**The Crimson Hand of the Overlord**

The crimson glow emanating from the Overlord’s hand seemed to possess the power to crush and shatter even the heavens. The light’s tail distorted the surrounding space.

With a swift horizontal slash of his hand, the air split cleanly, as if cut by a masterful sword.

A fierce sound of air being torn apart erupted, and the sword energy that had been descending upon the Overlord was cleaved in two, scattering into nothingness.

The Overlord closed the distance with a quick step, transforming his hand into a fist aimed at Mu-hui’s solar plexus.

The force of the punch scattered the energy of the Plum Blossom Mountain, but the Overlord’s fist did not stop.

*Clang!*

A violet flash descended upon the fist. The impact shattered the energy wave, sending it tearing through the garments of both masters.

The Overlord easily dispelled the incoming energy and took another step forward, extending his palm.

Mu-hui retreated, raising his sword to deflect the advancing palm, then slashed diagonally.

In a moment of change, ten sword shadows pierced forward, but they vanished like melting snow against the crimson energy wave that spread like a spider’s web.

Even after dispelling the energy wave with his sword, remnants of it clawed at Mu-hui’s body before disappearing.

‘It’s stronger than during the Black Night Palace’s opening ceremony.’

Despite deflecting most of it, Mu-hui’s hand ached from gripping the sword. He skillfully dispersed the shock throughout his body, shaking off the energy wave.

At the trembling tip of his sword, plum blossoms bloomed in an instant.

Five blossoms floated up, using the Overlord’s energy wave as branches. Petals scattered like snowflakes.

*Crash!*

The Overlord crushed two blossoms with his left palm and tore apart the remaining ones with his right hand, which was imbued with a fierce red wind.

He then lifted his left foot, sending a diagonal gust of wind towards Mu-hui’s upper body.

Mu-hui tilted his body, spinning to evade the wind, channeling the rotation into his sword to unleash a sword energy.

*Swish!*

The sharp petals scattered alongside the fluttering plum blossom robe.

The Overlord, who had been closing the distance, shattered the sword energy with an elbow strike.

Mu-hui maintained a careful distance from the Overlord. The Overlord’s eyes gleamed as he observed Mu-hui.

In a battle between masters, even the simple act of closing or widening the distance could be a decisive move.

‘As I felt during the Grand Tournament, he’s adept at offense and defense. Like an old master.’

The Overlord wasn’t recklessly closing the distance; he was skillfully maintaining it even as he executed his martial arts, but Mu-hui didn’t miss a beat.

Mu-hui was keeping pace with the Overlord in the battle of offense and defense, allowing them to exchange blows at this level.

The Overlord bared his teeth in a grin.

As the Overlord executed his technique, his sleeves trembled violently. A dense crimson energy wave spread like a net, sweeping the area, with a massive palm-shaped force descending from above.

**Heaven-Crushing Net.**

The energy wave scraped the ground, sending dirt and stones flying, narrowing Mu-hui’s range of movement.

The massive force from above sought to crush both the net and Mu-hui within it.

*Boom!*

Mu-hui, stepping forward, unleashed his internal energy throughout his body, dissipating the pressure while raising his sword.

The sword traced a wide arc, overlapping into circles. At the end of its trajectory, plum blossoms bloomed, scattering petals in all directions, tearing through the incoming energy wave.

**Plum Blossom Bloom.**

Mu-hui lightly stepped on the floating petals, thrusting his sword upward with all his might.

The condensed sword energy exploded, transforming into a thick beam of light. Using the beam as branches, the plum blossoms pierced through the Overlord’s massive force, guiding Mu-hui forward.

**Plum Blossom Path.**

But the Overlord anticipated Mu-hui’s counter and immediately unleashed another technique. It was a perfect moment, as Mu-hui was just retracting his sword. The Overlord aimed to disrupt Mu-hui’s flow.

A tempestuous gust of wind, imbued with force, surged and struck Mu-hui’s shoulder.

*Rip!*

“Ugh!”

Mu-hui’s plum blossom robe and martial attire were torn to shreds, and his muscles bore countless small cuts, oozing blood.

Yet Mu-hui closed the distance, deflecting a follow-up strike aimed at his abdomen and attempting to slash the Overlord’s forearm.

