Chapter 25 - Guidance Duel (2)
A duel, suddenly arranged.
The swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall stopped their training and gathered around the dueling stage.
“The granddaughter of the Elder Council Head?”
“Yes. Her talent is considerable. She is several years of accomplishment ahead of her peers.”
Even setting aside her background as the Elder Council Head’s granddaughter, Man Ye-won was quite famous. This was because despite being eighteen years of age, she was counted among the top five of the Azure Sky Society’s rising stars.
“They say that although she hasn’t taken the entrance exam yet, if she were to become a Cloud, it would be fitting for her to be given two clouds right away.”
“Baek Ri-cheong is away on a mission, so did she come straight for the youngest one?”
The members of the Heavenly Sword Hall spoke as if they found it interesting.
Man Ye-won certainly possessed outstanding talent and was a rising star with a promising future. The only problem was that her opponent was Namgung Jun.
The Heavenly Sword Hall had already witnessed Namgung Jun’s talent from the closest possible vantage point.
No matter how brightly Man Ye-won’s talent shone, compared to Namgung Jun, it would be no different from a firefly before a full moon.
The members of the Heavenly Sword Hall focused on how much of her full skill Man Ye-won would be able to display against Namgung Jun.
‘The youngest one has been changing day by day since he began his training in earnest.’
‘No matter that she is the Elder Council Head’s granddaughter, it will be too much for her.’
In that interval, the two, a boy and a girl, stood in the center of the dueling stage and faced each other. The atmosphere surrounding them was quite sharp.
As if to say that though they were young in age, they were respectable swordsmen.
Namgung Jun placed his hand on his sword hilt as he always did. It was perfectly natural and without any unnecessary movements.
Even this light hand gesture was enough to make the Elder Council Head’s eye wrinkles deepen slightly.
“You may begin whenever you are ready.”
CHAANG!
At Namgung Jun’s calm voice, Man Ye-won immediately drew her sword.
The sharp metallic sound whispered of how ardent Man Ye-won’s competitive spirit was.
In contrast, the sound that Namgung Jun’s sword made as he drew it was as soft as the melody of a musical instrument.
The boy and girl, who had drawn their swords and assumed their starting stances.
Man Ye-won’s eyes widened as she saw Namgung Jun’s starting stance. A few of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen also let out short gasps.
It was because the starting stances of the boy and girl were identical.
It was not the starting stance of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash, which was already famous within the Azure Sky Society as Namgung Jun’s unique martial art.
“The Great Wind Sword Style? No matter that he has an innate sword genius, but still.”
“He learned that sword style too? Wasn’t he training in the Distant Cloud, Layered Wall Form?”
“So that’s why he’s been frequenting the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection lately.”
At the surrounding reactions, Heo Il burst into a cheerful laugh. The laughter was overflowing with his trust in Namgung Jun.
“Is it something to be so surprised about? It seems you still do not properly know of Young Hero Namgung’s talent.”
Gong Jun-am, who had been silently watching the situation with his arms crossed, also added a word.
“I can tell just by looking at his starting stance. That is not a sword style he has brought out on a childish whim.”
Man Ye-won stared at Namgung Jun with a bewildered expression.
‘The Great Wind Sword Style?’
Namgung Jun’s Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash was very famous.
A sword style created by a newcomer Cloud who had just entered the Azure Sky Society while facing the Sword Demon.
Though it was only rife with rumors, it was clear that it was a formidable sword style.
‘That’s why I prepared a counter-method for it.’
They hadn’t even crossed swords yet, but she was bewildered just by seeing Namgung Jun’s starting stance.
The only thing she could do was to try her best to suppress her chaotic mind and barely manage to let out her voice.
“You?”
“Correct your grip. Because of the unique, heavy aura of the Great Wind Sword Style, you must put more strength into your index finger.”
Man Ye-won’s lips parted blankly at Namgung Jun’s low-voiced advice. It was the first time in her life she had received advice on martial arts from a peer.
For a moment, a surge of irritation rose up in Man Ye-won, but she could not say anything in retort.
Swish!
The leather shoes of Namgung Jun, as he performed the Infinite Steps Footwork, smoothly swept across the floor. Along with the pant legs that swayed quite lightly, clear veins rose on the back of Namgung Jun’s hand.
