Boom!

The sound of clashing forces echoed like a drumbeat as tension collided from both sides.

In the aftermath of the explosive clash, a sudden gust swept across the arena, and two masters emerged from the whirlwind, charging toward the center.

Four hands intertwined in a chaotic dance.

Techniques from close combat styles like the Fist Method, Golden Silk, and Finger Techniques were unleashed in a dazzling display.

The claw-like hand of Huiyeongno reached for Muhui’s wrist.

Muhui deftly withdrew his hand, but each time Huiyeongno’s hand sliced through the air, it left a trail of shadows, attempting to ensnare Muhui’s hands.

The technique known as Huiyeongsaljo, which scatters shadows like a net.

Huiyeongno’s hand, twisted in an eerie manner, was shrouded in a sinister energy.

With a light flick of his hands, Muhui disrupted the shadowy tendrils encircling him.

The Plum Blossom Hand spread out like petals in bloom, pushing back the encroaching shadows.

Though he hadn’t drawn his sword, the air around Muhui was filled with the presence of plum blossoms.

“How bothersome.”

Huiyeongno, irritated by the petals filling his vision, waved his sleeve to create a gust of wind.

Concealed behind the fluttering fabric, he discreetly launched a hidden attack.

The wind from Huiyeongno’s fingers skillfully navigated through the sea of plum blossoms, aiming silently for Muhui’s chest.

“Using such petty tricks against a seasoned fighter? That’s disgraceful, old man.”

Muhui easily deflected the attack, a smirk playing on his lips as he moved his hands.

In an instant, a wall of purple hand shadows materialized, blocking Huiyeongno’s slicing fingers.

Simultaneously, Muhui extended his right fist, prompting Huiyeongno to flip in mid-air and counter with a palm strike.

Smack!

The palm that caught the punch screamed in protest, and Huiyeongno tried to twist his fingers into Muhui’s fist.

But Muhui smoothly opened his hand, letting the attack slide off as he retracted his hand with ease.

As Muhui widened the distance, Huiyeongno lunged forward, pressing the attack.

Bam!

The two masters exchanged blows, their hands a blur of motion.

From palm techniques to fist techniques, and back again, the rapid shifts in style left onlookers dizzy.

Only a few could keep up with the relentless exchange.

“Incredible… Huiyeongno is renowned for his mastery of claw techniques in the Jiangnan region.”

“To hold his ground in close combat against Huiyeongno without drawing his sword… there must be a reason.”

The martial experts who had worried when Muhui sheathed his sword were now in awe of his prowess.

Boom!

Muhui’s powerful step shook the ground, sending Huiyeongno retreating as he aimed a strike at Muhui’s head.

But Muhui’s afterimage dispersed like smoke, leaving only shattered stones in its wake.

In that moment, Muhui’s footwork propelled him forward, gliding across the ground like a shadow.

“Ugh!”

Huiyeongno scattered his energy in a desperate attempt to stop Muhui, but it was futile.

The swirling plum blossoms swept away his attack like a breeze.

As Muhui closed the distance in an instant, Huiyeongno raised his hands, as if squeezing the air.

Swish!

The atmosphere split as dozens of claw-like energies spread out like a net, aiming to tear Muhui apart.

Muhui reached out with a calm hand.

His hand, infused with the inner power of the Purple Heart Technique, disrupted the incoming attack with a wave.

As a strike aimed for Muhui’s chest, he countered with his own palm, meeting force with force.

Boom!

The impact of their clashing energies sent their hair and sleeves fluttering wildly.

Huiyeongno’s sleeve tore at the edge, while Muhui’s remained intact.

It was clear who had the upper hand.

‘How can I be overpowered when his inner strength isn’t even at full capacity?’

Muhui had already faced three top-tier masters, starting with Cheolsak Geobu.

Though he hadn’t sustained any significant injuries, his inner strength couldn’t be entirely intact.

Yet, the fact that he was overpowering Huiyeongno indicated a vast difference in their martial prowess.

Huiyeongno’s pride was wounded, his goatee trembling with frustration.

“This can’t be!”

Huiyeongno twisted his palm, spreading his fingers wide to transition from palm to claw technique, intending to crush Muhui’s hand.

But Muhui had been waiting for this.

He caught Huiyeongno’s index and middle fingers, bending them back with a swift motion.

“Argh!”

Caught off guard, Huiyeongno twisted his body, reaching with his left hand to grab Muhui’s shoulder.

But Muhui’s foot was already tracing a half-circle.

He struck Huiyeongno’s exposed side with a kick, simultaneously twisting his wrist to break Huiyeongno’s fingers.

The pain of breaking fingers was nothing compared to the humiliation of being bested by a young prodigy.

Face flushed with anger, Huiyeongno glared and shouted.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Old man, you’re really noisy. Why so much talk in a fight?”

Muhui still held onto the broken fingers, using them to pull Huiyeongno forward.

Crack!

Muhui stepped down, breaking Huiyeongno’s left toe beneath his foot.

“Argh!”

In desperation, Huiyeongno clawed at Muhui, who deftly deflected the attack with a twist of his wrist.

Though they each had only one arm free, Muhui was adept at using the Plum Blossom Hand with just one hand.

In a one-armed contest, Huiyeongno quickly found his wrist caught by Muhui.

Snap!

Muhui broke Huiyeongno’s wrist, leaving his hand dangling uselessly, before driving a palm into his chest.

“Ugh!”

With a forced gasp, Huiyeongno tumbled to the ground, blood splattering from his mouth.

