Chapter 80: Great Derivation Sword Formation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Great Derivation Sword Formation (2)
After listening to Namgung Jun's detailed explanation, Lee Se-ha's expression turned serious. Her thick eyelashes lowered, casting a shadow over her eyes as she sank deep into thought.
"The flaw of the Great Derivation Sword Formation."
"What do you think?" Namgung Jun asked.
"It makes perfect sense. I often used the very point you mentioned to bait opponents into making reckless advances."
"So you were already using it to your advantage, Master."
Namgung Jun lightly tapped the diagram of the sword formation he had drawn on the paper with his brush. It seemed Lee Se-ha had been aware of the formation’s weakness but had chosen to use it as a strategic variable.
"Based on what you've said, Master, it might just be a difference in how we view the formation."
While Namgung Jun pursued impregnable, flawless perfection, Lee Se-ha preferred the freedom and diverse possibilities of a wide-open net.
"But hearing your thoughts, Jun, the flaw’s instability stands out more than the advantage of creating variables. The benefits of correcting this are far greater."
Lee Se-ha gently took the brush from Namgung Jun's hand. Then, on a clean sheet of paper, she began to draw a new diagram, sketching out the solution that had immediately come to mind after hearing his explanation.
Watching the trajectory of the brush in his master's hand, the disciple was filled with admiration. Perhaps it was because her understanding had been honed by commanding the Great Derivation Sword Technique for so long, but Lee Se-ha was presenting a solution that followed a very similar line of thought to what Namgung Jun had envisioned.
'It would be better to modify this part according to Master's direction.'
As Namgung Jun focused on the diagram, Lee Se-ha playfully ruffled his hair.
"What do you think of this part?"
"It's not bad. However, I think it would be better to emphasize the principles of the Later Heaven Eight Trigrams here. After all, the core of the Great Derivation Sword Technique lies in the real-time shifting of the sword’s momentum, which encompasses various groups."
Lee Se-ha immediately agreed. "The Later Heaven Eight Trigrams contain the principles of all changes between heaven and earth. You are correct, my disciple."
She nodded and immediately applied Namgung Jun's suggestion to the diagram. As she did, new inspiration seemed to strike her in real-time. Her brush moved without pause as she voiced another idea.
"If we lower the axes of Zhen and Xun a bit more…"
"If you do that, the movement of the sword formation might become too rigid. It would undermine the advantages of the Great Derivation Sword Formation."
"Don't worry. I believe we can just change the order in which the axes are deployed."
The master and disciple exchanged ideas back and forth, gradually restructuring the Great Derivation Sword Formation.
The swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall stood nearby, quietly watching them. With complex, high-level martial principles flying back and forth, they found it difficult to even follow the conversation, let alone offer suggestions. The Clouds who hadn’t spent much time with Namgung Jun were especially astonished.
"At first, I wondered why everyone was making such a fuss, but there was a reason."
"To think a kid who's been learning martial arts for less than a year could delve so deeply into a sword formation."
"Haha! You really have to see it to believe it. To think you're only now realizing how brilliantly Young Master Namgung's talent shines," Heo Il burst out with a hearty laugh.
Gong Jun-am silently stared at the evolving diagram before looking at Lee Se-ha.
"Hall Master."
Acknowledging his call, Lee Se-ha nodded. "It seems we'll need to overhaul the sword formation and train anew. Does anyone have any objections?"
No one objected. It didn't matter in the slightest that the person who proposed the ideas was the youngest member of the Heavenly Sword Hall. Though young, he was a Third Cloud who carried the core of the Heavenly Sword Hall and the Righteous Path's Number One Rising Star. Furthermore, the suggestions he made were undeniably reasonable.
Although there was the drawback of having to retrain from scratch, no one cared. Those gathered here were the elites of the Ten Halls. They were confident that with just a few practice sessions, they would quickly adapt.
"For now, return to your individual training. Modifying the sword formation won't take long."
As soon as Lee Se-ha's command was given, the Heavenly Sword Hall members scattered across the training ground. Watching them disperse, she tugged at the edge of Namgung Jun's sleeve.
"Shall we go as well? Let's finish refining the sword formation in my office."
"Yes, Master."
* * *
Boom!
The members of the Heavenly Sword Hall, executing the Great Derivation Sword Formation, moved in perfect unison. The refinement of the formation was not yet complete; they were testing it mid-process to verify its direction.
It was neither Lee Se-ha nor Gong Jun-am who commanded them.
Namgung Jun, who had played the central role in restructuring the formation, had taken charge.
"Widen the footwork spacing of the left wing. Accordingly, you must make your Qi Wave control longer and denser."
At Namgung Jun's command, the swordsmen's feet moved even faster. The First Clouds and Second Clouds, in particular, darted their eyes in all directions, struggling to hold their assigned positions.
"Hmph!"
"Wait, if we do that, the spacing of our sword strikes will widen!"
"Yes. Therefore, you must move two breaths faster," Namgung Jun replied without missing a beat.
At his subsequent instructions, the veterans of the Heavenly Sword Hall shut their mouths and focused on moving. The way Namgung Jun was supplementing the Great Derivation Sword Formation was different from what they had expected. They had assumed he would draft a completely new formation based on secret manuals and diagrams.
That was not the case.
He had them deploy the unrefined formation as it was. Then, as he observed their movements in real-time, he adjusted their Qi Wave control, sword paths, and positioning. The accumulating results were being recorded in his mind as a single, cohesive mnemonic formula.