The sword, drawn horizontally, spewed forth a distinct sword wind. At a glance, it was twice as large and thick as an ordinary sword wind.
It was a characteristic of the Great Wind Sword Style, which was specialized in the artistry of handling sword wind.
Though Man Ye-won also belatedly unfolded the Great Wind Sword Style, the form she had unfolded in a hurry was somewhat clumsy.
FWOOSH!
The body of Man Ye-won, who had thrust her sword straight forward, was, on the contrary, violently thrown back. Though it was the same Great Wind Sword Style, the difference in power was so great it was as if they were completely different sword styles.
But Man Ye-won realized it instinctively.
That even if she had deployed the form properly, nothing would have changed. The gap in their fundamental accomplishment was clear. What on earth was the factor that had created such a difference?
‘There was no mention of him having learned the Great Wind Sword Style!’
Man Ye-won’s mind was in chaos at the single sword strike Namgung Jun had shown. Because of this, her hands and feet naturally became slightly sluggish, and her sword form faltered.
At that moment, Namgung Jun’s calm voice pierced Man Ye-won’s ear like a thunderbolt.
“Calm yourself. Because your heart is shaken, the center of your sword wavers. Which means you cannot properly contain its power.”
Namgung Jun, who had fiercely knocked away Man Ye-won’s sword, continued to speak.
GONG!
“Your Heavy Sword has no power and is light? In that case, what is the meaning of that sword style’s existence.”
Namgung Jun’s body spun as he continuously applied pressure. At the same time his pant legs were flipped back, a heavy sword wind blasted out from both sides.
Man Ye-won, who was pouring sweat, was hard-pressed to just block the rushing sword wind by moving her sword hastily.
In contrast, Namgung Jun’s eyes were gradually settling.
Though Man Ye-won rallied in her own way, it only served to show the weaknesses of her Great Wind Sword Style more starkly.
‘Yes. So it had this kind of shortcoming. Facing it like this, I can see it clearly.’
Man Ye-won’s accomplishment in the Great Wind Sword Style was excellent. It seemed she had reached at least the realm of the Seventh Level.
As if she had diligently studied the annotated commentaries, the martial principles of the commentaries were also deeply ingrained in several of her forms.
‘No. This part is wrong.’
There were cases where she was following the flawed parts of the annotated commentaries exactly, and there were also forms that seemed to be a result of Man Ye-won’s own bad habits.
For that reason, Namgung Jun thoroughly dismantled and countered Man Ye-won’s sword.
Using Man Ye-won as a mirror, he mercilessly shattered the Great Wind Sword Style that he had created in his past life.
‘In the form of the Great Bird’s Wind Chaos, I must block the opening at the waist…’
Namgung Jun’s Great Wind Sword Style gradually began to change.
As he broke Man Ye-won’s Great Wind Sword Style, he supplemented the lacking aspects of his own Great Wind Sword Style, as if absorbing the falling fragments.
‘If I overlap the aura on the body of the sword diagonally, I can spew forth the sword wind more densely. Based on this, I shall newly construct the oral formula for the Great Wind Sword Style’s sword wind emission.’
Namgung Jun felt a novel sense of enjoyment.
Re-examining the oral formulas of the Great Wind Sword Style with only the secret manual was one thing, but gaining enlightenment while facing a sword user who was actually unfolding the Great Wind Sword Style was another thing entirely.
Namgung Jun, while reconstructing the oral formulas and forms of the Great Wind Sword Style in real time, did not stop his advice to Man Ye-won.
“When you extend your sword, pour more strength into your two legs. Because the center of gravity of your lower body is not whole, the emission of your sword wind is being minutely cut off.”
As if Man Ye-won was not entirely without talent herself, a sign of her supplementing her flaws, however faintly, could be seen.
Every time Man Ye-won showed such a resourceful side, Namgung Jun would unfold a new sword strike and once again begin to apply pressure.
As Namgung Jun advised and Man Ye-won corrected herself, this was no different from a guidance duel.
The members of the Heavenly Sword Hall, who had been endlessly discussing the state of the duel, had at some point closed their mouths.
This was because there was also something for them to take away from Namgung Jun’s advice.
Though it was advice for Man Ye-won, everyone was listening closely to Namgung Jun’s words.
Only the Elder Council Head, Man Hun, was letting out a dry laugh.
