Some hide behind the label of righteousness while committing shameful acts. From my experience, there's a very line separating good and evil. There are evil doers in the justice faction, just as there are good people within the dark faction. I would rather not get tied down by labels.—Jin Woon-Hwi, to Kwak Jikhyeong
Jin Woon-Hwi is the central protagonist of the Absolute Sword Sense Novel and Webtoon.
Personality[]
Woon-Hwi is a methodical and exceptionally cunning man, possessing a quick-witted genius sharpened by his past life as a spy. Having lived in a world where life and death were constant forces, he has mastered the art of manipulation and has matched wits with the deadliest of opponents. Since his regression, he has fully embraced these skills, using them to navigate his second chance at life.
Despite his ruthless nature, Woon-Hwi is deeply self-aware of the opportunities granted by his regression. Determined to value life more in this new beginning, he gradually develops a strong sense of honor, one that grows even further after becoming the official successor of the Ho Jong-Dae. Learning of his predecessor’s cruel fate enraged him, as Ho Jong-Dae was a powerful martial master who was brutally tortured simply so others could steal his martial arts.
This fueled Woon-Hwi’s resolve to change the fates of those who would have otherwise suffered meaningless deaths or been exploited, much like he once was. At the same time, he actively thwarts the rise of corrupt individuals, eliminating them before they can amass power. As both a schemer and martial artist, Woon-Hwi is ruthless in his actions. He does not hesitate to take a life if his enemies pose a threat to him or those he holds dear.
Woon-Hwi is fiercely protective of those he cares about and refuses to tolerate any form of disrespect toward them. Anyone who dares to cross this line faces his ruthless vengeance. This was evident when he returned to Yulang, where he systematically humiliated his stepbrothers, their followers, his stepmother and the true culprits behind the destruction of his dantian, the clan elders, the culprits for his unhappy childhood and ultimately his stepfather, So Ik-Heon, a man he despises for his weak and twisted notions of paternal love.
For him, revenge is neither a pleasure nor a blind pursuit, it is a necessity to be fulfilled when the time is right. Moreover, vengeance must be proportionate to the harm done and, thus, in accordance with his honor, just. That is why he did not take the lives of the So Clan members but instead humiliated them and erased them from his life. For the same reason of proportionality, he killed Baek Wi-Hyang, the man who betrayed him and was responsible for his death in his first life. Yet, he did not act immediately when given the chance. He knew the time was not yet right and that he should not seek blind revenge.
However, when the lives and safety of those he holds dear are at stake, he does not hesitate to cast aside all moral principles, resorting to the most brutal methods and abandoning any semblance of honor. A perfect example of this was the moment his identity was exposed by Baek Hyang-Muk and the subordinates of the One Golden-Eyed Man. They demanded his surrender, ordering him to destroy his own Energy Core or else they would reveal to the world that Jin Woon-Hwi was the Blood Demon, branding his beloved sister, a member of the Murim Alliance, as an incarnation of evil as well. Cornered in such a manner, he decided that if his enemies would push him to the brink, he would respond in kind. Using the Art of Physical Transformation Technique, he assumed the guise of Ju Yang-seon and countered their threats with a declaration of his own: he would unleash a massacre at the Orthodox Murim Alliance’s main base, framing the One Golden-Eyed Man as the newest member of the Five Great Evils in the process. This was no bluff. Blood was indeed spilled. Yet his rampage was neither blind nor mindless. He focused his slaughter on martial artists from factions hostile to Jin Woon-Hwi, taking the opportunity to kill Moyong Soo, the man who had dealt the fatal blow that ended his first life. All of this for the sake of those he loves.
When it comes to romance, Woon-Hwi is not naive about affection, but he learned long ago that beauty and appearances mean very little. He has seen how even the most admired female warriors often gain favor based on their looks or status rather than their character. Unlike most men, he is not easily swayed by a pretty face or empty charm.
When Sima Young asked him about his ideal woman, Woon-Hwi replied that he preferred a "calm and noble woman" though he only said this to deflect her obvious attraction to him. Despite this, he is not cold-hearted; he allowed Young to enjoy his company after she narrowly survived an encounter with the Blood Demon Sword. Over time, he developed genuine feelings for her but kept his distance due to her status as Sima Chak’s daughter. However, after their first kiss and a direct confrontation with Sima Chak, Woon-Hwi finally admitted his true feelings, fearlessly declaring his affection despite facing one of the most formidable martial masters.
In summary, Jin Woon-Hwi identifies neither as an orthodox nor unorthodox martial artist. He follows no imposed paths nor bows to factional standards - he simply is himself.
