Chapter 19 - Forging (2)
At the time the report on Namgung Jun was submitted to the Ink Scent Division, a great commotion was also brewing in the Heavenly Sword Hall.
“I heard the youngest one came back from his first mission, is he alright?”
“Alright? If you heard what Namgung Jun accomplished, you wouldn’t be saying such things.”
“Though Heo Il is prone to exaggeration, he’s not the type of fellow to spout lies, is he?”
The swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall could not contain their astonishment after hearing from Heo Il about Namgung Jun’s exploits.
A newcomer Cloud who had only just received his cloud had single-handedly crushed the Bae Gong Union and subdued Sang Ho-no.
Of course, the martial skill level of the Unorthodox Faction martial artists was only around the Third-Class and Second-Class level, but the fact that he had perfectly handled a chaotic battle with multiple opponents on his first mission without a single scratch was clearly surprising.
Was that all?
He had gone beyond that to cut down a Mingjiaowei single-handedly and rescue a dozen children.
This was a feat that would not have been easy even for a Three-Cloud member.
Of course, though Heo Il had been a great help in the process, one could not deny that it was Namgung Jun who had played the key role in the mission.
The Heavenly Sword Hall members had figured that it would be difficult for Namgung Jun to fully display his swordsmanship in a real battle.
This was because a duel and a real battle were strictly different.
For that reason, they had hoped that he would build up various experiences through minor missions and create a foundation from which he could fully bring his sword skills to life, but no one had expected him to do this well.
“That fellow. He was definitely at the First-Class Realm, wasn’t he?”
“Since he can infuse his sword with internal energy, however faintly, he must have reached the perfection of the First-Class.”
“It’s ridiculous to classify him simply by his realm. That fellow’s talent with the blade must be more sharply forged than that of an average Peak Realm swordsman.”
The Heavenly Sword Hall members, who were endlessly expressing their admiration, thought of Namgung Jun.
The Sword Skill that Namgung Jun displayed clearly transcended time. It was to the point where it was unbelievable that it had not even been a month since he had first held a sword.
He was truly a terrifying sword genius.
The fact that his other general martial arts accomplishments, including his internal and external arts, were lacking was a flaw, but this was a problem that time would solve.
Since Namgung Jun’s wondrous talent did not seem to be limited to just the sword.
“It is ridiculous to be surprised. You all need to properly cultivate a more discerning eye.”
Gong Jun-am, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, opened his mouth.
“Though I cannot know the origin of that brat's sword, it looked as if it had been forged by facing the harsh sword-winds of the Martial World. If it is not experience, then it is the domain of sense and talent. The success of the mission was an inevitable result.”
It had been a truly long time since Gong Jun-am had spoken at such length. That in itself was a measure of how surprising the martial prowess Namgung Jun had shown must have been.
The swordsmen who heard Gong Jun-am’s words fell silent for a moment.
It was because they had now properly recognized that Namgung Jun’s talent was not limited to simply swinging a sword.
“By the way, where is the youngest one? It’s only right that we praise him.”
“The Hall Master has already gone to his lodging herself. They should be in the middle of a talk by now.”
“My, my. The Hall Master’s love for her disciple is immense.”
***
“Huu.”
Namgung Jun, who had finished his Qi circulation and breath regulation, opened his eyes.
The Cold Yin Energy had been on the verge of surging up and an attack seemed imminent, so he had repeatedly performed Qi circulation and breath regulation to calm his Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
This wouldn’t be able to stop the attacks entirely, but it should help in lowering their frequency and intensity.
Namgung Jun, who had observed himself along with his Qi circulation, stroked the scabbard he had placed beside him.
‘Right now, the most important thing is my external arts, I suppose.’
Though the maturity of his internal energy was also not yet that deep, the biggest problem was his physical body.
For a martial artist, the balanced growth of Essence, Energy, Spirit was important. For only then could one one day rise to the realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
In his current situation, the thing that was lagging the most was precisely his Essence, which corresponded to his physical body. Hadn’t he properly felt its shortcomings during this mission?
In the first place, having lived as a Geomdong while suffering from severed meridians, his physical condition was not good. An average beggar would likely have a better body than Namgung Jun.
Though he had begun training as a martial artist after meeting Lee Se-ha, his pathetic body was not something that could change in a single day.
‘More than anything, the Nine Yin Severed Meridians has a great effect on the physical body.’
There was not a single case where the Nine Yin Severed Meridians was of any direct help to Namgung Jun’s physical body.
