102
Chapter 102
Jjeo-eong!
A sharp metallic ring erupted from Xian Zhu’s sword as she blocked a halberd strike. The impact sent tremors through her legs, which had been rooted firmly like an ancient tree, now wobbling precariously.
"You’re holding up surprisingly well for a brat."
The Yonggeuk division leader sneered as he watched Xian Zhu stubbornly endure. Though she stood her ground, it was clear she was barely hanging on.
Even as the Yonggeuk leader paused, Xian Zhu’s sword never rested—his subordinates pressed forward relentlessly.
Every time one warrior fell, another immediately took their place, swinging their halberds without mercy.
Yet Xian Zhu held firm, blocking the path.
No one would interfere with Mu Hwi’s life-or-death duel.
A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her lips—not from internal injuries, but from biting them to stay conscious.
"Huff!"
Exhaling sharply, Xian Zhu twisted at the waist. Her sword, fueled by the motion, carved a wide arc through the air, slicing through a warrior’s midsection.
Chae-aeng!
The warrior collapsed, but Xian Zhu’s hand moved swiftly, retracting her blade to block a low strike.
As she deflected a slash aimed at her thigh, another attack came for her shoulder and solar plexus.
The Extreme Heaven Sect warriors’ coordinated assault pushed her to the brink.
Chwaak!
Yet Xian Zhu stubbornly parried and countered, over and over.
Her entire body was drenched in blood, but she only narrowed her eyes and thrust her sword forward.
She had declared the center of this canyon her domain, and no one would set foot in it.
The Thirty-Six Swords of the World stood like an impenetrable wall, halting the warriors’ advance.
But Xian Zhu wasn’t unscathed.
Her ragged breaths carried the metallic tang of blood long ago.
Her bones creaked, her muscles screamed.
The once-overflowing well of her internal energy had dried up, her dantian barren.
Her body had long since reached its limit—only sheer willpower kept it moving.
At this point, she couldn’t even tell if her body obeyed her mind or simply moved on reflex from years of training.
She had pushed past her limits again and again, so much so that she no longer realized she was doing it.
‘Am I even swinging properly?’
The thought flickered through her mind.
Her feet moved before she could think, her waist and arms following instinctively.
It felt like her consciousness had detached—her body moving on its own in a strange, transcendent state.
As her limbs acted independently, executing the Thirty-Six Swords of the World without her input, Xian Zhu found herself numbly observing herself.
The spacing of her stance, the flex of her muscles, the angle of her arms channeling power into the blade.
Even the flow of internal energy through her meridians, guided by her breath.
All of it—crystal clear.
A sensation she could never normally perceive.
Perhaps the boundary between consciousness and subconsciousness had blurred after breaking past her limits so many times.
‘Have I always fought like this?’
Every element of her being concentrated into a single point—the Thirty-Six Swords of the World.
‘This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.’
Her flaws became visible.
And once she saw them, the swordplay itself looked different.
‘I’ve just been blocking.’
The Thirty-Six Swords of the World began with defending against all directions, but Xian Zhu now understood that mere defense wasn’t enough.
The Thirty-Six Swords of the World was a technique meant to manifest one’s own world through the blade.
It was time to move beyond blocking—to contemplate the world her sword was meant to create.
‘Then… What is my world?’
The moment this realization struck—
The Thirty-Six Swords of the World transformed.
Her flaws corrected themselves one by one, refining her movements with precision.
Her right foot shifted slightly forward, widening her stance.
Her muscles adjusted with greater subtlety.
Her arms naturally aligned, channeling every ounce of power from her waist into the blade without waste.
Unbeknownst to her, her mind had entered a state of calm, perfect clarity.
The Tianxia Divine Technique’s internal energy surged through her meridians, replenishing what she thought was exhausted.
Her dantian and veins, once parched, now brimmed with energy.
Yet Xian Zhu, wholly absorbed in her sword, noticed none of this.
She was lost in the Thirty-Six Swords of the World—entranced by its depths.
"Hmm?"
