Galaxy Martial God Temple - Entrance Exam (2)
The next day arrived, and I stuck to the exact same training regimen. I performed Qi circulation to expand my dantian, ran on the treadmill to build cardiorespiratory endurance and basic stamina. After strength training enlarged my muscles, I compressed them using the Muscle and Bone Condensing Technique, then developed flexibility through Yoga Cultivation. Footwork drills, hand-to-hand combat, and sword practice continued without pause.
When Siwoo watched me swing my sword, she fell into brief contemplation.
“Have you perhaps attained some form of enlightenment recently, Master?”
“Enlightenment? I did realize I need to learn lightness techniques.”
Siwoo nodded at my answer.
“For the time being, we will focus swordsmanship training on fundamentals and increase strength training duration.”
Siwoo adjusted my schedule based on whatever she had observed in my sword swings. It was nothing new. She always watched my training and subtly fine-tuned its intensity and pace.
Just then, Cheon So-yeon’s voice rang out from outside.
“Jiwoo~! Let’s play~!”
Cheon So-yeon’s parents commanded the clan’s military forces and were perpetually busy. A dedicated nanny had originally been planned, but after the amusement park kidnapping revealed her possession of the Heaven’s Martial Body, the arrangement changed to her visiting my house every day instead. With Siwoo—a Transformed Realm android—present and layers of advanced security installed, my home was more reliable than most daycares. Plus, she had me, her friend.
I could have refused, but the Cheon Clan had essentially forced the arrangement on me. Declining might invite future complications. Of course, they provided generous additional compensation for looking after her. Even without those benefits, I had no intention of ignoring a friend whose parents both worked long hours.
When she entered the house, Cheon So-yeon waved at me with a bright smile, then noticed Siwoo standing nearby. She bowed politely.
“Hello.”
“Welcome. The young master is currently training. Would you care to rest awhile?”
“No thank you. I’ll train beside him. I like training.”
For some reason, Cheon So-yeon always seemed awkward around Siwoo. I had assumed she would grow comfortable after a day or two, but even after considerable time had passed she still treated the android with visible discomfort.
When Siwoo glanced at me for direction, I nodded.
“It’s fine. She can train with us. It’s not like I’m learning some secret advanced technique. Everything I practice is publicly available knowledge.”
All the martial arts I learned were foundational. Even though the Cheon Clan emphasized bloodline, they did not refuse to teach outsiders. Similar-level techniques became available to anyone upon entering elementary school. What truly mattered during the foundation stage were not the arts themselves but elixirs and major techniques like Blood and Qi Circulation Therapy.
Above all, unlike me, Cheon So-yeon was already a first-rate expert.
“Understood. Lady Cheon So-yeon, please sit beside the young master.”
“Yes!”
Cheon So-yeon settled next to me. Siwoo projected a detailed anatomical diagram marked with acupoints and flowing lines of Qi onto the display.
“The technique I will now teach is the lightness art known as Wind Mist Lightness. The mnemonic is…”
She recited a relatively simple formula and proceeded to explain the theory behind how the body grew lighter. The lecture sounded more like an academic paper than martial instruction. Having researched extensively and read the books Siwoo occasionally recommended, I followed without much difficulty. Cheon So-yeon, however, appeared completely lost, as if hearing alien speech.
After Siwoo finished, Cheon So-yeon whispered to me.
“Did you understand any of that?”
“More or less.”
Siwoo’s explanation used technical terminology, but once you grasped the vocabulary it was logical and surprisingly clear.
“It’s completely different from the lightness explanations I know.”
“Oh, you’ve already learned it? The manual specifically said not to teach it to anyone under ten.”
“Uh? Y-yeah, that’s right.”
Cheon So-yeon occasionally faltered at moments like these, becoming visibly flustered. Then, as if realizing her slip, she would smoothly redirect the conversation.
“But why shouldn’t it be taught to children under ten?”
I chose not to press the issue and simply relayed what Siwoo had told me. Cheon So-yeon nodded, seemingly convinced.
“How did you learn it, then?”
At my question, Cheon So-yeon stood and began to explain.
"Wind shifts through empty heat, moving wind into vacant space."
"Rising is like trembling, ascent follows vibration."
"Wood roots remain unshaken, foundation undisturbed."
"Gushing springs follow light paths, water rises with ease."
"The dantian supports the whole body, lower half moves softly."
"Foot centers like stable roots, bubbling wells light as air…"
She wove abstract metaphors throughout her explanation. After listening, only one thought came to mind.
What the hell is she even saying?
Even after Siwoo’s clear lecture, her version still made no sense to me.
“How was it? My explanation was easier to understand, right?”
Having demonstrated the technique with earnest enthusiasm, Cheon So-yeon stared at me like an eager puppy awaiting praise.
“Uh… my teacher is Siwoo, so let’s just continue.”
“Yes, understood, young master.”
Sorry, but I’m not a genius like you. When things get that abstract, I’m completely lost.
My response left Cheon So-yeon visibly deflated. I focused on Siwoo’s explanation and the accompanying demonstration video until I understood the theory.
“Hmm, is it something like this?”
“A little too fast. Do not attempt to copy Lady Cheon So-yeon’s movements. Move your Qi more slowly. In the beginning, familiarity with the flow of energy is most important.”
Made sense. A crow trying to imitate a stork would only tear itself apart. I practiced the lightness technique step by step under Siwoo’s guidance.
“Excellent progress. As expected, young master possesses an innate talent for manipulating Qi.”
“Haha, the problem is that Qi manipulation is my only talent.”
Making the body lighter itself wasn’t particularly difficult. But lightness technique was still a martial art—it required precise physical mastery.
