I Am Loaded with Passive Skills

Xiao Wanfeng: ? ? ? ?

Something sounded in his ears.

There was a trace of uncontrollable anger and determination in Xuan Cang's voice.

It was very similar to a child's frustrations, bullied and beaten all through their youth. Upon the child's return home, he wanted his father to vent his anger on his behalf.

Thinking of this, Xiao Wanfeng hurriedly stopped, his body drenched in a cold sweat.

"Xiao Wanfeng, oh Xiao Wanfeng, you have some nerve going to your father for help! Have you lived too long?" He scolded himself quietly.

Xuan Cang, the sword spirit of the Cang Godhood Sword, had chosen him. It was something out of his wildest dreams.

Xiao Wanfeng mulled over the other party's request and vaguely felt he understood something.

As the sword-bearer of the Fourth Sword, the night Saint Servant, Xu Xiaoshou, had surpassed the Cang Godhood Sword by a grade and become too strong for it to absorb energy, causing it to starve. Beggars can't be choosers, which seemed like the predicament Xuan Cang had found himself.

It was an extremely childish thought.

Whether or not that was the truth, Xiao Wanfeng had reservations.

Yet, listening to Xuan Cang's tone...

If there was even a tiny possibility...

He was only saying 'if'...

Xiao Wanfeng felt that, if it was as he thought, then the Saint Servant, Xu Xiaoshou, was too strong. How could he force the Cang Godhood Sword into such a desperate state?

Everyone needs a sense of self-worth.

Xiao Wanfeng knew his limits.

Master Siren would not have spared him a second glance with his meagre talent. Why would the Cang Godhood Sword choose him?

Moreover, Rao Yaoyao had the sword strapped to her back. She was one of the Seven Sword Deities!

Standing opposite her was Master Siren, a venerable senior who shared a similar title as Rao Yaoyao.

Why did Xuan Cang choose him?

Was he that important?

Suddenly, Xiao Wanfeng recalled what the black-green sword spirit had said. Anxious, he asked, "Senior, from what you said, other than You Tu and the Eighth Sword Deity, no one else in this era can communicate with you?"

Xuan Cang: "Yes."

Xiao Wanfeng did not know what to say. It was as he had expected...

He had taken it for granted. Sword spirit Xuan Cang was desperate for food. It was not as if he were some prophesied 'chosen one'.

Xuan Cang: "You are the third."

Crack.

Xiao Wanfeng stood stock-still, petrified.

It only lasted for a moment, but it felt like aeons to Xiao Wanfeng. His lips quivered, his eyelids twitched, and his fingers jolted in their sockets.

Aside from the hand holding on to his wooden sword, Xiao Wanfeng's whole body convulsed.

"Hu~"

After a long while, he released a heavy breath. Xiao Wanfeng regained his calm and solemnly replied in his mind, "Senior, please wait for me."

He said a lot of other things.

Unlike most people, after being chosen by the godhood sword, he excitedly asked, "Why do you have to wait for me to go to the Sacred Mountain? Can't you acknowledge me as your master now?"

Xiao Wanfeng always had strong opinions, but not without a healthy dose of self-awareness. He had always been this way for more than ten years.

He knew that Sword Deity Rao was on a mission.

The Cang Godhood Sword would not have been brought out of the Holy Divine Palace for any other reason.

Compared to those lofty beings and the power commanded by Xuan Cang, Xiao Wanfeng knew he was no different from an ant. He could not muster the slightest hint of his combat strength.

For the Cang Godhood Sword to lower itself and speak to someone like him was already its greatest shame. It would not be wise to test the sword spirit's bottom line.

As the sword spirit had said, he was the third person with qualifications to speak to it in this era - it did not necessarily mean he would be the last.

Xiao Wanfeng knew he was not You Tu's match in cultivation. After all, You Tu was once the Hallmaster of the Holy Divine Palace.

He held no delusions of his talent. Xiao Wanfeng did not have Bazhun'an's aptitude and could not compete with the latter's achievements, becoming a user of the Godly Three Breaths at the Innate (Stage) and a Sword Deity three years after.

He had spent more than ten years just cultivating his sword and comprehending the Nine Major Sword Techniques.

