Chapter 209

Unhui spoke quietly.

“This is the Secret Realm of the Plum Blossom Sword.”

On the surface of the gate, a single plum blossom design glowed faintly.

That blossom had all five petals fully open, and upon each petal, the faint image of a sword was etched.

Stepping forward, Unhui said,

“Before we enter, let me warn you. This is a special place that opens once every hundred years. Entering is difficult, and leaving will be even harder.”

Sim Munryong loosened his shoulders and laughed.

“Scaring us already? Come on, our wise sage Unhui.”

Unhui ignored him and continued speaking.

“Inside this realm, we may lose track of each other. Be careful. And no matter what happens—you follow my instructions. Understood?”

The ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) four brothers nodded in unison.

“Let’s go in.”

Unhui took the first step forward. The others followed behind him.

***

As soon as they passed through the ice wall gate, a searing crimson light poured in from all directions, forcing them to shut their eyes.

When they opened them again, they were thrown into confusion.

Before them stretched a world engulfed in flames. Any other person would’ve reacted the same way—stunned.

A land where fire danced, a sky blazing red, and the distant roar of fire echoing like a beast.

Unhui stroked his chin thoughtfully.

He had only read about it in texts, but it was said that the one who annihilated the Hwasan Sect long ago was the Flame Sovereign. He burned all the disciples and even reduced every structure of the Hwasan Sect to ash. This landscape seemed like a recreation of that time.

“This is...”

Seong Commander muttered, unable to finish his thought.

Unhui calmly surveyed the surroundings.

Amid the maelstrom of fire, one thing stood out—a lone plum blossom tree stood tall and unscathed in the center of the burning world.

As Unhui took a step toward it, Sim Munryong grabbed his arm.

“Wait.”

His eyes sharpened.

“It’s way too obvious. This place reeks of traps. Wouldn’t it be better if I go first?”

Sim Munryong was at the Mythical Realm.

Among those present, his cultivation was the highest.

Unhui nodded slightly, and Sim Munryong stepped forward.

Drawing energy to his body, he began walking slowly, the others following his lead.

With every step, Unhui kept his eyes scanning.

What does this fire symbolize?

No matter how he looked at it, it pointed to one of two things: the annihilated Hwasan or the shattered essence of Hwasan.

Either way, it meant something.

As they approached the plum tree, flames surged around them—but they felt no harm.

Unlike how it appeared, the heat was faint, almost negligible.

At last, they arrived in front of the tree and found characters carved into its base.

“Heart-Sword Connects Through Plum”

Unhui read it aloud.

“The sword of the heart passes through the plum?”

Sim Munryong muttered.

Unhui rifled through the memories of his previous life.

He didn’t know the details of this secret realm, but he did know there were three gates in total.

From the looks of it, interpreting this phrase must be the condition to pass.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the sky flashed crimson, and flaming arrows rained down from all directions.

It was like a fiery downpour.

In that split second, Unhui moved before anyone else.

Drawing his Jinhwa Cheonlyeong Sword, he dashed forward like the wind, grabbed Samyeong by the back of the neck, and flung him backward.

Then—

Puh-puh-puh—!

Three flaming arrows aimed at Samyeong shattered as they struck Unhui’s sword.

“Draw your weapons.”

At Unhui’s terse command, the four brothers finally drew their own weapons and deflected the incoming arrows.

Seong Commander began moving as well, while Sim Munryong pulled out ten swords from his sleeve and began launching them in every direction.

Sim Munryong’s expression was serious as he deflected arrow after arrow. His movements were graceful, like a dance, and every motion was precise.

Unhui was even more astonishing. His sword traced streaks of light through the air.

With a single swing, he deflected five—no, six arrows at once.

He moved like a shadow, at times leaving behind afterimages as if guarding multiple locations simultaneously.

His greatsword scattered lightning and frost as it shredded the fire arrows midair. The spectacle was breathtaking.

At last, the storm of fire arrows ceased. Silence fell.

“Damn, that was close.”

Everyone but Unhui sighed in relief at Sim Munryong’s remark.

Unhui stared quietly at the plum tree.

Slowly—

The tree began to change.

Its branches wriggled like living things, and hundreds of petals began to glow one by one.

“...Now what the hell is this?”

Sim Munryong asked, tension creeping into his voice.

“Young Master, please step back,”

Seong Commander said, shielding Unhui.

Soon, a voice rang out from the plum tree. It had no form—more like the sound of the wind.

“There are five in the plum blossom, but only one is truth. He who finds it shall obtain the path.”

Unhui’s eyes gleamed.

