A life undefeated, living as a warrior.

He had taken it for granted, but when he saw the plum blossoms bloom at the tip of his sword, the Sword King who knew no defeat found his blade dulled.

With the sword and spirit that had guided his martial path now broken, it was only natural for him to lose his way and wander.

“The defeat of that day was a mistake.”

Instead of correcting his twisted sword and heart, he filled the path ahead with obsession and stubbornness, causing the Sword King’s martial journey to stagnate rather than advance.

A cold light flickered in Baekrigok’s eyes as he watched Mu-hwi.

“A new Sword Saint of Mount Hua?”

Baekrigok had no desire for such a thing.

He only wished to wash away the mistakes of the past. Mount Hua had to decline slowly, as it always had.

Only then could the Baekri family take the place of Mount Hua and claim the prestige of the Three Great Sword Clans. For that, he was willing to crush any new blossoms that dared to bloom on Mount Hua.

“Is it true that Mount Hua is regaining its momentum around that brat?”

Baekrigok made his decision. He would crush Mu-hwi to break the rising momentum of Mount Hua.

Is it not right for a senior to oppress a junior?

Baekrigok had no time or inclination to concern himself with such hollow etiquette.

As if to demonstrate his resolve, the white sword energy around him swelled rapidly. Baekrigok unleashed the Heavenly Wing Sword Technique that Baekri Sang had once displayed in a duel.

The massive sword energy, as if it had borrowed the wings of a great roc, aimed to cleave Mu-hwi’s crown.

A somewhat brute-force sword technique that flaunted the boundless internal energy unique to a transcendent master. But if one had the skill to properly control such immense power, there was nothing better.

Whoosh!

The sword energy tore through the air, splitting into four streams in an instant. It looked as if two pairs of wings were flapping in the sky.

A feint designed to momentarily increase the power of the sword energy and disrupt the opponent’s breathing. It was a move intended to crush Mu-hwi from the start, leaving no room for him to counter.

Mu-hwi’s slender, long plum blossom sword seemed too feeble to block it.

Crash!

Four consecutive impacts followed a single sword strike. The plum blossom sword, which bore the brunt, bent as if it might snap.

The swing of the sword sent a biting wind through the entire arena, stirring up dust as it tore into the ground.

“What power in a single strike!”

“Mu-hwi!”

“Senior Brother!”

The power of a single strike left the Plum Blossom Swordsmen trembling, but Mu-hwi only wore a wry smile.

Even Baekrigok’s fierce sword strike couldn’t break Mu-hwi’s Plum Blossom Endurance.

Seeing the vivid plum blossoms bloom, Baekrigok’s eyes filled with bloodlust.

A plum blossom so alive, even though it was conjured by a sword.

It reminded him of the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, Hyeonjo.

“Has the Sword King fallen?”

That was Mu-hwi’s assessment after receiving Baekrigok’s strike.

It was merely heavy and intense, without any real threat. The bloated sword energy focused solely on power, lacking precision and sharpness.

Was this truly the strike of a man called the Sword King?

Though his words were muttered amidst the roar, Baekrigok’s keen senses couldn’t miss them.

“How dare you! You, of all people, dare to judge me!”

As the surging energy waves poured out, Baekrigok’s beard fluttered, and his hair, tied back, came loose and scattered wildly.

Baekrigok charged at Mu-hwi. Mu-hwi didn’t retreat, twisting his foot. His form, stepping on the Dark Fragrance Step, blurred like mist as he surged forward.

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged over a dozen strikes.

Sparks flew, and the aftermath of their clash spread in all directions. The shockwaves rose like clouds, battering the walls and ceiling of the cavern.

To the eyes of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the swords seemed to clash only two or three times at most due to the dizzying speed.

Moreover, the speed continued to increase, making the figures of the two transcendent masters grow ever fainter.

“Could it be that Mu-hwi…”

Hyunbaek couldn’t finish his sentence, stunned by the sight. The other Plum Blossom Swordsmen were no different.

