129
Chapter 129
Mu Hwi slowly turned his back and smirked at the Left Guardian.
"Are you sure you want me to hold back?"
At Mu Hwi’s words, the Left Guardian roughly shook his left hand, drenched in blood. Each movement tore his wound wider, but he paid it no mind, letting out a dry chuckle.
"Just a little sting."
Mu Hwi flicked the Sim-myeong Sword lightly, shaking off the blood as he observed the Left Guardian’s left hand. The wound was visibly healing at an unnatural speed, astonishing the martial artists watching.
"What kind of martial art allows such rapid regeneration?"
"It defies common sense—must be a demonic technique. But even that can’t heal endlessly."
Unlike the others, Mu Hwi remained calm, his gaze fixed on the Left Guardian. He recognized this technique.
‘He has mastered the Grand Night Demon-Enveloping Technique.’
The Grand Night Demon-Enveloping Technique was rare even during the Shaanxi Bloodshed. Its defining traits were miraculous recovery and explosive bursts of internal energy—a demonic technique that overwhelmed enemies with sheer firepower and regeneration.
Boom!
The ground beneath Mu Hwi’s feet split as his figure vanished. Circling the Left Guardian like a predator, Mu Hwi suddenly lunged.
Against the Grand Night Demon-Enveloping Technique, giving the opponent the initiative was a fatal mistake. The only way to win was relentless aggression.
Swoosh!
A whirlwind of purple sword energy spiraled around the Sim-myeong Sword. As Mu Hwi twisted his wrist, the small vortex erupted into a raging storm.
At the eye of the tempest, a plum blossom bloomed—then shattered like a windmill caught in a gale.
Plum Blossom’ Radiance.
The Left Guardian’s brutal slash descended upon the swirling petals.
Boom! Boom!
Each swing of his great sword shook the valley, cleaving through the storm of blossoms. The crescent-shaped slashes tore through the earth, forcing Mu Hwi to block, his Sim-myeong Sword trembling under the impact.
"I’ll give you exactly what you want!"
The Left Guardian’s eyes burned red with demonic energy as he roared, leaping high and bringing his blade down toward Mu Hwi’s skull.
Mu Hwi met the strike head-on, his sword twisting to unleash five slashes from top. The Left Guardian responded with a relentless barrage of crescent strikes, crushing Mu Hwi’s swordplay with sheer force.
‘Daring to face me head-on?’
The Moon-Cutting Demon Saber (斬月魔刀) was a perfect match for the Grand Night Demon-Enveloping Technique. With these two demonic techniques, the Left Guardian had always seized control of battle.
"What’s so funny?"
Mu Hwi tilted the Sim-myeong Sword horizontally, unfazed by the Left Guardian’s reckless assault. A purple gleam shot toward the demonic warrior’s lips.
Despite the overwhelming pressure, Mu Hwi didn’t retreat a single step. Instead, he dashed through the storm of slashes like a gust of wind.
The Left Guardian swept his great sword low, aiming for Mu Hwi’s knees. Mu Hwi twisted the Sim-myeong Sword vertically, bracing his right foot.
Screech!
The grating of metal made the Left Guardian narrow his eyes. His blade, meant to bisect Mu Hwi in one stroke, now clashed diagonally against the Sim-myeong Sword.
Clang!
The moment their weapons crossed in an X-shape, Mu Hwi flicked his wrist, deflecting the great sword downward.
As the blade was forced aside, dozens of sword shadows surged toward the Left Guardian’s exposed torso. His tendons bulged as he desperately spun his great sword to block—but Mu Hwi’s relentless strikes rained down.
Countless sword paths overlapped, each shifting unpredictably. A single blade filled the air around the Left Guardian with chilling light.
"Insolent—!"
The Left Guardian’s vision blurred under the dazzling violet storm. Yet instead of retreating, he detonated his demonic energy.
Two Transcendent Realm masters clashing, their auras erupting like colliding tempests.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, their blades crossed dozens of times before violently separating.
Mu Hwi’s plum blossom robes fluttered wildly as he regained his stance, while the Left Guardian’s hair tie snapped, leaving his mane disheveled. Still, their battle raged on.
Mu Hwi’s ankle twisted as the Sim-myeong Sword soared like a dragon, its movements eerie and unpredictable. The Left Guardian countered with a heavy, power-focused slash.
A giant crescent moon hung in the air—only to be swallowed by purple petals, over and over.
Though the Left Guardian suffered several shallow cuts, he ignored them, tearing through the blossoms. With each swing, his wounds healed.
‘To think I'd seen the Moon-Cutting Demon Saber like this...’
He had assumed the Hwasan Sword Techniques, no matter how fast or versatile, would crumble under the crushing force of his saber. Yet Mu Hwi’s sword never faltered.
Like trying to stop a river with bare hands, the endless variations of the Sim-myeong Sword kept surging forward, threatening to drown the Moon-Cutting Demon Saber as a whole.
Swish!
The Sim-myeong Sword blurred—then unleashed a hundred variations at once.
"Tch."
The Left Guardian’s eyes darted frantically, struggling to track the blade.
Trusting his regeneration, he poured everything into his strongest saber techniques.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A dozen slashes overlapped, followed by a brute-force sweep that could flatten mountains. Yet within the chaos, dozens more plum blossoms bloomed.
Petals were shredded, only for twice as many to take their place.
Swoosh!
The Sim-myeong Sword pierced the air with razor-sharp precision—the faster it moved, the more refined its energy became.
Panicking, the Left Guardian recklessly drew more demonic energy, abandoning all caution. Both warriors lunged simultaneously.
