Have you ever seen a sword cry on its own?

At that sight, the Celestial Destiny Sect Leader’s eyes snapped wide open. Jo Ibaek also had never seen a sword cry by itself.

In fact, the most surprised person was Geom Muguk.

Since receiving the Black Demon Sword, it had cried for the first time. It was said that famed swords like the Celestial Demon Sword or the Black Demon Sword only cried when they achieved perfect harmony with their owner.

“Very well, I will make sure they cannot sneer anymore.”

When Geom Muguk grasped the sword’s hilt, the Black Demon Sword finally stopped crying.

The Celestial Destiny Sect Leader looked at Jo Ibaek. At this moment, both shared the same thought.

Jo Ibaek said to the Four Gentlemen,

“Do not underestimate the opponent; fight cautiously.”

The Four Gentlemen were also tense inside, having never seen a sword cry on its own before.

Geom Muguk challenged them,

“Even if the others are as such, aren’t you martial artists of the righteous faction? Is it permissible to kill someone sent by the Martial Alliance Leader?”

Yet not a single one of the Four felt any pang of conscience. Not a trace of hesitation or doubt. It meant that they had always carried out the commands of the True Dragon Estate Leader without distinguishing right from wrong.

Geom Muguk said to them,

“That title does not suit you.”

As he finished speaking, the Black Demon Sword was drawn with lightning speed.

Flash!

A beam of sword light sprayed forth, cleaving the bamboo in two.

It was the Flying Sword Technique, Form Three: Soaring Sky Form in action. This attack, faster than before, could not be blocked by the bamboo of the Plum, Orchid, and Chrysanthemum. How could it be stopped when the moment it flashed, the body was already severed?

Seeing the blood-spattered bamboo fall to the side, the Plum soared forward.

Shraaack! Thud!

The Plum saw her lower body remain intact while only her severed upper torso flew forward. The one who split her was the Flying Sword Technique, Form One: Balanced Heaven Form.

The Orchid and Chrysanthemum simultaneously charged from both sides. Their movements were no longer as agile as usual, hindered by the sudden deaths of their two comrades.

The Black Demon Sword made twelve swift transformations in the air.

It was the Flying Sword Technique, Form Two: Changing Heaven Form.

The noble Orchid was uprooted at the sixth change, and the pure white Chrysanthemum had its petals torn away at the ninth.

This was the power of the Flying Sword Technique at the twelfth star level.

Geom Muguk could feel it clearly: the Flying Sword Technique, now at the twelfth star, was ripening more and more. The invulnerable poison-resistant body and the Wind God’s Protection reaching its formation—this entire cultivation growth was influencing the Flying Sword Technique.

Wuuuuuuuuuuuu!

The Black Demon Sword, having severed the Four Gentlemen, cried out again.

When facing multiple enemies, the key is to seize the initiative. Fear must be instilled into those who recklessly rely on numbers. They must think, “Even with our numbers, we could die.”

Now only silence filled the area. No one laughed anymore.

Geom Muguk gave the opponents no chance to regroup.

Before the order to kill him was given, Geom Muguk acted first.

In a flash, he slashed a masked attacker to his left.

After piercing his heart, he spun the sword around. Two masked men behind simultaneously had their throats cut, spraying blood.

He jumped over an oncoming masked attacker, smashing his face with a knee, then stabbed the masked men behind repeatedly.

At the sound of flesh tearing, Geom Muguk already cut down another masked man who had been awkwardly lingering on the opposite side. By his own standards, he should not have been so easily caught off guard, but in a flash, his neck was sliced and darkness filled his eyes.

Masked men who jumped from the roof to ambush were instead stabbed midair by his sword. They fell like autumn leaves.

Geom Muguk was incredibly fast.

Within moments, about a dozen bodies lay scattered, and the Celestial Destiny Sect Leader shouted belatedly,

“Combine your attacks! Combine your attacks!”

By the time he finished, four more had died.

Geom Muguk was a tiger among sheep. Though these sheep were no ordinary sheep—they charged crazily, swinging swords. Even as he was swept aside, swords pierced Geom Muguk’s body.

But none struck true. Grazing attacks could not penetrate the exquisite Celestial Silkworm Threads or the noble armor.

“He is faster than the Alliance Leader in his prime.”

The Celestial Destiny Sect Leader said nothing in response. By the time he spoke, three more had fallen.

“He’s human, so he will tire eventually.”

That was all they could rely on. As a human, his internal energy had limits.

Over a dozen charged, but Geom Muguk surged forward. Though running, it did not look like running; it was like sliding on ice.

Masked men fell left and right in his wake.

Secret weapons rained down from all directions.

Cling clang clang clang!

Geom Muguk’s sword scattered sword light through the air. All flying projectiles bounced off. Some pierced his body but did not slow his movement at all.