I’m not sure how it’s remembered now, but there was a time when I was treated as a villain and called the Blood Demon, and another time when I was called the Sword Immortal, the exemplar of a good person. But as you said, I too am just myself. My name is Jin Woon-hwi.—Jin Woon-Hwi
Appearance[]
Woon-Hwi is a young man with long brown hair and a well-built body after undergoing training from Ha Ak-cheon. He is deemed to be attractive enough to be a prospective husband for the Blood Cult's two heiresses. Sima Young fell in love with him at first sight, while Baek Hye-Hyang openly expresses her desire to marry him. The Namgoong Family's beauty, Namgoong Ga-Hui was interested in Woon-Hwi but backed out after learning that two of the most powerful warriors of the world, Ice Empress Seol Baek and Witch of the Black Blood, Baek Hyehyang were his wives.
Jin Woon-hwi, after being officially appointed as the Blood Demon, wore a red demonic mask to hide his identity from outsiders. Even hundreds of years later, during the era of the Heavenly Demon, people still remembered the greatest Blood Demon in history as a being clad in a horrifying demonic mask.
Yes. In my mind’s eye, I saw how the one who left that footprint broke the Hundred and Eight Arhats Formation. That demon mask was quite impressive.—Heavenly Demon, to Shaolin monks
This mask was a gift from Sima Young. She had spotted it during their journey from the Dual Martial Forces to the Blood Cult assembly. She thought it looked really cool, which is why Jin Woon-Hwi continued to wear it even centuries later, during his first encounter with the Heavenly Demon.
Background[]
At the very least, if there is something like after life, I pray for it to be less wretched than this life.—Jin Woon-Hwi's final thoughts before he dies.
In the previous timeline, Woon-Hwi fell into despair and became a drunkard to cope with the sorrow of losing his mother and the abuse at the hands of his father's official wife and legitimate sons. After losing his dantian in a ''training accident'', he was kicked out of the family and was captured by the Blood Cult who "employed" him to be a spy. Ten years later, he had become a double agent for the Orthodox Murim Alliance and found the 600-year-old manual of the Sword Immortal but they betrayed him. In his last attempt to spurn them, Woon-Jwi swallowed the manual before he was killed by Mo Yongsoo of the Moyong Family. However, the manual caused Woon-Hwi to regress ten years back and gave him the ability to commune with swords.
Story[]
In the current timeline, Woon-Hwi is once again captured by the Blood Cult. Due to an unexpected turn of events and his cleverness from his years as a spy, he managed to become one of the three disciples of the Fourth Supreme, Hae Ak-Cheon, who "urges" him to learn the late Ho Jong-Dae's sword arts. Ho Jong-dae's sword, the Southern Heaven Iron Sword begins to teach martial arts to Woon-hwi by tapping into core Innate energy instead of his dantian. After an incident with the Human-faced Purple-Eyed Viper, Woon-Hwi regains his dantian.
He could only use internal qi or innate qi one at a time, after undergoing the Golden Body Procedure, he could use both.
Myst, Might, Mayhem[]
After Absolute Sword Sense[]
After the events of Absolute Sword Sense and the establishment of peace in the Central Plains, Woon-hwi was focused on his own affairs. He was busy establishing three family branches:
- Sima Young of Jin Family
- Baek Hye-Hyang of Baek Family
- Seolbaek of the newly rebuilt North Sea Ice Palace
It is uncertain how this process unfolded, but it was surely peaceful due to Woon-hwi's tremendous strength. His friends and allies were of great help, allowing Woon-hwi to devote much of his time to advancing his martial arts, despite already being the strongest is the human reality. After a few years, he realized that he would no longer be able to remain in the mortal world as his power grew beyond the natural order. Thus, he dedicated himself to eliminating every potential threat for future generations—not only by destroying dangers but also by training his children to lead the next era.
In his final years before departing for the Dohwaseon, Woon-hwi focused on divining the future using an ancient Taoist fortune-telling technique. It was not a perfect method, more like glimpsing future events through a foggy lens. Despite this, Woon-hwi foresaw a looming calamity in a distant era. Unable to confront it himself, he began laying the groundwork for future generations who would have to face that crisis.
Legacy and Encounters[]
200 years later, Woon-Hwi's ultimate creation the ''Eight Shattering Thought Techniques'' that considered all of his best techniques, except of those from Dohwaseon, and legacy inspired the man who became the future Heavenly Demon Patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to create his own path. Those techniques also helped that man in fast strength progressing and even saved his life.
