Lu Mo charged toward the Undying Sword.
If the old man stood there like a celestial pillar, supporting heaven and earth, unyielding and eternal, then the young girl was the unsheathed blade striking that pillar — cold, silent, and carrying a hint of madness.
Everything! It felt as though she could annihilate anything standing in her way.
*Clang — *
Sword met sword, yet there was no ripple of realm power.
But in that instant, a terrifying sword intent exploded outward, centering on the two of them!
The wind from the blades echoed. In a heartbeat, the ground beneath them and the trees surrounding them were riddled with cracks and gashes.
The two clashing auras sent a shiver down Selina’s spine.
She lost her nerve and retreated several more steps.
Just then, a gust of wind carrying that sword intent whistled past her cheek.
That intent… in that moment, it made her heart race with absolute terror!
Was this really just a spar?
Did this level of swordsmanship truly still belong to the realm of humanity?
Her father was one thing; he had been the Undying Sword, one of the great powerhouses of his era.
But as for Junior Sister Mo…
Her momentum and her sword intent did not falter even slightly when facing her father!
Blade crossed blade continuously.
At first, Selina watched with rapt attention, still able to capture their movements and identify the trajectories of their swinging swords.
Gradually, however, the speed of their strikes became faster and faster, until it was impossible for Selina to see through them.
It looked like complete chaos, without form or logic — a state of absolute disorder.
Yet every time their swords met again, the resulting gale became a few degrees more terrifying.
And that sword intent became clearer and clearer, making Selina’s heart pound harder!
She could feel it; both of them were entering a peak state.
The spar was reaching a fever pitch.
Their swordsmanship was no longer constrained by forms or combat skill circuits. Instead, they were pursuing the unification of body, soul, and will.
Every strike was natural. Every surge of sword intent felt as if it could shake the world.
“…”
Selina was completely dazed.
She had never seen her father take action personally or treat a disciple with such seriousness. She had also never seen Lu Mo give her all, focused and filled with such madness.
The old man was steady and reserved, like a giant pillar supporting this corner of the world, like an indestructible heavy shield, like an absolutely unbreakable wall.
‘And Lu Mo…’
She was like a beautiful flower blooming in the wind, a sharp blade that could slay all things, a mad sword that could tear everything apart!
*Clang — *
At a certain point, the two figures separated once more.
Selina understood that the spar between them had reached its conclusion.
The next strike would be the final one.
The old man lowered his posture and gripped Broken Rain tightly.
Lu Mo also pivoted sharply, swinging her longsword.
Sword met sword once again.
The terrifying sword intent ran wild.
Selina felt as if she were being swallowed by those two terrifying forces in that split second.
She felt as if a pitch-black blade carrying the aura of annihilation was charging forward without hesitation to smash against an ancient, heavy barrier.
Then, the entire mental image collapsed.
She was pulled back to reality, seeing her father and Lu Mo’s swords locked against each other, neither moving an inch.
The scene seemed frozen in time.
The entire world appeared to pause for a moment because of their final strike.
Who won?
Father?
Junior Sister Mo?
Selina found herself unable to determine the victor.
In the next second, Lu Mo withdrew her sword. Her expression was indifferent, and her breathing was steady.
The old man also sheathed Broken Rain as if nothing had happened, but his hand seemed to tremble slightly in that moment.
“Master, you…” Lu Mo spoke with a hint of concern.
The old man shook his head, signaling he was fine, and gave a bitter smile. “It seems I have reached my limit.”
“Ah…”
“I really am getting old. I can’t move my body as freely as I used to.”
Selina hurried forward to push the wheelchair. The old man sat down and took a short rest, and his complexion gradually improved.
“Father, are you all right?”
“I am fine.”
“The battle just now…”
The image of the sword of annihilation striking the ancient barrier resurfaced in Selina’s mind.
She did not know if the sword had shattered or if the barrier had been breached in the end.
But looking at how their swords had frozen in mid-air at the end…
“Was it a draw?” she asked quickly.
