112
Chapter 112
As Mu Hwi walked deeper into the passageway, he took a long breath, circulating the energy of the Purple Sunset Divine Technique.
The Purple Sunset Divine energy flowed through his meridians, soothing his internal injuries. However, the damage was deeper than expected, and it didn’t seem like it would heal immediately.
‘It consumed far more internal energy than I anticipated.’
Despite directly absorbing the natural energy around him, the recovery of his internal injuries was slow due to the significant amount of internal energy he had expended.
The injuries he sustained from exchanging blows with the Sword King were one thing, but the wounds he inflicted upon himself were even greater.
‘Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind.’
The twenty-third stance of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Just because he had created the technique didn’t mean he had fully mastered it.
There was no such thing as a perfect martial artist or a perfect martial art.
One could only endlessly advance, inching closer to the pinnacle.
Mu Hwi’s sword still had room for growth, and so did the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
In truth, Mu Hwi had been continuously refining the stances, discovering flaws and areas for improvement in the sword technique that he hadn’t noticed before its creation.
Thus, the Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind he had executed was still an unstable technique, and even Mu Hwi himself was lacking in fully manifesting it.
He couldn’t yet claim to have fully reached the pinnacle of the Hwasan Sect’s sword techniques.
In such a state, forcibly executing Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind had resulted in massive internal energy consumption and additional injuries.
‘But it wasn’t bad.’
Originally, the stance had only existed as a concept and form—merely a theoretical technique.
But now, even if it was unstable, he could execute it. That alone was satisfying.
Moreover, if it hadn’t been for Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind, he would have had to prolong the fight for hundreds more exchanges, drawing out his breath.
Since he couldn’t afford to be held back by the Sword King indefinitely, it was better to end it quickly, even if it meant sustaining injuries.
“Senior Disciple, are you alright?”
Mujin, walking beside Mu Hwi, lowered his voice and cautiously asked.
“Are you injured? Well, it makes sense. The Sword King’s sword energy was truly terrifying. For a moment, I thought you were going to get killed.”
As Mu-hwa chimed in with her chatter, Mu Hwi asked curiously,
“How did you all know? I didn’t show any outward signs.”
Mujin simply smiled, while Mu-hwa tilted her head slightly and answered,
“It was just a feeling. Intuition? Senior Disciple Mu-cheol. Our hunch was right.”
When Mu-hwa turned around and spoke, Mu-cheol, who had been silently guarding Mu Hwi’s back, nodded. Listening to his junior disciples’ conversation, Mu Hwi let out a dry laugh.
Mujin handed Mu Hwi a medicinal pill, and Mu-hwa took out a water pouch. Mu Hwi accepted their care without refusal.
“Senior Disciple. After seeing the Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind you executed, I finally understood why it’s ‘unmoved’ and not ‘floating’.”
Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind (暗香不動).
Derived from a poetic phrase, it referred to the atmosphere of plum blossoms—subtle, lingering fragrance.
In a way, it was the most fitting name for a stance that gathered the essence of the Hwasan Sect’s swordsmanship into a single stroke.
But Mu Hwi believed that when the Hwasan Sect’s sword reached its peak, it wouldn’t dazzle the eyes or disappear from sight—it would simply stop.
A single sword strike embodying the three wonders of extreme joy, extreme illusion, and extreme change would be something even most masters wouldn’t be able to perceive.
A sword energy that spreads like the scent of plum blossoms, yet extends in an instant. That was why Mu Hwi had included the word unmoved in the stance’s name.
“Youngest, don’t even think about attempting it clumsily. Focus on the twenty-two stances first.”
“Huh? How did you know? I was planning to try mimicking Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind once we return to Hwasan.”
“It’s obvious at a glance. It’s at least ten years is too early for you.”
“Hmph.”
At Mu Hwi’s sharp observation, Mu-hwa could only pout.
“The sword aura you unleashed appeared in an instant and vanished like a dream, condensed into a single stroke. I wonder when I’ll even be able to mimic it…”
“If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll get there. Keep striving, Mujin.”
As Mu Hwi conversed with his juniors, Dokgo Yul, who had been watching, clicked his tongue.
