Cheonghyeonjin’s composure was excellent.

As befitting his reputation as the Guardian Sword, he calmly led the disciples of Mount Hua through the maze.

Of course, the fact that the successor, the Plum Blossom One Sword, was good at soothing his fellow disciples also played a big part.

With Cheonghyeonjin’s encouragement and the Plum Blossom One Sword Gukbo’s soothing, the disciples of the Mount Hua sect, unlike the other martial artists, steadily broke through the maze.

“I think we can go this way. There is a rule for each pattern engraved on the maze wall.”

“Indeed, that’s right!”

Cheonghyeonjin was impressed.

Gukbo indeed had a good eye. No matter how dizzyingly entangled the maze was, there was a rule. Gukbo had discovered that rule.

When they moved according to the rule, the environment certainly changed.

The color of the gray wall changed. The stuffy air that had been pressing down on them became clear.

In other words, it meant that an open space was getting closer.

‘We’ve done it. I don’t know if it’s the outside, but fresh air is coming in.’

They had finally gotten closer to the maze exit. Looking at the pictures on the wall that were now appearing regularly, it was only a matter of time before they got out. At that, the atmosphere changed strangely.

Gukbo lowered his voice.

“Then what are you going to do about those who are chasing us?”

“Eum!”

Cheonghyeonjin swallowed his saliva.

Mount Hua did not carelessly point their swords at the martial artists they encountered.

Because there was no need to make enemies.

But perhaps because of that, one or two martial artists had started to sneakily follow behind Mount Hua.

“We don’t know what will happen when we get out of the maze. They are following us, thinking that we can escape the maze.”

“Eum.”

“Elder. In any case, we are aiming for the secret manual and treasures of the Red Blood Sword Demon. It’s the same for them. Not everyone can have what they want.”

Cheonghyeonjin was famous for being a gentleman even in Mount Hua, and he had a gentle personality who hated to see useless blood.

The hidden intention behind Gukbo’s words was to shake them off.

But how could he shake off those who were following behind?

The only way was to kill them and destroy the evidence.

‘Is it because of his young blood that he is still so domineering?’

A hint of discomfort appeared in Cheonghyeonjin’s pupils as he looked at Gukbo.

‘The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, his eyes were just clear and beautiful…’

Cheon Mubaeck of a similar age was naturally drawn in his mind.

Although he didn’t want to compare, he had no choice. Because Cheon Mubaeck was that impressive.

Of course, it wasn’t that pursuing the path of dominance was bad. Wasn’t the martial world originally such a place? But the martial artists of Mount Hua were Taoists who practiced the Tao before they were martial artists. He had to make that point clear. Cheonghyeonjin said firmly.

“We’ll split up and scatter. We’ll disperse them and shake them off as much as possible, and then we’ll gather.”

“But… it’s impossible to shake them all off.”

“I know. But we’ll shake them off as much as possible.”

Although Gukbo did not like Cheonghyeonjin, who was going around in circles, leaving a simple solution, he had no choice but to nod his head.

It was then.

“What kind of conspiracy are you plotting so secretly?”

Kwaaang!

The wall on the left collapsed with a loud noise.

Cheonghyeonjin’s pupils shook.

‘The Old Tiger Ghost!’

Although he had been knocked out by Cheon Mubaeck in one blow, the Old Tiger Ghost was a master who could not be ignored.

His small appearance, his face full of wrinkles, and his bent waist were truly shabby.

But the nails that were hanging from his ten fingers, giving off a sharp edge, made the crowd shudder.

Blood was dripping from the tips of his nails, which seemed to be at least one foot long.

His notoriety was famous in Shaanxi as a master of a formidable claw technique.

‘Damn it. It’s too late to shake them off!’

Although he had been knocked out by Cheon Mubaeck’s surprise attack, his skills were the real deal.

“It seems you know how to get out of the maze, but can’t you share that much with your fellow martial artists? Are you hoping that we all die here?”

“…”

“Hehe. It would be better to guide us to the exit when I’m saying it nicely.”

Although Cheonghyeonjin was silent, at his arrogant tone, Gukbo drew his sword and stepped forward.

“Hmph! A filthy old ghost dares to look down on Mount Hua!”

“Khahahaha! You brat! After hearing the words ‘Plum Blossom One Sword,’ do you really feel like you’ve become an ultimate master!”

The Old Tiger Ghost rushed in without hesitation.

Gukbo was flustered by the momentum of him rushing in like a madman while he was talking. The martial artists who had gathered around were also surprised by the ruthless killing intent and momentum and rolled their bodies here and there. In an instant, a path was opened.

