194
Chapter 194: The Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles.
Mu Hwi, who had been muttering the phrase ‘Dokgo's Nine Swords’ let out a deep, azure gleam from his eyes.
“Dokgo’s Nine Swords… The martial lineage of Dokgo undoubtedly belongs to the dead Sword Devil. How can you, the Hwasan Sword Saint, claim the name Dokgo’s Nine Swords?”
Mu Hwi fixed his gaze firmly on Heukcheon, as if demanding an answer. Heukcheon paused in thought before raising his arm.
“Do you remember this bracelet? It’s called the Plum Blossom Spirit Jade.”
“Plum Blossom Spirit Jade, Plum Blossom Spirit Jade… Ah, yes. I remember now. The previous Sword Saint entrusted it to the Sword Devil. The Sword Devil fell to his death from a cliff—did you find it?”
“No, this Plum Blossom Spirit Jade is a new creation. It doesn’t possess the power to emit the crimson glow like the real one. Especially not the crimson glow that grants the dead a new life.”
Mu Hwi’s brows slowly twisted.
With that single remark, Mu Hwi pieced together the entire chain of causality.
“Don’t tell me… You are the Sword Devil who was supposed to be dead?”
“That’s right. I returned from beneath the cliff, just like this.”
“I see. So that’s how it was. Now all the mysteries make sense.”
Heukcheon was surprised by Mu Hwi’s lack of agitation.
“You don’t seem shocked.”
“I’ve been a being who transcended the laws of nature for over half a century. Moreover, the demonic path contains all sorts of forbidden arts beyond your imagination. This is hardly something to be astonished by.”
Heukcheon let out a hollow laugh at Mu Hwi’s words.
It seemed their very perspectives on the world were fundamentally different.
Mu Hwi suddenly smiled as he looked at Heukcheon.
“Hwasan and Mu Hwi. The Mystic Ancestor and the Sword Devil. Looking at it now, you and I are tangled in an incredibly complicated web. Is this what they call Heaven’s Mandate?”
“It’s nothing more than a stubborn grudge. The grudge that began at the Shaanxi Bloodshed—it’s time to end it.”
Mu Hwi stared at the rival the Heavens had placed before him. His face revealed emotions deeper than ever before.
“Indeed.”
Heukcheon raised the Divine Light Sword to mid-stance, while Mu Hwi extended both hands, assuming a fighting posture.
“I’ve wielded countless weapons in my time, but none as powerful and captivating as my own body.”
Mu Hwi’s hands darkened like the night sky.
“The Solitary Divine Demon Hands. A martial art forged by weaving together a lifetime of martial principles. You, who created Dokgo’s Nine Swords, are worthy of witnessing it.”
Solitary Divine Demon Hands.
The touch of a lone divine demon.
Mu Hwi cherished this name.
Because it fully encapsulated who he was.
Mu Hwi was the first to move. Seven or eight hand shadows filled the air in an instant, each taking a different form—some with palms spread wide, others clenched into fists, and some with fingers extended like blades.
Heukcheon, too, swung the Divine Light Sword vertically, unleashing dozens of sword slashes. The clash between the darkened hands and the black-bladed sword began in earnest.
Sword strikes deflected hands in different directions, and the blade bent as if on the verge of breaking.
‘Every single martial principle is embedded in them.’
Though the martial art’s name was limited to hands, every gesture contained the essence of all the martial arts Mu Hwi had mastered.
At times, it was even visible which martial art a particular principle was drawn from.
BOOM!
The enormous force, capable of crushing a pavilion in an instant, was withstood by the plum blossoms of the Plum Blossom Endurance.
The ground trembled from the contest of strength between the blossoms and the force, sending a massive cloud of dust into the air.
Then, Mu Hwi and Heukcheon simultaneously unleashed their techniques, scattering the dust cloud.
CRACK!
The storm of shockwaves that followed obliterated the dust cloud in an instant. At the same time, Mu Hwi swung his fists, crushing dozens of plum blossoms mid-air.
“You’re primarily using the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques instead of Dokgo’s Nine Swords.”
“Because it’s the right sword technique to face you. Especially against the Solitary Divine Demon Hands.”
Mu Hwi’s head tilted slightly.
Only Heukcheon understood the meaning behind those words.
Dokgo’s Nine Swords was a sword art created to save the bonds he met after being freed from solitude.
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques were born from the Sword Devil’s struggles in solitude and the enlightenment born from the bonds of everyone he met. Thus, it was a sword art meant to cut through and shatter loneliness.
