178
178: It’s Been a Long Time Since I’ve Had a Fight Like This
Mu Hwi drew the Sim-myeong Sword diagonally, his movements as fleeting as a shadow.
Following the fierce swings of his sleeves, sword energy spread out like roots in dozens of directions, while flower petals danced around them.
As the tremors shaking the spear shaft surged relentlessly, the Spear Sovereign removed his right hand from the spear. At the same time, he made the shaft tremble violently, naturally dissipating the force.
Using that very vibration, the Spear Sovereign thrust his spear toward more than ten vital points on Mu Hwi’s body. The motion resembled a multi-headed serpent baring its fangs.
In an instant, over twenty thrusts flashed by. Mu Hwi blocked every single strike, and when the final thrust aimed at his solar plexus came, he extended the flat of his blade.
Clang!
The moment the spear tip met the sword, Mu Hwi flipped his blade, deflecting the spear upward, then stepped forward, closing the distance.
The spear bent as if it would snap under Mu Hwi’s swordplay. In response, the Spear Sovereign smoothly slid his right hand—gripping the middle of the spear—upward.
The spear, now sharply bent like a serpent’s head, targeted Mu Hwi again. Mu Hwi twisted his body leftward to evade the spear and slashed horizontally, releasing a sword aura.
The Spear Sovereign, who deflected the sword aura by raising the opposite end of his spear, let out an eerie smile.
‘I expected as much from the reports I’ve heard…’
The Spear Sovereign had used the intelligence network of the Sacheon Alliance to monitor all the top masters across the martial arts world, and among them, Mu Hwi had been one he paid special attention to, rivaling even the Three Seats.
He was already aware of Mu Hwi’s astonishing growth. But facing him directly now, that growth surpassed even his expectations.
There was no weakness in his offense or defense. Not only did he keep up in their exchanges, but at times, he even seemed to take the lead.
‘I’m glad I saved him for later.’
Amid the fluttering petals, dozens of purple sword slashes unfolded like blooming flowers. The sword energy writhed and transformed endlessly, as if alive, dazzling the eyes.
The Spear Sovereign made no attempt to read its changes—instead, he tightened his grip on the spear, intending to pierce through it all.
Kwa-kwak!
A deadly wind howled around the spear tip. The black-brown spear energy, ruthlessly tearing through the air, spun faster and faster.
As the spear thrust forward, his wrist rotated once. That small rotation amplified into a typhoon-like whirl by the time it reached the spear tip.
Black Shattering Cyclone (黑碎回侖).
The spear energy, spiraling like a drill with terrifying speed, shredded through the ever-shifting sword energy Mu Hwi had conjured like clouds.
Narrowing his eyes against the gale, Mu Hwi swung the Sim-myeong Sword with a fluid yet powerful motion. From the sword energy drawn in every direction, a massive plum blossom took form.
The blossom of Plum Blossom and Honeysuckle (梅花忍冬) unfurled its petals, enduring the storm of the Black Shattering Cyclone.
Kwa-kwak-kak!
The plum blossom was torn into dozens of pieces by the violent surge, but the Spear Sovereign’s spear energy was also exhausted and canceled out.
As if anticipating this, the Spear Sovereign had already kicked off the ground, sweeping his spear wide.
A broad black-brown arc cut through the air. Just as Mu Hwi shifted his stance with the Dark Scent Flutter, the ground where he had stood split open like a gaping maw.
The Spear Sovereign looked up at Mu Hwi soaring through the air and clenched his empty left hand.
A long black-brown spear materialized amid the rippling space.
With his long hair fluttering wildly from the energy waves, the Spear Sovereign unleashed Spear Piercing the Night (貫夜投) with the intangible spear formed by his left hand.
Whoosh!
The intangible spear tore through the air, accelerating rapidly before reaching Mu Hwi in an instant.
Meanwhile, Mu Hwi flipped midair, adjusting his center of gravity, and immediately executed Shattering Spear, Seeking Heroism (破槍求俠).
A dense purple sword light cleanly split the intangible spear in two. Without pause, Mu Hwi raised his sword and unleashed Plum Shadows Forging a River (梅影造河).
“Hah!”
Watching his intangible spear being effortlessly split, the Spear Sovereign shook his head in amusement.
The Sim-myeong Sword slashed vertically and horizontally, leaving behind increasingly dense purple afterimages in the air. The afterimages overlapped, forming an unstoppable current, joined by the floating plum blossoms and petals.
Like the relentless flow of a raging river, the wave of sword energy cascaded like a waterfall onto the Spear Sovereign’s head.