“The winner! Muhui of the Martial Alliance!”

The judge’s declaration was met with thunderous applause.

“Plum Blossom Sword Demon! Plum Blossom Sword Demon!”

“To defeat a top-tier master without a sword!”

“It wasn’t arrogance, but confidence!”

Wudang Sect’s leader, Yunjung, observed Muhui with interest.

“The martial art Muhui displayed, the Plum Blossom Hand, is truly fascinating.”

“It’s a remarkable technique that stands strong anywhere in the martial world. I wonder where the Huashan Sect keeps finding such advanced techniques.”

Listening quietly, Mayeonho flexed his muscles and spoke.

“I helped name the Plum Blossom Hand when my junior created it.”

As Mayeonho spoke, all eyes turned to him.

Despite the attention, he stood up, displaying his muscles to the martial experts.

But they were more interested in the story of Muhui than the muscles before them.

“Come to think of it, Muhui and Senior Ma have a connection. They even sparred with his disciple.”

“So Muhui invented the Plum Blossom Hand himself?”

“Haha… It’s hard to believe. And the mysterious footwork, the Shadow Step?”

The martial experts bombarded Baekyu with questions, leaving him sweating under the pressure.

“Senior Brother! Are you alright?”

“Would you like some water?”

Nearby, disciples stood ready to assist Muhui with anything he needed.

As Muhui turned his head at their call, Huiyeongno, filled with malice, silently launched a surprise attack.

Without a word or sound, he aimed to pierce Muhui’s chest.

“Watch out! Mu—”

The judge’s warning came too late as Huiyeongno’s fingers neared Muhui’s back.

‘You arrogant fool. You should have known your place!’

The sharp claws aimed mercilessly for Muhui’s back, but they only tore through the shadowy afterimage of the Shadow Step.

Muhui stood calmly beside him.

“Targeting the back is getting old. Is this the way of the unorthodox sects?”

Before anyone realized it, Mu-hui’s eyes glinted with a deadly intent as he gripped Hwi-yeong-no’s wrist.

“You’ll pay for aiming at my back.”

Mu-hui’s movements were swift and unhesitating.

Crack!

He twisted Hwi-yeong-no’s arm inward, breaking it, and then did the same to the other arm.

“Aaargh!”

The only sounds in the grand plaza were Hwi-yeong-no’s screams and the snapping of bones.

The legs fared no better. Mu-hui shattered both of Hwi-yeong-no’s knees and then punched him in the face, sending him flying toward the Sa-do-cheon tent.

The referee was too stunned by Mu-hui’s sudden actions to even think of intervening.

Ignoring everything else, Mu-hui walked toward the Sa-do-cheon tent.

He looked at the Ice King and asked, “How do you plan to take responsibility? Your representative resorts to cowardly ambushes. Or is this the will of Sa-do-cheon?”

The Ice King glanced down at Hwi-yeong-no with an expressionless face.

“Great Protector! I was just—”

“Have you grown old for nothing?”

Hwi-yeong-no couldn’t continue. The moment the Ice King placed his foot on Hwi-yeong-no’s core, his entire body froze.

Crash!

As the Ice King stomped down, the frozen Hwi-yeong-no shattered into dozens of pieces, scattering across the ground.

“Hoo…”

The Ice King’s sigh was laced with cold.

“As the Great Protector of Sa-do-cheon, I apologize. Even for a sect like ours, Hwi-yeong-no’s actions were shameful.”

Though he neither bowed nor clasped his hands in apology, the word “sorry” did come from the Ice King’s lips.

The audience watched Mu-hui, who had managed to extract an apology from the Ice King, with bated breath.

“Is this the end now?”

“Who would’ve thought he’d face all five alone?”

“Reaching the pinnacle of martial arts is impressive enough, but defeating four top masters in succession? This will go down in history.”

The spectators whispered among themselves, curious about which master Sa-do-cheon would send out next.

Only three masters remained in the Sa-do-cheon tent, each renowned enough to be recognized by appearance alone.

Finally, the one who stepped onto the stage was someone no one expected.

It was the Ice King himself.

As everyone gasped in surprise, Mu-hui licked his lips, a crooked smile playing on his face.

A shocked Baek-yu leapt to his feet and shouted, “Leader!”

Knowing why Baek-yu called him, Kang-ho-baek turned to the Ice King and asked, “Ice King, what are you thinking? Wasn’t it supposed to be Yak-hyeol-geum’s turn?”

The Ice King glanced at Kang-ho-baek, then turned back to Mu-hui, raising three fingers.

“Three moves. If you withstand three moves, you win. How about it?”

Mu-hui looked at the Ice King.

‘The Ice King… His ice techniques are formidable, but…’

Recalling his past encounters with the Ice King’s techniques, Mu-hui pondered before speaking.

“Make it five moves instead of three.”

“What?”

Even the Ice King’s stoic expression cracked slightly at Mu-hui’s unexpected demand to make the challenge harder.

“In return, if I endure, give me an elixir.”

“An elixir?”

“I hear the Ice King always carries rare elixirs for emergencies.”

Though it was knowledge from a past life, Mu-hui pretended it was just a rumor he’d heard.

The Ice King eyed Mu-hui suspiciously, surprised that he knew something even Sa-do-cheon’s members didn’t.

“Such confidence. I’m curious to see the extent of your skills.”

The Ice King pulled out a small wooden box containing an elixir from his robe.

Placing it on an ice pillar that had risen to waist height, the Ice King began to channel a blue chill into his hands.

“Let’s begin.”

A vivid, icy blue aura.