The grand assembly of the righteous sects had been thrown into disarray by the Overlord’s intervention.

With the unexpected proposal from the newly risen Sadocheon, the meeting was extended by two more days.

Mu-hui hadn’t caught all the details, but it seemed the alliance was proceeding as planned. Despite this, the martial world seemed poised for a period of unexpected calm.

The biggest topic of discussion was the unification of the Seven Demons under the banner of Sadocheon. Yet, as the initial shock of Sadocheon’s influence waned, the name on everyone’s lips was Mu-hui.

A mere late-stage disciple had managed to tear the sleeve of the Overlord.

Though it was just a slight cut, the fact that a late-stage disciple’s sword had touched the Overlord was nothing short of miraculous.

This incident firmly etched the name of Mu-hui, the Sword Demon of Mount Hua, into the minds of the martial world’s elite.

The once-glorious reputation of the Six Dragons had long since been overshadowed by the name Mu-hui.

“So, this is how it turns out.”

Mu-hui opened his eyes from meditation, facing the cliff where the sword marks of past Mount Hua Sword Saints exuded a palpable aura.

His gaze was fixed on one particular mark.

All the marks on the cliff were left by the Mount Hua Sword Saints, each with its own distinct style. The mark Mu-hui was studying was no exception.

The sword mark left by the Sword Saint known as Jiseon was peculiar, with breaks in the line as if someone had deliberately erased parts of it.

‘At first, I thought the mark was unusually short.’

After studying it repeatedly, Mu-hui realized it wasn’t short. The mark was indeed missing sections in the middle.

Examining the ends of the missing parts, Mu-hui understood that Jiseon had intended this.

The depth and texture of the mark intensified towards the end, with a hidden mystery in the disappearing path.

Focusing on the intricacies within the mark, Mu-hui drew his Plum Blossom Sword.

If he were Jiseon, how would he have left such a mark on the cliff?

Woong!

The Plum Blossom Sword, shimmering with a violet hue, vibrated with a gentle hum, controlled by Mu-hui’s firm grip.

As the vibration reached its peak, Mu-hui subtly shifted his grip, altering the sword’s center of gravity, and swung it wide.

The Plum Blossom Sword rippled like a flexible blade, creating five consecutive arcs in the air, as if scattering violet ink across the sky.

In that moment, when the undulating violet curves abruptly straightened and plunged down, the sword vanished.

Shaa!

A short distance away, the end of the fierce sword strike materialized, blooming into a single plum blossom.

“Eek?”

Perched on a plum tree, munching on fruit, Amhu was startled by the sudden disappearance of the sword strike, dropping the fruit in surprise when it reappeared elsewhere.

The plum blossom, as if it had always been there, seamlessly blended into the space.

“A hidden change within a change.”

What seemed like a straightforward sword path was, in fact, a mysterious technique that severed the path midway.

Though different from the flamboyant insights of the Mount Hua sect, which grew more dazzling with mastery, this technique felt sharper for its subtlety.

If this technique were hidden within the splendor of a blooming plum blossom, it would be even more threatening.

This technique, which concealed its path yet concluded with a calm, static sword move, was named “Plum Blossom by the Wayside.”

A plum blossom suddenly appearing by the roadside.

No name could better suit a technique that made a plum blossom appear out of nowhere.

“Eek!”

Amhu, who had been watching Mu-hui practice in the middle of the valley, leaned against a rock and drifted into sleep, enveloped by the rich sword aura of the Plum Blossom Sword.

Meanwhile, Mu-hui, recalling the Overlord who seemed to have reached a higher level since their last encounter, thrust his sword once more.

***

The Plum Blossom Sword’s path filled the air intricately.

As the sword tip pierced the air dozens of times in an instant, a red and white glow gathered at the end.

Refined by the Plum Blossom Sword, the glow formed the shape of a flower bud.

Shaa!

Centered around the five-petaled plum blossom, a profound sword aura emanated.

The form wasn’t as detailed or vibrant as the one Mu-hui had conjured.

“Wow!”

Though lacking in many ways, it was still a respectable plum blossom.

Having finally succeeded in blooming a plum blossom through the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Mu-hwa leaped into the air.

“What?”

“The youngest has finally bloomed a plum blossom.”

“Tsk, I need to train harder. Just when I think I’m catching up, the gap widens again.”

The senior disciples practicing the Plum Blossom Sword Technique nearby were both pleased with Mu-hwa’s achievement and spurred on by their competitive spirit.

“Sigh. The Plum Blossom Sword Technique is really difficult.”

“It’s completely different from the sword techniques we’ve learned before. Now I understand why you need the Plum Blossom Sword to master it.”

As Mu-san and Mu-ho took a break from training, chatting, Mu-sang approached with a bamboo flask.

“Senior brothers, have some water.”

“Oh, Mu-sang. What’s gotten into you? You usually slack off, but now you’re acting all grown up?”

