Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Drilling the Thunder Dragon Squad
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The Thunder Dragon Squad lined up neatly in the training grounds.
Though their faces were etched with exhaustion, they didn't dare show it in front of Namgung Hyeok.
They were so mindful of his presence that they even held their breaths carefully.
Namgung Hyeok scanned the squad, which had formed ranks.
*Their eyes are sharper than before.*
Especially Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyuk-dong, and Jang Woong—their gazes stood out.
Though the entire Thunder Dragon Squad moved and acted as one, only these three had truly survived a brush with death.
Namgung Hyeok remembered that clearly.
There was a world of difference between those who had faced death and those who hadn't.
The same went for those who had pushed their limits and those who hadn't—the gap was immense.
Moreover, what these three had experienced today could even be called a stroke of fortune.
After all, he—the former world's greatest, the Lone Tyrant—had personally guided them.
These three were a step ahead of the rest of the Thunder Dragon Squad.
"You three, step forward."
Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyuk-dong, and Jang Woong took a step ahead.
Just half a shichen ago, he'd thought this was enough, but seeing them again, it still fell short.
Namgung Hyeok let out a hum as he caught his breath, then spoke.
"It's not good enough."
Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyuk-dong, and Jang Woong's faces paled.
That single short phrase felt like plummeting into hell.
"……Young Master?"
"At this rate, you won't beat a single warrior from Heavenly Bow Hall."
……Of course not.
The warriors in Heavenly Bow Hall were the Heavenly Bow Squad, the Namgung family's elite.
They outclassed the Thunder Dragon Squad in both experience and skill.
The gap had been stark even during their brief time attached to the Heavenly Bow Squad.
That's why they'd rebelled a bit and ended up dragged off to the thunder prison.
It was worlds apart from being expelled for turning the outer compound upside down.
With the Heavenly Bow Squad, they'd just endured and endured until the others got fed up and kicked them out first.
That had only boosted the Thunder Dragon Squad's notoriety.
But one thing was certain: they'd never once beaten the Heavenly Bow Squad.
The Heavenly Bow Squad possessed a level of strength utterly different from the outer compound warriors.
The Thunder Dragon Squad was somewhere between the inner and outer compounds.
"But now, you have to win."
Geon Cheon-hwi could only let out a hollow laugh at Namgung Hyeok's firm declaration.
He'd already experienced enough to know that when Namgung Hyeok said something, it happened.
Besides, wasn't this just an extension of what he'd said himself?
He could tell from the way Tak Hyuk-dong and Jang Woong glared at him, foaming at the mouth.
Geon Cheon-hwi ignored the piercing stares and turned his head.
"……Is there a way?"
"It's possible."
"Yes."
Geon Cheon-hwi nodded without further protest.
He lightly ignored Tak Hyuk-dong and Jang Woong's grumbling beside him.
Namgung Hyeok swept his gaze over the Thunder Dragon Squad.
"If you've learned to adjust your spacing and how to use it, now you need to maximize it."
It hadn't been hard to devise a way to strengthen the Thunder Dragon Squad effectively in a short time.
To the squad's puzzled looks, Namgung Hyeok said,
"Group combat."
"Pardon?"
Group combat out of nowhere?
That question floated in everyone's minds.
Soon, their doubts converged on a single thought.
*……He's not seriously planning to fight the Heavenly Bow Squad, is he?*
It sounded ominous.
The foreboding grew heavier with each of Namgung Hyeok's words.
"If one can't win, two gang up on them. If three pile on, isn't that how it works?"
"Th-that…… You're not really thinking of group combat, are you?"
"If it's necessary."
*It's not necessary right now.*
Namgung Hyeok shook his head at the squad's bewildered expressions.
"You think you're going to keep messing around with bandit-level foes forever?"
Geon Cheon-hwi's face went slack, as if struck on the head with a club.
Indeed, there was no guarantee they wouldn't run into more thugs like those from before.
No, hadn't they already been thinking about that?
"There's an old saying: Divine arts make a warrior strong, but perfect formations make a force strong."
If you had both, you'd be like Shaolin Temple.