He was no genius, and perseverance was the only trait he had worth mentioning. Perhaps it was why Xuan Cang chose him.

Xiao Wanfeng was not like You Tu or Bazhun'an, who would reject the Cang Godhood Sword.

Only a fool would squander such an opportunity!

He did not know the story between Xuan Cang and the other two, but if he were to hazard a guess... Well, You Tu did not need it, while Bazhun'an had Viscious and his other four swords.

Xiao Wanfeng doubted that either You Tu or Bazhun'an had received Xuan Cang's acknowledgement in their youth.

Otherwise, neither of them would have been able to reject this great temptation.

He was different, however.

Rao Yaoyao had invited You Tu out of the Holy Divine Palace, carried the sword to the First Pavilion in the Sky, and visited Master Siren.

At the same time, he decided to work the night shift because it was a spur of the moment.

A series of coincidences had led Xuan Cang to his doorstep. The sword spirit had not influenced the situation at all.

Master Siren had not taken him in as a disciple because he wanted Xiao Wanfeng to walk his own path.

Swords were not the same.

A swordsman must give and receive a sword's acknowledgement to support each other mutually. There was no distinction between the primary and the secondary in their relationship; they certainly did not follow a strict hierarchy like a master and disciple.

Just like how Bazhun'an and Xu Xiaoshou had four swords, I, Xiao Wanfeng...

At the thought of this, the corner of Xiao Wanfeng's lips lifted slightly. He did not pursue that train of thought.

He felt his name alone could not match up to the Cang Godhood Sword's reputation; even Xuan Cang's use of 'Zhi' sounded blasphemous in his ears.

Nevertheless...

"It has acknowledged me..."

Under the night sky, Xiao Wanfeng's eyes lit up. He looked up at Sky City. He felt he could see the beginnings of the Holy Path he would tread, and it was not through Young Master Xu's encouragement or Master Siren's praise.

In the end, it had boiled down to a single acknowledgement from Xuan Cang, the sword spirit of the Cang Godhood Sword.

The former two's words rang hollow when placed side-by-side with Xuan Cang's approval. Perhaps they even felt disdain for him in the depths of their hearts, paying him lip service as a means to soothe him.

Only Xuan Cang, the spirit of the Cang Godhood Sword, truly believed his Dao was comparable to Bazhun'an and You Tu.

It was a path with no end in sight, the pinnacle of which was the dream every swordsman yearned to achieve.

The night wind blew, and leaves rustled in the trees.

The young man's shabby linen clothes fluttered in the wind.

The sixteen-year-old youth still had a hazy understanding of the world.

"Can I do it?"

Xiao Wanfeng paused for a long time before pinching his cheeks and giving them a sharp twist.

He felt his face heat up, but it was not enough.

He clenched his fists until his fingernails bit into his palm.

He opened his hands. There was blood.

Xiao Wanfeng smiled.

"It hurts..."

...

In the air...

High up amidst the clouds, the two Sword Deities were unaware of the secret communication between Xuan Cang and Xiao Wanfeng.

After a short exchange of pleasantries, the two went straight to the point.

"Sword Deity Rao's visit this time shouldn't be just a simple visit now, is it?" Mei Siren smiled. "Let's us not beat about the bush. Why is the Holy Divine Palace looking for me?"

Rao Yaoyao's expression turned solemn. She did not mince her words and asked, "Did Master Siren enter the hall back then to help the Saint Servant, Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Oh?" Mei Siren remained expressionless. He stopped fanning himself with his delicate folding fan, his smile fixed firmly on his face. "Do you think this old man and You Tu stand together?"

His words carried with them a unique rhythm, punctuating the air and weighing heavily over Rao Yaoyao's shoulders.

Rao Yaoyao was a little stunned when she heard this.

She did not rush to clear her name. Instead, she pondered for a while and then arrived in front of Mei Siren.

"Yes!" She answered.

Xu Xiaoshou, who was sleeping under the covers in the cultivation room, and Xiao Wanfeng, standing guard at the entrance downstairs, sensed a change in the atmosphere.

The two people chatting and laughing had suddenly turned hostile.

'Standpoint' seemed to be a very sensitive topic.

