As Mu-hui walked deeper into the passageway, he took a long, steady breath, channeling the energy of the Zaha Divine Art. The Zaha energy circulated through his body, soothing his internal injuries, though they were too severe to heal quickly.

“I used up far more internal energy than I expected.”

Despite drawing in natural energy directly, the recovery was slow due to the significant depletion of his reserves. The injuries from exchanging blows with the Sword King were substantial, but the ones he inflicted upon himself were even more severe.

“Dark Fragrance, Unmoving Flower.”

The twenty-third form of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Just because he had created the technique didn’t mean he had mastered it. There is no perfect warrior, no perfect martial art. One can only strive to get closer to perfection.

Mu-hui’s swordsmanship still had room for growth, as did the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. He continuously identified flaws and areas for improvement, refining the forms as he went. Thus, the Dark Fragrance, Unmoving Flower was still an unstable form, and Mu-hui himself was not yet fully capable of executing it flawlessly.

He hadn’t yet reached the pinnacle of the Mount Hua Sect’s swordsmanship. Forcing the execution of the Dark Fragrance, Unmoving Flower had resulted in a massive expenditure of energy and internal injuries.

“It wasn’t bad.”

Originally, the form existed only in theory and shape. Manifesting it with a sword was a significant achievement. Even though it was unstable, he was satisfied with being able to execute it at all. Without it, he would have had to prolong the fight with the Sword King, risking further entrapment. Ending it quickly, even at the cost of injury, was the right choice.

“Senior Brother, are you alright?”

Mu-jin, who was walking beside Mu-hui, asked cautiously in a low voice.

“Did you get injured? Well, it makes sense. The Sword King’s aura was terrifying. I thought I was going to be cut down myself.”

Mu-hwa chimed in, and Mu-hui asked, puzzled, “How did you know? I didn’t show any signs.”

Mu-jin just smiled, while Mu-hwa tilted his head slightly and replied, “It was just a feeling. Intuition? Brother Mu-cheol, our hunch was right.”

Mu-hwa looked back, and Mu-cheol, who had been silently following, nodded. Listening to his disciples’ conversation, Mu-hui let out a small laugh.

Mu-jin handed Mu-hui a healing pill, and Mu-hwa offered him a water flask. Mu-hui accepted their care without protest.

“Senior Brother, after seeing your Dark Fragrance, Unmoving Flower, I understand why it’s ‘Unmoving’ and not ‘Floating.'”

The term “Dark Fragrance, Unmoving” is derived from a poetic phrase, evoking the subtle, pervasive scent of plum blossoms. It was a fitting name for a form that could gather the Mount Hua Sect’s warriors with a single stroke.

Mu-hui believed that when the Mount Hua sword reached its peak, it wouldn’t confuse or disappear from sight but simply remain still. A single stroke, embodying the ultimate speed, illusion, and transformation, would be imperceptible even to a seasoned master.

The sword strike, spreading subtly like the scent of plum blossoms, was why Mu-hui included “Unmoving” in the form’s name.

“Don’t try to imitate it clumsily. Focus on mastering the first twenty-two forms.”

“Oh, how did you know? I was planning to try it when we returned to Mount Hua.”

“It’s obvious. You’re at least ten years away from that.”

“Hmph.”

Mu-hwa pouted at Mu-hui’s sharp intuition.

“The sword form you unleashed appeared in an instant and vanished like a dream. I wonder when I’ll be able to even mimic it…”

“If you keep practicing as you have been, you’ll get there. Keep at it, Mu-jin.”

Watching Mu-hui converse with his disciples, Dok-go Yul clicked his tongue.

“You’ve already reached the level of the masters. The Sword Saint would be proud. My master is probably scolding me from the heavens. I need to step up my game.”

Mu-hui could only offer a wry smile at Dok-go Yul’s bitter words as he gazed at the empty ceiling.

“By the way, there don’t seem to be any traps ahead?”

Mu-hwa muttered, scanning the passage with a suspicious eye. The path to the third chamber was pristine, likely because the Sword King had killed anyone who entered this way. There were no bodies or bloodstains, suggesting the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were the first to tread this path, moving forward without triggering any mechanisms.

“I wonder what the situation is in the other passages.”

At Hyun-gak’s murmur, Mu-hui, who had been extending his senses to keep track of the other passages, spoke up.

“It seems the battles in the other areas have concluded. A few individuals are still fighting in the chamber, but some are moving quickly inward.”

Hyun-baek frowned at Mu-hui’s explanation.

“Hmm… That means we’re likely to encounter them in the next chamber.”

The Mount Hua Sect was currently in the lead, but not by a significant margin. Mu-hui used this slight advantage to conserve the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s energy, opting for a steady pace rather than rushing through the passage with light-footed techniques.

It was only a matter of time before they clashed with other forces in the cave. Rushing to the innermost part of the cave to claim something first was meaningless. Others would simply try to take it by force.

