188
Chapter 188
The crimson robe of the Paewangseong Lord fluttered wildly as he soared into the air, evading the surge of sword energy beneath his feet.
Every time the Paewangseong Lord’s limbs swept through the void, the crimson dragon embroidered on his robe writhed, baring its fangs and claws.
His palms trembled.
With each tremor, over a dozen palm shadows materialized around him. Before a single breath could be completed, the air was densely packed with over fifty palm imprints.
Falling Void Tyrant Seal (落空覇印).
It seemed as though he intended to leave his palm prints stamped like seals upon the summit of Chaoyang Peak. The swelling palm shadows cascaded down in rapid succession.
KWAANG!
With each falling palm imprint, the ground shuddered, and the accumulated snow around them erupted like geysers, scattering wildly.
The densely falling palms soon pressed down even upon Mu Hwi. A crimson palm imprint descended over Mu Hwi’s head, slashed through by a streak of violet sword light.
Five overlapping palm shadows were split apart by a single sword stroke. The Sim-myeong Sword, deeply dyed in purple, cut through the air with exhilarating force, cleaving the subsequent palm imprints in two.
‘The Paewangseong Lord’s Absolute Strike.’
The Paewangseong Lord’s palm shadows were swift and heavy.
Each strike carried the weight and destructive force of a massive boulder crashing down. Every time Mu Hwi split a palm shadow, the shockwaves traveled through his sword, sending formidable tremors into his waist and lower body.
‘But my sword—’
Was even fiercer.
The layered Purple Sunset Sword Energy surged heavily, its strikes extending with unbridled force.
Following the principles of Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy (破掌求第), the overwhelming sword strokes stretched forth like lightning, dismantling the Paewangseong Lord’s offensive.
The Paewangseong Lord, concealed behind his final palm shadow, descended while unleashing a dual-palm strike.
Two crimson diagonal lines surged before merging into a single vertical slash. Mu Hwi tilted his sword horizontally, intercepting both palms simultaneously.
KUOONG!
The ground beneath Mu Hwi cratered violently. His Plum Blossom Robe flapped wildly, as if it might tear away.
Yet, even amidst this, Mu Hwi’s body withstood the Paewangseong Lord’s palm force without faltering.
His external martial arts, tempered through the Iron Mountain Fist King’s training methods.
His internal energy, circulating with the Purple Sunset Divine Technique.
His internal and external arts harmonized perfectly, unleashing power beyond their individual limits.
The Paewangseong Lord, repelled by the rebound, flipped midair and landed on the ground.
“So you’re the one who let the Spear Sovereign escape… Impressive.”
The Spear Sovereign of the Sacheon Alliance muttered with displeasure upon seeing the smile on the Paewangseong Lord’s face.
“Who said anything about escaping? I merely stepped back for a moment.”
The Paewangseong Lord spread his hands wide, crimson energy waves dancing like elongated tails.
Mu Hwi tightened his grip on the Sim-myeong Sword. In response, a dazzling violet hue shimmered atop the pure white snow covering the summit.
Beyond the sword’s violet-stained blade, a vivid Purple Sunset rippled.
The winter wind blowing between Mu Hwi and the Paewangseong Lord scattered, swept away by their surging energy waves.
Sword and palm shot forth simultaneously. Crimson and violet intertwined in the air, exploding in rapid succession.
The crimson streaks slashed through the void like crude brushstrokes, as if drawn by an untrained hand. The violet light split in all directions like swaying branches of a flowering tree.
KWA-KA-KANG!
A thunderous explosion followed only moments after their exchange.
‘He’s getting faster!’
The Paewangseong Lord’s eyes could barely keep up with Mu Hwi’s accelerating movements.
The Sim-myeong Sword blurred as if melting into light, replaced by blooming plum blossoms that surged forward.
Witnessing the countless blossoms filling his vision in an instant, the Paewangseong Lord extended his hand without hesitation.
He grasped, crushed, and tore through them.
The Paewangseong Lord’s fists and Mu Hwi’s sword strikes poured forth like endless barrages aimed at one another. Countless exchanges in a single moment.