Rather, it affected the yang energy that a man is born with innately and hindered the growth of his physical body.
For that reason, Namgung Jun’s body was a head shorter and more frail than his peers.
He would have to suppress his Nine Yin Severed Meridians as much as possible and raise his proficiency in the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art to be able to possess a physique fitting for a martial artist.
‘I’ll have to look for an external art training method in the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection.’
In his past life, ordinary external art training had been enough, but now he had a special body born with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
Naturally, he needed a new external art training method tailored to his current body.
Namgung Jun, who had been lost in thought, looked toward the door of his lodging and opened his mouth.
“You may come in.”
“My disciple!”
Lee Se-ha, who had been standing guard while waiting for Namgung Jun’s Qi circulation to end, immediately entered the room as soon as permission was given.
“I heard the stories! Jun-ah, is there anything you can’t do?”
“I am still merely lacking.”
“That's a good thing! It means you still have room to improve!”
Namgung Jun’s gaze moved toward Lee Se-ha’s arms.
An armful of books was held in Lee Se-ha’s embrace.
“Master. What are those books?”
“Ah! These? I thought it would be good for you to see them, so I brought them from the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection.”
Iron Bow Body-Forging Art.
General Discourse on Severed Meridians.
Record of Cold Yin Sicknesses.
External Strength Unified Power Art.
Three Unions Body Form.
As he briefly glanced at the titles, he saw that they were a mix of not only secret manuals related to external arts, but also documents and medical texts on severed meridians and cold energy.
They were all books that were necessary for the current Namgung Jun.
“We may not be physicians, but I think it’s important to be equipped with a certain amount of knowledge. Let’s not only do martial arts, but also study these kinds of books whenever we have spare time.”
Lee Se-ha tilted up her chin slightly with a confident expression.
“While you were out on your first mission, Jun, I read through all of them. This master will teach you these as well. It will be much faster than reading them alone.”
Namgung Jun showed a faint smile.
Lee Se-ha, as a master, had accurately grasped her disciple’s condition and problems. And she had come, having found her own way to solve them.
At the sight of his young master trying so hard for her even younger disciple, Namgung Jun raised the corners of his mouth.
“Thank you, Master.”
“It’s only what I should do, of course.”
As she said this, Lee Se-ha tapped the sword at her waist.
“Even so, the first priority must be the sword, right?”
“Of course.”
Namgung Jun, who had understood the meaning of Lee Se-ha’s words, picked up the sword he had placed beside his bed.
The master and disciple headed for the training ground side-by-side.
***
Namgung Jun and Lee Se-ha stood facing each other on the training ground.
“Jun, want to try unfolding your Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash?”
“I will do so.”
The master and disciple faced each other and brought their hands to the hilts of their swords.
A momentary exchange of glances.
Simultaneously with that, Namgung Jun immediately shot out his Swift Sword. The sword strike, which closed the distance in an instant, was just about to reach Lee Se-ha’s collar.
KREANG!
Lee Se-ha’s sword, drawn slowly, parried Namgung Jun’s thrust by a hair's breadth.
Following the tremor of her wrist, the body of the sword meandered just as it was, drawing a series of fluid curves.
Lee Se-ha’s sword path, extending slowly, cut off the sword strikes of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash.
The softly and slowly moving sword strikes were not aiming for Namgung Jun, but were seizing control of the surrounding space.
‘The principles of the Dull Sword and the Flexible Sword are mixed in.’
The key secret of the Dull Sword is to dominate space and trajectory based on the principle of Movement in Stillness, in order to unfold the optimal sword strike regardless of the opponent.
The Dull Sword is just that tricky and difficult a martial art to be initiated into, so it was simply a marvel that Lee Se-ha was learning it.
‘I wonder if the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art and the Dull Sword have good compatibility.’
His interest piqued, Namgung Jun began to increase the speed of his sword. It was to the point where his blue sleeves, which had been fluttering roughly, were now completely flipped back.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Namgung Jun’s sword became endlessly faster, and Lee Se-ha’s sword remained as slow as ever.
Despite this, the lightning flash that Namgung Jun was emitting could not reach Lee Se-ha.
Her sword strikes, which intertwined like a net, lightly settled down and softly, yet surely, pressed down on the forms of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash.
‘She’s quite good.’
Namgung Jun was able to see many things in his exchange of blades with Lee Se-ha.
Was this what it meant to be the Hall Master of the Heavenly Sword Hall?
The finer points of the Dull Sword, which governed the flow.