The Shaolin monks' martial arts and formations vied for the world's best.
The Thunder Dragon Squad nodded, now listening intently to Namgung Hyeok.
"What did I say? The winner of a fight is the one who did it right. Fights don't require honesty. And this isn't cowardly either."
"……"
"Sword formations, linked chain formations, battle arrays. In the end, aren't they all about how multiples effectively crush singles?"
The wording was harsh, but mostly correct.
There were formations for small numbers against large, too.
But formations shone brightest when multiples crushed singles.
"Even Shaolin's monks use them. So no need to feel ashamed. I don't want you dying to some blade out there."
"……Yes!"
"This will make you stronger. Just learn it. No backtalk."
Confidence filled Namgung Hyeok's voice, sparking anticipation on the Thunder Dragon Squad's faces.
They had indeed felt the lack of group combat skills and formations.
Missions would continue, and formations would let them fight more efficiently.
Namgung Hyeok positioned the three up front in the Three Powers direction and said,
"The basics are the Three Powers Formation."
"Pardon?"
"Heaven, Earth, Man. A linked chain that circles to press the enemy from above and below."
It seemed too ordinary compared to what he'd said, leaving them tilting their heads.
But as Namgung Hyeok took a few steps forward, a strong suction pulled in.
A few steps back, and a gust pushed out.
The flow of energy was clear.
They could feel the wind being drawn toward Namgung Hyeok and pushed away.
Geon Cheon-hwi looked at him with wide eyes.
"Th-this is?"
"Watch the breathing. Use the Inhale Step and Exhale Step to pull in and push out. Just memorize the footwork. Explaining will just give you headaches."
Namgung Hyeok brushed his hands as if annoyed.
"It's not just about pulling and pushing the enemy with energy. Using the same internal arts maximizes the effect. Push to concentrate power where needed, pull to fill shortages."
That was the subtlety of formations.
Enhancing sword formations with Qimen Dunjia to mimic heaven-earth harmony.
Enabling feats impossible with individual martial arts.
The higher the sword formation, the more Qimen was maximized, doubling the power.
But to wield it properly required deep Qimen knowledge and flawless synchronization among swordsmen.
One slip, and the sword formation crumbled, maximizing the burden on the users' energy.
That's why sect brothers lived together, trained the same arts, and naturally synced for formations.
Sharing internal arts was key in formations.
It minimized clashing energies.
That's why they were hard to learn—and why mastering them made formations cheat-level.
*Luckily, the Thunder Dragon Squad all base on the Ten Thunders Arts.*
Namgung Hyeok looked around at them and said,
"It's called the Ghost Valley Chain Formation. Learn it now."
Resolve and anticipation dawned on Geon Cheon-hwi and the squad's faces.
But that resolve and anticipation shattered miserably in less than a gak.
* * *
Clank, clank.
The Thunder Dragon Squad stared blankly at the iron chains binding their limbs and the four heavy weights dragging on the ground.
Why did the chains and weights feel twice as heavy as usual?
Geon Cheon-hwi asked uneasily,
"Young Master, why is this……"
Namgung Hyeok smiled faintly.
"Feeling energy flow isn't easy. Watching demos a few times won't cut it. So this is my solution."
"……"
"People learn best with what's familiar."
*This is anything but familiar.*
"In water, energy flow is visible, right? Ink in a pond makes it clearer. So watch and feel—this is it."
"Y-Young Master."
"I know. I'm being considerate."
*Any more consideration like this, and we'll have graves.*
Namgung Hyeok said,
"What are you waiting for? Get in."
Geon Cheon-hwi swallowed hard.
Staring at the pitch-black artificial pond brought back nightmarish memories.
He glanced between the pond and Namgung Hyeok, eyes trembling anxiously, before finally throwing himself in with grim resolve.
"Hwaaak!"
Splash!
As Geon Cheon-hwi plunged in, Namgung Hyeok's gaze turned to Tak Hyuk-dong and Jang Woong.
*Damn it, you big idiot. Spouting nonsense for no reason!*
*……I told you not to, I said it so many times!*
What had provoked Namgung Hyeok?!
