Chapter 9: Placement Test (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: Placement Test (3)
A thunderous roar erupted from Iron Tower Hall Master Dan Jung-se.
The moment Baekri Cheong heard it, his hand flew to his sword. His reaction speed was extraordinary.
His eyes flashed as he took in Namgung Jun's posture. Just standing there, the boy exuded a subtle, effortless composure.
To Baekri Cheong, that composure felt like an inexplicable, suffocating pressure. Yet, his body did not freeze; instead, he executed his movements with absolute precision.
‘Namgung Jun. His specialty is the heavy sword. Despite his frail physique, the Sword Force he displayed was immense.’
Perhaps due to a harsh past, Namgung Jun's body seemed far too underdeveloped for a martial artist. Yet, the power erupting from his sword was incredibly profound.
With his unexpected Sword Force, he had ended every duel in a single strike, completely shattering his opponents' weapons in the process.
Of course, Namgung Jun's opponents had been fully aware of this, but their precautions had proven utterly useless. Though each had tried their own method of defense, they were left helpless before his overwhelming Sword Force.
Despite being the youngest participant in the tournament, Namgung Jun had displayed an overwhelming level of martial prowess.
‘Outstanding sword technique. It's a natural talent. A terrifyingly formidable one at that.’
Baekri Cheong lowered his stance, firmly channeling his internal energy into his blade. He had to withstand at least one strike, no matter how powerful a heavy sword technique Namgung Jun unleashed.
‘I must win.’
Baekri Cheong recalled the Baekri Clan, which had been exterminated by the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.
To exact his revenge, he had to become far stronger.
To do that, he absolutely had to claim the tournament's grand prize and secure the opportunity to join the martial hall of his choice.
Recalling how he had barely escaped the pursuit of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult to join the Azure Heaven Association, Baekri Cheong's eyes burned with a fierce light.
‘His internal energy should be inferior to mine. I must drag this into a battle of attrition.’
The time it took to make this decision and assume his opening stance was but a mere instant—scarcely long enough to blink.
Yet, in that split second, Baekri Cheong sensed something strange in Namgung Jun's posture.
‘His center of gravity is different from before?’
Namgung Jun's right foot, which should have been his pivot, was slightly raised. Furthermore, his left shoulder was tilted forward.
Baekri Cheong realized the anomaly.
But he could not react.
Before he knew it, a blue flash of light was already thrusting straight toward his eyes.
It was as fast as a lightning strike.
It was, in every sense, a thunderclap of the sword.
‘How can this be!’
In an instant, the spreading blue radiance completely swallowed his vision.
*
Namgung Jun watched Baekri Cheong's hand immediately move toward his hilt. The opening stance exuded the profound stability characteristic of a prestigious clan.
Had any other martial artist been standing here, they would have found it incredibly difficult to pierce that solid defense, no matter what forms they unleashed.
That was how impenetrable Baekri Cheong's opening stance was.
‘Baekri Cheong. A rare rising star.’
Under normal circumstances, he was someone who could have easily won the tournament. However, Namgung Jun had no intention of letting that happen.
‘I have my master's reputation to uphold.’
Though Baekri Cheong's talent and martial prowess were outstanding, in Namgung Jun's eyes, he was no different from the rest.
He merely shone a little brighter, but he remained nothing more than a small spark that could easily be snuffed out in the palm of his hand.
An opponent for a single strike.
As Namgung Jun focused his mind, time seemed to slow.
Rustle!
He lightly stepped forward with his right foot, tilting his body slightly. His center of gravity shifted naturally.
With a subtle twist of his waist, he concentrated the full strength of his body into the hilt of his sword.
His tightly coiled muscles pulsed faintly, drawing up latent power.
Strength surged into his right hand resting on the hilt.
Because his physical conditioning was still lacking, he could only maintain this peak power for a fleeting moment—but that was more than enough.
Hum!
The Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula, dormant in his dantian, reacted.
The rapidly surging Thunder Qi raced through his meridians, piercing through the Neiguan acupoint in his right wrist and the Zhongchong acupoint in his right index finger like a bolt of lightning.
In the split second where the power drawn from his internal and external arts achieved perfect unity, Namgung Jun struck with absolute precision.
Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders.
First Form: Single Flash.
A blue bolt of lightning shot straight from the scabbard.
The elegant trajectory of the sword pierced the air in an instant, stretching toward Baekri Cheong's solar plexus as if folding space itself.
Reacting half a breath too late, Baekri Cheong tried to draw his sword, but it was futile.
Clang!
