Lin Zhao's heart suddenly opened up. At this moment, he was not only back to the Eighth Realm, but he also vaguely felt that the bottleneck of the Eighth Realm was loosening. This long-lost feeling made him even more convinced that a player's realm in the game was not entirely determined by the endless mode of the Realm Tower, but could also be broken through by breaking through the heart realm, self-cultivation, and other methods. In other words, it was a truly free mode!
"Hoo..."
He let out a heavy sigh and leaned out of the window from the second floor to look at the ground. He saw a child in patched clothes lying on the ground with a branch in his hand, grimacing in pain and rubbing his butt. But when he saw Lin Zhao looking at him, he immediately got up from the ground and cupped his fists like the cavalry warriors of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, saying, "This is Zhang Luobai from Hefeng Academy. Greetings to the Mountain... Mountain Master Sword Immortal!"
Lin Zhao couldn't help but smile. This child was not shy at all, so he asked with a smile, "Zhang Luobai, why did you climb to the roof of the library? Didn't you hear Provost Gu's order? No disciple is allowed to enter the library these days."
"I know."
Zhang Luobai scratched his head, still smiling, "But I couldn't help it. I wanted to see the Mountain Master Sword Immortal and ask him if he was willing to take me as a disciple. Or, does the Mountain Master Sword Immortal want a lackey or something? Once Zhang Luobai pledges allegiance to the Mountain Master, he will be the Mountain Master's lackey for life, unwavering."
"Scram, scram, scram."
Lin Zhao said with a laugh, "Hurry up and get lost before Provost Gu finds out. Otherwise, I'll report you, and you, Zhang Luobai, will surely be spanked."
"Ah?!"
The mischievous child finally showed a hint of panic, but he still pretended to be calm and cupped his fists at Lin Zhao, saying, "Mountain Master Sword Immortal is a magnanimous adult, and he won't hold a grudge against me, Zhang Luobai. I'm leaving now. I also ask the Mountain Master Sword Immortal to keep in mind the rules of the martial world and to keep my words a secret!"
"Hurry up and get lost." Lin Zhao waved his hand.
The mischievous child scampered away, and several young scholars responsible for watching the library, holding scrolls, naturally did not see the boy, as Lin Zhao had already decided to let him off the hook.
...
The Ancestral Court of the Military School.
"Words need not be kept, actions need not be completed, only righteousness matters..."
The man in green robes frowned, savoring Lin Zhao's enlightenment: "So that's how it is. 'Words must be kept, actions must be completed,' which everyone talks about, is just a pedantic saying. It's rare that my junior brother could break through such a heart realm and find the answer in the words of the sages."
Han Xin, the God of War, crossed his arms and smiled, "What one promises to others is one thing, but the cycles of heaven are another. Sometimes fate plays tricks. If one rigidly clings to that promise, it will only harm others and oneself. How can one see through the Great Dao? Lin Zhao is indeed a seed of learning with extremely high comprehension. If it were another person, they might not understand or comprehend it."
"That's true."
The man in green robes grinned, "My junior brother, Ding Muchen, how could he be ordinary? The person chosen by the Dragon Slaying Sword is bound to be extraordinary."
"What about you?"
The God of War looked at the God of War in front of him and said, "Lin Zhao's heart knot was untied by the saying 'words need not be kept, actions need not be completed, only righteousness matters.' What about your heart knot, Ding Muchen? Can this saying resolve it?"
"Alas..."
The brilliance on the face of the man in green robes suddenly disappeared, and he drooped his head, "It's difficult... My situation is different from my junior brother's. My heart demon wasn't planted because I made a promise to Fusu or broke my word to him, but because... I chose a different path from Fusu, and he walked the path I once thought was right to its conclusion, at the cost of his life."
"Then your situation is indeed more complicated."
The God of War smiled, "But I think the principle is the same. You feel you have failed Su Fu and your own sense of righteousness, but what is the reality? What were the results of Ding Muchen's final choice? Is it worthy of the righteousness in your heart?"
The man in green robes was slightly stunned, and his heart was in chaos.
"Forget it, I won't say anymore. I'm not a scholar."
He knitted his brows and said, "For us military strategists, if a problem cannot be solved, then break it with a sword. Let the problem wait, sharpen the sword, and whoever dares to be detrimental to the human race, whoever dares to be detrimental to my junior brother and Fusu, that will be the time for me, Ding Muchen, to speak my own truth."
The God of War grumbled. Sometimes, one had to admire these reckless sword cultivators.
...
Panyun Mountain, Demon Race military tent.
On the mountaintop, the great demon Yu Zhi, in a fiery red long dress, was breathtakingly beautiful. Beside her, Shi Jungang had possessed Wang Yue's body. Although wearing a black long dress, she was equally charming. There was also a Twelfth Realm sword cultivator, Feng Quan. The three of them looked to the south with different expressions and their own thoughts.
"Lin Zhao's realm dropped for only three days, and he has broken through again."
