Mount Joyangbong couldn’t withstand the clash between Dokgogu and the Plum Blossom’s Fragrance, and part of it had simply vanished.

Though it still boasted a height that seemed to pierce the sky, it was noticeably lower than it had been just days before. At the summit, nothing remained but a thick plume of smoke rising from the ground.

The earth appeared to have melted, and Mu-hui stood alone in the center, dignified and solitary.

As the air, which had fled from the collision of the two martial artists, returned, the plum blossom’s long robe fluttered. Meanwhile, Heukcheon descended slowly from the sky, hands clasped behind his back.

His martial attire was soaked with bloodstains.

“You managed to withstand Dokgogu,” Heukcheon said, his voice faint.

“Plum Blossom’s Fragrance. It’s the martial art of someone who has lived two lives, as both a sword ghost and a sword saint. Without that, you couldn’t have completed this technique.”

“That’s right,” Mu-hui nodded weakly.

Heukcheon looked at Mu-hui, who was barely standing.

“A life without defeat was so dull and lonely. Meeting a worthy opponent at the end, unleashing all my martial skills, and experiencing my first defeat… it’s truly liberating.”

True to his name, Dokgogu, which means “seeking defeat,” Heukcheon spoke of his loss with a serene expression.

He raised his trembling right arm.

Hundreds, thousands of sword strikes from the Plum Blossom’s Fragrance had been absorbed by his body. Heukcheon was barely maintaining his physical form through sheer will, but even that was reaching its limit.

His right arm began to crumble from the fingertips, like sand. Yet, Heukcheon smiled.

It was the most human smile he had ever shown.

“The path won’t be lonely. Your sword’s fragrance will be everywhere.”

Heukcheon’s body scattered in an instant, leaving only an echoing voice behind.

“Mount Hua’s Sword Saint. You are the greatest under heaven.”

Those were Heukcheon’s final words.

Watching Heukcheon disperse into the vast sky, Mu-hui slowly collapsed.

“Ah…”

Mu-hui let out a soft sigh, struggling to move his body, which was losing control.

Before the backlash from burning his innate energy could hit, he began to circulate his qi, trying to minimize the damage.

Barely managing to sit cross-legged, Mu-hui started his meditation and soon lost consciousness, as if falling asleep.

He found himself alone on a mountain.

“I was sure I started meditating… Is this a dream?”

Mu-hui murmured as he walked along a suddenly appearing mountain path. The surrounding landscape felt strangely familiar. After a few steps, he realized where he was.

“Mount Geombong.”

The mountain where he often trained with Hyeonjo.

Mu-hui continued up the path, and soon, the small hut he had built with Hyeonjo came into view. A man was sitting there, waiting for him.

Mu-hui’s steps halted abruptly at the sight of the man.

The man, wearing the robes of the Mount Hua Sect, looked at Mu-hui with a warm smile.

“Hyeonjo?”

As if rooted to the spot, Mu-hui didn’t move, so Hyeonjo stood up and approached him.

He murmured something, but Mu-hui couldn’t hear his voice. Yet, he could read the words from Hyeonjo’s lips.

– You’ve worked hard, Hyeon.

Mu-hui shook his head.

“It wasn’t hard at all. Without you, I wouldn’t have had a new chance.”

– You’re as stiff as ever.

“In both my past life and this one, I wouldn’t have come this far without you.”

Hyeonjo smiled gently and patted Mu-hui’s shoulder before walking past him along the mountain path.

Mu-hui tried to follow, but no matter how much he walked, he couldn’t catch up to Hyeonjo.

“Where are you going?”

Mu-hui shouted urgently, but Hyeonjo only turned and smiled.

“Hyeon, enjoy your new life.”

At that moment, Hyeonjo’s voice, which had been inaudible until now, rang clear.

Mu-hui’s eyes snapped open.

The ceiling above him was unfamiliar, yet he felt he had seen it before.

“Mu-hui! Are you awake?”

Seeing Baek Jin, the head of the Healing Hall, leaning over him, Mu-hui realized he was in the Healing Hall.

‘It’s the first time I’ve woken up in this body since I first arrived here.’

Mu-hui slowly moved his limbs and nodded.

“Yes, I think I’m alright.”

“Thank goodness. When we found you, it seemed like you might stop breathing at any moment, so the headmaster brought out the Zaha and Jaso pills. The Sword Sage also infused you with internal energy.”

“Ah!”

Mu-hui sighed. The mention of the Sword Sage infusing him with energy made him exhale deeply.

‘Once again, I’m just receiving.’