*Thud!*

The Overlord’s laughter deepened at Mu-hui’s bold move. The Overlord deflected the sword strike with a flick of his forearm, reaching out with his left hand to grab Mu-hui’s neck.

But the sword, deflected, twisted strangely, aiming to pierce the Overlord’s wrist. The Overlord withdrew his left hand, raising his right fist to counter.

‘Truly peculiar. His martial arts are orthodox, yet his execution is akin to the unorthodox.’

The efficient, practical swordplay, the willingness to endure injury or use it as bait—these were traits not easily found in orthodox martial artists.

*Thud!*

Even as he allowed a strike to his side, Mu-hui endured with his protective energy, pressing into the Overlord’s space.

Mu-hui’s relentless sword strike aimed for the Overlord’s neck.

The Overlord’s hands filled the air with palm shadows.

But Mu-hui, without hesitation, thrust his sword forward.

*Clang!*

In an instant, fifty exchanges passed.

The resulting energy waves and shockwaves mixed, creating a massive storm.

The bridge suspended between the cliffs had long since collapsed, and now the cliff’s edge was slowly cracking and crumbling.

‘Damn it.’

Duk-go Yul watched the scene without blinking, but the movements of the two supreme masters were becoming increasingly rapid, appearing disjointed.

Duk-go Yul pushed his internal energy to its peak, focusing on his vision. Despite the blood vessels bursting in his eyes, he did not look away from the two masters.

*Boom!*

The Overlord, striking Mu-hui from the side with a palm to the waist, checked his torn sleeves.

Mu-hui spat blood. His body was in tatters, but his eyes remained sharp and focused.

In those star-like eyes, one could see that he was aware of standing on the edge of life and death, yet he was reveling in this deadly duel.

The Overlord, recalling someone from those eyes, unleashed a double palm strike.

“If I were to face anyone other than the Three Seats, I would have thought it was the Sword Demon.”

Watching Mu-hui deflect the double palm strike with his sword, the Overlord strengthened his grip.

The swordsman before him strangely reminded him of the Sword Demon.

Eyes that shone with a sharp brilliance, as if dozens of swords were embedded in them.

The spirit to unleash one’s martial prowess and find joy even on the brink of death.

Analyzing the opponent’s martial arts thoroughly, exploiting openings, and employing practical, unorthodox movements and instincts.

Only the martial arts they executed differed.

The Overlord’s eyes flared with a crimson light.

Though not a fatal wound, Mu-hui was steadily leaving sword marks on the Overlord’s body.

To etch even a faint mark on the Overlord’s body, Mu-hui had to pay several times the price.

With accumulated impacts causing his body to creak, Mu-hui showed no signs of retreating, unlike at the start, and the Overlord burst into laughter.

“The martial world took the Sword Demon from me, but in return, it gave me you!”

From the Overlord’s hands, positioned at his sides, countless crimson threads of energy began to pour out, spreading in all directions.

Mu-hui frowned at the intensified energy wave from the Overlord, lowering his stance.

‘Still not enough.’

Several bones were already broken, and his internal energy was fiercely coursing through his meridians, but it was merely suppressing the severe internal injuries from worsening.

Thanks to the fierce battle, Mu-hui had refined the technique of the Breaking Palm, which he had been developing with the help of the Iron Mountain Fist King since the Martial Alliance, but it was still lacking.

Even standing at the crossroads of life and death, gaining enlightenment in battle is no easy feat.

Rather than relying on uncertain enlightenment, Mu-hui focused on enhancing the Breaking Palm technique, which was a method of destruction.

“Ugh.”

Ignoring the blood trickling from his lips, Mu-hui slashed his sword horizontally and vertically. He cut through the energy wave of the Heaven-Crushing Crimson Hand that spread like a spider’s web, but the real challenge lay beyond that.

A massive wave, towering as high as a two-story building, surged forward, its force multiplied by countless overlapping layers of energy. It swelled like a tidal wave, consuming a portion of the cliff before crashing down towards Mu-hui.

The surrounding landscape was being torn apart, and Mu-hui, sensing the imminent danger, raised his sword, the Simmyung Sword, and unleashed the Amhyang Budonghwa technique. Veins bulged on his forehead as he infused each strike with his will, enhancing the technique with the power of the intangible sword.

Countless purple plum blossoms began to bloom over the crimson waves, creating a surreal image of violet flowers floating on a red sea.

