Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The First Challenge
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Impossible.
To freely alter the forms of a sword art passed down through generations was something only the grandmasters of a generation could achieve.
If Bu Eun-seol, who had just learned the sword art, had intentionally changed it, he would have to be a sword genius on par with Jeok Hwa-un, the founder of the Hwa-u Sword Sect.
*‘Surely it’s not because he learned the Yasu-do.’*
Jin-gak, who had been entertaining a strange thought, suddenly shook his head.
*‘That can’t be it.’*
Even a prodigy of the highest caliber could never master the Yasu-do in a mere fortnight.
He was unaware that Bu Eun-seol not only possessed an expert understanding of human anatomy but also a frightening level of obsession.
*Swish.*
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol’s sword forms grew even sharper.
*Twirl.*
This time, even in the motion of retracting his sword, the tip twisted once more, turning a basic form into an attack with the lethality of a killing technique.
*‘My word.’*
Jin-gak’s mouth fell open as he watched.
*‘Such a cruel technique is something one would only use against the sworn enemy of their master or parents.’*
With every rotation of Bu Eun-seol’s wrist, the forms grew more vicious, more brutal.
*‘Our sect’s swordsmanship is known as the righteous path within the demonic way.’*
If the forms of the Hwa-u Sword were truly that malicious, it might be called the greatest sword art of the Demonic Path, but it would never have been included among the Ten Demonic Sects, which were considered the heavens of the demonic world.
But the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms that Bu Eun-seol demonstrated were closer to a slaughtering sword, dripping with blood.
*‘Hmm.’*
Bu Eun-seol was just as perplexed.
*‘It feels like my senses are altering the forms on their own.’*
He was certain he was performing the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms correctly, yet his hands were naturally changing the path of the sword.
*‘It’s because of the Yasu-do.’*
The more he repeated the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms, the more distinct the senses of the Yasu-do became.
It was like a wolf, which had fought instinctively with only its fangs and claws, was now employing refined tactics after being trained by a human.
*‘The senses of the Yasu-do and the path of the Hwa-u Sword are in sync?’*
Bu Eun-seol felt a peculiar sensation.
What if he incorporated the instinctive senses of the Yasu-do into the moderate path of the Hwa-u Sword?
*‘I’ll be eliminated.’*
They would never tolerate someone altering the sword forms passed down through generations.
Left with no choice, Bu Eun-seol suppressed the senses of the Yasu-do as much as possible and continued with the forms.
But by the time he reached the sixth form…
—Hehehe.
A black shadow appeared before Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
It was the very fiend who had murdered his grandfather.
As the imaginary enemy manifested before him, a bloody light flared in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
Simultaneously, he unleashed the seventh form of the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms, Beon-ja-sa-hae.
*Chiiik.*
The form, which should have unfurled gently, instead split the air with a flash of lightning.
But the shadow effortlessly dodged the Beon-ja-sa-hae.
*‘Strong.’*
Bu Eun-seol had prepared the bodies of countless martial artists for burial.
But he had never seen anyone who could leave a severed surface as smooth as glass.
*‘He uses a fast sword style based on incredible flexibility.’*
*Swoosh!*
Just then, the black shadow before Bu Eun-seol’s eyes unleashed a swift strike.
*‘Kuh!’*
He threw himself back with all his might, but the swift sword followed his brow as if it were a living creature.
Bu Eun-seol twisted his body horizontally, spinning like a top.
*Swish.*
As the swift sword grazed his forehead, Bu Eun-seol prepared to execute the eighth form of the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms, Tong-cheon-sam-jeon.
*‘This isn’t enough!’*
The Tong-cheon-sam-jeon was too indirect and gentle; it wasn’t a suitable form for a counterattack.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol unknowingly rotated his wrist and unleashed the Tong-cheon-sam-jeon.
*Swish-swish-swish-swish!*
The tip of his sword spun violently before darting into the shadow’s side like a bolt of lightning.
—Huhu.
The black shadow let out a low laugh, then casually rotated its sword, neutralizing the Tong-cheon-sam-jeon.
It then lowered its sword tip, sweeping it upward from the ground.
It was the exact technique that had brutally severed his grandfather’s arms.
