Chapter 7: Placement Test (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Placement Test (1)
"Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders!"
Muk Sim-jung, who was observing the martial duel, gasped in admiration.
'It's truly unbelievable.'
He had woven together insights from multiple secret manuals to create an entirely new form. On top of that, he had tempered it against the Sword Demon himself, refining its every move and stance.
The resulting sword technique was undeniably novel. It was not some mere patchwork of different forms thrown together to look impressive.
'In the first place, arbitrarily weaving together forms that contain entirely different martial principles is nearly impossible.'
Yet, Namgung Jun had not only devised his own forms but had also constructed a systematic sword art structured enough to warrant a unique name.
'What if that secret manual were donated?'
He wondered how many clouds would be engraved upon it if the Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders were donated to the Self-Reflection Martial Repository.
'At least a Third Cloud. That's for certain.'
Muk Sim-jung trusted his own eye for martial arts.
Who would believe that a boy who had only just been initiated into the martial path had created a technique worthy of the Third Cloud?
The boy before him felt less like a person and more like a monster in human skin. The talent Namgung Jun displayed was simply that shocking.
"……."
The Sword Demon, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke.
"You. I like you. Come to Mokryun Hall."
Just as Namgung Jun's eyes narrowed at the Sword Demon's sudden proposal, a sharp voice cut in.
"Mokryun Hall Master. What is the meaning of this?"
Lee Se-ha had walked to the front of the Self-Reflection Martial Repository without anyone noticing and was now glaring at the Sword Demon.
Her expression was utterly frigid.
A frosty chill seemed to emanate from the sharp, upturned corners of her eyes. Perhaps because her large pupils gleamed with a dark, intense light, her jet-black hair seemed to sway with an exceptional depth.
'Master.'
It was a cold, aloof face he had never seen her make before.
Even as Lee Se-ha exuded an icy aura, as if she might draw her sword at any moment, the Sword Demon remained completely unbothered.
"I like the kid. Is there a problem?"
"He is my disciple. Do not touch him."
"Disciple? Why should I care?"
As Lee Se-ha gripped her sword hilt, the hem of the Sword Demon's robes began to flutter violently from the sheer pressure of her rising energy.
"Are you next? Good. I was just getting warmed up."
Just as Muk Sim-jung's face turned pale at the sight of two supreme masters about to clash, a single footstep broke the tension.
Step.
A light but unignorable sound swept across the training ground.
Namgung Jun had stepped between them, blocking the two supreme experts. It was a single, exquisite step that perfectly disrupted their escalating rhythm.
He then turned to the Sword Demon and spoke.
"When the time comes, I will visit Mokryun Hall myself."
Amusement flickered across the Sword Demon's face at the unexpected counter-proposal.
"And what do you mean by that?"
"Are you not curious about my sword, Mokryun Hall Master? I can be your sparring partner from time to time."
"A sparring partner? You?"
Letting out a wild laugh, the Sword Demon looked back and forth between Lee Se-ha and Namgung Jun before finally withdrawing his aura.
"Ah, the Ink Lord. That old man is calling."
Sensing Yun Gyeong-jong's Qi Wave radiating from afar, the Sword Demon shrugged as if he had no choice.
"Don't make me wait too long."
The Sword Demon pulled out a wooden box, tossed it to Namgung Jun, and turned away. He walked off leisurely as if on a stroll, but in an instant, his figure vanished past the pavilion.
Lee Se-ha watched him go, then let out a soft sigh and released her hand from her sword.
"What is in that wooden box?"
"It's the spirit elixir I was promised."
Inside the box lay a snow-white pill. A faint yet pure fragrance wafted from it.
"It's a White Crane Pill."
"Is it a useful elixir?"
"Indeed. Especially for someone like you, Jun, who has just started building their internal energy."
Smiling at the White Crane Pill, his master then examined his body.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Why on earth did you make a promise like that?"
Was she scolding him? Lee Se-ha's eyebrows arched slightly, but her eyes held their usual warmth.
"It will benefit me as well. Opportunities to cross swords with a swordsman of his caliber are rare."
"Having me should be more than enough."
