The Wudangs who passed through Nanyang in an instant, began to climb the mountain behind it. If their interpretation of the code on the map was right, the Sword Tomb was somewhere on the mountain.

“How is it?”

“According to the illustration we need to head further up.”

Heo Sanja frowned a little.

‘People are already catching up with us.’

This was to be expected, but it was more shocking than he had initially thought. In other words, everyone readily believed that the Wudang Sect had the information on the Sword Tomb.

‘If time drags on, things will get out of control.’

Similar treasures had appeared several times in the past. Each time it happened… a big sect that was leading the pace would jump in to avoid the loss of the lives of the people fighting for it.

It would be a lie if it was said that the big sect didn’t have any greed for the treasure. And in most cases, the loss of life couldn’t be prevented even with the intervention of the sect.

That was the extent of obsession that the people of Kangho had with pills or weapons.

There were a few people following the Wudang Sect. It was like they were keeping their eyes on the Wudang Sect to know how things were going.

‘But as soon as we bring up the Sword Tomb, everyone will attack us.’

“Mu Yeon.”

“Yes, elder.”

“Take care of the rear. When the Sword Tomb is brought out, people will attack at once. Block the rear for us.”

“Yes, elder!”

It was impossible to persuade those people to not fight now. Rather, he could only do what he could to reduce the loss of lives.

“How far are we?”

“Almost there. It is definitely…”

It was then.

As soon as they got out of the thick forest, a large vacant space opened up.

‘This?’

Heo Sanja frowned again. It was weird. The terrain was one thing, but the abrupt end was what was weird.

There were cases where a dense forest would end with bushy areas and such. However, it wasn’t an often sight to see a forest end with a dirt field.

All he could see now were stones and dirt.

“Is it here?”

“Yes. It’s here, elder!”

‘This is one strange place.’

Maybe everything depends on how one sees it?

If he had passed this place without the knowledge of the Sword Tomb, he wouldn’t think much about the place other than consider it to be strange. But now that he had a goal, it felt weird.

Heo Sanja was convinced that the Sword Tomb was indeed here. No matter how one looked at it, this wasn’t a naturally occurring terrain.

“Search!”

“Yes!”

The Wudang Sect’s disciples all drew their swords at once. And began to search the place by stabbing the ground with their swords in random places.

If the Sword Tomb was here, then the only way to it would be through the ground. What they were looking for was an entrance which was hidden somewhere in the ground.

Puck! Puck!

The swords of the Wudang Sect’s disciples kept being stabbed into the floor. Normally, it was unacceptable to dirty a sword like this, but it wasn’t the time to be concerned about such things. Even at this moment, rumors about the actions of the Wudang Sect disciples were spreading.

They had to find the opening and they had to get it out before others came.

It was then.

“There is something here!”

Heo Sanja’s head turned immediately and he ran to the place.

“Where?”

“Here!”

One of the disciples stabbed the floor with the sword, and the sword wasn’t fully going in.

“Get out of the way!”

Heo Sanja pulled out his sword, and in an instant, he thrust it into the ground with even more force.

Kang!

Heo Sanja’s face was filled with joy.

When a sword is infused with qi, it can cut through anything. But now, his sword wasn’t going in. This meant that the thing underneath them wasn’t any ordinary metal.

“Stand back!”

“Yes!”

The sword qi on Heo Sanja’s sword was getting thicker. And suddenly a black qi came out like a torrent.

Kwang!

Like the shores of a river being swept away by a strong torrent, the floor was being dug out with the waves of black qi. Before long, a large pit through which a few people could enter was created.

Everyone looked at the bottom of the pit and were overjoyed at finding something.

“Elder!”

“Um.”

Heo Sanja too couldn’t hide his smile.

At the bottom of the pit, a large entrance was revealed. On the two gates which were shut closed, were the characters which made them sigh in relief.

[Sword Tomb]

“We found it!”

It was then.

“There! Over there!”

“WUDANG SECT!”

Heo Sanja looked in the direction of the voices. In the thick forest behind them, he could see people chasing after them at a high speed.

“Mu Yeon!”

“Yes, I will stop them!”

His first-class disciple, Mu Yeon, led the other sahyungs and ran to the rear.

Heo Sanja stared at the entrance of the Sword Tomb.

“Open it!”

“Yes!”

The disciples rushed in with their swords. However, no matter how much they tried, the gate didn’t open.

“Tch! Open!”

