The Alliance of the Heavens.

A coalition formed by uniting all the martial sects beyond the Great Wall, a feat made possible by the emergence of a singular figure after two hundred years.

The Supreme of the Outer Lands. The Thunder God.

Under the Thunder God’s lightning, all sects of the Outer Lands bowed. Having established the Alliance of the Heavens and ascended to supremacy, the Thunder God turned his gaze toward the Central Plains.

“Thunder God, we are nearing Mount Kunlun.”

“Hmm. I was growing weary of this endless grassland.”

The Thunder God observed the majestic mountain range piercing the clouds, reaching for the sky. It was more like a colossal wall connecting the earth and the heavens than a mere mountain.

His eyes gleamed as he took in the sight of Mount Kunlun.

“Indeed… it is worthy of being called the shield of the Central Plains martial world.”

As the banner of the Alliance of the Heavens fluttered across the plains, the Thunder God, leading the warriors of the Outer Lands, raised a hand.

The advancing warriors halted in unison. At the edge of the plains, a group awaited the Alliance. As the Alliance stopped, the waiting group approached.

The Thunder God addressed the cautious figure stepping forward.

“Who are you?”

His voice, as light as a breeze, swept across the plains, causing the grass to bow as if in submission. The elder, feeling the power in the voice, steadied his breath.

“I am Yoon Sora, head of the Kunlun Sect.”

“And I am Jahong Yoon, head of the Qinghai branch of the Martial Alliance.”

Behind them stood the first disciples of the Kunlun Sect and the warriors of the Qinghai branch of the Martial Alliance.

Yet, compared to the vast number of warriors from the Alliance of the Heavens spread across the plains, their group of fifty seemed insignificant.

“What business do you have blocking the path of the Alliance of the Heavens?”

The head of the Kunlun Sect spoke calmly, watching the blue lightning flicker around the Thunder God.

“Thunder God, is it necessary to bring such a large force to challenge the greatest under heaven?”

The branch head added, “The Martial Alliance wishes to avoid unnecessary conflict. Perhaps you could leave your warriors here and proceed with a select few. We would ensure you are treated as an honored guest.”

“Ah, I’ve heard. The Central Plains have been peaceful lately, haven’t they? You don’t want us stirring up trouble and breaking that peace.”

“Indeed.”

The Thunder God chuckled.

“Then let me ask you something.”

The branch head sensed danger in that laughter.

“Go ahead.”

“I hear many of the Central Plains’ top masters have died recently. The few remaining have retired. The only active masters are the Sword God, the Sword Demon, the Sword Queen, and the Fist King. Just four.”

The lightning around the Thunder God intensified.

“The martial world of the Central Plains is weakened from their infighting. Why should I return quietly when I could take advantage of this?”

The Thunder God’s followers laughed, and the faces of the sect head and branch head hardened.

‘As expected…’

‘Challenging the Sword God was just a pretext. He’s here to exploit the weakened martial world.’

As the atmosphere grew tense, warriors on both sides quietly reached for their weapons.

“If you can’t give me a reason, you must die.”

Crack!

The Thunder God raised a hand, and a massive bolt of lightning surged toward the sect head and branch head.

No one could react. They only saw a flash of blue light.

Boom!

The thunderous explosion made the sect head and branch head flinch.

“This is!”

“Plum Blossom!”

Before them, a massive plum blossom bloomed, large enough to shield them both. The petals shimmered with residual lightning.

The scent of the plum blossom erased the stench of death, calming their racing hearts.

Recognizing the owner of the plum blossom, they felt a wave of relief.

The Thunder God looked up, his lips curling.

Two figures descended from the sky, standing on their swords. The Thunder God addressed the man.

“Sword God? You’re younger than I expected.”

“Yes, I am the greatest under heaven.”

The Thunder God laughed at the man standing defiantly with his hands behind his back.

“Not the greatest under heaven, just the greatest in the Central Plains. I am the supreme of the Outer Lands.”

“Such nonsense.”

The Sword God’s smirk made a vein bulge on the Thunder God’s forehead.

“Good. I won’t have to search for you in Shaanxi. I’ll kill you here and burn the martial world of the Central Plains.”

The Thunder God launched a lightning-charged strike at the Sword God, who countered with a palm imbued with his own energy.

Boom!

The clash of energies sent shockwaves across the plains.

“Attack!”

“Take out the small fry first!”

The explosion signaled the warriors of the Alliance of the Heavens to charge at the Kunlun Sect and Martial Alliance warriors.

Hundreds rushed forward, threatening to overwhelm them. But then, a golden mist spread before the sect head and branch head.

Shing!

Golden flashes extended in all directions, creating a barrier that halted the Alliance’s advance.

As dozens of elite warriors fell with their heads severed, someone shouted.

“The Sword Queen! It’s the Golden River Sword Queen!”

Even as the Alliance hesitated, the Sword Queen’s blade did not stop. Her golden strikes marked the price of trespassing on her domain.

The thirty-six swords of the world began to form a defensive perimeter, perfectly blocking the Alliance’s charge.

While the Sword Queen held back the Alliance, the Sword God watched the storm of lightning with calm eyes.

The Thunder God, his long hair wild, unleashed a flurry of attacks, forcing the Sword God back. The plains were pocked with craters and black smoke.

Crack!

The Thunder God’s lightning scorched the grass, leaving charred remains. Amidst the dancing bolts, the Sword God’s white robe remained pristine.

The Thunder God roared, frustrated by the Sword God’s nonchalance, his left hand still behind his back.

The petals from the Sword God’s right hand blocked the lightning completely.

“Arrogant!”

The Thunder God was infuriated not just by the Sword God’s posture but by his refusal to draw his sword. The Sword God’s blade hovered in the air, untouched.

