A figure clad in black raced alongside the swiftly moving carriage on the main road. The window of the carriage slid open, revealing the face of the Conqueror.

“Report.”

At the Conqueror’s command, the black-clad figure began to relay the news while keeping pace with the carriage.

“The Red Flame Army, which was attacking the Sichuan Alliance’s front line at Cheongseong Mountain, has been defeated.”

The Conqueror showed little reaction to the death of one of the Five Martial Lords, the Red Flame Army.

“Who was responsible? Was it the Taoists of Cheongseong?”

“It was the Arang Sword.”

Once, the Five Martial Lords had struck fear across the martial world as the Conqueror’s blade, defeating countless masters. But now, only the Poisonous Marquis of Sichuan and the Bright Star Army remained, as one by one, they fell to the rising stars of the new generation, not the renowned masters of old.

“The disciple of the Sword Demon… I recall a year ago, the Arang Sword was severely injured by the Red Flame Army and fled. His growth is impressive. Understood.”

“I will take my leave, my lord.”

Even after the black-clad figure disappeared, the Conqueror continued to gaze out the window. The four-horse carriage sped along, making the scenery outside blur past like the years he had raced through without looking back.

“The Five Martial Lords… are you too being swept away by the tides?”

The Conqueror could have easily filled the void left by the fallen, but he chose not to. The name of the Five Martial Lords had become outdated, and perhaps the title of Conqueror had also rusted with time.

“Is the era changing? I wonder if I will be swept away or if I will overturn the tide and reign supreme.”

The martial world would eventually demand an answer from the Conqueror: whether he was still the Conqueror. This demand was one that all masters who lived within the martial world would face sooner or later.

Most would retire or retreat, succumbing to the flow, or be quickly swept away by the tides when they tried to resist. Only a few would boldly challenge the martial world’s demands and leave a significant mark on history.

But the Conqueror had no intention of retreating. He had never retreated, which is why he was the Conqueror.

“I will overturn it.”

Muttering to himself, the Conqueror spoke again.

“To Cheongseong Mountain.”

“Yes, my lord.”

At the Conqueror’s command, the carriage picked up speed.

* * *

Twelve butterflies fluttered around the Poisonous Marquis of Sichuan and Mu Hui. The Poisonous Marquis sent out the deadly butterflies, scattering poison in all directions.

“Each of the twelve butterflies carries a different poison. I wonder which one suits you.”

A purple sword aura shot towards the smiling Poisonous Marquis, but she deftly evaded it, flipping through the air as if she were the thirteenth butterfly. Yet, Mu Hui’s sword, the Heart Sword, cut down the butterflies without hesitation.

The Heart Sword drew a large circle in the air, slicing through the deadly butterflies, and finally aimed at the Poisonous Marquis.

Swish!

The Heart Sword trembled violently as it slashed diagonally. Below it, a peculiar throwing weapon, shaped like a fish scale, split cleanly in two. The power behind the small weapon was formidable.

The Poisonous Marquis grinned as she watched Mu Hui precisely slice through the weapon instead of merely deflecting it.

“Young dart.”

“Seems like the Tang family head taught you well?”

Recognizing the weapon, Mu Hui saw the Poisonous Marquis reveal the young darts between her fingers with a twitch of her lips.

“Not just anyone can handle these. Among the Tang family martial artists, I’m the only one who can use them properly.”

“The technique using the young darts is called the Dragon Scale Storm, right? Then today, that lineage ends.”

The Poisonous Marquis responded with a cold smile, unleashing the Dragon Scale Storm.

Shhh!

With a flick of her hand, dozens of young darts floated through the poisonous mist, swimming like fish towards Mu Hui. But they couldn’t reach him directly.

Every time the Heart Sword slashed in multiple directions, petals of sword energy whirled around Mu Hui, casting a purple veil as if spring had arrived just for him.

Clang!

Yet, the young darts pierced through the petals, relentlessly aiming for Mu Hui. Though small like fish scales, their power was terrifying, capable of piercing through thick rock in an instant.

Mu Hui’s eyes, glowing with a purple light, tracked the trajectory of the young darts.

The technique seemed to incorporate the essence of the Tang family’s myriad flower rain, as the young darts deflected by Mu Hui would rise again to rejoin the attack.

The more he deflected, the more the number of young darts slicing through the air increased, resembling schools of fish swimming in the Yangtze River.

“No matter how dazzling and varied the Huashan sword is, it won’t be easy to block!”

The Poisonous Marquis laughed, her fingers flicking incessantly.

Meanwhile, the color of the poisonous mist emanating from her body kept changing, as if she intended to expose Mu Hui to every kind of poison.

‘This is quite troublesome.’

Mu Hui’s entire body was enveloped in a purple aura as he drew countless sword shadows to deflect the young darts pouring in from all directions.

He had stopped breathing and raised his protective energy to its peak to guard against the Poisonous Marquis’s toxins. Otherwise, the deadly poison would invade through his pores.

