Moo-hwi watched the mesmerizing dance of the Amhyangpyo and slashed his sword diagonally.

The path of his blade branched out like the roots of a tree, following the fierce sweep of his sleeves, and petals danced around him.

As the shockwaves reverberated through the spear, Sa Do-cheon released his grip with his right hand, allowing the spear to tremble and naturally absorb the impact.

Using the spear’s vibrations to his advantage, Cheonju aimed for Moo-hwi’s vital points, his spear striking with the precision of a multi-headed serpent baring its fangs.

In the blink of an eye, over twenty thrusts were exchanged. Moo-hwi parried each one, and as the spear lunged for his solar plexus, he countered with the flat of his sword.

Clang!

At the moment of contact, Moo-hwi flipped his sword, deflecting the spear upward and closing the distance between them.

The spear bent precariously under Moo-hwi’s swordplay, prompting Cheonju to smoothly slide his right hand along the spear’s shaft.

The spear, bending like a snake’s head, struck again at Moo-hwi. He spun to the left, evading the attack, and slashed horizontally, sending a wave of sword energy.

Sa Do-cheon deflected the attack with the opposite end of his spear, a curious smile playing on his lips.

“I expected as much from the rumors…”

Sa Do-cheon had been keeping a close eye on Moo-hwi, aware of his astonishing growth. Yet, facing him now, Moo-hwi’s progress exceeded all expectations.

In their exchanges, Moo-hwi showed no signs of being overwhelmed. He matched Sa Do-cheon’s strategies, sometimes even outpacing him.

“Good thing I saved this.”

Amidst the swirling petals, Moo-hwi’s swordplay unfolded in countless violet arcs, alive and ever-changing, dizzying to behold.

Cheonju, rather than trying to read the changes, decided to pierce through them entirely, gripping his spear with renewed strength.

Whoosh!

The spear’s fierce wind tore through the air, the dark brown spear energy spinning faster and faster.

With a twist of his wrist, the spear’s rotation transformed into a massive whirlwind.

Black Swirl.

The spear energy, spinning like a drill, shredded through Moo-hwi’s cloud-like defenses.

Squinting against the gale, Moo-hwi wielded his sword with a graceful yet powerful stroke. From his sword’s path emerged a great plum blossom.

The plum blossom of Plum Blossom Winter endured the storm of the Black Swirl.

Crack!

Though the blossom was torn into dozens of pieces by the violent winds, the spear energy was also neutralized.

Anticipating this, Cheonju was already swinging his spear wide, the dark brown arc slicing through the air.

As Moo-hwi moved with the Amhyangpyo, the ground where he had stood split open like a yawning mouth.

Cheonju looked up at Moo-hwi, who was airborne, and clenched his empty left hand.

A long, dark brown spear materialized, its presence rippling through the air.

With his long hair billowing in the spear’s wake, Cheonju unleashed a formless spear with his left hand.

Swoosh!

The formless spear, accelerating as it tore through the air, reached Moo-hwi in an instant.

In mid-air, Moo-hwi shifted his weight and executed the Breaking Spear Seeking Hero.

His sword, glowing a deep violet, split the formless spear in two, and he followed up with Plum Shadow River, striking upward.

“Haha!”

Cheonju shook his head in delight as Moo-hwi effortlessly cleaved through his formless spear.

The violet sword energy, growing denser, created an unstoppable flow, joined by the surrounding petals.

Like the mighty flow of the Yangtze River, the wave of sword energy surged down upon Cheonju.

The Plum Shadow River’s technique, swallowing hundreds of changes, threatened to sweep away not just Cheonju but the entire area.

The violet hue of the sword energy washed over Cheonju’s face.

“That’s it!”

Cheonju leaped, swinging his spear wildly. Though it seemed random, his spear precisely disrupted the flow of Plum Shadow River, breaking the technique’s connections.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, Cheonju retreated. The area around him was devastated, marked by countless sword scars.

