Chapter 90
Five steps.
The distance between Mu Hwi and Seong Hwi.
Standing in this narrow gap, the two men bowed to each other, fists clasped.
“I am Seong Hwi of the Hainan Sword Sect. I will display the South Sea Breaking Sword.”
Mu Hwi responded in kind.
“I am Mu Hwi of the Hwasan Sect. I will display the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”
As Mu Hwi spoke, Baek Yu subtly clenched the hem of his robe.
‘The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.’
Baek Yu recalled Mu Hwi’s words after returning from Wudang.
– I can confidently say that this is the sword technique that will shape the future of Hwasan.
He had never had the chance to see it, but now he finally could.
Baek Yu could hear the rapid beating of his own heart.
‘It’s been decades since I’ve felt this excited.’
He didn’t think Mu Hwi would lose.
He was simply overflowing with anticipation to see the sword technique Mu Hwi had called the future of Hwasan.
“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique?”
“I’m sure Hwasan doesn’t have such a technique…”
The surrounding martial artists trailed off, glancing at Baek Yu, silently urging him to explain.
“It was created by Hyeon Jo…”
Baek Yu was about to say, as usual, that it was a martial art created by Hyeon Jo.
Until now, he had tried to avoid drawing excessive attention to Mu Hwi.
After all, Mu Hwi was just a late-stage foundation level disciple who had only recently entered the martial arts world.
But now, there was no need for that.
Today, everyone in the martial arts world would witness Mu Hwi’s true prowess.
‘Mu Hwi has already outgrown my guidance.’
Having made up his mind, Baek Yu moved his lips again.
“It is a sword technique Mu Hwi has newly woven together based on the legacy left by Hyeon Jo.”
“Woven together? You mean he created a new martial art?”
“Mastering a martial art and creating one are entirely different realms. And at such a young age?”
The martial artists were shocked and pressed for confirmation, but Baek Yu remained silent.
Silence was affirmation.
The astonished martial artists began to focus their attention on the sparring platform where the late-stage foundation level disciples stood.
‘I still don’t understand.’
Seong Hwi frowned, fiddling with the hilt of his golden serpent sword.
In the Heavenly Dragon Competition, no late-stage foundation level disciples had been able to hide or deceive Seong Hwi’s senses.
But the man before him.
Mu Hwi was different.
He felt nothing. It was as if Mu Hwi was saying, ‘You’re not worthy’.
While his energy was completely hidden, his stance was full of openings.
His very posture seemed to be one big opening.
“Your journey through the Nine Sects will end in failure.”
As Mu Hwi slightly raised his arm, the already numerous openings multiplied.
“It doesn’t matter. Neither I nor anyone in my sect wishes to succeed through underhanded means.”
Seong Hwi had another reason for insisting on facing Mu Hwi. The lingering sensation of Mu Hwi’s hand on his shoulder.
He felt that only by clashing with Mu Hwi in martial arts would this uncomfortable feeling disappear.
“Good.”
Mu Hwi moved his hand to the Plum Blossom Sword, and Seong Hwi gripped his golden serpent sword.
As the wind blew behind Seong Hwi.
A flash erupted from the scabbard.
A sudden diagonal slash aimed at Mu Hwi’s head, but this was a feint.
Suddenly spinning, the sword strike sharply changed direction and surged toward Mu Hwi’s opposite side.
Seagull’s Return (海鷗回嘴)
A technique modeled after the way seagulls snatch fish from the sea.
Seong Hwi’s sword became the beak of a bird, aiming to tear into Mu Hwi’s side.
‘When did he draw it?’
The Plum Blossom Sword slipped in through a gap the width of half a finger.
Seong Hwi, who had only seen Mu Hwi grip the sword, couldn’t help but be confused.
Just as the blades seemed to touch, the Plum Blossom Sword wriggled like a snake, climbing up the blade of the golden serpent sword.
As it did, the Seagull’s Return naturally moved away from Mu Hwi’s side.
“Hup!”
Seong Hwi hurriedly tried to pull his sword back, but the Plum Blossom Sword’s blade stubbornly pursued, its energy subtly shifting.
Unable to keep up with Mu Hwi’s changes, Seong Hwi gritted his teeth as he saw the Plum Blossom Sword’s blade reaching above the hilt.
Clang!
Seong Hwi stomped his foot, urgently infusing his sword with internal energy, causing a loud clang and vibration.
If it had gone just an inch further, it could have severed Seong Hwi’s wrist, but Mu Hwi sheathed the Plum Blossom Sword without hesitation.
Seeing Mu Hwi create distance, Seong Hwi subtly lowered his gaze. Even though it hadn’t been cut, his left wrist stung.
‘Such sword skills.’
The thought of the Plum Blossom Sword entangling and climbing up the golden serpent sword still sent shivers down his spine.
The gap between them was clearly visible even from that single exchange.