Mu-hwi hadn’t informed the Mount Hua Sect that he had reached the transcendent realm. Thus, the first disciples had tried to protect him.

Yet now, facing the Sword King without yielding an inch, Mu-hwi’s back seemed to overlap with that of Hyeonjo.

“Mu-hwi, have you finally reached it?”

Hyunbaek clenched his fist, watching Mu-hwi’s plum blossom robe. Meanwhile, Mu-hwi’s movements grew even faster, leaving only the faint trace of purple energy swirling around him.

Though nothing was clearly visible, making it impossible to tell who held the advantage, Hyunbaek had no doubt about Mu-hwi’s victory.

“That child has always been like this!”

Crash!

The plum blossom sword trembled as it blocked a horizontal strike aimed at his waist. The impact drove his left foot, which he had pulled back, deep into the ground.

The Heavenly Wing Sword Technique focused on power more than any other technique of the Baekri family. Its intent to crush Mount Hua’s dazzling changes and speed with sheer force was evident in the swordplay.

The four flapping streams of sword energy surged from different directions, pressing down on his entire body, trying to tear Mu-hwi apart.

Mu-hwi deftly twisted his sword, raising purple sword energy. Using the graceful trajectory as branches, purple petals danced.

Mu-hwi continued to deflect the sword energy, spinning his body. As he completed a full rotation, his sword drew a circle, and dozens of sword shadows formed along its circumference, with plum blossoms blooming above them.

Each time the plum blossom sword swayed and pierced the air, clusters of purple petals fell.

Boom!

Baekrigok, stepping forward, swung his sword diagonally from below. The fierce sword strike tore through the air, shredding the blooming plum blossoms.

Though the fierce wind pressure rushed at his face, Mu-hwi didn’t blink as he thrust his sword forward. By then, Baekrigok was already bringing his sword down.

As the slash and thrust were about to meet at a single point, a subtle change occurred in the plum blossom sword, leaving a hair-thin gap.

Suddenly twisting diagonally, the plum blossom sword deflected Baekrigok’s slash to the side and extended toward his chest.

Baekrigok pulled his wrist back, sweeping his horizontally extended sword to intercept the thrust. A natural transition of the sword path.

Clang!

As their swords bounced back simultaneously, both swordsmen extended their empty left hands toward each other.

Their palms, tracing semicircles, unfolded the Plum Blossom Mountain and Water. Hand shadows rose like flower buds in the air, overlapping and pouring down.

A single chain of falling plum blossoms.

A fierce fist stormed into the dozens of hand shadows converging at a single point, shattering the petal-like shadows all at once.

Boom!

The explosion shook the cavern, and a cloud of dust enveloped them, but the white and purple trails from both sides spread out, scattering the dust.

Mu-hwi filled the space with hundreds of sword strikes in an instant. The skill to create such countless changes with just one sword was astonishing.

It wasn’t simply about swinging the sword quickly and often. Despite the hundreds of changes occurring at once, the precision was so harmonious it seemed like a single landscape.

Plum Blossom Nine Changes

Plum Blossom Full Bloom

As the techniques unfolded in succession, dozens of plum blossoms bloomed before Baekrigok’s eyes, trailing sword energy.

“The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”

Baekrigok, who had heard of Mount Hua’s new sword technique, gritted his teeth. He had only seen a few moves, but he was certain.

This sword technique surpassed the existing Three Great Plum Blossom Sword Techniques and would solidify Mount Hua’s reputation as a supreme martial art.

Unleashing his internal energy without restraint, Baekrigok wielded his left hand as a sword, adopting a dual-wielding stance.

Cracks spread like a spider’s web from Baekrigok’s feet.

As the formidable internal energy unique to a transcendent master concentrated into a single sword, Baekrigok’s sword unleashed a massive sword energy.

Following the massive sword energy, a chilling wave surged forth, vibrating the air. As Baekrigok’s sword tilted, the sword energy split at the tip.

Whoosh!

As the Heavenly Wing Sword Technique began to flap its wings again, the plum blossoms Mu-hwi had created started to be swept away.