“You’ve already stepped into the realm of masters. The Sword Saint would surely be proud. Meanwhile, my master is probably scolding me from the heavens. I need to work harder.”
Seeing Dokgo Yul’s bitter smile as he stared at the empty ceiling, Mu Hwi could only respond with a wry smile of his own.
“By the way, they don’t seem to be any traps ahead, right?”
Mu-hwa muttered while scanning the passage with suspicious eyes.
The path leading to the third cavern was remarkably clean. Perhaps because the Sword King had killed all martial artists who entered this passage, there were no corpses or bloodstains to be found.
This meant that the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were the first to step into this passage, and since no traps had been triggered, they were able to proceed comfortably.
“I wonder what the situation is like in the other passages.”
At Hyeon Gak’s muttering, Mu Hwi, who had been extending his energy sense to monitor the other passages, spoke up.
“The battles in the other passages seem to have concluded as well. A few people are still fighting in the caverns, but there are also some who are quickly moving deeper.”
Hearing Mu Hwi’s explanation, Hyeon Baek let out a thoughtful hum.
“Hmm… That means we’ll likely run into them in the next cavern.”
Currently, the Hwasan Sect was in the lead, but their advantage wasn’t overwhelming. Mu Hwi used this slight lead to manage the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s stamina.
That was why they weren’t using qinggong to rush through the passage but were instead walking at a steady pace.
It was only a matter of time. Once inside the secret cave, clashes with other sects were inevitable. There was no point in rushing ahead to seize something first.
Because even if they obtained something, others wouldn’t simply let them leave—they would chase them down to take it by force.
‘If we reach the very end, we’ll learn the purpose of this secret cave.’
As the passage gradually grew steeper, the end finally came into view.
At last, the third cavern appeared.
At the far end of the cavern stood a massive stone gate. Though they had passed through two caverns already, none had been blocked by an entrance like this.
“Have we reached the end?”
“It seems so.”
At Musang’s muttering, Muryun also nodded.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen instinctively sensed that beyond this stone gate lay the end of the secret cave. The gate was barred by two thick iron chains crossing diagonally.
Tung!
Mu Hwi’s eyes narrowed as he flicked the chains with his fingers.
“Black Iron?”
At Mu Hwi’s murmur, a startled Hyeon Gak craned his neck to examine the chains.
“Chains made of Black Iron…”
Given their thickness and length, there was enough metal here to forge several swords.
Yet, they were being used merely to block an entrance. It only deepened the mystery of who had created this secret cave.
“Judging by their structure, it seems there’s a mechanism that will open the stone gate if these chains are severed.”
After carefully inspecting the gate and chains, Hyeon Gak added while examining the large cracks deliberately carved into the walls on either side.
“I can’t say for certain, but if someone tries to ignore the chains and break the stone gate directly, the walls might collapse in a chain reaction, bringing down this entire cavern.”
Listening to Hyeon Gak—the most knowledgeable among them about mechanical traps—Mu Hwi nodded.
“Then I’ll just cut them.”
Mu Hwi immediately drew his Plum Blossom Sword.
As he channeled energy into the blade, a purple glow enveloped it. The sword energy he unleashed didn’t expand unnecessarily but condensed tightly around the edge.
Sensing the sharpness of the sword aura, Hyeon Baek nodded. Before that chilling light, nothing would be able to withstand being severed.
The Black Iron chains, said to be nearly impossible for even peak masters to cut through, pose little difficulty for Mu Hwi.
Just as Mu Hwi raised his sword, a chilling wave of energy suddenly seeped through the cracks in the stone gate.
Like a snake, the energy swiftly slithered forward, sweeping over those standing before the stone wall before dissipating into the air.
Hup!
In an instant, the expressions of not only Mu Hwi but also Dokgo Yul and the other Plum Blossom Swordsmen stiffened.
Some of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were so startled by the energy that they instinctively stepped back.
“What was that just now?”
As the Plum Blossom Swordsmen tensed, Mu Hwi slowly spoke.
“Beyond this stone wall… There’s another martial artist who has surpassed the limits.”
At Mu Hwi’s words, Hyeon Baek and the others widened their eyes. Just then, martial artists burst forth from different entrances of the cavern almost simultaneously.
