Chapter 22: Training (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Training (5)
Namgung Jun had earned Dan Jung-se's recognition.
"Amazing. Honestly, I didn't expect him to make it this far."
"He's young, but his mental fortitude is something we could all learn from."
"That gets my blood pumping! Namgung Jun would have been a perfect fit for the Iron Tower Hall."
Not only the Iron Tower Hall Master but also the members who had watched the duel acknowledged Namgung Jun's grit. Normally, anyone facing the merciless onslaught of the Iron Tower Hall Master's fists would have been knocked flat on their back.
Yet, Namgung Jun had stubbornly held his ground, refusing to fall. This was no easy feat, even for the members of the Iron Tower Hall who underwent grueling external arts training every single day.
The external arts training that followed under Dan Jung-se was indeed brutal. Based on the physical stamina and mental strength Namgung Jun had demonstrated during their duel, Dan Jung-se pushed him to his absolute limits. Naturally, there was no stopping halfway.
"I have already seen your grit. You have done your part by proving yourself."
Dan Jung-se crossed his arms, his muscles twitching subtly. They rippled with a dynamic energy, as if they were excited.
"Now, it is my job to bring your physical condition to its peak as quickly and accurately as possible, without causing injury."
Namgung Jun held a short iron bar in each hand. At both ends of the bars were iron discs with holes in the center, allowing the weight to be adjusted by adding or removing them. It was an external arts training tool designed by Dan Jung-se himself and manufactured by the Iron Forge Pavilion of the Ink Fragrance Department.
Even a single bar was quite heavy, but with the various-sized discs added, the weight felt immense. Simply holding the iron tools exerted a crushing pressure, as if his entire upper body were being weighed down.
"Whew."
Namgung Jun sank into a horse stance and began repeatedly lifting and lowering the weighted bars. Standing beside him, Dan Jung-se closely observed the movement of his muscles, even touching them directly to offer continuous guidance.
"Simply moving is not enough! You must understand how your muscles move and where they are being stimulated! Visualize it in your mind! Just like mindscape cultivation!"
Even though Namgung Jun had been a peerless expert as the Sword Emperor in his past life, he had never possessed such a deep, anatomical understanding of the physical body as Dan Jung-se. He had merely known through long repetition and practice how to move to exert the greatest force.
Dan Jung-se, however, was so knowledgeable about human anatomy that he had compiled his own theories into mnemonic formulas and illustrated various postures in detailed diagrams.
In all the world, it would be difficult to find another martial artist who had delved so deeply into the physical body. As Namgung Jun received his instruction, he became certain of one thing: regardless of their realm, any martial artist who trained under Dan Jung-se would experience immense growth.
To think I’m learning like this again.
Namgung Jun focused with all his might, determined not to waste a single moment of Dan Jung-se's close, hands-on instruction.
Beyond the training sessions, Dan Jung-se also guided him in his daily routine, helping him recover his physical strength rapidly. With his progress in the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula rising steadily alongside this, Namgung Jun's body transformed day by day.
Even Dan Jung-se was slightly surprised and felt a deep sense of pride.
But I can’t just receive instruction forever.
While Dan Jung-se's external arts training method focused on overall physical conditioning at the introductory stage, the deeper one went, the more it was tailored for pugilists who fought barehanded. The physical requirements of a swordsman and a pugilist were fundamentally different.
While it would help Namgung Jun to some extent, continuing down this path risked disrupting his physical balance in the long run. Therefore, rather than just blindly following the exercises, Namgung Jun delved deep into the mnemonic formulas to understand the underlying principles. He did this so that he could eventually adapt this external arts training method to suit himself as a swordsman.
If he succeeded, wouldn't it also greatly contribute to boosting the strength of the Heavenly Sword Hall?
For that future, Namgung Jun endured the burning agony racking his body.
"Ugh."
A groan escaped Namgung Jun's lips. The intensity of the training was so extreme that it was no wonder Dan Jung-se had emphasized grit above all else. Enduring this with his frail body was far from easy, but Namgung Jun never once thought of giving up.
Sweat dripped down, soaking the dirt floor. Though the shadow he cast on the ground trembled slightly, his posture never faltered.
"Huuup."
A suppressed breath escaped Namgung Jun as he repeated the external arts movements. His arms, holding the heavy training tools, shook violently, yet it was clear he was using every ounce of his will to maintain his form until the very end.
"Good! Three more repetitions!"
"...Wasn't this... the last one?"
"If you have enough breath to talk, you have enough energy to keep going!"
Even as his body shook so violently it was painful to watch, Namgung Jun maintained perfect form.
"He swung his sword so tenaciously during the duel, and now this."
"He really has incredible endurance. Even in our hall, more than a few guys have wanted to quit halfway through."
"The more I look at him, the more it feels like a waste. It would have been great if he had joined the Iron Tower Hall."
Witnessing Namgung Jun's indomitable will firsthand, the members of the Iron Tower Hall found themselves pushing even harder in their own external arts training.
* * *
The external arts training of the Iron Tower Hall came in many forms. While some methods involved repeatedly performing specific postures to stimulate the muscles, others involved completing competitive tasks to train the entire body.
"Haaah!"
"Faster!"
Today, a group training session was being held at the Iron Tower Hall. It was a session in which all the Clouds of the Iron Tower Hall participated.