Cheonju tore off his cumbersome sleeves and laughed.

“Back then, you were just an amusing toy. Now, you’re quite the entertaining plaything!”

Sa Do-cheon’s aura surged, lifting small stones and clumps of earth into the air.

“You haven’t tasted defeat yet, so you can still talk like that.”

Moo-hwi’s aura pushed back against Sa Do-cheon’s, a smile playing on his lips.

Rumble!

Sa Do-cheon’s aura was fierce, but Moo-hwi’s was no less formidable.

As the violet aura shimmered like starlight from his shoulders to his feet, it expanded its domain.

The clash of their auras alone echoed like thunder in the sky.

“I grew strong to experience all the wonders of this world. But what about you? What drives you to such strength? I’m curious.”

“If you’re confident, try making me talk.”

“Even the other Three Seats wouldn’t dare say such a thing.”

Moo-hwi’s words drew a broad grin from Cheonju.

Moo-hwi deflected another spear strike aimed at his brow, taking in Sa Do-cheon’s every move.

The changes in spear technique, the movements of hands and feet, the gaze and breath, the shifts in aura.

None of Sa Do-cheon’s information escaped Moo-hwi’s senses.

Unlike before, when he struggled to predict the next move, Moo-hwi now stood on equal footing with Sa Do-cheon.

“I can see it all clearly.”

With this newfound clarity, Moo-hwi’s movements changed. His steps, guided by the Amhyangpyo, were bold and confident.

A net of tightly woven techniques descended upon Moo-hwi, leaving no room to escape.

Yet, Moo-hwi, moving like the wind, passed through effortlessly, like a butterfly in graceful flight.

He danced through the onslaught of spear strikes, his plum blossom robe fluttering as he drew a large arc with his sword.

The violet sword energy, centered around the Simmyung Sword, blossomed, scattering petals in all directions.

Plum Fragrance Drunken Butterfly.

The intensified sword scent pricked Sa Do-cheon’s nose. As he inhaled, petals fell like a drunken butterfly.

The petals, fluttering chaotically, danced beyond Moo-hwi’s reach, moving of their own accord.

Even as Cheonju swung his spear to scatter the petals, they persistently returned.

Hidden among the swirling petals, Moo-hwi approached, his sword enveloped in layers of violet energy.

Closing the gap between spear and sword.

The spear’s serpentine shaft and spearhead alternated their attacks, but they couldn’t shake Moo-hwi.

As the spear’s advantage in distance vanished, and the sword’s range was achieved, Cheonju stepped forward as if waiting for this moment.

Gripping the spear like a short spear, Cheonju charged at Moo-hwi, closing the distance.

He thrust the spear in short, sharp jabs, pressing Moo-hwi back. It was as if he wielded a short spear or dagger, not a long spear.

“You’re not the first to try this.”

In a martial duel, the distance dictated by weapons is crucial.

Having faced countless unscrupulous opponents, Sa Do-cheon had mastered not just maintaining distance but using it for counterattacks.

Clang!

In the close quarters where they could feel each other’s breath, spear and sword clashed. Though the space was too tight for the sword, Moo-hwi countered with the unique techniques of the Mount Hua Sect.

As Moo-hwi retreated, Sa Do-cheon mirrored him, switching his grip on the spear.

Whoosh!

Once more, Sa Do-cheon’s wide-ranging offensive, based on the spear’s overwhelming length, unfolded. Each sweep of the spear altered the terrain.

After dozens of clashes, the fierce collision of their energies forced both Cheonju and Moo-hwi to step back.

Sa Do-cheon refused to easily yield the distance to Moo-hwi, whether at long or short range.

“Sa Do-cheon, unlike before, you’re meticulous about maintaining distance.”

The moment Sado Cheonju was about to swing his spear, he hesitated at Mu Hui’s words. Then, with a grin that stretched his lips wide and eyes that narrowed upwards, he spoke.

