Yi Shi-Woon is a weak high school student who suffers constant bullying. His life changes drastically when he meets Goomoonryong, a mysterious man dressed in black who defends him from his bullies and offers to teach him martial arts. Shi-Woon accepts, unaware that his teacher is actually a legend from the Murim, a secret world of martial artists with its own rules, clans, and dangers. As Shi-Woon progresses in his training, he discovers the truth about his teachers turbulent past, his enemies, and a powerful artifact called the Azure Dragon Tablet. His awakening is not only physical, but also an immersion in a world of intrigue, violence, and the promise of unimaginable power, culminating in his kidnapping by an old rival of his teacher and the dramatic rescue by Goomoonryong.