The eyes of the Black Poison Elder, who led the warriors of the Odok Palace, narrowed as he observed the scene before him.

The disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, who had referred to themselves with the unfamiliar term “Plum Blossom Swordsmen,” were all wielding swords that glowed with a purple hue.

“Isn’t that the martial art of the Mount Hua Sect’s leader?”

The purple inner energy of the Mount Hua Sect was something the Black Poison Elder was well aware of, particularly the renowned Purple Mist Technique.

It was no wonder he was puzzled to see so many disciples mastering it. However, his momentary confusion was quickly overshadowed by a surge of murderous intent.

“Kill them all. There’s nothing in this cave to share with the Mount Hua Sect.”

As the Black Poison Elder pointed his staff at the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the warriors of the Odok Palace summoned a dark, poisonous aura into their hands.

Boom!

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, arranged in a fan formation, advanced in unison, unleashing a storm of sword energy. The poisonous mist that had filled the cave was pushed back by the force of their combined attack.

In the space cleared of the toxic fog, the scent of their swords lingered, and petals began to fall like rain.

The warriors of the Odok Palace retaliated with poisonous palms and hurled venom-coated projectiles indiscriminately.

Hyunbaek, deflecting the projectiles with his sword, shouted, “Watch your breathing and the hidden weapons!”

The first-generation disciples took the lead, guiding the second-generation disciples who had little experience dealing with poison-wielding foes.

Following Hyunbaek’s command, Mujin also called out, “Second-generation disciples, support your seniors as planned!”

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen had trained extensively for various scenarios, ensuring they could function seamlessly even without their leader, Muhui. Hyunbaek led the charge, with Mujin coordinating the second-generation disciples.

The first-generation disciples split into groups to confront the poison users, with the second-generation disciples following suit.

The Mount Hua disciples each took charge of a group, supporting the first-generation disciples as they clashed with the poison users.

“Argh!”

Not long after the battle began, Mujin’s sword severed the arm of an Odok Palace warrior.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, swiftly forming a formation and pressing their advantage, forced the Odok Palace warriors to desperately defend themselves with all manner of poisons.

In the midst of the chaos, Dokgoyul wielded his heavy sword, exploiting the gaps in the Odok Palace’s defenses.

Having led the Dokgo Society through numerous battles, Dokgoyul was adept at identifying and exploiting weaknesses in the enemy’s formation, like a lone wolf tearing through a pack of dogs.

“Now, Mucheol!”

With a fierce shout, Mucheol and Dokgoyul struck from both sides, their heavy swords creating a powerful gust that pushed back the encroaching poisonous mist and projectiles.

The force was so overwhelming that the repelled mist and projectiles turned back on the Odok Palace warriors.

As Muhwa’s sleeves fluttered wildly, dozens of bloodlines appeared on the bodies of the Odok Palace warriors.

While the Plum Blossom Swordsmen seized the upper hand, Muhui was already closing in on the Black Poison Elder, his sword aimed at the elder’s throat.

The Black Poison Elder hastily raised his ebony staff to block, but Muhui’s sword sliced through it as if it were nothing.

“Ugh!”

The Black Poison Elder let out a cry, staring in disbelief at his broken staff before retreating, realizing he was outmatched.

But Muhui, moving like the wind, was upon him in an instant.

“Wait! Stop! The Odok Palace will relinquish the cave.”

The Black Poison Elder shouted desperately, but Muhui smirked.

“Why don’t you drop the poison you’re hiding in your sleeve before you talk?”

The elder’s beard quivered with anger at Muhui’s taunt. Hidden in his voluminous sleeve, each of his five fingers was charged with a different poison.

He had planned to unleash a deadly attack when Muhui let his guard down during their conversation.

“Damn these perceptive brats!”

The Black Poison Elder’s sleeve fluttered violently, his inner energy swirling as he attempted to ensnare Muhui’s sword.

He intended to unleash the Five Poison Fingers, releasing all five poisons simultaneously.

Rip!

