The Godly Artifact of Cultivation
"Hand it over. Basic Swordsmanship: Close-body Triple Link."
It was a sword technique consisting of three fundamental forms. These three forms were known as Thrust , Break , and Strike . During class, Bukjin had never paid the slightest bit of attention to Jeong Sam-seok’s lectures; he hadn't even bothered to look at the man's demonstrations. Yet now, Bukjin was executing the swordsmanship with flawless precision.
Form 1: Thrust — A piercing strike aimed at the vitals.
Form 2: Break — A heavy blow to shatter the enemy's guard.
Form 3: Strike — A decisive finishing blow.
The three forms of the Close-body Triple Link unfolded from Bukjin’s hands, connecting as naturally as flowing water. His movements were incredibly seasoned, as if he had already spent months diligently practicing this specific style.
Whoosh! Swish!
The sound of air being torn apart echoed with every motion. The branch in his hand left behind a brilliant trail of afterimages in the empty air. Suddenly—Snap! The branch, unable to withstand the force Bukjin was channeling, splintered and broke. But Bukjin didn't even seem to notice. He continued to wield the remaining half-stick, relentlessly pouring himself into the forms.
It wasn't until his entire body was screaming with muscle aches and exhaustion that Bukjin finally snapped out of that bizarre, trance-like state. He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently. However, his eyes were shining brighter than they ever had before.
"The app installed on my smartphone... it was training in my stead."
Bukjin finally understood the function of that strange application. The shadow inside the phone, which looked exactly like him, was practicing martial arts on his behalf. Every time the shadow in the app executed the sword forms, Bukjin’s real-world understanding of the Close-body Triple Link advanced by another step. In fact, the effect was far superior to if Bukjin had spent the time practicing manually.
In just the span of two gak (roughly thirty minutes), Bukjin had completely grasped and mastered the Close-body Triple Link, the ultimate killing technique among basic sword arts. There hadn't been a single hurdle in the process. This staggering speed and efficiency were overwhelming. Even the top geniuses of the 2nd Grade—Sa Sin-rim, Mu-sae, and Oh So-bang, who were hailed as once-in-twenty-year prodigies—couldn't possibly compare to this. In this moment, Bukjin had literally transformed into a genius of cultivation.
"Haha... Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
Bukjin swept his bangs back, planted his hands on his hips, and began to laugh like a madman.
To think the true identity of this smartphone was a Godly Artifact of martial cultivation!
He was practically giddy with excitement. No matter what martial art or secret technique I find, as long as I can download it as an app, I’ll get stronger automatically? If that's the case, with this phone, I’ll be invincible under the heavens! Hahaha!
His bizarre laughter continued to ring out across the academy grounds, so loud and unsettling that birds took flight in a panic to escape the sound. Watching this from the side, Wang Chung felt a massive headache coming on.
This is bad. The Young Master’s condition is deteriorating by the day... The butler pressed a hand to his forehead and began to slowly, stealthily back away from Bukjin.
"But wait, why did only the [Basic Swordsmanship: Close-body Triple Link] app appear? Why didn't the other martial arts show up?"
Bukjin stopped laughing and stroked his chin, lost in thought while holding the phone in his other hand. In truth, Teacher Jeong Sam-seok had taught two things during today's lesson: Elementary Mystic Energy Refinement and Basic Swordsmanship: Close-body Triple Link. Of those two, only the sword technique had appeared in the App Store.
Is it random? Or... is there a specific reason?
Bukjin leaned toward the latter. As he carefully retraced the events of the day, a realization suddenly struck him.
"During the first period, when the teacher was lecturing on Elementary Mystic Energy Refinement, I didn't listen to a single word because I was busy researching the phone. But during the next period, when he was teaching the Close-body Triple Link... I still didn't listen, but I did do one thing differently."
It was during the second class. Bukjin had opened the Camera app on his phone and recorded a short video of Jeong Sam-seok demonstrating the sword forms. At the time, he had just been testing the camera to see if it would unlock any new features.
Could it be...? Because I secretly filmed the teacher’s demonstration, the contents of that technique were recorded into the smartphone? And then some mysterious power transformed that recording into a training app? It makes perfect sense! That has to be it! Hahaha!
The body Bukjin currently occupied possessed exceptionally handsome features. With these looks, my brilliant intellect, and the mystical functions of this smartphone, I am truly perfect! Hahaha!
He burst into laughter once more. As the saying goes: practice is the only way to verify the truth. Bukjin resolved to try it again during tomorrow's class. He would record another lesson and see if a new app appeared on his phone.