Woon-hwi's first appearance in Myst, Might, Mayhem was as a vision of the Heavenly Demon in the Shaolin Temple. This vision depicted a moment in the distant past when the Blood Demon defeated 108 elite monks in a single step. Witnessing this, Cheon Ma mastered all four stages of the Illusionary Eye simultaneously. Later in the story Wonhwi encounters "Mok Gyeongwoon" in the form of a thought, created from tiny part of his soul and will, engaging in a brief fight meant as a test.
Although Woon-hwi attempted to teach the young man some principles of the Way of Immortals to aid in his battle against his final enemy, Mok Gyeongwoon bluntly refuses, having already gained enlightenment through their battle. In that moment, Woon-hwi realizes that Mok Gyeongwoon truly doesn’t need a master, he is someone destined to create his own path.[1]
Throughout the story, Woon-hwi acted in person only twice. The first time, he intervened to save Cheol Su-ryeon and gather detailed intel on the mortal world by examining the sword memories within Mok Gan's avatar weapons.
While their appearance was welcome, what brought tears to her eyes was the being who appeared next, backlit by dazzling sunlight.From the moment he appeared, strange things began to happen.
The swords held by Mok Gan’s avatars began to tremble and move on their own, without any flow of true qi.—Narrator
Second time it was during the final battle, he used his descendant Jin Ye-RIn and special scroll that contained Taoist Magic as the vasals. Woon-Hwi materialized part of his tremendous power.
At that moment, numerous swords enveloped in blue light flew in and pierced into the Lion-Grasping King’s mouth.With a roar close to a shriek at the sudden invading swords, the Lion-Grasping King began to be pushed back. Wondering what on earth was happening, Sima Chak’s eyes caught glimpses of human-shaped forms made of blue light, wielding thousands of swords and rushing towards the Lion-Grasping King. It was a sight like a blue meteor shower flying by. Could this be? Sima Chak’s gaze turned to Jin Ye-rin. From Jin Ye-rin’s blurry eyes, a light mixed with gold and blood-red flowed out, and the secret text of the Heavenly Concealed in her bosom had somehow slipped out, burning brightly, with someone’s form overlapping it. ‘You!’
It was a familiar face he hadn’t seen in a long time.—Narrator
Due to limitations of the natural order it was only for brief moment, but during that time he annihilated one of the six demons.
The will-bodies of the swords were rushing towards Lion-Grasping King like a meteor shower, and the confused beast was trying to escape to get away from them.At this, Jin Woon-hwi raised his sword to the sky, Lightning struck from the sky and wrapped around the sword. As powerful lightning energy enveloped the sword, From the tip of the lightning-wrapped sword, a sword energy enveloped in thunder spiraled out, becoming a huge storm of lightning stretching forward. Its power was incomparable to when Jin Ye-rin had wielded it herself. It was breathtaking just to look at. The storm of lightning striking from the sky trapped Lion-Grasping King as he tried to escape, and the meteor shower of swords rushing in pierced into him. Lion-Grasping King’s agonized roar echoed all around.
At the sound of Lion-Grasping King’s dying roar, the red light in the third eye of Mok Gan, who had become one with the Six Demon Great Strength King Ox Demon King, flickered.—Narrator
Beyond Time (Beyond the border)[]
Centuries later, Woon-Hwi meets Cheon Yeo Woon, the 24th Heavenly Demon Patriarch and second Heavenly Demon, after he ascended to the higher plane of existence centuries after his era with a legacy now considered myth among the people of the world.
Martial Arts[]
Alongside Yu Mumu, Cheon Ma, and later, Cheon Yeowoon, Woonhwi is one of the strongest characters in the novel series. He is the strongest Blood Demon in the cult's history and towards the end of the novel, Woonhwi is hailed as the world's greatest martial artist after slaying Baek Muja (a being who surpassed even the Spirit Beasts and became a Divine Beast). Even his father-in-law, Sima Chak, admitted that Woonhwi had far surpassed him by the time of the final battle. Some of Woonhwi's feats include defeating 108 Arhats of the Shaolin in only one step, defeating Baek Hyang-muk and Jin Gyun (two of the Eight Great Warriors), killing the Murim Alliance Leader Jong Cheon (one of the Eight Great Warriors), single-handedly thwarting the Murim Alliance's invasion of the Blood Cult, and crushing the Golden Eye forces of Ju Yang-seon several times- to the point that Ju Yang-seon went into hiding out of fear and paranoia. He was simultaneously able to become the leader of the Murim Alliance, the Blood Cult and the Unorthodox forces due to his wide range of skills and unparalleled strength. Woonhwi held the title of the world's best martial artist until the rise of Cheon Ma. In Myst, Might and Mayhem, Mokgan and the six demons were afraid of Jin Woonhwi and only launched a massive invasion after confirming Jin Woonhwi and his wives had left the mortal plane. Even then, a fraction of Jin Woonhwi's power through his descendant, Jin Yerin, was enough to obliterate one of the six demons.