*Flash!*
Bu Eun-seol instinctively executed all five remaining forms of the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms.
*Paaaaaaah!*
The successive sword forms merged into a single torrent, clashing with the shadow’s descending technique.
*Piiing!*
But two streams of sword energy shot up from the ground, moving like flood dragons as they tore through his forms and wrapped around Bu Eun-seol’s forearms.
*Clang.*
His arms severed, Bu Eun-seol dropped the iron sword he was holding.
At the same time, the black shadow before him vanished like mist.
“……”
Silence descended upon the training hall.
Jin-gak, who had been watching Bu Eun-seol for a long while, couldn’t hide his impressed expression.
“You have remarkable concentration.”
Jin-gak could guess what had happened.
Bu Eun-seol had fought a fierce battle with an imaginary foe and, in the end, had been defeated.
“You pass.”
“Pass… you say?”
Bu Eun-seol looked down at the iron sword he had dropped and shook his head.
“I was defeated.”
“Defeat was inevitable. The Hwa-u Thirteen Forms is a basic sword art, difficult to use in a real fight.”
A dry smile touched Jin-gak’s lips.
“What we judge in this beginner’s hall is whether you have a basic understanding of the sword art. And whether you can execute the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms in a practical setting.”
*Click.*
He picked up the iron sword Bu Eun-seol had dropped.
“And you have performed both of those tasks perfectly.”
*Click.*
Sheathing the iron sword, Jin-gak clapped Bu Eun-seol on the shoulder.
“That was a truly magnificent display of the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms. If you wish, you may proceed to the intermediate hall immediately.”
Like Sa-u, Jin-gak had provided thorough guidance.
What if he had simply recited the sect’s rules out of laziness, or failed to demonstrate each sword form?
Bu Eun-seol would never have learned the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms in just four days.
“What you can learn in this hell is only the basics of our sect’s sword arts. If you ultimately become one of the Sip-ma-jeon-in, you will be able to learn all the remaining profound techniques.”
Jin-gak nodded at Bu Eun-seol.
“I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Then, without hesitation, he opened the door and crossed over to the intermediate hall on the other side.
As he watched Bu Eun-seol’s departing figure, Jin-gak’s eyes narrowed.
*‘It seems he mastered the Yasu-do in a fortnight.’*
As a master swordsman, the moment he saw Bu Eun-seol’s practical sword forms, he instantly recognized that the boy had grasped the Nang-ya-gak’s Yasu-do.
*‘His bone structure seemed ordinary. To think he had the Heavenly Martial Physique.’*
In truth, Bu Eun-seol’s ability to master the Yasu-do was due to his intense obsession with martial arts and his outstanding understanding of the human body.
But Jin-gak, unable to know this, simply thought Bu Eun-seol possessed an incredible physique and talent.
*‘This should be interesting.’*
Among the boys and girls gathered in the beginner’s hall, there were many talented individuals on par with Bu Eun-seol.
Jin-gak was filled with anticipation for what was to come.
***
After leaving the beginner’s hall, Bu Eun-seol proceeded to the intermediate hall without delay.
The intermediate hall was built on an open lot, a short distance from the beginner’s hall. As the final step before the advanced hall, its exterior was the largest and most imposing.
“Excuse me.”
Bu Eun-seol looked up at the towering gates of the training hall before calmly pushing them open.
Dozens of pairs of gleaming eyes came into his view.
“……”
Inside the hall, all the candidates for the Sip-ma-jeon-in seemed to be resting after a training session.
“What is it?”
A middle-aged man standing at the very front of the hall with his arms crossed asked.
He was dressed in blue, and on his back was a sword as wide as a grown man’s forearm.
He was the instructor of the intermediate hall, Cheon Un-gwang.
“My name is Bu Eun-seol. I have just completed the beginner’s hall.”
“The beginner’s hall?”
Cheon Un-gwang looked dumbfounded.
Most of the trainees here were prodigies who had advanced to the intermediate hall within a day or two.
Not only that, but they had just completed all their training and were now preparing for the test to enter the advanced hall.
And now, a trainee who had just finished the beginner’s hall was showing up?
“A dullard.”
Cheon Un-gwang muttered under his breath.
