.

As expected, the very next second, a terrifying sword energy slashed horizontally through his previous location, followed by a world-shaking, ghost-wailing, hysterical roar that echoed in all directions.

"Xu! Xiao! Shou!!!"

Mei Si Ren finally understood...

He knew it all!

Apparently, Xu Xiaoshou had seen and heard all of his embarrassing actions while he was in a trance. This kid had even pretended to know nothing earlier, but when asked to demonstrate, he performed everything vividly. He had deliberately cast a bait, luring this foolish fish—himself—to bite, then used a push-and-pull tactic to legitimately reveal all the most shameful actions he had displayed after falling into a trance.

And to his dismay, he had fallen for the trick!

This was truly mortifying... At one point, Mei Si Ren, whose toes were curling in embarrassment, even entertained the thought of killing the boy to preserve his dignity. However, when that furious sword strike was unleashed, Xu Xiaoshou had already flown away as if on wings, clearly having anticipated it. And after one sword strike, it was impossible to "accidentally" kill him again.

"You brat, you truly deserve to die..."

Mei Si Ren's teeth gnashed in fury, and he once again deeply understood the profound meaning behind Bazun An's words: that teaching Xu Xiaoshou sword arts must be done through beating.

He raised his stone sword, no longer caring about his image as a venerable Seven Sword Immortal. At that moment, he transformed into an exasperated teacher in a school, raising his foot and grabbing a slipper, charging towards the mischievous troublemaker in the back row, and swiping at him.

"Stop right there!"

Sword energy whistled through the air, about to cleave Xu Xiaoshou in two.

"Impossible!"

Xu Xiaoshou shrieked wildly, taking one step to the sky, then another, unable to stop.

"You brat, how dare you make a fool of me?! Who gave you the audacity?!"

Mei Si Ren fumed, his beard bristling and eyes glaring. The stone sword in his hand hacked wildly, its energy turning the already ravaged area into further ruins and desolation.

"But you yourself told me to say it! I hesitated repeatedly, clearly showing my apprehension, but you saw that and still forced me! As your student, I... had no choice but to obey!"

Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head, his mouth stretched into a grin that reached his temples, yet he spoke with an air of innocence and forced obedience.

"He even used 'this old man'! Oh no, I need to run for a while longer, otherwise Mr. Si Ren won't calm down. This is killing me!" Xu Xiaoshou ran while clutching his stomach, roaring with laughter.

"You know your own attitude! This old man just kindly taught you the Heart Sword Technique, and you, in turn, dare to mock me?!" Mei Si Ren chased relentlessly, completely losing his patience. His Sword Avatar directly rose from behind him.

*Boom!*

Overwhelming pressure descended.

"You're cheating..." Xu Xiaoshou was instantly suppressed to the ground with a thud. Frightened, he immediately clutched his head with both hands, no longer daring to shout, and could only admit his mistake.

"I was wrong, Mr. Si Ren, I was wrong. It's all my fault. Just kill me to vent your anger..."

Still daring to use retreat as advancement?

Mei Si Ren laughed in exasperation. He could clearly see through Xu Xiaoshou's tricks. With a cold smile, he raised his stone sword and instantly appeared before the little "toad" sprawled on the ground.

"This old man won't kill you..."

"Today, I'll teach you another move, the one that sent you flying just now!"

Watching Xu Xiaoshou cautiously crouch up, holding his head, and then carefully peek out his eyes, Mei Si Ren snorted. The stone sword in his hand chopped down fiercely.

"With high-frequency vibrations, gathering multiple hidden forces, even if your sword physique is strange, this old man can use your own strength against you..." He paused, his eyes hardening, and he roared, "Path of Tremor!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even have time to teleport. He felt a terrifying force descend on his head, unable to maintain even his "Resilience," and was blasted back into his "old home" deep underground, like a sweet potato.

*Whoosh.*

Standing on the cracked stone slabs, Mei Si Ren looked at the bottomless human-shaped pit before him and finally let out a long breath, feeling like he had regained some ground.

What audacity!

That kid, Xu Xiaoshou, is truly audacious! For how many years, since becoming a Seven Sword Immortal, having taught countless students, Mei Si Ren had never once been angered to the point of losing composure—he couldn't even remember the last time he'd been angry! Unexpectedly, today he fell for Xu Xiaoshou's trick and was caught off guard. And yet, this kid dared to "perform" everything!

Mei Si Ren felt both annoyed and furious, but as he thought about it, he inexplicably experienced a different kind of emotion. Had it been so long since he'd felt this way? Perhaps, this was the "playful banter" that could exist between a normal teacher and student?

