195
Chapter 195: You Are the Greatest Under Heaven
Chaoyang Peak could not withstand the collision between Dokgo’s Nine Swords and Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles, and part of it was completely obliterated. Though it still boasted a height that seemed to pierce the heavens, it was noticeably shorter than a few days prior. At its peak, nothing remained—only countless streams of smoke rising from the ground.
The earth itself seemed to have melted, quivering as if liquid, with Mu Hwi standing alone and lofty at its center.
The atmosphere, which had fled from the clash of the two martial artists, began to return, causing Mu Hwi’s plum blossom robe to flutter. In the midst of this, Heukcheon descended slowly from the sky, his hands clasped behind his back.
Heukcheon’s black martial robe was drenched in bloodstains.
“So you… Blocked Dokgo’s Nine Swords.”
His voice was faint, weakened.
“Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles. The martial path of one who has lived two lives—as the Sword Devil and the Sword Saint. Without that, you could never have perfected this technique.”
“Correct.”
Mu Hwi barely managed to nod.
Heukcheon gazed at Mu Hwi, who stood precariously.
“A life without defeat was far too tedious and lonely. Only at the end did I meet a worthy opponent, unleash all the martial arts I had accumulated, and taste my first defeat. It is truly… Refreshing.”
True to the name he had given himself—Dokgo Heon (独孤求败, Lone Seeker)—Heukcheon spoke of his own defeat with a face that remained utterly serene.
His right arm trembled violently as he raised it.
Hundreds, thousands of sword strikes from Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles.
He had endured them all with his body, barely maintaining his physical form through his attained mastery—but even that had reached its limit.
Heukcheon’s trembling right arm began to crumble like sand from the fingertips upward. Amidst this, the corners of his lips curled.
It was the most human-like smile he had ever shown.
“My path forward… Will not be lonely. The sword fragrance you’ve spread across the world will be everywhere.”
Heukcheon’s body disintegrated in an instant, leaving only an empty, echoing voice behind.
“Hwasan Sword Saint. You are the Greatest Under Heaven.”
Those were his final words.
Mu Hwi, watching as Heukcheon scattered into the vast sky, carried away by the wind, slowly collapsed.
“Huu…”
Mu Hwi exhaled lightly, mustering all his strength to move his failing body.
Before the backlash from burning his innate qi could fully manifest, he began circulating his energy, hoping to minimize the damage as much as possible.
Barely managing to cross his legs, Mu Hwi immediately began his energy circulation and lost consciousness as if falling into a deep sleep.
Before he knew it, Mu Hwi stood alone on a mountain.
“I clearly started energy circulation… Is this a dream?”
Muttering to himself, he walked along the mountain path that had suddenly unfolded before him. The surrounding landscape felt strangely familiar. After only a few steps, he realized where he was.
“Sword Peak Mountain.”
The mountain where he had often trained with Hyeon Jo.
Mu Hwi continued climbing along the path.
Soon, the modest hut he had built with Hyeon Jo came into view. Inside, a man sat waiting for him.
Mu Hwi’s steps halted abruptly at the sight of him.
In the hut, a middle-aged man dressed in Hwasan Sect robes smiled warmly at Mu Hwi.
“Hyeon Jo?”
As Mu Hwi stood rooted in place, Hyeon Jo rose and approached him.
He murmured something, but Mu Hwi couldn’t hear his voice. Yet, he could read the words from his lips.
- You’ve suffered, Heon.
Mu Hwi shook his head.
“There was no suffering. If not for you, I wouldn’t even have been given a new chance.”
- Stubborn as ever.
“In my past life and this one, without you, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
Hyeon Jo grinned faintly, then gently grasped Mu Hwi’s shoulder. He gave it a few light pats before walking past him, continuing along the mountain path.
Mu Hwi tried to follow, but no matter how much he walked, he couldn’t catch up.
“Where are you going?!”
At Mu Hwi’s desperate shout, Hyeon Jo only turned his back and smiled.
“Heon. Now, enjoy your new life.”
Just as Hyeon Jo’s voice, which had been inaudible until now, rang out clearly—
Mu Hwi’s eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above him seemed unfamiliar yet oddly familiar.
“Mu Hwi! Are you awake?”
Seeing the face of Medical Pavilion, Baek Jin, leaning over him, Mu Hwi realized he was lying in Medical Pavilion.
‘This is the first time since I first woke up in this body.’
Slowly testing his limbs, Mu Hwi nodded.
“Yes. I think I’m fine.”
“Thank goodness. When we found you, it seemed like your breath would stop at any moment. The Sect Leader immediately brought out the Jahadan and Jasodan, and the Sword Immortal infused you with internal energy.”
“Ah…”
Mu Hwi sighed. The mention of the Sword Immortal pouring energy into him again made him exhale involuntarily.
‘Again, I’ve only been on the receiving end.’
