Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 94

Chapter 94

The purple sunset filled his entire body.

Even though he had only gained a few insights into the 口诀 (formula), the pathways of his internal energy had significantly changed.

Despite this being the fifth martial exchange, Mu Hwi felt vitality surging throughout his body.

It must be the effect of the Heavenly Containment Heart Technique that had taken root in Mu Hwi’s body.

‘But it’s unstable.’

He hadn’t fully integrated the Heavenly Containment Heart Technique into his body. The depth of the two techniques wasn’t shallow enough to become one with just a momentary realization.

It felt as if the wall that had completely separated the Purple Sunset Heart Method and the Heavenly Containment Heart Technique had collapsed.

It didn’t clash with the existing Purple Sunset Heart Method, but he could feel that the balance and harmony weren’t yet complete.

As if to prove this, the purple energy flow that had been flickering around Mu Hwi was gradually fading.

But even this was a significant improvement.

Until now, he hadn’t even found a direction, but now a new path had been discovered.

“Something has changed.”

Frost Sound Demon King muttered while looking at Mu Hwi’s entire body with curiosity.

Even as the purple energy flow completely dispersed, Mu Hwi’s purple eyes remained, exuding a strong presence.

“The fifth move…”

Frost Sound Demon King’s figure was half-visible as he spoke.

His entire body was obscured by the cold, blue energy that was emanating like smoke from his core.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to hold up this well. Just because your internal energy is at the peak level doesn’t mean you can withstand the moves.”

Even if his internal energy was at the peak level, the burden of the moves he unleashed reached the transcendent realm.

Before crossing hands, Frost Sound Demon King had thought that if Mu Hwi could withstand just two moves, he could be called the top rising star of the martial arts world.

But now, Mu Hwi was confidently demanding the fifth move.

‘I’ve only done the orthodox sect a favor by underestimating him.’

It was a mistake to not properly gauge Mu Hwi’s capabilities. Frost Sound Demon King, who had let out a scoff at himself, took a step forward.

“Let’s end this.”

As Frost Sound Demon King brought his palms together in front of his chest like a monk, the cold energy swirling around him disappeared in an instant.

Mu Hwi realized that the massive amount of cold energy had condensed into Frost Sound Demon King’s palms.

When Frost Sound Demon King’s palms slightly parted, a small blue bead emitting an ominous light appeared.

Seeing this, Mu Hwi’s Plum Blossom Sword split into dozens of strands, and as the purple light shone brightly, the blue bead cracked.

Swoosh!

Blue Snow Ultimate Winter

A blue blizzard that accompanied the winter’s cold, covered the martial stage.

The floor of the martial stage froze instantly, and the ice that formed on it grew in size.

It was as if the martial stage had turned into a snowy field.

The blue snow that froze everything swept over, but warmth filled the area around Mu Hwi.

Whoosh!

Using the newly gained insight, Mu Hwi once again maximized the Purple Sunset Heart Method, and the vanished purple energy flow reappeared, protecting his entire body.

In an instant, a space of five zhang (about 15 meters) around Frost Sound Demon King was covered in blue ice.

But the blue winter wasn’t short, and Frost Sound Demon King still maintained the same posture.

Whoosh!

With the sound of a fierce wind, the blizzard surged again. The blizzard that encroached from all directions came in waves, two or three layers at a time.

Mu Hwi didn’t use the defensive move of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, the Full Bloom of Plum Blossoms.

He realized that simply blocking wouldn’t solve the problem.

“Are you showing off your internal energy?”

Mu Hwi smiled as he took in the blue scenery before his eyes.

Although he said that, the move the Frost Sound Demon King had unleashed wasn’t that simple.

Not only was there a massive amount of internal energy, but it wasn’t just a simple release of cold energy. Various techniques for exquisitely controlling it were layered within.

Zing!

As Mu Hwi unleashed the Purple Sunset Heart Method to his heart’s content, the Plum Blossom Sword also released a sword cry, imbued with purple sword energy.

Mu Hwi thrust the Plum Blossom Sword, which shimmered with a purple glow, forward.

Frost Sound Demon King’s Blue Snow Ultimate Winter wasn’t just a simple frontal assault.

It was as if real winter had descended, covering the surroundings, and Mu Hwi was no exception.

He slashed through the blue blizzard surging from the front and twisted his body to split the blue ice attacking from behind.

Each time, the cold energy that stung his skin made his body sluggish, but the Plum Blossom Sword didn’t falter in the slightest.

