“Swordmaster, step forward.”

At the call of Heukcheon, the Swordmaster adjusted the front of his robe, smoothing it down with a sense of calm reverence. He grasped the hilt of his sword, exuding a quiet dignity.

“We just sparred. Are you sure you’re up for this? Perhaps a short rest would be wise.”

“I’m fine. Now is the perfect time.”

Mu-hui agreed silently. Heukcheon’s breathing was as steady as it had been when he was seated on the rock.

“Very well then.”

The Swordmaster nodded at Mu-hui, a silent message passing between them: ‘Watch closely.’

He rose to his feet, and at the peak of Joyangbong, he faced Heukcheon. The stark contrast between Heukcheon’s black robe and the Swordmaster’s white attire was striking.

Heukcheon eyed the ancient pine-patterned sword in the Swordmaster’s hand.

“It’s a fine sword. Even sheathed, it commands presence. Its aura is perfectly contained.”

The Swordmaster gently caressed the faded scabbard. “I received it when I came of age. We’ve been together for over a century.”

“It may not compare to your sword, but…”

Heukcheon reached into the surrounding darkness, pulling forth a long, shadowy blade.

“Are you planning to use a sword?”

“Facing a Swordmaster, it seems only fitting.”

The Swordmaster chuckled softly. “You seemed adept with a spear against the palace lord. How many weapons have you mastered?”

“I can handle most. Back when you were known as the Azure Cloud Sword, I dabbled in exotic weapons, but they didn’t hold my interest.”

The Swordmaster’s lips tightened at the mention of his old moniker, Azure Cloud Sword. How long had this man endured through the ages?

“Impressive.”

The Swordmaster gripped his sword and slowly drew it. They say a well-crafted weapon gains a spirit over time, rather than deteriorating. As the ancient sword emerged from its scabbard, it shone brightly, especially against Heukcheon’s dark blade.

As their feet shifted slightly, a flash of black and white light crossed the air.

Boom!

Amidst the thunderous clash, the two masters exchanged dozens of strikes in mere moments.

Heukcheon’s swordplay was unpredictable. He would launch a heavy strike, then twist into a swift thrust, seamlessly blending different styles into a single move, or abruptly switching between techniques.

Yet, the Swordmaster’s flowing arcs absorbed the onslaught, rendering them ineffective.

The Swordmaster watched his bending blade. ‘Not a single flaw.’

If there had been even a slight opening, he would have exploited it. But he found none.

As he parried Heukcheon’s attacks, the Swordmaster realized anew that the man before him was truly a martial fanatic.

Clang!

Not a single clash was simple. Heukcheon read the trajectory of the Swordmaster’s moves, avoiding direct contact and disrupting the path.

Sensing this, the Swordmaster boldly extended his blade in a straight line, countering Heukcheon’s strategy.

Around them, invisible swords clashed and shattered, creating a storm of energy.

Even as he deflected a lightning-fast strike, the Swordmaster had to step back. Above him, Heukcheon’s dark blade descended.

With his retreating left foot, the Swordmaster drew a small circle, while his sword traced a larger one.

The circles overlapped, spinning in different directions.

Whoosh!

Seventeen strikes aimed precisely at the retreating Swordmaster were swept aside by the circular flow.

Heukcheon murmured in admiration.

Crash!

The Swordmaster felt the impact of the deflected strikes as they shattered the natural landscape behind him. Each strike carried the power of a supreme master.

“Remarkable!”

Heukcheon’s movements quickened.

The number of strikes in a single breath exceeded a hundred, like facing a natural disaster.

The accumulating shockwaves formed a towering vortex around them, reaching the height of a four-story building.

‘He is truly beyond human.’

As the exchanges continued, the Swordmaster marveled at Heukcheon’s prowess, as if he alone stood in a different realm.

Heukcheon’s strikes had a demonic power that could break the will of any opponent.

But not the Swordmaster.

He relaxed his grip slightly, holding his sword gently.

‘All I can do is show the fruits of my training.’

Their swords crossed in an X, and the impact pushed both back. Heukcheon retreated half a step, while the Swordmaster staggered back three.

Yet, he quickly regained his stance, tilting his sword forward.

Two opposing energies surged along the blade. The yin-yang energy of the Yang’s Divine Art.

Black and white energies twisted around the blade.

The Swordmaster looked ahead.

Heukcheon’s growing assault.

The intertwining paths of his strikes spread like a vast mountain.

The formidable paths converged into a single move, rushing toward the Swordmaster.

“Taiyong Myeolsan. The move that ended the Sword King.”

Even amidst the vibrating air, Heukcheon’s voice was clear.

The mountain at the tip of the dark blade crumbled, cascading toward the Swordmaster like an avalanche.

“Magnificent.”

The Swordmaster’s beard trembled precariously.

Before the overwhelming assault, he felt insignificant.

Yet, he stood his ground. Mu-hui clenched his fists as he watched.

The Swordmaster’s blade extended straight ahead.

The energies at the tip danced, forming a large circle. Concentric circles rippled outward from the center.

Taiji Flow.

Whoosh!

The sound of flowing water accompanied the gentle deflection of Heukcheon’s strikes, which passed harmlessly by the Swordmaster.

Then, the Swordmaster moved gracefully.