“Astonishing. How can such a…”
The Great Wind Sword Style that Namgung Jun was displaying was perfect.
No, it seemed to be going beyond perfection and crossing into another domain.
At the same time he was dismantling the weaknesses of the Great Wind Sword Style that Man Ye-won was showing, Namgung Jun’s own forms were becoming more refined.
As if shedding unnecessary parts, Namgung Jun’s sword forms became heavier and fiercer.
‘I had heard that he had refined a new sword style while facing the Sword Demon.’
Though it was a story that was hard to believe, he had thought that if it were a peerless genius of world-renowned fame, it might be possible.
But this was the opposite case.
He was in the middle of a duel with someone far weaker than himself, Man Ye-won, who was merely unfolding the exact same martial art.
But as if using this as a teacher by negative example, he neatly refined his forms and created new ones.
As the number of exchanges in the duel increased, the others also began to feel that the forms of the Great Wind Sword Style were changing little by little.
“The flow of the duel is strange.”
“The trajectory is changing.”
“The sword strikes have become heavier. Look at that sword wind.”
Namgung Jun, at the same time he was blocking Man Ye-won’s weaknesses and forcibly correcting them, was fixing the countless flaws remaining in the Great Wind Sword Style.
‘Heavier. I can draw out the capability of the Great Wind Sword Style even more.’
If he set his mind to it, he could end the duel right at this moment. Not only Namgung Jun, but everyone in this place knew that fact.
Despite this, Namgung Jun did not end the duel and continued the exchange.
As the state of the duel continued precariously, as if they were on a tightrope, Man Hun’s eyes trembled.
‘It can no longer even be called the Great Wind Sword Style.’
Man Ye-won was nothing more than a supporting actor who was making Namgung Jun shine. Despite this, Man Hun did not feel bad in the slightest.
Not only was Man Ye-won’s martial arts accomplishment rapidly increasing, but the process of watching a new sword style being created was a truly rare sight.
It was an honor just that he and Man Ye-won were so deeply and closely involved in this place.
The duel between Man Ye-won and Namgung Jun continued for a long time.
KREANG!
At some point, when Man Ye-won’s accomplishment in the Great Wind Sword Style had risen to the Eighth Level, Namgung Jun’s sword wind was displaying a might that was completely different from before.
FWOOOOOOSH!
The sword wind, which was whirling like a wave following the trajectory of the sword, softly pushed Man Ye-won back.
Even though Man Ye-won’s sword strikes had become much stronger than before, she was pushed back far too futilely compared to the beginning.
It was because the sword wind that Namgung Jun had created was now on a different level.
“Haak!”
The moment Man Ye-won, who had been pushed back powerlessly, was about to collapse. Namgung Jun, who had performed the Infinite Steps Footwork and closed the distance in an instant, snatched Man Ye-won’s sleeve.
Namgung Jun, who had stopped Man Ye-won from falling backward, nonchalantly helped her up.
“Huh? Thank you.”
At Man Ye-won’s thanks, Namgung Jun merely nodded his head. Then, a silence flowed.
Man Ye-won, who had been cautiously reading Namgung Jun’s expression, mumbled a few times before she managed to speak with difficulty.
“Thank you for going so easy on me, and thank you even more for the lesson. I’m sorry about before.”
Man Ye-won bowed her head, her face completely red.
At the sight of the granddaughter of the Elder Council Head, whose pride had been so high, lowering her tail, no one in the hall thought to open their mouths.
The members of the Heavenly Sword Hall looked at Namgung Jun with all sorts of different gazes.
Man Hun, as if to resolve the curiosity of the martial artists around him, asked.
“You, you’ve completely changed the Great Wind Sword Style. You went beyond just touching up the forms and have created an entirely new advanced sword style.”
“You are too kind.”
“That sword style. Would it be alright if I try to receive it once?”
At the unexpected proposal, the eyes of the Heavenly Sword Hall members widened.
Only Namgung Jun looked at the old righteous warrior with perfectly calm eyes.
“Very well.”
As if he had been waiting for that answer, Man Hun was, at some point, already standing before Namgung Jun, his sleeves fluttering.
On Man Hun’s sleeve, five clouds were clearly and gracefully displayed.
Five-Cloud. It meant that he was a peerless master of the Azure Sky Society.