The movements of the two supreme masters left afterimages in the air. Before these afterimages could fade, new strikes rained down.
A rising knee was deflected by the flat of the blade; a slash aimed at the thigh was pushed aside by the back of a hand. A dazzling battle of skill, where offense and defense merged into one.
Storm-like energy waves erupted around the two men, tearing through the surrounding terrain.
‘So this is the level your sword has reached.’
The Paewangseong Lord’s skin prickled with killing intent. Each time he blocked an endless surge of sword strikes, his crimson dragon robe, woven from Heavenly Silkworm Thread, frayed bit by bit.
The eerie swordplay, which had bewildered his eyes and limbs with countless variations, suddenly grew heavy.
The Paewangseong Lord clenched his fist and struck the descending diagonal slash with the back of his hand.
KKU-EONG!
A metallic clang resounded as the Paewangseong Lord extended the fingers of his left hand, tearing through the air before him.
Five crimson Claw Qi (爪氣) spiraled like twisted threads, launched with the rotation of his palm.
Mu Hwi responded with Plum Blossom Scattering Hand (梅花山手). A dense cluster of petals collided with the Paewangseong Lord’s claw energy, generating a whirlwind in the opposite direction.
Flower-Linked Spiral Strike (華聯螺來).
The collision unleashed a gale, yet neither Mu Hwi nor the Paewangseong Lord flinched, maintaining their stances.
Though the claw energy and palm force canceled each other out, the Paewangseong Lord, anticipating this, unleashed another palm strike.
PAAANG!
Mu Hwi sidestepped the incoming palm force with Dark Scent Flutter (暗香步), his robes fluttering as he swung the Sim-myeong Sword in a wide arc.
‘The Paewangseong Lord hasn’t been idle either.’
Having confirmed the Paewangseong Lord’s martial prowess, Mu Hwi planted his feet firmly, as if they were thick tree roots.
The Sim-myeong Sword, unleashing hundreds of variations in a single stroke, eclipsed the sunlight, while the Paewangseong Lord’s relentless fists swallowed the scattered rays.
Each collision between fists and sword produced heavy shockwaves, scattering the surrounding air and generating sonic booms.
KUOONG!
The Paewangseong Lord, lowering his stance with a deep step, thrust out a single palm. Seeing the rapidly expanding palm, Mu Hwi stabbed the Sim-myeong Sword straight forward, as if aiming to pierce through it.
ZZZREEEONG!
Mu Hwi was pushed back a single step, while the Paewangseong Lord stumbled three steps before halting.
Feeling the numbing impact on his palm, the Paewangseong Lord curled his lips, baring his teeth.
‘So it was you.’
At the Hwasan Sword Debate, his greatest opponent was not the Sword Immortal or Heukcheon—but the man before him.
The Paewangseong Lord realized it now.
The lofty aspiration he had held all this time.
To embrace the vast martial arts world.
His duel with Mu Hwi was an extension of that.
He sensed that now was the time to unleash the Path of the Paewangseong (覇道) he had built without hesitation.
“Huu…”
The Paewangseong Lord’s breathing deepened.
Exhaling like a raging flame, inhaling like a tranquil forest breeze.
The change in the Paewangseong Lord’s energy caught the attention of the other supreme masters.
“The Paewangseong Lord… He intends to burn with everything he has.”
The Sword Immortal sighed as he watched the Paewangseong Lord’s energy surge like towering flames.
It wasn’t that the Paewangseong Lord had been holding back his full strength. Rather, his mindset in battle had shifted.
The Paewangseong Lord, who had been keeping the Hwasan Sword Debate in mind even during his duel with Mu Hwi, now erased all thoughts of the future. The Sword Immortal understood—he had resolved to devote everything to this single battle.
KOO-RUNG!
The Paewangseong Lord took a thunderous step forward.
He began advancing along his Path of the Paewangseong Lord (覇道).
And standing in the middle of that path was Mu Hwi.
To the Paewangseong Lord’s senses, Mu Hwi loomed like a vast mountain towering beyond.
