Chapter 163: Heading to Hwasan Sect
“The Hwasan Sword Saint is alive!”
“Everyone, charge forward!”
The battlefield echoed with Mu Hwi’s voice, and there were more orthodox martial artists who recognized the Sim-myeong Sword than expected.
Moreover, the sight of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen breaking through the martial artists of the Paewangseong like a storm, spurred on by his voice, further galvanized the warriors of the Sacheon Alliance.
“Waaaah!”
The Sacheon Alliance warriors, who had been focused on defense to hold the front line, began moving in unison.
“As expected, he’s not a man who would die so easily.”
Tang Qihu’s lips curled up as countless hidden weapons poured from both sleeves. The weapons, rippling with inner energy, gathered in the air.
Whooosh!
While a storm of green-tinged flower petals raged at the front of the battlefield, purple thunder fell from the rear.
Vaguely scattering purple flashes.
Every time the intense purple light flickered across the battlefield, large and small blood blossoms bloomed in gruesome splendor. Amidst it all, purple plum blossoms bloomed in full, transforming the blood-soaked battlefield into a garden filled with the scent of plum blossoms, all with a single streak of light.
Screeeech!
The eyes of the Paewangseong warriors facing the Sword Flight by Qi were filled with bewilderment and helplessness.
Some gritted their teeth, wearing expressions of disbelief as they searched for openings, while others staggered back with hollow faces.
No matter what they tried, they were equally powerless before the Sword Flight by Qi.
“How the hell are we supposed to block that?!”
“Roll out of the way and grab it somehow!”
Mu Hwi’s sword fingers lightly traced left and right. Sim-myeong Sword soared through the air like a fish in water.
Dozens of purple flashes split like lightning, sweeping across a dozen spaces from east to west.
‘The consumption of inner energy and mental strength is certainly significant.’
Mu Hwi unleashed the Sword Flight by Qi without reservation. He wanted to accurately gauge its effectiveness in actual combat.
Perhaps because he hadn’t mastered it for long, the toll on his inner energy and mental strength was considerable.
But to determine its precise limits, Mu Hwi continued to deploy it.
His sword fingers tilted slightly.
‘Make the inner energy flow more radically.’
Following his will, the flow of inner energy shifted. Sim-myeong Sword accelerated abruptly in midair, tearing through the atmosphere.
Amidst the sharp sound of splitting air, the bodies of the Paewangseong’s Fortress warriors burst apart simultaneously upon contact with the flashing light.
‘Fine control is difficult, but the speed and power have definitely increased. With a bit more adjustment, it won’t be bad.’
Mu Hwi nodded in satisfaction as he mimicked the inner energy control of Heaven-Shuddering Divine Palm, which he had observed continuously.
The Sword Flight by Qi, with its maximized freedom, transformed completely in power, speed, and movement with just a little adjustment.
A martial art heavily influenced by the user’s intuition. There was still much room for growth.
“The Sword Saint! Aim for the Sword Saint!”
Even as dozens behind them spilled blood, some Paewangseong warriors charged forward, ready to die.
Their target was the one controlling the Sword Flight by Qi.
Dozens of warriors shot forward from all directions, but Mu Hwi calmly stepped forward.
As if taking a leisurely stroll, he swung his sword fingers naturally.
The Paewangseong warriors hurled themselves at him with shouts and battle cries.
The energy waves emanating from Mu Hwi’s entire body, carrying the scent of plum blossoms, reached them in an instant.
Sschick!
Ghastly slicing sounds erupted from all sides.
Severed limbs and blood vessels filled the air.
The Sword Flight by Qi continued to ravage the Paewangseong warriors, while Mu Hwi remained motionless.
Just what had cut them?
Mu Hwi, having reached the state of Divine Sword Unity, imbued his energy waves with the intent to sever.
A single strand of energy was akin to a sword honed with lethal sharpness. The bodies of the Paewangseong warriors exposed to such energy were etched with chilling sword marks.
Meanwhile, Mu Hwi simply advanced, his robes fluttering.
A starkly contrasting scene.
“This is absurd!”
“This is what a supreme master is…”
He hadn’t even retrieved the rampaging Sword Flight by Qi, nor did he counter with hand techniques.
Just by walking forward, his comrades were haphazardly sliced apart by invisible energy waves.
