156
Chapter 156: In the End, This Is All It Is.
A black-clad figure swiftly caught up to a carriage speeding down the highway. The window of the carriage slid open, revealing the face of the Paewangseong Lord.
"Report."
At the Paewangseong Lord’s command, the black-clad figure began his report while keeping pace with the carriage.
"The Red Flame Army, which was attacking the united front of the Sacheon Alliance at Cheongseong, has fallen."
Even at the death of one of the Five Martial Lords, the Red Flame Army, the Paewangseong Lord showed no reaction.
"Who killed them? Was it a joint attack by the Taoists of Cheongseong?"
"The Wolf Blade."
Once, the Five Martial Lords had carved their names across the martial arts world as the blades of the Paewangseong Lord’s Castle, felling countless masters. Yet, one by one, they had fallen, and now only the Poison Dragon of Sacheon and the Lord of the Underworld remained.
Moreover, they had not been defeated by the renowned masters the martial arts world had faced until now, but by rising latecomers. The prestige the Five Martial Lords had built was fading.
"The disciple of the Sword Devil… I recall that a year ago, the Wolf Blade suffered severe injuries at the hands of the Red Flame Army and fled. Their growth is swift. Understood."
"I shall take my leave, Lord."
Even after the black-clad figure disappeared, the Paewangseong Lord continued to gaze out the window.
The carriage, drawn by four horses, was fast, and because of that, the scenery outside flashed by like arrows.
To the Paewangseong Lord, the rapidly changing scenery felt like the years he had spent running forward without looking back.
"Five Martial Lords. In the end, even you are swept away by the tide."
If he wished, he could have filled the void left by the Five Martial Lords, but the Paewangseong Lord chose not to.
The name Five Martial Lords now felt outdated. If that was the case, then perhaps the title of Paewangseong Lord, which had stood alongside them, had also rusted with time.
"Is the era changing? I wonder—will I be swept away by the times, or will I overturn the tide and reign supreme?"
The martial arts world would one day demand an answer from the Paewangseong Lord.
Is the Paewangseong Lord still the Paewangseong Lord?
This demand is one that all masters who live within the martial arts world must eventually face.
Most either submit to the tide and retire, seclude themselves, or resist the flow and are swallowed by the waves, vanishing swiftly.
Only a handful of masters dare to challenge the martial arts world’s demands, and among them, only a rare few leave a lasting mark on the era.
But the Paewangseong Lord had no intention of retreating.
He had never retreated, and that was why he was the Paewangseong Lord.
"I’ll overturn it."
Muttering to himself, lost in thought, the Paewangseong Lord spoke again.
"To Cheongseong."
"As you command, Lord."
At the Paewangseong Lord’s order, the carriage began to move even faster.
***
Twelve butterflies fluttered around the Poison Dragon of Sacheon and Mu Hwi.
The Flying Soul Butterflies (飛魂蝶) released by the Poison Dragon scattered poison dust as they danced through the air.
"Each of these twelve butterflies carries a different poison. I wonder which one suits you best."
A purple sword aura shot toward the Poison Dragon’s brow, but she flipped midair and dodged effortlessly.
The Poison Dragon twisted his body several times in the air, moving freely.
It was as if a thirteenth butterfly had taken flight, but the Sim-myeong Sword (心明劍) did not hesitate, slicing down every butterfly fluttering around.
Drawing a massive arc in the air, the Sim-myeong Sword cleaved through all the Flying Soul Butterflies before finally aiming at the Poison Dragon.
Sssk!
The sword, which had been slashing diagonally, trembled violently. Beneath the Sim-myeong Sword, a strange hidden weapon—split cleanly in two—fell to the ground.
It was a tiny, fish-scale-shaped blade, no larger than a finger joint, yet the power it carried was immense.
Seeing Mu Hwi precisely cut it down instead of deflecting or blocking it, the Poison Dragon grinned.
"Baby Scales."
"You’ve seen them from the Tang Family Head, haven’t you?"
When Mu Hwi recognized the hidden weapon, the Poison Dragon’s lips twitched as he revealed more of the Baby Scales between his fingers.
"Not just anyone can wield these. Among the current martial artists of the Tang Family in the martial arts world, I’m the only one who can use them properly."
"The hidden art using Baby Scales is called Storm of Dragon Scales, right? Then today, that lineage ends here."
The Poison Dragon answered with a cold smile, unleashing the Storm of Dragon Scales (龍鱗暴風匕).
Shashashak!
At his gesture, dozens of Baby Scales floated amid the poisonous mist spreading through the air. Their target was Mu Hwi, but they could not reach him immediately.
With each sweeping slash of the Sim-myeong Sword, petals of sword aura fluttered like a storm of blossoms. Around Mu Hwi, it was as if spring had arrived, with purple petals swirling like a curtain.
Kakang!
Yet, the Baby Scales pierced through dozens of petals without losing momentum, aiming to tear into Mu Hwi’s flesh. Though tiny as fish scales, their power was terrifying.
