Sword Dao Breakthrough

Amid the clinking of cups and crisscrossing chopsticks, the atmosphere gradually grew much more harmonious.

They chatted about assorted anecdotes and observations of life in the Fengchen Kingdom, as well as the grand currents of the world and its schemes and betrayals. Having seemingly found a drinking companion who put him at ease, Mo Hong clearly wanted to recount everything he had seen and heard over the years, and their conversation grew increasingly relaxed and freewheeling.

"I really couldn't tell that you're already over a hundred, old sir."

"Haha! The only thing in my life worth boasting about is probably this 'longevity.' But a hundred years have passed, and I still haven't found a suitable successor. What a pity, what a pity."

"When fate arrives, you'll find one in the end."

Lin Tianlu offered a word of reassurance and took a sip of wine.

As for whether the wine was good or not, he truly couldn't tell. He was purely drinking for the atmosphere.

Mo Hong, however, drained another cup, the joy between his brows gradually fading.

As the drunkenness slowly rose, his face instead became covered in bleak, haggard weariness.

"...Mister Lin, I'll speak plainly."

Mo Hong gazed up at the night sky and fell silent for a long while, his eyes unfocused.

"I've wandered throughout the land of Shenzhou for several decades, all for the sake of seeking a way to break through in the Sword Dao. I've fought enemies and nurtured my sword, hoping to step onto that Sword Dao realm no one has ever reached."

"That's an admirable ambition."

"Unfortunately, several decades have drifted by, and my aptitude is dull. My Sword Dao realm has not advanced in the slightest."

He slowly untied the straps securing the scabbard across his back and placed the ancient sword across his knees. His rough, callused fingers gently stroked it as he murmured, "This old friend has been with me for more than half my life. I'm afraid it won't live to see me break through. By then, the sword will become scrap iron, the man will turn to yellow earth, and everything will be carried away by the wind."

Lin Tianlu set down his cup, looking somewhat surprised at the old man beside him.

There was a trace of loneliness and desolation in those words, as though he were mocking and ridiculing himself.

"A dream of seeking the Sword Dao—nothing more than flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in water. After drifting through half a lifetime, I've ended up merely claiming to be extraordinary."

Mo Hong gave a bleak smile. "How truly pitiful and lamentable."

"Old sir, don't wallow in self-pity."

Lin Tianlu spoke abruptly, forcibly pulling his mind back.

"A swordsman of the Sword Dao—if he loses his original intent and sword heart, I'm afraid he'll have no chance of breaking through again."

Mo Hong's expression froze slightly at those words.

Then his entire body trembled violently. Sweat poured down him as he repeatedly cupped his hands, his face pale. "Thank you for awakening me, Mister Lin! I nearly suffered cultivation deviation just now and lost my true heart."

"You've worked hard for decades without ever gaining anything. It's only natural that you would bear such deep-seated resentment, old sir." Lin Tianlu pondered briefly. "I'm only a youngster and can't offer the profound truths you seek, nor can I give you much guidance in the Sword Dao. But...

"You've wandered across the four seas, and the breadth of your experience likely exceeds my imagination. Perhaps all you lack now is a moment of enlightenment—a stroke of opportunity."

Mo Hong smiled helplessly. "How rare are opportunities in this world? How could Heaven favor an old man in his twilight years?"

"Favor from Heaven?"

Lin Tianlu shook his head. "Old sir, don't underestimate yourself. The roads you've walked, the mountains you've crossed, and the rivers you've waded through in this lifetime are already 'opportunities' that ordinary people never experience in all their lives.

"The green mountains and vast rivers of Heaven and Earth, all the myriad things in this world—they've long since left their mark in your heart. It's only that you've never stopped walking to turn back and gaze upon them, to carefully ponder the 'opportunities' you won through your own efforts."

Mo Hong sat there dazed, lost in thought for a long time.

"Ah! Enough, enough!"

Lin Tianlu chuckled twice and waved his hand. "You should throw these useless words to the back of your mind. A half-baked scholar like me spouting literary flourishes before you is truly embarrassing.

"Why don't you teach me how to play a game of Go? We can take it as a way to relax, how about it?"

As he spoke, he gathered several scattered Go pieces from the table and pushed the white jade box toward Mo Hong. Grinning, he scooped up a few black pieces into his palm.

"There are still quite a few parts of the Go rules I don't understand. I'll need you to point them out to me."

"..."

But Mo Hong was staring blankly at the empty Go board, seemingly deep in thought, his eyes distant.

At some point, hazy mist had spread through the surroundings. Several peach trees blossomed and swayed, their flowers flourishing like brocade, as though they had become a wondrous scene from the azure heavens.