The Yonggeuk leader’s eyes widened as he watched for an opening in Xian Zhu’s defense.
Her fading aura had suddenly sharpened—not just recovering, but growing stronger without limit.
Clearer.
Deeper.
The rising energy spread throughout the canyon.
Ziiing!
As if responding, her sword emitted a resonant hum.
The dim golden sword light flared anew, illuminating the gorge.
The radiance clinging to the blade shimmered like captured starlight.
"Damn it!"
Sensing danger, the Yonggeuk leader lunged—but Xian Zhu’s sword was already in motion.
No longer just blocking.
A golden slash, brimming with starlight, streaked across the canyon.
A luminous tail trailed behind the blade, as if the sword itself was declaring, this is my domain.
Do not trespass.
No longer merely defending, she drew the boundaries of her world.
Endless sword strokes sketched the borders of Tianxia, and the countless points they marked became constellations filling the sky.
Tianxia Xingchen (World of Stars).
"Grahk!"
The Yonggeuk leader’s halberd—and his body—were effortlessly torn apart by the cascading sword light.
The moment she fully executed this once-elusive technique—
Xian Zhu realized she had stepped into the peak realm.
"Haa…"
As her legs buckled, Mu Hwi—suddenly beside her—caught her arm.
"You’ve finally broken through. Congratulations on reaching the peak realm."
Too weak to lift her head, Xian Zhu muttered at the ground,
"Brother Mu Hwi… Can I rest now?"
Mu Hwi glanced ahead. Though she had cut down many, survivors remained.
Yet he placed a hand on her head.
"It’s over. Rest well."
At his calm words, Xian Zhu immediately passed out. Mu Hwi carefully laid her down.
Just as he raised his sword to finish the fight—
A gale erupted from the canyon’s rear.
Kwa-ka-kaang!
A crushing force obliterated the remaining warriors in an instant.
Mu Hwi clasped his hands in greeting at the elderly man who appeared.
"Greetings Sect Leader."
The sudden arrival of the Wind King Hong Sa-myeong, the Beggar Sect’s leader, didn’t faze Mu Hwi.
Hong Sa-myeong barely acknowledged the greeting, scanning the battlefield before sighing.
"Is she alright?"
At his question about Xian Zhu, Mu Hwi nodded. Only then did Hong Sa-myeong exhale in relief.
"How did you know to come here?"
"No matter how careful you are, you can’t escape the Beggar Sect’s eyes in Henan."
As he spoke, Hong Sa-myeong stepped forward, clicking his tongue at the corpses of the Extreme Heaven Sect Leader and elders.
"Extreme Heaven Sect tried to swallow you whole, only to be devoured instead. One of the Seven Evil Heavens has fallen."
"With their leader and elites wiped out, it’s inevitable."
"That’s not all. They stationed forces at all three canyon entrances—likely anticipating our intervention."
Originally intending to lead his beggars here, Hong Sa-myeong had rushed ahead upon seeing the blockade.
The lord’s meticulous preparations had been rendered meaningless by Mu Hwi.
‘This loss will uproot the Extreme Heaven Sect entirely.’
After surveying the scene, Hong Sa-myeong studied Mu Hwi.
"I heard you took five moves from the Frost Sound Demon King. Truly astonishing. This force could’ve beheaded three or four peak experts with ease."
The troops gathered here could’ve annihilated multiple minor sects in a day.
Yet they had been erased by just two late-stage foundation level disciples.
Having not witnessed the battle, Hong Sa-myeong couldn’t fathom what had transpired.
By all logic, Mu Hwi and Xian Zhu should’ve died here—even if they took many with them.
But Mu Hwi had shattered that logic with a single sword.
"The martial arts world will tremble again."
Though itching to test Mu Hwi’s skills, Hong Sa-myeong restrained himself—now wasn’t the time.
"I’ll escort you to Shaanxi."
"No need. My injuries aren’t severe. We’ll rest and continue on our own."
"Very well. At least let me accompany you to the docks."
