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The moonlight, as clear as water, spilled across the many courtyards of the Dugu mansion.

The Dugu Mansion was located in Yongfeng Ward, south of Luoyang City, covering a vast area. The main gate, made of black ebony, was over two zhang wide, studded with copper nails the size of bowls. Two stone Pixiu statues stood before the gate, their eyes wide open, gleaming with a cold, bluish luster in the moonlight. The towering blue brick walls extended to both sides, topped with dark glazed tiles, outlining a majestic silhouette in the night.

Passing through the gate, one is greeted by a massive bluestone screen wall, carved with a bas-relief of a Pixiu (a mythical creature), its craftsmanship ancient and powerful. Beyond the screen wall lies a spacious front courtyard, paved with bluestone slabs, the cracks of which are covered with fine moss. Weapon racks stand on both sides of the courtyard, their swords, spears, and halberds arranged in a menacing array, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

The main hall features flying eaves and bracket sets, with pillars made entirely of single pieces of nanmu wood, painted a deep red. A golden plaque hangs beneath the eaves, bearing the three gilded characters "Biluo Hall," written in a powerful and vigorous style. Legend has it that this plaque was personally inscribed by Dugu Xin, the ancestor of the Dugu clan. Two bronze mythical beasts, resembling lions but not quite, crouch before the steps, their eyes inlaid with gemstones, gleaming eerily in the moonlight.

Passing through the corridor, you enter the central courtyard, where a pond lies serenely, with a few water lilies floating on its surface. A dozen or so koi carp swim in the pond, occasionally swaying their tail fins and creating ripples. The artificial rockery beside the pond is rugged, its dark stones and strange shapes clearly the work of a master craftsman.

To the east was the training ground, its surface covered with fine sand, and surrounded by eighteen kinds of weapons. To the west was the study, its window frames carved with intricate cloud patterns, and its newly pasted window paper as white as snow.

The entire mansion was meticulously laid out and magnificent in scale, possessing both the imposing grandeur of a military family and the elegant refinement of aristocratic clans. In the night, only the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards broke the silence, and the crackling of pine torches cast dancing shadows on the eaves.

Dugu Feng strode through the corridor, the bluestone slabs beneath her feet reflecting the cold moonlight. Her heart was still pounding, the scenes from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion replaying in her mind—the unfathomable man in the blue robe, the terrifying strength that could break through all her life's learning with a casual flick of his finger, and the composed demeanor that revealed the general trend of the world with such ease.

Inside the study, Dugu Feng was bent over his desk reviewing documents. In the candlelight, his face, which appeared to be around fifty years old, looked particularly solemn, with a deep vertical line furrowed between his brows.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw his daughter hurrying towards him. He was slightly taken aback: "Feng'er, what's the matter that you're in such a hurry so late?"

Dugu Feng took a deep breath to calm herself before bowing and saying, "Father, I met Wuming, the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion tonight."

"what?"

The brush in Dugu Feng's hand slammed onto the table, the ink quickly spreading across the document. He abruptly stood up, his sleeve knocking over the teacup on the table: "Are you sure it's him?"

Dugu Feng nodded heavily and recounted the events of the evening in detail. When she spoke of how Yi Huawei had caught her full-force attack, "Heaven and Earth Sorrow," with just two fingers, her voice trembled slightly.

"He didn't even get up, he just casually grabbed it."

Dugu Feng raised her right hand, as if she could still feel the terrifying power that came from the longsword at that moment: "The Azure Fall Red Dust Sword Technique that I have painstakingly cultivated for sixteen years is like child's play in front of him."

Dugu Feng's expression grew increasingly grave as he paced back and forth in his study, the candlelight casting long shadows: "What did he say? Why did he appear in Luoyang?"

He said he just wanted to see the scenery of Luoyang.

Dugu Feng paused, then lowered her voice even further: "But I think he's here to recruit talent. Cheng Yaojin and Xu Ji of Wagang Village seem to be interested."

Dugu Feng suddenly stopped, turned around and stared at his daughter: "What else did he say?"