Geom Muguk soared upward. Masked men who threw weapons from the roof dropped down dead one after another.

They died whether charging, turning away, fighting alone, or cooperating. Even if they managed to stab the sword, Geom Muguk did not fall. When forced to receive attacks directly, he conceded the area protected by the Celestial Silkworm Threads and the noble armor.

Crack.

A masked man’s corpse flew and smashed the table where the Sect Leader and Jo Ibaek sat.

“Strength alone does not mean one can fight like that. The opponent… is someone who has killed countless people.”

Watching the fight, the Sect Leader realized that. The opponent had vast combat experience. One could not fight like that without crossing a river of blood. He knew exactly how to kill quickly and efficiently.

“How can one so young do that?”

“That’s why we entered this martial world. Because it’s this fun.”

The Sect Leader was not afraid. Whether because he had faith or had resolved to die, no one knew.

When more than half of the masked men had died, the survivors lost their fighting spirit. Their role degraded from killing Geom Muguk to merely wearing him down.

Eventually, the last masked man fell.

Only Geom Muguk’s heavy breathing echoed there.

Among the three masters—Slayer Sword, Paesung, and Great Poison Elder—the first to move was Paesung Yoraeri.

Swinging his iron staff, he charged. He gave Geom Muguk no respite.

Clang clang! Clang!

Staff and sword clashed repeatedly. Yoraeri pressed with tremendous strength.

Geom Muguk retreated, pushed back by power.

Feeling he had the advantage, Yoraeri infused his staff with internal energy. Confident in his internal energy, he tried to lead the fight into a battle of stamina. He believed he would win.

But he overlooked one fact: Geom Muguk was tired because he conserved his internal energy as much as possible.

No matter how much internal energy Yoraeri had, it could not compare to Geom Muguk’s.

Yoraeri’s arm trembled gripping the staff under the flood of Geom Muguk’s power.

At that moment, the Sect Leader «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» gave his order.

“Great Poison Elder!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, something flew from the Great Poison Elder’s hand. Engaged in an internal energy battle, neither Geom Muguk nor Yoraeri dodged it.

Bang!

Black poisonous smoke rose, engulfing both.

“Enough!”

The Sect Leader abruptly stood.

Jo Ibaek stood as well and asked,

“What poison is that?”

“The strongest poison of the Great Poison Elder: Extreme Yin Deadly Poison! That’s as far as he goes!”

“Ah!”

Relieved by the Sect Leader’s confidence, Jo Ibaek finally felt reassured. He had been desperately regretting a wrong choice.

From the black smoke, someone staggered out, bleeding from multiple wounds. Muttering incomprehensible words, he collapsed.

When the poison cleared, everyone was shocked.

Geom Muguk still stood firm.

The Sect Leader and Jo Ibaek shouted in unison,

“Invulnerable to all poisons?”

“The Invulnerable Poison-Resistant Body!”

Though enemies, they felt awe. It was the first time seeing the legendary Invulnerable Poison-Resistant Body in person.

Surviving poison was not the problem.

Chara rararararararak!

Floating before Geom Muguk’s chest were sword-shaped sword qi he had created. Their number had grown, now as many as twenty.

Flying Sword Technique, Form Seven: Flowing Sky Form.

Shhh shhh shhh shhh!

The twenty sword qi shot like rays of light, piercing the Great Poison Elder. Despite swinging his twin staffs wildly to block, he could not stop the twenty sword qi flying at his entire body.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The torrent of sword qi pierced through him.

As the Great Poison Elder fell, the Slayer Sword struck Geom Muguk’s face again.

At that moment, Geom Muguk’s sword was embedded in the wall behind the Great Poison Elder. Feeling that missing this moment meant death, Slayer Sword attacked fiercely.

Geom Muguk narrowly evaded, and as their faces brushed close—

Whooosh.

Geom Muguk exhaled the smoke he had held in his mouth.

“Waaahhh!”

He had inhaled the earlier poison smoke and spat it into Slayer Sword’s face. One mouthful was enough.

Slayer Sword covered his face and screamed in agony, rolling on the ground, bleeding from seven wounds, and died.

Only Geom Muguk, the Sect Leader, and Jo Ibaek remained.

Looking at the corpses scattered around, Jo Ibaek felt like it was all a dream. But he realized if he didn’t wake from this nightmare soon, he would die in it too.

Jo Ibaek shouted,

“Remember! I am on the Alliance Leader’s side! I was the one who told the Sect Leader was coming here…”

Ka-ra-ra-ra-rak!

Boom!

Half of Jo Ibaek’s face exploded, and the rest was burned to ash like charcoal. A powerful flame Yang energy was unleashed.

The Sect Leader withdrew his hand that had released the flame, then slowly raised the wine cup before him and drank.

“I always have to finish what I start.”