“Ah, it’s been a long time. A fight like this.”

Sado Cheonju felt his heart race for the first time in ages. The opponent before him, the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, was not one to be underestimated, not even for a moment. The thrill of battle made his blood boil, and the spear in his hands grew warmer with anticipation.

“Heh. The Spear of the Night Sky, one of the Three Seats. I acknowledge you. Perhaps we should call you the Four Seats now, including the Sword Saint of Mount Hua.”

“I won’t refuse.”

Mu Hui gathered the energy of the Purple Mist Sword, concentrating it into his Heart Sword. The blade darkened to a deep black, yet shimmered with a violet hue.

“Three Seats. Isn’t it time to retire? How long do you plan to keep this up?”

With those words, Mu Hui launched himself forward, and Sado Cheonju thrust his spear straight ahead. At the tip of the spear, a dark brown energy flared like fire, trailing upwards in dozens of light strands that danced like tails.

It was as if he had poured all his remaining strength into the spear, focusing it entirely on this one strike. Sado Cheonju, with the spear held close to his waist, executed a flawless, straight thrust without any deviation.

His breath exploded outwards as he unleashed his ultimate technique, the Night-Piercing Flash.

Mu Hui met this deadly thrust with his Heart Sword, slicing vertically with unwavering precision.

The clash of spear and sword at a single point.

A resonant hum filled the air as the dark brown light scattered in all directions, only to be swallowed by the pervasive purple mist.

When the storm of energy subsided, the ground where the two masters had clashed had sunk, transforming the landscape into a basin.

“Hoo.”

Sado Cheonju let out a light sigh, chuckling as he watched Mu Hui, who stood unscathed, lowering his sword.

“Too bad. If it hadn’t veered slightly, I could have pierced right through.”

He glanced at the blood spreading on Mu Hui’s thigh before turning away.

“That old man is coming. I should be going.”

Mu Hui, too, sensed the approaching presence of the Sword Sage from afar.

“Running away, are you?”

“Why die for pride when you can live to fight another day? As long as I’m alive, there’s always tomorrow.”

Watching Sado Cheonju’s retreating figure, Mu Hui examined the wound on his thigh, testing his leg with a few steps before sitting cross-legged on the spot. Chasing Sado Cheonju with an injured leg seemed futile.

As Mu Hui closed his eyes to reflect on the life-and-death battle, Sado Cheonju, using the last of his strength for a swift escape, assessed his own condition.

“Unbelievable. Not even the Overlord or the Sword Sage could easily break through my defense.”

Sado Cheonju prided himself on having the best defense among the Three Seats. Yet, here it was, shattered.

He muttered to himself, looking at the dark red stains spreading across his shoulder and side.

“Different. It’s different.”

The sword strike from the Mount Hua sect was of a different caliber. That final strike was astonishingly sharp and powerful.

It had broken through the protective aura he wore like armor, leaving marks on his body—two of them, no less.

“Heh. Targeting the leg was a smart move. Any mistake, and I might have been saying goodbye to life. Thrilling. This is what makes the martial world worth living in.”

Sado Cheonju chuckled to himself as he disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a trail of blood droplets.

* * *

The right arm of the Black Night Palace Lord, gripping someone’s neck, was frozen solid. Yet, the Palace Lord let out a sinister smile, summoning dark energy.

“Blue Ice King. Stronger than the rumors. That was fun.”

The darkness surrounding the Palace Lord converged, swallowing the Blue Ice King whole.

“Hoo.”

As the Blue Ice King vanished, the ice encasing the Palace Lord’s arm shattered into tiny pieces and disappeared.

“Palace Lord, the Great Protector has fallen. It was the Sword Saint of Mount Hua.”

“Hmm.”

Nodding at the report from his subordinate, the Black Night Palace Lord murmured.

“What a pity. That old man should have died by my hand.”

With a brief reflection, the Palace Lord resumed his steps, vanishing into the shadows once more.