Even the veterans, who were well-accustomed to the Great Derivation Sword Formation, found it overwhelming to adapt to the real-time changes. But Namgung Jun showed no mercy, acting as if this level of performance was only to be expected.
Unlike the veterans whose bodies were already familiar with the formation, the First and Second Clouds were suffering immensely.
"Ugh."
A dry, coppery taste of exhaustion rose in Man Ye-won's throat as she busily moved her feet and sword, holding down one axis of the formation.
'This is driving me crazy!'
She hadn't even fully mastered the original Great Derivation Sword Formation yet. Now, under the guise of refinement, the sequence was being dizzyingly jumbled and rearranged. Not only her hands and feet, but her head was spinning. If she lost focus for even a second, she would be instantly thrown out of the rapidly shifting flow.
'When on earth is this going to end?!'
Man Ye-won stole a glance at Namgung Jun. The light in his eyes shone with a terrifying intensity as he directed them.
'The Great Derivation Sword Formation. It's not a lacking formation, but it's an ordinary one with no distinct advantages,' he thought. It felt as though it merely met the bare minimum for group combat, failing to capture any of the free-spirited characteristics of the Great Derivation Sword Technique. 'As expected, it's better to completely overhaul it.'
If he had tried to change it completely from the start, there would have been significant resistance. Instead, Namgung Jun was slowly changing it bit by bit, starting from the corners, as if training the Heavenly Sword Hall itself.
Lee Se-ha and Gong Jun-am watched the scene from the side.
"Hall Master. Do you intend to leave this entirely to Namgung Jun?"
"I heard he devised a complete counter-strategy at the Third Cloud Training Camp. Even I couldn't do that. When it comes to deconstructing and analyzing martial arts, Jun might be superior to me. In that case, it's better to leave it to my disciple."
Gong Jun-am did not deny it. The counter-strategy Namgung Jun had devised was marvelous. Hadn't the elders of the Elders' Council gasped in admiration one after another upon receiving his report? It was only natural; with just a few glances, he had surpassed achievements they had spent years of their lives to establish.
"Let's trust Jun."
"I already do. Namgung Jun has never disappointed us."
Boom!
The Earth-Trembling Stomp, executed in unison by the swordsmen, vibrated powerfully through the Heavenly Sword Hall's training ground.
* * *
The transformation of the Great Derivation Sword Formation, led by Namgung Jun, brought about a massive change. Although the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen had not fully adapted to it yet, they could feel it. The execution of the formation had become far smoother and more refined.
"It's definitely changed, hasn't it?"
"Indeed."
"At this rate, wouldn't we stand a good chance even if we clashed with the Martial Conquest Hall?"
Everyone agreed.
"I thought he was just fixing a few flaws, but I didn't expect the sword formation to improve this much."
"Namgung Jun's talent is the real deal. He's practically a treasure of the Heavenly Sword Hall."
"The Hall Master has truly taken in a magnificent disciple."
The hall members spared no praise for Namgung Jun. He hadn't just focused on refining the formation. In his spare time, he helped them polish their individual Great Derivation Sword Technique, believing that since the formation was based on the technique, each individual's mastery was of the utmost importance.
Those who received personal insights from him could not hide their astonishment at his clear teachings and perspective. Having only watched his achievements from afar, receiving his direct guidance made them feel the sheer weight of his talent even more profoundly.
"This should wrap things up."
Namgung Jun closed the secret manual. Aside from refining the formation, he had been taking extra time to write a new one—something he had been preparing for a while. Specifically, he had adapted the external arts training methods he learned from Dan Jung-se and the Iron Tower Hall to suit swordsmen.
'With this, I've established a solid foundation.'
Originally, he had structured the training method around his own body, but spending time at the Heavenly Sword Hall had allowed him to reference the physiques of other swordsmen. By studying various body types, he was able to compile a comprehensive external arts training method.
Namgung Jun wrote the title on the front cover of the secret manual.
Sword-Root Foundation Art.
Of course, it was no ordinary external arts method. It was a regimen that would only be truly beneficial to swordsmen. Since he was not a master of external arts, this was the best he could achieve at the moment. However, Namgung Jun wasn't being greedy. If this art could raise the overall strength of the Heavenly Sword Hall, that would be enough.
Just as he finished the secret manual for the Sword-Root Foundation Art, Lee Se-ha entered the pavilion.
"Attention!"
Her voice brought the training swordsmen to a halt. Lee Se-ha scanned the faces of the gathered members before speaking.
"The deployment of the Heavenly Sword Hall has been decided. Our mission is to support the Le'an Branch in Jiangxi Province. There is a possibility we will clash not only with the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult but also with the Iron Battle Camp."
"Hall Master. Does that mean…?"
"Yes. All currently available forces of the Heavenly Sword Hall, including myself, will deploy."
The eyes of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen gleamed.
"Jiangxi Province and the Iron Battle Camp. We must prepare for group combat."
"It's a great opportunity to test the refined Great Derivation Sword Formation."
"The timing is perfect."
As everyone's gaze focused on Namgung Jun, Lee Se-ha asked him, "Jun. What do you think? Can we deploy the refined Great Derivation Sword Formation straight into real combat?"
Namgung Jun did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked around at the gathered swordsmen. Having watched their group training every single day without fail, he soon nodded.
"There is no problem. Let us show the Jianghu our transformed Great Derivation Sword Formation."
As Namgung Jun readily nodded, the smile in Lee Se-ha's eyes deepened.
"Very well. Heavenly Sword Hall, move out!"
Led by Lee Se-ha, the entire Heavenly Sword Hall set off for Jiangxi Province.