“If we reach the innermost part, we might discover the purpose of this cave.”

As the passage began to slope upward, the end finally came into view.

The third chamber revealed itself at last. At the far end stood a massive stone door. Unlike the previous two chambers, this entrance was sealed.

“Have we reached the end?”

“It seems so.”

Mu-sang’s murmur was met with a nod from Mu-ryun.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen instinctively felt that beyond this stone door lay the end of the cave. Two thick chains crossed diagonally over the door.

Thud!

Mu-hui flicked the chain with his finger, narrowing his eyes.

“Hyun-cheol?”

Hyun-gak, startled by Mu-hui’s murmur, leaned in to examine the chain.

“A chain made of Hyun-cheol?”

Judging by its thickness and length, it could yield several swords. Yet it was used merely to block an entrance, piquing curiosity about the cave’s creator.

“Judging by the setup, it seems breaking the chain will trigger a mechanism to open the door.”

Hyun-gak, scrutinizing the stone door and the long cracks on the walls, added, “I’m not certain, but trying to break the door directly might cause the walls to collapse, bringing down the chamber.”

Mu-hui nodded at Hyun-gak’s explanation, the most knowledgeable about mechanisms in the Mount Hua Sect.

“Well, let’s just cut it down.”

Mu-hui drew his Plum Blossom Sword. As he channeled energy into the blade, a purple glow enveloped it. The sword energy, instead of expanding needlessly, condensed along the blade.

Sensing the sharpness of the sword energy, Hyun-baek nodded. Nothing could withstand that chilling edge.

The chain, made of Hyun-cheol, was said to be difficult for even the most skilled masters to cut. But Mu-hui would manage it without much trouble.

As Mu-hui raised his sword, a sudden, eerie energy seeped through the cracks in the stone door. The energy, slithering like a snake, swept over those standing before the stone wall and dissipated into the air.

“Gah!”

Mu-hui, along with Dok-go Yul and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, instantly tensed. Some of the swordsmen were so startled by the energy that they stepped back.

“What was that?”

As the Plum Blossom Swordsmen stiffened, Mu-hui spoke slowly.

“There’s a transcendent master on the other side of this stone wall.”

At Mu-hui’s words, Hyun-baek and the other swordsmen widened their eyes. Almost simultaneously, warriors burst from different entrances of the chamber.

“Mount Hua Sect? Did they break through the entrance?”

“Mount Hua arrived before us?”

From the left passage emerged the elite of the Overlord’s Seven Divisions, while from the right came the warriors of the Hidden Dragon Society. The forces of the Overlord and the Hidden Dragon Society naturally surrounded the Plum Blossom Swordsmen in front of the stone door.

Meanwhile, the two elders leading the forces of the Overlord and the Hidden Dragon Society stepped back to converse.

“You remember our agreement.”

“Of course. The Overlord takes the Sword Ghost’s martial arts, and the Hidden Dragon Society takes the Sword Saint’s. Anything else, we split evenly.”

Listening to the elders of the Overlord and the Hidden Dragon Society, Mu-hui smirked.

He had heard the rumors while camped under Bongwon Mountain, that the cave held the martial arts secrets and elixirs of the Sword Saint and Sword Ghost. Knowing the cave was a decoy, he had dismissed it lightly, but seeing the elders of major sects acting this way, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“The Four Kings and the Giant Dragon Division.”

The elite forces of the Overlord, the Seven Divisions. Among them, the Four Kings Division. And the Giant Dragon Division, considered elite within the Hidden Dragon Society.

These were all warriors renowned throughout the martial world. Their presence alone, with the aura and killing intent they exuded, was enough to prove their reputation.

As Mu-hwi reached for his Plum Blossom Sword, eyeing the characters and patterns embroidered on their martial robes, Hyun-baek spoke firmly.

“Mu-hwi, open the stone gate with Dokgo. The Plum Blossom Swordsman will hold this place. If what you said is true, that’s the right course of action.”

If there truly was a transcendent master beyond the stone gate, as Mu-hwi claimed, there was no need to waste their strength here.

Even if they managed to defeat the Sa-wang and Geo-ryong forces with Mu-hwi’s help, facing a transcendent master would render the Plum Blossom Swordsman of little assistance.

Moreover, Mu-hwi was already suffering internal injuries from his previous battle with the Sword King. It was wise to conserve every breath.

If someone had to go beyond the stone gate, it made sense for Mu-hwi and Dokgo Yul, disciples of the Sword Saint and Sword Demon, to be the ones.

“Dokgo, I entrust Mu-hwi to your care.”

Mu-hwi, understanding Hyun-baek’s decision, remained silent. When Mu-hwi didn’t immediately respond, Hyun-baek turned to the warriors of the Paewang Fortress and the Janryong Society.

“We are the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. You know better than anyone what that means. Trust us.”