With another step, an expansive Purple Sunset surged atop that mountain.
The young man he had once seen at the gates of Hwasan—now resembled the mountain itself, embracing its very essence.
‘If I topple this, my Path of the Paewangseong continues. If not, it ends here.’
A once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Everything he had built over his lifetime could crumble into nothingness in an instant.
Yet the Paewangseong Lord advanced without hesitation.
Because that was his Path of the Paewangseong.
“I may break, but I will not stop.”
The Paewangseong Lord’s hand swept through the air.
A colossal palm force, expanding in size, descended upon Mu Hwi like a falling peak. The pressure was as if an entire mountain were pressing down.
For a moment, it seemed Mu Hwi’s knees might buckle, but he endured, unleashing a fierce sword light. Seizing the opening, the Paewangseong Lord drove a fist toward Mu Hwi’s solar plexus.
Mu Hwi intercepted with Plum Blossom Scattering Hand while slashing downward with the Sim-myeong Sword. Even the Paewangseong Lord felt goosebumps at the sheer purity of the sword’s path.
‘I see the Sword Immortal in this.’
It was as if he were facing the Sword Immortal.
No—it felt even more threatening.
Yet the Paewangseong Lord smiled. Realizing his intuition had been correct, he stoked the blood coursing through his veins, making it burn even hotter.
“HAAAP!”
With a shout, the Paewangseong Lord bent the violet line drawn before him.
KWANG!
Lightning struck each time palm and sword clashed.
Neither supreme master yielded. The intense exchange continued, with hundreds of strikes traded in an instant.
Blocking the Paewangseong Lord’s palm strikes aimed at crushing his waist and chest, Mu Hwi realigned his sword’s edge.
‘Paewangseong Lord.’
Between supreme masters, even the slightest clash of limbs or weapons could reveal the other’s intentions.
Every technique, every subtle movement—imbued with the essence of their martial philosophy.
Because the Paewangseong Lord had resolved to fight with everything, Mu Hwi could feel it even more vividly.
As he withstood the Paewangseong Lord’s relentless onslaught, many things became clear.
The Paewangseong Path of the Paewangseong Lord.
The Paewangseong Lord’s mindset.
The martial arts world as the Paewangseong Lord saw it.
—This is the martial arts world I will conquer.
A phrase the Paewangseong Lord had once spoken in Sacheon.
At the time, Mu Hwi hadn’t fully grasped its meaning.
But now, at the Hwasan Sword Debate, he finally understood.
The Paewangseong Lord was a man who challenged the martial arts world with his entire being.
His method of challenge was simply his Path of the Paewangseong.
Petty grudges were insignificant.
They were merely the intersections of their paths.
Mu Hwi’s Path of Justice (正道) and the Paewangseong Lord’s Path of the Paewangseong(覇道) had crossed and clashed within the martial arts world.
Blocking the Paewangseong Lord’s fist, wrapped in scorching winds, Mu Hwi raised the Sim-myeong Sword high.
Dozens of scattered Purple Sunset strands converged into a single point at the sword’s tip.
‘Our paths differ, but that’s all.’
Just as Mu Hwi understood the Paewangseong Lord, the Paewangseong Lord surely felt the same. At the end of this process, only martial might (武) would remain.
Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy (破掌求第).
The Paewangseong Lord recognized it immediately.
The same astonishing technique that had once dismantled his Heaven-Shuddering Divine Palm (破天絳手) and nearly cost him his right arm.
As the vertical slash descended, the Paewangseong Lord felt as if the entire sky were collapsing upon him.
Yet he extended his dual palms without hesitation. The crossed palms rotated slowly, tracing a small circle.
The Paewangseong Lord had secluded himself in his fortress not just to heal his wounds, but also because the memory of Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy—the technique that had breached his defenses—had haunted him.
And now, he had perfected it.
A counter to Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy.
Only possible because the Paewangseong Lord, never satisfied with remaining in the Three Seats, constantly sought to challenge the martial arts world.