Were Mei Siren's decisions enough to influence the plans of the higher-ups?

Silence reigned supreme over the starry skies.

After staring at Rao Yaoyao for a short while, Mei Siren's solemn expression melted, becoming as gentle as a spring breeze.

He waved his folding fan again and sighed, "You Tu is old!"

"I have never stood with him. As for my stance, I believe the Holy Divine Palace knows it better than most."

"As for Saint Servant, Xu Xiaoshou, he is my student."

"His aptitude for the sword might be a little higher than most, but there are countless others like him spread throughout the five domains of the continent. I can't begin to fathom how many of them there are out there."

"If a student asks their teacher a question, then the teacher must answer it; however, they may choose to do so. That's all," Mei Siren casually replied.

Rao Yaoyao's heart tightened, her eyes squinting into pinpricks. She readied herself in case of an attack.

Softly, she asked, "Master Siren knows the Saint Servant's position. Why did you choose to approach him during such a sensitive period? Don't you think that your attitude towards the Saint Servant is a little too... close?"

"Too close?"

Mei Siren looked up as if his eyes could pierce through people's souls. He said seriously, "If I were to take another step right now, would the Holy Divine Palace also come knocking, demanding an explanation from me?"

Rao Yaoyao took a step back, saying through gritted teeth, "You've said it yourself. You took another step!"

"How is it?" Mei Siren took a step forward.

Rao Yaoyao lowered her head. "This is a direct provocation of the Holy Divine Palace!"

"Hahaha..."

Mei Siren laughed. "Then, does the Holy Divine Palace intend to issue a weapon prohibition order for this old man? Or is the weapon prohibition order not enough... perhaps... a confinement order?"

The pores on Rao Yaoyao's body exploded as if a lion and a tiger were staring at her, causing her hair to stand on end.

"I wouldn't dare," she replied.

"You wouldn't dare?" Mei Siren shook his head and laughed, a raging inferno burning in his eyes. "More than a hundred years ago, you all forbade me from discussing the Dao with You Tu, claiming that he was involved with the dark faction. I took a step back and severed ties with You Tu."

"Fifty years ago, you all forbade me from talking about swords with Feng Tingchen. You sullied his name and drew a connection between him and the Ghost Beast faction. I do not know how you managed to do it, but I was forced to cut ties with him too. We have not exchanged words or letters since."

"Now, as a teacher, I am fulfilling my obligations, preaching the Dao and teaching the way of the sword. I did nothing but take a step, yet your Palace views it as me crossing the line?"

Mei Siren took another step forward and spoke in a deep, angry voice, his paper fan pointing at Rao Yaoyao, "Tell me, what is a 'realm'? How does one cross it?!"

Rao Yaoyao's scalp went numb, and she backpedalled quickly. Mei Siren's thunderous words sent her into a daze.

She had never seen Master Siren, who was renowned for his genial temper, behave in such an oppressive manner. Her aura had been suppressed completely.

"I..."

"Have you touched the Holy Path?" Mei Siren waved his fan and snapped it shut.

"Never..."

"Has Hua Changdeng glimpsed the Holy Path?" Mei Siren took another step forward. This time, there was no need to respond. There was a rumble of thunder in the Nine Heavens. No one could see it save the two Sword Deities, who raised their heads in unison.

To call the Holy Name directly was disrespectful!

Rao Yaoyao did not respond yes or no, but the answer was obvious.

"Okay!"

Mei Siren did not care. His eyes betrayed nothing but anger. "Go back and tell Hua Changdeng that if this is his will, he should come and find me himself. He shouldn't sit in Sacred Mountain Gui Zhe all day, paralysed in the land of screen and candles, watching the shadows and feeling sorry for yourself!"

Rao Yaoyao was so scared her pretty face turned pale, and a look of complete disbelief coloured her features.

Had Master Siren gone mad?

Once might have been an accident, but calling the holy one by his name twice was as good as cursing him in person!

"Rumble --"

Thunder rumbled threateningly. Rao Yaoyao did not have the time to stop Mei Siren's crazy actions before she saw the old man put his two fingers together and point towards the heavens.

"Boom!"

A beam of green holy power shot into the air and blew up the calamity cloud as it formed.