“The Hwasan Sect? The entrance has been breached?”
“For Hwasan to arrive before us…”
Emerging from the left passage were elites from the Seven Great Swords of Paewangseong, while from the right came martial artists from the Bloodshed Clan.
The martial artists from the Paewangseong and the Bloodshed Clan naturally surrounded the Plum Blossom Swordsmen standing before the stone gate.
Meanwhile, the two elders leading their respective forces stepped back and engaged in a hushed conversation.
“You remember the agreement we made beforehand, don’t you?”
“Of course. The Paewangseong takes the Sword Devil’s Sword, and the Bloodshed Clan takes the Sword Saint’s. If anything else appears, we split it evenly.”
Hearing the elders’ discussion, Mu Hwi smirked.
While camping at the foot of Bongwon Mountain, he had overheard rumors spreading among the martial artists.
It was said that the secret cave contained the martial manuals and rare elixirs of the Sword Saint and the Sword Devil.
At the time, knowing the cave was a fake, he had dismissed it lightly. But seeing the elders of these major sects acting like this, he couldn’t help but laugh.
‘The Four Kings Unit and the Giant Dragon Unit.’
The elite martial forces of Paewangseong—the Seven Great Swords of Paewangseong. Among them, the Four Kings Unit.
Similarly, the Giant Dragon Unit, the elite force of the Bloodshed Clan.
These were all renowned martial forces in the martial arts world. Their presence alone was proof, as the energy and killing intent they exuded were anything but ordinary.
As Mu Hwi observed the characters and patterns embroidered on their uniforms, he moved his hand toward his Plum Blossom Sword. Just then, Hyeon Baek spoke firmly to him.
“Mu Hwi. Open the stone gate with Dokgo Yul. We, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, will hold them off here. If what you said earlier is true, then this is the right move.”
If there truly was a martial artist who had surpassed the limits beyond that gate, there was no need to waste energy here unnecessarily.
Even if they defeated the Four Kings Unit and the Giant Dragon Unit with Mu Hwi’s help and entered together, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen wouldn’t be of much use in a fight against such a transcendent expert.
Moreover, Mu Hwi was already injured from his battle with the Sword King. It was only right to conserve every ounce of his strength.
If someone had to go beyond the stone gate, it made sense for it to be Mu Hwi and Dokgo Yul—the disciples of the Sword Saint and the Sword Devil.
“Dokgo Yul. Stay by Mu Hwi’s side.”
Mu Hwi, understanding Hyeon Baek’s reasoning, closed his mouth. When Mu Hwi didn’t respond immediately, Hyeon Baek turned to face the martial artists from Paewangseong and the Bloodshed Clan.
“We are the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. You, of all people, should know what that means. Trust us and leave this to us.”
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen—the representatives of the Hwasan Sect.
They had come to assist the Plum Blossom Sword Lord, not to be protected.
“Senior Disciple. Go ahead. We’ll guard your rear.”
Mujin and the other second-generation disciples also radiated unwavering resolve. Looking at the Plum Blossom robes draped over his juniors, Mu Hwi nodded.
Swish!
Turning his back, Mu Hwi swung his sword and severed the chains in a single stroke.
“Formation!”
As the sound of the chains being cut echoed, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen deployed the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation.
Rumble!
The severed Black Iron chains were sucked into the walls, and the stone gate began to open, spewing dust.
Sunlight streamed through the opening, and Mu Hwi and Dokgo Yul immediately leaped into the light.
“Hwasan Sect! This is the perfect opportunity to avenge the disgrace at Six Harmonies Sword Assembly!”
“Our sect feels the same. Our Lady met her end in Shaanxi.”
Despite the Plum Blossom Swordsmen deploying their formation, the elites of Paewangseong and the Bloodshed Clan remained calm, openly displaying their hostility.
Even as their blatant killing intent surged forward, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen held their swords steady.
The moment both sides locked eyes, the elders shouted.
“Attack!”
At the command, the two elite forces charged at the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation, unleashing their killing intent.
***
After passing through the stone gate and traversing a short passage of about ten steps, a blue sky unfolded before Mu Hwi and Dokgo Yul’s eyes.