But things didn’t go as the Black Poison Elder had planned.

Muhui’s sword effortlessly sliced through the elder’s sleeve, as if it were cutting through an ordinary piece of cloth.

The Black Poison Elder’s eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend how his formidable inner energy had been so easily overcome.

‘How?’

A hypothesis flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t voice it. Muhui’s sword was already casting a purple glow in the air.

Slash!

In one swift motion, Muhui’s sword severed the Black Poison Elder’s neck.

The elder’s blood, tainted with poison, splattered over Muhui’s head, but the protective aura of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen shielded him from harm.

Sizzle!

Watching the elder’s blood corrode the ground, Muhui turned his gaze to the wall, frowning.

The cave wall was covered in countless sword marks, as if someone had practiced their swordsmanship against it.

Seeing the marks, Muhui bit his lip slightly.

“The Triangular Plum Blossom Sword and the Dokgo Sword Technique.”

Recognizing the sword techniques from the marks, Muhui’s eyes darkened.

The precision of the techniques was so exact that anyone who hadn’t crossed swords with him for decades would have thought the marks were genuine.

“It’s the Dokgo Sword Technique. Just like my master used to wield. It’s been a long time.”

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen and Dokgoyul, who had gathered after dealing with the Odok Palace warriors, were also examining the marks. Dokgoyul’s expression was particularly complex.

Seeing Dokgoyul’s eyes filled with longing, as if looking beyond the sword marks to a distant memory, Muhui felt a wave of discomfort.

He could guess what Dokgoyul was thinking.

‘Disciple, your master is long gone. These marks are fake.’

Even though Dokgoyul suspected they were fake, he had come to the cave, unable to fully let go of his master’s death.

Muhui clenched his fist slightly.

He had come to this cave, knowing it was a fake, because he couldn’t tolerate the desecration of the names of the Sword Saint and the Sword Demon.

Moreover, the unsettling feeling he had when he first heard about the cave being linked to the Sword Saint and the Sword Demon. Why did it have to be them? Muhui couldn’t ignore it.

He glanced at the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

Dokgoyul wasn’t the only one reminiscing. The first-generation disciples were also recalling their master as they looked at the Triangular Plum Blossom Sword marks.

“These are indeed the marks of the Triangular Plum Blossom Sword.”

“And the way the techniques focus on offense. It shows our master’s habits.”

“Sigh…”

Even Hyunbaek and Hyungak, who were certain the cave was a fake, were now doubting as they discussed the marks.

‘This is infuriating.’

Dokgoyul and the first-generation disciples were being manipulated by these fake marks, forced to relive memories of someone dear to them.

While everyone else was lost in reminiscence, Muhui alone sensed the malice behind the marks, designed to toy with their emotions.

‘Could it be…’

A thought crossed Muhui’s mind, and he resolved to see the end of this cave.

“We’re going in.”

With a steely resolve, Muhui led the Plum Blossom Swordsmen deeper into the passage.

The path was littered with bodies, bloodstains, and signs of battle, evidence of the ongoing conflict.

The narrow passage was filled with the stench of blood, making it hard to breathe at times.

Boom!

Occasionally, traps that hadn’t been dismantled activated, attempting to ensnare the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, but to no avail.

Muhui, at the forefront, unleashed his sword energy, crushing the traps with sheer force.

Crash!

When they destroyed a mechanism that released dozens of spears and poisonous snakes, three paths appeared before Muhui.

“Hmm.”

“Which path is the real one…”

“Without a map, it’s a problem.”

At that moment, Muhui extended his senses. His aura spread wide, scanning the entire cave.

He sensed numerous presences moving along the three paths ahead. Those who had survived so far were quite skilled.

Yet, the number of presences was gradually decreasing, indicating ongoing battles.

As Muhui scanned the cave, he noticed one presence at the center, rapidly diminishing the surrounding presences.

Moreover, this powerful presence seemed aware that Muhui had detected it.

Just as Mu-hui had done, the presence extended its senses to read him. Realizing this, Mu-hui made a decision.