Neither the old man nor Lu Mo gave her a definitive answer.
The old man simply looked up, glanced at Lu Mo again, and said with a smile, “It seems you have truly stepped onto that path of swordsmanship.”
2 years.
From the time she first entered his tutelage to the moment she understood his path and stepped onto her own, this young girl had only spent 2 years.
As for himself, it had taken the better part of his life to go from the initial concept to implementation, through countless failures, before finally succeeding.
“I have nothing left to teach you.”
The old man spoke, “Lady Mo, you have… graduated.”
Lu Mo looked at the old man for a long time before bowing deeply to him.
“Thank you… Master Odenari!”
***
Nothing left to teach?
Graduated?
Selina felt a bit dazed.
Usually, it was her father’s disciples who felt the limits of their own talent and took the initiative to bid him farewell.
For her father to say he had nothing left to teach was a first in history.
This also proved that Junior Sister Mo’s talent for swordsmanship had completely surpassed the realm of humanity, didn’t it?
To be able to go back and forth with her father during a spar and ultimately even fight him to a draw…
When she thought back to 2 years ago, when she had challenged Lu Mo repeatedly, Selina suddenly felt like her past self was a fool.
The girl was truly strong…
Just like… the brilliant protagonists in those storybooks… Selina thought to herself.
‘Junior Sister Mo has graduated…’
This meant that Lu Mo could leave this place at any time.
Once Lu Mo left, she would never again see the girl practicing her sword alone in the wilderness, would she?
For some reason, Selina felt a deep sense of disappointment in that moment.
What was she disappointed about?
What was she looking forward to?
…
She stood to the side, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Lu Mo continued to converse with Odenari.
“Does Lady Mo plan to leave?”
“Yes, I will likely set out soon. These past 2 years have been hard on you, Master.”
“It is no matter. To be able to teach a disciple like you, I can die with no regrets…” Odenari sighed.
Whether it was his own swordsmanship or the fusion and sublimation of that madman, the girl had mastered it all.
How far could she go on that path?
And would she… be able to realize the ultimate dream shared by him and that madman?
He truly hoped he could live to see that day.
“Does Lady Mo have any plans for the future?” the old man asked.
In his eyes, the girl was a sword that charged forward without hesitation. Next, she would likely repeat what she had done before: challenge the strong, shine brilliantly in one battle of geniuses after another, and cut down those heavenly beings from the high sky one by one.
But Lu Mo’s next answer left him stunned.
“I should probably go home,” the girl said.
Her answer was nothing like the impression she gave off. It felt completely out of place.
“I should go see that idiot to fulfill a promise from my childhood,” Lu Mo said with a light smile.
When she mentioned “that idiot,” her expression was different from any other time.
Selina overheard Lu Mo’s words.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a bit sad and a bit… jealous of that idiot.
“Going home… that is fine. After all, that is your freedom.”
After a brief daze, the old man smiled again. “However, before you leave, I need Lady Mo to do one last thing. Rest today. 2 days from now, I will wait for Lady Mo’s arrival here. I will take Lady Mo to a certain place.”
“All right.”
Lu Mo replied, and before long, she bid farewell to the old man and Selina, departing first.
The old man watched Lu Mo leave. Afterward, he looked down at his hand, which was still trembling slightly.
He had indeed overexerted himself today. But that was not the only reason his hand was shaking.
‘A draw…’
Was it really as simple as a draw?
He had not used his full strength, but just now, he had displayed at least 20% to 30% of his swordsmanship mastery.
Even so, his sword was already quite terrifying. Under such circumstances, even the seasoned Masters from those powerful factions would have been easily defeated by him.
But Lu Mo was not inferior to him in the slightest, matching him until the very last strike.
And it was in that final strike that he clearly felt that mad intent, which sought to annihilate everything, seeping through his indestructible defense.
That mad sword intent… it had suddenly made him shudder with an uncontrollable chill.
Even now, he could not completely calm down.