“I’ll ask one last time, what will you offer?”

Mu-hui’s polite inquiry was accompanied by a smile that seemed gentle to others, but to the Grand Master of the Great Sect, it was nothing short of a sinister grin.

‘Damn it, asking for something I can’t even win in this duel?’

There was something that came to mind immediately. The six pills of Gonghundan he had recently acquired with their help. One had already been consumed by Gasein a few days ago, and the remaining five were intended to be given to him every two years. This was part of a plan to raise Gasein to a level comparable to the current Six Dragons, which would further elevate the Great Sect’s reputation.

He had spent a fortune to obtain them, and now they were at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

[Can you win, Yeonho?]

[Are you asking if I can defeat a post-advanced master?]

The Grand Master clenched his sweaty fists at Yeonho’s curt response. It was all or nothing now.

“Will five Gonghundan pills suffice? Their value, if converted to gold, could be considered another asset.”

From the start, the Grand Master wagered all five pills. He didn’t want to risk offering just two or three and then face the cunning young Taoist’s ridicule.

“Gonghundan, you say…”

A miraculous elixir that could grant up to five years of internal energy with each pill. Having five of them was no small feat, and it piqued curiosity about how they were acquired. But Mu-hui quickly dismissed his interest and looked to Imwook, who nodded and shouted.

“Seonhwa Gate accepts the proposal!”

With Imwook’s acceptance, the Grand Master retrieved the wooden box containing the Gonghundan from his office and placed it on a platform at the edge of the duel stage. His fingertips trembled as he did so.

The winner of the final duel would claim this box. He was certain Yeonho would defeat Mu-hui and retrieve it, yet an inexplicable unease lingered.

‘Don’t be anxious.’

No matter how he thought about it, a mere post-advanced master couldn’t possibly defeat Yeonho. Mu-hui wasn’t one of the famed Six Dragons, after all.

As the Grand Master returned to his seat, the final duel had already begun.

“Do you want me to give you three moves? As your senior in the martial world, I can do that if you wish.”

Mu-hui shook his head, gripping his sword.

“No need.”

“Are you sure? My swordsmanship might be too much for a young post-advanced master like you.”

“Is there any martial art in the world that’s easy to handle?”

Yeonho, a martial artist known for his decent sword skills in Shaanxi, had challenged him in a past life, so Mu-hui knew him well.

‘Back then, I was the senior.’

Of course, the Sword Demon never offered three moves like Yeonho did. He simply crushed him, though Yeonho had held his ground quite well. If the Sword Demon’s sword hadn’t broken, he could have endured ten more moves.

‘I wonder how much he’s improved since then.’

Mu-hui lightly pushed off the ground, closing the distance in an instant. At the same time, his sword turned crimson, testing the internal energy he had gained from consuming Heshouwu.

The red sword aura, as brilliant as a plum blossom, filled the air. Yeonho, seeing Mu-hui’s sword coming at him, raised his own sword aura with ease.

Mu-hui’s sword slashed diagonally, and what seemed like a single strike unfolded into dozens of strands at the end. The dazzling red sword shadows filled the arena, and as Mu-hui’s wrist trembled, the shadows split even further.

As the dozens of sword shadows intersected, the view before Yeonho turned crimson. The veins on the back of Yeonho’s hand bulged as he gripped his sword tightly.

His sword strikes, slashing diagonally from both sides, tore through the encroaching sword shadows. Despite swinging his sword six times, some shadows remained uncut.

Clicking his tongue, Yeonho explosively drew upon his internal energy, unleashing a crescent-shaped sword aura horizontally.

“Hmm?”

Yeonho, thinking he had shattered all the sword shadows, felt a sting and touched his cheek. His fingertips came away with a trace of blood. It was a shallow cut, but a cut nonetheless.

In a duel with a post-advanced master, he had drawn blood in the first exchange.

‘Did I miss a sword strike?’

Meanwhile, Mu-hui’s sword, having precisely timed the gap in Yeonho’s swings, suddenly lunged forward. The sword that had aimed for his shoulder was now slicing toward his thigh and waist, and when he thought he had deflected it, a formidable quick strike was already pressing toward his chin.

Mu-hui’s form had vanished, leaving only the countless ghostly sword strikes filling Yeonho’s vision.

‘What kind of post-advanced master’s sword is this…’

Mu-hui’s sword was both dazzling and swift. The mysterious changes, indistinguishable between real and feigned moves, felt almost supernatural. It was truly the sword of a volcano.

But above all, the sword was precise. It wasn’t something achieved by talent alone; it bore the mark of time and experience.