Mu-hui sat up and began to breathe using the Zaha Divine Art. Thanks to the headmaster’s quick action with the elixirs and the Sword Sage’s help, he seemed to have weathered the backlash from burning his innate energy.

However…

‘Roughly… twenty years, perhaps.’

Even with the elixirs and the Sword Sage’s assistance, it wasn’t possible to replenish the innate energy he had recklessly burned without regard for the future.

Mu-hui instinctively knew that burning his innate energy had shortened his lifespan. His body was acutely aware of the void left by the loss of innate energy.

Yet, Mu-hui felt no regret.

Heukcheon was a man who had accumulated countless years alone.

Even if they had perished together, he was an opponent worth it. Compared to that, losing twenty years of life was a small price to pay.

“Mu-hui!”

The Sword Sage and the other supreme masters who had been waiting on Yeonhwabong appeared. The Sword Sage looked at Mu-hui with a mix of pity and concern.

“Are you alright?”

He wasn’t just asking about external or internal injuries.

Having infused Mu-hui with internal energy himself, the Sword Sage was well aware of Mu-hui’s condition. Knowing this, Mu-hui simply smiled.

“I’m fine.”

The Sword Sage didn’t press further.

“Good. That’s all that matters.”

The Patriarch, with his empty sleeve flapping, asked urgently.

“Mu-hui, what happened to Heukcheon? There’s no trace of him left.”

The Overlord and the Heavenly Lord also waited for Mu-hui to speak.

“He vanished without leaving a body.”

At Mu-hui’s words, the supreme masters nodded. Though they didn’t show it openly, smiles began to spread across their faces.

“Interesting. So the Mount Hua Sword Saint has truly become the greatest under heaven. In the end, I created the greatest with my own hands.”

Only the Heavenly Lord laughed openly.

“Finally, the Mount Hua Sword Competition is over.”

The Overlord murmured, and the Patriarch nodded.

“Now I can finally relax.”

Seeing the supreme masters’ curiosity about the duel, Mu-hui explained the details.

“Hmm…”

The supreme masters occasionally hummed in thought, focusing intently on Mu-hui’s story.

They seemed to be mentally sparring with Heukcheon, based on their own experiences and Mu-hui’s account.

“Anyway, Mu-hui is now the greatest under heaven.”

A satisfied smile spread across the Sword Sage’s lips, and Mu-hui’s lips curled up as well.

“Yes. This junior is now the greatest under heaven.”

With the conclusion of the Mount Hua Sword Competition confirmed, the supreme masters descended from Mount Hua.

The martial artists waiting at the base of the mountain were puzzled to see the supreme masters descending shoulder to shoulder, but they were soon shocked by the words that followed.

“The Mount Hua Sword Saint is the greatest under heaven.”

The Sword Sage’s powerful voice, infused with internal energy, echoed like a lion’s roar across the entire region.

“Hmm?”

“Wow. Truly unexpected.”

Though the martial artists were skeptical, the Patriarch and the other three seats showed no reaction, so they had no choice but to accept it.

“The Sword Saint won the final victory in the Mount Hua Sword Competition.”

“The times have truly changed!”

“Then that plum blossom fragrance must be…”

The martial artists still remembered the intense plum blossom fragrance that had spread far and wide beyond Mount Hua. Just thinking about it made their noses tingle.

Having confirmed the results of the Mount Hua Sword Competition and the emergence of a new greatest under heaven, the martial artists began to leave the region.

As martial artists from all over the world dispersed, news of the Mount Hua Sword Competition and the new greatest under heaven was sure to spread quickly.

“The leader said the Mount Hua Sect will remain closed for another month.”

Returning from a brief meeting with the Patriarch, Jegal Myung informed the younger generation gathered around him.

It was a measure to ensure Mu-hui’s recovery, as many were sure to climb Mount Hua once news of the competition spread.

“As long as the leader is safe, that’s all that matters.”

“Indeed. There will be many more opportunities to meet, so let’s look forward to next time.”

“All’s well that ends well. Let’s head back.”

Sodeongdae turned to return to the Martial Alliance with the Patriarch.

“Ugh. Closed doors, huh.”

As Dokgo Yul grumbled, Seonju shook her head beside him.

“It’s fine. It means he’s safe, after all. As long as he’s alive, that’s all that matters.”

Despite her words, Seonju finally seemed to relax, as if a weight had been lifted, and she sank into a chair at a nearby table.

Watching her, Dokgo Yul chuckled and looked up at Mount Hua.

‘Master. I’ll see you next time.’

Sodeongdae left, and Dokgo Yul followed.

Left alone, Seonju sipped plum tea from a guesthouse in the region, gazing at Mount Hua.

Though she spoke confidently, her feet were reluctant to leave.