That was why the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques were the right choice against the Solitary Divine Demon Hands.
SLASH!
A horizontal strike from the Divine Light Sword, tearing through the fist’s momentum, aimed for Mu Hwi’s waist. Mu Hwi ignored defense and instead thrust his arm toward Heukcheon.
CRUNCH!
Heukcheon’s brow furrowed as he deflected Mu Hwi’s fingers, aimed at his eyes, with the Plum Blossom Scattering Hand. Though it seemed like the blade had cut through layers of protective energy and even flesh, it didn’t sink deep.
Moreover, the metallic sound it produced was entirely unfitting for cutting skin—suggesting Mu Hwi had achieved Invulnerability to Swords or something akin to it.
“It’s a protective technique called Demonic Dragon Scales. A demonic technique I stole after killing the Demonic Dragon Forest Lord. To think you could pierce it in a single strike—impressive.”
Heukcheon smirked but thrust the Divine Light Sword forward decisively.
Above him, Mu Hwi’s relentless strikes rained down. But the already blooming plum blossoms met the lonely hands head-on.
Mu Hwi and Heukcheon tangled as if they were one, neither willing to yield. At the heart of the violently swirling shockwaves, the two men poured out their martial arts with ferocity.
CRASH!
Amid the consecutive explosions, piles of shattered rocks and broken trees soared high into the sky—only to float mid-air instead of falling.
The shockwaves and internal energy of the two supreme masters had completely saturated the atmosphere.
Hundreds of exchanges passed in an instant.
The devastated nature of Chaoyang Peak and the storm of shockwaves surging like a dragon’s whirlwind spoke volumes of the battle’s intensity.
‘There’s truly no opening.’
Mu Hwi’s movements, unleashing his martial arts at full power, were worthy of being called a Divine Demon. He was a flawless man without a single weakness.
Yet, Heukcheon’s violet eyes blazed with fierce determination and heat.
‘I smell blood.’
Mu Hwi’s long, unbroken breaths.
Though he seemed unharmed, the scent of blood mixed with his exhalations. He must have borne the full backlash of the collapse of the Mu Hwi Night Formation caused by Dokgo’s Nine Swords.
Of course, Heukcheon wasn’t unscathed either, but even Mu Hwi, who seemed beyond the laws of nature, now showed a trace of humanity—prompting Heukcheon to press on relentlessly.
‘This isn’t an opponent to face while thinking about what comes after. I must pour out everything I’ve built up until now.’
Heukcheon burned his innate energy even more fiercely.
With a profound violet light flashing in his eyes, Heukcheon locked onto Mu Hwi.
“Mu Hwi. You’re human after all.”
“No. Sword Saint. It’s you who has stepped into the realm of Transcendent.”
Mu Hwi’s palm thrust forward as the Divine Light Sword slashed horizontally through the air.
CRACK!
Mu Hwi’s knuckles shattered Heukcheon’s collarbone. But Mu Hwi didn’t escape unscathed either.
Seeing his own shoulder redden, Mu Hwi nodded slowly.
“You’ve begun merging the subtleties of Dokgo’s Nine Swords into the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques.”
Heukcheon nodded in return.
To shatter twelve layers of Demonic Dragon Scales in one strike and cut through Invulnerability to Swords, it was necessary.
And Heukcheon had done it.
“How long has it been? Ah, yes… I’m alive right now.”
Mu Hwi, feeling pain, was instead delighted.
The pain made him feel alive—a bizarre contradiction.
With a loud laugh, Mu Hwi took a massive step forward.
He swung his fist like a club, while Heukcheon twisted his ankle, spinning as he slashed diagonally with the Divine Light Sword.
BOOM!
The ground caved in as the two men each took a step back before closing the distance again with renewed techniques.
Above the crisscrossing violet trajectories, dozens of plum blossoms were scattered chaotically. The falling blossoms shed petals, swirling in the wind before hundreds of petals scattered in all directions.
Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom.
Watching the petals fall like a blizzard, Mu Hwi flicked his hand lightly, as if carelessly tossing something aside. The indifferent motion caused the petals to burst apart simultaneously.
Solitary Expulsion of Thought.
The empty space left by the vanished petals was filled with explosive energy waves radiating from Mu Hwi’s entire body.
Solitary Slumber in Deep Darkness.
Along with the energy waves, an expansive, dark-blue demonic energy spread out, devouring all rocks and trees in its path as it stretched outward.
