Chapter 137: New Hall (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137: New Hall (4)
The main fortress of the Azure Heaven Association was bustling with activity.
Clouds from every branch had flocked to the fortress to participate in the selection for the Ten Halls. While such selections were held from time to time, the number of recruits being chosen this time was on a completely different scale.
With the establishment of the New Hall, vacancies had opened up across all of the Ten Halls simultaneously. Naturally, with so many openings, the number of applicants was far greater than ever before.
"Phew."
Lee Se-ha let out a soft sigh as she watched the applicants swing their swords. Resting her chin on her hand, she sat with her legs crossed.
"I don't see anyone who catches my eye yet."
"That's only natural. After raising such an outstanding disciple, how could you?" the veteran from the Heavenly Sword Hall assisting her said with a bitter smile. "I feel the same way."
Perhaps it was because they had watched Namgung Jun grow from the very beginning, but ordinary swordsmanship simply couldn't satisfy them anymore. And this was despite the fact that the Clouds gathered here had undoubtedly weathered the harsh realities of the Jianghu and trained their martial arts through grueling effort.
"The Heavenly Sword Hall is in the biggest trouble, by the way. We have five vacancies. We need to properly replenish our ranks this time."
"Indeed. My disciple really cleaned me out," Lee Se-ha said, the corners of her eyes crinkling into a smile as she thought of him.
"If we're not careful, we might lose our title as one of the Three Powerhouses in the next strength evaluation."
"That is a duty that now falls to me. I've benefited greatly from my disciple, so it's my turn to prove myself as the Hall Master once again."
"I'm glad to see your resolve, Hall Master."
The Heavenly Sword Hall veteran looked relieved as he turned his focus back to the applicants. Lee Se-ha fell silent and did the same. Although no one immediately grabbed her attention, she was already mentally filtering through the candidates.
I wonder if Jun is doing well?
Lee Se-ha turned her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward the pavilion that had been built for the newly established New Hall. Their selection test would be in full swing over there as well.
*
Thud!
The newly paved floor of the training ground shook from a heavy Earth-Trembling Stomp. A harsh scraping of leather boots against the ground followed as a woman’s hair whipped wildly through the air.
Her body buckled, looking as if she would collapse at any moment. Yet, she forced her bent waist straight and corrected her posture. The sword in her hand was already raised back to a mid-level guard, even as blood dripped from the torn webbing of her hand.
Standing before her was the newly appointed Fourth Cloud.
Namgung Jun, who had sent her flying with a single strike, sheathed his Eternal Righteous Sword.
He recognized the woman before him. She was his first opponent in the placement test—the woman who had honed her martial arts just to withstand a single one of his strikes.
It was Dan So-hye of the former Le'an Branch.
Namgung Jun glanced at the two clouds embroidered on her sleeve.
"Quite impressive growth."
"Thank you."
"With your skill, you could have easily passed the selection for any of the other Ten Halls."
Dan So-hye’s expression remained stiff as she replied, "After our duel at the Heavenly Sword Hall, you said you would wait for the day we stand on the same battlefield. I felt the same way, Hall Master."
She had not been satisfied with merely withstanding his strike. On the contrary, she had craved further growth and poured her heart and soul into her training. Thanks to that, she had not only been promoted to a Second Cloud but had continued to improve steadily. Riding the momentum from that achievement, she had grown at a much faster rate than when she was a First Cloud.
"Am I qualified to stand on the same battlefield with you now?"
"No."
Namgung Jun shook his head without hesitation.
Even so, the light in Dan So-hye's eyes did not waver. Her firm determination to keep chasing him was clear to see.
Watching her, Namgung Jun continued, "But I can offer you a little help. If you join the New Hall and polish your martial arts, you will surely gain that qualification one day."
Only then did Dan So-hye's eyes tremble.
"Does that mean...?"
"Second Cloud Dan So-hye, your admission to the New Hall is granted."
"Ah!"
Letting out a short gasp, Dan So-hye swayed for a moment before collapsing sideways. Man Ye-won, who had been watching the duel, caught her just in time to keep her head from hitting the ground.
"What is this? Just like last time, I'm the one stuck taking care of her."
"You're two of the only Second Clouds in the New Hall. Look after each other," Namgung Jun said.
At his words, Man Ye-won pouted.
The New Hall that Namgung Jun would lead consisted mostly of Third Clouds. Most had been drafted from the Ten Halls, and two more Third Clouds were chosen in this selection. There were no First Clouds at all. Among the Second Clouds, Namgung Jun had personally selected only a handful of promising talents: the newly admitted Dan So-hye, Man Ye-won, and Yu Geun-su.
Yu Geun-su had only recently been promoted to a Second Cloud, so he had barely passed the criteria.
This is enough.
Namgung Jun looked around at the Clouds surrounding the training ground. They were all members who would belong to the New Hall.
There were Heo Il and Gong Jun-am, who had been the first to join. Following them were Baekri Cheong, Jang Mun-hyeok, and Samyeop, whom he had recruited next. There was also Wi Hyeon-su of the Martial Conquest Hall, his first opponent during the Mount Song Gathering, and Hong Jun, Heo Il's senior brother.
Many of the Third Clouds who joined this time had also participated in the competitions at the Mount Song Gathering. It was only natural, considering he had taken the age and martial prowess of the recruits into account.
Looking at the gathered members one by one, Namgung Jun spoke.
"With this, the recruitment for our hall is complete."