No, no, no!

This absolutely couldn't be "normal." Xu Xiaoshou was an "anomaly"!

"Mr. Si Ren, have you calmed down?" From the pit in front of him, a timid head suddenly emerged, cautiously asking.

Mei Si Ren snorted coldly, giving no answer, only glaring angrily at the little rascal.

Xu Xiaoshou awkwardly scratched his head, but didn't shy away, meeting his gaze directly.

Before long, their thoughts clearly aligned, flashing back to the rare "embarrassment" that belonged solely to the old Sword Immortal just moments ago. The old man and the young man immediately couldn't hold it in. They looked at each other amidst the chaotic ruins and burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahahaha..."

"Hehehehe..."

Amidst the laughter, lights and shadows flickered in Xu Xiaoshou's mind, suddenly recalling the happy times at the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace. That was when he first tried cultivating the Five-Finger Pattern Seed technique, but accidentally shot the fire seed into Elder Sang's nostril... That was when he first tried the Cinderglow Pill Refining Art, but accidentally blew up the entire third floor of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, even attracting the enforcement team... That was when he and his junior sister were about to leave the Spirit Palace, and Elder Sang became talkative and nagged a lot of random things...

He didn't understand then.

Only now, recalling the last time he saw Elder Sang before he fell into a trance in the Eight Palaces, did he realize that cause and effect were predetermined.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but stop laughing.

Mei Si Ren also stopped laughing, his eyelids drooping slightly, already sensing the faint melancholy that had suddenly appeared on Xu Xiaoshou.

"Missing your master?" The old Sword Immortal's lips curved into a smile as he squatted down.

"A little..." Xu Xiaoshou, still clinging to the side of the deep pit with only his head visible, shrank back slightly, not hiding his emotions.

The smile vanished from Mei Si Ren's face. He sighed deeply, then reached out and rubbed Xu Xiaoshou's head. He rubbed it for a long time, carefully feeling the slight soreness in his palm.

He stopped, looking up at the sky.

The sky of Void Island was bathed in eternal daylight; there was no darkness here, but that didn't mean people within it could always face the sun.

"Mr. Si Ren..." Xu Xiaoshou's mood was still a bit down. He followed the old Sword Immortal's gaze toward the sky.

"Xu Xiaoshou," Mei Si Ren withdrew his hand and suddenly said, "Call me 'Teacher'."

He smiled, looking at the youthful figure still clinging to the edge of the pit. His tone was as warm as the daylight of Void Island. He said:

"The word 'Master' is very significant; a person can only have one in their lifetime. This old man believes we haven't known each other long, and I can only instruct you in the way of the sword. I can be your 'Teacher,' but I cannot become your 'Father.' Because you have already grown up, and we didn't meet when you were ignorant or at your lowest point. So, just call me 'Teacher.'"

Xu Xiaoshou froze upon hearing this. His hands, still gripping the edge of the pit, suddenly lost strength. He felt his nose prickle, and an inexplicable emotion welled up in his heart.

"Teacher..." he softly called out.

"Get up." Mei Si Ren smiled, extended his hand to the lonely little creature in the pit, pulled him up, and together they turned to look forward.

"The road ahead is still long. Your teacher can accompany you for a while, but ultimately, how far you go depends on you."

"Mmm..."

Xu Xiaoshou replied silently, his gaze fixed forward. Through the sword energy channel stretching a thousand miles, carved out by Mr. Si Ren earlier, the end was unseen, and the distant future imperceptible.

"Well then, it's time to move on to the next step."

Mei Si Ren paused only for a moment, confirming that Xu Xiaoshou had indeed moved past his momentary sadness. He then smiled subtly and guided him:

"While you were cultivating the Heart Sword Technique, someone was shouldering the burden for you, blocking two Void Supremes!"

With that, he stepped forward, his demeanor still as warm as ever. But deep within his eyes, hidden from Xu Xiaoshou, there was a chilling murderous intent.

"Big mouth..." Xu Xiaoshou thought with a smile. It seemed this uncle truly was handling all the dirty and exhausting work. He must be exhausted.

"Xu Xiaoshou, have you mastered the Heart Sword Technique?" Mei Si Ren asked calmly without turning around, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"And the 'Eyes of Gods and Buddhas' too?" He made a final confirmation.

"Yes."

*So fast.* You truly broke the record, the fastest record for Heart Sword Technique cultivation in history... Mei Si Ren sighed inwardly, his expression quickly returning to solemnity.

"That's perfect. Things aren't over on his side yet. A sharpened sword only reveals its brilliance with blood."

"It's time for a sword test!"

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