The most urgent matter was passing the 3rd Junior Academy's annual competition in three days to ensure he could stay in school. Only then would he have the time to build his strength. It was a race against the clock. Having mastered the Close-body Triple Link, Bukjin was now confident he could face any 2nd-grade warrior in the school. But that wasn't enough. While he might be invincible within the 2nd-grade category, passing the annual competition was a different story. He needed to reach a level where he could hold his own against 3rd-grade warriors.
"In this world, martial arts and Hyeongi complement each other to reach completion. It’s just like the relationship between forms and internal energy in the wuxia stories of my past life. If your internal energy is lacking, even the greatest technique will have limited power. Conversely, if your internal energy is strong but you lack refined techniques, your power is halved. Therefore, I must find a way to raise the level of my Hyeongi as well."
As he pondered, his mind became clearer. The key to raising his strength was this smartphone. In tomorrow's class, I have to make sure I get a good recording of the Mystic Energy cultivation method to turn it into an app.
Bukjin looked down at the screen to check the phone one more time.
"No way!"
He nearly fell over in shock.
BATTERY: 15%
Power consumption is accelerating due to background processes.
The battery was draining much faster than before. It was undoubtedly related to using the Close-body Triple Link app. It was common sense that the more apps you ran, the more power you consumed.
"W-what am I supposed to do?"
The man who had been laughing at the heavens just moments ago was suddenly gripped by anxiety. Training martial arts through a smartphone app was a dream come true, but it was all useless if the battery died. How on earth was he supposed to charge a smartphone in this world? Bukjin didn't have the slightest clue.
Just then.
"Young Master? Are you... alright?"
Wang Chung had watched the entire process: Bukjin laughing like a lunatic, then staring blankly, then falling into a deep, troubled silence. He was convinced that the shock of their family's downfall had finally pushed the Young Master's pre-existing mental illness into a critical state.
Startled by the butler's voice, Bukjin snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at Wang Chung’s thin, triangular face and asked, "You useless fellow. The family has collapsed, our assets are confiscated, and all the guards and slaves have fled. Why are you still here?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Chung immediately thumped his chest and spoke with grand bravado. "Young Master, how can you say such a thing? My name, Wang Chung, contains the character for Loyalty! I was born with loyalty in my very name! I am a man of the Im family in life, and I shall be a ghost of the Im family in death! If I were to betray you and abandon you just because things got a little difficult, I would be no better than a beast!"
Bukjin squinted at him suspiciously. "You? Loyal?"
"Of course! Furthermore, I have watched you grow every step of the way." A warm, gentle expression suddenly washed over Wang Chung’s face. "I held you in my arms when you were just a tiny babe. To me, you are like a son. How could I ever abandon you?"
Listening to him, Bukjin felt a brief, involuntary surge of emotion. It was said that only after a great storm can one recognize the grass with deep roots. Had he found a truly loyal subject in the midst of this chaos? However, his brain quickly told him otherwise.
No, wait. That's not right. Does this old fox think I'm a pushover? Like a son?
"You useless scoundrel, how dare you try to deceive me! When the tiger is away, the fox plays king—I know full well you used my name to act like a tyrant in the city. Do you think I don't know that the number of people who want to beat me to death is roughly equal to the number of people who want to beat you to death? You realized you had nowhere left to run, so you crawled to the academy to find me. You're just trying to use my status to hide here, aren't you?"
Bukjin unleashed a torrent of curses. The righteous expression on Wang Chung’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a sly, cunning smirk.
"As expected of the Young Master. Your wit and wisdom are truly peerless. To see through this old man's thoughts in an instant... Hehe. But Young Master, even in a situation like this, wouldn't it be better to have someone by your side to serve your tea and attend to your needs?"
Wang Chung had a point. Bukjin snorted, held out his hand, and said, "I'm broke right now, so cough up whatever money you have."
Wang Chung’s face fell as he replied, "Every bit of my property was seized when the family was liquidated. I don't have a single copper coin to my name."
Bukjin’s temper flared. "Then what use are you at all?"
He stood there, scanning Wang Chung from head to toe. Eventually, his gaze landed on the butler's waist. "Give me your sword."
Wang Chung looked shocked. "Young Master, this sword is a family heirloom passed down through—"
"Shut up and hand it over."
"Yes, sir!"
Wang Chung held out the sword. Bukjin grabbed it, but the butler didn't let go. His grip remained firm.
"Let go. Hey! You're not letting go? Do you want a piece of me?"
Wang Chung flinched, but his fingers still lingered on the scabbard for a moment longer before he finally released it.
"..."