The end of the secret cave was located outside.
A cliff, cleverly concealed by Bongwon Mountain’s terrain.
Surveying the surrounding mountains, it seemed impossible to find this cliff without passing through the cave—or even if one did, setting foot here would be difficult.
Walking silently along the cliff, Mu Hwi and Dokgo Yul suddenly stopped at the same time.
At the edge of the cliff, sitting on a rock, was a man.
Dressed in faded gray martial robes with his hair roughly tied back, the man had a massive greatsword embedded in the rock beside him like a pillar.
Seeing this, veins bulged on Mu Hwi’s forehead, and Dokgo Yul let out a sharp exhale.
“Master.”
Dokgo Yul barely managed to utter the word in a trembling voice.
Before them was none other than the Sword Devil, Dokgo Heon.
“My disciple.”
Even the voice and tone coming from between his slightly parted lips were unmistakably Dokgo Heon’s.
Mu Hwi glared murderously at the figure sitting on the rock before shifting his gaze to the greatsword beside him.
‘Black Iron Greatsword.’
It was the very same Black Iron Greatsword he had wielded in his past life. Even the cracks on the blade from his final battle remained unchanged.
“Haah.”
Feeling a throbbing pain in his head, Mu Hwi swept his bangs back. At the same time, Dokgo Yul rushed toward Dokgo Heon.
“Master!”
Mu Hwi urgently shouted.
“Dokgo Yul, stop! That bastard is—!”
But by then, Dokgo Yul was already within arm’s reach of Dokgo Heon. Just as Mu Hwi was about to leap forward, something unexpected happened.
Kwaang!
Suddenly, Dokgo Yul stomped the ground and lunged, drawing the greatsword from his back and unleashing a slash aimed at Dokgo Heon’s head.
The figure sitting on the rock grabbed the Black Iron Greatsword beside him and casually flicked his wrist.
Kkeo-eong!
The strike Dokgo Heon unleashed as he pulled the greatsword from the rock was identical to the opening stance of the Dokgo Sword Technique that Dokgo Yul had executed.
The same technique clashed from both sides, and Dokgo Yul, overpowered, was sent flying backward.
Kuhk!
Sent flying faster than he had charged, Dokgo Yul only stopped when Mu Hwi caught him from behind.
Spitting out blood-tinged saliva and barely regaining his balance, Dokgo Yul glared at Dokgo Heon and spoke.
“How dare you imitate my master?”
Dokgo Heon stared back at the seething Dokgo Yul and asked,
“Disciple, have you lost your mind? Or is it because it’s been so long since you’ve seen your master’s face that you don’t recognize me?”
Dokgo Heon began releasing his energy.
Sharp waves of energy, as if threatening everything around them, spread unchecked across the ground.
It was the exact energy of the Dokgo Mind Method.
Boom!
Dokgo Yul slammed his greatsword into the ground and shouted.
“No matter how perfectly you mimic my master’s appearance and speech, you can't replicate his gaze. My master didn’t have snake-like eyes as despicable as yours!”
At his confident words, Dokgo Heon closed his mouth and silently stared at Dokgo Yul before suddenly bursting into mad laughter.
“You figured it out just like that? You must have really cared for your master. Even though the Sword Devil never paid you much attention.”
Clutching his stomach as he laughed, Dokgo Heon grinned and patted his thigh in delight.
“Yes. The Sword Devil was the same. He saw right through me when I imitated Hyeon Jo, saying Hyeon Jo’s gaze wasn’t as filthy as mine. Like master, like disciple. Thanks to you, old memories resurfaced. How amusing, how amusing.”
“How dare you imitate my master. Who are you?”
As Dokgo Yul demanded angrily, Dokgo Heon opened his mouth to answer, but Mu Hwi cut him off.
“Still up to your dirty tricks, I see. Hundred-Faced Old Demon.”
“Oh?”
The figure who had been enjoying Dokgo Yul’s anger—no, Hundred-Faced Old Demon—turned his gaze toward Mu Hwi.
< Still up to your dirty tricks, I see. > End
< That’s not a sword you’re worthy of wielding. >