Shi Jungang frowned and said, "Moreover, his current Eighth Realm has even more profound foundations. He should have seen the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm. If this fellow manages to form a Nascent Soul and become a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, it will be greatly disadvantageous to us demons."
"Hmph..."
Yu Zhi said, "Sister Shi, you worry too much. Does it make a difference whether Lin Zhao is a Golden Core sword cultivator or a Nascent Soul sword cultivator? To put it bluntly, even if he were an Eleventh Realm sword cultivator, the difference would not be great. Lin Zhao's worrisome aspect has never been his cultivation, but his cunning. With him around, the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool is like an abyss, capable of swallowing anyone who dares to step into it, even millions of troops."
She sighed and said, "What I am angry about is that he has managed to break through his heart realm. Lin Zhao now has no guilt or self-blame in his heart, but instead has emerged with much 'vitality.' I really cannot understand who or what could have helped him resolve his heart knot so quickly. Are the principles of scholars truly that powerful?"
"Of course, they are powerful."
Feng Quan clasped his arms and smiled, "Scholars do their research, setting many rules for the world, and also setting many rules for themselves. Once they truly affirm a principle, they will have no reservations. Otherwise, why would those in the Upper Five Realms of the Confucian literary world face death so bravely? This is something we sword cultivators cannot understand."
"Oh?"
Yu Zhi glanced at Feng Quan and scoffed, "Lord Feng Quan still has the mind to smile?"
"Why not?"
Feng Quan still wore a smile.
Yu Zhi's lips curled, and she looked at the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, saying indifferently, "There is no trace of sword dao luck left in the demon world. Lin Wanhua's breakthrough almost devoured all the sword dao luck of our demon world in one go. Lord Feng Quan's sword dao originates from the demon world and is deeply rooted. It seems that Lord Feng Quan will have no chance of reaching the Thirteenth Realm in this life."
"What does it matter?"
Feng Quan remained calm and composed, smiling and saying, "In the future, the four northern tribes will always move south. I will have plenty of time to cultivate in the human world. Then, we can reciprocate by using the sword dao luck of the human world to break through. Why can Lin Wanhua go to the demon world, and we cannot go to the human world?"
"Humph~~~"
Yu Zhi smiled slightly and stopped arguing with him. He was just a brute; what did he know?
...
Hefeng Academy.
In a small pavilion on a rockery, Lin Zhao stretched his body. He had been studying hard in the library for three days and was indeed exhausted. Moreover, his hunger and satiety levels were close to zero. Fortunately, Gu Lingyu was very considerate and personally brought a basket of food. She sat by his side and watched Lin Zhao eat his fill before asking a disciple to clear away the bowls and chopsticks.
Not far away, in the main courtyard of the academy, some children were sitting in classrooms studying, while others were playing outside. One particularly mischievous child was arrogantly brandishing a wooden stick and performing a set of self-created sword techniques. Then, he threw the wooden stick away and struck a boxing stance that was neither here nor there, performing a set of vigorous but unorganized boxing techniques.
"How about it!"
Zhang Luobai looked at a group of playmates and laughed, "My home is next to the large training ground, where I can see the warriors of the Snow Domain Army practicing boxing every day. I've learned a bit from them. Is this set of 'Jianma Fist' authentic?"
A boy laughed, "Zhang Luobai, what kind of bullshit 'Jianma Fist' is this? Even a farmer who carries manure from the back street can do better than your 'Jianma Fist'!"
"Alas..."
Zhang Luobai shook his head, "The beautiful music is played for the few who understand it. I don't blame you for not understanding the boxing technique, but you shouldn't speak so presumptuously!"
Saying this, he pointed at the boy and said solemnly, "Luo Qiyou, wait and see. In a few more years, when I'm as tall as you, I'll come down the mountain to challenge you. When you fall under my fist, please remember what you said today. This is called karmic retribution!"
The group of children burst into laughter.
Zhang Luobai picked up the short stick again and practiced in the yard. However, many children flocked around him, and many young students went crazy with Zhang Luobai, playing together. In the distance, the young teacher who was watching the children simply smiled kindly. It was fine; young boys should play like this. If anything happened, he could stop it immediately, after all, his Star River Realm was not fake.
Lin Zhao also watched from afar. In fact, he was particularly envious of these children in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool. A hundred years ago, when he was studying, the teacher in the private school was not so kind, nor did he have so much knowledge. How could it compare to now? The provost of Hefeng Academy was a Twelfth Realm Confucian sage, a former grand sacrificer of the Imperial College. His young disciples were all well-read and knowledgeable, and their realms were not low. It was the children's good fortune to study with these young teachers.
...
"..."
Lin Zhao watched from afar. The mischievous child, wielding the wooden stick like a sword, was covered in sweat, his smile bright and innocent. Moreover, it was he who fell from the roof of the library and hit the bookshelf, allowing Lin Zhao to see the sage's words that untied his heart knot. In fact, this child was his lucky general, and Lin Zhao felt a sense of familiarity when he looked at him.
"Is it him?"
Lin Zhao suddenly asked softly.
Gu Lingyu smiled slightly, "Yes."