Chapter 92: Intensive Training (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Intensive Training (2)
Namgung Jun drew his sword.
Like Heo Il, he assumed the Opening Stance of the Great Derivation Sword Technique.
The two swordsmen moved slowly in a circle, observing each other. Just as their positions swapped, Heo Il made the first move.
His footwork was stealthy and swift, his feet tapping lightly on the ground as he lunged forward. In stark contrast to his silent approach, the sword in his right hand cut through the air with a chilling whistle.
Swoosh!
A sword strike, imbued with the subtle principles of the Swift Sword, thrust toward the right side of Namgung Jun's shoulder.
In response, Namgung Jun twisted his waist in the opposite direction and thrust his sword diagonally. It was the exact same Swift Sword form of the Great Derivation Sword Technique.
Deflecting the blade rushing in from the side, Namgung Jun spun his body, drawing a large half-circle. The accelerated strike lunged fiercely, but Heo Il managed to parry it completely. Even so, he was left gasping for air as he prepared a counterattack.
The rapid sword strikes clashed relentlessly, scattering sparks in all directions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, they exchanged over a dozen blows, yet neither blade managed to touch the other’s body.
However, it was Heo Il who was pushed back. Namgung Jun, holding his sword in a mid-level guard, stood his ground firmly.
As the distance between them naturally widened, Namgung Jun extended his sword forward and executed the Infinite Steps. A thrust shot toward Heo Il's chest in the blink of an eye. Heo Il's shoulders flinched at the strike, which had exquisitely pierced the fleeting moment the distance had shifted.
‘Incredibly sharp.’
Was it because this duel was being treated as a life-or-death battle? The forms Namgung Jun was unleashing were far more threatening and fierce than in their usual spars. He pressed on relentlessly, giving no openings whatsoever, driving his opponent into a corner with absolute ruthlessness.
His movements were a seamless blend of a veteran’s experience and refined sword techniques, creating a dense, bloodthirsty offensive.
‘Still, I can’t just let him push me back.’
Heo Il extended his left hand forward to block Namgung Jun's lethal thrust.
Watching this, a spark of interest flickered in Namgung Jun's eyes.
‘Senior Heo. You’ve completely abandoned hidden weapons now.’
The Heo Il of old would have responded by throwing daggers or other hidden weapons. But the man before him was moving in a way that completely defied his expectations.
Heo Il pressed his left palm against the flat of his diagonally extended blade and channeled his internal energy. It was a textbook defensive maneuver for a swordsman.
Crash!
Deflecting the thrust that flickered with blue light, Heo Il's sword bent sharply, letting out a heavy groan. He scrambled to disperse the impact surging through the blade, recalling the subtle principles of the Soft-Sword Principle contained within the Great Derivation Sword Technique. Otherwise, his sword would have snapped in an instant.
"Senior Heo. I'm keeping up the pressure," Namgung Jun said, continuing to push his sword forward with a powerful grip.
Heo Il could not afford to reply.
The Eternal Righteous Sword, which had been pressing down horizontally against his blade, suddenly shifted upright, its weight growing progressively heavier.
The Heavy Sword form of the Great Derivation Sword Technique was being unleashed.
Under the massive pressure surging through the sword, Heo Il's feet began to slide backward. Yet, he did not avoid the contest of strength.
‘I can do this.’
Normally, he would have avoided a head-on clash and resorted to the cheap tricks he had learned in his youth. Even now, dozens of such tricks flashed through his mind. Although he knew the duel would be much easier if he used them, Heo Il refused.
He put his faith in the external arts he had tempered with the Sword-Root Foundation Art and his newly acquired sword techniques.
Heo Il knew. If he continued to rely on the cheap tricks he had been forced to learn from that old man, he would never reach his desired realm.
Therefore, he discarded his cheap tricks and chose the sword. It was a drastic change, but he had no regrets. Even if his martial prowess stagnated or even regressed for now, he believed this was the correct path in the long run.
Heo Il looked at the boy who had inspired him to make this choice. Namgung Jun's very existence had undoubtedly been a massive influence on him.
"Young Hero Namgung. Here I come again," Heo Il declared, steeling his resolve as he thrust his sword forward.
Whoosh!