"He asked his daughter to tell her father,"

Dugu Feng raised his head, his gaze complex: "If you want to leave a way out for the Dugu clan, he will be waiting for you at the Tianjin Bridge three days from now at noon."

The study fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of the candlelight.

Dugu Feng's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally sighed, "The Heavenly Dao Alliance Leader has personally come to Luoyang; the world is truly about to change."

Just then, a soft cough came from the courtyard. The cough was hoarse and drawn-out, as if it were trying to cough up its lungs, but it was unusually clear in the silent night air.

Dugu Feng's expression changed, and he hurriedly walked towards the door. Dugu Feng followed closely behind.

In the courtyard, a hunched figure slowly approached, leaning on a sandalwood cane. It was an elderly woman with streaked white hair, her eyes half-closed by her eyelids, as if she were blind. Her face was covered with deep wrinkles, yet she possessed an air of nobility. She wore a black robe with a white silk overcoat, her forehead prominent, her cheeks sunken, and her complexion a pale pinkish hue that seemed out of place for her age.

Despite her hunched posture, she was still half a head taller than the petite Dugu Feng. Moonlight shone on her wrinkled face, casting deep shadows.

"Mother, why did you come out?" Dugu Feng hurriedly stepped forward to help her, his voice full of worry.

You Chuhong waved her hand, her sandalwood cane tapping lightly on the bluestone slab: "I heard that Feng'er encountered a master tonight?"

Her voice was hoarse, yet it possessed an inherent authority. Her half-closed eyes slowly turned towards Dugu Feng, and although she appeared blind, she exerted an invisible pressure on Dugu Feng.

"grandmother."

Dugu Feng bowed and briefly recounted the events of the evening.

When it came to Yi Huawei pointing out eleven flaws in her swordsmanship, You Chuhong slightly raised her eyelids, revealing a pair of exceptionally clear eyes: "He pointed out all the flaws in the thirty-seven moves in one breath?"

"Yes."

Dugu Feng said in a low voice, "He can see even the slightest mistakes that his granddaughter herself has not noticed."

You Chuhong slammed her wooden cane on the ground again: "Continue."

Dugu Feng stood in the center of the courtyard, the moonlight pouring down on her like quicksilver, casting a long, slender shadow. She took a deep breath, her eyes slightly closed, as if she had returned to that moment at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, facing that unfathomable man in blue.

"He just waved his hand casually,"

Dugu Feng slowly raised her right hand, mimicking Yi Huawei's movement. Her slender fingers traced a seemingly simple yet incredibly profound trajectory in the air.

"There is no set pattern, no fancy moves, and you can't even tell which school or style the starting stance belongs to."

Her movements were slow, as if she were reliving every detail of that moment. Her fingertips traced the air, creating a subtle breeze that caused the fallen leaves in the yard to tremble gently.

"But it was just a casual wave of the hand,"

Dugu Feng's brows furrowed more and more, but her hands unconsciously repeated that simple gesture: "Granddaughter feels that no matter which angle she attacks from, this move will block her retreat. No matter which move from the Azure Dust and Mortal Realm she uses, it's as if she's deliberately presenting a weakness to him."

Her voice carried a mixture of confusion, awe, and resentment.

His right hand continued to gesture, sometimes thrusting forward, sometimes slashing horizontally, sometimes parrying diagonally, trying to break the move from various angles, but he shook his head and gave up time and time again.

You Chuhong's hunched body seemed to have turned into a stone sculpture, with only her half-closed eyes occasionally flashing with a sharp, sword-like light.

Dugu Feng stood to the side, his expression grave. Watching his daughter repeatedly perform that seemingly simple action, his eyes held both worry and expectation. As the head of the Dugu clan, he was well aware of the intricacies of the Azure Cloud Red Dust Sword Technique and understood the significance of a move that could so perplex his daughter.

He said.

Dugu Feng's voice suddenly became ethereal, and her hand movements slowed down: "The sword intent lies in the heart, not in the form."

Her right hand hovered in the air, fingers slightly curved, as if grasping an invisible longsword. Moonlight shone on her hand, casting a faint shadow. "No moves are better than moves."

Dugu Feng murmured to herself, her eyes filled with confusion yet also a hint of understanding.