The moment Baekri Cheong's sword was drawn from its scabbard, it shattered into pieces. Not only that, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling five steps backward.
Following the ear-splitting screech of metal, a heavy silence descended. Only the belated clatter of shattered blade fragments hitting the ground broke the quiet.
"Little brother."
It was Baekri Cheong, quickly regaining his composure, who broke the silence hanging over the dueling stage.
"Wasn't your primary style the heavy sword?"
"In the Jianghu, one must always have a trump card."
"So you hid such a swift sword technique until now just for me?"
Namgung Jun gave a quiet nod. Baekri Cheong's face stiffened for a moment, but he soon let out a deep laugh.
It was a laugh filled with both helplessness and satisfaction.
"You have broadened my horizons. What is the name of that sword technique?"
"Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders."
"A martial art that will soon be renowned throughout the Jianghu. I shall remember it."
Despite suffering a crushing defeat where his sword was shattered, Baekri Cheong's expression remained unshaken. On the contrary, there was a noble dignity in the way he proudly offered a cupped-fist salute.
"I, Baekri, admit defeat."
"It was a good duel."
Namgung Jun responded in kind, clasping his hands with disciplined grace.
"Good heavens."
"It ended in the blink of an eye."
"To end every single duel with just one strike!"
The martial artists of the Azure Heaven Association, who had been watching the scene in a daze, finally snapped out of it and erupted into thunderous applause.
They offered words of consolation to Baekri Cheong, who had gracefully accepted his defeat and acknowledged his opponent.
And they showered praise upon Namgung Jun, who had demonstrated overwhelming martial prowess by finishing every duel in a single strike.
"Namgung Jun! Namgung Jun, you say! Where is he from?"
"Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders! What sect does that martial art belong to? To think such an exquisite swift sword technique existed!"
"Who on earth brought that boy here?"
Thud!
Iron Tower Hall Master Dan Jung-se, who had been acting as the referee, stepped onto the center of the stage and stood between Baekri Cheong and Namgung Jun.
"The winner is Namgung Jun! The champion of this tournament is Namgung Jun!"
As Dan Jung-se raised Namgung Jun's hand, another wave of cheers erupted.
Countless congratulations poured in, but Namgung Jun's gaze was fixed on only one place.
It was Lee Se-ha, who sat among the Hall Masters with a pleased smile on her face.
‘Did you see that, Master?’
‘My disciple. Well done.’
The master and disciple understood each other with just a single look.
*
The champion of the tournament had been decided.
All the newly recruited Clouds who had participated in the tournament lined up, and the winner, Namgung Jun, stood upon the platform.
On the platform stood the Hall Masters who had been spectating the tournament, along with Kang Mong of the Ink Fragrance Department.
Approaching Namgung Jun, Kang Mong held out a wooden box.
"This is your reward for winning the tournament."
Kang Mong opened the box himself to show him.
The moment the box was opened, a pungent, earthy aroma wafted out.
Inside lay a massive Fleeceflower Root, as thick as an adult man's forearm.
"It is quite large."
"Indeed. It is a three-hundred-year-old Fleeceflower Root."
At Kang Mong's words, the new Clouds lined up below the platform let out quiet gasps of admiration.
A three-hundred-year-old Fleeceflower Root would be better than most spirit elixirs. Consuming it would immediately grant a substantial amount of internal energy.
In contrast, Namgung Jun's eyes remained calm and undisturbed.
‘He maintains his composure even when looking at such a spirit elixir.’
Kang Mong shook his head in amazement at Namgung Jun's indifferent expression.
Between the astonishing martial prowess he had displayed in the tournament and his ability to keep his emotions so thoroughly concealed, the boy seemed far older than his years.
Handing the wooden box containing the Fleeceflower Root to Namgung Jun, Kang Mong stepped aside and spoke.
"You must be well aware of the second reward."
As the champion of the tournament, Namgung Jun was given the privilege of choosing whichever of the Ten Halls he wished to join.
Before he could make his choice, the Hall Masters began an endless barrage of recruitment pitches, each eager to draw him into their respective halls.
"I promise we will pour all of our resources into you."
"Our hall's martial arts will suit you perfectly."
"The Flying Swiftness Hall is considered one of the Three Powerhouses among the Ten Halls. If you aim to claim the seat of the Sword Lord in the future, there is no better starting point."
Namgung Jun did not rush, calmly processing the Hall Masters' words.
‘Sword Lord.’
Within the Azure Heaven Association, there were ten halls, collectively referred to as the Sword Fragrance Department.