As he slashed in all directions, Mu Hwi gradually cleared away the winter. And with each step, he moved forward.

Front, back, left, right. Upper and lower.

The Plum Blossom Sword began to fill all directions, the six directions, with points and lines.

The lines became branches, and the points became flowers. Around Mu Hwi, plum blossom trees began to rise in Frost Sound Demon King’s snowy field.

The rapidly thrusting sword tips displayed myriad changes, mesmerizing the oncoming blizzard.

The petals of the Purple Sunset Heart Method sword energy pushed back the blizzard, and the plum blossoms that bloomed from the sword’s edge shattered the ice, emitting a sword fragrance.

Mu Hwi’s entire body, which unleashed dozens of sword strikes in an instant, was gradually accelerating.

By the time his movements became blurry to all but a few top masters, including Kang Ho-baek and Ma Yeon-ho,

Hundreds of sword strikes, filling the area of Blue Snow Ultimate Winter, spread out like branches, and plum blossoms bloomed in succession among them.

Full Bloom of Plum Blossoms  (梅花滿開)

The thick blue snow was pushed back, and sunlight seeped through.

The sunlight made the blooming plum blossoms shine even more brilliantly.

“As the blizzard clears, a flower garden appears.”

“The sword fragrance of the Senior Disciple is truly intense. It’s as if the fragrance has spread throughout the entire plaza.”

Mujin muttered with a slightly trembling voice, seemingly in admiration, and Mu-hwa also looked around and whispered as if in agreement.

Mu-cheol simply stared at Mu Hwi’s back with slightly widened eyes.

The other disciples were also in awe.

Some were captivated by the plum blossoms Mu Hwi had bloomed, while others sniffed at the rich plum blossom fragrance wafting around.

“Can we do that too?”

“Someday, perhaps. We lack talent, so we’ll have to make up for it with time.”

When Muho asked with a dazed expression, Musan next to him nodded.

Listening to Muho and Musan’s conversation, Musang slightly opened his mouth and said,

“The Senior Disciple has cut through winter.”

While the Hwasan Sect disciples were marveling, Mu Hwi, who had been advancing endlessly while displaying the Full Bloom of Plum Blossoms, came to a stop.

Having advanced from the edge of the martial stage to the center, Mu Hwi now faced an ice pillar that had risen.

The pillar, was created by Frost Sound Demon King before the martial exchange. On top of it lay the box the Frost Sound Demon King had placed.

Mu Hwi shattered the frozen ice around him and grabbed the box.

“The price for withstanding five moves. I’ll take this.”

As Mu Hwi confidently met his gaze and spoke, Frost Sound Demon King lowered his hands, which had been pressed together, with a bitter smile.

“Rather than withstanding the last move, it’s more accurate to say you dismantled it.”

Frost Sound Demon King also acknowledged Mu Hwi’s victory.

The audience in the plaza, who had been silently listening to the conversation, all stood up and erupted into thunderous cheers.

Although the Heavenly Martial Competition had nominally changed to a competition format, it was essentially the first clash between the Martial Alliance and the Evil Sect.

In this first clash, the Martial Alliance had won, and it was the Hwasan Sword Devil who had overwhelmingly demonstrated his martial prowess alone, instantly elevating the Martial Alliance’s status.

“A rising star who withstood five moves from a transcendent master…”

“The martial arts world will tremble again.”

“Hoho! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, even I wouldn’t have believed it.”

In the eyes of the martial arts world’s elders, Mu Hwi had already been marked as a pillar who would shoulder the future of the orthodox martial arts world.

Frost Sound Demon King, watching Mu Hwi examine the elixir inside the box, asked,

“The sword technique you displayed this time. It doesn’t seem to be one of the Hwasan Sect’s Three Transcendent Plum Blossom Sword Techniques. What sword technique is it?”

Frost Sound Demon King, who had experienced all of the Hwasan Sect’s supreme martial arts—Yeongrong(Crystal Clear Plum Blossom Sword), Chiljeol(Seven Supreme Arts Plum Blossom Sword), and Samreung(Three Transcendent Plum Blossom Sword)—was filled with curiosity.

“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”

At Mu Hwi’s answer, Frost Sound Demon King nodded and murmured,

“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique… So that’s why the Hwasan Sect has been rising again recently.”

The name of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique was firmly imprinted in Frost Sound Demon King’s mind.

Now, through Frost Sound Demon King, the Devil Sect would also learn of the sword technique’s name.