Five within the plum, but one truth.

His mind whirred into motion. So did Sim Munryong’s.

Hwasan.

If it had anything to do with the Hwasan Sect, Sim Munryong would grow dead serious.

Before Sim Munryong, who was quietly crossing his arms in thought, could respond—

Unhui spoke.

“Fire and ice, yin and yang. Truth lies between opposites.”

A cryptic comment—unless you were Sim Munryong. His eyes sparkled.

The Hwasan Sect prized harmony.

Five petals.

One truth.

“...The thing in this burning world that’s different...”

Sim Munryong’s gaze locked onto the plum tree. It alone was unlike everything else. It stood in harmony, untouched by the flames, unaffected—because it didn’t need to be.

True harmony.

Sim Munryong stepped toward the tree and examined every inch.

Then he stopped in front of one petal.

He reached out and gently touched it. The petal floated down into his palm, soft and delicate like a real plum blossom.

But there was something even more surprising.

“A character... 心 (heart)?”

Tiny script was inscribed inside the petal.

Sim Munryong stared at Unhui, shocked. But what Unhui said next left him speechless.

“Cut the tree.”

“...Huh?”

“Cut it.”

“You’re serious?”

Unhui nodded silently. He hadn’t been wrong so far. A man worth trusting.

In the end, Sim Munryong acted.

With a flick of his finger, one of his floating swords dropped toward the tree.

Shaaak—!

As the tree split in half, the space around them trembled.

And in that brief moment, Sim Munryong saw it.

Two books falling from the cleaved tree.

He rushed forward and caught them.

The books were pristine, as if newly made. And the titles written on them—

Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword

Plum Blossom Heart Method

Sim Munryong stood silent for a while.

“...Five petals on a plum, huh. I had a feeling—and here it is.”

Behind him, Unhui said briefly:

“Take them. We move on immediately.”

“...Hey.”

Unhui turned his head.

“...Thanks.”

Unhui gave a small smirk, but before he could say anything—

All the petals left on the shattered tree began to fall at once. It was a beautiful sight.

But then—

They turned into flaming blades.

Unhui narrowed his eyes.

Heavenly Snow’s Force.

Before Sim Munryong or the others could react—

CRRRRAAAACK—!

All the falling fire-blades turned into ice crystals.

“...Holy crap. That’s insane.”

Sim Munryong was genuinely impressed.

To freeze an entire flaming world—it meant overwhelming energy and total control.

He glanced sideways at Unhui’s right arm.

“Didn’t he get seriously injured fighting Gok Jinbung...?”

He looked perfectly fine now.

Even his recovery speed was beyond human.

“He’s a real monster.”

Soon, Unhui gestured.

There was a passage beneath the shattered tree.

“...Underground?”

“First time seeing this?”

“Yeah. Normally the way forward appears ahead or above. Underground’s weird.”

Unhui looked at Sim Munryong.

“Sim Munryong.”

“What?”

“Are you proud of Hwasan?”

“...That’s random.”

“Answer me.”

“...Well, I mean... they were destroyed resisting the Demonic Sect. So yeah, I am. Might even say I respect them.”

Unhui stared silently.

“...Why’re you looking at me like that? Weird?”

He shook his head.

“I hope that feeling never changes.”

A strange remark.

With that odd atmosphere lingering, they opened the underground passage and descended.

***

The tunnel leading downward was longer than expected.

Unlike the blazing spectacle of the first gate, this one grew calmer, quieter.

The scorching heat vanished, replaced by cool, clear air.

Unhui slowed his pace.

He fell in step beside Seong Commander, who had been at the rear.

“Seong Commander.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“We don’t know what will happen in the two remaining gates. Stay near the back and prepare for any sudden events.”

Seong Commander nodded.

But there was something Unhui needed to make clear.

In his past life, a total of about a hundred people entered this secret realm.

Right now, thanks to Sim Munryong’s influence, everyone near Bingbaek Gorge had been contained. Explorers were blocked. So only seven had entered—including Unhui.

But in his past life, only one person survived.

Before dying, that survivor had left a final message:

“That place... was hell. ‘He’ wouldn’t let a single one of us leave alive. He kept killing, again and again. The fact I survived was a miracle.”

Unhui hadn’t heard it firsthand. It was a deathbed statement, unearthed after much digging during his interest in this place.

At first, he thought “he” referred to one of the people who entered.

But no.

From the context—it was something else.

A lingering will. A remnant thought.

Best to stay alert.

“I already warned Sim Munryong, but remember—your own life is the top priority.”

“...Young Master, no matter what you say, my top priority will always be you.”