Sitting up, Mu Hwi regulated his breathing with Purple Sunset Divine Energy. Thanks to the Sect Leader’s quick action with the elixir and the Sword Immortal’s aid, it seemed he had managed to endure the backlash from burning his innate qi.
But.
‘Roughly… Twenty years.’
Even with the elixir and the Sword Immortal’s help, the innate qi he had burned recklessly couldn’t be replenished so easily.
Instinctively, Mu Hwi realized that his lifespan had been reduced by the amount of innate qi he had burned. His body was acutely sensitive to the void left behind.
Still, Mu Hwi felt no regret whatsoever.
Heukcheon was a man who had stood alone across vast stretches of time.
Even if they had perished together, it would have been a worthy trade. Compared to that, twenty years of lifespan was a cheap price.
“Mu Hwi!”
Led by the Sword Immortal, the absolute masters who had been waiting at Lotus Peak appeared. The Sword Immortal looked at Mu Hwi with pity and asked,
“Are you alright?”
It wasn’t just a question about his injuries.
Having infused him with internal energy, the Sword Immortal knew Mu Hwi’s condition well. Mu Hwi, aware of this, simply smiled.
“I’m fine.”
The Sword Immortal didn’t press further.
“Good. That’s enough.”
Kang Ho-baek, his empty sleeve fluttering, urgently asked,
“Mu Hwi. What happened to Heukcheon? There’s no trace left of him.”
The Paewangseong Lord and the Spear Sovereign also waited for Mu Hwi’s response.
“He disappeared without leaving a body behind.”
At Mu Hwi’s words, the absolute masters nodded. Though they didn’t show overt emotion, smiles gradually spread across their faces.
“Fascinating. So now, the Hwasan Sword Saint truly is the Greatest Under Heaven. In the end, I’ve created the greatest with my own hands.”
Only Spear Sovereign laughed openly.
“Finally, the Hwasan Sword Debate has concluded.”
At the Paewangseong Lord muttering, Kang Ho-baek nodded.
“Now, we can rest easy.”
Sensing the absolute masters’ curiosity about the details of the battle, Mu Hwi explained in full.
“Hmm…”
The absolute masters occasionally hummed, engrossed in Mu Hwi’s account.
They superimposed his story onto their own experiences with Heukcheon, as if mentally sparring with him themselves.
“Regardless, Mu Hwi is now the Greatest Under Heaven.”
As a pleased smile spread across the Sword Immortal’s lips, Mu Hwi also smiled.
“Yes. This junior is now the Greatest Under Heaven.”
With the conclusion of the Hwasan Sword Debate confirmed, the absolute masters descended the mountain.
The martial artists waiting at the foot were puzzled to see the absolute masters walking shoulder to shoulder, but the words that followed left them no choice but to be shocked.
“The Hwasan Sword Saint is the greatest of this era.”
The Sword Immortal’s booming voice, infused with internal energy, spread like a lion’s roar across all of Hwaeum.
“Huh?”
“My heavens. Truly unexpected.”
Though skeptical at first, the martial artists had no choice but to accept it when Kang Ho-baek and the other Three Seats showed no objection.
“The Sword Saint has claimed final victory in the Hwasan Sword Debate…”
“Truly, the times have changed!”
“Then that plum blossom fragrance earlier—!”
The martial artists still remembered the intense plum blossom fragrance that had spread beyond Hwasan. Even now, the mere memory of it made their noses tingle.
As the results of the Hwasan Sword Debate and the emergence of the new Greatest Under Heaven were confirmed, the martial artists gradually began to disperse.
With martial artists from all corners of the realm scattering once more, news of the Hwasan Sword Debate and the new Greatest Under Heaven would undoubtedly spread swiftly.
“The Sect Leader has informed me that Hwasan Sect will remain closed for another month.”
After briefly meeting with Kang Ho-baek, Zhuge Myung relayed this to the gathered junior disciples.
With the news of the Hwasan Sword Debate spreading, it was certain that many would flock to Hwasan Sect, so this was a measure to allow Mu Hwi time to recover.
“As long as the Sect Leader is safe, that’s all that matters.”
“Indeed. We’ll meet again soon enough. Let’s plan for the next time.”
“A good ending is enough. Let’s return.”
The Small Righteous Assembly turned to leave with Kang Ho-baek, heading back to the Martial Alliance.
“Tsk. A closed gate…”
As Dokgo Yul grumbled, Xian Zhu beside him shook her head.
“It’s fine. It just means he’s alive. That’s enough.”
Though she said this, Xian Zhu finally seemed to relax, weakly walking to a nearby table and slumping into a chair.
Watching her, Dokgo Yul chuckled and turned his gaze to Hwasan.
‘Master. Until next time.’
The Small Righteous Assembly left, and Dokgo Yul followed.
Left alone, Xian Zhu sat sipping plum blossom tea sold at the Hwaeum inn, staring at Hwasan.
Though she had spoken lightly, her feet refused to move easily.