Lin Tianlu, who had originally been sitting beside him, had somehow transformed into a white-haired young man wearing a jade crown and a cloud-and-radiance robe. He resembled an immortal who had attained the Dao beyond the nine heavens, smiling faintly as he swept his sleeve in invitation—

A dark-blue Go board lay upon the stone table before them.

The board was already densely covered with Go pieces.

The black and white pieces seemed to transform into yin and yang qi, interweaving to construct the scene upon the board. It was as though countless phantom images and sounds echoed through his eyes and ears.

Scene after unforgettable scene, cry after hoarse cry.

Sorrow and joy intertwined, grief and anger crossing paths—the myriad faces of life.

This—

was his life, a deadlock upon a Go board, with no squares left to play and no pieces left to place.

Then, that "Lin Tianlu" smiled calmly and swept out his sleeve. Every piece on the board, black and white alike, was brushed away in a single motion.

"This—"

Mo Hong's mind was shaken to its core, and the illusory realm before him vanished in an instant.

Yet the dead knot that had imprisoned his heart for decades suddenly opened wide at that moment, as if his thoughts had finally connected. His mind became clear.

He abruptly clenched the longsword across his knees and threw back his head with a long sigh. His entire bearing changed naturally, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath once more, its edge intimidating.

The next moment, he rose abruptly, spread his arms, and let out a long howl. His voice sounded like a dragon's roar, and the booming cry sent fierce waves of force rolling outward, sweeping recklessly through the tranquil courtyard.

Lin Tianlu let out a surprised "huh."

This old man has powerful lungs. Does he even come with a built-in karaoke echo function?

Wait! What's he howling about in the middle of the night?!

Before Lin Tianlu could stop him, Mo Hong smiled openly with a ruddy face and bowed.

"Mister Lin, I, Mo Hong, will never forget the favor of your guidance and enlightenment for the rest of my life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure suddenly blurred. Like a swallow soaring through the clouds, he leaped into the air.

"If we meet again in the future, I will surely do everything in my power to repay Mister Lin for the favor of giving me a new life!"

A hearty laugh rang out through the heavens. Sword Qi blazed like a rainbow, carrying both liberation and exhilaration.

He borrowed the force of a step against the courtyard wall. The tremendous power smashed away more than half the wall, and his ethereal figure vanished into the distance.

"..." Lin Tianlu was dumbfounded.

"Senior, what happened?!"

Hua Shuya had just finished bathing and had not even had time to dry her damp, beautiful hair. She hurriedly drew her sword and flashed out from the inner courtyard.

"Why did I suddenly hear a long howl and the sound of something collapsing—"

But the words had barely left her mouth when she saw the dusty, wrecked scene before her and froze.

T-the wall of the Household suddenly collapsed?!

Lin Tianlu turned back with a speechless look. "That old man suddenly let out a howl, then stepped on the wall and flew away."

Hua Shuya blinked her beautiful eyes repeatedly. Once her mind caught up, her pretty face darkened. She drew her sword and snorted coldly. "That old man truly has no manners! Senior, please don't worry. I'll go capture that rude old man and bring him back!"

"Wait. It's so late already. There's no need to run around."

Lin Tianlu smiled helplessly and waved her over. "Just report it to the authorities at the yamen tomorrow."

Mm, he needs to be charged with fleeing the scene of an accident.

"Understood! Senior, please rest assured. Tomorrow, I will certainly cooperate with the authorities and have that old man arrested and brought to justice!"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

But just then, a faint, leisurely cough drifted over.

Hua Shuya's expression shifted slightly. She hurriedly flashed in front of Lin Tianlu and stood there with her sword drawn.

Yet Mo Hong, who had just flown off into the distance, was now pushing the door open and walking back in with an awkward smile. He repeatedly cupped his hands.

"Oh dear! I'm truly sorry. I had an epiphany just now, and my qi and blood surged. My head grew hot... I accidentally damaged the wall surrounding Mister's residence."

"Please, old—Senior Mo Hong, rebuild this courtyard wall exactly as it was!" Hua Shuya's brows drew together, her cold gaze intimidating without any anger. She radiated an air of authority. "If you don't repair it, don't even think about escaping!"

Cold sweat poured down Mo Hong's forehead as he gave an embarrassed smile. "Of course, of course! I came back precisely to help rebuild the wall!"

Before long, Hua Shuya returned from outside the courtyard carrying a large pile of wall-building tools, directing and supervising like a foreman.

Meanwhile, the swordsman Mo Hong gave an enthusiastic shout, hung two towels over his shoulders, rolled up his long sleeves, and began mixing cement and laying bricks with nimble hands. His trowel flashed back and forth, his technique clean and efficient. He truly looked like a professional bricklayer.

Sitting some distance away, Lin Tianlu ate a peanut and sighed inwardly.

This Sword Dao grandmaster...

was truly rustic.