“D-Damn it!”

Although he had received the title of Plum Blossom One Sword, this was the first time he had officially entered the martial world.

Moreover, it was the first time he had directly faced a master like the Old Tiger Ghost. So Gukbo was quite flustered by the sudden surprise attack.

Cheonghyeonjin, who had been silent, walked out.

“Although I hate to see blood… I know that those who ignore Mount Hua must be punished firmly.”

Cheonghyeonjin immediately drew his sword. The Old Tiger Ghost shouted in a tearing voice.

“Hmph! Is the body of a Mount Hua elder made of steel!”

“Are you saying you’ll be at odds with Mount Hua?”

“In any case, if I kill you here and destroy the evidence, how would anyone know who killed you!”

The Old Tiger Ghost’s bent hands came for Cheonghyeonjin’s head. It was so fast that a strange sound of the wind tearing shook the maze.

“With just this much… you insult Mount Hua!”

But Cheonghyeonjin just lightly raised his sword.

Jjeojeojeojeok!

The ten nails and the sword were entangled in the empty air.

The blade and the nails full of internal energy collided in an instant, and red sparks flew.

“Ugh!”

In a moment’s time, with just one exchange, the Old Tiger Ghost’s face turned pale.

The nails that could cut steel were all cut in vain and fell to the floor. Then the sword suddenly came out and stabbed the Old Tiger Ghost’s chest.

“Keuk!”

Although he hurriedly crossed his arms and used his protective qi, the Old Tiger Ghost was sent flying far away, breaking through the wall, due to the shock.

“…!”

The martial artists who had been looking for an opportunity were silent for a moment at the formidable divine might that had taken out the Old Tiger Ghost in a single blow.

“Don’t point your swords at Mount Hua anymore.”

No one could answer Cheonghyeonjin’s heavy words.

Although he had a gentle personality and hated to see blood, when it was time to see blood, Cheonghyeonjin was ruthless.

Was the reputation of the Mount Hua Guardian Sword created for no reason?

But not everyone agreed with that name.

“It seems Mount Hua knows how to get out of the maze, but the Old Tiger Ghost’s words are not wrong. Are you saying we should all die here, unable to drink water, while we wander around?”

The old man with a red beard who was revealed beyond the collapsed wall was a huge man, unlike the Old Tiger Ghost.

“…The Mute Red Demon.”

“It’s been a while, Guardian Sword.”

“…”

Cheonghyeonjin shut his mouth.

Although the Mute Red Demon’s notoriety was high, his skills were also outstanding. Mount Hua had fought with him several times, and Cheonghyeonjin had also competed with him several times.

“If only you guys get out of here, all the people left here will die. Is that the chivalry of the orthodox sects?”

“That’s right. Guardian Sword. I don’t agree with the Mute Red Demon’s will, but this time, his words are not wrong.”

This time, what had appeared was a man with a red face.

Looking at the large sword at his waist and his red face, Cheonghyeonjin finally let out a groan.

“It’s the Star-Gazing Sword.”

“It’s a pity to see you like this, but the Mute Red Demon’s words are right. If this continues, we’ll all die.”

“Hehe. Do the righteous Taoists of Mount Hua, coveting that mere secret manual, let their fellow martial artists who have gathered here die?”

The Mute Red Demon pressed on. On top of that, even the Star-Gazing Sword joined in, and other martial artists also joined in, so the Mount Hua sect was cornered.

‘It’s clear that we’ll have to fight anyway.’

Cheonghyeonjin looked around the crowd.

Everyone’s pupils were glittering with killing intent. Even in the eyes of the Star-Gazing Sword, who was a person of the righteous and unorthodox and was said to know righteousness and chivalry, an unconcealable desire was surging.

If this continued, even if they dramatically compromised and escaped, they would have no choice but to fight in front of the treasures and secret manual of the Red Blood Sword Demon.

Cheonghyeonjin sighed and held his sword upright.

“No one can block the front of Mount Hua, and no one can surpass it!”

Kung!

That was the signal.

The martial artists all took out their respective weapons and got mixed up.

No, it was the moment they were about to get mixed up.

Kugugugugung!

“…!”

With a loud noise, the ground spun around. The people lost their balance and fell.

“Wh-What!”

Cheonghyeonjin hurriedly regained his balance and looked around.

The walls of the maze were going down to the floor, and then they were rising again, and the floor was spinning around.

It felt as if the maze were being redesigned.

“Dodge!”