Compressing the power of his dual palms into a small circle, the Paewangseong Lord simplified his form, focusing purely on raw force—rendering any attempt to dismantle it impossible.
A transparent crimson disk formed at his fingertips, the concentrated palm force gradually expanding.
Crimson Mirror Shattering the Heavens (破侖紅鏡).
Upon it, the thick line of Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy descended.
In that instant, an immense shockwave erupted, scattering the surrounding air and swallowing even the ensuing roar.
The observing supreme masters had to circulate their internal energy to withstand the shockwaves.
As the dust settled, the two men stood far apart.
The Sword Saint and the Paewangseong Lord gazed at each other.
“To think you’d create a technique to counter Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy.”
“Yet you still didn’t break through. To think you’ve evolved it into something entirely different.”
Though the Paewangseong Lord spoke as if Breaking Palm, Seeking Supremacy had been completely blocked, even Mu Hwi found it remarkable.
The clash had made one thing clear to both supreme masters,
They had cast everything aside, engaging in pure martial combat.
In the face of their respective martial paths (武道), all else was trivial.
The Paewangseong Lord nodded.
“Truly, this is the Hwasan Sword Debate.”
“Indeed. The Hwasan Sword Debate.”
Mu Hwi and the Paewangseong Lord locked eyes, taking a moment to breathe.
Time enough to dispel the accumulated shockwaves within their bodies, analyze each other’s moves, and prepare the next strike.
“This is enjoyable.”
The Paewangseong Lord barely managed to utter the words.
Wiping the sweat from his face, his expression grew solemn.
Though he was enjoying himself, it was time to end this.
The Paewangseong Lord gathered his palms before his chest. That slight motion alone caused the surrounding air to tremble and space itself to distort.
In contrast, no visible phenomenon occurred around Mu Hwi. He simply brought the Sim-myeong Sword to mid-level.
When the energy waves gathered in the Paewangseong Lord’s palms and the crimson tide—as if dredged from hell—reached their peak, he launched forward.
In that instant, the world was engulfed in violet.
Countless sword strokes filled the air in the blink of an eye, resembling the branches of a plum blossom tree endlessly extending.
At the tips of those branches, hundreds of plum blossoms bloomed. Hundreds of variations condensed into a single sword stroke.
Unlike before, the Sim-myeong Sword showed not the slightest tremor. A sword of perfect stillness, already scattering Dark Fragrance (暗香) in all directions.
Dark Fragrance, Motionless Blossom (暗香不動花).
Toward this single sword, the Paewangseong Lord’s dual palms advanced.
Heaven-Shuddering Divine Palm (碎天絳手).
A white flash erupted, followed by crimson and violet light bursting outward, shaking Chaoyang Peak.
As the blinding light faded, Mu Hwi and the Paewangseong Lord stood facing each other. The Paewangseong Lord lowered his arms, staring at Mu Hwi.
Though he appeared unharmed, his breathing was faint and intermittent.
His body showed no visible tremors—not because he was steady, but because he couldn’t move.
Having endured the accumulated shockwaves of the Purple Sunset Divine Technique and the impact of Dark Fragrance, Motionless Blossom, the Paewangseong Lord’s body had reached its limit, his strength draining away.
Only his indomitable will kept him standing.
Mu Hwi lowered the Sim-myeong Sword and sheathed it. The Paewangseong Lord barely managed to part his lips.
“You… Won’t finish me?”
“We’ve clashed our martial paths. We’ve seen whose path will continue. Could there be a cleaner ending?”
The Paewangseong Lord exhaled lightly and turned his head. His gaze traveled beyond Hwasan, toward the world stretching beyond.
“My Path of the Paewangseong does not stop. Even if I must challenge the martial arts world anew, do you think I’ll hesitate?”
Mu Hwi, too, fixed his eyes on the world the Paewangseong Lord beheld.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be there, in the martial arts world you challenge.”
Mu Hwi, too, would embrace it.
This vast martial arts world.
The Paewangseong Lord silently gazed at the world before speaking.
“This is my defeat.”
For the first time in his life, he had uttered those words.