Where the darkness passed, nothing remained. As if fallen into a lonely slumber, only silence was left behind.
Against this wide-ranging attack, the Divine Light Sword trembled violently. At the edge of the sword’s aura, a field of flowers bloomed.
With each slash, dozens of plum blossoms bloomed—and in an instant, hundreds of blossoms burst forth in full glory, releasing their sword’s fragrance.
Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom.
The fully bloomed blossoms emitted a violet light, pushing back the darkness.
Heukcheon, who had severed the massive surge of demonic energy in one strike, exhaled deeply.
‘Was I destined to become like that in my past life?’
Mu Hwi’s Solitary Divine Demon Hands.
True to its name, every technique reeked of loneliness.
It was as if he was lonely because no one could receive his martial prowess—or as if he was throwing a tantrum, demanding someone strong enough to withstand it.
After all, no one could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mu Hwi.
‘Looking at it this way, the Mystic Ancestor’s existence saved me in my past life.’
Remembering the vividly clear face of the Mystic Ancestor, as if she were still by his side, Heukcheon straightened the Divine Light Sword.
CRACK!
Pushed back by the overwhelming fist strike that hammered the Divine Light Sword, Heukcheon flipped mid-air before landing on the ground.
Mu Hwi’s martial principles, accumulated over a lifetime, were condensed into a single martial art.
Thus, each technique rivaled the ultimate strikes of most advanced martial arts—making Mu Hwi all the lonelier. Who could withstand this?
‘In this world, only I can.’
Mu Hwi leaped into the air, executing a kick as he descended, while Heukcheon firmly gripped his sword and thrust it straight upward.
Like an unyielding bamboo shoot, the sword’s strike aimed to pierce through Mu Hwi’s soles.
Wandering Plum and Verdant Bamboo.
CRASH!
The tremendous weight and force transmitted through the Divine Light Sword felt as if the sky itself were collapsing.
Heukcheon’s shoulders shook, and his knees buckled. The ground caved in, forming a wide basin around him.
Just as the sword seemed about to bend, the surging violet energy lent its strength, straightening the blade once more.
“HAAAH!”
With a fierce shout, Heukcheon pushed his arm upward with all his might, repelling Mu Hwi.
Sent flying, Mu Hwi soared high into the sky, stepping on the air as he looked down at Heukcheon.
“Sword Saint. You’ve withstood every technique of the Solitary Divine Demon Hands. All but the last one.”
Hovering in the air, Mu Hwi brought his hands together before his chest. Between them, an immense amount of demonic energy condensed into a dark-blue sphere.
That ominous sphere was undoubtedly the final technique.
Heukcheon, too, lowered the Divine Light Sword and prepared. He drew forth his internal energy without reserve, channeling it through his entire body before pouring it into the sword.
HUM!
The Divine Light Sword emitted a clear, resonant hum.
But the sword’s hum was soon drowned out by the ominous sound echoing from the sky.
WHOOSH!
It was as if the surrounding air was fleeing from the dark-blue sphere.
The space around the sphere distorted violently, and powerful energy pulses radiated outward rhythmically, like a heartbeat.
Under the overwhelming pressure, all things trembled in unison.
“I’ve poured all my martial principles and remaining strength into this final technique. Let this bring an end to the Hwasan Sword Debate. Sword Saint. Are you ready?”
Heukcheon raised the Divine Light Sword, now glowing with a mysterious light, to mid-stance and nodded.
“Of course.”
Seeing Heukcheon’s unwavering stance, Mu Hwi spoke.
“This technique is my full power, my utmost. Only one who can withstand it can defeat me. Thus, I’ve named it Solitary Seeking Defeat—a technique meant to be overcome.”
The dark-blue sphere, the culmination of Mu Hwi’s demonic path, descended rapidly toward Chaoyang Peak.
The meteor-like sphere, no larger than a palm at first, swelled until it could easily crush an eight-story pavilion.
Solitary Seeking Defeat.
Watching the demonic sphere approach the peak in an instant, Heukcheon calmly extended his sword.
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques were swords meant to cut through solitude.
But solitude cannot be cut alone.
It required the help of countless bonds.
‘Mystic Ancestor.’
He thought of the Mystic Ancestor.
He thought of Hwasan.
He thought of the countless people of the martial arts world.
As Heukcheon recalled the sword’s intent, his grip on the sword tightened, and the Divine Light Sword felt lighter.