A succession of strikes from the Great Derivation Sword Technique enveloped him, each accompanied by a heavy, biting wind from the blade. The blows were so heavy that a single clean hit would have surely broken his bones.
Heo Il tightened his grip on his sword, parrying and deflecting again and again. Dealing with the assault using only the Great Derivation Sword Technique was incredibly difficult, but he somehow managed to keep up.
‘I see. So this is how that form was meant to be executed.’
As he met Namgung Jun's forms head-on, realizations bubbled to the surface. Heo Il did not let the opportunity slip away, focusing his concentration to engrave every detail deep into his mind.
Namgung Jun watched Heo Il, who was parrying his attacks, albeit precariously.
‘Senior Heo’s achievement in the Great Derivation Sword Technique was only at the seventh stage.’
But the mastery he was displaying now was clearly far beyond that. He was holding his own against the grand completion stage of the Great Derivation Sword Technique. He wasn't just parrying, either; he was visibly attempting to absorb and integrate the forms into his own swordplay.
With each attempt, Heo Il's focus blurred and sharpened in repetition.
‘Good.’
Though not quite in a selfless state, Heo Il was deeply immersed in the duel, swinging his sword with absolute focus.
Clang!
After fiercely contesting over seventy exchanges, the two swordsmen's blades finally parted. Heo Il caught his ragged breath and looked at Namgung Jun, who was no longer extending his sword.
"If you properly digest what you learned from today's duel, you should achieve a breakthrough soon. It would be best to focus on meditation for the rest of the day."
"Whew. Thank you, Young Hero Namgung."
Heo Il slumped to the ground right where he stood. He couldn't help it. As the tension and concentration dissolved, all strength drained from his body. A wave of fatigue washed over him, as if he had been swinging his sword for seven days and nights straight.
Namgung Jun handed a canteen of water to him. "Are you completely giving up on cheap tricks now?"
"Yes. I always knew I'd have to discard them someday. It’s better to cast them aside completely right now."
Namgung Jun didn't view such tricks as entirely bad. After all, the power of any technique depended on the martial artist using it. However, since Heo Il had no intention of delving deeper into those tricks or combining them with his swordplay, they were nothing more than a nuisance. Furthermore, regardless of their utility, Heo Il seemed to harbor an outright hatred for them, so it was indeed for the best that he let them go.
"Whew." After drinking some water and catching his breath, Heo Il looked up at Namgung Jun. "Are you alright, Young Hero Namgung?"
"Of course."
Heo Il's eyes flickered with a dark light as he scanned Namgung Jun from head to toe. For him, the duel was over; he only needed to review its details or practice the Great Derivation Sword Technique alone until the next session.
But Namgung Jun was different. He was facing the swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall one after another without a single break. Moreover, since he was conducting intense, life-or-death duels with an iron sword, the drain on his mental and physical strength must have been immense. Yet, he proceeded without even the slightest disruption in his breathing, as if this, too, was part of his intensive training.
"I know you can take care of yourself, Young Hero Namgung, but I worry you might be overexerting yourself."
"Haha, I am fine."
Watching Namgung Jun smile, Heo Il nodded.
"Ugh." Heo Il groaned as he forced himself to stand. Namgung Jun and the other swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall were all running at full speed for the upcoming evaluation. He couldn't just sit around, either. Catching his breath was more than enough rest.
"I still have a long way to go."
Just as Namgung Jun had advised, Heo Il was aiming for the grand completion of the Great Derivation Sword Technique. That would be the first step toward discarding his past and moving forward as a true swordsman.
*
By the time the sparring sessions for the Sword-Root Foundation Art and the Great Derivation Sword Technique concluded, the sun would usually have set. Even so, the daily routine of the Heavenly Sword Hall's intensive training was not yet over.
"The moon is exceptionally bright tonight. I think we can proceed without torches."
"That has a nice atmosphere to it."
"It looks like we're about to start. Everyone, gather 'round."
Using the moonlight as their lamp, the swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall sat cross-legged around Namgung Jun.
It was time for the finale of their training routine: the Sword Discussion. To be precise, it was a forum to discuss the Sword-Root Foundation Art and the Great Derivation Sword Technique. Although Namgung Jun was paying close attention, it was inevitable that he might miss some details while overseeing the entire Heavenly Sword Hall by himself. This gathering was designed for them to share what they struggled with during the day's training, find answers together, and receive further guidance from Namgung Jun.