As Seong Hwi trembled at Mu Hwi’s sword skills, the scent of plum blossoms began to seep into his nose.
Mu Hwi’s sword energy extended in dozens of directions. At the end of each strike, purple sword energy scattered.
Following the sword’s scent, purple petals rained down.
Each time they fluttered in the air, the sharp petals gleamed, deadly and beautiful.
Like the countless sparkling waves of the sea under the sun, they naturally drew the eye.
‘Is this really possible with a sword wielded by a human?’
The swords of the other Hwasan Sect disciples he had met in the Heavenly Dragon Competition were also splendid and beautiful.
They delighted the eyes and entranced, but they were nothing compared to Mu Hwi.
As Mu Hwi’s sword struck the air repeatedly, drawing intricate patterns, plum blossoms bloomed at each point of contact.
When five plum blossoms bloomed, purple petals fluttered around them.
The purple sword energy danced around the plum blossoms like butterflies seeking flowers.
Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance (梅花蝶舞)
The Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance filled the space around Seong Hwi.
For a moment, it felt as if they were fighting in a flower garden rather than on a sparring platform.
For a brief moment, Seong Hwi, captivated by the plum blossoms, furrowed his brows.
“Cut!”
The golden serpent sword, which had paused, tilted and slashed through the purple scenery before him.
Swish!
The golden serpent sword drew a wide arc, scattering blue sword energy.
The subtle twist in the vertical sword strike caused the horizontal strike to ripple.
Unlike the sword techniques of the Central Plains, the South Sea Breaking Sword always tilted its blade to unleash slashes.
Its techniques were extremely cunning, and the logic behind its movements was hard to follow.
Yet, Mu Hwi’s brilliantly shining eyes moved back and forth, completely reading the trajectory of the South Sea Breaking Sword.
‘I heard it was heavily influenced by Japanese sword techniques. It’s definitely different.’
After exchanging dozens of strikes in an instant, Mu Hwi observed the South Sea Breaking Sword with an intrigued gaze.
Crackle!
The Plum Blossom Sword thrust forward over twenty times in rapid succession, creating a series of sharp sounds.
As the rapid strikes began to incorporate changes, a hundred variations blossomed in an instant.
The branching sword strikes twisted and intertwined, dizzying to the eye.
The purple sword energy drifting between the complex strikes further cluttered the vision.
Plum Blossom Gradual Bloom (梅花漸漸)
The Plum Blossom Gradual Bloom began to slowly close in on Seong Hwi from three sides.
“Huh!”
“Such changes in a single breath?”
Not only the martial artists watching but even Seong Hwi’s face turned pale as he faced it directly.
Yet, Seong Hwi’s sword did not stop moving.
His vision was filled with purple light.
Rather than trying to read each strike, it seemed better to slash through them all at once.
The South Sea Breaking Sword clashed repeatedly with the strikes Mu Hwi unleashed.
Like waves eroding a rock, Seong Hwi’s sword, with all his might, deflected Mu Hwi’s strikes and pushed back the purple sword energy.
Seong Hwi’s sword spun wildly, and the surging blue sword energy desperately swirled.
‘It’s too much.’
Frowning, Seong Hwi pushed the South Sea Heart Technique to its limit and let out a shout.
“Haaah!”
Finally breaking through the Plum Blossom Gradual Bloom, Seong Hwi was met with Mu Hwi’s smile.
Unlike Seong Hwi, who was gasping for breath, Mu Hwi looked no different from before the match.
Clang!
Seong Hwi, who had been slashing diagonally at Mu Hwi’s neck, suddenly shifted his weight to his lower body and raised his sword high.
A vertical slash. Even this slash was slightly tilted, making it tricky to block.
Mu Hwi, as if to show off, raised the Plum Blossom Sword in the same stance.
Clang!
The two swords crossed in an X shape. Seong Hwi stared in shock at Mu Hwi, who had perfectly mimicked his technique.
At the same time, the Plum Blossom Scattering Technique, is executed with the left hand. Seong Hwi hurriedly deflected the densely packed sword energy and stepped back.
As he stepped back, he slashed downward.
Blue sword energy surged, trying to swallow Mu Hwi’s feet like foam.
Mu Hwi lightly severed his internal energy at the Yongcheon point and executed the Dark Scent Flutter.
In an instant, Mu Hwi was flying through the air above Seong Hwi’s head.
‘Why would he go airborne in this situation?’
The air was a disadvantageous position.
Unless one was an exceptional expert, most avoided lifting themselves into the air.
Of course, Seong Hwi had just used the Seabed Seepage (海底滲流) to block Mu Hwi’s movement, but it wasn’t enough to warrant such a flashy move.
Seeing Mu Hwi’s smirk, Seong Hwi instantly understood.
“Are you imposing restrictions on yourself?”
At Mu Hwi’s provocative smile, Seong Hwi gritted his teeth and then burst into laughter.