“…Still, with your sharp mind, young master, you will quickly memorize the pathways. The rest is simply a matter of familiarity.”
She was right. Though that familiarity would clearly take considerable time.
Lightness technique, to put it plainly, resembled an intense dance or rhythm game demanding flashy footwork. Steps had to strike the ground in perfect timing with the flow of Qi traveling from the core erector muscles through the lower body. Any discord between energy and movement would send you flying in the wrong direction.
Think of a racing game. If internal energy was a booster, you needed to activate it while traveling straight. The moment your body twisted even slightly—crash, straight into the wall.
The Qi movement was easy. The physical coordination was the nightmare. It felt like taking ballet lessons. In martial arts novels they always made lightness technique sound like something even dogs and cows could master. Reality proved far more demanding.
While I struggled, Cheon So-yeon had already mastered it. She kept watching me anxiously, trying to match my slower pace. Review was useful, but her level had already far surpassed my current progress. It was like a high schooler “reviewing” by practicing addition and subtraction.
“If you’re just going to hover and watch, go watch television while I practice. Or train at your own level.”
“No…! Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Cheon So-yeon’s shoulders slumped as she left the training room. I watched her dejected back and let out a small chuckle.
“After I finish practice, let’s watch a movie. There’s an interesting new release on the streaming services.”
“Uh… okay!”
Her face brightened instantly. She nodded and left the room properly this time.
“Would using a metronome help with rhythm training?”
Dancers supposedly used them to develop timing.
“That is an excellent suggestion. I will prepare an analog metronome that can also provide visual assistance.”
My lightness technique practice continued.
The metronome ticked steadily. I launched my body in time with its rhythm.
“Uaaah!”
My body veered off the intended path and tumbled through the air. Siwoo, watching closely, caught me with gentle precision. Thanks to her, I felt no impact whatsoever.
“Your Qi control is superb, yet your sense of rhythm shows no improvement.”
I really was terrible at rhythm games.
…Yeah. I’m actually tone-deaf. Who would have guessed that martial arts training would require musical timing? Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat had never demanded it to this degree.
“Please do not be overly disappointed by your difficulty with lightness techniques. Properly learning them has become quite rare these days.”
She had a point. In the Galaxy Martial God Temple, only certain athletes prohibited from using machines or those under similar restrictions bothered to master true lightness techniques. Most people learned only the basic body-lightening principles and moved on. Machines had advanced so far that simply lightening the body allowed speeds comparable to assisted techniques, and riding a motorcycle easily outpaced most lightness experts.
Body lightening itself belonged to the realm of Qi cultivation, which I had mastered on the very first day. However, the machines typically weighed over ten kilograms, making them impractical for me to use while freely switching between multidimensional avatars. They could also break during combat.
When I showed my dissatisfaction, Siwoo pondered for a moment before speaking.
“At this rate, mastering the lightness technique will take far too long. Would you like to learn a new martial art?”
“A new martial art?”
“Yes. Blue Wood Cultivation appears to be approaching its limit. Let us begin the next-stage cultivation method alongside Sound Arts. Both should prove beneficial for lightness training.”
It was true that my cultivation had stopped progressing. If I hadn’t hit a wall, then Siwoo’s assessment that I had reached the limit was accurate. Both my Blue Wood Cultivation and mana had stalled completely at level 30.
Come to think of it, the Old Librarian had mentioned that Rarity 1 abilities grew quickly but possessed clear ceilings. It seemed I had reached Blue Wood Cultivation’s limit.
Setting the new cultivation method aside—Sound Arts? Wasn’t that an extremely specialized field?
Siwoo noticed my confusion and smiled softly.
“Sound Arts are even taught as electives at music universities. Until roughly three thousand years ago the field lacked proper structure, but scientific advancement allowed it to be reestablished as a systematic martial discipline.”
Sound Arts… I couldn’t even play a recorder properly.
“Although I recommended it, Sound Arts only become truly usable after reaching first-rate level. Before then, it remains largely academic.”
“So basically you’re telling me to learn music to improve my rhythm.”
“To be direct, yes.”
“Fine, I’ll do it. But how exactly will the new cultivation method help?”
Siwoo smiled again.
“Blue Wood Cultivation is based on the wood element of the five phases. Wood Qi encompasses wind and lightning. Its next stage is Wind Mist Cultivation, an ascending method that draws in the power of wind.”
Blue Wood Cultivation had matching techniques—Blue Wood Swordsmanship, Blue Wood Fist, and Clear Wood Footwork. Since the names aligned with Wind Mist Lightness and Wind Mist Cultivation, they were clearly designed to complement each other.
Martial arts required harmony with one’s cultivation method to achieve synergy. Even if not perfectly matched, the techniques needed similar elemental flow to display full power and avoid dangerous side effects like qi deviation. The Cheon Clan primarily trained in Wood Qi Cultivation among the yin-yang five elements.
“How much of an ascending method are we talking about?”
“If Blue Wood Cultivation is an introductory method typically trained to second-rate, Wind Mist Cultivation is entered around second-rate and trained through peak level. Though you are currently third-rate, young master, your Qi handling is comparable to Lady Cheon So-yeon’s. You will have more than enough capacity.”
“Oh~!”
Not inferior even when compared to the Heaven’s Martial Body. Siwoo seemed to rate my talent higher than I expected.
“Of course, martial arts is ultimately the study of physical movement. You may advance to the next cultivation stage, but you still lack proficiency in other areas.”
“Hahaha, I know that much.”
For some reason, Siwoo had recently been focusing heavily on my swordsmanship fundamentals.
(To be continued in the next chapter)