Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 615

Paaah!

The extended sword was truly sharp.

Even having learned the same martial arts, the way someone uses a sword is different from person to person.

Jo Gul’s sword was exceptionally light and sharp, even among the swords of Mount Hua.

This was more than just showing off.

Jo Gul’s sword was not just fast or full of quick changes. It was about being as effective as possible to defeat his enemy. It had developed to do just that.

On the other hand, Mu-Ho’s sword was solid and majestic.

If Jo Gul’s sword was like a whirlwind rising to the sky, Mu-Ho’s sword was like an ancient, unyielding mountain that steadfastly held its ground.

Since the two had met, the form of the battle was obvious.

Paaah!

Mu-Ho’s sword silently blocked Jo Gul’s fast and concisely swirling sword.

Clang!

Sparks flew the moment the swords met, and the gazes of the two men crossed in the air.

‘He’s blocking?’

‘Fast!’

They could not help but marvel at each other’s swords.

Swordsmen were bound to focus entirely on each other’s swords in any situation.

‘It’s different.’

Jo Gul quickly thrust his sword forward, his face hardening. This was unlike any martial art he had ever experienced.

It was even vastly different from the swordplay Jin Hyun had displayed.

Jo Gul was now keenly aware of what it meant when people said that the true value of the Wudang sword revealed itself over time.

Heavy. It feels like facing an iron wall.

No, that expression isn’t quite right either.

If you hit an iron wall, it pushes back. But this sword was different. It was soft and seemed to take in everything that came at it.

If he had to say, it was more like a lake.

No matter how many stones you throw or trees you uproot and shove into it, a lake simply exists as a lake. Given a little time, it returns to its calm, original form.

No matter how sharply Jo Gul’s sword, aimed at the enemy, stirred, Mu-Ho’s sword returned to its original position as if nothing had happened.

‘This is the Wudang sword…’

He felt he knew why the world praised Wudang with one voice.

A steadfast mind that perfectly maintains itself even in the midst of fierce battle.

The solidity that makes the attacker despair even more, and the softness that accepts the opponent’s strength without pushing it away.

‘So, this is how a sword can be used.’

A shiver went down Jo Gul’s spine, like he was suddenly understanding something important. *This is it,* he thought. He realized he had never truly seen a real orthodox sword before. The enemies he had fought were mostly evil fighters from the Demonic Sect, or warriors from faraway lands. He had sparred with people from Jongnam and seen swords at competitions, but they were all young and inexperienced. They couldn’t truly understand the sword of an old and respected clan like Wudang. *Were those swords, which only copied the surface, really true orthodox swords?*

But Mu-Ho’s sword… this was real. It was powerful and heavy, yet also gentle and strong. It was like water, changing shape but always firm at its center. It pressed down on Jo Gul, making him feel its immense strength.

‘Yes, I understand now.’

Why the Mount Hua sword, despite being the sword of a prestigious clan, was said to be closer to evil (邪) than righteousness (正). Why the Mount Hua sword was an extremely practical sword—he now understood properly.

But that was why…

“I want to win even more!”

Jo Gul roared and created dozens of sword shadows, shooting them all at Mu-Ho.

“Hmm!”

Mu-Ho swallowed a dry breath and pressed down with his sword.

‘Is this the sword of the Third Class Disciple?’

What a joke.

He had watched the sparring match with Jin Hyun and confirmed the result. Defeat was something he couldn’t dare to excuse, but he also thought that if Jin Hyun had fought with his true skills, he wouldn’t have been so easily defeated.

But after directly experiencing Jo Gul’s sword, he had no choice but to change his mind.

‘Jin Hyun never stood a chance.’

He wouldn’t win even once in a hundred fights. Even he couldn’t guarantee a perfect victory against this sword, so how could Jin Hyun have handled it?

Fast.

Sharp.

‘And surprisingly different.’

He didn’t know if this Jo Gul was using the sword in such a way, or if the Mount Hua sword was originally like that, but this sword deceived and struck at the weak points of people moment by moment.

There was no intention to justly suppress the opponent. A fierce ambition to obtain the result of ‘victory’ by any means permeated the sword itself, not the swordsman.

‘This is the Mount Hua sword!’

A smile appeared on Mu-Ho’s lips.

The destiny to protect the honor of the sect and the fact that the opponent was much younger than him cleanly disappeared from his mind.

He was also one who had lived polishing his sword.

The moment he faced a sword that differed from his own, his spirit as a swordsman blazed.

“Hmph!”

Mu-Ho’s sword pushed away each of Jo Gul’s flying sword shadows.

Minimal movement and minimal force.

The sword that minimized waste seemed slow instead.

The sword seemed to flow softly, swimming through the air, and the large circle created at its end struck away all the flying sword shadows.

“Ugh…”

Dang So-So distorted her face as if she couldn’t watch anymore.

“I, is he losing?”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon neither affirmed nor denied the words. He merely sighed lowly.

“…That is the Wudang sword.”

Baek Cheon had no choice but to reflect now as well.

He had heard the same words countless times from Chung Myung. That he was still just a fledgling.

He acknowledged it outwardly. He thought so in his head as well.

But arrogance had clearly settled within him at some point.

That was because he had fought and won against the head of the Ten Thousand People Clan, defeated the elder of the Ice Palace, and even survived the hands of that vile bishop.

He thought that at least those of a similar age to him, or even one generation above, would not have had the same experiences and crossed the line between life and death. So, he thought he could handle them well enough, no matter how strong they were.

But now, that Wudang sword was showing Baek Cheon how wide the world was.

‘It’s not important to surpass the name of Wudang.’

To truly surpass Wudang, one must surpass that sword. That sword that is soft like water, firm like a rock, and steadfast like a pine tree grown in a field!

