Before they knew it, winter had passed and spring had arrived.
New life that had been hiding in the firmly frozen ground, waiting for its time, poked their heads out as if they had been waiting and sprouted green shoots as the sunlight shone down.
Along with that.
Ribbit— Ribbit—
Cheonhwi glanced at the frog that had awakened from hibernation, then turned his gaze forward.
It had been three months since Jegak Seonghyeon and his party arrived.
While the seasons changed, not only Geonwondong but also Maehwachilgwan had transformed.
"It's finally taking proper shape."
Cheonhwi's gaze fixed on Maehwachilgwan.
A small door was installed at the entrance, and on the wall beside it were characters that strangely captured the eye.
[Maehwachilgwan (Plum Blossom Seven Halls)]
He had carved it with his sword on the first day.
'Strange, isn't it. I didn't infuse internal energy.'
Did internal energy naturally flow into the sword he swung without thinking?
Or had the Plum Blossom Divine Art now become familiar to his hands and feet?
The characters contained a bizarre magical power that could captivate anyone who saw them.
'Did Plum Blossom Divine Art have such a property?'
As he stroked his chin and glared at the characters.
"Young Hero!"
With the shout, Jegak Seonghyeon came out of the entrance with a bright expression on his face.
"When I moved exactly as you said, Young Hero, the array formation activated."
Jegak Seonghyeon's gaze toward Cheonhwi held deep trust.
It was bound to be so.
He had been agonizing for days because the array formation wouldn't activate, and it was resolved with a single word from him.
"Then is it all done?"
"The First Hall is all completed."
At that moment, the entrance became noisy.
"Oh my."
"It's finally done."
The members of the Jegak Clan were pouring out while brushing off dust.
Wow, as expected of the Jegak Clan.
I thought it would take at least half a year to complete even one hall.
That was how many mechanism formations needed to be installed, and the array formations were not easy either.
But it was completed faster than expected.
'There was a reason they were so confident on the first day.'
"Then we'll need someone to test whether the First Hall activates properly."
"Haha. Testing is good, but."
Jegak Seonghyeon half-closed his eyes.
"Not just anyone will be able to test it."
Oh, seems like he's full of confidence.
"Then what level would be needed?"
"At minimum, they would need to be a peak expert."
Jegak Seonghyeon said confidently.
'Hehe, even the Taoists of the Mount Hua Sect would find it difficult to pass this gate.'
"Hmm, at least peak level?"
Upon hearing those words, the faces of the two men and woman who served him quickly flashed through Cheonhwi's mind.
"Alright. I'll bring them."
About one ke later.
"Did you call for us?"
"Did you call?"
Cheonhwi looked at Jeokgeom and Seollan whom he had called, then narrowed his eyes as he saw the group following behind them.
It was Sinui and Lord Sohui's party.
"Why did they come?"
At Cheonhwi's tone, which was like dealing with uninvited guests, Jeokgeom smiled awkwardly.
"Haha, well..."
As Jeokgeom glanced at Sinui.
"I forced myself to follow along."
Sinui stepped forward and said.
"Because I was curious about what you've been busy with lately."
With his arms crossed and head raised, he looked back and forth between Cheonhwi and Geonwondong with an annoyed expression, twitching his beard.
'Hmph. I wondered what you were making. So you weren't coming because you were making something this bizarre.'
After creating the Dark Fragrance Hall, Sinui had voluntarily helped the Medicine Hall Master take care of the second-generation disciples, growing closer to Cheonhwi.
But then, at some point, Cheonhwi stopped even appearing at Dorimpyeong.
"What on earth is this?"
Cheonhwi, with complaints written all over his face, looked at Sinui and answered nonchalantly.
"It's a gate."
"A gate...?"
Seeing Sinui's expression of not understanding, Cheonhwi took advantage of the moment.
"Well, it works out. There might be injuries."
As Cheonhwi spoke, his gaze was directed at Jeokgeom and Seollan, and the two who met that gaze trembled from an inexplicable chill.
'Senior brother?'
'Senior sister?'
As the two exchanged glances with an inexplicable sense of anxiety.
'It's amazing no matter how many times I see it.'
Jegak Seonghyeon's expression became complicated as he looked at the group that had appeared.
Who were the people standing before him now?
The old man with a face full of complaints was the world's best doctor, the Divine Hand Sinui, who roamed the world as he pleased regardless of the murim.
