“The junior disciple of the Mount Hua Sect greets the head of the Zhongnan Sect.”

As Hongseon nodded, Baekyu gestured to an empty chair.

“Have a seat.”

Once all the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect had gathered, Hongseon took a moment to observe the four young members.

“I asked Baekyu to arrange this meeting with you.”

The disciples were visibly tense at the thought of meeting Hongseon in person, except for Muhwi, who waited calmly for Hongseon to continue.

“To get straight to the point, although your gratitude was expressed at the Huahong Gate, a few words of thanks aren’t enough for the favor you did us. At the time, Zhongnan was in chaos.”

Hongseon pulled out a small wooden box he had prepared in advance.

“This is the Lesser Elixir of the Zhongnan Sect.”

Just as the Mount Hua Sect is known for its renowned elixirs, the Zhongnan Sect has its own, the Greater and Lesser Elixirs. The disciples’ eyes widened at Hongseon’s generous offer of the Lesser Elixir.

‘Even with the good relations between Mount Hua and Zhongnan, this is quite a gift. Four Lesser Elixirs… Zhongnan must have gone to great lengths.’

Muhwi remained indifferent, merely licking his lips as he eyed the box.

When neither Baekyu nor Muhwi spoke, Mujin hesitantly broke the silence.

“Isn’t it too generous to give each of us a Lesser Elixir?”

“Too generous?”

The smile faded from Hongseon’s eyes, replaced by a serious look.

“You didn’t just capture a rogue spirit that Zhongnan missed. You avenged our fallen disciples and upheld the honor of the Zhongnan Sect.”

Hongseon met the eyes of the Mount Hua disciples as he continued.

“Without your actions, those young ones wouldn’t be here today. They would have wandered the martial world, consumed by vengeance. It’s thanks to you that they aren’t.”

Muhwi nodded, recalling that Seonju and Seonmi’s master had been a victim of the rogue spirit.

“Zhongnan owes you a great debt, so four Lesser Elixirs are a small price to pay.”

Hongseon’s voice carried the weight of his authority, and Mujin bowed his head.

“I spoke without thinking, senior.”

“No, I understand it was out of humility.”

Hongseon’s smile returned, softening his expression.

“Accept them. You’ve accomplished something significant.”

Even Baekyu, who had been silent, chimed in, prompting the Mount Hua disciples to accept the box without further protest.

“Since the Mount Hua Sect’s techniques are derived from the Six Harmonies Method, you should find it easy to absorb the Lesser Elixir.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Muhwi, speaking on behalf of the group, felt a sense of reassurance from the box tucked into his robe.

‘You can never have too many elixirs.’

He was confident that consuming the Lesser Elixir would enhance his mastery of the Celestial Harmony Technique.

Watching the disciples handle the box, Hongseon smiled.

“If you still feel burdened by the gift, consider this: as you travel the martial world, look out for Zhongnan disciples. I hope the future relations between Zhongnan and Mount Hua remain as strong as they are now.”

“They certainly will.”

Muhwi’s confident reply earned a nod from Hongseon. As the Mount Hua disciples rose to leave, Hongseon took a sip of tea and spoke again.

“They’re good kids. You’ve trained them well, Baekyu.”

“I didn’t do much. They grew on their own.”

The two masters savored the moment of silence, but it was Baekyu who broke it first.

“I heard there’s been some provocation from the Overlord’s Fortress. What’s the situation?”

“They’ve made a truce with the Sichuan Alliance, it seems. There have been a few skirmishes near the Shaanxi border, but things have been quiet for the past four months.”

Had the provocations continued, Hongseon wouldn’t have been able to attend the Six Harmonies Sword Conference. The event itself might have been postponed.

Baekyu’s expression darkened slightly at the mention of the Sichuan Alliance. He had heard the rumors.

‘They say the head of the Qingcheng Sect lost an arm, leading to the truce. It must be true.’

Baekyu set down his teacup and spoke.

“They’re like wolves. We must be cautious.”

“I’ve stationed elders and senior disciples throughout the regions near Sichuan. We’ll respond immediately if there’s any provocation.”

The Six Harmonies Sword Conference was a renowned event in the martial world. Hongseon had taken precautions, wary of any moves the Overlord’s Fortress might make during the gathering.

“If things get difficult, don’t hesitate to contact Mount Hua. We’ll assist immediately.”

“Of course. Mount Hua and Zhongnan have always had each other’s backs. By the way, how’s the Nine Dragons Sword Sect these days? I hear the Hidden Dragon Society has been quiet.”

“The Nine Dragons Sword Sect… It seems they’ve been preoccupied elsewhere.”

The two masters continued their conversation late into the night, discussing the state of the martial world.

***

“Good morning.”

