280: A compromise approach

“Is he the new master you carefully selected for me?”

The Sword Spirit looked at the Little Doll with some doubt.

It could hardly believe it.

One must know, the Sword Spirit had followed its broken sword master through a lifetime of battles. What kind of powerful experts had it not encountered? What kind of Prodigies had it not seen?

Just among those who wanted to become its master's Disciple, there were many Geniuses who reached Spirit Activation at ten and comprehended the Ninth Level Sword Intent at fifteen.

Yet, in the Sword Spirit's perception, while Shen Xi's Aptitude was decent, it was merely that. Compared to the Dragon and Phoenix among men it had seen back then, he was not just one level behind.

Such a person would become its new master?

Could such a person also break the Blood Rust Seal?

“That’s right, it’s him!”

“He is only in the Xiantian Realm, yet he can break the Blood Rust Seal. Just this point alone makes him worthy of becoming your new master.”

“You must know, over millions of years, I have traveled through hundreds of Domain Realms and met countless Geniuses, but not a single one could achieve this. Let alone the Xiantian Realm, even those in the Dian Ling Realm couldn't shake one ten-thousandth of the Blood Rust Seal.”

“But this kid, in just a few short days, accomplished something others couldn't do in a lifetime. Such a person is already comparable to the master in his youth.”

The Little Doll spoke with immense excitement.

Both overtly and covertly, it was defending Shen Xi.

It knew the Sword Spirit's personality very well.

The other party was exactly like its master, arrogant to the extreme.

If he didn't get the Sword Spirit's approval, even if Shen Xi broke the Blood Rust Seal, it would be impossible for him to obtain the master's Legacy.

The master's Legacy must absolutely not be cut off like this!

The Little Doll was determined to find an outstanding successor for its master, to let that person once again spread its master's prestige and make his name famous across countless Domain Realms.

“But his Aptitude…”

The Sword Spirit was somewhat hesitant.

In its opinion, Shen Xi's Aptitude was truly too poor.

Even though Shen Xi was a Half-Step Dianling Realm and in the Sixth Level Sword Intent Realm before he was twenty, in the Sword Spirit's eyes, it was still not enough.

It had seen the most top-tier Geniuses from various Domain Realms!

Those who entered the Martial Dao Five Realms in their teens were commonplace.

And even those Geniuses, the master had not taken them as Disciples back then, let alone Shen Xi.

The Sword Spirit was unwilling to impart the Legacy to Shen Xi. In its view, this would be an insult to the master's Legacy.

“You wouldn't go back on your word, would you? I remember someone saying that as long as someone could break the Blood Rust Seal in the Dian Ling Realm, they would be recognized as their new master. Could it be that your words are just farts?”

The Little Doll deliberately provoked the Sword Spirit.

The Sword Spirit's new master was also the old master's successor.

This also meant that only with the Sword Spirit's approval would one be qualified to obtain the old master's Legacy.

This was also one of the main reasons why the Little Doll was willing to spend hundreds of years searching for a Genius to break the Blood Rust Seal.

He could not just watch as the old master's Legacy was severed.

But unexpectedly, the Sword Spirit seemed to be going back on its word.

“I... How could I go back on my word? However, I only said at the time that he would become my new master, and I didn't say I would impart the master's Legacy. I can still choose other people to be the master's successor.”

The Sword Spirit answered, steeling itself.

With its personality, it had always been a person of its word. Since it had once agreed, it naturally couldn't go back on it.

But this matter concerned the master's Legacy after all, so the Sword Spirit still went against its own heart and intended to go back on its word.

“You!”

The Little Doll was not lightly angered.

He naturally saw that the Sword Spirit was completely throwing caution to the wind, disregarding its own face.

This made him anxious and angry, as well as pained and sad.

Angry, naturally, because he had spent so much time and effort, not only because he didn't want this old friend to die, but also because he wanted the master's Legacy to continue, yet the Sword Spirit went back on its word.

Pained, also because he knew the Sword Spirit's personality too well; making the other party break a promise was even more humiliating than killing them.

But for the sake of the master's Legacy not being disgraced, the Sword Spirit still did so.

“Anyway, I said the person who breaks the Blood Rust Seal is my new master. I didn't say he was the master's new successor.”

The Sword Spirit stubbornly held its ground, still refusing to budge.

Since it had already completely thrown caution to the wind, so be it if it lost face!

It was determined to choose the most outstanding successor for its master.

“What's wrong with Shen Xi? Can't you just try? Maybe he will be the master's most outstanding successor?”

The Little Doll retorted.

“He's almost twenty, and only Half-Step Dianling Realm. Is that considered outstanding?”

“But he broke the Blood Rust Seal. Even those Geniuses from other Domain Realms couldn't do it.”

“That's because the power of the Blood Rust Seal weakened over time, which allowed him to exploit a loophole!”

“Luck is also a part of strength!”

“Anyway, I don't agree.”

Seeing the Sword Spirit and the Little Doll arguing more and more fiercely, almost to the point of fighting in Shen Xi's mind.

At this moment, Shen Xi finally spoke: “Seniors, how about we choose a compromise?”

“What method?”

The Sword Spirit and the Little Doll simultaneously looked at Shen Xi's spiritual body in his mind.

“I will not be a Personal Disciple of the Senior!”

Before Shen Xi finished speaking, the Little Doll jumped up in a hurry.

“How can this be!”

Beside him, the Sword Spirit nodded slightly. It also didn't believe Shen Xi was qualified to become the master's Disciple.

“Seniors, don't rush, let me finish.”

“Senior Sword Spirit believes my Aptitude is insufficient to become Senior's Disciple, which is normal. After all, Senior Sword Spirit has seen too many Geniuses, and I have never felt that my Aptitude could surpass countless Prodigies.”

“But no matter what, I also broke the Blood Rust Seal as per the agreement. Senior Sword Spirit should at least give me a chance, shouldn't he?”

“If I cannot become a Personal Disciple, I will just be a Named Disciple. Senior Sword Spirit can impart a portion of the most basic Legacy to me. If I perform to Senior Sword Spirit's satisfaction, then Senior can impart the subsequent Legacy. Would that be acceptable?”

Hearing this, the Sword Spirit and the Little Doll exchanged glances and subconsciously nodded.

This was indeed a good method.

The Sword Spirit was afraid that if it imparted the Legacy to Shen Xi, he would not be able to spread its greatness, and instead disgrace the master's prestige.

So Shen Xi simply gave up the opportunity to become a Personal Disciple and settled for being a Named Disciple.

This way, on one hand, Shen Xi would only receive a basic Legacy. Even if he didn't achieve much in the future, he wouldn't be considered the master's Personal Disciple, and it wouldn't disgrace the master's prestige.

On the other hand, the Sword Spirit wouldn't be breaking its promise and wouldn't have to go back on its word.

Most importantly, Shen Xi wouldn't be directly declared a lost cause; he still had the chance to become a Personal Disciple and obtain the complete Legacy.