133
Chapter 133: Meeting the Graceful One!
Kang Ho-baek, seated in the lotus position while circulating his qi, was drenched in sweat not only on his forehead but all over his body. The wrinkles on the Sword Master’s face, who was assisting him by placing both hands on the acupoint on Ho-baek’s back, had deepened considerably.
Crackle!
A wave of energy burst forth from Kang Ho-baek, and dozens of fissures radiated outward from where he sat in the lotus position. He had completely expelled all the lingering shockwaves from his meridians.
“Ugh.”
The Sword Master, who had removed his hands from the acupoint, lightly tapped his waist with his fists as he stood up. Meanwhile, Kang Ho-baek, who had just opened his eyes, spat out a mouthful of black blood.
“Tsk. Even after sharing the elixir, it’s still this bad?”
“If it weren’t for Mu Hwi, I would’ve had to circulate my qi for another full day.”
Before beginning his qi circulation to treat his internal injuries, Kang Ho-baek had received half of an elixir from Mu Hwi. It was an elixir taken from the Frost Sound Demon King during the last Heavenly Martial Competition.
Mu Hwi, who had been carrying it in a medicine pouch, had consumed half and given the remaining half to Kang Ho-baek.
The Sword Master clicked his tongue as he patted Kang Ho-baek’s back, who coughed up congested blood twice in succession.
“Ho-baek, you hid such severe internal injuries and acted so composed. You’ve truly become the leader of the Martial Alliance.”
“Kgh. Senior, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
When Peng Hyeon (The Sword Master) playfully tapped his shoulder, Kang Ho-baek smiled, his face noticeably more relaxed. Then, his gaze shifted to Mu Hwi, whose entire body was radiating Purple Sunset Energy.
The Purple Sunset Energy flowed slowly through the air encircling Mu Hwi, who was seated in the lotus position, as if protecting him.
“Mu Hwi is still circulating his qi, I see.”
Sword Master shook his head.
“He’s already finished circulating his qi. Right now, he’s in deep meditation. Since he survived facing Spear Sovereign, he must have gained a lot from the experience.”
Peng Hyeon sighed in admiration as he sensed the energy waves emanating from the Purple Sunset Energy surrounding Mu Hwi.
“So this is the Purple Sunset Divine Technique?. The density of this energy is truly astonishing. It carries the pure and upright essence unique to Taoist techniques, yet it doesn’t feel sluggish—it spreads out smoothly and refreshingly. Truly worthy of being called a divine technique. I wonder what would happen if it clashed with the thunder energy of the Primordial Thunder Divine Technique.”
As if it weren’t a joke, crimson thunder energy crackled in Peng Hyeon’s hand. After briefly observing Mu Hwi, Peng Hyeon withdrew the thunder energy and turned to Kang Ho-baek.
“It’s been over a decade since you faced the Paewangseong Lord again, right? How was it?”
At Peng Hyeon’s question, Kang Ho-baek’s expression hardened once more.
“The Paewangseong Lord grows stronger without pause. He’s a step—no, a step and a half—ahead of me now.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s no wonder he’s one of the Three Seats. I can only be compared to the Three Seats; if we were to lay everything on the line and fight to the death, I would fall short. That’s why I had to at least pretend to be strong.”
The only reason Kang Ho-baek showed no sign of weakness after his battle with the Paewangseong Lord was for the sake of his juniors.
Both he and Mu Hwi were too severely injured to continue fighting, and if Peng Hyeon or Iron Mountain Fist King had clashed with the Paewangseong Lord or Sima Gang, it would have resulted in heavy casualties among the Righteous Heaven Unit Scout and the late-stage foundation level disciples.
Had the situation involved only absolute masters, they might have been willing to risk death to turn the crisis into an opportunity. But in that moment, it would have inevitably forced their juniors to sacrifice themselves.
That went against Kang Ho-baek’s principles of chivalry.
Thus, the only thing he could do was to appear as composed as possible, making the Paewangseong and Sima Gang perceive their disadvantage and retreat on their own.
“Tsk tsk. Since when does the leader of the Martial Alliance spout such weak talk?”
Peng Hyeon, as if frustrated by his beloved junior’s lament, suddenly raised his voice. Whether he understood the intent or not, Kang Ho-baek let out a faint smile.