Boom!

The clash between two supreme masters painted a breathtaking scene, yet half of the cliff where Mu-hui and the Tyrant were battling vanished in an instant.

“Damn it.”

Despite giving it his all, it wasn’t enough. The wave, not fully dissipated, continued to surge forward, even after consuming the Amhyang Budonghwa and the cliff.

As Mu-hui braced himself to forcibly draw upon his inner energy, a colossal sword strike descended before him.

Crash!

The immense sword light split the overwhelming force of the wave in two, a truly exhilarating strike. Mu-hui gritted his teeth as he saw Dokgo Yul standing before him.

“You crazy fool!”

Even though the power had diminished after evaporating the Amhyang Budonghwa and the surrounding terrain, it was not something that Dokgo Yul, a supreme master, could easily withstand. Yet, the brilliance of Dokgo Yul’s sword technique was undeniable, and Mu-hui knew why.

Innate Qi.

The life force one is born with. Dokgo Yul had drawn upon this innate energy to block the attack. The cost of unleashing such a transcendent strike was severe.

Overwhelmed by the backlash of using his innate energy and the internal injuries from blocking the wave, Dokgo Yul coughed up blood and lost consciousness. This was his utmost effort.

“Dokgo Yul!”

Mu-hui rushed towards the fallen Dokgo Yul but had no time to tend to him. Three massive red forces, unleashed by the Tyrant, were barreling towards them.

All Mu-hui could do was stand in front of Dokgo Yul to shield him. The Tyrant’s outstretched right hand seemed to compress not just the air but space itself.

Despite the crushing pressure, Mu-hui stood firm, holding the Simmyung Sword. No one else could protect his disciple.

He released all the techniques he had woven together, filling in the gaps with desperate steps and swings of his sword.

“Haaah!”

He couldn’t let Dokgo Yul’s sacrifice, using his innate energy to create this fleeting opportunity, go to waste.

‘No matter what, I will save you.’

Mu-hui’s determination to save his disciple infused his entire being with vitality, and the Simmyung Sword, which had been losing its luster, began to glow with a brilliant purple hue once more.

The ethereal light of the sword spread, reclaiming its strength and coloring the surrounding space with its vibrant energy.

With a singular focus on saving his disciple, Mu-hui thrust the Simmyung Sword forward.

The intangible sword, once limited to the blade, now enveloped Mu-hui’s entire body. The Tyrant sensed this change.

“Sword Saint!”

The Tyrant’s hands surged with crimson energy, endlessly pouring forth. Every subtle movement carried intent, and the small actions combined to form a single shape, allowing Mu-hui to continue his assault.

The Simmyung Sword tore through the wave, slicing through the unleashed energy, and the Tyrant’s eyes widened as the sword, now imbued with a fierce purple light, flew towards him.

A technique woven to save his disciple.

Wave-Cutting, Disciple-Saving Strike.

Slash!

Blood spurted from the Tyrant’s outstretched right hand. Mu-hui gritted his teeth, frustrated that he hadn’t severed the arm entirely.

‘Was it too shallow?’

The wound was deep, exposing muscle and bone.

“Hahaha! Excellent!”

The Tyrant laughed, unfazed, and swung his left fist. Unlike Mu-hui, who was nearing his limit, the Tyrant still had the strength to unleash several more supreme techniques.

The relentless barrage of punches made the cliff tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

Boom!

The Tyrant’s onslaught not only overwhelmed Mu-hui and Dokgo Yul but also caused the already crumbling cliff to collapse.

Mu-hui and Dokgo Yul were swept away by the collapse, plummeting down the cliff.

“Not now!”

The sudden collapse caught the Tyrant off guard, his eyes widening in surprise. This meant he couldn’t ensure a definitive end.

He quickly leaped to the edge of the cliff, but Mu-hui and Dokgo Yul had already vanished into the abyss below.

The Tyrant stared down at the void where the two had disappeared for a long time.

* * *

“Damn it!”

Even as he fell, Mu-hui clung to the unconscious Dokgo Yul with one hand.

Dokgo Yul was out cold, and Mu-hui was gravely injured. At this rate, they wouldn’t die fighting but from the fall.

“I won’t die a dog’s death.”

Mu-hui glanced at Dokgo Yul, then, with trembling hands, began to move the Simmyung Sword towards the cliff.