“Brother… You’re not missing any limbs, are you?”
Even if he were, as long as he was alive, it wouldn’t matter. But without seeing him in person despite hearing the news of his victory, worry lingered.
Xian Zhu sipped the tea, savoring the plum blossom fragrance in her mouth. Remembering the sword fragrance of Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles, she finally let go of her concerns.
“Since Brother has become the Greatest Under Heaven, I’ll have to work harder too. I’ll come back later.”
Finishing her tea, Xian Zhu rose. Rather than waiting at Hwaeum for a month, she chose to return to Jongnam and train.
Mu Hwi would surely have done the same.
***
“Huu…”
Mu Hwi opened his eyes, having completed his energy circulation.
After regaining consciousness in Medical Pavilion, he had immersed himself in energy circulation for seven days and nights straight. Thanks to that, he had fully restored his body.
Stepping outside after finishing his circulation, he found it was just dawn, the sun barely rising. With Sim-myeong Sword at his waist, Mu Hwi walked leisurely.
The familiar mountain path he had traversed countless times.
Following it led to the training grounds of the second-generation disciples.
“Haap!”
As he neared the grounds, the vigorous shouts of the disciples pierced the damp morning air.
Swoosh!
Closer still, the sound of something sharp cutting through the air reached him.
The second-generation disciples stood in formation at the large training grounds, continuing their morning practice under Mujin’s commands.
Though they had already mastered the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique and other advanced martial arts of Hwasan Sect, they always began their day with Six Harmonies Sword—Mu Hwi’s first lesson to them.
The disciples were faithfully carrying on his teachings.
‘Time has truly passed…’
Watching them, Mu Hwi recalled the first time he observed their morning training.
Back then, they had merely mimicked Six Harmonies Sword with wooden swords. Now, they had changed greatly.
Wooden swords had been replaced with plum blossom swords, and some even wore plum blossom robes.
Most importantly, they were no longer mimicking—they were executing Six Harmonies Sword flawlessly. Back then, he could have nitpicked endlessly, but now, there was nothing to criticize.
‘They haven’t noticed me.’
Neither Mujin nor the disciples below the platform had sensed his presence.
Not because Mu Hwi concealed his aura, but because the disciples’ focus had sharpened.
Crossing his arms, Mu Hwi leaned against the wall and watched their training.
By the time the dim sunlight scattered the morning mist, the disciples’ training concluded.
“Senior Disciple!”
Mujin, atop the platform, was the first to spot Mu Hwi. At his shout, the other disciples turned.
“Senior Disciple!”
In unison, they rushed toward him, quickly surrounding him.
“Senior Disciple! Are you alright now?”
“How’s your body?”
Overwhelmed by their eager questions, Mu Hwi took a step back.
“Enough. I’m fine now, so calm down.”
Mujin approached.
“Senior Disciple, shouldn’t you have Elder Baek Jin check your pulse?”
“It’s fine. I’ve fully recovered. I’ll resume training at Meihui Pavilion this afternoon.”
The disciples gasped.
“Wow… Senior Disciple, are you serious?”
“Senior Disciple, why not rest a bit longer?”
At Musan and Muho’s words, Mu Hwi replied firmly,
“Sitting still for so long has made my body stiff. But first, I need meat. Seven days without food has left my stomach in chaos.”
The disciples followed him eagerly to the dining hall.
“Senior Disciple, tell us about the Hwasan Sword Debate while we eat.”
At Mujin’s request, the others nodded vigorously.
“Alright.”
Mu Hwi’s cheerful agreement brightened their faces. Then, Mu-hwa chimed in.
“Senior Disciple, the martial arts world was in an uproar while you were circulating energy. They said a new Greatest Under Heaven had emerged.”
“That’s to be expected.”
Mu-cheol, who had been quietly walking beside Mu Hwi, added,
“Your title has also changed.”
“My title? To what?”
Mu-cheol smiled faintly.
“Sword God of Fragrant Achievement.”
Sword God of Fragrant Achievement.
The plum blossom fragrance of Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Miles had reached every martial artist gathered at Hwaeum—even those beyond it, according to rumors.
The fragrance that had spread across the world.
From this tale, the term Fragrant Achievement was paired with Sword God, signifying his victory over Heukcheon, a transcendent master and even the Three Seats couldn’t defeat.
Hearing the meaning behind the title, Mu Hwi laughed.
“Not bad.”
“The Sect Leader and elders were even happier about it than you.”
Mu Hwi nodded at Mujin’s words.
That made sense. Since the Six Harmonies Sword God, the founder of Hwasan Sect, this was the first time a new Sword God had emerged.
Spotting the dining hall ahead, Mu Hwi quickened his pace.
“Alright. Eat quickly, then it’s back to training.”
Though now the Greatest Under Heaven and a Sword God, Mu Hwi was no different from usual. Smiling, the disciples followed.
And so, three years passed.