Seong Hwi drew from the depths of his dantian and focused the internal energy of the South Sea Heart Technique into his golden serpent sword.
Like water surging, the sword’s energy began to draw a rough yet serene trajectory.
The waves rippled with each slash.
Just as the first wave surged, a second wave followed.
The overlapping waves were endless.
South Sea Surging Waves (南海激浪)
‘The technique itself is incredibly complex, and the internal energy constantly shifts.’
As Mu Hwi admired Seong Hwi’s sword, he pulled back the Plum Blossom Sword. The horizontally held sword thrust forward.
The Plum Blossom Sword, imbued with purple light, cleanly split the wave surging toward his waist.
Mu Hwi paid no heed to the dozens of large and small waves that followed.
Splash!
As the second wave burst, plum blossoms bloomed.
The radiant petals, as if capturing the purple sunset, spread in all directions, and the sword’s scent began to fill the grand plaza.
“Sniff, the scent of plum blossoms?”
“To be able to smell it from this distance…”
“Truly amazing.”
The speed of Mu Hwi’s Plum Blossom Sword increased to the point where it was hard to tell if he was swinging the sword or the purple sunset itself.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of plum blossoms filled the sparring platform.
Even as the waves struck dozens of times, the plum blossoms only shone brighter, revealing their sharpness.
Before the lushly blooming plum blossoms, the South Sea Surging Waves merely split into dozens of strands, losing their strength and scattering.
The South Sea Surging Waves calmed.
‘So serene.’
They hadn’t fought for long.
Yet, Seong Hwi could feel the gap between himself and Mu Hwi. With each exchange, the gap grew, now stretching endlessly.
Like the vast South Sea, where no matter how far you sailed, you could never see the end.
‘I see a new ocean in the Central Plains.’
Looking at the plum blossoms shining brilliantly and forming a garden, Seong Hwi slowly lowered his sword.
Only the scarred floor of the sparring platform, swept clean, showed that waves had passed.
“The waves of the South Sea. I’ve seen them well.”
“What is the name of that technique?”
“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Full Bloom of Plum Blossoms.”
Seong Hwi, kneeling on one knee, supported himself with his sword and barely stood.
“I admit defeat.”
After bowing to Mu Hwi, Seong Hwi turned and bowed to the leaders of the Nine Sects in the VIP section.
“I will conclude my journey through the Nine Sects here. I will take today’s experience as nourishment to pass on to future generations and challenge again in the future.”
“You are always welcome. The splendid sword technique of the Hainan Sword Sect was a sight to behold.”
Baek Yu nodded at Seong Hwi, and the other sect leaders each offered their compliments.
As Seong Hwi, who had admitted defeat, stepped back, and a break was given to repair the completely destroyed sparring platform.
“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique? I only saw it briefly, but it’s the most dazzling technique I’ve ever seen.”
“Hmm. To defeat the Heavenly Dragon Competition winner so easily. The reputation of the Hwasan Sword Devil is not unfounded.”
Naturally, the main topic of discussion was Mu Hwi. This was true even in the VIP section.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such vibrant plum blossoms.”
“For a late-stage foundation level disciple to bloom so many plum blossoms, it’s no wonder he single-handedly defeated Jeonjin mysterious swordsman.”
“The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique. It’s a shame we couldn’t see more.”
As the sparring platform was being repaired and the judges prepared to proceed with the Heavenly Martial Competition, Kang Ho-baek listened to Zhuge Jin’s report and nodded.
“Let them in.”
“But, Leader.”
“We’ve come this far. It’s fine to offer them a drink.”
“Understood.”
With Kang Ho-baek’s permission, a group of people appeared in the grand plaza.
Even without exuding any particular aura, their presence alone made it clear they were no ordinary experts.
The spectators, noticing their arrival, gradually fell silent and turned their gazes, and the atmosphere in the grand plaza quickly grew tense.
The old man on the sparring platform smiled at Kang Ho-baek.
“It’s been a long time, Hero Emperor, no, Leader.”
Kang Ho-baek also nodded.
“Frost Sound Demon King, it’s been almost ten years. So, what brings you here?”
At Kang Ho-baek’s question, the Frost Sound Demon King clasped his hands.
“First, congratulations on the establishment of the Martial Alliance.”
As Kang Ho-baek nodded, the Frost Sound Demon King continued.
“And I thought I would declare the founding of the Demon Heaven Sect here.”
At the Frost Sound Demon King’s words, Kang Ho-baek smiled coldly, and the martial artists in the VIP section glared at him with anger.
In the momentary silence, someone broke it.
“You’re insane.”
The Frost Sound Demon King, a Transcendent Realm expert, couldn’t have missed Mu Hwi’s low voice.
The Frost Sound Demon King’s gaze snapped toward Mu Hwi, who smirked in response.
< Seeing a new ocean in the Central Plains. > End
< I will not step down. >
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