Yeonho’s breath grew hot. He couldn’t discern Mu-hui’s true identity, but it was clear he wasn’t an ordinary post-advanced master.

Clenching his sword tightly, Yeonho unleashed the full power of the Yeonho Sword Technique, as if facing a life-and-death opponent.

The Yeonho Sword Technique, named for driving away tigers, was a vicious sword art with each move steeped in lethal intent. As Yeonho focused and executed it properly, the sharpness of his sword strikes became noticeably fiercer.

Swish!

A powerful sword strike aimed for Mu-hui’s shoulder, but he deftly twisted his shoulder to evade it. However, as if anticipating this, Yeonho’s sword swung violently toward Mu-hui’s front.

With sword strikes pouring down densely before him, Mu-hui advanced without hesitation.

“Gasp!”

“Oh no.”

To the spectators, it seemed as if Mu-hui was throwing himself into the path of Yeonho’s sword. Yeonho’s sword was like the attack of a beast with its claws bared. Yet, it couldn’t even graze Mu-hui’s body.

In just three steps, Mu-hui reached Yeonho’s side. To Mu-hui, who had seen through the Yeonho Sword Technique’s moves and connections, it was no different from a leisurely stroll.

Yeonho, unable to retrieve his sword in time, took a sharp breath.

‘The sword technique is decent, but the movements are still too large.’

Mu-hui’s eyes, filled with determination, precisely identified the gaps in the moves, and in that moment, his internal energy surged through his meridians.

The distance between the two men was too close for either to extend their sword or saber. Yeonho hurriedly moved his left hand, but Mu-hui’s left hand had already struck.

The internal energy, having passed through the Jianyu point on the shoulder and reached the Quchi point on the elbow, exploded outward, pouring from the Laogong point in the palm.

A slightly different internal energy manipulation from the usual Falling Flower Palm. Mu-hui had experimented by incorporating the subtleties of the Infiltrating Strike Palm and the Striking Line Palm into the Falling Flower Palm.

The force of the palm strike, unlike anything seen in the Falling Flower Palm, struck Yeonho’s left chest.

Boom!

The impact on his chest caused Yeonho’s vision to blur momentarily. While the Falling Flower Palm typically spread widely through the meridians, Mu-hui’s version penetrated deeply into the meridians.

Yeonho clutched his chest, sliding backward. He had quickly drawn upon his internal energy to protect his insides, but the force had pierced through.

Crack!

To steady his retreating body, Yeonho drove his sword into the duel stage floor. He left a deep mark on the stage before finally coming to a stop.

‘I need to refine it further.’

A swordsman who only relies on his sword is foolish. The renowned swordsmen of the martial world considered their empty hand as another sword and never neglected to use it in diverse ways.

Swoosh!

Even as Mu-hui organized his thoughts on the Falling Flower Palm, he didn’t stop his sword. He had no intention of giving Yeonho a chance to catch his breath.

Yeonho, unable to even wipe the blood trickling from his lips, raised his sword again.

“Haaah!”

Yeonho, crouched low, sprang up. The recent strike had made him forget that Mu-hui was a post-advanced master.

Spinning like a rising tide, Yeonho unleashed four simultaneous sword strikes targeting both shoulders and thighs.

‘Was it called the Four Fierce Fangs?’

The ultimate move of the Yeonho Sword Technique, Four Fierce Fangs. Sword strikes from different directions converged on the center, aiming to ravage the opponent’s entire body.

In a past life, the Sword Demon had shattered all four strikes with a single blow of the Dokgo Sword Technique.

So how should he break it this time?

Mu-hui’s wrist rotated, drawing a circle with his sword. Within that circle, countless sword shadows emerged like petals blooming.

Falling Plum Blossoms Encircle the Garden.

The sword shadows, spreading like blossoming flowers, were torn apart by the Four Fierce Fangs’ sword aura. Yet, the sword shadows continued to pour forth relentlessly.

With each flick of the sword tip, the sword shadows blossomed.

Before long, Mu-hui’s sword shadows filled half the duel stage. They resembled a crimson tide.

The sword shadows didn’t just block the sword strikes; they disrupted the connections of the Four Fierce Fangs, gradually twisting them apart.

The Four Fierce Fangs, struggling against the tide of sword shadows, slowly sank between them.

The mission hall trembled as Im Muguk’s hands shook with a mix of awe and disbelief. If the sword aura blooming around Muhui were a field of plum blossoms…

“The spirit of Mount Hua still lingers.”

Im Muguk clenched his fists tightly.

“Oh, to wield so many sword auras with such ease!”

“Truly, the senior disciple of the Mount Hua Sect!”

While the disciples of the Seonhwa Gate marveled at Muhui’s swordplay, Muhwa shook his head beside them.