And the aloof beauty, the young girl, and the young man beside him were figures of the Imperial Family.
Furthermore, the beauty was the daughter of the Blue Sea Castle Lord and Lord Sohui who carried the Emperor's blood.
'All of them are people far removed from the murim, yet they're gathered at the Mount Hua Sect.'
A strange combination that seemed completely mismatched in every way was staying at the Mount Hua Sect.
And at the center of it all was Cheonhwi.
No, not just the center.
'The Divine Hand Sinui, who fears nothing in the world, and the Imperial Family figures are watching Cheonhwi's mood... No, that's not for me to say.'
A hollow laugh escaped him as he thought about it.
If he really thought about it, the most out-of-place person was himself, wasn't it?
Was he out of his mind?
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi looked at Jegak Seonghyeon, who had become serious on his own and then laughed emptily, and said.
"Let's test it now."
"Yes, yes!"
Jegak Seonghyeon, who quickly came to his senses, carefully asked while looking at the group.
"But among them, who will enter the gate..."
"Jeokgeom, Seollan."
Before he could finish speaking, Cheonhwi beckoned to Jeokgeom and Seollan.
The two quickly ran over.
"You want to become stronger, right?"
It was a sudden question.
"Yes."
"I suppose so, but..."
"If you want to become stronger, go in."
"Will we become stronger if we go in?"
"When have I ever lied?"
Jeokgeom and Seollan looked at each other.
Then, with resolute eyes, they simultaneously stepped toward the entrance.
Thud— Thud—
Eventually, the darkness of the cave that loomed over them swallowed their bodies as they disappeared.
Creak—
As if a minor earthquake had occurred, Geonwondong began to shake, and a wondrous energy poured out from within.
"Oh, marvelous."
"Wow!"
"So this is an array formation..."
The group of Sinui and Lord Sohui, who were watching from afar, showed various reactions.
Hmm. It's working properly.
It was a quite satisfactory result.
'First of all, there's no problem with the Mangeobyunhoero (Ten Thousand Kalpas Samsara Path) created at the entrance.'
The Mangeobyunhoero was an array formation of no return where one could enter but never leave, and it was something he had considered important since planning to create Maehwachilgwan.
"How many days did you set it to activate?"
"If they can't pass the gate, they'll be trapped helplessly for at least ten days."
For now, that should be enough.
There were several reasons for creating Maehwachilgwan, but one of them was to substitute for real combat.
But what if they could escape as they pleased?
That would be utter nonsense.
If that happened, no matter how much the gate felt like real combat, their minds would inevitably loosen.
So, to create tension, he made it impossible to escape for up to ten days until they passed Maehwailgwan.
"But I am a bit worried."
Jegak Seonghyeon scratched the back of his head.
"I wonder if their minds will become shattered from enduring the trials of the gate in a cave where they can't tell day from night..."
When he first completed it, he was only happy, but now that he thought about it, worry took over.
"On top of that, as they reach the end of the gate, new mechanism formations will activate, adding to the confusion."
Maehwachilgwan was the hell of the mortal realm.
With a total of seven mechanism formations unfolding instead of just one, most martial artists would probably go mad.
"That's something that'll be resolved if they pass."
Cheonhwi, who had actually designed this gate and knew its dangers, was nonchalant.
Rather, he was a bit disappointed.
'I wanted to make it like Cheonmasipgwan, not just trapping them for ten days.'
The original Cheonmasipgwan wasn't like this.
Pass or be trapped and die.
Compared to Cheonmasipgwan, which had only two choices, Maehwachilgwan was a diluted version of the peaceful Cheonmasipgwan where the life gate was opened.
But it couldn't be helped.
It was obvious that the Sect Leader wouldn't permit it, and if they did that right away, the already small fighting force of the Mount Hua Sect would be drastically reduced.
'There won't be the intensity that Cheonmasipgwan showed, but they'll still become a bit stronger.'
They wouldn't be in life-threatening situations, but they would naturally grow from enduring trials that lasted ten days.
'And there are other advantages as well.'
The original Cheonmasipgwan was a gate where people risked their lives, so those who challenged it multiple times were extremely few, countable on one hand.
But what about Maehwachilgwan now?
There was no threat to life.
What that meant was that as long as one had the will, they could continue to enter at any time.