“Brother… you haven’t lost any limbs, have you?”

Even if he had, as long as he was alive, it didn’t matter. But it was only natural to worry, having heard the news of the greatest under heaven but not having seen it with her own eyes.

Seonju savored the plum fragrance lingering in her mouth from the tea, recalling the Plum Blossom’s Fragrance she had experienced before. Finally, she let go of her worries.

“Now that you’ve become the best in the world, I must work even harder. I’ll come back later.”

Seonju finished her plum blossom tea and stood up. Instead of waiting another month at Hwaeum, she chose to return to Jongnam to continue her training.

Mu-hwi would surely do the same.

* * *

“Ahh.”

Mu-hwi opened his eyes after completing his meditation.

Since regaining consciousness at Hwaeum Pavilion, he had devoted himself to meditation for seven days and nights. Thanks to this, he had fully recovered.

As he stepped out of the small hut, the first light of dawn greeted him. With his sword at his side, Mu-hwi strolled leisurely along the familiar mountain path.

This path led directly to the training grounds of the second-generation disciples.

“Haap!”

As he approached, the powerful shouts of the disciples pierced the crisp morning air.

Swish!

Drawing closer, he could hear the sharp sound of blades slicing through the air.

The second-generation disciples were lined up in formation at the grand training ground, continuing their morning practice under Mujin’s command.

Though they had already mastered advanced techniques like the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art, they always began their day with the basic Six Harmonies Sword technique.

These disciples were faithfully following Mu-hwi’s initial teachings.

“Time really has flown by.”

Watching them, Mu-hwi recalled the first time he had observed their morning practice.

Back then, they had clumsily mimicked the Six Harmonies Sword with wooden swords. Now, they wielded plum blossom swords, and some even wore the plum blossom robes.

Most importantly, they executed the Six Harmonies Sword flawlessly, with no room for criticism.

“They haven’t noticed me.”

Neither Mujin nor the disciples below the platform realized Mu-hwi was there. It wasn’t because he was hiding his presence, but because their focus had sharpened.

Mu-hwi crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, watching their practice.

As the sun began to scatter the morning mist, the disciples’ training came to an end.

“Senior Brother!”

Mujin, standing on the platform, was the first to spot Mu-hwi. His shout turned the heads of the other disciples.

“Senior Brother!”

The disciples rushed toward Mu-hwi, surrounding him in an instant.

“Senior Brother, are you alright now?”

“How’s your health?”

Mu-hwi took a step back from their eager inquiries.

“I’m fine now, so calm down.”

Mujin approached during the commotion.

“Senior Brother, shouldn’t you have Elder Baekjin check your pulse?”

“No need. I’m fully recovered. I’ll resume training at Maehwagak this afternoon.”

The disciples were taken aback.

“Wow… Are you serious, Senior Brother?”

“How about taking a break, Senior Brother?”

Mu-hwi replied firmly to Musan and Muho.

“After sitting and meditating for so long, my body feels stiff. But first, I need some food. I haven’t eaten in seven days, and my stomach is protesting.”

The disciples followed Mu-hwi to the dining hall.

“Senior Brother, tell us about the Hwasan Martial Arts Tournament over a meal.”

At Mujin’s suggestion, the other disciples nodded eagerly.

“Alright.”

Mu-hwi’s agreement brought smiles to their faces. Meanwhile, Muhwa chimed in.

“Senior Brother, the martial world was abuzz while you were meditating. They say a new best in the world has emerged.”

“That makes sense.”

Mu-cheol, who had been quietly standing by Mu-hwi’s side, added, “Your title has changed too, Senior Brother.”

“My title? What is it now?”

Mu-cheol smiled faintly.

“Sword God of Fragrance.”

The title “Sword God of Fragrance” was inspired by the plum blossom scent that had spread beyond Hwaeum, reaching all martial artists gathered there. Some even claimed to have smelled it from beyond Hwaeum.

The title combined “Fragrance” for the widespread scent and “Sword God” for defeating the formidable Heukcheon, whom even the Three Elders couldn’t best.

Hearing the meaning behind his new title, Mu-hwi chuckled.

“Not bad.”

“The Sect Leader and the elders are quite pleased with it,” Mujin added.

Mu-hwi nodded. It was understandable. After all, he was the first new Sword God since the founder of the Hwasan Sect, the Six Harmonies Sword God.

As the dining hall came into view, Mu-hwi quickened his pace.

“Alright, let’s eat quickly and get back to training.”

Despite becoming the best in the world, the Sword God, Mu-hwi remained unchanged, and the disciples followed him with laughter.

And so, three years passed.