The overwhelming sight extinguished the resolve of those who had dared to block the Hwasan Sword Saint. Fear began to rise in the hearts of the Paewangseong warriors.
Behind Mu Hwi’s advancing footsteps, only a long trail of blood remained. The rear of the Paewangseong camp was being breached by a single man.
No one dared to stop the Hwasan Sword Saint.
Mu Hwi’s gaze lifted slightly.
Plum blossoms and petals blooming in the distance.
From the opposite side, a different scent of plum blossoms wafted in.
Boom!
Mu Hwi paused briefly, and soon after, the Paewangseong warriors blocking his path collapsed on their own.
“Senior Disciple!”
Mujin was the first to rush out, followed by Mu-hwa and Mu-cheol.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, having deployed the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation, had carved a path through the Paewangseong camp to reach Mu Hwi from the opposite side.
No elite martial force in the martial arts world could have accomplished this easily.
Yet the Plum Blossom Swordsmen had done it defiantly. All twenty-four swordsmen had gathered without a single loss.
Mu Hwi was certain that the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, now capable of perfectly executing the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation, would not falter against any martial force in the world.
“You all look well.”
Though some disciples had minor injuries, none seemed hindered in movement.
Mu Hwi spoke as calmly as if nothing had happened. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, panting from their relentless charge through enemy lines, smiled faintly.
“Senior Disciple. What’s with that outfit? Where’s your Plum Blossom Robe and training clothes? You’re wearing some strange martial attire.”
Seeing Mu Hwi unharmed, Mu-hwa pointed out his attire unnecessarily. Mu Hwi had never been like this before—always crushing enemies in pristine condition.
Mu-hwa’s face darkened as he roughly gauged the dangers Mu Hwi must have faced.
Mu Hwi patted Mu-hwa’s head.
“I believed in you, Senior Disciple.”
Mu-cheol’s voice was slightly higher than usual. Mu Hwi smiled and looked at Mujin.
“You’ve reached the peak.”
“Yes, Senior Disciple.”
Mujin smiled bitterly, and Mu Hwi lightly tapped his shoulder.
“You all held out well.”
Mu Hwi exchanged glances with each of the first-generation disciples and nodded before addressing them all.
“Elder Disciples.”
“Enough. You’ve returned… That’s sufficient.”
Hyeon Baek, suppressing his emotions, slowly nodded. Behind him, Hyeon Gak grinned brightly at Mu Hwi.
In the midst of the battlefield, there was no time for lengthy reunions.
But Mu Hwi and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen shared their unspoken feelings through their eyes.
As Mu Hwi raised his hand, Sim-myeong Sword, which had been sweeping the battlefield, swiftly returned to him. Holding the sword, Mu Hwi addressed the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
“Let’s go.”
At his words, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen reassumed their formation.
The Paewangseong warriors, who hadn’t dared to attack Mu Hwi’s energy waves, gulped as the Plum Blossom Swordsmen prepared the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation again.
Boom!
In unison, the twenty-four swords of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen erupted with purple light as they deployed the formation.
Plum blossoms bloomed from all directions, scattering petals and fragrance, announcing their presence.
The protagonists dominating this battlefield were the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
***
Crack!
The demonic energy tearing through the ground completely altered the surrounding terrain.
The massive wave of demonic energy, as large as a house, was split cleanly by a single unwavering sword strike.
Kang Ho-baek, who had cleaved the demonic energy in two, lowered his sword slightly and glared at the Black Night Palace Lord.
Facing Kang Ho-baek’s chilling gaze, the Black Night Palace Lord slowly lowered his hands.
“Alliance Leader. You’re truly strong. Have you attained enlightenment? You’re now fit to occupy one of the Three Seats.”
“I gained enlightenment during a life-and-death battle after the Black Night Palace’s succession ceremony.”
At Kang Ho-baek’s casual remark, the Black Night Palace Lord’s lips curled into a smile filled with killing intent.
“An Alliance Leader who grows stronger without stagnation… What a troublesome man.”
“I’m the one who’s surprised. I never expected the Black Night Palace Lord to be a master rivaling the Three Seats.”
The two men’s gazes clashed in midair.
Both had moved with the same goal in this battle.
The Black Night Palace Lord had gathered information on Kang Ho-baek since their direct confrontation during the succession ceremony, assessing his strength.