Plum Shadows Forming a River (梅影造河) surged like a flash flood.
The Left Guardian leaped high, slashing downward through the petals.
"Raaagh!"
Blood sprayed from his arms; his waist was pierced. Even the Moon-Cutting Demon Saber couldn’t fully suppress the Hwasan’s endless swordplay. Yet he managed to unleash three ultimate slashes, tearing through the floral storm.
When the Left Guardian’s foot finally scraped the ground, leaving a deep trench—
Mu Hwi, ghost-like, appeared behind him.
"You—!"
Seven sword strikes aimed at his ribs forced the Left Guardian into a desperate spin, barely blocking in time. His great sword carved a half-circle, splitting the earth where Mu Hwi had stood moments before.
Anticipating Mu Hwi’s evasion, the Left Guardian instantly adjusted, slashing horizontally at his waist—
But Mu Hwi let it happen.
His left hand executed Plum Blossom Scattering Hands, intercepting the blade while twisting his body—
Thunk!
The Sim-myeong Sword pierced the Left Guardian’s shoulder.
The demonic warrior stared at Mu Hwi’s left hand. The Moon-Cutting Demon Saber had cut into it—but failed to sever it completely. Only a shallow wound remained.
"I held back. Be grateful."
In a real fight, the blade would have slid down one inch further—piercing his heart.
Mu Hwi had briefly considered killing him anyway but dismissed the thought.
That would cross a line. As a guest invited to the founding ceremony, he’d lose all protection. The moment he killed the Left Guardian, the entire Black Night Palace would swarm them.
A shame, but he had to be satisfied with this.
"You dare act like you spared me?!"
Enraged, the Left Guardian released his great sword, gripping the Sim-myeong Sword’s blade that had pierced his shoulder with his left hand while raising his right, trying to crush Mu Hwi’s skull.
Mu Hwi observed the Left Guardian’s bloodied grip.
‘He thinks I can’t pull the sword free.’
"Did you really think I’d let go?"
Mu Hwi’s smile turned icy.
In an instant, he adjusted his grip—
The Left Guardian’s eyes widened.
A different kind of energy flowed through the Sim-myeong Sword.
Not the swordplay he had faced until now.
As deep purple light spread across the blade—
Mu Hwi’s muscles shifted, executing a technique unlike the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Splurch!
Breaking the sword and creating a passage.
The Sim-myeong Sword ripped upward, slicing through the Left Guardian’s shoulder and three of his fingers.
Snap!
Blood sprayed as Mu Hwi spun, deflecting the palm strike aimed at his head with his left hand.
"Guh—!"
The Left Guardian clutched his mutilated hand, staring at the missing fingers.
Mu Hwi tilted his head.
"Can’t reattach severed fingers with demonic techniques, huh? Maybe I should’ve held back more."
As veins bulged in the Left Guardian’s eyes—
A cold, emotionless voice echoed.
"Left Guardian. Cease this disgrace. Return at once."
The Black Night Palace Lord’s tone was drier than ever.
The Left Guardian swallowed his fury and knelt.
"By your command."
The Palace Lord smiled warmly at Mu Hwi.
"Hwasan Sword Saint. Though young, you’ve proven worthy of your title. The Left Guardian not only kept his life but likely learned much. Thank you for making our ceremony memorable."
"No need for thanks. I simply followed your order to hold back."
The Palace Lord chuckled dryly.
A duel between two Transcendent Realm masters—
And Mu Hwi’s only injury was a single shallow cut on his left hand.
The Paewangseong and Sacheon Alliance’s gazes darkened further than during the late-stage foundation level disciples' melee.
***
After Mu Hwi and the Left Guardian’s duel, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.
That night, the three faction leaders held a private meeting—reportedly to discuss territorial claims, including the Black Night Palace’s foothold in Guizhou.
Political matters didn’t interest Mu Hwi. He trusted Kang Ho-baek to handle it.
With the meeting concluded, the sects prepared to depart.
"We’ve crossed Guizhou’s borders. Feels safer now that we’re out of the Black Night Palace’s reach."
Peng Ho-yeon glanced back, but Zhuge Myung’s expression remained tense.
"We’ll be busy once we return."
The visit had provided invaluable intel—the palace’s scale, the demonic warriors’ strength. The Martial Alliance would need to act on this.
"Disciple Mu Hwi, are you returning directly to Hwasan?"
"Hmm. Haven’t decided yet."
Xian Yun interjected.
"Why not stay at the alliance for a while? The Small Righteous Assembly would love to see you."
"Come to the Martial Alliance. I’ll challenge you again."
Mu-hwa tugged at his sleeve.
"Senior Disciple, let’s rest at the alliance first! You just came down from Hwasan!"
As Mu Hwi frowned, Kang Ho-baek, leading the procession, suddenly halted.
"Stop."
The Righteous Heavenly Unit immediately formed a defensive perimeter, but their senses detected nothing.
"Alliance Leader?"
Kang Ho-baek’s expression remained rigid.
Mu Hwi and Kang Ho-baek locked eyes—one looking ahead, the other behind.
After a beat, Mu Hwi spoke.
"What do we do?"
"Let's wait and see."
The others, confused, gripped their weapons as the situation unfolded.
To the east, the Paewangseong’s banners emerged.
To the west, the Sacheon Alliance’s flags appeared.
"It seems they have no intention of leaving peacefully.”
Kang Ho-baek slowly raised his bamboo hat.
< "It seems they have no intention of leaving peacefully." > End