“Step aside, Sadocheon Lord. Don’t block the way.”

With just those few words from Muhwi, the entire Manhyeoldae and even the Eocheondae turned to him in shock. The same reaction rippled through the ranks of the younger disciples at the back of the procession. Jegal Myeong dropped his fan, and Seonun, lips trembling slightly, muttered “Amitabha” under his breath.

Only Hwasan’s Sahwa, who knew Muhwi well, remained calm. In fact, Mucheol had to silently restrain Muhwa, who was ready to draw his sword and charge forward.

“Why are you stopping me, Senior Brother Mucheol? Looks like a fight’s about to break out.”

Muji shook his head as he watched Muhwa glance back at Mucheol, who had a firm grip on his shoulder.

“It’s too soon to jump to conclusions. Let’s see how this plays out.”

The other young disciples watched the Hwasan group with a mix of curiosity and awe.

“Hah…”

A harsh breath escaped from between the slightly parted lips of the Manhyeoldae leader, laced with a palpable killing intent. He wanted nothing more than to tear Muhwi apart, but he held back, awaiting orders.

Instead of drawing their swords, the entire Manhyeoldae unleashed a wave of murderous intent towards Muhwi, like a fierce gale.

Despite the concentrated hostility from the strongest force in Sadocheon, Muhwi didn’t even blink. His focus was solely on the Sadocheon Lord from the start.

Boom!

Suddenly, a spear burst through the wall of the carriage, flying with a sharp, piercing sound. Muhwi tracked its trajectory with precision.

The distance between Manhyeoldae and Eocheondae was ten paces. The Sadocheon Lord’s carriage was slightly behind, about twenty paces from Muhwi.

For a martial arts master, this was a very short distance. And when the spear was thrown by the Sadocheon Lord, it was even more so.

Bang!

The air seemed to explode with a series of sonic booms as the spear accelerated. With each burst, its speed increased.

After five accelerations, the spear became a streak of light, carving a dark brown line through the air. It was the signature throwing technique of Gwan Yachangcheon, known as Gwan Yatou. The spear’s path was aimed directly at Muhwi’s heart.

A potential fatal blow, yet Muhwi calmly raised his Simmyeong Sword.

‘Back then, all I could do was deflect it.’

The battle that earned him the title of the greatest swordsman of the demonic sect. At that time, even with the Dokgo Sword Technique, all he could do was deflect the spear’s deadly aim.

As his pupils dilated, reflecting the dark brown light, Muhwi’s long robe fluttered as he stepped forward. The purple sword light scattered like ink over the spear’s trajectory.

The Simmyeong Sword, bending like a snake, wrapped around the spear shaft, its blade trembling as dozens of sword shadows rose. It was as if branches were sprouting around the spear shaft. Muhwi compressed the range of the Plum Blossom Gradual Opening technique, focusing its power solely on the spear shaft.

Clang!

In an instant, the Simmyeong Sword struck the spear shaft thirty times, altering its direction. The sword, now back in Muhwi’s hand, was once again ready to strike.

As the spearhead approached, the Simmyeong Sword met it head-on. Just before the collision, Muhwi twisted his wrist, causing the sword blade to spin and create a vortex. It was the final form of the Plum Blossom Spewing Splendor technique.

Boom!

A thunderous sound, like a boulder falling from a high cliff, accompanied by a massive shockwave that radiated outward in concentric circles.

“Ugh!”

The Manhyeoldae and Eocheondae, caught in the sudden storm-like shockwave, staggered back, their bodies trembling violently. Some even suffered internal injuries despite quickly summoning their inner strength.

As the dust cloud from the shockwave settled, the spear of Gwan Yachangcheon was soaring high into the sky instead of piercing Muhwi’s heart. Muhwi slowly lowered his trembling Simmyeong Sword.

The faces of the Manhyeoldae and Eocheondae darkened. None could fully grasp what had just transpired.

‘What just happened? Did that Hwasan brat really deflect the Lord’s spear?’