The technique of Plum Shadows Forging a River, having swallowed hundreds of variations, grew so vast it seemed it would sweep away not just the Spear Sovereign but the entire area.
The purple light of the sword energy poured over the Spear Sovereign’s face as he watched.
“Now this is more like it!”
Instead of retreating, the Spear Sovereign flung himself forward, whirling his spear in all directions. Though his movements seemed wild and frenzied, each strike precisely severed the flow of Plum Shadows Forging a River, disrupting its continuity.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the Spear Sovereign stepped back. The surroundings, except for where he stood, were devastated by countless large and small sword marks.
The Spear Sovereign tore off his now-tattered sleeve without hesitation and laughed.
“Back then, you were just an interesting toy. Now, you’ve become a truly entertaining one!”
The energy radiating from the Spear Sovereign grew even wilder, causing small stones and clumps of earth to float around him.
“You haven’t tasted true bitterness yet, so you can still say things like that.”
Mu Hwi’s lips curled as his energy surged outward, clashing with the Spear Sovereign’s in all directions.
Kureung!
Though the Spear Sovereign’s energy was fierce, Mu Hwi’s was no less overwhelming.
Each time the starlit sword energy rippled from his shoulders to his toes, his aura expanded its domain.
The mere collision of their energies made the air tremble as if thunder had struck.
“I grew stronger to savor all the pleasures this martial arts world has to offer. But you—what drove you to become this strong? I’m curious.”
“If you’re so confident, try prying it from my lips yourself.”
“Not even the other Three Seats would dare say such a thing.”
At Mu Hwi’s words, the Spear Sovereign laughed heartily, baring his teeth.
Deflecting another spear strike aimed at his brow, Mu Hwi took in the Spear Sovereign’s movements at a glance.
The shifts in spear technique, the movements of hands and feet, gaze and breath, the fluctuations in energy—
Every piece of information about the Spear Sovereign was captured by Mu Hwi’s senses without missing a single detail.
This was entirely different from the past, when he could barely track his movements and had to focus all his senses to predict the next strike.
It was proof that he was no longer beneath the Spear Sovereign as he once was.
“I can see everything clearly now.”
With his perception changed, Mu Hwi’s movements adapted accordingly. His footwork, guided by the Dark Scent Flutter, became bold and unrestrained.
The Spear Sovereign’s strikes came like a tightly woven net, leaving no room to evade.
But Mu Hwi, stepping with the Dark Scent Flutter, moved like a wind that could pass through anything, like a butterfly dancing gracefully.
Effortlessly breaking through the barrage of spear strikes, Mu Hwi flourished his plum-patterned sleeves like a dancer and carved a wide arc with his sword.
The starlit sword energy, concentrated around the Sim-myeong Sword, multiplied endlessly, covering the surroundings in petals.
Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance (梅香醉蝶).
The rich scent of sword energy pierced the Spear Sovereign’s nose just as the petals began to scatter.
Like a butterfly intoxicated by fragrance, the petals fluttered chaotically, dancing freely even beyond Mu Hwi’s control.
Even when the Spear Sovereign swung his spear to push them away, the petals stubbornly returned.
Concealed within the swirling petals, Mu Hwi closed in, his sword wrapped in layers of starlit energy, lowering it to a low stance.
He was minimizing the fundamental distance advantage of the spear.
The spear shaft and tip bent like a serpent, striking alternately, but they couldn’t shake Mu Hwi off.
Just as the spear’s advantageous range vanished and the ideal distance for the sword was achieved, the Spear Sovereign stepped forward as if he had been waiting.
Shifting his grip as if holding a short spear, the Spear Sovereign charged at Mu Hwi instead, closing the gap.
With rapid, short thrusts, he pressed Mu Hwi back. His movements were more akin to wielding a short spear or even a dagger than a long spear.
‘You’re not the first one like this I’ve faced.’
In duels between martial artists, the distance dictated by their weapons was crucial.
Having fought numerous unscrupulous martial artists, the Spear Sovereign had mastered not just maintaining distance but turning it against his opponents.
Cha-cha-chak!
Spear and sword clashed at a distance so close they could feel each other’s breath. The space was too tight for swordplay, but Mu Hwi countered with the ever-changing techniques unique to Hwasan Sect.
As Mu Hwi stepped back, the Spear Sovereign mirrored him, adjusting his grip on the spear once more.
Whoosh!
The Spear Sovereign launched another sweeping offensive, leveraging the spear’s overwhelming reach. With each slash, the terrain itself was reshaped.