As if twenty-four hands were holding the sword together.
The Divine Light Sword, shining brighter than ever, scattered violet light as it surged forward.
The violently trembling sword unleashed thousands of slashes beyond hundreds of trajectories, creating an elegant flow.
That flow became a towering peak, rising like a blade, and a sturdy branch capable of holding countless plum blossoms.
Above it, a dazzling array of lights flickered.
Brilliant violet light took the lead, intertwined with red and white, dancing left and right.
Violet energy spread in all directions.
Above the violet glow, plum blossoms began to bloom.
Purple Plum. Red Plum. White Plum.
Blossoms of every color bloomed in unison. Some were in full bloom, others half-open. Some were large, others small.
As if plucked straight from nature, the plum blossoms drawn by the sword were utterly natural.
The blossoms and violet energy spread across the mountain and branches drawn by the sword. Petals fluttered in every direction.
Above Chaoyang Peak, another Hwasan descended from the heavens.
The new Hwasan, manifested in the sky by the sword, was filled with an elegant sword’s fragrance.
That fragrance did not linger on Hwasan but spread across the world.
No matter how far it reached, the fragrance never weakened—as if it could span ten thousand miles and touch the entire world.
“The Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles.”
The final technique of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Techniques.
The Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles.
The two ultimate techniques clashed.
A silence that drowned out even the earth-shaking roar swallowed Hwasan—and then, the entire world.
***
RUMBLE!
The martial artists gathered in Huayin had all stepped outside, their eyes fixed on Hwasan.
Though they couldn’t climb the mountain themselves, the distant explosions from Hwasan reached even Huayin.
“What kind of battle could produce sounds that reach all the way here?”
“This is truly a clash on another level.”
Even the late-stage foundation level disciples of the Jongnam Sect stood atop the rooftops of inns, staring at Chaoyang Peak.
Their faces were tense and trembling.
Among them, Dokgo Yul and Xian Zhu’s expressions were the most severe.
“Huh?!”
“Everyone, look there!”
The martial artists gasped in shock at the sight above Chaoyang Peak.
A dark-blue sphere suddenly appeared in the sky above the peak—so massive it was clearly visible even from Huayin.
“It’s like a black sun falling from the sky.”
“Is that… A martial technique? What kind of battle is happening up there?”
The falling black sun pressed down on Chaoyang Peak. The peak itself seemed to melt away under its weight.
At the same time, a shockwave erupted, shaking the entire mountain. A fierce gale swept over the martial artists in Huayin.
"Agh!"
As the martial artists staggered, an anomaly occurred.
A new light erupted across the dark-blue surface—violet, crimson, and white.
Countless streams of radiance began to surge, and amidst them, violet streaks of sword energy burst outward, eroding the dark-blue sun.
The blackened celestial body trembled—
as if the heavens themselves were being peeled apart.
Plum blossoms bloomed within the void.
Their petals unfurling like the birth of a new dawn.
"Plum blossoms?"
"Even from this distance, they look so dense—just how many have bloomed?"
The black sun was now trapped within countless sword slashes and plum blossoms, which from afar resembled a small Hwasan.
Xian Zhu, seeing the plum blossoms clearly even from such a distance, clasped her hands together, trembling.
'Big Brother!'
When the plum blossoms completely enveloped the dark-blue sun—
ZZZZZIIING!
The heavens trembled violently before a vast explosion of light erupted.
The sky seemed to darken as if night were falling—yet above it, a violet glow spread.
It wasn’t sunset.
Only the sky above Hwasan was bathed in violet.
Martial arts were influencing the very fabric of the world.
The martial artists could only watch the impossible, awe-inspiring spectacle in stunned silence.
After a long moment, someone finally spoke.
"Huh?"
"This scent… Is it plum blossoms?"
Others also nodded as if catching the fragrance.
Not just the martial artists in Huayin—even commoners far beyond suddenly turned their heads, noticing the sudden fragrance in the air.
"It’s not yet the season for plum blossoms..."
"Where is this coming from?"
The rich, refreshing aroma cleared their minds, washing away all tension and leaving only peace. For a brief moment, the martial artists savored the scent with their entire beings.
Though it was winter, it was still too early for plum blossoms to bloom. Yet the fragrance was unmistakable.
Soon, the martial artists realized—
Where did this plum blossom fragrance come from?
Their gazes turned back to Hwasan, now silent as the violet glow faded. At the end of their sight stood Chaoyang Peak—now noticeably shorter than before.