Heo Sanja was becoming irritated with the disciples' actions. The black qi that emitted from him till then turned into a pure blue light and it condensed and clumped together turning into a sort of solid qi, rather than extendable qi.

“HA!”

With a brief shout, Heo Sanja entered and cut through the gate. The gate which shattered, was pushed away with a loud noise, and it then fell into a bottomless floor.

“Ugh!”

“It is deeper than I thought. If we stepped in without thought…”

Heo Sanja stared at the gate he opened and the floor he couldn’t see. He wondered why someone would make such a thing in the mountains. Apparently, it was to take people down the deep hole.

Heo Sanja bit his lip.

‘We don’t know what is lurking below.’

The darkness which swallowed the light, instilled fear.

But this was a sign!

And there was a limit to what his disciples could block in the rear. It meant that he didn’t have time to test things out.

“I will take the lead. Heo Gong!”

“Yes, sahyung!”

“Watch Mu Yeon’s actions and stand by for him.”

“Yes.”

Heo Gong nodded, and Heo Sanja narrowed his eyes looking at the entrance of the Sword Tomb.

‘I feel evil qi.’

Was he going to have to dive into this darkness with such evil qi around?

“Everyone, follow me!”

Heo Sanja jumped into it without delay, and the disciples of Wudang who were guarding the front, hurled themselves into it along with him.

“Yah! In there!”

“There is something! It says Sword Tomb!”

As soon as the word Sword Tomb came out of a warrior’s mouth, the warriors began to attack each other.

“Hold on!”

Mu Yeon screamed at his sahyungs.

‘Damn it!’

Subduing them wasn’t difficult here, but there were too many of them and it looked like even more people were rushing in.

“Back away slowly! Don’t let them break through!”

“Yes!”

Mu Yeon and the disciples slowly pulled back. If they wanted to stop them, they would be forced to make sacrifices.

What they had to do now wasn’t to block the others but rather, they only had to make time for the elders and the sahyungs to get in.

It was then.

“Hahahaha! Move away! You rats!”

Kwang!

The whole forest burst out.

Mu Yeon was shocked.

‘Giant Great Axe, Mak Hwi?’

An axe that was the size of a giant human. It had to be Mak Hwi, the notoriously famous man from Shanxi.

‘A giant like that is also aiming for the Sword Tomb?’

“Khahahaa! The Wudang Sect is so greedy! How dare they touch the things of others!”

A heavy force came rushing in like lightning.

At that formidable force, the warriors around the man cleared a path for him. Those who couldn’t avoid it were hit on the shoulders and were flung back. People were flying away as if they were hit by a carriage in a head-on collision.

“Ah-no!’

Mu Yeon’s face went stiff. If that beast came rushing in, then the defense line they created would break down. When Mu Yeon was already bewildered knowing that he couldn’t hold on, he suddenly heard a sound from behind him.

“Tch. Tch. I guess it wasn’t a wild boar.”

“Elder!”

Heo Gong gently jumped out from the back and blocked the force that was rushing in. The giant shouted.

“Get out of my way, old man! I will turn you into pulp.”

“It would be good if you started by cooling that hot head of yours.”

“Uhhahaha!’

The heavy axe was thrown with a huge force. The axe that ripped through the air, flew on its path as if it wanted to kill everything.

“Tch.”

But the axe didn’t reach them.

Shhh.

The sword of elder Heo Gong struck the axe lightly. The moment the two weapons met, the sword changed.

“Uh?”

Unable to handle the sword, the axe lightly bounced back. And the sword of Heo Gong gently struck down.

“Kuak!”

The body of the giant floated up and then fell with a thud.

“…”

All those who were trying to use the gap created by Mak Hwi, stopped running as they saw that sight.

‘The elder of the Wudang Sect is that strong?’

‘The Giant Great Axe went down in one hit!’

Enormous power.

It was a sight to show the people why he was from Wudang.

“I will take care of this, so hurry up and head inside.”

“Yes, elder!”

He looked at the people. And after a while, he said.

“Are you going to interrupt the plans of Wudang?”

“…”

“This place is occupied by the Wudang Sect. Anyone who wants to enter this place will have to bear the burden of being taken down by the sword of Wudang. Are you confident to do that?”

No one dared to look at him. The Wudang Sect. The elder of Wudang.

The supreme power that the name held.

But not everyone was swayed by it.

“This old man and his nonsense.”

A man walked out of the lush green forest.