As Muhwi stepped outside, the sunlight shimmered like silk. Having consumed the Lesser Elixir, he had broken through the barrier of the fifth level of the Celestial Harmony Technique, reaching the sixth.

He had been on the verge of the fifth level, so the breakthrough to the sixth came easily, and he was now close to achieving the seventh.

Though he had quickly absorbed the elixir’s energy, he had spent the night in deep meditation, striving for the seventh level. He hadn’t quite reached it, but he felt he was on the threshold.

Despite not sleeping at all, Muhwi seemed more energetic than usual.

‘The others have also advanced, reaching the third level.’

The other disciples, who had been at the second level, had also made significant progress, with Mujin on the brink of the fourth level.

‘Being part of a prestigious sect has its perks. Elixirs just fall into your lap. It’s wonderful.’

Recalling the times he had scoured the martial world for rare elixirs, Muhwi couldn’t help but feel grateful.

As he led the disciples to the sparring grounds, he spotted Seonju, Seonmi, and other Zhongnan disciples approaching from the opposite direction. Seonju waved with a bright smile.

“Muhwi, you drank quite a bit last night. Are you feeling okay?”

“Of course.”

“I’m looking forward to today’s sparring.”

Seonju smiled, flicking the blue tassel tied to her sword.

The disciples of Mount Hua and Zhongnan entered the sparring grounds together, moving to their respective sides.

“Finally, it’s our turn.”

As Muhwi murmured while fiddling with his plum blossom sword, the disciples around him tensed.

“We need to put on a good show for those watching.”

His words, though spoken with a smile, prompted the disciples to glance at the senior disciples observing from the stands.

Sure enough, the senior disciples were watching the empty sparring ground and the second-level disciples, eagerly awaiting the start of the match.

“Vanguard.”

“Yes, senior brother!”

At Muhwi’s call, Musang, who was to lead the sparring, responded loudly.

“We must win every match today. The vanguard is crucial, you understand?”

Musang’s eyes flickered nervously. Though Muhwi spoke gently, one corner of his mouth curled up in a peculiar grin.

His eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity, making Musang wonder why his senior was looking at him that way.

Avoiding Muhwi’s intense gaze, Musang asked hesitantly.

“Senior brother, you’re not really going to kill me if I lose, are you?”

Recalling a past training session, Muhwi chuckled at Musang’s nervous question.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t kill a fellow disciple. Just give you a taste of what it feels like.”

“Alright. I’ll make sure to win.”

With Muhwi’s chilling smile in mind, Musang waited anxiously for the sparring to begin.

Soon, the masters of Mount Hua and Zhongnan took their seats, with Hongseon stepping forward as Baekyu nodded.

Standing before the gathered disciples, Hongseon addressed them.

“You’ve all been looking forward to today, haven’t you? It’s a chance to earn an elixir.”

His words ignited a fire in the eyes of the second-level disciples from both sects.

In this sparring match, each sect would select an outstanding disciple to receive an elixir from the other sect, a gesture of goodwill and unity.

“The Zhongnan Sect has prepared the Serpent Venom Pill, and the Mount Hua Sect has prepared the Ginseng Root.”

This meant the Mount Hua disciple would receive the Serpent Venom Pill, and the Zhongnan disciple would receive the Ginseng Root.

The Serpent Venom Pill, made from the gall and venom of various snakes, enhanced internal energy and built resistance to poisons.

The Ginseng Root, shaped by spiritual energy into a human form, strengthened the body and boosted internal energy.

Though not as potent as the Snow Ginseng, the Ginseng Root was still a valuable elixir.

‘A venom pill… It won’t boost my energy much, but it’ll make me immune to many poisons. That’s mine.’

As Muhwi’s eyes gleamed at the thought of the Serpent Venom Pill, the sparring match began.

“Disciples, step forward!”

At Hongyun’s call from the center of the sparring ground, Musang sprang to his feet and headed to the arena.

Watching him, Muho approached Muhwi and asked.

“Senior brother, do you really think we can win every match?”

“Are you doubting yourself?”

Muhwi’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the arena, prompting Muho to scratch his head.

“Not exactly, but I’m not entirely confident either.”

Mu-hwi turned his gaze back to Mu-sang and continued speaking.

“Think about all the training you’ve done. Do you really think the second disciples of Jongnam Sect can beat you?”

“Hmm…”

Mu-ho let out a contemplative hum. Under the guidance of their senior brother, the second disciples had dedicated themselves entirely to their training. The intensity was unmatched, and they had never spent their time so diligently before. They could confidently say they had given it their all.

“Whether by choice or necessity, you’ve followed my training to the letter. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t even mention the word ‘victory.'”

Mu-hwi glanced at the Jongnam Sect’s second disciples.

“While you were pushing yourselves to the limit, do you think Jongnam was doing the same? Just think about that, and you’ll have your answer.”