After dozens of clashes between spear and sword, both the Spear Sovereign and Mu Hwi retreated amid the violent shockwaves.
The Spear Sovereign refused to yield distance easily, whether at long or close range.
“Spear Sovereign. Unlike before, you’re obsessively controlling the distance.”
The Spear Sovereign, about to swing his spear again, paused briefly at Mu Hwi’s words. Then, his lips split into a grin as the corners of his eyes lifted.
“That’s right. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a fight like this.”
For the first time in a long while, the Spear Sovereign felt his heart pounding fiercely.
The Hwasan Sword Saint was no ordinary opponent—one he couldn’t afford to yield even an inch of distance to.
Whether it was because his blood was boiling after so long, the hands gripping his spear grew increasingly hotter.
“Heh. The Spear Sovereign of the Three Seats… I acknowledge you. The Hwasan Sword Saint—we might as well call you the Fourth Seat.”
“I’ll pass.”
Mu Hwi gathered and condensed his starlit sword energy further into the Sim-myeong Sword.
The deeper the energy pooled, the darker the blade became, yet it still radiated a purple glow.
“Three Seats… You should retire soon. How long do you plan to keep this up?”
Mu Hwi lunged forward, and the Spear Sovereign shot forth, spear leveled ahead.
At the spear’s tip, black-brown energy burned like flames, then dozens of light streaks rose like trailing tails, undulating violently.
It was as if he had concentrated all his remaining power into the spear—no, into the spear tip itself.
Pivoting sharply, the Spear Sovereign kept the spear close to his waist and thrust straight forward, drawing a flawless, unwavering line.
His breath exploded outward in that instant.
Flash Tail Piercing the Night (貫夜閃尾).
Against this deadly thrust aimed at a single point, Mu Hwi swung the Sim-myeong Sword vertically without the slightest tremor.
Shattering Spear, Seeking Heroism (破槍求俠).
Spear and sword overlapped at a single point.
Ziiing!
Dozens of black-brown light streaks surged into the sky, only to be swallowed by the purple energy spreading in all directions.
As the storm of energy subsided, the area where the two supreme masters had clashed had sunk into a basin, the terrain permanently altered.
“Huu.”
The Spear Sovereign exhaled lightly, then chuckled as he watched Mu Hwi, unharmed, lowering his sword.
“A shame. Had it been just a little to the side, I would’ve pierced right through.”
The Spear Sovereign glanced at the blood spreading across Mu Hwi’s thigh, then turned away.
“That old man is coming. I should take my leave.”
Mu Hwi, too, sensed the approaching sword energy of the Sword Immortal from afar.
“Running away?”
“If I stubbornly cling to petty pride and die, the fun ends there. As long as I live, I can play again tomorrow.”
Watching the Spear Sovereign’s retreating figure, Mu Hwi examined the wound on his torn thigh, flexed his leg a few times, then sat cross-legged on the spot.
Chasing the Spear Sovereign with an injured leg would be futile.
As Mu Hwi closed his eyes to review the life-and-death battle, the Spear Sovereign, pouring all his remaining energy into movement, assessed his own condition.
“Ridiculous. Not even the Paewangseong Lord or the Sword Immortal could easily breach my defenses.”
The Spear Sovereign prided himself on having the strongest defensive techniques among the Three Seats. Yet, those very defenses had been shattered like this.
Staring at the bloodstains spreading across his shoulder and side, he muttered,
“Different. It’s different.”
A sword energy unlike Hwasan Sect’s techniques.
That final slash carried an astonishing sharpness and power.
It had shattered his armor-like defenses and left wounds on his body—two of them, no less.
“Keh. Good thing I aimed for the leg. Any higher, and I might’ve bid farewell to this life. Thrilling. This is why the martial world makes life worth living.”
Laughing to himself, the Spear Sovereign vanished into the distance, leaving behind scattered droplets of blood.
***
The Black Night Palace Lord’s right arm, gripping someone’s throat, was frozen solid. Yet, he grinned through the pain and summoned demonic energy.
“Frost Sound Demon King. Stronger than the rumors. Entertaining.”
The darkness surrounding the Black Night Palace Lord surged forward, swallowing the Frost Sound Demon King whole.
“Huu.”
As the Frost Sound Demon King disappeared, the ice covering his arm up to the forearm shattered and vanished.
“Palace Lord. The Great Guardian has fallen. They say the Hwasan Sword Saint killed him.”
“Hm.”
Nodding at the subordinate’s report, the Black Night Palace Lord murmured:
“A pity. That old man should’ve died by my hand.”
With that brief remark, the Black Night Palace Lord stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.