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Return of Mount Hua Sect Reading Guide: Where to Start
Return of Mount Hua Sect reading guide: where to read, chapter count, season breakdown, novel vs manhwa, and what's next. Updated for Season 3 (April 2026).
8 min readBy Ethan Mercer
Return of Mount Hua Sect reading guide: the series has two names and two entry points, and picking the wrong one doesn't break anything, but this guide will save you time. WEBTOON publishes it as Return of the Blossoming Blade. The fan translation community calls it Return of the Mount Hua Sect. Same story. Different labels.
The manhwa is at episode 163 as of May 2026 across three seasons. Season 3 started April 14, 2026. The original Korean novel is at 1,500+ chapters. This guide covers where to start, how the seasons break down, and when to switch from the manhwa to the novel if you want more.
TL;DR: Start on WEBTOON (search "Return of the Blossoming Blade"), free to read. Season 1 is ~70 episodes, Season 2 adds another 80+, Season 3 started April 14 2026. If you finish the manhwa and want more: the fan novel translation at maehwasup.com is 900+ English chapters ahead of the current manhwa episode count. The novel and manhwa tell the same story.
Key Takeaways
Where to read: WEBTOON (webtoons.com), official English translation, free. Search "Return of the Blossoming Blade."
How many manhwa episodes: 163 as of May 2026, Season 3 actively serializing.
How many novel chapters: 1,500+ in Korean; 900+ in English fan translation at maehwasup.com.
Completed or ongoing: Ongoing. Season 3 started April 14, 2026.
Should you start with the manhwa or the novel: Manhwa first. The art and pacing make the premise easier to enter. The novel is a better follow-up once you're invested in the characters.
Overview: Return of Mount Hua Sect reading guide
Return of Mount Hua Sect is a completed manhwa (Season 1 and 2 fully published, Season 3 actively serializing in Korean) available on WEBTOON in English. The series follows Cheongmyeong, the reincarnated Plum Blossom Sword Saint, rebuilding a degraded sect using century-old standards no one else in the present day can match. Start at Chapter 1 and read in order. There is no prequel or companion series required.
How to start reading Return of Mount Hua Sect: step by step
The simplest path: go to webtoons.com and search "Return of the Blossoming Blade." It's the first result. Season 1 starts at Episode 1. Read from there.
A few things to set expectations before you start:
The first 10-15 episodes are setup. Cheongmyeong wakes up, confirms what the current Mount Hua Sect looks like, has a series of reactions to how far it has fallen, and begins establishing his plan. The comedy is present but the timing is still settling in. The series finds its rhythm around episode 20-30, when the first round of disciple training begins and the gap between Cheongmyeong's expectations and the disciples' reality starts generating genuine jokes.
The premise requires understanding the genre. Return of Mount Hua Sect is a murim manhwa, set in a fictionalized ancient Korean martial world with sect hierarchies, qi cultivation, and master-student dynamics. If you've read Solo Leveling or SSS-Class Suicide Hunter, you've encountered some of this framing. If not, the best murim manhwa 2026 list has a primer on what distinguishes murim from system fantasy. The series doesn't require prior genre knowledge to follow, but it rewards it.
The comedy is the premise, not a tone layer. Cheongmyeong is a pragmatist from 100 years ago operating in a sect that has normalized mediocrity. His standards are the comedy source. His standards are also correct. Understanding this early makes the later dramatic payoffs land correctly.
For the full review, what the Presidential Award means, and how Return of Mount Hua Sect compares to Volcanic Age and Legend of the Northern Blade.
Return of Mount Hua Sect Review →
Season breakdown: how the three seasons split up
Season 1 (Episodes 1-70, WEBTOON: March 23, 2021 to August 16, 2022)
Season 1 covers Cheongmyeong's arrival, the state of contemporary Mount Hua, and the early disciple training arc. This is where the ensemble cast gets established. Each disciple gets a personality and a problem. The sect's position in the wider murim world is outlined. The central cast's dynamics are set.
The season moves deliberately. Training arcs take time. The payoffs come at the season's end, when the training has to perform against real opposition. Season 1 ends on a high point that recontextualizes how the earlier chapters read.
Season 2 (Episodes 71-153, WEBTOON: June 23, 2023 to December 31, 2024)
Season 2 opens the murim world. Mount Hua starts engaging with other sects, the political landscape around them, and the threats Cheongmyeong has been training toward. The comedy remains but the stakes escalate. This is where the series pays off the discipline of Season 1: the disciples the reader watched struggle are now in situations that demonstrate what the training was for.
Season 2 ended December 31, 2024. The gap between Season 2's end and Season 3's start was 16 months, the longest wait the series has had. Anyone starting now reads straight through to the active season.
Season 3 (Episodes 154+, WEBTOON: April 14, 2026, ongoing)
Season 3 launched April 14, 2026. The Sword Tomb arc is the current story: Mount Hua versus the Wudang Sect, racing for a cache of hidden martial arts manuals inside a dangerous sealed location.
The Wudang Sect represents exactly the kind of established sect power that looks down on Mount Hua's rebuilt reputation. Cheongmyeong's reaction to this dynamic is exactly what readers familiar with his character expect, and exactly what new readers are in for.
