“I know a peerless swordsman who has a sincere heart for the sword!”

“The sword in his hand is the sword in his heart. Even if he uses a pebble, a flying hammer, or a wooden stick, he will still be able to display peerless swordsmanship.”

“All methods are sword methods, and all Daos are sword Daos.”

“The sword is his body, his life, and his path.”

“The three-foot sword in his hand can carve out a path to the peak for him. Gods block, kill gods; Buddhas block, kill Buddhas. He will kill all obstacles, relying on this sword!”

“His sword is one of great freedom and ease!”

“So, what is your sword?”

This is Ji Ning's sword, one of great freedom and ease, a sword of emotion, a sword of protection, and in the future, it will be the ultimate sword that crowns the endless chaos. Even if he has never truly seen it, he can't help but yearn for such a sword of great freedom and ease.

Gu Duxing was even more so. At this time, his mind trembled violently. He seemed to see a peerless swordsman drawing his sword towards him. With one sword strike, the world would change, and the gods would retreat. It could slay all living beings, all things, all injustices in the world, and even time itself...

In his mind, there seemed to be a voice calling to him, summoning him, as if it had traveled through endless years, from the most ancient times.

“Hoo... Hoo...”

After a long time, Gu Duxing gasped for breath, his whole body drenched in cold sweat. He seemed to have seen and heard something, but it was still lacking, not clear, not distinct.

He looked at Jiang Xuan, his eyes filled with sincere fire.

Thump!

Gu Duxing bowed deeply: “Please accept me as your disciple, senior, and teach me the Dao of the Sword!”

He had never bowed to anyone in his life, but for the sake of the sword in his heart, he was willing to give his all.

Jiang Xuan was stunned, looking at Gu Duxing kneeling on the ground, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. He didn't follow the Dao of the Sword!

With a smile on his face, he looked at Gu Duxing, and after a long time, Jiang Xuan spoke again: “Good... However, if you want to be my disciple, you are not qualified as you are now.”

Jiang Xuan pointed out a finger, and a point of spiritual light escaped from his fingertip, directly entering Gu Duxing's sea of consciousness.

“When you comprehend this sword, you can be a nominal disciple of my sect,” Jiang Xuan said.

Jiang Xuan of the Desolate Era (Manghuang) cultivated the Dao of the Saber, but he also drew on and comprehended many sword techniques. Now, what he is passing on to Gu Duxing is called the *Lietian Jianfa* (Heaven Splitting Sword Art), a sword technique that, once mastered, is enough to rival a Celestial Immortal.

Of course, Jiang Xuan only taught the first stance, called "Jianxin Tongming" (Sword Heart Illumination), which is the foundation of the Dao of the Sword. In the Desolate Era, any sword technique that directly pointed to the Dao of the Sword inevitably had this stance. Accurately speaking, this is not a sword technique, but a state of mind. Only by comprehending one's own sword heart can one truly unleash this sword.

As for whether Gu Duxing can comprehend this sword in this world, Jiang Xuan won't care. Of course, he is actually quite looking forward to Gu Duxing's growth. After all, compared to the Great Sword Master Chu, who was reborn twice and barely became a pure sword cultivator with peerless divine swords and peerless sword techniques, Jiang Xuan still appreciates this lonely swordsman who is extreme in emotion and extreme in the sword.

As for accepting disciples, that all depends on his mood. In his current realm, he can do whatever he wants. If he sees someone who catches his eye, even if the other party's aptitude is mediocre, they can still enter his sect.

Anyway, improving aptitude is nothing to him, so he pays more attention to temperament and his own mood when accepting disciples. As for the rest, it doesn't matter to him.

“Jianxin Tongming... Jianxin Tongming...”

Gu Duxing kept repeating these four words, his eyes blurred. In this moment, he seemed to see endless swords, swords that slaughtered all living beings, swords that guarded all spirits, swords that dominated the rise and fall, swords that annihilated the void...

After a long time, he finally woke up. Jianxin Tongming, how could it be so simple? If the Dao of the Sword could be stepped into so easily, there wouldn't have been a Sword Emperor in the Middle Three Heavens for three hundred years.

He looked at Jiang Xuan, his eyes filled with shock, sincerity, and gratitude: “Thank you, Master, for teaching me the supreme Dao of the Sword!”

Jiang Xuan waved his hand: “You are not my disciple yet, not even a nominal disciple.”

Jiang Xuan didn't expect Gu Duxing to be so direct. He really admired Gu Duxing, and before he shared his power, he had planned to get acquainted with Gu Duxing, Ji Mo, Luo Kedi, and Dong Wushang. However, plans often couldn't keep up with changes. He hadn't even gone out to train when the Chaos Space appeared. So, he erased all traces of the Jiang family's existence in the Middle Three Heavens and went to the Nine Heavens Que.

However, now Gu Duxing wants to take him as his teacher, which is somewhat strange. If he reaches the extreme in the future and the memories erased by Jiang Xuan are restored, what kind of expression will he have? Moreover, if he really accepts Gu Duxing as a disciple, wouldn't this generation of Nine Tribulations all become his nephews?

For some reason, Jiang Xuan was looking forward to it.

However, Jiang Xuan's words made Gu Duxing entangled. If he doesn't call him "Master," what should he call him?

“By the way, go and call your boss over,” Jiang Xuan said.

“Master... Senior, do you know my boss?” Gu Duxing was a little surprised.