Mu-san chuckled at the sound of water sloshing in the chilled bamboo flask.

As the seniors shared the water, Mu-sang rubbed his hands together and cautiously broached a topic.

“Hehe. Senior brothers, could you lend me some money?”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“I’m about to head out into the martial world, and I want to visit Hwahwadaru.”

Mu-san and Mu-ho exchanged glances.

“Hwahwadaru?”

“Oh, I remember. It’s a new place where beautiful women serve tea.”

Even though it was just a brief moment of seeing their faces and exchanging light conversation while they poured tea, it was quite popular among men.

Mu-ho recalled hearing about the beautiful women of Hwahwadaru and their exceptional tea-brewing skills during his travels.

“Sigh. This guy never changes. Off to see women again?”

“Last time at the grand assembly, you were drooling over the most beautiful women in the martial world with the other late-stage disciples.”

Mu-sang, sensing the seniors’ disapproval, added quickly.

“The stipend from the sect is enough, but not enough to visit Hwahwadaru. So, I was hoping for a little help from you, haha.”

Mu-sang’s laughter faded as Mu-ryun’s hand landed on his shoulder. The familiar weight and feel told Mu-sang exactly whose hand it was.

“This rascal seemed to be training hard lately, but it looks like he needs some mental discipline before heading out into the world.”

“Ah! Senior Mu-ryun! That’s not it.”

As Mu-ryun dragged Mu-sang by the scruff of his neck towards the training ground, Mu-jin shook his head and turned to Mu-hwa, who was beaming with a broad smile.

“Congratulations, Mu-hwa.”

As Mujin approached to offer his congratulations, Muhwa nodded and let a small smile play on his lips.

“Mujin, senior brother, you can now make two plum blossoms bloom, right? Just wait a little longer. I’ll catch up.”

Mujin chuckled softly and shook his head.

“There’s something I haven’t mentioned yet. Just the other night, during late training, I managed to make three blossoms bloom.”

“Oh, Mujin, senior brother. Were you saving that news just to tell me after I managed to bloom one?” Muhwa retorted, kicking the ground in frustration and puffing out his cheek.

Mujin merely laughed and sidestepped, avoiding Muhwa’s playful ire.

His gaze then drifted to Mucheol, who was receiving special training from the head senior. It seemed he was learning the Iron Plum Sword technique. Perhaps because he was training in both the Plum Blossom Sword Art and the Iron Plum Sword technique, Mucheol’s progress was slower than before.

Whoosh!

As Mucheol’s massive plum blossom sword cut through the air with a heavy sound, Muhwi raised a hand to pause his training.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

Mucheol wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded.

“Is it that obvious in my swordplay?”

“Of course. When your mind is unsettled, your sword naturally loses its way.”

Watching Mucheol fall silent again, Muhwi leaned casually against a nearby plum tree and spoke.

“It seems like you’re preoccupied with Dokgoyul and the Dokgo Sword technique. They’re similar yet entirely different. Just think of it as broadening your perspective, but don’t get too caught up in it.”

When Dokgoyul stayed at the mountain, Mucheol had sparred with him several times. Yet, he never managed to defeat Dokgoyul, and it seemed to weigh heavily on his mind. It wasn’t just the sting of defeat; he was captivated by the Dokgo Sword technique that Dokgoyul had demonstrated. It was likely the closest to the ideal Mucheol had always envisioned.

“Senior brother, how can I overcome this?”

“You must have faith in your own sword. There’s no other way.”

“I suppose I’ll have to keep swinging until I’m sure.”

“Let it all go. Focus on the essence of the Iron Plum Sword technique, and train with the path you chose in mind.”

“Yes, senior brother.”

Having found his own answer, Mucheol resumed his practice, extending his plum blossom sword once more. Watching Mucheol gradually regain his focus, Muhwi turned to observe the other disciples in training.

“Muhwi, senior brother!”

From the far end of the training ground, Im Sanha—recently given the name Myeongsan—ran over. Not yet officially Muhwi’s disciple, he refrained from calling him master.

After respectfully greeting the senior disciples around him, Myeongsan quickly addressed Muhwi.

“The headmaster has summoned you to the upper palace.”

“For what reason?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but it seems the Phantom Sword of Zhenjin has appeared in Shaanxi.”

“The Phantom Sword of Zhenjin…”

A master of unknown origin, said to have inherited the martial arts of the Zhenjin sect. Though Muhwi had never met him, he had heard of his notorious reputation, and his eyes narrowed in thought. Despite the furrowed brow, a smile slowly crept onto Muhwi’s face.

“I’ve never seen the martial arts of Zhenjin. This should be interesting.”

The prospect of new martial arts always set his heart racing. Even during his days as a sword demon, researching new techniques had always thrilled him, and it was no different now. It felt like exploring an uncharted world, discovering a new path beyond the wall.

Muhwi’s eyes gleamed with a fierce light as he thought of the Phantom Sword of Zhenjin.