“Weak talk? I was just analyzing our strengths accurately. Even if the Three Seats are stronger than I, I’m confident I can hold out stubbornly. After all, the one who survives till the end is the victor.”
“That’s more like it.”
Only then did Peng Hyeon’s expression soften, and Kang Ho-baek slowly rose from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to check on the injured.”
“None of the kids are at death’s door. There were a few in critical condition, but after Iron Mountain Fist King and I poured our internal energy into them, they improved. That Iron Mountain Fist King fellow may be obsessed with external techniques, but he’s surprisingly skilled at treating physical wounds.”
The Martial Alliance group hadn’t been able to head north immediately and were instead recuperating at a Martial Alliance branch located at the border of Hunan and Guizhou provinces. After the fierce battle, everyone had sustained injuries, and many were in serious condition, making long-distance travel difficult.
“Senior, I truly thank you.”
“Enough. I just poured in some internal energy, as Iron Mountain Fist King said. That Iron Mountain Fist King fellow was more helpful than any physician.”
As Peng Hyeon waved his hand dismissively, Kang Ho-baek headed toward where the injured were gathered. Though Peng Hyeon had said they were fine, Kang Ho-baek wanted to see for himself to be at ease.
Peng Hyeon glanced at Mu Hwi, who was still deep in meditation, then sat in the lotus position and closed his eyes. Though he appeared to be meditating as well, his true purpose was to stand guard as Mu Hwi’s protector.
***
Through meditation, Mu Hwi meticulously replayed every moment of his clash with Sima Gang. Naturally, his memories of Sima Gang from his past life as the Sword Devil also overlapped.
‘Those at higher realms don’t grow slower—they grow steadily stronger. No wonder he’s one of the Three Seats.’
Mu Hwi reflected on Sima Gang’s techniques, counters, feints, missed opportunities, mistakes, and the unfolding of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, organizing his insights.
The conclusion he reached: ‘I’ve already surpassed my past life.’
Compared to his pitiful defeat back then, this was tremendous progress. Yet Mu Hwi showed no sign of joy.
‘It couldn’t be helped, but it feels like I wasted a precious opportunity.’
Chances to face the leaders of major sects like this were rare. Had Mu Hwi been stronger and able to handle Sima Gang properly, Kang Ho-baek’s options—prioritizing the lives of the late-stage foundation level disciples—might have expanded.
‘I’m still lacking.’
The current martial arts world was overflowing with masters.
In another era, absolute masters, who would number no more than ten, were now scattered everywhere. On top of the existing three major sects, the Black Night Palace had also fully revealed itself.
With countless renowned masters and each faction eyeing opportunities for their own goals, the current martial arts world was in turbulent times.
‘For now, I need to get closer to the Three Seats.’
Having set his goal, Mu Hwi reviewed his battle with Sima Gang even more intensely. In doing so, he naturally recalled the final technique he had used—Breaking the Spear to Seek Chivalry—and other Dokgo techniques surfaced in his mind.
- Breaking the Sword to Seek Reflection: A technique that concentrates sword force into a single point and unleashes it explosively.
- Breaking the Blade to Seek Initiative: A technique that disrupts an opponent’s combo with waves of energy while drawing them into one’s own rhythm.
- Breaking the Spear to Seek Chivalry: A newly acquired technique that shifts weight forward, condenses energy into a piercing thrust, and shatters the opponent’s attack head-on.
Mu Hwi reflected on the newly created Dokgo techniques.
Unlike the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, which was refined over a long period, these techniques were born from momentary insights and raw combat experience, much like how the Sword Devil had improvised techniques in the heat of battle in his past life.
‘I don’t know how many more techniques will emerge, but…’
He definitely felt he was ahead of the Dokgo Sword Technique. These techniques incorporated not only his past life’s insights but also new realizations and experiences from this life.
Yet it still wasn’t enough.
Mu Hwi recalled Sima Gang’s Formless Spear. The Formless Spear symbolized the vast gap between them.
Could Breaking the Spear to Seek Chivalry have shattered even the Formless Spear? Knowing the answer himself, Mu Hwi pondered the Formless Sword.
Even if his internal energy overflowed from direct communion with natural energy, sheer volume alone wouldn’t be enough to manifest the Formless Sword.
‘Is it a matter of intent, then?’