The Thunder God clasped his hands together, forming a spear of lightning between them.

Whoosh!

He hurled the spear at the Sword God, but the Sword God merely swatted it aside like a fly.

Closing the distance, the Thunder God lowered his stance and thrust a fist forward, unleashing a massive fist-shaped bolt of lightning.

It was large enough to engulf the Sword God entirely.

The concentrated lightning was formidable, difficult for even a top master to deflect or block.

“Not bad.”

The Sword God murmured, stepping forward with his hands still behind his back. The lightning fist split in two before reaching him.

The Thunder God’s eyes widened.

‘What is this… Did I miss his movement?’

As his pupils trembled, the Sword God’s violet gaze pierced through.

Their eyes clashed in the air.

Facing the Sword God’s gaze, the Thunder God’s expression hardened, and he let out a battle cry.

“Haaah!”

A massive surge of lightning erupted from the Thunder God, as if preparing for a final, desperate attack.

“That’s enough.”

The Sword God’s voice was soft but carried weight.

Instantly, the Thunder God’s lightning diminished, like flames doused by rain. His face filled with confusion.

Somehow, the Sword God’s words had disrupted his internal energy. As his energy reversed, the Thunder God coughed up blood and fell to his knees.

Cough!

Simultaneously, his right arm was severed.

“Ugh!”

The Sword God looked down at the Thunder God, still with his hands behind his back.

The Thunder God turned his head with difficulty.

‘Did I miss his movement again? Or did he even move at all?’

He couldn’t comprehend how his energy had been restrained, nor how his arm had been severed.

It was impossible for his internal energy, which he had mastered, to reverse against his will.

Unless there was another interference.

At the realization of what he was contemplating, Raijin looked at Muhui with a face full of shock.

“Could it be… the Heart Sword?”

The concept of the Heart Sword meant different things to different people.

Some said it was the realm of killing with just a thought, the state of mind equating to death.

Others described it as a divine ability to spread one’s will across the universe, manifesting phenomena at will.

Muhui didn’t answer Raijin’s question. Instead, he posed one of his own.

“Am I the greatest under heaven?”

Muhui’s question seemed to press down gently on the grassland.

When Raijin hesitated to respond, his left arm suddenly flew off. Pain filled Raijin’s eyes with bloodshot intensity. Muhui looked down at him, his gaze unwavering.

“I’ll ask one last time. Who am I?”

Raijin could no longer meet Muhui’s eyes. He realized that Muhui had indeed reached the realm of the Heart Sword.

“To think such a person exists in this world.”

Raijin understood that his own heart and will had been cut by Muhui’s Heart Sword.

“You are the greatest under heaven.”

Muhui glanced at Raijin’s severed arms lying on the ground.

“If you had come purely to test your strength, you would have left unscathed. But the words you spoke on your way here were quite offensive.”

Muhui turned his gaze to the many warriors of the Jecheon Alliance who were now solely focused on him.

“If you trouble me again, I will come to you myself.”

“We will remember.”

Raijin, unable to even think of treating his wounds, hurriedly led the Jecheon Alliance to retreat. Watching them leave, the headmaster and the branch leader chuckled.

“To drive Raijin away without even drawing a sword…”

“Truly the greatest under heaven.”

Muhui simply smiled and clasped his hands in acknowledgment of their admiration.

“Thanks to you both risking your lives to buy time, we managed to end this without much damage.”

“Haha, what did we really do?”

Then, Muhui suddenly looked towards Mount Kunlun.

“Perhaps even if I hadn’t come, the Kunlun Sect might have resolved it.”

The branch leader was surprised by Muhui’s words, but the headmaster seemed to understand what he meant.

“To sense the successor of the Kunlun Secret Vein from this distance… I can’t even imagine the level of the Sword God’s prowess.”

If the Kunlun Sect is known as the shield of the martial world, the Kunlun Secret Vein is its guardian. However, the successor of the Kunlun Secret Vein rarely shows themselves in the martial world.

“The successor is in seclusion, so we couldn’t ask for help. I hope the Sword God understands.”

“Of course. It just reminds me once again how many hidden masters there are in this world. It keeps me from becoming complacent.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Muhui turned to leave.

“Brother, how strong was that old man Raijin?”

“About half a step below the Three Seats.”

“Oh, then he truly deserves the title of the greatest outside the borders. What about the successor of the Kunlun Secret Vein you mentioned?”

“I didn’t see them directly, but they seemed to be on par with the Three Seats.”

Seonju blinked in amazement.

“To think such a master was hidden in the Kunlun Sect without even a nickname, it’s surprising.”

“Indeed. There might be more hidden masters elsewhere, like in Shaolin.”

Listening to Muhui, Seonju asked, “Brother, where should we go now? Is there anywhere you want to visit?”

Muhui pondered for a moment before speaking.

“How about we go see the ocean?”

Seonju clapped her hands in delight.

“We’re almost at the western end, so let’s go all the way to the east. And maybe we can look for hidden masters along the way?”

Muhui nodded with a smile.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

The two walked side by side across the grassland.

Though they could have used sword flight or light-footed techniques to move quickly, they chose to savor the moment, walking slowly.

Hand in hand, they embarked on their journey together.

* * *

Hwasan’s elder looked at the main gate of the Martial Alliance and smiled.

“I came here many times as a second disciple.”

“Is this your first time since becoming the first disciple?”

“Yes.”

Mujin stroked his newly growing beard as he spoke.

Hearing Mujin’s words, Muhwa turned and smiled at the new second disciple, Myung, who was following them.

“Come on, let’s go in.”

At Muhui’s urging, the first disciples quickened their pace.