Namgung Jun merely smiled.
"How could I ever point a sword filled with killing intent at you, Master?"
"I suppose so. Still, it's not ideal for you to continue having such duels with the Sword Demon."
Namgung Jun naturally steered her murmuring toward another topic.
"Will I be entering the Heavenly Sword Hall right away?"
Lee Se-ha's expression turned complicated.
"Not quite."
"Then what happens?"
"New Clouds undergo an adjustment period at the First Cloud Dormitory. Once a certain number of them have gathered, they are brought together to compete against one another."
Namgung Jun understood immediately.
"So the newcomers who perform exceptionally well in that competition are given priority."
"Exactly. Even though we are master and disciple, I cannot arbitrarily bring you into the Heavenly Sword Hall."
"I understand."
Lee Se-ha placed a hand on Namgung Jun's shoulder, her expression tinged with regret.
"For the time being, you'll be staying at the First Cloud Dormitory, not the Heavenly Sword Hall."
"Do not worry. I will be in the Heavenly Sword Hall soon enough."
Looking at the confidently responding Namgung Jun, Lee Se-ha's gentle smile was filled with trust.
"Alright. This master will put all her faith in you."
* * *
"Ugh."
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Namgung Jun let out intermittent groans.
The air around him was thick with frost. A spasm of his Nine Yin Severed Meridian had begun.
His muscles contracted, causing his body to shudder violently, and his meridians stiffened under the assault of icy energy.
'Protecting the Geogwol and Qimen acupoints with Thunder Qi makes it somewhat bearable.'
He had realized that while Yin Cold Qi flooded his entire meridian system during each spasm, protecting specific acupoints with Scorching Yang Qi could alleviate the pain.
Every time a spasm struck, Namgung Jun repeatedly blocked and released various acupoints, gradually establishing an effective method to cope with the attacks.
In the process, his control over his internal energy grew more proficient, and as a bonus, his progress in the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula steadily rose.
"Phew."
Once the spasm subsided, Namgung Jun opened his eyes and slowly lay back on the bed. His body was highly sensitive right now, and he needed to lie down comfortably to calm his system.
'First, I must break through the first acupoint as soon as I accumulate enough internal energy.'
He had consumed the White Crane Pill, but it was not enough to break through the first blocked acupoint of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian.
Still, compared to when he first experienced the spasms, his current state was vastly superior. Since he could now circulate his internal energy to resist, he no longer lost consciousness helplessly.
'But I must still be careful. Even a minor slip-up could double the risk of Qi Deviation.'
Spasms that struck irregularly and spread Yin Cold Qi throughout the body's meridians were fatal to a martial artist. There was no telling if one might occur during a life-or-death battle in the future. He had to find a way to prepare for that possibility.
"Sigh."
After resting for a moment and reviewing his response to the recent spasm, Namgung Jun stood up.
It was time for his daily training.
'Overall, I'm lacking in every aspect.'
His top priority was his frail body. His internal energy was still lacking, but taking the White Crane Pill had at least put out that immediate fire. However, a body ravaged by the Nine Yin Severed Meridian and the harsh life of a sword attendant could not be transformed overnight.
Fortunately, the quality of the meals provided at the First Cloud Dormitory was excellent, allowing him to put on some weight, but he still had a long way to go.
"Haa!"
"I'm coming at you again!"
In the common training ground of the First Cloud Dormitory, the new Clouds were scattered about, practicing. Some were training in the martial arts they had newly acquired from the Self-Reflection Martial Repository, while others engaged in duels among themselves.
Each was preparing for the placement test in their own way.
"Hmm."
Namgung Jun took up a spot in a quiet corner of the training ground. Slowly spreading his feet, he straightened his spine and lowered his hips.
He assumed the Horse Stance.
The Horse Stance was the most fundamental of basics. It was not a special training method. However, in his current situation, no training was as effective.
'I can't drastically change my body in a short period anyway.'
If he grew impatient and pushed himself too hard with external arts training, it would only lead to injury. It was far more important to calmly build his foundation and properly shape his vessel as a martial artist.
"Phew."