Meaning: he had intended to kill him anyway.

Geom Muguk reached out, and the Black Demon Sword embedded in the wall returned to his hand.

“You may think highly of yourself, but in my eyes, you’re insignificant. If you want to live quietly, then live quietly. If you want to be a hero, step out boldly. What are you anyway? Hiding and scheming, sowing discord from behind, recruiting your father and son separately without their knowledge. Is that impressive? No, it’s cowardly and despicable.”

The Sect Leader smiled bitterly.

“What can I do? That’s who I am. Plotting behind the scenes is just too fun and satisfying.”

He should have kept it that way. But as his power grew, he naturally became careless. Today’s battle? When he had only two or ten guards, he couldn’t have imagined such a thing. He hid and hid. Now, with a hundred guards, he became arrogant, thinking himself invincible.

“I must return to my original mindset and start over.”

The Sect Leader’s body began heating fiercely. At least his martial skill was not insignificant.

The air around instantly grew hot.

Geom Muguk realized it at once. The Sect Leader was someone who used extreme Yang martial arts at the highest level.

‘Dangerous.’

Reading Geom Muguk’s mind, the Black Demon Sword cried out again, long and loud.

His head spun and breath caught. This was pure martial skill, not an illusion, so there was no alternative. Raising his protective energy, he endured. He had never felt such heat before—as if thrown into molten lava.

Just as the Sect Leader prepared to unleash his extreme Yang energy—

The surroundings suddenly changed, startling the Sect Leader.

Whooooosh—

Suddenly, they stood amid a blizzard on a snowy mountain.

The cold snowstorm blowing against their faces was real. Even the battle-hardened Sect Leader was shocked by this.

“What is… this?”

Far ahead, Geom Muguk picked up snow from the ground and wiped his face.

The Sect Leader also touched the snow piled on the ground. It was real snow.

Whooooosh—

The fierce blizzard and the Sect Leader’s blazing extreme Yang energy dimmed. The heat faded along with his murderous intent and fighting spirit.

Both returned to their original place.

Amid the corpse-strewn estate, the Sect Leader asked,

“What martial skill is that?”

“Space-Time Illusion Technique.”

At that moment, the Sect Leader was gone.

His final technique was invisibility. Disappearing right before their eyes, it was his last and secret move to escape.

His belief that he could survive any situation turned him into prey caught in a spider’s web.

Puuuk!

The Sect Leader opened his eyes and looked down at his chest.

Geom Muguk’s sword, having detected his invisibility, pierced his heart.

The Sect Leader summoned his last breath to look at Geom Muguk.

Sword qi radiated around Geom Muguk’s body like spiderwebs. It was the qi emission he had learned from his father at the Hunting Heaven Temple, now extending densely like spiderwebs, leaving no escape for the Sect Leader’s invisibility.

With no regrets, the Sect Leader said,

“…Against that martial skill, Space-Time Illusion Technique, immune to poison and invisibility, then I must die.”

Geom Muguk truly had used everything he had learned in today’s fight.

Before his last breath, the Sect Leader left one final phrase.

“I… have met someone like you before.”

Geom Muguk was shocked for a moment.

“Where? Where?”

But that was the Sect Leader’s last word; he had already passed away.

‘Hwamugi! The Sect Leader met Hwamugi!’

Though it could have been someone else, Geom Muguk thought the person he referred to was Hwamugi.

Somewhere, Hwamugi lived. Growing strong like himself, walking toward their destiny.

Geom Muguk no longer feared him. He was doing his best to live.

Yes, Hwamugi is Hwamugi. Now is the time to enjoy the joy of victory.

At last, he had safely passed the heir’s trial given by his father. Especially meaningful was finishing it alone without the help of the Ma Jons.

Geom Muguk left the estate. After he departed, the rest would be handled by the Martial Alliance Leader. He had already said farewell to Jin Paecheon and Jin Haryeong, so he could leave as is.

Outside the estate, Seodaeryong waited, sitting on the driver’s seat of the carriage.

“This is the carriage driven by the Small Dragon Tournament champion. Consider it an honor.”

Despite his words, Seodaeryong’s eyes trembled with emotion. “Thank you for returning safely.” That hot feeling filled his face.

“I bought a new martial uniform inside. Change into it.”

“Thank you.”

Geom Muguk climbed into the carriage.

“Let’s go home.”

“Who do you miss the most?”

Leaning against the carriage, Geom Muguk closed his eyes.

“The person I miss the most is…”

What was heard faintly was just the breeze brushing his hair.

“Who was that?”

When Seodaeryong looked back, Geom Muguk, having poured all his strength into the battle, had fallen asleep. The new uniform Seodaeryong prepared lay draped over his knees, untouched.

“Thank you very much, Sect Leader.”

Thus, the carriage began to move toward the Heavenly Demon Sect.