Various training tools were scattered across the Iron Tower Hall's training ground, and they had to complete dozens of tasks within a set time limit using them. The tasks might have sounded simple, but they were anything but. The use of internal energy was strictly forbidden. They had to rely solely on physical strength—their progress in the external arts—to complete the tasks, which was no small feat.
Thud! Thud!
Using the strength of their lower bodies and waists, they repeatedly leaped up and down from seven-foot-tall boxes, sending heavy thuds echoing continuously through the air.
"Faster! At this rate, when are you going to reach three hundred?!"
"Your landing is too loud! You're putting too much force into it!"
As the senior members of the Iron Tower Hall acting as instructors shouted and urged them on, cries of frustration erupted from another corner.
"It's too slippery!"
"Senior Geum! Didn't you put way too much oil on the ropes?!"
Men hanging from ropes suspended at the height of a three-story pavilion wore bewildered expressions.
"Slippery? You should be questioning whether your grip and leg strength are lacking instead!"
"Anyone who slips and falls will have to climb all the way back up from the start!"
The instructors maintained a stern attitude, leaving the training Clouds with no choice but to grit their teeth and push through.
Namgung Jun was no exception.
"Whew!"
Having run back and forth across the vast training ground of the Iron Tower Hall countless times, Namgung Jun's breathing had grown incredibly ragged. Even so, he challenged the next task without a moment's rest.
He hung from an iron bar fixed horizontally in the air, twisting and rotating his entire body to repeat a specific posture. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but Namgung Jun executed the movements without his expression changing in the slightest. Each time his body spun in the air, sweat showered down.
Not much left.
He could clearly feel sweat streaming down his face, but he couldn't spare the energy to raise a hand and wipe it away. Time was running out, and many of the Iron Tower Hall members had already completed all their tasks and were resting.
Of course, Namgung Jun's goal was not to pass the joint training with an outstanding record. Though his body was in much better shape than before, he knew it was still far from being fully tempered. Thus, his goal was simply to pass within the time limit. Passing itself would be a massive achievement and highly meaningful for him.
Having already succeeded in fourteen tasks, only one remained.
"Keep going!"
"You're almost there!"
The resting Clouds of the Iron Tower Hall cheered him on. Having spent time together and watched his relentless training, they had long since accepted Namgung Jun into their hearts.
Impressive.
Most ordinary recruits end up completely knocked out during their first joint training.
No one had expected Namgung Jun, who had only begun his external arts training barely a month ago, to achieve this much. While they acknowledged his grit, there was a physical limit to how fast a body could grow. Yet, Namgung Jun stubbornly completed almost every single task, charging toward the finish line.
"Haaah!"
Having perfectly executed the final task, Namgung Jun let out a shout and collapsed to the ground. He struggled to catch his breath, a sweet, metallic taste rising in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to relax his body and go completely limp, but the violent spasms wracking his muscles made it impossible. He could only lie there and endure it.
"Drink some water. Small sips. Slowly."
"Truly remarkable. Who would have thought he'd actually make it within the time limit?"
Looking down at Namgung Jun from a platform, Dan Jung-se nodded in satisfaction. But then, his eyes suddenly widened.
Namgung Jun, sitting on the ground, began to tremble violently. This was not a mere reaction to overexerting his body. The muscles across his entire body were contracting and expanding in a chaotic rhythm. At the same time, a dreadful coldness seeped out of him, rapidly chilling the air that had been hot with sweat and exertion.
This was no simple side effect of overdoing external arts training.
A seizure of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian!
Having heard of the condition before, Dan Jung-se quickly deduced what was happening.
"Namgung Jun!"
As Dan Jung-se shouted, Namgung Jun barely managed to pull himself into a meditative posture, struggling to circulate his qi. Instead of clumsily intervening, Dan Jung-se stood guard, calmly observing how Namgung Jun handled the crisis.
So his body reacts in this manner.
Rather than checking Namgung Jun's internal qi pathways, Dan Jung-se focused on observing the direct physical symptoms manifested by the seizure.
Thrum!
After circulating the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula for a long while, Namgung Jun finally managed to suppress the seizure and opened his eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. I will resume training after catching my breath for a moment."
Dan Jung-se plopped down in front of Namgung Jun, who was still sitting cross-legged.
"The seizure of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian doesn't just affect your blood vessels; its influence extends to your entire body. The reaction in your muscles, in particular, is highly unusual."
"That is correct. In the beginning, I couldn't even control my body and would lose consciousness."
Dan Jung-se nodded. "If a seizure occurs during actual combat, it will be extremely troublesome. It could easily put you in mortal danger."
"Yes. Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet, but I cannot always rely on luck."
After pondering for a moment, Dan Jung-se spoke.
"We might not be able to suppress the seizures themselves, but I think we can train you to maintain control over your body when they happen."
At Dan Jung-se's words, Namgung Jun's eyes slowly widened. "Is that truly possible?"
"If you temper your body through my external arts training method and learn to control your muscles completely at will, the chances will increase significantly."
Dan Jung-se carefully examined Namgung Jun's muscles, which had stiffened from the icy chill of the seizure, and continued.
"Of course, it won't happen overnight. Since I have never experienced a severed meridian myself, it will require some research, but..."
With a face full of confidence, Dan Jung-se flexed his muscles.
"I believe it is possible."