“I know him, but he doesn't know me. Just bring him here,” Jiang Xuan said. He is now curious about what kind of expression the Great Sword Master Chu will have if his identity is revealed.

“... Yes.”

Gu Duxing wanted to ask, but he didn't want to make Jiang Xuan angry. After all, the sword technique Jiang Xuan casually gave him allowed him to see the opportunity to rescue his Little Miao-jie. Now he has identified Jiang Xuan and must comprehend "Jianxin Tongming" to become Jiang Xuan's disciple.

……

“Boss, hurry up, don't make my master wait!”

Not long after, Jiang Xuan could hear Gu Duxing's eager voice from afar.

“Duxing, how long has it been? How did you get a master?” A young man's voice sounded, a little strange. Everything was fine before he came to the store this morning. It hasn't even been noon yet, so how did he get a master? And looking at his appearance, he seems to value him quite a bit.

He knew Gu Duxing. With his personality, even if someone put a knife to his neck, he would never submit if he didn't want to. Today's attitude is definitely fishy.

“You don't understand!”

Gu Duxing said coldly. Chu Yang rolled his eyes at him. Good fellow, he's been brainwashed. He has to take a good look at this mysterious "master."

“Finally here!”

Gu Duxing looked at Jiang Xuan sitting in the store, drinking tea leisurely, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Damn it!”

On the other hand, Chu Yang's mind was shaken the moment he saw Jiang Xuan. This person looks about the same age as them, so how did he convince Gu Duxing, this sword fanatic?

Could it be like him, relying entirely on忽悠 (hū悠 - trickery)?

“Idiot, don't think nonsense. This is a super expert!” At this moment, a stern voice rang in Chu Yang's mind.

Chu Yang naturally knew what that was and immediately asked in his mind: “What do you mean... this person is very strong?”

“Very strong?” A disdainful voice sounded, “If he doesn't count as a strong person, then there isn't a single strong person in the entire Nine Heavens world!”

Chu Yang's mind trembled. He knew that this voice wouldn't deceive him, nor was there any need to deceive him, but he didn't expect such an answer.

“I'm sure this guy discovered me. Let's just pray for good fortune... Sigh... How could such a strong person appear in the Nine Heavens Continent? It shouldn't be...”

The Sword Spirit couldn't understand. Such an existence is an invincible figure even in the Nine Heavens Que, so how could he appear in the Lower Three Heavens, such a declining land of martial arts?

Chu Yang trembled again: “He can discover you?!”

You must know that the Sword Spirit is confident that even the super experts of the Upper Three Heavens couldn't possibly discover him, but now he says that he was discovered by the person in front of him. How terrifying is this person?!

The Sword Spirit said helplessly: “What do you think? To put it this way, if this person is willing, he could shatter the entire Nine Heavens with one slap. Do you think he wouldn't be able to discover me?”

“Holy crap!”

“Boss, what are you doing?!”

Chu Yang exclaimed directly, causing Gu Duxing, who was beside him, to be stunned. He just brought you here, and you're already cursing. What will his master think?

Chu Yang wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and said repeatedly: “Nothing, nothing...”

In his heart, however, he kept slandering, how did Gu Duxing find such a terrifying existence, and even took him as his teacher? This is simply going to cost the Great Sword Master Chu his life.

Gu Duxing is fine; he doesn't seem to know the truth, but Chu Yang, with the Sword Spirit's reminder, knows. Now, looking at Jiang Xuan, he can't help but tremble, afraid that if this person is unhappy, he will destroy these Nine Heavens.

“Look at your cowardly appearance. If this person wanted to attack you, you would have died millions of times already, and you would still be here...”

The Sword Spirit said that he was not "cowardly" at all, but after thinking about it, he decided not to speak. If he was heard, he would be finished.

“Master... Senior, this is my boss, Chu Yang!”

Gu Duxing still didn't dare to call him Master. After all, his skin wasn't that thick, unlike the person next to him, whose skin was like an iron wall. To describe him as thick-skinned and shameless would be underestimating him.

However, hearing Gu Duxing's words, Chu Yang's eyelids twitched. Good fellow, you haven't even successfully taken him as your teacher, and you've already sold your boss. Doesn't your conscience hurt?

However, he really didn't dare to show it. Meeting Jiang Xuan's smiling gaze, he couldn't help but tremble in his heart.

In his previous life, he was just a small Martial Venerable, not even considered a top expert in the Lower Three Heavens. Now, he has finally been reborn, and he thought he could make up for his regrets and achieve great ambitions, but something like this happened.

A master appeared, a master who was so high that he didn't know how high. Was he trying to make his business collapse halfway? Isn't it a bit too exciting!

If Gu Duxing wasn't a brother he could trust, he would have suspected that he was doing this on purpose, trying to kill him.

“Well, you go out for a while. I'll chat with him.”

Jiang Xuan said to Gu Duxing, then looked at Chu Yang. This glance made Chu Yang and even the Sword Spirit in his body tremble, as if everything had been seen through.

Gu Duxing glanced at Jiang Xuan, then at Chu Yang, wanting to say something, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. He walked directly out of the Heavenly Armory Pavilion, and by the way, he closed the door and stood in front of the door as a guard.

As for inside the room, the Great Sword Master Chu couldn't stand or sit. He vowed that since he was born, he had never felt so uncomfortable. In his heart, he kept slandering, waiting for him to go out so he could properly deal with Gu Duxing.