“S, Senior Uncle!”

Baek Cheon nodded as Dang So-So urged him again.

“He’s strong.”

“…”

“There’s nothing wrong with what that guy said. The First Class Disciple of Wudang is on a different level from the Second Class Disciple.”

It was surprisingly different.

To explain it, there was as much difference as between a foot soldier and an executioner. He couldn’t understand how they could be so different with only one generation between them.

“Then, Senior Brother Jo Gul is…”

“But.”

Baek Cheon said with a firm face.

“Geol is not an easy opponent. You know that too. That guy has never taken a break from training.”

“…”

“He acts silly, jokes too much, and is becoming rude. He says foolish things because he doesn’t understand the situation. And he pretends to be tough even though he grew up rich – what a hypocrite!”

“…Do you have to insult him that much?”

“Wow, Senior Uncle is really good at criticizing now. Top-notch.”

Baek Cheon ignored Chung Myung’s voice, which seemed genuinely impressed, and continued.

“Nevertheless, Jo Gul is more serious than anyone when it comes to the sword. No matter how excellent the Wudang sword is, there’s no reason why the Mount Hua sword should be inferior.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes shone as he stared at the sparring arena.

“If so, the problem of time will be solved by his experience.”

Dang So-So nodded and looked back at Jo Gul.

At Jo Gul, who was shaking like a boat that had lost its way amidst the blue sword energy that surged like a river.

‘He’s strong.’

Jo Gul smiled, revealing his teeth.

Blood trickled down from his torn lips, as if his mouth had burst open at some point.

It wasn’t just his mouth. His shoulder ached as if it were crushed, even though he hadn’t been directly hit, and the sensation was disappearing from the fingertips of the hand holding the sword.

So, this must be what it means to suppress the opponent with energy.

He doesn’t fiercely stab or swing to suppress. Yet, Jo Gul was gradually being pushed into a corner.

That was a living sword (活劍).

A sword that focuses more on suppressing than defeating the opponent. A sword to save people, and a sword that is the foundation of the orthodox sects.

‘Heavy.’

Also, the inner strength carried in the sword was exceptionally clear and pure.

It was different from simply increasing the amount rapidly. He felt he knew why Chung Myung kept scolding him for only uselessly increasing his inner strength, which he couldn’t even use properly.

It’s meaningless to just possess it.

Only when one can use it to suit their sword and completely dominate it does it become their true inner strength.

Even now, the plum blossom sword was bending as if it would break from the force flowing through the sword’s surface.

If the martial arts of the Demonic Sect were akin to pouring a waterfall onto the opponent, the martial arts of the orthodox sects were like water slowly rising from the ankles.

And that water is clear and pure.

So, it must be Great Purity (太淸).

If martial arts are about climbing to a higher place based on what one has accumulated through training, then what is accumulated in Mu-Ho’s sword is beyond comparison with Jo Gul.

Yes. He’s strong. Exceptionally strong and clearer than anything he’s ever experienced.

But!

Jo Gul’s gaze reflexively turned slightly to the side. He saw Chung Myung’s face, squatting next to Baek Cheon.

He didn’t look because he wanted help.

He just wanted to confirm if his thoughts were correct.

And after confirming Chung Myung’s face, Jo Gul unknowingly twisted his lips and smiled.

‘I knew you’d have that face, you bastard!’

Chung Myung’s face was saying it all.

‘So?’

Yes. That’s why.

At the end of the day, it’s just a sword, and at the end of the day, it’s just martial arts.

There’s no reason why he can’t face it, and there’s no reason why he can’t overcome it.

‘It flows like water?’

Confidence settled on Jo Gul’s face. Even as his fingertips swelled from the endlessly surging sword energy and his insides felt crushed with pain, he could smile.

“Then, where…”

Soon, his sword began to sway gently.

The sword, which had been bending as if it would break from the pressure of the sword energy, instantly regained its shape and swayed gently as if it felt no pressure at all.

“Shall we see if flowers can bloom even in water?”

Hwaaaah!

The tip of Jo Gul’s sword scattered into the world.

Flowers bloomed even in distant Yunnan and in the cold Northern Sea. So, why shouldn’t plum blossoms bloom even in water?

Soon, from the swaying tip of the sword, delicate plum blossoms grew.

Plum blossoms bloomed by none other than him.

The plum blossoms of Mount Hua, and the plum blossoms of Jo Gul.

Someone said.

The colder the winter, the more violent the wind that torments the plum tree, the more beautiful the plum blossoms bloom.

Then, what about the winter he endured and the wind he withstood?

Would it be enough to bloom beautiful plum blossoms?

One blossom, and then another, the plum blossoms stretched their petals as if yawning and bloomed.

The flowers, with their delicate appearance that was hard to believe had bloomed from the tip of Jo Gul’s sword, soon formed a forest.

The middle of the flowing river split, and a plum blossom forest revealed its appearance. Even then, the forest grew larger and larger, completely pushing away the flowing water.

‘This is?’

Horror appeared in Mu-Ho’s eyes.

‘The Plum Blossom Sword Formation.’

He had heard the name countless times.

But the Plum Blossom Sword Formation he saw with his own eyes was quite different from what he had heard.

That sword was too beautiful, too flamboyant, and…

Riding the blowing wind, the plum blossoms began to flutter into the world.

Unlike water, which cannot leave the ground, plum blossoms are not bound to the earth. The softly flying plum petals fluttered like illusions, swaying and enveloping Mu-Ho’s body.

The moment Mu-Ho, momentarily captivated by that freedom, flinched and tried to swing his sword.

Paaaaah!

Jo Gul shot out like lightning from among the softly swaying and fluttering petals, shooting like an arrow towards Mu-Ho.