The minute traces of poison that occasionally penetrated his defenses were blocked by the internal energy of the Purple Mist Divine Art and the antidote of the Poisonous Web.

Aware of Mu Hui’s countermeasures, the Poisonous Marquis licked her lips and asked, “How long can you last, holding your breath and expending your internal energy for protection?”

Her hands crossed, and hundreds of young darts swirled around Mu Hui.

The young darts, divided into sixteen groups by her gestures and energy, flew in from different directions, encircling Mu Hui in a spherical formation. Soon, Mu Hui was obscured by the hundreds of young darts.

Simultaneously, the Poisonous Marquis’s palms overlapped, controlling the young darts.

Dragon Pearl Grind.

Swoosh!

The speed of the young darts doubled around Mu Hui, creating a terrifying sound as they closed in, seemingly intent on grinding him to dust.

Crack!

Inside the Dragon Pearl Grind, the clash of energies erupted continuously, accompanied by the sound of something being shredded.

When the technique ended and the young darts dispersed, five plum blossoms stood firm, protecting Mu Hui. It was the Plum Blossom Endures the Cold.

Though the plum blossoms were tattered, they maintained their form, safeguarding Mu Hui.

“Sword Saint, how is it? Compared to the Tang family head’s feeble throwing techniques, this is on a completely different level.”

“Indeed.”

The Poisonous Marquis’s lips curled into a grin at Mu Hui’s acknowledgment, but he continued.

“That doesn’t mean your view of the Tang family is correct.”

“What do you know, outsider?”

Mentioning the Tang family made the Poisonous Marquis’s face contort with anger.

Swoosh!

Her fierce energy caused the young darts to react, slicing through the air with sharp sounds, ready to tear into Mu Hui.

Boom!

Mu Hui thrust the Heart Sword forward, stepping into a full stride. He became a streak of light, shooting towards the Poisonous Marquis.

With a fierce expression, the Poisonous Marquis also launched herself at Mu Hui.

Having reached the transcendent realm and fully grasped the essence of the myriad flower rain, the Poisonous Marquis had long since transcended the limitations of distance.

Her left hand was filled with a dense, poisonous energy, while her right hand, centered on her palm, wielded numerous young darts, creating a whirlwind.

Clang!

The young darts, driven by the Dragon Scale Storm technique, clashed endlessly with the Heart Sword.

As the young darts, guided by the technique, threatened to engulf the blooming plum blossoms, the Poisonous Marquis crushed the rising sword shadows with her left hand and unleashed a poisonous palm strike.

When the Heart Sword descended to intercept the poisonous palm aimed at his chest, the Poisonous Marquis seized the opportunity to grab the sword’s blade. The poison gathered in her left hand flowed like a viscous liquid, attempting to coat the blade.

“Don’t waste your efforts.”

Mu Hui’s eyebrows twitched as he twisted the sword’s energy. The blade spun, repelling the Poisonous Marquis’s hand.

Buzz!

Raising the purple sword energy to its peak, Mu Hui shook off the poison clinging to the blade and slashed diagonally with the Heart Sword.

The pristine, jet-black blade of the Heart Sword drew admiration from the Poisonous Marquis.

Since reaching a certain level of mastery in the art of poison, the Lord of Poisons from Sichuan had developed a peculiar hobby. Rather than poisoning people, he found amusement in melting his opponents’ weapons with his toxins, relishing the look of despair on their faces.

This time, he attempted to dissolve the blade of the Divine Sword with his deadly poison, but it was to no avail.

“Truly, it lives up to its name as a divine sword. My poison can melt even the finest blades.”

The Lord of Poisons withdrew the poison from his left hand and focused on unleashing the Dragon Scale Storm with both hands. Meanwhile, a toxic mist, changing color with every ten breaths, continued to emanate from his entire body.

Despite the significant consumption of breath and internal energy required to wield the poison, the Lord of Poisons’ gaze gradually darkened as he watched Mu Hui remain unfazed.

Swoosh!

A barrage of dozens of small darts surged toward Mu Hui’s vital points. Their trajectories were as unpredictable as lightning strikes, making them difficult to read.

Whoosh!

The Divine Sword let out a short, sharp cry as its blade expanded, sending a wave of sword energy rippling through the air.

There was no need to deflect each dart individually. Even amidst the chaotic onslaught, there was a discernible flow cutting through the air.

Mu Hui relaxed his wrist slightly, widened his stance, and shifted his weight onto his legs.

Swish!

The Divine Sword slashed diagonally, its blade and energy cutting through a wide swath.

As the small darts caught in the storm of the Divine Sword lost their momentum and fell, a sudden violet storm erupted, scattering them.

A green flash burst forth, cutting through the violet storm and hurtling straight toward Mu Hui’s heart.

The darts, aligned in a narrow line as if glued together, appeared as a single, unbroken line.

Dragon Scale Tail.

The ultimate technique of the Dragon Scale Storm, focusing all its destructive and penetrating power into one strike.