As of May 2026, the series was at episode 163, with weekly Tuesday releases on WEBTOON.
The manhwa vs. the novel: which to read and when
The manhwa is the better entry point. Studio Lico's art carries the comedic timing in ways the prose can't replicate, and the visual contrast between Cheongmyeong's expressions and his disciples' reactions is part of what makes the early chapters work.
The novel by Biga is for readers who've finished the available manhwa episodes and want more. The English fan translation at maehwasup.com has 900+ chapters as of May 2026, well ahead of episode 163 in the manhwa. The novel updates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around 2 p.m. KST.
The novel and manhwa cover the same story. The novel has no art. The prose in fan translation has some roughness. But if the series has you hooked, 900+ chapters in a format you can read immediately is a meaningful amount of content to be ahead of the manhwa's current position.
Seven collected print volumes were published through December 2024. These cover Seasons 1 and 2 in a physical format if that's the preferred reading experience.
What to read after Return of Mount Hua Sect
If you're inside the manhwa and waiting for new episodes, the best cultivation manhwa list has 10 picks across the murim and cultivation genres with platform and chapter counts for each.
Volcanic Age: The closest direct match. Regression murim, protagonist rebuilding his community using past-life knowledge. Tone is more straightforward than Return of Mount Hua Sect, but the premise overlap is high.
Legend of the Northern Blade: Completed at 202 chapters. Dark tone. The same sect-rebuilding stakes but taken seriously throughout. If you want the arc to end, this is the finished version of that premise in a different style.
Nano Machine: Hybrid cultivation and system fantasy. Ongoing. In its final arc as of mid-2026. The sci-fi element distinguishes it from pure murim, but the cultivation mechanics and sect politics are familiar territory.
The web novel: If you don't want to switch series, maehwasup.com is the most direct continuation of the same story. Hundreds of chapters ahead of where the manhwa is now.
Eight murim and cultivation series ranked by how well each holds up in 2026, with chapter counts, platform links, and ongoing status for each.
Best Cultivation Manhwa 2026 →
Reading tips for Return of Mount Hua Sect
The early chapters move slowly. Cheongmyeong spends the first 20-30 episodes establishing how far the sect has fallen before he begins rebuilding it. This is intentional: the gap between what was and what is becomes the engine for every subsequent arc. Readers who push through the setup find the middle arcs significantly more rewarding.
The comedy lands better if you read the serious sections at full attention. The series alternates between slapstick and genuine martial arts tension in the same chapter. Skimming the expository sections makes the tonal shifts feel abrupt.
For readers coming from Solo Leveling or other dungeon-hunter system fantasy: Return of Mount Hua Sect is slower and more character-ensemble-focused. The power progression is real but spread across a large cast rather than concentrated in one protagonist.
Related Reading
- Return of Mount Hua Sect Review: Full review with rating, what the Presidential Award reflects, and how the comedy/drama balance works across 163 episodes.
- Best Murim Manhwa 2026: Six ranked murim series with chapter counts and platform info, for context on where this series sits in the genre.
- Best Cultivation Manhwa: 10 picks across cultivation and murim, with notes on which are completed, which are ongoing, and what each one does differently.
- Best Manhwa to Read in 2026: 20 series across all genres, including where Return of Mount Hua Sect ranks against non-murim alternatives.
- Best Martial Arts Manhwa 2026: 10 picks ranked, with Return of Mount Hua Sect as the comedy-first entry and comparisons to its genre neighbors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I read Return of Mount Hua Sect in English?
WEBTOON at webtoons.com, under the title Return of the Blossoming Blade. Free to read. Season 3 started April 14, 2026. For the web novel: maehwasup.com has 900+ chapters in English fan translation.
How many chapters does it have?
163 manhwa episodes as of May 2026. Original Korean novel: 1,500+ chapters. English fan translation of the novel: 900+ chapters.
Is it completed or ongoing?
Ongoing. Season 3 started April 14, 2026. No announced end date.
Is it the same as Return of the Blossoming Blade?
Same series. WEBTOON English title is Return of the Blossoming Blade. Fan translation communities use Return of the Mount Hua Sect. Identical content.
Should I start with the manhwa or the novel?
Manhwa first. The art makes the premise easier to enter. Switch to the novel at maehwasup.com once you've finished the available manhwa episodes and want more.
What is the current arc in Season 3?
The Sword Tomb arc. Cheongmyeong and Mount Hua are racing the Wudang Sect for hidden martial arts manuals inside a sealed location. As of May 2026, the series is at episode 163.
How long does it take to read?
163 episodes at an average read time of 5-8 minutes per episode comes to roughly 14-22 hours for the full manhwa through Season 3. Season 1 alone (70 episodes) is about 6-10 hours.
What do I read after I catch up?
The novel at maehwasup.com for more of the same story. Volcanic Age or Legend of the Northern Blade if you want a different series with similar premises.
References
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About the author
Senior Manhwa Critic & Analyst
Manhwa critic and former Korean-to-English webtoon translator with 8 years reading across 40+ genres. London-based. Tracks everything from power-progression to slice-of-life romance.
- 8 years reading manhwa across 40+ genres
- Former Korean-to-English webtoon translator
- 500+ manhwa titles completed
- Specializes in progression systems and power-scaling analysis
Disclaimer
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