Mu Hwi didn’t refuse further, clasping his hands in gratitude.
The next day, rumors spread like wildfire through the martial arts world, carried by the beggars’ whispers.
The Hwasan Sword Devil and the Golden River Sword had slaughtered the Extreme Heaven Sect Leader and his elites.
With Hong Sa-myeong’s deliberate fanning, the news spread at an unprecedented speed.
The martial arts world stirred once more.
The orthodox sects praised Mu Hwi for achieving the impossible yet again.
The evil sects eyed each other warily, sharpening their blades.
The fall of the Extreme Heaven Sect—a pillar of the Seven Evil Heavens—wasn’t a crisis for them, but an opportunity.
***
After boarding a ship from Sanmenxia (Three Gates Gorge) to Shaanxi, Mu Hwi and Xian Zhu focused on recovery.
Once settled in a safe location, under Mu Hwi’s guidance, Xian Zhu consumed the rare medicine from the Martial Alliance and began meditating.
Over two hours, the insights gained in the canyon merged with the elixir’s effects, triggering a transformation in her body.
Golden internal energy from the Tianxia Divine Technique materialized around her, swirling like constellations before converging at her crown.
The gathered light coalesced, taking form—
Three blossoms.
Perhaps influenced by the Tianxia Divine Technique, the flowers glowing above her head shimmered pure gold.
Mu Hwi, standing guard, murmured,
"Samhwachwijeong."
Three Flowers Gather at the Top.
A phenomenon where internal energy converges at the crown, forming three floral manifestations—a sign of reaching the peak realm.
As the blossoms faded and vanished entirely, Xian Zhu’s hair and sleeves, once fluttering with energy, settled calmly.
"Huu…"
Exhaling slowly, Xian Zhu opened her eyes—now deeper, calmer.
"Brother Mu Hwi! I’ve finally reached the peak realm!"
She sprang up excitedly, but Mu Hwi subtly stepped back, pinching his nose.
"What are you—?"
Frowning, Xian Zhu glared at him, then froze as a foul odor hit her nostrils.
"......"
The source was closer than expected.
Herself.
Her navy robes were stained dark in places—impurities expelled from her meridians during Samhwachwijeong.
Her nose twitched as she caught a whiff.
"Ugh…"
Her face turned crimson, so intensely it looked ready to burst.
Mu Hwi, still holding his nose, stared pointedly out the window.
"Go wash up."
"Ah, seriously!"
Mortified, Xian Zhu bolted out the door. She only returned after a full hour, now in fresh clothes, though her cheeks remained slightly pink.
Chewing on braised duck, she glared at Mu Hwi—her eyes practically cursing him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You have no tact. None."
"Ahem."
Mu Hwi coughed awkwardly, reaching for the wine bottle. As he filled her cup, Xian Zhu sipped sullenly.
"Guess we’re parting ways again."
The inn where they stayed lay at the crossroads between Hwasan and Jongnam Sect.
Their paths would now diverge.
"Don’t sulk. We’ll meet again."
"I know. Now that I’ve reached the peak realm, I’ll train hard so I can knock you flat next time."
Smiling, Mu Hwi raised his cup. They clinked glasses, savoring the sweet wine.
Upon returning to Hwasan, Mu Hwi headed straight to meet Baek Yu.
Having already heard the rumors, Baek Yu’s eyes simmered with restrained fury—not at Mu Hwi, but at the dead Extreme Heaven Sect Leader.
"Had anything happened to you, every swordsman of Hwasan would’ve marched on Henan."
Mu Hwi simply smiled.
"I’m glad it didn’t come to that."
After reporting, he retrieved three manuals from his robes—
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique and its annotated version.
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation.
Baek Yu handled the texts with reverent care.
"You’ve done well."
Noticing Mu Hwi’s expression, he asked,
"You have something to say."
Mu Hwi nodded.
"As the Sect Leader’s disciple… I want to create a new organization within Hwasan Sect."
< I want to create a new organization. > End
< What do you think of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen? >