Rao Yaoyao's eyes almost popped out.

"Holy Power?"

Had Master Siren already come into contact with the Holy Path?

When she analysed the sword beam more closely, she discovered the green light was a mixture of the way of the heavens and the power of the mortal world; it was not true Holy Power in the real sense of the term.

However, as one of the Seven Sword Deities, there was no doubt Master Siren would step over the threshold upon coming into contact with the Holy Path.

It meant he was not far from succeeding!

Rao Yaoyao realised why Master Siren could be so daring to curse the holy one's name. To think he already had half a foot in the door...

The calamity cloud dispersed and did not condense again.

As a junior, even if Hua Changdeng had stepped into the threshold before Mei Siren, it was a fact that he had received guidance from the venerable elder when he was young.

Although he was far away in the Central Region when the calamity cloud of the Holy Path descended, he still noticed the commotion it created.

After experiencing the Mei Siren's finger, he stopped paying attention.

Since the Holy Saint did not intend to get involved in this matter, the calamity cloud naturally did not reform.

Mei Siren's anger was a palpable force, stifling the air ever since he took control of the conversation. Now that he had said his piece, he reined in his temper, forcibly calming himself.

"I'll leave you with a few words for the Holy Divine Palace..."

"Don't overdo it. Enough is enough."

Rao Yaoyao closed her beautiful eyes. Her visit this time had been fruitless.

Yet, it was not an outcome she had not expected. After all, she had come to denounce them.

The Mei Siren in her memories was completely different from the wizened old man before her.

There was nothing she could do, not even with the Cang Godhood Sword strapped to her back. What could she do in the face of that overwhelming finger imbued with not a small amount of Holy Power?

The old Sword Deity was still a Sword Deity regardless of his age.

Even if this was no longer his era, it did not change the indelible marks he had left on those who came after, and not even the times could erase his influence just yet.

As a Sword Deity of the previous era, Mei Siren was a voice she could choose to listen to or ignore. If she so desired, she could mow down a path for herself through the osmanthus trees on the Sacred Mountain with her cold, hard steel.

"Has he crossed the line...?"

Rao Yaoyao fell into deep thought.

She felt that what Master Siren said made sense.

It seemed they had never overstepped their boundaries. Had the Holy Divine Palace pushed his neutrality too far?

Sometimes one needs to take a step back to reassess the situation and see it as a whole...

"I've learned my lesson," Rao Yaoyao bowed.

Mei Siren flicked his folding fan open, creating a breeze that lifted his magnificent white beard. He looked like a little old man who did not have a temper at all.

"Child, you should return. It isn't your fault! This old man was the one venting. You may complain to your boss. Oh, yes..."

As he waved his hand, Mei Siren seemed to remember something. He looked in the direction of the Central Region and said, "This old man shall make a trip to Sacred Mountain Gui Zhe in a few days. At that time, let the older generation give you a warm welcome."

"What Dao Qiongcang, Hua Changdeng, these juniors, don't come out. They are eyesores!"

"Do you know?"

When Rao Yaoyao heard these words, she looked up, dazed by the elders in front of her.

In an instant, it was as if she had returned to her childhood.

The person before her was an adult even in her memories, while she was still a little girl who could not wait to grow up.

It was like nothing had changed.

When the old Sword Deity vented his anger on her, it startled Rao Yaoyao to wakefulness. She had been foolish, thinking her interrogation methods would succeed on someone of Mei Siren's standing.

The other party's status was much greater than hers.

She had been played like a fiddle by an old man teaching her a lesson without having a chance to utter more than a few sentences.

As for whether she could win if it came to blows...

Who was she fooling?!

The old Sword Deity was not renowned for nothing. Was he someone she could defeat easily? She, who was a member of the younger generation?

"Leave. Don't disturb me in the future." Mei Siren waved his hand and gestured for Rao Yaoyao to leave as quickly as possible.

"Oh," Rao Yaoyao shrunk her head and turned to leave.

"She's still a little girl... Why is she becoming more of an eyesore as she grows up? Sigh..." Mei Siren muttered melancholically.

"..."

Rao Yaoyao pursed her lips but did not respond. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared.