Chapter 107: Guiding the New Recruit (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: Guiding the New Recruit (2)
Starting the day after his return, Namgung Jun took sole charge of Yu Geun-su's training.
Whoosh!
The iron sword in Yu Geun-su’s hands split the air with a heavy sound.
From the Single Cloud Focused Thrust and the Clear-Cut Narrow Pass, all the way to the Eightfold Mountain-Steadfast Form.
These were the forms of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique.
“You can execute them smoothly now.”
Although Yu Geun-su had memorized all the forms and mnemonic formulas of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique, his body had been unable to keep up. His posture was often slightly off, and the transitions between forms were clumsy and broken.
Fortunately, his foundation was incredibly solid. He was so proficient that one might wonder if he had done nothing but practice the Three Powers Sword Technique since he first picked up a sword.
“Ugh.”
Yu Geun-su’s sword faltered mid-form. He immediately realized his execution had gone awry. Scratching his brow, he lowered his head.
“Sigh. I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Senior Namgung, you’ve been so kind in teaching me, but my progress is just so slow…”
Namgung Jun looked at the large, bear-like man and shook his head.
“Were you always this impatient when you trained alone?”
“No. Back then, I didn't have to worry about what anyone else thought.”
“There’s no need to worry now, either.”
Namgung Jun had Yu Geun-su raise the sword he had lowered.
“Stick to your own pace. You may be slow to learn, but you are solid. You must hone that strength.”
“My strength…”
“And your rate of progress is not for you to worry about.”
“Why not?”
Namgung Jun waved the secret manual of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique in his hand.
“I am the one teaching you. Your progress is my responsibility to solve, not yours.”
Namgung Jun recalled the days he had spent teaching disciples at Namcheon Palace. Not all of them had been prodigies or geniuses. In fact, most were ordinary, some even slow-witted. It couldn't be helped. He hadn't handpicked them; he simply took in anyone whose circumstances moved his heart.
Thus, he was highly accustomed to teaching disciples who learned slowly. As long as the student maintained the proper mindset they started with, it was enough.
“The world would be a boring place if it were only filled with geniuses, soaring like eagles. There’s also a need for talents like the tortoise, who move slowly but steadily forward.”
Namgung Jun patted Yu Geun-su reassuringly before immediately resuming his instruction.
“Keep it simple. There is no form you cannot execute.”
He didn't teach straight from the secret manual. Instead, he broke down each form and martial principle into its smallest components, teaching them step-by-step. If his student couldn't digest a large chunk of information at once, his approach was to break it into smaller, more manageable pieces until each part was thoroughly understood.
This method was only possible because Namgung Jun possessed an understanding that had not only reached great mastery of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique but also the ultimate mastery of the Great Derivation Sword Technique.
Perhaps because this method suited Yu Geun-su so well, his learning speed began to pick up.
Ah! This is how I was supposed to extend my sword.
For the first time, Yu Geun-su experienced his body reacting and moving the sword before his mind could even think. It was a sensation he had almost never felt before. At first, it felt like he was receiving countless disjointed lessons, but as he continued to train, he felt the scattered pieces gradually merging into a coherent whole.
Sensing his own clear growth, Yu Geun-su didn't hesitate to extend his training hours, to the point where Namgung Jun had to step in and force him to rest.
In this manner, his mastery began to steadily rise.
*
While teaching in an easy-to-understand manner was important, the annotated version of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique, which simplified its mnemonic formulas, was equally crucial.
Thus, Namgung Jun wrote annotated versions of both the Minor Derivation Sword Technique and the Great Derivation Sword Technique overnight. He had achieved great mastery of the Great Derivation Sword Technique long ago, and his skill had since peaked. Combined with his other martial insights, writing the annotated versions was an effortless task.
He'll have to learn the Great Derivation Sword Technique eventually anyway, so it's better to prepare it in advance.
He put extra effort into the sections that linked the Minor Derivation Sword Technique to the Great Derivation Sword Technique, making them even easier to grasp. Though the path of the sword seemed to branch out in countless directions, it ultimately converged at a single point. Of course, even Namgung Jun couldn't know which path Yu Geun-su would choose to walk. However, if he built bridges at the entrance of each path, the young man would be able to advance much faster.
He hoped that if Yu Geun-su ever lost his way, he would remember the bridges he had once crossed and find his direction once more.
Naturally, Yu Geun-su was the first to read the newly written annotated version of the Great Derivation Sword Technique.
“You went through so much trouble because of me, Senior. It’s all because I’m so lacking…”
“Don’t worry about that. The other Cloud Ranks and any future recruits will read it countless times as well.”
With Namgung Jun's guidance building upon the annotated version, Yu Geun-su's mastery steadily improved. Once his training reached a certain level, his growth rate stabilized. He no longer accelerated, but neither did he regress or stagnate as he had before.
“Haah!”
Yu Geun-su never slacked off, nor did he ever show signs of exhaustion. Instead, he scheduled every minute of his day for training, making him a model for the other swordsmen. The swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall were not ones to neglect their training, but even among them, few could match Yu Geun-su's dedication.
That was how passionately he was dedicating himself.
It's difficult.
Perhaps it was because he had only ever learned third-rate martial arts that anyone could buy with money, like the Three Powers Sword Technique. To him, the Minor Derivation Sword Technique was an incredibly profound martial art. The other seniors didn't consider it a peerless technique, merely a solid foundation for reaching higher realms.
Even so, Yu Geun-su found it incredibly challenging. Had he tried to master it alone with just the secret manual, he would likely still be stuck at a mere twenty percent mastery. He had assumed the result wouldn't be much different even with a teacher. In the past, he’d had chances to seek guidance from experts he met, and he had even paid to learn at local training halls. But they had all just clicked their tongues in frustration at his slow comprehension.
But the young senior I met in the Azure Heaven Association was different.
Namgung Jun had recognized his weakness as a strength and told him to keep pushing forward with it. It was the first time he had ever heard such words since he first held a sword. Though it was a simple remark, it gave Yu Geun-su the courage to move forward steadily once more.
The Minor Derivation Sword Technique consumed his every waking moment. He executed the forms in his mind, and if there was a form he struggled with even in his imagination, he would ponder for hours over what he was lacking. He even dreamed about practicing it.
The only reason he could contemplate it so passionately was thanks to the new annotated version Namgung Jun had created. He had thought he had memorized all the mnemonic formulas and martial principles, but that was not the end. When he looked at the Minor Derivation Sword Technique through the annotated version, the principles it contained were far more vast and profound.
“Haaah!”
Then, one day, as Yu Geun-su extended his sword with his usual spirited shout, he felt a strange sense of clarity.
His sword extended with unusual smoothness. His arms felt completely free. A surge of confidence washed over him; he felt he could flawlessly execute any form right now. It was a sensation he had almost never experienced in his entire life.
Is this really okay?
The unfamiliar feeling brought a slight twinge of fear. But Yu Geun-su did not hesitate. He believed in the sweat he had shed, and he trusted Namgung Jun's teachings.
Thud!
His right leg stomped the ground of its own accord. By the time he consciously registered the movement, his left hand was already gripping the sword, fiercely slicing through the air.
Swish!
His sword extended smoothly, drawing clean, concise paths through the air. He had originally intended to practice only the first half of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique's forms, yet he naturally transitioned into the latter half. He had neither the intention nor the will to do so; his elevated consciousness simply guided his body.
Whoosh!
For the very first time, the vast training ground felt narrow. As if to shake off some invisible constraint, Yu Geun-su thrust his sword with even greater and more confident strokes.
“Huh?”
“Wait, look over there. The forms the recruit is executing are…”
His sword strikes, carrying an entirely new momentum, fanned out in all directions and drew the attention of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen. His sword flawlessly executed every form from the latter half of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique.
At the same time, Yu Geun-su's body spun around, naturally transitioning from the final form of the latter half back to the very first form of the first half. His breathing and movements never broke. His sword slashed as smoothly as flowing water.
His body glided and dashed of its own accord. It felt as though he had lost control, yet Yu Geun-su had no intention of stopping.
No, he couldn't stop.
He was too busy trying to burn the sword paths he was creating into his mind.
How long had he been swinging his sword like this?
Only after executing the Minor Derivation Sword Technique twenty times in a row did Yu Geun-su snap out of his trance and halt his sword.
“Huh?”
As he stared blankly down at his sword, Namgung Jun's voice drifted over from beside him.
“You have attained enlightenment.”
“Senior Namgung!”
“At that level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you've reached eighty percent mastery.”
“Eighty percent?!”
Yu Geun-su was astonished. Before this, he had been stuck at forty percent, hovering on the verge of reaching fifty. But eighty percent all of a sudden? Attaining enlightenment like this was a first for him. It was also his first time swinging his sword without a single thought, as if guided by something beyond himself.
“But I didn't realize anything. I don't even know what changed. My body just moved on its own…”
“That, too, is enlightenment. Grasping a single clear fragment from a hazy insight is also a form of training. Begin meditating!”
Without question, Yu Geun-su immediately sat cross-legged.
Namgung Jun murmured in a whisper, “Reflect on the sword paths you just drew. Do not try to force any gains. Simply recall and contemplate them repeatedly. It is fine even if you gain nothing. Continue your meditation.”
Thus, Yu Geun-su's meditation continued uninterrupted through the night.
That day, training at the Heavenly Sword Hall was suspended. Even so, most of the swordsmen remained on the training ground. They simply scattered themselves across the area, passing the time leisurely while standing a silent, protective watch.
They would wait until Yu Geun-su's meditation came to an end.
Under the protection of the Heavenly Sword Hall, Yu Geun-su meditated continuously, finally opening his eyes the following morning.
His eyes were clear, as if he had gazed upon something absolute.
*
“He actually pulled it off.”
“Well, he did go through the trouble of writing a brand-new annotated version of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique.”
“Speaking of which, everyone should take a look at the annotated version of the Great Derivation Sword Technique. I thought I had already achieved great mastery of it, but there were parts that struck me in a completely new way.”
The Heavenly Sword Hall members watched three figures leave the Heavenly Sword Hall pavilion, travel packs slung over their shoulders. Led by Namgung Jun, Man Ye-won and Yu Geun-su were setting out on a mission.
Four days after Yu Geun-su achieved eighty percent mastery of the Minor Derivation Sword Technique, their first mission had been assigned. Barely twenty days had passed since Namgung Jun had made his one-month promise to Lee Se-ha.
“Namgung Jun is a genius. But to be good at teaching on top of that… that's incredibly rare. Geniuses usually don't understand how ordinary people feel.”
“Maybe I should ask him for guidance when the youngest returns. The wall I've hit lately is quite high.”
“I'm curious to see how Yu Geun-su performs on his first mission. He's a slow learner, but I'm not worried about him.”
The other Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen, who had been watching Namgung Jun's group depart, turned back. By now, Heo Il and Gong Jun-am, who had been the first to get their hands on the annotated version of the Great Derivation Sword Technique, would have finished reading it. The others intended to line up early so they wouldn't lose their turn.