“You’re right.”

Mu-ho replied, taking a seat next to Mu-hwi. After a brief silence, Mu-hwi, still watching the martial stage, spoke again.

“Disciples, you can afford to have a little confidence.”

Even across the martial world, few could match the rigorous training of the Huashan Sect’s second disciples.

The disciples who had been listening to Mu-hwi and Mu-ho nodded in agreement. The tension on their faces eased into faint smiles.

Mu-ho, with a slight grin, glanced at Mu-sang, who was nervously watching them, and said, “Senior brother, maybe you could be a bit gentler with Mu-sang too.”

“That lazy colt only moves when there’s a fire under him. He needs the stick, not the carrot,” Mu-hwi replied firmly, prompting laughter from the other disciples who shared his sentiment.

“Haah!”

While the Huashan Sect’s second disciples were laughing among themselves, Mu-sang was desperately thrusting his sword.

‘If I lose in the duel and return to Huashan, it’ll be hell!’

Mu-sang’s sword sliced through the air with a swift, clean motion. The third disciples were limited to using the Six Harmonies Sword and the Nine Palaces Step, but the second disciples could employ other martial arts.

The swift blade of the Gale Sword rose towards his opponent’s chest, but Sun-woo, a second disciple of Jongnam, calmly raised his sword to block.

The sword domain of a Jongnam disciple, based on the Six Harmonies, was an impenetrable space, a fortress that nothing could breach. This was the essence of the Heavenly Center Sword Technique.

Clang!

Sun-woo deflected the Gale Sword’s attack with the Heavenly Center Sword Technique. Despite the speed of the deflected blade, Mu-sang remained composed, rotating his ankle and shoulder.

Using the momentum, Mu-sang drew a semicircle and aimed for Sun-woo’s ankle with the Myriad Fragrance Sword.

When the strike aimed at the ankle was parried, Mu-sang immediately unleashed three sword shadows, targeting the thigh, waist, and chest. The combination of swift and illusory strikes was dizzying, yet Sun-woo remained calm, swinging his sword forward.

His sword was neither fast nor slow, carrying just the right amount of force and weight, with occasional light variations.

In the martial world, countless techniques exist, and to face them all, one must follow a balanced path, free from extremes.

Sun-woo’s Heavenly Center Sword Technique demonstrated the balanced path Jongnam aspired to walk.

While Huashan focused on speed, illusion, and change, Jongnam embraced a path of balance, avoiding extremes.

‘It’s like a sturdy fortress.’

After cleanly parrying over thirty strikes, Sun-woo returned his sword to the center, and Mu-sang, lowering his stance, gathered his inner energy.

“But it doesn’t seem insurmountable.”

Mu-sang’s eyes shone as he drew upon the Nine Small Heart Technique’s inner energy.

As he thrust his sword repeatedly, following his senior brother’s teachings, he began to see it—the seemingly impregnable fortress had cracks.

Sun-woo, maintaining his initial stance, now had beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Realizing his relentless assault wasn’t in vain, Mu-sang summoned all his strength.

His muscles, honed through countless brushes with death, expanded, channeling power into his sword. The sword, drawn diagonally, split into multiple streams of sword shadows.

‘Even with less inner energy, the sword’s power has increased. This is the strength of external techniques!’

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Mu-sang and Sun-woo clashed again, their swords meeting in a fierce exchange.

On the martial stage, only the sound of clashing metal and the occasional heavy breath could be heard.

After driving Sun-woo back for over twenty exchanges, Sun-woo finally took a step back. Mu-sang had set foot in Sun-woo’s sword domain for the first time.

Seizing the momentum, Mu-sang’s sword penetrated deeper into Sun-woo’s domain.

As his shoulders relaxed, the muscles in his arms and back tensed powerfully.

The overwhelming speed naturally infused strength into his strikes. As his sword suddenly split into six streams, Sun-woo’s eyes widened. His hand, losing its original rhythm, moved hastily.

Clang!

“Ugh!”

For the first time, Sun-woo, who had been silently executing the Heavenly Center Sword Technique, let out a groan and dropped his sword.

Blood trickled from Sun-woo’s torn palm.

The referee, Hong-yun, raised his hand.

“The winner! Mu-sang of the Huashan Sect!”

Even with Hong-yun’s declaration, Mu-sang stood there, blinking in disbelief.

‘Wow, I actually did it.’

Mu-sang couldn’t believe he had broken through Sun-woo’s formidable sword stance. He instinctively turned his head.

Mu-hwi, watching Mu-sang, was grinning widely, showing his teeth.

“Of course, this is what I expected.”

As Mu-hwi murmured to himself, the next duel commenced.

The second disciples were demonstrating with their swords just how hard they had trained.

End