"Maknae. I'm stuck on the Lake-Cliff Jade Spiral form of the Great Derivation Sword Technique. It's supposed to add rotation using the principles of the Swift Sword, but it's hard to stabilize my body. If I relax my strength, it just ends up looking like a clumsy dance..."
"Senior Cheong, you need to focus more on your sword rather than your balance. You're so focused on your posture that your sword path is becoming distorted. When rotation is added to that, it manifests as a massive imbalance."
Namgung Jun answered the questions of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen one by one. This was of immense help not only to the questioner but also to the other swordsmen, as they were all practicing the same martial arts and might encounter the exact same issues.
Namgung Jun did not stop at merely answering questions. "The forms scattered throughout the Great Derivation Sword Technique often feel disconnected. This is because the intent and flow embedded in each form diverge. In such cases, how can we execute them as smoothly as flowing water?"
The topic he presented was quite difficult, and no one could answer easily. This was especially true since the question had arisen from the daytime duels. Even if it wasn't their own issue, the swordsmen fell deep into thought, for none of them had perfectly mastered the Great Derivation Sword Technique yet. Enlightenment could come from the most unexpected places.
Questions flooded in one after another, but Namgung Jun answered them all without a single hitch. Quite a few people were astonished by this. Having outstanding talent and being able to teach were two entirely different things. Highly gifted individuals, in particular, often failed to understand where ordinary people got stuck.
But Namgung Jun was different. He was logical and eloquent, as if he had extensive experience teaching others. He would even pose questions that seemed to peer directly into their minds before they could ask, leaving the swordsmen amazed.
Under the moonlight, the Sword Discussion continued endlessly.
‘It is fine if they do not understand right away.’
Namgung Jun guided the swordsmen to ponder endlessly, constantly feeding them new topics to contemplate. If they kept wrestling with these topics, they would eventually find the answers.
The Sword-Root Foundation Art, the duels, and the Sword Discussion. Throughout the day-long routine, Namgung Jun rarely rested. His only break was when he ate. Yet, he did not find it exhausting. On the contrary, it reminded him of his days at the Namcheon Palace, and he found himself enjoying it.
‘It was like this back then, too.’
He had spent his days bustling about with his disciples. It was no different now. His position had changed from master to companion, but the act of passing on enlightenment remained the same. If there was one difference, it was that the experiences of the Sword Emperor and Namgung Jun had blended together, allowing for a more flexible way of thinking.
Namgung Jun observed the faces of his companions gathered under the moonlight. It had been a truly grueling day, but everyone participated passionately in the Sword Discussion as if they didn't mind at all. Though their bodies were exhausted, the swordsmen smiled brightly as they freely shared their respective martial theories.
The occasional murmurs of contemplation, the sound of conversation, and the intermittent chirping of insects seeped into the depths of the night. For any martial artist, the process of seeking their own Martial Path was a joyous one. Furthermore, with like-minded companions walking beside them, how could they not be happy? The very act of kindred spirits gathering to share their thoughts seemed to melt away their fatigue.
‘These moments, too, are what made me who I am today.’
Namgung Jun wore a faint smile as he looked at the lively expressions of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen illuminated by the moonlight.
And so, the Sword Discussion came to an end.
Everyone returned to their quarters, but Namgung Jun remained alone in the training ground. He intended to engage in a brief personal training session.
The five sword techniques, starting with the Great Derivation Sword Technique. Namgung Jun unleashed them one after another. He didn't just stop at alternating between them. Even if there was no immediate breakthrough, it did not matter. It was both a path to elevate his mastery of each individual sword technique and an attempt to forge a new one.
*
Every day was a repetition of the same training. Nevertheless, time flew by. The swordsmen, in particular, felt the passage of time even more acutely. They would wake up one morning to find their skills had grown by leaps and bounds.
While the intensity of the training played a part, it was Namgung Jun's guidance that made such an explosive rate of progress possible. They were already diligent individuals to begin with, but with Namgung Jun pinpointing their every flaw and answering their every question, their growth naturally exploded.
Before they knew it, three months had swiftly passed.
The evaluation of their strength was now just around the corner.