The Grand Elder looked Lin Mu in the eyes and spoke.
"This sect owes you a feast worthy of legends. But more than that, it owes you respect. You are not simply a guest anymore. You are the sword that was approved by our legacy itself."
And in that quiet moment, surrounded by elders and the weight of a thousand years of history, Lin Mu simply nodded. His path was long and uncertain, but it was his.
And that made all the difference.
The atmosphere within the Sword Discourse Pavilion was still reverberating with awe.
The tale Lin Mu had just recounted had upended the elders' very understanding of the Path of the Sealed Swords. But even more than the number of trials, even more than Daoist Star Slayer's appearance—it was the transformation that truly caught their attention.
"Lin Mu…" Grand Elder Huo said at last, voice heavy with interest, "you mentioned something near the end. You attained something. A breakthrough, correct?"