He had a red robe around his body. His eyes which were exposed through the wrapped red robe were also dyed in red.

“… are you Sam Sal-Gwi?”1

“Looks like your eyes aren’t rotten yet, old man.”

Heo Gong frowned.

This man was notorious. How many had died in his hands without a reason?

Had it not been for his strength, he would’ve been punished for it. Besides, now wasn’t a good situation to deal with him.

“What do you mean ‘nonsense’?”

“Are you the master of the Sword Tomb?”

“…”

Sam Sal-Gwi groaned and said,

“The master and owner of the Sword Tomb is the Untraceable Seizing Sword. He wasn’t a Wudang. If you’re acting like this because you discovered this first, the whole world will laugh at Wudang when they come to know of it.”

Heo Gong narrowed his eyes.

What he said wasn’t wrong. However, if Sam Sal-Gwi wasn’t there, no one could resist the claim that Wudang would take the lead here.

“Hahaha. You seem to be saying the truth.”

Several people agreed with what was said. Heo Gong frowned at it. The wind on the sword of one of the individuals who walked ahead of the crowd caught his eye.

“Aren’t you Gok Bu? The Daluo Sword?”2

“It is an honor to meet a famous Wudang Sect member, Heo Gong jinin.”

“Um.”

Heo Gong stayed silent.

If it was Gok Bu, then it wasn’t an easy opponent.

‘Does this mean that all the strong people in the region have gathered here in such a short time?’

Only then did Heo Gong realize how great the Sword Tomb was for others.

“But it is disappointing. To hear such things coming out of the mouth of someone famous. I don’t want to side with Sam Sal-Gwi but you are saying such inappropriate things that help Wudang intimidate others just because you reached here first?”

“Are you going against Wudang?”

“I want a fair chance.”

Gok Bu narrowed his eyes.

“Maybe Wudang discovered it, but everyone has the right to enter the Sword Tomb...right everyone?”

“Yes!”

“The Wudang Sect is great! But they are being so arrogant!”

“Who knew Wudang could be so greedy! Aren’t they wary of the people’s gaze?”

“We need to drive them out! Their people must be inside hunting for the Sword Tomb even now!”

Heo Gong’s face went dark. No matter what, he couldn’t block all of them if they attacked at once.

Then…

“I have clearly warned you all those who enter the Sword Tomb will have to deal with the sword of Wudang.”

“So scary. But if we were that afraid, we wouldn’t have bothered coming all this way.”

Heo Gong nodded.

“Then..”

He glanced back. The remaining disciples of Wudang were running into the Sword Tomb.

“You can do whatever you want to!”

Heo Gong too jumped into the entrance of the Sword Tomb. And the people who watched it rushed in.

“Get out if you don’t want to die!”

“Bastards! Get out of the way!”

No matter how wide the entry felt, it wasn’t wide enough to let all the warriors enter at once. And to make matters worse, some of them drew out their swords.

A wind blew past them.

And the wind changed everything, and people began to attack each other.

“It is a riot!”

Gok Bu rushed past them all and stood at the entrance. Those who were attacking each other with the intention of killing didn’t bother going against the strong ones, and before long, Sam Sal-Gwi jumped over them and stood on the other side of Gok Bu.

“Will you fight?”

“I don’t see the need to waste my strength.”

“Hmm.”

The two people exchanged glances and jumped into the Sword Tomb. Following them, several figures went in.

“Get out of the way!”

After that, the sect's disciples jumped in. And those who just arrived, saw the crowd slowly disappearing, and decided to jump in right away.

“Damn it, get out of the way!”

“Sword Tomb! Get the Sword Tomb! Get the items in there!”

Someone would jump, someone would block, and another would try to break through.

And right then!

“What the heck, they’re all moving like a pack of dogs!”

Someone who came through the forest said.

“I told you to collect it, brat!”

“How could we without knowing anything!”

It seemed like something was happening between the people who came, and the one ahead raised a sword from its sheath. And screamed with wide eyes.

“I’m going!”

“Damn it! I get it!”

“Everyone out of the way! I warned you!”

The one at the forefront, Chung Myung, screamed as he rushed ahead

“Let’s Goooooo!”

“Eik?”

“Ack!”

Those who were busy blocking the people from entering were thrown away. Chung Myung’s eyes glistened with blood.

“Anyone who touches my stuff is dead!”

The disciples of Mount Hua including Chun Myung rushed to the Sword Tomb, like a raging storm.