At his declaration, the Clouds in the training ground naturally looked at one another. Everyone gathered here would be comrades, sharing life and death from now on.
"Our hall's flagbearer is Third Cloud Gong Jun-am."
The Clouds nodded at the immediate announcement. Gong Jun-am was the most senior among them, and his martial arts were second to none. Having previously served as the flagbearer for the Heavenly Sword Hall and worked closely with Namgung Jun, he was the perfect choice.
"I will fulfill my duty to the best of my ability," Gong Jun-am said, stepping forward and bowing politely.
Nodding, Namgung Jun looked back at his hall members. "For the time being, our hall will not take on any missions. We will focus on training in the Azure Firmament Martial Canon. At the same time, we will conduct group training with collective combat in mind."
Namgung Jun looked at his members. "It will be a grueling time. Are you prepared?"
Heo Il nodded vigorously and stepped forward. "You don't need to worry, Hall Master. After all, we are the ones you personally selected."
Baekri Cheong, lightly gripping his sword hilt, laughed heartily. "Senior Heo is right. This Baekri is already itching for action."
The other Clouds showed their confidence with their expressions.
"Good. Then we shall begin our training immediately."
Just as the Clouds were about to take their positions at Namgung Jun's command, Man Ye-won slyly raised her hand. "By the way, Hall Master, what is the name of our new hall?"
Everyone froze at her sharp question. They would have found out eventually, but hearing her ask it aloud piqued their curiosity.
Receiving everyone's expectant gaze, Namgung Jun nodded.
"Our hall's name is..."
*
Dochang.
Located on the northeastern edge of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, it was a town where one could board a boat at the ferry dock and head straight into the lake.
Poyang Lake boasted clear waters teeming with fish, making it a perfect habitat for countless migratory birds. As the water levels shifted with the seasons, wetlands, sandy shores, and numerous small lakes would emerge, offering plenty of sights to see. Consequently, Dochang was constantly bustling with visitors.
However, the current atmosphere in Dochang was vastly different.
While it was just as crowded, the vast majority of people were martial artists. Furthermore, they were not just any rabble but warriors of the Iron Battle Camp—the rulers of Jiangxi Province and one of the renowned Eight Great Unorthodox Powers.
The clanking of iron that accompanied their every movement and the rigid military discipline radiating from them brought a tense silence to the streets of Dochang.
"Is there still no news from inside?"
"No, sir."
The Centurion of the Iron Battle Camp looked out over Poyang Lake as he listened to his subordinate's report.
The hidden cave of the Long-Stream Cult had been discovered within the lake. In response, the Jiangxi Branch of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron Battle Camp had swiftly dispatched their forces.
The problem was that the Azure Heaven Association had discovered the cave first. Led by the Divine Mechanism Hall Master, the Divine Mechanism Hall had already entered. While the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron Battle Camp had hurriedly pursued them, they had left a portion of their forces outside. Their mission was to block any potential reinforcements from the Azure Heaven Association and secure their own retreat.
"Centurion!"
A subordinate rushed toward him, shouting, and the Centurion felt a wave of anxiety.
"It's the Azure Heaven Association! They're advancing toward the center, crushing our perimeter!"
"Is it one of the Ten Halls? Calm down!"
Although their individual martial prowess might be inferior, the Iron Battle Camp held an overwhelming advantage in numbers. He was confident they would not crumble easily, even against one of the Ten Halls. A combined attack from himself and his two lieutenants should be enough to hold off even a Hall Master. Winning would be nearly impossible, but buying time was well within their capabilities.
"Which hall is it? It's not one of the Three Powerhouses, is it?"
When the subordinate hesitated, the Centurion pressed him. "Answer me! What are you standing there dazed for?!"
Terrified, the subordinate hurriedly spoke. "It was a name I've never seen before."
"What?"
"Azure Firmament. The two characters for 'Azure Firmament' were on their flag."
"Azure Firmament?"
Crunch! Boom!
The Centurion couldn't ask any more questions. His gaze was ripped away by roaring explosions and the sickening sound of tearing flesh.
Squads of his pre-deployed subordinates were being shattered, their bodies sent flying through the air. A group of martial artists was pressing down on the Iron Battle Camp's formation from the front with overwhelming power. Every single one of them wore indigo martial uniforms that looked as if they were woven from the sky itself. Embroidered on their chests were two vivid characters: Azure Firmament (蒼旻).
Thud!
The ground trembled as if from an Earth-Trembling Stomp. In that moment, a massive flag rose from behind the martial artists. On its blue background, the two characters for 'Azure Firmament' were boldly printed in black.
In an instant, they trampled the left flank of the Iron Battle Camp and secured a path toward the hidden cave. The aura of the warriors gathered beneath the flag was so vivid and intense that the Centurion couldn't bring himself to order an attack.
Scanning the faces of the newcomers with trembling eyes, the Centurion's gaze froze on one spot. It was directly beneath the flag, at the very center of the Azure Heaven Association's formation.
An air of profound dignity radiated from the man who stood there, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. He was clearly the leader.
Looking at his sleeves... yes, he is a Fourth Cloud.
The Centurion addressed the man, who was gazing at the scenery of Poyang Lake with an unbothered demeanor. "Who are you?"
After briefly scanning the entrance to the hidden cave, the man slowly turned his head.
"The Azure Firmament Hall Master."
This was the first move of the Azure Firmament Hall, which had devoted itself to training to the point of near-seclusion ever since its establishment.