The Sword Fragrance Department was the elite military force and the primary strength of the Azure Heaven Association.
The title of "Sword Lord" referred to the position that oversaw the entire Sword Fragrance Department and represented the ultimate martial might of the Azure Heaven Association.
‘A position I must reach one day.’
Namgung Jun had no intention of settling for being a mere Hall Master.
Judging by the atmosphere, a Hall Master was indeed a high rank within the Azure Heaven Association, but it was not enough.
He had to rise to a position where he could command the entire strength of the Ten Halls—the entire Sword Fragrance Department—to properly face the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.
While the Hall Masters showered him with all kinds of temptations, Lee Se-ha sat quietly by herself.
With her legs elegantly crossed, she simply watched with a pleased expression as the other Hall Masters passionately tried to win Namgung Jun over.
Once the other Hall Masters had finished their pitches, Lee Se-ha, who had been staring off into the distance, slowly turned her gaze toward Namgung Jun.
Her sheer composure was so pronounced that even a few of the Hall Masters who had been passionately speaking to Namgung Jun began to sense something amiss.
Then, Namgung Jun, who had not budged an inch, slowly shifted his gaze toward Lee Se-ha. The eyes of a few sharp-witted unit leaders twitched anxiously.
"I will join the Heavenly Sword Hall."
Namgung Jun's quiet declaration was like a bolt from the blue.
In particular, the two Hall Masters who had been speaking most passionately whipped their heads toward Lee Se-ha.
"Lee Se-ha! You didn't pull some underhanded trick behind our backs, did you?"
"Heavenly Sword Hall Master, we find this situation hard to understand."
Lee Se-ha gently tilted her bamboo hat and spoke in a cold voice.
"Namgung Jun is my disciple. Is there any further explanation needed?"
The Hall Masters narrowed their eyes, looking back and forth between Lee Se-ha and Namgung Jun.
"Your disciple?"
"Now that you mention it, that faint aura radiating from him… isn't it the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula?"
"Hmm. Aside from his sword, his ability to conceal his internal energy is also extraordinary."
Realizing the situation, the Hall Masters wore expressions of bitter disappointment.
"I am grateful for all of your offers, but my greatest desire is to join the same hall as my master."
Namgung Jun bowed politely to the other Hall Masters and spoke with confidence.
"First Cloud Namgung Jun requests to join the Heavenly Sword Hall."
"And I, Heavenly Sword Hall Master Lee Se-ha, grant permission."
And so, master and disciple were united in the same hall.
The other Hall Masters could only look on with envy.
"To think we let the champion slip through our fingers like this."
"Sigh. And here I was, hoping to recruit a decent newcomer this time."
*
The Heavenly Sword Hall—its name meaning "the place that contemplates the sword"—was the only group among the Ten Halls composed entirely of swordsmen.
As a gathering of those obsessed with the blade, their pride in their swordsmanship was immense.
They went so far as to refuse to recognize any newcomer as a member of the hall unless their sword technique surpassed a certain threshold.
"Did you hear? The newcomer we're getting this time is the Hall Master's disciple."
"Isn't it a bit early for her to take a disciple? The Hall Master has only just turned twenty-two."
"Age matters little to martial artists. As long as there is the ability to teach and a fated bond, that is enough."
Each of the Heavenly Sword Hall's swordsmen was filled with anticipation for the incoming recruit. This was especially true since it had been a very long time since they had last welcomed a newcomer.
"By the way, what are we doing for the welcoming ritual?"
"Since he's the Hall Master's disciple, shouldn't we just let it slide?"
"Even so, what must be done, must be done."
The whispering swordsmen suddenly fell silent. They had sensed a presence beyond the main gate.
The main gate of the Heavenly Sword Hall swung open, and Namgung Jun stepped inside alone.
Whoosh!
The moment Namgung Jun crossed the threshold, sharp Qi Waves erupted from all directions.
An oppressive pressure, as if countless invisible blades were rushing toward him, slammed into his body.
It was intense enough to make the hem of his robes flutter.
Any ordinary newcomer would have been overwhelmed and frozen in place. Yet, Namgung Jun showed no sign of stopping.
Walking with a calm, steady stride, he stood at the center of the dueling stage. He looked at the swordsmen scattered around him and slowly placed his hand on his hilt.
"A swordsman speaks through his sword."
Shring!
Namgung Jun stepped forward boldly, meeting the collective gaze of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen without flinching.
"Draw your swords and step forward."
Namgung Jun's clear, resonant voice echoed across the dueling stage.