Extending both arms forward, a hot breath escaped Namgung Jun's lips.
Before he knew it, he had held the Horse Stance for well over two hours. Even as his legs trembled violently and his back became drenched in sweat, he endured.
After holding the stance without moving for a full four hours, Namgung Jun finally wiped the sweat dripping from his chin.
The other Clouds murmured amongst themselves as they watched him.
"That fellow's grit is remarkable. At first, he could barely hold it for fifteen minutes."
"But he won't get a good score like that. He spends the entire day doing nothing but basic training."
"It looks like he's studying the sword, yet I've never once seen him hold one."
Since their stay at the First Cloud Dormitory was not short, the newcomers had become acquainted with one another. They looked at Namgung Jun with worried eyes but did not dare to interfere.
Interfering in another martial artist's training was a grave breach of etiquette.
'It's only natural for them to think that way.'
Having faintly overheard the chatter from the other new Clouds, Namgung Jun slowly loosened his body.
'But I have the experience of my past life.'
Since he didn't know how the placement test would be conducted, he had to focus on compensating for his weaknesses as much as possible. If anything, this was the perfect opportunity to leverage his sole advantage: his experience from a past life.
Swish!
Namgung Jun moved his feet lightly. His leather shoes glided smoothly across the stone floor. As he moved, the tips of his shoes lifted fluidly, pointing toward the sky.
Having gained such freedom, his feet looked ready to strike out in any direction at a moment's notice.
Infinite Steps.
A footwork technique that left the direction of one's steps completely open and unpredictable. Because of this, it used to greatly lighten the movements of the Namcheon Palace disciples, who primarily wielded heavy swords.
'Quite interesting.'
A faint smile played on Namgung Jun's lips as he executed the Infinite Steps. The version he was performing now differed in many ways from his past life.
In the Self-Reflection Martial Repository, there were numerous annotated versions that reinterpreted the Infinite Steps from various angles. Namgung Jun had read every single one. He then practiced the various forms described in the annotations, personally experiencing the reinterpretations of later martial artists.
He was now reinterpreting those insights once more, transforming them into martial principles that suited him alone.
'A footwork technique suited to embodying the essence of the sword itself, rather than being confined to a heavy blade.'
From the tips of his toes, reaching in every direction, the Qi Waves of the Infinite Steps pulsed continuously.
It was heavy at times, light at others. It flowed in long, graceful stretches, only to snap abruptly in sharp bursts.
All these distinct steps were woven into a single, seamless whole.
Namgung Jun's Infinite Steps were different from his past life and different from every other version in the Self-Reflection Martial Repository. They were even different from Lee Se-ha's.
Namgung Jun was forging a new path of his own.
His new steps held infinite potential.
* * *
The grand conference room of the Ink Fragrance Department.
This was where the high-ranking members of the Sword Fragrance and Ink Fragrance Departments gathered to discuss the affairs of the Azure Heaven Association.
For today's meeting, all the Hall Masters of the Sword Fragrance Department and the Pavilion Masters of the Ink Fragrance Department currently residing in the main castle had gathered. Accordingly, the atmosphere in the grand conference room was solemn and heavy.
The first item on the agenda concerned the newcomers who had recently joined the Azure Heaven Association.
"This batch has quite a decent headcount."
"It has been especially difficult to recruit new Clouds lately. This is thanks to everyone's hard work on the ground."
"Not only that, but there are also many promising talents among them."
Following the reports on the new Clouds in the First Cloud Dormitory, the discussion naturally shifted to the placement test.
"It is rare to have such a large number of new Clouds. Why don't we hold this placement test on a grand scale for the first time in a while?"
At Lee Se-ha's suggestion, the other Pavilion Masters and Hall Masters immediately understood and nodded in agreement.
"If we plan it well, we can save time and resources. That would indeed be better."
"If we do that, the other Clouds will be able to watch, which will also help boost the overall morale of the Azure Heaven Association."
Once everything was decided, the Ink Lord, Yun Gyeong-jong, who had been quietly sipping his tea, nodded.
"We will begin the placement test in three days."
The news was immediately delivered to the First Cloud Dormitory.