‘I didn’t even see him draw his sword. It’s like time skipped, and the initial movements were omitted.’

To the Manhyeoldae and Eocheondae, it seemed as if the explosion from the Sadocheon Lord’s carriage and the subsequent boom in front of Muhwi were all that occurred.

The time it took for Muhwi to counter the Gwan Yatou with two consecutive techniques was merely a fraction of a blink.

A clash between Gwan Yachangcheon and the Hwasan Sword Saint, both perceiving time differently from ordinary people.

Even the strongest forces of the great factions couldn’t accurately follow the sequence of events.

“Your swordsmanship is as ghostly as ever.”

In the silence, only Gang Hobaek’s quiet monologue echoed. He was the only one present who had fully witnessed the exchange.

Muhwi, lowering his Simmyeong Sword, slightly raised his head.

The spear, spinning and soaring high, suddenly halted and then plummeted back to the ground. But instead of targeting Muhwi again, it aimed for the carriage.

Swish!

The spear, tracing a sharp arc like a descending swallow, was caught by a hand emerging from the wrecked carriage. Gwan Yachangcheon, Sama Gang, retrieved the spear with a casual gesture, resting it on his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Muhwi.

His gaze was as sharp as a blade, reminiscent of a finely honed sword. Sama Gang, staring into Muhwi’s eyes, seemed to recall someone.

“Are you… the hidden son of the Sword Demon?”

At Sama Gang’s unexpected words, Muhwi’s eyebrow twitched.

“That’s nonsense.”

The Manhyeoldae leader’s face turned as red as an apple at Muhwi’s repeated bluntness. Meanwhile, Sama Gang’s lips twitched, suppressing a laugh. The Manhyeoldae leader was taken aback; Sama Gang usually wore a bored, indifferent expression.

“Amusing. I haven’t heard such words to my face since I was a child.”

“Lord! Just give the order, and we’ll slaughter these righteous hypocrites.”

The Manhyeoldae leader shouted, bowing deeply, while the Eocheondae’s expressions turned icy. But Sama Gang merely tapped his shoulder with the spear.

“A man must take responsibility for his words. That young Sword Saint did just that.”

Sama Gang was referring to Muhwi’s successful deflection of his Gwan Yatou. Understanding this, the Manhyeoldae leader said no more, bowing his head deeply.

“Though the short distance didn’t allow its full power to manifest.”

Muhwi silently agreed with Sama Gang’s assessment.

Had Sama Gang executed the Gwan Yatou from the optimal distance, the spear would have accelerated at least ten times, not just five.

Sama Gang’s spear, which had been tapping his shoulder, suddenly stopped. His decision was made.

“It’s a bit disappointing as it is. Shall we have another taste?”

“That’s enough.”

Gang Hobaek had appeared, standing in front of Muhwi. Sama Gang, examining Gang Hobaek from head to toe, burst into laughter.

“Alliance Leader! Even after ascending to the supreme position of the Martial Alliance Leader, you still wear that old bamboo hat.”

“The old bamboo hat is a symbol of a chivalrous warrior.”

Sama Gang chuckled at Gang Hobaek’s earnest tone.

“I knew you’d come. With the Overlord sure to appear, all three faction leaders are gathering. It was worth coming all the way from Guangdong to Guizhou.”

Sama Gang seemed to have anticipated that the other leaders would personally show up at the Black Night Palace.

“You didn’t come just to see the Overlord and me, did you? What are you planning?”

“Planning? I’m just curious about the head of the demonic sect who dared to invite me.”

Sama Gang continued, running his fingers along the spear’s edge.

“If he’s mediocre, I might just put a hole in him right there. Would the entire Black Night Palace then come after me? That could be fun too.”

Sama Gang’s casual words were laced with killing intent. It seemed Sadocheon intended to gauge the Black Night Palace with even more aggressive methods than the Martial Alliance.

Sama Gang, glancing between Gang Hobaek and Muhwi, grinned and lowered his spear.

“Save the best for last.”