His conclusion was that while Kang Ho-baek wouldn’t be easy to kill, it was possible.
Kang Ho-baek, meanwhile, had pieced together fragments of insight gained from his life-and-death battle with the Paewangseong and successive duels with supreme masters of the Martial Alliance, elevating his realm.
Confident he could now hold his own against the Three Seats, he had taken to the battlefield intending to kill the Black Night Palace Lord.
Both masters had acted based on their own assessments, but each had defied the other’s expectations, resulting in the current stalemate.
“This palace has suffered a loss. I couldn’t kill you, and now I’ve lost the friendly sect.”
The Black Night Palace Lord glanced at the fluttering banner of the Martial Alliance in the distance and stepped back, instantly putting dozens of yards between them.
“Until next time, Alliance Leader.”
Kang Ho-baek did not pursue.
The Black Night Palace Lord wasn’t an opponent he could kill immediately even if he chased.
“Alliance Leader!”
“I’m fine.”
Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader checked Kang Ho-baek’s condition and nodded before delivering a letter.
“Urgent news from Sacheon.”
“Urgent news.”
Kang Ho-baek’s lips tightened at the mention of Sacheon.
He had already heard that Mu Hwi, who had faced the Paewangseong Lord in Sacheon, had gone missing.
Thus, as he took the letter, a sense of unease crept in. The likelihood of good news from Sacheon was extremely low.
Kang Ho-baek opened the letter with a shadowed expression.
‘Surely the Sacheon Alliance hasn’t fallen.’
Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader’s brow furrowed as he saw Kang Ho-baek’s fingers crumple the edges of the letter.
As Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader waited anxiously for Kang Ho-baek’s reaction, the Alliance Leader suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
“Alliance Leader?”
“Mu Hwi! That bastard is alive. Of course. He’s not one to die so easily.”
Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader’s face brightened at Kang Ho-baek’s joyous expression.
“Could it be?”
Reading the letter, Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader also smiled.
The Hwasan Sword Saint had returned unharmed, defeated the Paewangseong warriors, and inflicted heavy losses, forcing them to retreat.
In the end, the Paewangseong had failed to crush the Sacheon Alliance and withdrew.
“With the loss of the Five king Army and half of the Paewangseong’s Seven Great Swords, the Paewangseong’s strength is significantly diminished.”
“Hmm. The Paewangseong remains, but for now, the Paewangseong won’t be able to act easily. Given the current state of the martial arts world, that alone is a tremendous gain.”
Kang Ho-baek had anticipated the worst—the Paewangseong swallowing Sacheon and advancing into Shaanxi or Hubei.
Yet, the best possible outcome among all scenarios had occurred, leaving him no choice but to rejoice.
Burning the letter with Sammae Jin Fire, Kang Ho-baek looked westward toward Sacheon.
“Mu Hwi. Thank you.”
Today’s battle would conclude the clash between the Martial Alliance and the Black Night Palace in Hunan. Fortunately, the Martial Alliance could now catch its breath.
Though it was unclear when the next clash would occur, surviving this crisis was crucial.
With a slightly lighter heart, Kang Ho-baek issued orders to his allies.
“Prepare to return to Hubei.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader!”
***
Guyu Sect Training Grounds
Numerous martial artists groaned and rolled on the ground. Roughly a hundred—equivalent to three martial squads.
The swordsmen who had simultaneously crushed three of the Nine Sect’s martial squads calmly regulated their breathing and sharpened their energy.
Watching them, the Guyu Sect Leader appeared behind the Guyu Elder.
“Impressive. For our elite martial squads to fall like this…”
“I taught them, so this much is expected. Sect Leader, what is it?”
The Sect Leader bowed respectfully and replied.
“Grand Elder. The Sword Saint has entered Shaanxi.”
“So the news of his survival was true.”
The Guyu Sect Elder’s eyes gleamed sharply at the news of the Hwasan Sword Saint.
“Good. It would’ve been troublesome if he died.”
Since emerging from seclusion, the Guyu Sect Elder had personally trained these swordsmen.
“Eight Jade Swordsmen. Prepare. We’re heading to the Hwasan Sect.”
At his words, the swordsmen known as the Eight Jade Swordsmen erupted with chilling light and killing intent.