Mu Hui twisted the Divine Sword close to his chest and thrust it forward with all his might. The sword, imbued with the essence of the Purple Mist Sword Technique, pierced straight and true.

The petals swirling around him trembled violently, but the Divine Sword at the center stood firm like a bamboo stalk.

Around this bamboo-like blade, petals bloomed, forming a plum blossom.

Plum Blossom Dancing with Green Bamboo.

Boom!

In the first clash between the Plum Blossom and the Dragon Scale Tail, Mu Hui’s feet dug into the ground. But it wasn’t over yet.

The successive impacts of the Dragon Scale Tail continued to surge through the Divine Sword.

Each subsequent shock was stronger than the last, doubling in intensity with each strike.

The ground beneath Mu Hui’s feet began to upheave under the force of the Dragon Scale Tail.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After enduring eighteen strikes, Mu Hui was pushed back, leaving a long trench in the earth.

Yet, Mu Hui appeared unscathed. Only the Divine Sword trembled slightly, emitting a faint mist.

The Lord of Poisons regarded Mu Hui, who had withstood even the Dragon Scale Tail, with deepening eyes.

“What do you think? Do you still believe my view of the Sichuan Tang Clan is wrong after experiencing my Dragon Scale Storm?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s a fundamental difference between becoming strong passively, as an end in itself, and actively seeking strength to achieve a specific goal.”

“You speak of mindset. Yet, I cannot understand. I reached my current level through the former method. How can you be so certain?”

“Because that’s how I did it.”

The Lord of Poisons stared intently at Mu Hui.

Not knowing Mu Hui well, he couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind those words.

“We don’t need to understand each other. A warrior’s path is proven through their martial arts, isn’t it?”

“For once, you speak the truth.”

As the Lord of Poisons slowly raised his hands, the darts suspended in the air, as well as those embedded in the ground, began to rise again.

Mu Hui brought the Divine Sword to the ready position.

The Purple Mist Sword Technique infused the Divine Sword with a brilliant light, like starlight in the night sky.

“I will prove the righteousness of my Sichuan Tang Clan by killing you.”

Mu Hui did not respond to the Lord of Poisons’ words.

The need to prove the martial path he had walked with this single sword remained unchanged. Mu Hui poured even the briefest breath into his strike.

Vroom!

The space dominated by the Lord of Poisons’ aura trembled. The countless darts suspended in the air, along with the toxic mist that had engulfed the surroundings, ascended into the sky.

The darts, driven by a singular flow, swirled together, and the toxic mist transformed into a liquid form, breaking into droplets that mingled with the darts.

The Lord of Poisons’ hands, executing the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain, trembled slightly, perhaps due to the extreme exertion of internal energy.

As the Lord of Poisons’ hands, once raised high, descended toward Mu Hui, the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain in the sky began to fall.

Whoosh!

If the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain unleashed by Tang Ki-ho had resembled a rain of iron flowers, the Lord of Poisons’ version seemed as if the entire sky was collapsing.

Watching the overwhelming force of the descending Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain, Mu Hui slowly lowered the Divine Sword.

—Forgive my impudence, but the fate of the Tang Clan rests with you.

Recalling Tang Ki-ho’s words before the attack, when they had to split up to strike from different directions, Mu Hui raised the Divine Sword high into the sky.

The sword, infused with the Purple Mist Sword Technique, unleashed a massive dragon-like whirlwind.

Roar!

The sound of the swirling sword energy echoed loudly in all directions. The atmosphere screamed in protest.

The countless secret techniques experienced at the Sichuan Tang Clan.

A single sword technique that could counter all hidden weapons had transformed into a whirlwind.

By deflecting the hidden weapons, altering their trajectories, and severing overlapping paths, Mu Hui sent the weapons flying back.

And by launching sword energy along the flow of the air disrupted by the weapons, he returned the hidden weapons to their sender.

The Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain began to move according to Mu Hui’s sword.

“What is this!”

The Lord of Poisons, realizing the anomaly, widened his eyes.

“In the end, this is all your Sichuan Tang Clan amounts to.”

Mu Hui chose Tang Ki-ho’s Sichuan Tang Clan over the Lord of Poisons’.

From Mu Hui’s perspective, Tang Ki-ho’s Sichuan Tang Clan would greatly benefit the future Mount Hua Sect and the martial world.

That choice manifested as a single technique.

Using the counter-technique learned from the Tang Clan to save the Tang Clan.

Breaking Arrows, Seeking Home.

The dragon-like whirlwind of Breaking Arrows, Seeking Home tore through the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain, reversing the flow of the hidden weapons back toward the Lord of Poisons.

“Reversing the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain? Impossible!”

The Lord of Poisons, bursting into laughter, reached out toward the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain, but there was no way to stop it.

Just as the Lord of Poisons had shown no mercy or compassion with the Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain, it showed none to him.

In an instant, the Lord of Poisons was engulfed by his own Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain and vanished.