He assumed that a straggler from the beginner’s hall had finally made his way up.
“If it took you over twenty days to learn the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms, you should reconsider learning our sect’s sword arts.”
“I came from the Nang-ya-gak.”
“The Nang-ya-gak?”
At Bu Eun-seol’s reply, Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes went wide.
Though it was one of the Ten Demonic Sects, its brutal training methods often resulted in the death of its disciples, making it a doomed sect.
And he had gone to learn the martial arts of the Nang-ya-gak, of all places?
“How long were you there?”
“For a fortnight.”
“A fortnight…”
Cheon Un-gwang looked utterly defeated.
Just like Sa-u and Jin-gak before him, he assumed Bu Eun-seol had done nothing but waste his time.
“The test to advance to the advanced hall will begin shortly.”
A weary smile on his face, Cheon Un-gwang spoke again.
“Since you have also passed the beginner’s hall, take a seat for now. Starting tomorrow, you may have to train here alone.”
At that, laughter erupted from all around.
“Hahahaha.”
Some of the seated trainees were openly jeering.
“Isn’t that the guy who was passed out in his ceremonial robes on the boat?”
“Yeah. Looks like he failed to learn the Nang-ya-gak’s techniques and came crawling back here.”
“How pathetic. To think a guy like that is a candidate for the Sip-ma-jeon-in.”
Despite the downpour of ridicule, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes remained unshaken.
Instead, he looked upon his mockers with an expression of pity.
*—Those who cannot prove their own worth without tearing others down.*
He had met countless people of that sort during his time as a mortician.
There was only one reason for their mockery.
It was simply because he had chosen something slightly different from them. Just as his grandfather had chosen to be a mortician.
“The test will now begin.”
Cheon Un-gwang swept his piercing gaze over the trainees.
“When your name is called, step forward and choose an opponent.”
“Is it a duel?”
At the question from a boy in the front, Cheon Un-gwang shook his head.
“I will be judging how proficiently you wield the sword in a real fight. That is why you have learned the Hwa-u Thunderclap Sword.”
The Hwa-u Thunderclap Sword.
As its name suggested, it was a sword art composed of incredibly swift forms.
Therefore, if one did not wield the sword with great skill, it was an art that could end up harming the user.
“As you all know, the Hwa-u Thirteen Forms and the Hwa-u Thunderclap Sword are not techniques that can be used in a life-or-death battle.”
Cheon Un-gwang said in a low voice.
“They are merely part of the process to learn how to wield a sword proficiently.”
Pausing for a moment, Cheon Un-gwang narrowed his eyes.
“Until now, all of you must have had the same question. How could a just and merciful sword art become the number one sword art of the Demonic Path?”
As silence fell, he continued.
“I will say it again. What you have learned is merely a basic sword art, not the true Hwa-u Sword.”
The trainees gathered in the hall were stunned.
The Hwa-u Thunderclap Sword, a technique that even the prodigies gathered here found difficult to learn.
And it was nothing more than a training exercise to wield a sword better?
“Instructor, I have a question.”
A boy in the front row asked cautiously.
“I don’t quite understand what it means to wield a sword proficiently. Most of us have been training with the sword since childhood…”
“You must reach a level where you can no longer distinguish between your arm and the sword.”
Cheon Un-gwang cut the boy off coldly.
“To use the Hwa-u Sword, the arm attached to your shoulder must become the sword. Do you understand what I mean?”
Silence once again filled the hall.
To think they had to reach such a high realm just to learn the basics of a sword art.
“I will say it again. This test is not about winning or losing, but about how proficiently you wield the sword.”
Only then did the boys understand the meaning of the test.
By clashing swords as if in a real battle, their level of proficiency could be gauged.
“Byeok Han-seong. Step forward.”
At Cheon Un-gwang’s words, a large, arrogant-looking boy rose from his seat among the others.
“Choose an opponent to duel. Victory or defeat does not matter, so choose freely.”
“I can choose anyone?”
“Yes.”
Byeok Han-seong’s lips twitched as he extended the wooden sword in his hand.
“Then I choose him.”
The wooden sword pointed to none other than Bu Eun-seol, who was standing aloof in the corner.