Beaten in the morning, drowned in the evening!
We're satisfied with our current level!
Damn you, Geon Cheon-hwi!
Tears streaming, the two threw themselves in.
Splash!
Sploooosh!
Water sprayed wildly as they sank deep into the pond.
Namgung Hyeok nodded at the trembling squad behind him.
"Get in quick. The first ones are running out of air."
*Spare us, please. We'll do well.*
Unable to voice it, the Thunder Dragon Squad dove in one by one.
Spiiiish!
The ice-cold pond temperature made them freak out again, frantically circulating their Ten Thunders Arts.
Bubble bubble.
The pond bubbled like a hot spring.
After waiting a gak like that, Namgung Hyeok circulated his Heaven-Cleaving Bright King Art.
"React to external shocks! Feel the energy flow and push it back!"
Zzzzzzzap!
Lightning tangled from his drawn sword, forming sword qi.
Rumble!
Sword qi extended five chi and struck the surface like a falling thunderbolt.
Boom!
Spiiiish!
Water pillars erupted as the pond churned violently.
Namgung Hyeok didn't stop, unleashing Three Thunders Swordsmanship repeatedly.
Rumble!
A massive thunder dragon twisted, overturning the pond.
Spiiiish!
Gurgle!
Blurble!
The surface roiled fiercely.
Blue light poured from Namgung Hyeok's eyes.
"Breathe. Move, I said! You gonna just take it? Dodge and breathe! Don't stop—send energy, energy!"
Thud thud thud!
He swung his sword relentlessly with internal energy.
For half a gak, a full gak, even a daekyung—without rest.
Hundreds of thunderbolts hammered the surface like a natural disaster.
Sweat beaded on Namgung Hyeok's forehead.
Boom boom boom!
"Form the sword formation! Take positions! You idiots, gonna die like that?!"
Namgung Hyeok bellowed.
"Yeah, just die there! If you're dying by someone else's hand anyway, better mine! At least you learn one thing: can't form it, you die. Oh? Still not? Tomorrow or today, you wanna die?!"
His voice echoed through the water below.
Gurgle!
Clank.
Shudders wracked Geon Cheon-hwi with every ripple.
Breath cut off, body numbing.
Even underwater, cold sweat poured from him.
*Excuse me? Young Master?*
*This is a bit……*
Swoosh!
Sword qi grazed his cheek, snapping Geon Cheon-hwi alert.
He bit his lip hard and focused on Namgung Hyeok's shouts from the bank.
Namgung Hyeok's voice carried crystal clear underwater.
Geon Cheon-hwi ground his teeth and glared at Tak Hyuk-dong and Jang Woong.
The flailing two nodded at his look.
Blurble!
Foam in their mouths, they took Three Powers positions as taught and circulated energy.
Whiiish!
Whirrrl!
*'I-it's visible!'*
*'Whoa?! That's it?!'*
*'It works, it works!'*
The three hopped excitedly, creating spacing.
Reading the water flow, they circulated Ten Thunders Arts to push and pull.
Shifting positions slightly, they deflected Namgung Hyeok's sword qi overturning the depths—again and again.
Watching from above, Namgung Hyeok smirked.
"It's working."
Some were reading the energy flow.
Maybe from rolling together for ten years—their sync was decent.
Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyuk-dong, and Jang Woong were already adapting.
Time to push further.
Namgung Hyeok spun his Heaven-Cleaving Bright King Art faster.
Slaaash!
Three Thunders Swordsmanship cleaved the water.
Sword qi hammered below.
Namgung Hyeok suddenly frowned and muttered,
"Come to think of it, the Shaolin monks' 108 Arhats Formation and the Beggars' Sect's Eight Trigrams Eight Hundred Staff Formation are ridiculously unfair, huh?"
He hadn't realized back then, but now—even in water—they deflected his sword qi.
Bubble bubble.
Namgung Hyeok scratched his cheek at the black hair floating like kelp roots.
*……Or not?*
Ahem.
Still, the important thing was they were reading energy bit by bit.
*What else was there?*
It seemed the Thunder Dragon Squad's ordeal had plenty of time left.