“We’ll head to the center.”

“Let’s do that.”

Mu-hui and the Plum Blossom Swordmasters chose the middle path among the three and began to run again.

The passage wasn’t long, and soon they could see another large chamber at the end.

The second chamber was even more gruesome than the first, filled with blood and bodies. Here, it was rare to find a corpse that remained intact.

“Horrifying,” muttered Dokgo Yul as he examined the bodies.

The faces of the corpses were often frozen in fear, and they all bore the same sword marks. It was clear they hadn’t died fighting each other but had been massacred by a single person.

And there was no need to search for the perpetrator. An old man stood alone in the center of the chamber, cradling a sword. Despite having cut down over seventy warriors, not a drop of blood stained his white robe.

The old man lifted his head slightly, unable to tear his eyes away from the sword marks that covered the walls and ceiling.

In the heavy atmosphere the old man exuded, no one dared to speak until Mu-hui addressed him from behind.

“You’ve killed everyone, righteous and unrighteous alike. What made you so angry?”

“They were fools, coveting the sword marks of that man,” the old man replied dismissively.

Mu-hui followed his gaze to the marks on the walls. Unlike the first chamber, this one was filled with imitations of the legendary sword marks.

With a cold voice, the old man continued, and Mu-hui chuckled softly.

“All this fuss over fake sword marks.”

At Mu-hui’s words, the old man, Baek Li-gok, slowly turned around.

“Fake sword marks, you say? Can you stand by those words?”

As Baek Li-gok’s wrinkled face came into view, the disciples around them gasped in recognition.

“The Sword King!”

“So I wasn’t mistaken.”

Though the disciples recognized him, Baek Li-gok’s eyes were fixed solely on Mu-hui.

His gaze was intense and burning, but Mu-hui met it with ease.

“I came straight from Shanxi when I heard the Sword Saint’s chamber had appeared, hoping to find the secret techniques he left behind.”

Mu-hui recalled the Heavenly Wing Sword Technique, which the Sword King had developed in his later years.

Baek Li-gok wasn’t after the Sword Saint’s skills. If there had been a secret manual, he would have compared it to his own technique to see how close he had come.

Despite the Sword Saint having been dead for some time, Baek Li-gok’s persistence and obsession in seeking a possibly non-existent manual were palpable.

“Disciple of the Mount Hua Sword Saint. Seeing you now, I realize I needn’t have come here. I should have gone straight to Mount Hua.”

Baek Li-gok already knew Mu-hui had reached a transcendent level. He moved the sword he held to his waist and placed his hand on the hilt.

The already oppressive air in the chamber grew heavier, making it difficult to breathe.

“Sword King, what are you doing to a much younger junior?” the disciples protested, stepping in front of Mu-hui to protect him.

To them, it seemed Baek Li-gok intended to avenge the deceased Sword Saint by attacking Mu-hui.

But Mu-hui declined their protection.

“It’s fine.”

When the disciples intervened, Mu-hui noticed the Sword King’s sharp gaze twitch. Had they interfered, Baek Li-gok would have cut them down without hesitation.

Such was Baek Li-gok’s single-mindedness. Recognizing his murderous intent, Mu-hui twisted his lips.

“The old man has lost his mind.”

The once-renowned Sword King of the martial world was gone. All that remained was a pitiful old man, consumed by his obsession with victory and revenge.

As Mu-hui stepped forward, a purple aura began to ripple over his plum blossom robe.

“Sword King.”

Baek Li-gok waited silently for Mu-hui to speak.

“Do you intend to prove that Baek Li’s swordsmanship is not inferior to Mount Hua’s by defeating me?”

Mu-hui gently grasped the hilt of his Plum Blossom Sword. The purple aura that had been swirling around his shoulders now descended to his feet.

“Then I shall prove something as well.”

“What is it?” Baek Li-gok asked.

Mu-hui’s lips curled into a smile.

“That a new Sword Saint of Mount Hua has emerged in the martial world.”