Enough to pierce and penetrate thick stone in an instant.
Mu Hwi’s eyes, reading the trajectory of the Baby Scales, flared with purple light.
Perhaps infused with the essence of Ten Thousand Venomous Rain (萬天花雨) that Tang Qihu had once demonstrated, even the Baby Scales Mu Hwi knocked to the ground rose again to rejoin the assault.
The more he deflected, the more the number of Baby Scales cutting through the air increased, resembling schools of fish swimming through a river.
"No matter how flashy and varied the swordplay of Hwasan is, blocking this won’t be easy!"
The Poison Dragon burst into laughter, his fingers never ceasing their movements.
All the while, the color of the poisonous mist flowing from his body kept changing, as if he intended to subject Mu Hwi to every kind of poison.
‘How vicious.’
Mu Hwi’s body, deflecting the onslaught of Baby Scales with dozens of sword shadows, was dyed in violet.
He had stopped breathing to guard against the Poison Dragon’s toxins and tightly wrapped his body in protective energy. Otherwise, lethal poison would seep into his pores immediately.
The finest traces of poison that occasionally pierced his defenses were blocked by the Purple Sunset Divine Energy (紫霞神功) and the Poison Resistance Net (毒角化網).
Knowing Mu Hwi’s defenses, the Poison Dragon licked his lips and asked:
"You’ve stopped breathing and are expending internal energy on protection. How long do you think you can last?"
His hands crossed, and hundreds of Baby Scales swarmed toward Mu Hwi.
Divided into sixteen groups by his gestures and energy, the Baby Scales flew in different trajectories, enveloping Mu Hwi in a spherical formation. Soon, his figure was completely obscured by the swarm.
At the same time, the Poison Dragon pressed his palms together.
"Dragon Pearl Grinding Annihilation" (龍珠劘消).
Ssssuuaaang!
The Baby Scales around Mu Hwi accelerated violently, their shrill shrieks filling the air as the sphere shrank, as if intending to grind him to dust.
Kkakakkak!
From within the sphere, the sound of clashing energies and something being shredded echoed loudly.
When the technique ended and the Baby Scales scattered, what remained was Mu Hwi, protected by five unyielding plum blossoms—Plum Endures the Snow’s Cold (梅忍雪寒).
Though the petals were torn in places, they held firm, shielding Mu Hwi.
"Well, Sword Saint? How does it feel? Compared to the Tang Family Head’s feeble hidden techniques, this is on a whole other level."
"I’ll admit that."
The Poison Dragon’s lips curled at Mu Hwi’s acknowledgment, but he continued:
"But that doesn’t mean your vision for the Sacheon Tang Family is correct."
"What would an outsider like you know?"
At the mention of the Tang Family, the Poison Dragon’s face darkened.
Sssshik!
Responding to his fury, the Baby Scales in the air hissed sharply, their trajectories becoming even more erratic as they prepared to shred Mu Hwi.
Kwaang!
Mu Hwi thrust the Sim-myeong Sword forward and stepped into a stance. In an instant, he became a streak of light shooting toward the Poison Dragon.
The Poison Dragon, her face twisted with malice, also lunged at him.
Having reached the Transcendent Realm and fully comprehended the essence of Ten Thousand Venomous Rain, he had long surpassed the constraints of distance.
His left hand brimmed with viscous, poisonous energy, while his right hand whipped up a whirlwind of Baby Scales.
Kwakakakak!
The storm of Baby Scales clashed endlessly against the Sim-myeong Sword.
As the technique unfolded, the Poison Dragon crushed dozens of sword shadows with his left hand and struck out with a poisonous palm.
When he aimed for Mu Hwi’s chest, the Sim-myeong Sword descended—but the Poison Dragon had anticipated this. He grabbed the blade, and the concentrated poison in his left hand flowed like liquid, attempting to corrode the sword.
"Don’t waste your effort."
Mu Hwi twisted his wrist, and the sword spun violently, shaking off his grip.
Wuung!
Channeling Purple Sunset Divine Energy to its peak, Mu Hwi purified the blade in an instant and slashed diagonally.
The Poison Dragon couldn’t help but marvel at the Sim-myeong Sword’s flawless black luster.
After reaching a certain level in the art of poison, his hobby had shifted from poisoning people to melting their weapons with toxins and savoring their despair.
This time, however, even his deadliest poison had no effect.
"A sword worthy of being called divine. My poison can melt even famous swords, yet this one remains unscathed."
He withdrew his left hand and focused fully on the Storm of Dragon Scales.
Meanwhile, the poisonous mist flowing from his body continued to shift colors every ten breaths.
Despite expending significant energy on poison, Mu Hwi showed no signs of faltering. The Poison Dragon’s gaze gradually hardened.
Chajak!
Dozens of Baby Scales surged toward Mu Hwi’s vital points. Their trajectories—straight, curved, even zigzagging like lightning—were nearly impossible to predict.
