As if it were nothing of importance, as if it were merely everyday routine, Unhwi answered briefly.

"I am simply walking my path as a martial artist."

"..."

"I did not wish to entangle you in this, Senior Wang. The saying that good deeds bring fortune does come to mind, but even so, I want to make this clear."

"Say it."

"Turn a blind eye and leave."

"..."

"It will be better for you as well."

Wang Muha shook his head.

"I have already made my decision."

"..."

"Is there a place for me in the Heavenly Alliance or the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace?"

Unhwi looked at him in silence.

He had not intended to bring this man in like this, but given the circumstances, it was not such a bad outcome.

"There are many places. But in the end, is it not your will that matters?"

Wang Muha had already resolved himself.

"I am firm."

"...Very well. Once this matter is over, we will speak of it then."

At that moment—

"What a pity."

The master of unity of heaven and man standing behind Unhwi.

The half-white-haired old man looked at Wang Muha with genuine regret.

Wang Muha's face hardened.

"...Ha Mujin..."

Ha Mujin, the Iron-Eyed Sword Emperor.

A master of unity of heaven and man, and once one of the Murim League’s Great Elders.

Now he had stepped back from the front lines and was serving as the League Leader’s protector.

"Will you not regret it?"

"...I will not regret it. But why involve yourself in something like this? As far as I know, you were at least a man who understood the Way."

"Is knowing the Way the same as living one's life?"

"..."

"I am simply doing this for the Murim League. That is all you need to know."

"...A sophism."

Ha Mujin shook his head.

"For the order of the Murim League, this old man takes up the sword."

Zhuge Yeonghyeon, who had been watching, let out a quiet laugh.

"I too find it quite regrettable."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"It seems that Elder Wang Muha of the Murim League once played a game with Seol Unhwi and exchanged secret words..."

Zhuge Yeonghyeon's eyes gleamed coldly.

"So that was when you secretly conspired to assassinate the League Leader. And now you carried it out together... Yes, even if you created a new realm called the Three-Manifest Realm, to contend with the League Leader who has reached Vast-Empty Transcendence? The logic was somewhat lacking—but if it is the betrayal of Wang Muha... then the story gains a deeper layer of logic."

"..."

"What a mess the order of the martial world has become. Would you not agree?"

Wang Muha placed his hand on his sword, and Zhuge Yeonghyeon lowered his fan once more.

"Begin."

In that instant—

KWA-A-A-ANG-!!

All the martial artists charged at once.

Unhwi drew his sword.

The Trueflame Heavenly-Spirit Sword.

It gleamed coldly beneath the moonlight.

"Wonyang."

"Yes, my lord."

"Take the Azure Dragon Unit."

Namgung Wonyang's expression turned cold.

"What about prisoners?"

"None are needed."

"Understood."

Wonyang rushed forward, and Unhwi looked ahead.

Two martial artists who had reached the Heavenly-Man Realm were raising their momentum.

Chomu-hwan, the Blazing Flame Sword.

Bang Cheonsu, the Lightning Sword.

Though they appeared as such, both were among the Murim League’s Eight Great Elders.

At some point, two elders had declared seclusion, and these two had filled their places—men brought in by Zhuge Yeonghyeon.

"...Seol Unhwi."

Chomu-hwan, on the left, spoke.

"So the genius of the world meets his death today."

Bang Cheonsu, on the right, also drew his sword.

Unhwi did not respond.

He simply raised his sword.

And—

Moved.

KWA-A-ANG-!!

He kicked off the ground.

In an instant, he stood before Chomu-hwan.

Chomu-hwan was greatly startled. He was faster than expected.

"...Indeed... remarkable!"

He swung his sword.

Heavenly True Flame Sword.

Flames burst forth from the blade.

But—

Swoosh—

Unhwi’s sword cut through the flames.

Absolute Ice Returning Void Sword.

The true chapter of the Tao-Beginning Innate Heart Method, which he had repeatedly reconstructed in his mind until just recently.

From it, the extremity of Void-Reality energy had deepened further.

And the maximum limit his energy channels could withstand.

At this moment, Unhwi was more serious than he had ever been.

Slice-!

It was a single sound of cutting.

"...Huh?"

Chomu-hwan's eyes widened.

He had neither seen it nor reacted.

He only felt that something was wrong.

There was no sensation in his body.

He could not move.

The world tilted.

Thud.

His head fell to the ground, and blood burst forth like a fountain.

"...Hy—hyung!!"

Bang Cheonsu, the Lightning Sword, charged in rage.

Heavenly Thunder Shattering Sword.

Lightning erupted from his blade, and lightning surged through his legs as well—unity of footwork and sword.

KWA-RRRRRR-!!

Lightning poured toward Unhwi.

Unhwi did not evade.

He simply raised his sword.

This man’s sword art...

Unhwi’s eyes moved.

He read the opponent’s blade.

The direction of the incoming lightning.

How it was generated, where it accelerated, and ultimately where it aimed.

Three forms.

Though Unhwi had never seen the Heavenly Thunder Shattering Sword, this level was enough to analyze.

The first is a feint.

The second is pressure.

The third is the true strike.

This is the first.

Unhwi tilted his sword slightly.

KANG-!!

The lightning struck the blade and was deflected.

Bang Cheonsu’s eyes trembled.

But he did not stop.

Second form.

Heavenly Thunder Linked Sword.

Dozens of bolts of lightning rained down from all directions.

Unhwi’s eyes swept through the air.

Three from the upper left, five from the lower right, ten from the front.

Every trajectory was visible.