“It’s not just about the number of sword auras. It’s completely different from the Falling Plum Blossom Sword I use.”

Mujin nodded in agreement.

“Those countless sword auras dance harmoniously under the senior disciple’s blade, silencing the techniques of the Yanho Swordsman completely.”

This wasn’t merely a spectacle of overwhelming numbers. If it were just a flood of sword auras, the Lion’s Roar would have cut through them and struck down Muhui.

“The senior disciple’s sword advances without hindrance, no matter what stands before it.”

Even now, Muhui’s sword spread wide, consuming the martial stage.

His sword could reach anywhere, embodying the harmony of the six directions. Though there wasn’t a single plum blossom in sight, to the disciples, it seemed as if a field of red flowers swayed in the wind before Muhui.

“I told you I was fine.”

The Yanho Swordsman finally spoke after staring at Muhui for a long moment.

“Indeed. Even when clouds gather, a mountain remains a mountain, doesn’t it?”

Before anyone realized it, Muhui had crossed the field of red flowers and was holding his sword to the Yanho Swordsman’s throat.

The shocking sight left Gasein, who had changed into his martial robes, gaping.

“The Yanho Swordsman lost?”

Gasein was still reeling from his own defeat to Imsan. He had returned, hoping to see Muhui fall, thinking it might soothe his wounded pride.

“What kind of place is the Mount Hua Sect?”

His thoughts stalled, Gasein could only stare blankly at the martial stage.

As the Yanho Swordsman acknowledged his defeat, the Soulful Guest, who had been staring in shock at Muhui’s martial prowess, regained his senses and shouted.

“The victor! Mount Hua Sect’s Muhui! The victory in the martial arts contest goes to the Seonhwa Gate!”

At the Soulful Guest’s booming announcement, the Seonhwa Gate disciples rose in unison, cheering.

“We won!”

“As expected of the Mount Hua Sect!”

The martial artists who had been watching the contest looked at Muhui with astonished eyes, shocked by the Yanho Swordsman’s defeat.

“What did you say the name of that Mount Hua Sect disciple was?”

“For the seasoned Yanho Swordsman to fall so easily, who is that young man…?”

Listening to the murmurs around him, the Sword of the Rising Sun swallowed hard.

If not for Gasein, it would have been him facing Muhui instead of the Yanho Swordsman.

“I could have been humiliated by losing to a junior.”

Meanwhile, the head of the Great Purity Sect turned pale. He had sacrificed pride and precious resources to stage a comeback, only to lose everything in the end.

Muhui confidently walked up to the platform and collected the wooden box containing the merit tokens.

“Head of the Great Purity Sect, these will be put to very good use. Heh.”

Muhui’s words ended with a mocking sneer.

The head of the Great Purity Sect brought a hand to the back of his neck, sighing deeply.

“Hah.”

He was too overwhelmed to even respond.

“Head of the Great Purity Sect.”

Startled, the head of the Great Purity Sect leaned back as Muhui approached him.

“What is it?”

“I’ve already sent a letter to the main sect about the Seonhwa Gate’s victory in the martial arts contest.”

“How could you have sent a letter when the results just came out?”

“I was certain of the Seonhwa Gate’s victory. I sent it a few days ago.”

With him here, there was no way the Seonhwa Gate could lose.

“……”

“If you break your promise and try anything else, the Mount Hua Sect will intervene directly.”

Muhui leaned in, whispering into the head of the Great Purity Sect’s ear after ensuring no one else was around.

“Don’t even think about causing trouble. Leave quietly. If we meet again, the line across your neck will be deeper and longer. Understand, Sect Leader?”

With that, Muhui turned his back.

“What nonsense is that crazy Taoist spouting…”

Muttering to himself, the head of the Great Purity Sect touched his neck and was startled. A thin line of blood marked where he had been cut. Though it was just a shallow graze, it was unnerving not knowing when it had happened.

Watching Muhui’s retreating figure, the head of the Great Purity Sect’s eyes trembled with a faint fear.

“Heh… What am I supposed to do now?”

He had been confident against the Mount Hua Sect because he had a powerful backer supporting him. Without that, he wouldn’t have dared to act as he had. It had been like living in a dream.

But now, thanks to Muhui, he was waking from that dream.

Awakening from a happy dream, he was faced with the cold reality.

“Should I run?”

They wouldn’t overlook today’s failure.

Just as the rewards of his past successes had been sweet, the consequences of this failure would be bitter.

Faced with an uncertain future, all the head of the Great Purity Sect could do was let out a weak, hollow laugh.

A shadow that had been watching him quietly slipped away.