Woong!
The Sim-myeong Sword emitted a short hum as its aura expanded, and a sword wind billowed.
Mu Hwi didn’t need to deflect each Baby Scale individually. Even in chaos, there was a pattern.
Loosening his wrist slightly, he widened his stance and grounded himself.
Ssshuaang!
A diagonal slash.
The sword, infused with aura and wind, cleaved through a wide area.
As the Baby Scales caught in the storm lost power and fell, a purple tempest suddenly erupted, scattering them.
A green flash pierced through the storm, aiming straight for Mu Hwi’s heart.
Dozens of Baby Scales flew in a tight, straight line, appearing as one.
Dragon Scale Long Tail (龍鱗長尾).
The ultimate technique of the Storm of Dragon Scales concentrates all its destructive and penetrating power into a single strike.
Mu Hwi twisted the Sim-myeong Sword, held close to his chest, and thrust with all his might. A pure, straight lunge imbued with Purple Sunset Divine Energy.
The petals around him swayed violently, but the sword itself stood unwavering, like bamboo.
At its core, plum blossoms bloomed.
Plum Wanders the Blue Bamboo (梅遊靑竹).
Kwaang!
The first clash between the two techniques drove Mu Hwi’s feet into the ground. But it didn’t end there.
The layered impacts of the Dragon Scale Long Tail surged through the sword.
Each strike was stronger than the last, the force doubling with every hit.
The ground beneath Mu Hwi began to upheave.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
After eighteen strikes, Mu Hwi was pushed back, carving a deep trench into the earth.
Yet, he stood unharmed. Only the Sim-myeong Sword trembled faintly, emitting a hazy mist.
The Poison Dragon stared at him with deepened eyes.
"Well? After experiencing my Storm of Dragon Scales, do you still think my vision for the Tang Family is wrong?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
"Because forcing strength as a goal, making people grow passively, is fundamentally different from choosing to grow stronger for a purpose."
"Now you’re preaching about mindset. I still don’t understand. I reached this level through the former method. How can you be so sure?"
"Because I’ve lived it."
The Poison Dragon stared at him blankly.
He didn’t know Mu Hwi well enough to understand his words immediately.
"We don’t need to understand each other. Martial artists prove their convictions through their skills."
"Finally, something we agree on."
As the Poison Dragon slowly raised his hands, the Baby Scales in the air—and even those embedded in the ground—rose again.
Mu Hwi, too, raised the Sim-myeong Sword to mid-stance.
Purple Sunset Divine Energy poured into the blade like starlight.
"I’ll prove the righteousness of my Tang Family by killing you."
Mu Hwi didn’t respond.
His path had always been to prove himself through the sword. He poured even a fleeting breath into his blade.
Wuung!
The space dominated by the Poison Dragon’s energy trembled. The countless Baby Scales in the air, along with the poisonous mist, ascended.
Hundreds of Baby Scales swirled in unison, and the mist transformed into liquid, splitting into droplets that merged with the scales.
His hands trembled slightly as he unleashed Ten Thousand Venomous Rain.
When his raised hands descended toward Mu Hwi, the technique began to fall from the sky.
Hwoong!
If Tang Qihu’s version had been like iron flower petals raining down, the Poison Dragon’s was like the sky itself collapsing.
Facing the overwhelming pressure, Mu Hwi slowly lowered the Sim-myeong Sword.
"I shamelessly ask this of you. The fate of the Tang Family rests in your hands."
Before today’s assault, Tang Qihu had spoken these words as they split up to attack from different directions.
Remembering them, Mu Hwi swung the sword upward with all his might.
From the blade, a storm of Purple Sunset Divine Energy surged, forming a massive whirlwind.
Kuuwaaa!
The howling wind echoed in all directions. The very air screamed.
The countless hidden techniques Mu Hwi had witnessed from the Tang Family.
All the methods to deflect them with a single sword coalesced into one technique.
A sword wind that could parry hidden weapons, alter their trajectories, and even send them back.
The Poison Dragon’s Ten Thousand Venomous Rain began to move according to Mu Hwi’s sword.
"What is this?!"
His eyes widened in shock.
"In the end, this is all it is. Your Tang Family."
Between Tang Qihu’s vision and the Poison Dragon’s, Mu Hwi had chosen the former.
To him, Tang Qihu’s path would one day benefit Hwasan and the martial arts world.
That choice became a single technique.
Using the Tang Family’s own methods to save the Tang Family.
Breaking Arrows to Save the Home (破箭求家).
The whirlwind of sword energy disrupted Ten Thousand Venomous Rain, reversing the flow of hidden weapons.
The technique turned the storm back toward the Poison Dragon.
"You’re reflecting Ten Thousand Venomous Rain? Impossible!"
With a mad laugh, he stretched out his hands—but there was no stopping it.
Just as he had shown no mercy, neither did his own technique.
In an instant, the Poison Dragon was engulfed by his own storm and vanished.