Thud!

With a single step, Joyangbong trembled.

The yin-yang energies, once in harmony, clashed violently.

The Taiji Flow transformed.

The graceful arcs gained a domineering force. The Swordmaster’s sleeves fluttered wildly.

Each thrust of the ancient sword split Heukcheon’s strikes and shadows.

The Swordmaster didn’t just deflect Heukcheon’s supreme techniques; he shattered them head-on.

Crash!

The collision of yin and yang unleashed immense power, forcing even Heukcheon to momentarily retreat.

Yet, Heukcheon seemed to relish the challenge, intensifying his precise strikes against the Swordmaster’s Taiji Flow.

In response, the Swordmaster steadied his sword.

“Taiji True Flow. The move that beheaded the Star of Extreme Thirst forty years ago.”

The ancient sword moved slowly, almost as if it had stopped.

Yet, the strikes aimed at the Swordmaster dissipated before reaching him.

As if nothing could disturb him now.

The path left by the sword was a beautiful curve, like a comet’s tail.

The curve glowed with a subtle black and white light, forming a Taiji symbol.

Another, larger Taiji appeared above it.

This time, the yin-yang energies clashed fiercely, creating jagged lines. Yet, they completed a Taiji.

Harmony and conflict within the Taiji.

The Taiji is the principle of all things, encompassing both harmony and conflict.

Countless Taiji symbols emerged from the sword’s tip. Heukcheon narrowed his eyes at the myriad forms.

“A sword embodying the ultimate truth.”

The Taiji symbols in the air converged on the ancient sword. A simple path extended from it.

A path both bright and dark, serene and intense.

It was profound and mystical.

Taiji True Flow.

As the pure black and white light of the sword clashed before him, Heukcheon raised his demonic sword diagonally.

“If someone wielding such a sword isn’t a Sword Saint, then who could possibly be?”

The demonic sword extended slowly, then shot forward.

From its tip erupted a void of silence and darkness, stretching endlessly.

A single night, a thousand miles.

The darkness collided with the black and white light of the sword.

For a moment, they seemed to push against each other, but then the light vanished, leaving only darkness.

In an instant, the peak of Joyangbong was shrouded in shadow. When the darkness lifted, Heukcheon and the Sword Saint stood facing each other.

With a soft rustle, the Sword Saint lowered his Songmun Ancient Sword. A crack appeared from the blade’s tip, and it crumbled into dust, disappearing entirely.

The Sword Saint could only open and close his now-empty right hand, watching the remnants of his sword drift away on the wind with a bitter smile.

“It seems I’ve lost.”

“Sword Saint, I salute you. I can’t even remember the last time I suffered an internal injury. Your sword truly touched the realm of the divine. A little further, and you might have glimpsed the boundary of the natural realm.”

Heukcheon lowered his gaze slightly, focusing on the Sword Saint’s dantian.

“Is your dantian shattered?”

“Not completely. It’s more accurate to say it’s cracked.”

Hearing this, the faces of Muhui and Hyeopje hardened.

“I intended to kill you. I thought ‘A single night, a thousand miles’ would be enough. Yet, here you stand. You’re the first to survive my intent to kill.”

After a moment of contemplation, Heukcheon spoke again.

“It’s a shame for this enjoyment to end here. The outcome is obvious if we continue like this.”

Heukcheon turned to Muhui and Hyeopje.

“Victors, Sword Saint and Hyeopje. Join forces with them. Sword Saint, I propose one final duel at Mount Hua.”

The Sword Saint shook his head after a brief pause.

“I refuse. It’s pointless.”

“Why?”

“I’ve gauged your level by crossing swords with you directly. What use is a team battle or joint attack? Even if there were a chance of victory, three people struggling together would be laughable. The Mount Hua duel is meant to be a stage of righteousness.”

The Sword Saint dispersed his demonic sword into the darkness.

“Then are you saying you’ll give up and let everyone die?”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“Regardless of the outcome, I want the Mount Hua duel to remain a stage of righteousness. So, only Muhui will face you.”

As Heukcheon’s brow furrowed slightly, the Sword Saint touched his abdomen, where his dantian was.

“My internal energy will return to nature in time. I’ll pass everything of mine to Muhui and watch the outcome of the Mount Hua duel.”

The Sword Saint’s words left even the other supreme masters, including Heukcheon, momentarily speechless.

“Sword Saint, even if your dantian is cracked and your energy is dissipating, with your level, you could hold on for at least five more years. Yet you choose to forgo that and face death?”

The Sword Saint had lived for over a hundred and thirty years, his long life largely sustained by his internal energy.

Without it, his death could come at any moment.

“I’m not accepting death. Passing everything from the past to the future—that’s how righteousness grows stronger. I will challenge you again through the path of righteousness.”

The Sword Saint smiled brightly.

Seeing that radiant smile, Heukcheon closed his eyes.

“A duel between good and evil…”

Having made his decision, Heukcheon looked at the Sword Saint and Muhui.

“I respect your choice. You have earned that right. Let’s meet in three days. Then, we’ll see the end of the Mount Hua duel.”

The darkness around Heukcheon rippled.

He vanished into the shadows, leaving the remaining supreme masters on Joyangbong.

Silence descended upon the peak.