Baekrigok’s sword energy had already split into six streams. The sword energy, forming three pairs of wings, fluttered along the extended sword paths.

No matter how many changes Mu-hwi made, Baekrigok suppressed the changes with a sword technique that maximized power.

Displaying a relentless sword path, Baekrigok continued to step forward.

Clang!

The purple petals of the plum blossom swayed wildly, being pushed back, and the plum blossoms themselves flickered and dimmed.

Mu-hwi’s feet left deep grooves as he was pushed back, receiving the full brunt of the Heavenly Wing Sword Technique.

The six streams of sword energy, crushing the sword paths of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, fluttered incessantly, dominating the space.

Standing before them, Mu-hwi seemed barely able to maintain his defense. Seeing this, Baekrigok burst into wild laughter, extending his sword with vigor.

“Ha ha ha! Behold! This is the sword technique of the Baekri family!”

Mu-hwi, brushing aside the approaching sword wind with the sleeve of his plum blossom robe, simply remarked.

“Not much to it, is there?”

Despite being cornered, Mu-hui’s voice was steady and refreshingly clear.

“What did you say?”

“The Cheon-Ik Sword Technique. Wasn’t it said to be the culmination of the Baekri family’s martial arts?”

Mu-hui’s stance, which had been precariously holding on like a candle in the wind, transformed in an instant. It was as if he had merely been observing the Cheon-Ik Sword Technique until now.

A noble aura emanated from Mu-hui’s entire being.

His plum blossom robe fluttered elegantly, and the purple twilight that settled upon it spread in all directions.

“Let me show you the ultimate technique of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“Ha! Arrogant!”

Baekri-gok relaxed his shoulders and brought his sword down vertically. Six streams of sword energy converged into one and struck down.

Mu-hui watched the tyrannical trajectory that seemed to cleave the air and stepped onto the Amhyang Step. With that ethereal movement, Mu-hui transformed into the scent of plum blossoms.

His subtle movements spread throughout the cavern.

The sword twisted strangely, trying to follow Mu-hui’s form as he executed the Amhyang Step, but dozens of sword shadows struck the side of the blade, subtly altering its path.

By the slightest margin, Baekri-gok’s sword strike grazed Mu-hui’s shoulder and sliced into the ground.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar like an exploding thunderbolt, the floor of the cavern split open with a long crack.

The fierce wind pressure and shock shook the lower half of his body, but it did not hinder Mu-hui’s movements.

As he closed the distance with Baekri-gok, the plum blossom sword moved slowly.

Baekri-gok’s pupils widened as he watched.

Though he had wasted years with his sword and spirit broken, he was still a man once called the Sword King.

Seeing Mu-hui effortlessly deflect his ultimate move and close the distance, alarm bells rang in his mind.

In Baekri-gok’s eyes, Mu-hui’s form began to overlap with that of a legendary figure.

“The Sword Saint of Mount Hua!”

Thick veins bulged in Baekri-gok’s eyes. With a roar, he raised his sword high.

Swoosh!

Sword energy surged from the blade extended above his head. The formidable internal energy created a storm that engulfed the cavern.

Even the plum blossom swordsmen watching from afar staggered under the typhoon-like force. Only Mu-hui moved freely, as if unbound.

Slash!

Emerging from the storm of sword energy were eight wings. Eight Wings. The maximum number Baekri-gok could manifest.

Eight Wings Soaring to the Heavens.

Each of the eight streams of sword energy began to flap, as if they would pierce the ceiling and soar into the sky.

Despite the turbulent waves of the Cheon-Ik Sword Technique, the plum blossom sword stood upright in the middle, unwavering.

Like the deep-rooted plum tree at the peak of Yeonhwabong.

Buzz!

The blade of the plum blossom sword, imbued with the essence of the Purple Mist, turned violet and emitted a resonant hum. Petals, saturated with the Purple Mist, fell from the trembling blade.