Suddenly, her movements completely stopped. She stood frozen in the courtyard, as if struck by a spell, only a hint of confusion flashing in her bright eyes, which then grew brighter, as if two flames were burning within them. Her breathing became long and deep, and a subtle change began to occur in her aura.

You Chuhong keenly sensed this change, and slightly raised her withered right hand to stop Dugu Feng from speaking. A complex light flickered in the old woman's eyes, a mixture of surprise, relief, and an indescribable anticipation.

The courtyard fell silent, save for the rustling of bamboo leaves in the evening breeze. The moonlight, like water, cast long shadows of the three figures on the flagstones, resembling three ink-wash silhouettes. The distant sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed, further emphasizing the tranquility of the courtyard.

Dugu Feng slowly closed her eyes, but her hands did not stop moving. She began to practice the Azure Fall Red Dust Sword Technique again, but this time, her sword moves were no longer bound by the established form. The starting stance was no longer the standard "Azure Fall Starting Stance," but rather a spontaneous one, as if done effortlessly.

The first move, "Scattered Stars," was supposed to involve the sword tip transforming into seven cold stars, attacking seven major acupoints on the opponent. But when she used it, it was merely a casual slash, yet the sword intent was pervasive, as if all the stars in the sky could be used by her, and as if no star or celestial being was bound by her.

The second move, "Rolling Red Dust," was originally a sword light that surged towards the opponent like a tide. But when she used it now, she merely turned her wrist slightly, and the sword's momentum flowed like clouds and water, without beginning or end, unrestrained and free.

Her movements were initially quite clumsy, with frequent pauses in thought, her brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed. Sometimes she would suddenly change her move halfway through, and other times she would completely break away from the established patterns of Biluo Hongchen, creating her own new moves.

You Chuhong's gaze followed her granddaughter's every move. Her seemingly blind eyes were now fully open, their clear pupils gleaming with disbelief. The sandalwood staff in her hand trembled slightly, revealing her inner excitement. As a half-step Grandmaster who had cultivated the Azure Dust Sword Technique for over eighty years, she knew better than anyone what Dugu Feng was going through at this moment.

Dugu Feng stood beside his mother. Although his swordsmanship was inferior to theirs, he could see that his daughter was undergoing some kind of transformation. His hands unconsciously clenched, and his breathing became shallow, as if afraid of disturbing this rare moment of enlightenment.

Gradually, Dugu Feng's swordplay became increasingly fluid and natural. Though she held no sword, it was as if she were wielding an invisible one, the tip of which emitted a soft hum as it sliced ​​through the air. Her figure moved erratically in the courtyard, sometimes as light as flowing clouds, sometimes as swift as thunder.

That was no longer the strictly defined Biluo Hongchen Sword Technique, but rather incorporated her entirely new understanding of the way of the sword. Every move was unexpected, every technique exquisite. The sword intent was sometimes like a spring breeze, gentle yet all-pervasive; at other times, it was like winter snow covering the ground, cold and all-encompassing.

Under the moonlight, her figure seemed to merge with the sword, with heaven and earth. The bamboo leaves in the courtyard swayed without wind, as if echoing her sword intent. The koi in the pond stopped swimming, floating quietly on the surface, as if also attracted by this mysterious sword realm.

Suddenly, Dugu Feng let out a long, clear, and resonant cry that soared into the sky. Her figure rose into the air, changing positions seven times in succession, and her right hand, with fingers pointing like a sword, swiftly pointed forward.

Although there was no actual longsword, an invisible sword aura shot out, incredibly sharp. A few steps away, an osmanthus tree trembled violently, its branches and leaves shaking wildly, countless osmanthus blossoms falling like a golden rain. The air was filled with the rich fragrance of osmanthus, creating a strange contrast with the sharp sword aura.

Dugu Feng landed gracefully, her toes lightly touching the ground as she stood firmly. Her aura was perfectly integrated, as if she had merged with heaven and earth. Her bright eyes slowly opened, radiating a sharp light, like two swords about to be drawn from their sheaths.

She stood quietly in the courtyard, motionless, as if still savoring the sudden realization she had just had. Osmanthus blossoms drifted down slowly, a few landing on her hair and shoulders, but she was completely unaware.