The finer points of the Flexible Sword, which exquisitely connected the beginning and end of a sword strike.
In the single sword strike that cut off Namgung Jun’s in a brief instant, even the finer points of the Swift Sword were mixed in.
Lee Se-ha was binding the principles of several swords into a single sword.
If her opponent had been an enemy, she would have switched to the Swift Sword the moment she cut off the flow and aimed for his vitals.
But because this was a duel with Namgung Jun, and furthermore a duel for the sake of teaching, she was merely facing him with this sword style.
‘As expected, there are still many parts I need to refine.’
Though he had created the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash with the Swift Sword manuals of the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection as the lead, there were still many parts that were lacking.
Even now, wasn't his sword path being cut off here and there by Lee Se-ha’s sword strikes?
Namgung Jun and Lee Se-ha, who had exchanged about fifty blows, retreated backward at the same time.
“Master. What is the name of that sword style?”
“The Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form.”
“It is an Advanced Supreme Art.”
“In fact, in the secret manual at the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection, it is classified for a Four-Cloud member to learn.”
Namgung Jun nodded his head.
The Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form that he had experienced firsthand was worthy of that. For that reason, Namgung Jun’s hands were itching.
‘I will make it my own.’
The starting stance of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash, in which his body had been leaning forward, changed.
His center of gravity sank extremely deep into the dead center, and the width of his two feet became a chi wider.
Along with that, his grip also became more intricate, and the eyes of the Heavenly Sword Hall members who were observing the duel widened.
‘The starting stance of the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form?’
‘What is he planning to do? Is he intending to mimic it? Just from experiencing the sword directly, without having seen the secret manual?’
Namgung Jun immediately resolved the questions of the Heavenly Sword Hall members.
FWOOSH!
He loaded the weight he had firmly planted on both knees into his sword strike and drew a sword path that rolled like a cloud.
Though it was a very slow sword strike, the finer points of the Flexible Sword, which caused the force in the sword path to flow out in all directions, were grafted onto it, swallowing up the space to his side.
The sword strike, which had preemptively seized control of one direction, plunged down toward Lee Se-ha’s shoulder.
At this, Lee Se-ha also softly pulled her body back and struck her sword upward.
CRAACK!
Lee Se-ha’s eyes sparkled as they exchanged a single blow.
‘He’s not mimicking it.’
He was not simply mimicking the form and style; the key essentials of the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form were contained within it just as they were.
Looking at the aura flowing from his sword strike, it seemed he was substituting the proper circulation of internal energy with momentary wit and talent.
‘To be able to do this without even seeing the secret manual!’
While Lee Se-ha was astonished at Namgung Jun’s terrifying talent, she also became curious as to how far he could follow.
If she had her way, she would have told him the oral formulas of the secret manual right away, but she did not.
It was because she knew that what Namgung Jun realized on his own while crossing blades would have a great effect on his future accomplishment.
The slow sword strikes of the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form danced quietly and leisurely, like a pair of butterflies.
Despite it being an extremely static duel, the tension was all the more multiplied. Because if either side were to make even the slightest mistake, it would lead to an immediate catastrophe.
Despite this, the master and disciple exchanged about seventy blows, repeatedly taking and being taken in each other’s space and trajectories.
‘Amusing.’
Namgung Jun marveled at Lee Se-ha’s talent and martial arts that could match him.
He was Namgung Jun, who remembered his past life as the Sword Emperor. With an average capability, one would have found it difficult to properly fulfill the role of his master.
But Lee Se-ha was accomplishing this perfectly.
‘Meeting my Master seems to be the greatest stroke of luck in this life.’
Chaeng!
The two swords of the master and disciple, who had unfolded the exact same form, softly met in mid-air and let out a light metallic sound.
“If we were to compare this to the secret manual for the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form, I’d say you’ve achieved the seventh level of accomplishment right away.”
“It is thanks to my Master’s teaching, as you focused on imbuing the key essentials and core martial principles into your forms and showed them to me in succession.”
“As expected, my disciple is the only one who gets it.”
As he watched Lee Se-ha smiling brightly, Namgung Jun felt a thirst.
Though he had been able to be initiated into the new sword style called the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form, he was not satisfied.
‘It is still not enough.’
Namgung Jun folded his hands together and opened his mouth.
“Master.”
“Hm?”
“Please show me your Swift Sword as well. I understand that the Swift Sword is your true signature skill.”
Namgung Jun intended to absorb Lee Se-ha’s Swift Sword as well.