The twenty-two forms of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique were a fusion of the Mount Hua Sect’s martial arts, the insights of past Sword Saints, and the techniques of sword masters and sword demons.

The twenty-third form was a single strike that encompassed all previous twenty-two forms.

Ultimate Speed, Ultimate Illusion, Ultimate Change.

A strike that embodied the essence of Mount Hua to its extreme appeared.

Though the plum blossom sword merely trembled in the middle, countless sword paths were drawn in the air.

With each vibration of the plum blossom sword, petals scattered and plum blossoms bloomed. The ceiling of the cavern was filled with the Purple Mist, and the space below was covered with petals and plum blossoms.

Before a single breath could be completed, a forest of plum trees rose before their eyes. The sword hadn’t moved, so what kind of sorcery was this?

‘No! It’s not that it’s not moving.’

Baekri-gok, who had activated his ultimate technique, saw it. A strike so extreme that even the eyes of a transcendent master struggled to follow.

It was so fast that the sword seemed still, and the blade appeared to tremble finely with hundreds or thousands of changes.

A strike of stillness within motion.

The sword of Mount Hua, taken to its extreme, was profound and subtle like the scent of plum blossoms, yet unmoving, exuding dignity and purity.

As the plum blossom sword, which had been standing upright, slowly tilted, the sword paths etched in the air vanished, along with the Purple Mist and plum blossoms that filled the surroundings.

As if they were being absorbed into the plum blossom sword.

The unified violet sword strike extended like a meteor, slicing through the brilliant eight wings.

The elegant trajectory that shredded the eight streams of sword energy into dozens of pieces was like a single flower.

The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

The Unmoving Flower of Subtle Fragrance.

The wings meant for the Baekri family’s ascent broke and fell in vain.

Once again, to that accursed flower.

“This can’t be!”

The aftermath of the broken technique engulfed Baekri-gok.

The flow of internal energy, which he had drawn from the natural world and operated to its extreme, twisted and snapped in an instant.

The backlash caused severe internal injuries, but Baekri-gok tried to raise his sword even as he coughed up blood.

At that moment, Baekri-gok caught the subtle scent of plum blossoms. Simultaneously, his right arm, which held the sword, fell to the ground.

Even as blood gushed from the severed arm below the elbow, Baekri-gok didn’t spare it a glance.

His eyes were fixed solely on Mu-hui.

“Does this mean the Baekri sword can never surpass the Mount Hua sword?”

“Your question was flawed from the start.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s not that the Baekri family’s sword technique was lacking. It’s that the old man was weaker than me.”

Even the same martial art can manifest entirely differently depending on who wields it.

What matters is not the martial art itself, but the martial artist who executes it. The measure of strength lies in the hands of the individual.

This is why there can be a greatest martial artist, but not a greatest martial art.

“How can someone called the Sword King not see such a simple truth? You’ve completely lost your sight. Get a grip.”

Without hesitation, Mu-hui let his robe flutter as he passed by the Sword King. As the plum blossom swordsmen followed Mu-hui, Hyun-baek paused for a moment.

“Sword King senior. Here are some hemostatic medicine and bandages. They should help stop the bleeding.”

Hyun-baek, seeing Baekri-gok standing dazed, quietly placed a bottle of medicine and a bundle of bandages beside him before following Mu-hui.

In the cavern, now empty save for corpses, a lone gust of wind blew through.

Only then did Baekri-gok look down at his fallen arm. Despite having lost the arm that had been with him his entire life, he felt strangely devoid of emotion.

Only Mu-hui’s words lingered in his mind.

Baekri-gok slowly knelt down.

“Heh… how foolish.”

His hollow laughter echoed softly through the cavern.

* * *

At the end of the cavern.

A middle-aged man opened his eyes.

The clash of auras felt from within the cavern. It was clear it signified a confrontation between transcendent masters.

“Two transcendent masters… things have gotten more interesting.”

The middle-aged man chuckled quietly to himself.

He was gently stroking the black iron sword embedded beside him. The sword bore a large crack.

It was a wonder it hadn’t shattered.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

End