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, representing the Mount Hua Sect, were here to support the Plum Blossom Swordmaster, not to be protected.

“Senior Brother, go ahead. We’ll hold the line.”

Mu-jin and the other second-generation disciples stood resolute. Seeing the Plum Blossom robes they wore, Mu-hwi nodded.

With a swift motion, Mu-hwi turned and slashed his sword, severing the chains in one stroke.

“Formation!”

As the chains snapped with a sharp sound, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen deployed the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Formation.

Rumble!

The severed chains were drawn into the wall, and the stone gate began to spew dust as it opened. Sunlight streamed through the opening, and Mu-hwi and Dokgo Yul leaped into the light.

“Mount Hua Sect! A perfect chance to avenge the humiliation at Yukhapsan.”

“Our society feels the same. The princess met her end in Shaanxi.”

Despite the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s formation, the elite of the Paewang Fortress and Janryong Society revealed their hostility calmly.

Even as overt hostility and killing intent surged, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen held their swords steady.

As both sides engaged in a tense standoff, the elders shouted.

“Attack!”

With the elders’ command, the two forces charged at the Plum Blossom Sword Formation, exuding lethal intent.

* * *

After passing through a short corridor beyond the stone gate, Mu-hwi and Dokgo Yul emerged under a clear blue sky.

The end of the secret passage was outside, cleverly concealed by the terrain of Bongwon Mountain.

Surveying the surrounding mountains, it was clear that without the passage, finding or even reaching this cliff would be nearly impossible.

Mu-hwi and Dokgo Yul stopped simultaneously as they walked silently along the cliff.

At the edge of the cliff sat a man, casually perched on a rock.

He wore a faded gray martial robe, his hair tied back carelessly. Beside him, a massive sword was embedded in the rock like a pillar.

Seeing this, a vein bulged on Mu-hwi’s forehead, and Dokgo Yul exhaled sharply.

“Master.”

Dokgo Yul managed to utter the word in a trembling voice.

It was unmistakably Dokgo Heon, the Sword Demon.

“My disciple.”

Even the voice and tone emerging from between his lips were exactly like Dokgo Heon’s.

Mu-hwi glared at Dokgo Heon as if he could kill him with his eyes, then shifted his gaze to the massive sword beside him.

‘The Black Iron Greatsword.’

It was indeed the Black Iron Greatsword he had wielded in his past life, complete with the crack on the blade from his final battle.

“Sigh.”

Feeling a headache coming on, Mu-hwi brushed his hair back, while Dokgo Yul rushed toward Dokgo Heon.

“Master!”

Mu-hwi shouted urgently.

“Dokgo Yul, stop! That man is—”

But by then, Dokgo Yul was already within reach of Dokgo Heon. As Mu-hwi prepared to leap forward, an unexpected event occurred.

Boom!

Dokgo Yul, suddenly accelerating, drew the sword from his back and unleashed a strike over Dokgo Heon’s head.

Dokgo Heon, seated on the rock, casually grabbed the Black Iron Greatsword beside him and swung it lightly.

Clang!

The strike Dokgo Heon unleashed was identical to the technique of the Dokgo Swordsmanship that Dokgo Yul had used.

The identical techniques clashed, and Dokgo Yul, overpowered, was sent flying backward.

“Ugh!”

Dokgo Yul, propelled back faster than he had charged, only stopped when Mu-hwi caught him from behind.

Spitting blood-tinged saliva, Dokgo Yul barely regained his balance and glared at Dokgo Heon.

“How dare you mimic my master?”

Dokgo Heon, staring intently at the seething Dokgo Yul, asked.

“My disciple, have you lost your mind? Or is it that you can’t recognize your master’s face after so long?”

Dokgo Heon began to release his aura.

A sharp, threatening energy spread across the ground, as if to intimidate everything around.

It was the aura of the Dokgo Heart Technique.

Boom!

Dokgo Yul struck the ground with his sword and shouted.

“No matter how perfectly you mimic my master’s appearance and speech, you can’t replicate his eyes. My master never had such vile snake eyes.”

At Dokgo Yul’s confident words, Dokgo Heon fell silent, staring at him before suddenly bursting into laughter.

“You figured it out so quickly? You must have really cared for your master. The Sword Demon never paid you much mind.”

Laughing heartily, Dokgo Heon, or rather the White-Faced Demon, chuckled and patted his thigh in amusement.

“Yes, the Sword Demon was the same. He saw through my imitation of Hyun-jo and said Hyun-jo’s eyes weren’t so filthy. Like master, like disciple. You’ve brought back old memories. How entertaining.”

“How dare you mimic my master. Who are you?”

As Dokgo Yul demanded angrily, Dokgo Heon was about to respond, but Mu-hwi interrupted.

“Still up to your filthy tricks, White-Faced Demon.”

“Oh?”

The White-Faced Demon, who had been enjoying Dokgo Yul’s anger, turned his gaze to Mu-hwi.