And that was exactly the situation that fit the Mount Hua Sect, which wanted to become stronger right now.
'If they have the desire to become stronger and a competitive spirit, they'll become more than strong enough.'
If it stays like this, it should be fine.
At that time.
"Hmm?"
Jegak Seonghyeon suddenly frowned.
"What? That mechanism formation should move later..."
As if something had gone seriously wrong, he hesitated with a panicked expression.
"Why is this?"
"Y-Third Young Master!"
Suddenly someone shouted urgently.
Cheonhwi and Jegak Seonghyeon turned their heads at the sudden cry.
There, one of the Jegak Clan's party was running over with a pale face.
Seeing him running almost on all fours, Jegak Seonghyeon felt a surge of anxiety.
"W-What problem has occurred?"
"R-Right now!"
The man nodded frantically.
"The mechanism formations are running wild!"
"What?!"
Jegak Seonghyeon ran frantically.
His face turned serious when he quickly arrived at the mechanism formations installed in Geonwondong.
"......!"
His eyes shook greatly as he watched the mechanism formations moving in various directions.
"Damn it!"
Jegak Seonghyeon clenched his fist.
It was a mechanism formation that should have proceeded in order.
But now.
"They're all activating at once! L-Like this, the two people inside are in danger!"
With an anxious expression, biting his thumbnail, Jegak Seonghyeon urgently shouted.
"What are you all doing right now! Stop it no matter what!"
"W-Well..."
The man who had reported the situation clenched his teeth and trailed off.
Jegak Seonghyeon's face turned pale as he watched that reaction.
"Don't tell me..."
"It... won't stop."
"...Damn."
Jegak Seonghyeon's shoulders slumped.
He couldn't even curse properly.
'If they end up dying from this......'
His vision went dark.
If things went wrong, the two who entered could die of starvation or meet their end from the rampaging mechanism formations.
'If those two die, we'll have crossed an irreversible river.'
Thinking of the disaster that would unfold because of this, his mind became dizzy.
'If they hold us responsible for this......'
At that moment when he was imagining the worst-case scenario.
"What is it?"
A voice came from behind.
When he turned his head, Cheonhwi, who had arrived without knowing when, was looking at them.
"Well..."
With his mind suddenly complicated, Jegak Seonghyeon couldn't speak, then finally swallowed dryly and confessed the current situation.
"...The second array formation installed ran wild, and the mechanism formations that should have moved in order activated simultaneously."
What?
The situation was more serious than expected.
If it were the mechanism formations of Maehwailgwan, Jeokgeom and Seollan could have passed together, but with this happening, it was a different story.
"Didn't you say it was properly completed earlier?"
"...I apologize."
Jegak Seonghyeon closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head. Because he had no other words to offer besides an apology for this situation.
"It's all my fault."
Well, it's not really your fault.
Cheonhwi glared at the back of Jegak Seonghyeon's head as he repeatedly apologized, then sharply turned around.
"Well, whatever. Let's talk about this properly later."
"Young Hero?"
While Jegak Seonghyeon was bewildered by Cheonhwi leaving without further questioning.
Thud— Thud—
Cheonhwi walked toward the entrance.
"W-Where are you going?"
"We need to rescue them first."
"What?"
"You can't go in alone!"
Jegak Seonghyeon shouted in panic.
The Mangeobyunhoero was an array formation that, once entered during activation, could never be escaped until it was deactivated.
But now it was even worse.
The Mangeobyunhoero had become tangled and couldn't even be deactivated.
'I can't let the Young Hero die too!'
At the moment he was desperately trying to stop Cheonhwi.
Crack!
His body froze at the scene that followed.
Maehwachilgwan was something they had devoted a long time to, combining the Jegak Clan's secret techniques with the newly acquired mechanism formations and absolute formations.
At that moment, Cheonhwi reached out his hand.
As he clenched his fist as if catching a bug in the air.
Crash!
With a sound like glass breaking, the interior of the cave dyed in darkness was revealed.
"......!"
Jegak Seonghyeon's mouth fell open.
No, not just him.
The Jegak Clan's party, Sinui too.
And even Lord Sohui's party, who had been watching with boredom, were enveloped in shock when.
Thud—
Cheonhwi stepped inside.
"Aaaagh!"
"Senior brother! Dodge that way!"
That way it is.
Listening to the cries of the two echoing, Cheonhwi lightly stomped his foot.