Sama Gang turned and entered the wrecked carriage. The Manhyeoldae leader, after casting a final glare at Muhwi, turned away.

“Move out.”

As the Sadocheon procession receded, Gang Hobaek turned to Muhwi.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Though his right hand, which had wielded the Simmyeong Sword to counter the Gwan Yatou, trembled slightly, it wasn’t serious.

“I didn’t expect you’d try to engage the Sadocheon Lord like this. The boldness of youth is admirable.”

Gang Hobaek patted Muhwi’s shoulder, then asked with a more serious tone.

“How did you find it?”

“I confirmed that the sky of the martial world is indeed vast and high.”

Upon reaching the pinnacle of transcendence, Mu-hui earned the moniker “Volcanic Sword Saint,” but this was far from the end of his journey.

The current martial world was teeming with masters, more so than in any other era.

The Nine Schools, the Three Great Families, the Seven Sects, and the Overlord’s Castle.

And now, even the Black Night Palace had emerged. Despite the overwhelming power of these formidable factions, Mu-hui still had much to learn before he could truly dominate the martial world.

When he faced off against one of the Three Pillars, Guan Ya Chang Tian, he realized that even the old masters were not stagnant; they too were evolving. This meant Mu-hui could not afford to rest on his laurels.

“Indeed. Just as there is no end to martial arts, so too is the martial world ever-changing. That’s why I can’t leave it behind,” Mu-hui mused.

Kang Ho-baek nodded, recalling the first time he met Mu-hui. Despite his remarkable achievements, there was not a hint of arrogance in Mu-hui’s eyes.

Seeing this young prodigy, who was never satisfied and always striving for greater heights, filled Kang Ho-baek with pride.

He glanced at the younger generation standing behind them. Though initially shocked by Mu-hui’s bold actions that had provoked the Heavenly Lord of the Four Directions, they seemed inspired.

“Having a goal is a good thing,” he thought.

He himself had once been in awe of the legendary Sword Saint, striving to follow in his footsteps.

Moreover, since Mu-hui was of a similar age, he would be an even greater source of motivation for them.

Though each of the younger generation stood in different places and looked in different directions, none of them seemed content to remain still, which pleased Kang Ho-baek greatly.

Seeing these promising youths, Kang Ho-baek felt the weight of his responsibility as the leader of the Martial Alliance, knowing he must guide them until they could lead the martial world themselves.

Yet, with a light-hearted tone, he gave the command, “Let’s move out.”

* * *

Onya Valley was as treacherous as a stormy sea turned into a canyon. Behind the towering cliffs lay two or three smaller canyons, making it easy to get lost and nearly impossible to find one’s way out.

The valley was vast enough to conceal an entire sect. Mist hung thick like clouds throughout the canyon, and it seemed not all of it was natural.

There were over a dozen known entrances to Onya Valley, and as they approached one, they found demons waiting.

“Welcome, esteemed guests of the Martial Alliance,” one of the demons said, bowing politely.

Mu-hui was taken aback. It was strange to see these creatures, usually exuding malevolence and bloodlust, behaving so tamely.

The demons began to lead the Martial Alliance procession into the canyon.

“This mist doesn’t seem entirely natural,” Kang Ho-baek remarked.

The demon bowed again and replied, “Onya Valley is naturally misty. We’ve also set up formations throughout the canyon, which add to the mist.”

“Hmm,” Kang Ho-baek murmured, channeling his inner energy to survey the canyon’s terrain. The formations set by the Black Night Palace likely served more than just to create mist and obscure vision.

Given that outsiders were entering Onya Valley, it was safe to assume some of the formation’s functions had been deactivated.

“Even if their base is known, attacking directly would incur significant losses,” he thought.

Not only Kang Ho-baek but also the younger generation, including Yi Cheon-dae, tried to memorize as much of Onya Valley as they could.

As they proceeded, the mist that had obscured their path gradually lifted. When the mist finally cleared, revealing the heart of the valley, the demon stopped.

“This is the Black Night Palace,” the demon announced.

End