After a long while, she slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which lingered and shot out like a white ribbon for about a foot before dissipating. A knowing smile appeared on her face, and she whispered, "Grandma, Father, I...I've broken through to the tenth level!"

You Chuhong took two steps forward, the sandalwood cane making a crisp sound on the bluestone slabs. The old woman's eyes gleamed with excitement, her voice trembling slightly: "Good, good! I never imagined that someone from my Dugu family would finally achieve the highest realm of the Azure Heaven and Red Dust!"

Dugu Feng was both surprised and delighted, and quickly stepped forward: "Mother, this is..."

“The realm of no moves.” You Chuhong sighed, her tone filled with both relief and emotion. “I have cultivated diligently for over eighty years, yet I have never been able to take this step. I never expected that Feng’er would turn misfortune into blessing, receiving guidance from a master and breaking through in one fell swoop.”

She turned to Dugu Feng, her gaze sharp as a sword: "Is that Heavenly Dao Alliance Leader really that formidable?"

Dugu Feng nodded solemnly, her confidence turning into awe: "My granddaughter couldn't even withstand a single move from him. In fact, I even think that if Grandma were to personally intervene, she probably wouldn't be able to..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Instead of getting angry, You Chuhong nodded slightly: "To be able to see through all the flaws of the Azure Sky Red Dust Sword Technique at a glance, and to interpret the true meaning of no moves with a casual sword strike, such a person is indeed no match for me."

Looking up at the bright moon in the night sky, he remained silent for a long time, his seemingly blind eyes gleaming with complex light.

“Feng’er,” she suddenly said, “go see him in three days.”

Dugu Feng was taken aback: "What does Mother mean?"

"The Heavenly Dao Alliance Leader personally came to Luoyang and conveyed the message through Feng'er. This is to give face to my Dugu Clan."

You Chuhong slowly said, "Luoyang is now a besieged city. Wang Shichong is stubborn and self-willed, Li Mi is eyeing us covetously, and the Li clan is too powerful to resist. If our Dugu clan wants to continue, we may really need a way out."

Dugu Feng's expression was grave: "But the Heavenly Dao Alliance is far to the south, I'm afraid..."

"You don't see far enough."

You Chu interrupted him: "This Heavenly Dao Alliance Leader is capable of subduing Song Que and Zhu Yuyan and pacifying half of the southern land. He is no ordinary person. He must have something to rely on to dare to come to Luoyang in person."

He paused, then slammed his sandalwood staff heavily on the ground: "More importantly, he can see through the secrets of my Dugu family's highest sword technique at a glance, and with a casual pointer, he helped Feng'er break through her bottleneck. Such a person is worth meeting."

Dugu Feng said softly, "Grandma, he said that if we go to the Heavenly Dao Alliance, he can teach me the complete Azure Fall Red Dust Sword Technique."

A glint flashed in You Chuhong's eyes: "Oh? He really said that?"

"Yes."

Dugu Feng nodded: "He also said that he could help me break through to the tenth level. Although my granddaughter has already broken through on her own, he seems to have even deeper insights."

You Chuhong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly began to cough violently, the heart-wrenching sound particularly jarring in the night air. Dugu Feng hurriedly stepped forward to pat her back.

After a long while, she finally caught her breath and said hoarsely, "Well done, what a fine leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance! His demeanor and confidence are worthy of his reputation."

She turned to Dugu Feng, her tone resolute: "Three days from now, I will go with you."

Dugu Feng was shocked: "Mother, your health..."

"It's alright," You Chuhong waved her hand. "Such a person is worthy of my personal acquaintance. Besides..."

She gazed into the distance, her eyes deep: "I also want to see with my own eyes what kind of person can make my Feng'er unable to withstand even one move."

Under the moonlight, her hunched figure seemed to straighten a bit, and a long-lost light shone in her half-closed eyes.

Dugu Feng stood aside, feeling the surging sword intent within her body, and the image of the man in the green robe reappeared in her mind.

A night breeze swept through, causing the bamboo shadows in the courtyard to sway as if whispering secrets. (End of Chapter)