Thanks to this Heavenly Martial Competition, the entire martial arts world would come to know of the existence of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

The referee, who had been standing far away from the clash of the two masters, finally stepped onto the martial stage after the exchange ended and shouted,

“The winner is Mu Hwi of the Martial Alliance! Therefore, this competition is a victory for the Martial Alliance!”

With the conclusion of the Heavenly Dragon Competition and the Heavenly Martial Competition, the award ceremony immediately followed.

The thirty-two rising stars who had performed well in the Heavenly Dragon Competition were rewarded with elixirs corresponding to their rankings.

Of course, Mu Hwi also received the Great Rejuvenation Pill Pill as the winner of the Heavenly Martial Competition.

‘The Great Rejuvenation Pill Pill.’

A peerless elixir that couldn’t be compared to any other elixir he had consumed in his past life.

At the thought of taking the Great Rejuvenation Pill Pill, Mu Hwi’s lips twitched.

“Is it good?”

Kang Ho-baek also smiled as he watched the rising stars, each holding a box containing an elixir, showing broad smiles.

“Juniors.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

As Kang Ho-baek called, the rising stars each responded.

“Even for the Martial Alliance, it’s not easy to distribute this many elixirs at once.”

Kang Ho-baek looked at the rising stars standing on the stage, starting with Mu Hwi.

“We needed the help of each sect, and the sects gathered in the Martial Alliance generously provided the elixirs. Do you know why?”

At Kang Ho-baek’s question, the rising stars remained silent, closing their mouths.

“If the Martial Alliance had been created solely for profit, this would have been impossible. But because we gathered for cooperation, it was possible. You will lead the future of the Martial Alliance.”

Kang Ho-baek slightly turned his gaze toward Mu Hwi as he spoke.

“Perhaps the future leader of the Martial Alliance will be born from this very place.”

Kang Ho-baek once again looked at the rising stars.

“We provided the elixirs not for the rising stars, but for the next generation’s cooperation. So, I hope you will take these elixirs and carry on the righteous spirit of the Orthodox Sect. That way, cooperation will continue into the future.”

Kang Ho-baek’s voice was calm as if he were speaking to himself rather than giving advice.

But because of its low resonance, the rising stars could focus more on the meaning Kang Ho-baek wanted to convey.

“We will keep it in mind, Alliance Leader.”

As Mu Hwi bowed with his fists clasped, the rising stars behind him also bowed in unison.

“We will keep it in mind.”

At the rising stars’ spirited response, Kang Ho-baek also smiled and bowed in return.

***

Throughout the Martial Alliance’s headquarters, even though the sun had set, the place was brightly lit by torches placed everywhere.

Banquets were being held in various places, with the sounds of pouring drinks and laughter never-ending.

It was because the YongDong Banquet, the after-party of the competition, was being held.

As it was a place where dragons and phoenixes (young men and women) met, young men and women were wandering around the banquet halls scattered throughout the headquarters, looking for partners.

Although the Hwasan Sect was nominally a Taoist sect, it had strong secular tendencies and didn’t restrict relationships between men and women.

Thanks to this, the disciples also gathered with like-minded people and wandered around, enjoying the YongDong Banquet to their heart’s content.

Amidst this, Mu Hwi remained alone in the pavilion, reflecting on the martial exchange from earlier and the brief insights he had gained.

As Mu Hwi, who had been sitting in meditation, opened his eyes, he felt a presence beside him.

Along with the presence, a fragrant scent gently wafted through the air.

“Why are you meditating for so long? I came before sunset and have been waiting.”

As Xian Zhu asked with a bright expression, Mu Hwi only let out a sigh.

Xian Zhu was wearing a pure white palace dress reminiscent of magnolias, instead of the usual dark blue uniform of the Jongnam Sect.

Moreover, it seemed she had put a lot of effort into her appearance, as there was a faint scent of powder.

Mu Hwi looked up at the starry night sky and said,

“You’ve been waiting for a while, why didn’t you go and play first?”

“Hmph.”

As Xian Zhu let out a strong breath, Mu Hwi realized that what he had just said wasn’t the right answer.

With a bitter smile, Mu Hwi stood up.

“Let’s go see how fun this YongDong Banquet is.”

Only then did Xian Zhu purse her red lips and smile.

“I heard that famous restaurants and street food stalls from Wuhan have set up here. There’s also an opera. Let’s go quickly.”

“Alright.”

Mu Hwi and Xian Zhu left the pavilion side by side and headed toward the venue of the YongDong Banquet.

< The Senior Disciple has cut through winter. > End

< It was worth waiting for hours beside him. >