Swoosh—

He twisted his body.

The lightning from the upper left passed.

He twisted again.

The lightning from the lower right grazed past.

Then he swung toward the ten in front.

KWA-A-A-A-ANG-!!

All the lightning was deflected.

"...How...?!!"

Bang Cheonsu’s face turned pale.

Unhwi stepped forward. Gritting his teeth, Bang Cheonsu unleashed his final form.

"Heavenly Thunder Annihilation Sword! Take this as well!"

He poured all his inner power into it.

A massive bolt of lightning shot toward Unhwi.

A path of lightning formed in the air, making even the surrounding natural qi tremble.

Anyone could see—it was a technique worthy not of Heaven-and-Earth level, but of Martial God level. Only the user himself was not yet there.

And Unhwi was already moving.

Sever all ties of the mortal world,

Walk alone between heaven and earth with a single sword.

Frost covers the heart, leaving no attachments,

All things become like ice and can be shattered.

Reverse-Heaven Vastness Sword.

Third Verse, Absolute Cold Heaven Severance.

He swung his sword.

CRRRRACK-!!

The lightning extending through the air froze solid.

It was a spectacle.

Bang Cheonsu faltered, and Unhwi moved.

Slice-!

The Trueflame Heavenly-Spirit Sword cut deeply across Bang Cheonsu’s shoulder. He had reacted at the last moment, so it stopped there—otherwise both arm and neck would have been severed.

Through the spray of blood, Unhwi’s sword struck again.

Bang Cheonsu raised his sword to block.

KAAANG-!!

Yet instead, his sword was knocked upward. He had been overwhelmed in strength.

"What kind of... madness...?!"

Unhwi’s eyes flashed.

Bang Cheonsu’s left shoulder.

An opening.

He thrust immediately.

Slash-!

He cut the shoulder.

"Urgh—!"

Blood sprayed, and Unhwi saw it. Bang Cheonsu’s left thigh.

A perfect opening that could not be avoided.

He swung.

Slice-!

Bang Cheonsu’s left thigh was cut, bone exposed.

Bang Cheonsu tried to step back, but it was already too late.

His left shoulder could no longer hold strength, and his left leg could no longer support movement—it was as good as severed.

At that point, there was nothing he could do.

That was the truth.

Unhwi raised his sword.

"...W-wait... just... wait—!"

Before he could finish—

Slice-!

Bang Cheonsu’s head fell to the ground.

Silence fell over the surroundings.

Wang Muha and Ha Mujin, who had been engaged in fierce battle.

The Azure Dragon Unit fighting Wonyang.

And Zhuge Yeonghyeon as well.

Everyone knew Unhwi was strong. He had proven it countless times.

But not to this extent.

Surely—

Not to this extent.

That two Heavenly-Man Realm martial artists could be killed with just a few exchanges of blades—

It shattered common sense.

Zhuge Yeonghyeon, in particular, was shaken.

"...How...?"

Truthfully, he had not believed those two could defeat Unhwi.

But he had believed they could buy time.

That they would hold Unhwi in place while Ha Mujin subdued Wang Muha, then join together and end the situation.

That was what he had believed.

But it had unraveled from the very beginning.

He staggered back.

"What if..."

At Unhwi’s voice, Zhuge Yeonghyeon froze.

"If your plan was that those two could hold me in place, then it was not I who broke that plan—but you yourself."

"...What... did you say?"

"Did you never consider joining them yourself?"

He blinked.

"Do you consider yourself a strategist, or a martial artist?"

"...You..."

"Because you were neither, you stand there as you do now."

Zhuge Yeonghyeon drew up his energy. Rage surged within him.

And that was as far as it went.

The moment Unhwi vanished from before his eyes—

Thrust.

A sword burst out through his chest.

Piercing through his back and heart—

The long blade.

The Trueflame Heavenly-Spirit Sword.

"Today, the Zhuge name disappears from this world."

Unhwi’s voice came from behind him.

Cough—

Blood burst from his mouth.

This... isn’t right...

It shouldn’t ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) be like this...

"Farewell."

The sword was pulled free.

Thud.

His knees hit the ground.

Before his eyes, he saw Ha Mujin and Wang Muha, their expressions shaken.

Then—

Slice-!

The world tilted.

***

At the moment when all had fallen silent before Unhwi’s martial power—

Namgung Wonyang’s eyes flashed.

Whatever the case, these were those who had raised their swords against Unhwi.

Those who had tried to kill him.

She had no intention of leaving even one alive.

She dashed forward.

The twenty or so members of the Azure Dragon Unit flinched.

Her body moved like flowing water.

Azure String Shadowless Sword Art.

Swoosh—

Three sword trajectories were drawn.

"...What is this—!"

The martial artist at the front hurriedly raised his sword to block.

Clang-!!

But what he blocked was a false blade.

The real sword was elsewhere.

Thrust—!!

It pierced his heart.

"Ugh—!!"

The Azure Dragon Unit martial artist coughed blood and collapsed.

One.

Wonyang withdrew her sword.

Blood ran along the blade.

"You bitch—!!"

Another martial artist swung from the side.

Wonyang raised her sword.

Clang-!!

The blades collided.

She twisted sideways, and the opponent’s sword was deflected.

An opening.

Her blade swept across his neck.

Slice-!!

The head flew off.

Two.

The Azure Dragon Unit panicked.

Three charged at once.

All were at the Three-Flower Summit.

Wonyang kicked off the ground.

KWA-ANG-!!

The ground shattered as her body drove into their midst.

She swung her sword.