See also article
- The Hero Annihilating Flying Blade Technique
- Wind Shadow Steps
- Wind Shadow - Eight Forms
- Crushing Rock Exploding Fist
- Force Ruined Spirit Fist’s technique
- Golden Spear Jintra
- Art of physical transformation
- Hwayang Solar Immortal Arts
- Cheondun sword technique
Jin Woon-Hwi used mostly 3 sword techniques. Every single one of them is peerless but their strength is not similar. Sorting them from the most powerful to the weakest:
- Cheondun sword technique: Much more powerful than Heavenly Demon sword arts
- The Blood Heavenly Great Technique: Rivals Heavenly Demon sword arts
- New Path Luminous Star Sword Technique: Rivals Heavenly Demon sword arts and Blood Heavenly Great Technique. The final formation of the Heavenly Demonic Sword Art beats the Sword Culling Chase. However, the Twelve Heavenly Sword, the strongest formation was never shown against final formation of the Heavenly Demonic Sword Art.
The greatest creation of Wonhwi ''Eight Shattering Thought Techniques'' that contains all of his best techniques.
- Attachment Technique
- Aversion/Push Technique
- Suppression Technique: Technique based on the Illusionary Eye. It appears to be virtually identical to ''Domineering Step''.
- Wu Xing Technique
- Balance Technique
- Void Suppression Technique
- Middle Core Opening: Creating middle core instead of having only lower one
- Unknown
Abilities[]
Voice Of The Sword: He can hear, talking, and even see the memory of the sword.
Golden Eye: Gives the user power to see the flow of qi another person and fast recovery ability even wound that could kill anyone.
Trivia[]
- Woon-Hwi and the Baek sisters are distantly related because they are the descendants of the first Blood Demon, Baek Wol. Woon-Hwi is the descendant of Baek Wol's elder son while Baek Hye-Hyang is the descendant of Baek Wol's younger son. However, the two bloodlines were kept apart for over a dozen generations, so the marriage between their descendants was acceptable and even encouraged because this would strengthen the Blood Demon's lineage.
- He earned the title, "Best Swordsman in the world" after Baek Hyangmuk witnessed him carve a hole through a mountain.
- At one point, he was simultaneously the leader of the Blood Cult, the Murim Alliance, and the Unrivalled Faction, all major forces in the jianghu. Hae Akcheon couldn't stop laughing after finding out that Woonhwi became the Murim Alliance Leader, while Baek Hyehyang was quite proud of him. It was only towards the end of the final battle that the Murim Alliance and the Unrivalled Faction learnt that they shared the same leader with the Blood Cult, which shocked them. No one dared to oppose Woonhwi though. Eventually, he resigned as the leader of the Murim Alliance and the Blood Cult but continued to lead the Unrivalled Faction for the sake of his biological father, Jin Song-baek. He nominated his wife, Baek Hyehyang as the new Blood Demon and nominated his father-in-law, Sima Chak as the new Murim Alliance Leader.
- While Woon-Hwi believed that his advancement was due to the Voice of The Sword ability, he is very talented in his own right. He was able to unleash the Great Blood Heavenly Art's 7th Technique, Blood Path Sword Form, after witnessing it just once when Sima Chak attempted to kill him with an Air Sword technique. According to the Blood Demon Sword, his execution was on par with the previous Blood Demon. This marked a significant growth, as only a few hours earlier, during his fight with Do Jang-Ho, he had merely imitated the 5th Technique of the Great Blood Heavenly Art rather than mastering it.
- After the events of Absolute Sword Sense, Woon-hwi was considered the greatest martial artist in the world, until the rise of Mok Gyeongwoon a.k.a Cheon Ma. He was hailed as the strongest Blood Demon in the history of the Blood Cult, the Greatest Demon of All Time (before Cheon Ma), and the youngest Murim Alliance Leader in history.
- The Heaven-Earth Society from Myst, Might, Mayhem, was formed as a truce between the surviving successors of the Dual Martial Forces, who fought over Jin Woonhwi's martial arts inheritance- Eight Shattering Thought Techniques.
- Like Cheon Ma and Cheon Yeowun, Woon-hwi has his own version of Sky Flash as well.
- Woon-hwi invited his father-in-law to ascend together but Sima Chak declined, saying he would live according to the natural order.[2]