Intent—or will.
A martial artist is one who wields martial arts imbued with intent, manifesting the phenomena their will desires.
The power of intent varies wildly among martial artists. For low-level practitioners, intent merely moves internal energy in the dantian. For masters, intent can influence not only the microcosm of their own body but also the vast, boundless natural world.
Sima Gang’s Formless Spear was such a case.
Sima Gang merely shaped it as a spear, but if Mu Hwi reached the same realm, he might manifest a sword—or perhaps a flower. Maybe even the fragrance of plum blossoms without the Plum Blossom Sword.
‘Intent. This is both the path and the wall to the next realm.’
Mu Hwi realized that intent was the key to transcending the Transcendent Realm and reaching the Peak Realm.
When Mu Hwi opened his eyes after meditation, the first thing he saw was the Sword Master, arms crossed, staring at him.
“Your energy shifted slightly during meditation. Did you gain some insight?”
“I think I’ve found my direction.”
“If the path you’re walking feels right, that’s proof of enlightenment. The Transcendent Realm is like standing alone in the middle of a vast ocean—daunting and directionless. Simply finding the right path in such a realm is a great achievement. Congratulations.”
Mu Hwi clasped his fists in response to the Sword Master’s praise.
“I heard you created both the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique and the Purple Sunset Divine Technique. Truly astonishing. I didn’t invent the Primordial Thunder Technique and the Primordial Thunder Divine Technique until my later years.”
“There’s still much lacking.”
Peng Hyeon stroked his beard, which reached his chest, and spoke.
“Naturally. Creating a martial art isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. Even after creation, there’s a mountain of refinements to make. But don’t get too caught up in that.”
“Why is that?”
Mu Hwi listened intently.
“You already know martial arts have no true completion. Most strive for perfection, but in doing so, they obsess over flaws and dig too deep.”
“You mean it narrows one’s perspective.”
Peng Hyeon closed his eyes briefly and nodded. When one’s vision narrows, obsession can lead to inner demons.
“That’s why I set aside the Primordial Thunder Technique and Primordial Thunder Divine Technique and am now creating another martial art based on my later-life insights. I doubt I’ll finish it before I die, but it’s enjoyable in its own way.”
“I see. I’m the same.”
Peng Hyeon’s eyes widened momentarily before he chuckled.
“Heh. You’re creating another martial art, too? What an absurd little grandmaster you are. Let’s spar with our new creations someday. We might inspire each other.”
“Gladly.”
Mu Hwi and Peng Hyeon conversed at length. Both had experience creating martial arts, so they had much to share.
***
To stretch his stiffened body after hours of talking with the Sword Master, Mu Hwi strolled alone through the forest near the branch.
All the late-stage foundation level disciples were bedridden without exception, so he ventured out alone. Particularly, Mu-cheol and Xian Yun had penetrating injuries and needed absolute rest.
As he walked, Mu Hwi glanced at the plum blossom-patterned robe draped over his shoulder. This time, the Heavenly Silkworm Plum Blossom Robe had proven its worth.
Though it had torn wherever Sima Gang’s spear struck, without it, his wounds would have been deeper, perhaps even costing him an arm.
“I’ll have to send it to the Cheonry Merchant Group for repairs.”
Muttering to himself, Mu Hwi suddenly turned his head.
“What is it? An assassination attempt targeting the injured?”
The shadow where his gaze landed was empty, but the moment he spoke, a black figure appeared above it.
A mask covering everything below the nose except the mouth. Mu Hwi recognized its design, and his eyes narrowed.
“The same mask as the Shadow Emperor. A cockroach from the Thousand Evil Sect.”
The assassin lunged soundlessly, but just as Mu Hwi slowly raised his left hand, preparing to unleash a plum blossom palm strike, his hand twitched.
The assassin, who had seemed poised to attack at blinding speed, suddenly flattened himself face-first onto the ground in a perfect kowtow.
Despite the abrupt movement, the assassin remained perfectly composed, pressing his forehead firmly to the ground. Even Mu Hwi was impressed by the flawless maneuver.
“What’s this?”
Mu Hwi’s voice wavered slightly in surprise. The assassin lifted his head slightly before bowing again and shouting,
“I pay respects to the Graceful One!”
(Mu-hwa Illustration <Appendix>)