Cheonghyeonjin jumped up and dodged the wall that was rising from right under his feet.

Walls were newly rising from here and there. Naturally, the martial artists of the Mount Hua sect who had been gathered were scattered.

How much time had passed?

After the ground had been moving for a long time, it finally stopped.

“Get a hold of yourselves and everyone, regroup!”

Cheonghyeonjin shouted calmly.

Looking around quickly, there were not many scattered martial artists of the Mount Hua sect. Three had been separated by the rising walls, and among the three was the Plum Blossom One Sword Gukbo.

“Is that a relief?”

Since Gukbo was on the other side, it was a relief.

Because Gukbo was trustworthy, and he had a good eye and a good head to solve the maze.

But his thought was soon revealed to be a premature relief.

“E-Elder!”

At the flustered voices of his disciples, which he had not usually heard, Cheonghyeonjin’s head snapped around.

“What’s wrong?”

“The pictures and patterns engraved on the maze wall… have all changed!”

“…What?”

Cheonghyeonjin approached the wall with a dazed face.

The uniform rules of the maze that he had found while wandering through the maze for half a day.

All of them… had disappeared.

Finally, Cheonghyeonjin trembled and clenched his teeth.

His two eyes were bloodshot.

“I don’t know what kind of bastard it is, but I’ll definitely boil him in a steamer!”

* * *

“Heok!”

“I didn’t hit your head, so why are you suddenly trembling?”

“By any chance, did you think of beating me up later?”

Although Cheon Mubaeck looked at him with a pathetic look, Neung-heo’s body was trembling.

‘Why am I getting the chills?’

Neung-heo sneakily glanced at Cheon Mubaeck.

If there was a difference between Neung-heo and Cheon Mubaeck, it was whether they could turn their thoughts into reality.

So Neung-heo had wanted to beat up Cheon Mubaeck, but he could not actually do it.

How could he dare to hit Cheon Mubaeck?

Cheon Mubaeck was different.

Fortunately, he had not been hit that much.

No, he might have been hit more.

Because he had fainted for a moment and then had woken up.

“Sigh. You human. The thing you touched must have been what activated the mechanism trap.”

“Eum.”

“Why did you touch it?”

“This is a little… shiny.”

Neung-heo showed the structure he had pulled out from the wall with a somewhat sullen look.

It was a cone-shaped structure with a decoration that seemed to be wrapped in gold leaf.

It was a shape that anyone would have touched without even realizing it.

Cheon Mubaeck sighed.

It might be a relief if it had only activated a simple mechanism trap.

‘Of course, those are also brutal.’

Arrows flying was a common thing, and the floor suddenly collapsing and sharp long spears being embedded was a basic. He didn’t know when or where a trap would appear.

If it had been just a dizzying maze before, now it was like a hell where all sorts of traps were lurking.

Moreover, this time, it was useless no matter how widely he spread his qi waves.

Kugugugugu.

“It’s not even a quarter of an hour. The maze keeps changing every half a quarter of an hour…”

The maze kept changing.

Neung-heo was quiet, in case he would be hit again.

Because no matter how he looked at it, Neung-heo had messed up something that could have been easily exited.

But Cheon Mubaeck felt a strange sense of unease.

‘These patterns…’

At first, he had just passed by, but Cheon Mubaeck soon noticed that the patterns and pictures also changed every time the maze structure changed.

Cheon Mubaeck did not miss that.

He carefully put the patterns that he saw every time the maze changed into his head.

‘There are about eight kinds.’

They were pictures that were somewhat familiar to his eyes.

Cheon Mubae-ck thought carefully.

Then something suddenly flashed in his mind.

‘Could it be…’

If this place was the The Complete Truth Sacred Altar, and if there was a sacred object that should be in the sacred altar…

A few hypotheses flashed through Cheon Mubaeck’s mind in an instant.

His mind, which had lived through countless past lives, was no different from a secret manual. And the entire history of the martial world was contained in it.

Cheon Mubaeck found one of them.

‘The one who saw the end of the sword first… and ascended to immortality… it was you. Was this place made by you?’

The corners of Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes trembled.

The only rival he had acknowledged in his numerous lives.

And his friend and rival, who had disappeared, leaving only the legend that he had ascended to immortality at some point.

Cheon Mubaeck’s voice trembled slightly.

“You made this!”

One of the Eight Immortals, the one who was called the Sword Immortal.

The one who was known as the master of Wang Chongyang, the founder of the The Complete Truth Sect.

And the only rival that Cheon Mubaeck had acknowledged.

“Lü Dongbin!”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep