Chapter 413
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 413
Chapter Title: Not Exactly the Same
Full Moon Harmony Heart Method. Myriad Flowers Moonfall Sword Dance.
A single heart method and a single sword art.
Power emanated from these two.
A force that pierced through both simultaneously.
And one that was all too familiar to Ha Mu-baek.
That was why he called it a coincidence.
Ever since encountering Hyunhwang.
He had kept sensing such powers.
Ha Mu-baek fell into slight confusion.
'Aren't these fragments supposed to exist only singly?'
The fragments born when the primordial split into six.
By the information Ha Mu-baek had gathered so far, he had obtained three in their complete form.
So he had assumed those three had vanished from the world.
But no.
Right here.
One of the ones he had acquired was dormant within these martial arts.
Half in the heart method, half in the sword dance.
Master both to the pinnacle, and one would gain a complete fragment.
'Yeon Baek-un spotted this martial art, of all things.'
As Ha Mu-baek's expression grew increasingly grave, Yeon Ha-min's heart pounded wildly.
It couldn't be, but she feared a negative response from him.
'A martial art containing a complete Yeoui.'
Ha Mu-baek was quite surprised.
He had never imagined another martial art bearing the essence of Yeoui.
'Not exactly the same.'
Upon closer inspection, differences emerged.
It resembled the Yeoui of the Extreme Nothingness Yeoui Heart Method and Extreme Nothingness Eight Ultimate Sword Breakdown, but with an additional transformation.
That transformation was...
'The Abyss. Its presence or absence.'
He couldn't be entirely certain, but there was a high chance the Abyss would tempt her.
The Myriad Flowers Moonfall Sword Dance.
Unlike the Extreme Nothingness Eight Ultimate Sword Breakdown, reaching its utmost realm seemed likely to awaken the Abyss.
He sensed that vibe from the energy embedded in the formulas.
'Primordial fragments. There might be far more than I thought.'
He had believed only six existed in all the world.
But they might be scattered everywhere, disguised in other martial arts under different names and forms.
Unknown in their true nature.
Ha Mu-baek, lost in deep thought and momentarily forgetting Yeon Ha-min's presence, pulled his gaze from the manual and looked at her.
She stared back with a face full of tension.
"An excellent martial art."
Yeon Ha-min gave a slight smile at Ha Mu-baek's acknowledgment.
"I'll check on your progress from time to time."
Her smile deepened.
"But first, one piece of advice."
Yeon Ha-min nodded slightly.
"If you master this art and reach a high realm, something might speak to you from within your mindscape."
It was incomprehensible.
Mindscape?
A being speaking from the mindscape?
At her current level, it was hard to grasp.
"You'll come to understand naturally upon reaching that realm. But whatever you do, do not yield to its temptations. It's nothing but a heart demon."
At the words "heart demon," Yeon Ha-min nodded solemnly.
She knew well how dangerous heart demons were in martial cultivation.
"Good."
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"We'll start tomorrow, then. Go rest. It's far too late."
Ha Mu-baek had examined the manual for about two hours.
Night had deepened toward Jugseong.
He had come here initially to send her inside.
But sensing an unexpected presence in the manual had delayed him further.
"Proper rest is part of training, too."
With that, Ha Mu-baek departed.
Left alone in the training ground.
Yeon Ha-min couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Proper rest is part of training.
Any other instructor might say it, but coming from Ha Mu-baek, it struck her as funny.
He was the one who pushed them the hardest, after all.
Though the Jigunwi instructor was no slouch either.
'Or maybe not?'
Thinking back, Ha Mu-baek had never trained them until this late.
No, surviving his training until this hour was impossible.
They would collapse from exhaustion and pass out in the dorms long before.
If that counted as rest.
He did ensure they got proper downtime.
'Still, I should wash up.'
She glanced at her sweat-soaked training robes.
The night breeze was chilly.
The damp sweat chilled her skin in the wind.
Yeon Ha-min hurried toward Graceful Dragon Dormitory.
Around noon.
At the Devouring Dragon Pavilion, scattered across the four Dragon Training Pavilions.
In front of it.
A small commotion stirred among the cadets of Hidden Dragon Corps, Wa Dragon Corps, and Fierce Dragon Corps.
It was inevitable.
Due to the large notice plastered on the wall.
Its content announced that the Summer Combat Festival was being moved up by half a month.
In other words.
Not on the winter solstice, but on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
And the reason was written below.
"Field training? What's that?"
A puzzled Hidden Dragon Corps cadet.
"So, experiencing the real world during the break? What about the break, then?"
A Wa Dragon Corps cadet frowning.
"If the training site's the Demon-Sealing Corps, isn't that a big deal?"
A worried Hidden Dragon Corps cadet.
Amid their murmurs, the Fierce Dragon Corps cadets remained composed.
They were excluded from the field training.
Naturally, since their destination was already set.
Their name remained Fierce Dragon Corps as well.
The Fierce Dragon Corps cadets' attention was elsewhere.
On the now earlier Summer Combat Festival.
Would a Fierce Dragon Corps champion emerge again?
They trained together in group sessions, so they knew well.
How strong the second-year Squad Seven cadets of Fierce Dragon Corps were.
Strong enough to dominate Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon Corps and claim victory.
Being in the same Fierce Dragon Corps filled them with pride.
"You entering the Summer Combat Festival?"
Joo Woo-myeong asked Baek Ri-pyeong.
The previous tournament's champion asking the runner-up.
Baek Ri-pyeong shrugged.
Honestly, he wasn't sure.
What was the point?
"I hope you'll join us."
Then Namgung Ji-hu's voice came from behind.
"Don't commit the atrocity of winning twice and skipping the third."
Namgung Ji-hu said with a sly smile.
His aura was different.
Brimming with confidence.
Confidence backed by substance.
"Maybe it's best to quit while you're ahead with two wins. Pyeong."
Dang Jin-san chimed in.
His face full of mischief.
"We've got more important things than the festival to prepare for."
But his follow-up had merit.
Moving up the festival might advance their trip to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"I'm in."
Dan Mok Un-roe.
He gripped his sword hilt tightly.
Last year, he knew only Three Talents Arts and shield techniques.
But now was different.
He wanted to test his swordsmanship firsthand.
"Me too."
Yeon Ha-min seemed the same.
She stated her intent briefly.
A smile tugged at Namgung Ji-hu's lips.
Two out of seven committing; likely most others would too.
Joo Woo-myeong nodded.
"Guess I'll join."
Baek Ri-pyeong decided to participate.
"I'm out."
Dang Jin-san shook his head.
"Last year's experience is enough for me."
Dang Jin-san smiled.
He assessed his abilities objectively.
He had grown leaps and bounds since last year.
But his comrades had grown even more ridiculously.
"I-I'll give it a shot."
Ha Seol-ran.
"Last year ended before I even knew what was happening... It left me with regrets."
She clenched her fist with resolve.
"I'm sitting it out."
Nak Woo-jin.
The only one among them still practicing only Three Talents Arts and named techniques.
Even as Dan Mok Un-roe and Yeon Ha-min gained new arts.
He hadn't, so he saw no point in certain defeat.
Though he too had grown much stronger.
Five out of seven.
"Well, my sister said she's not joining this time either."
Namgung Ji-hu remarked.
The six who decided to enter, including Namgung Ji-hu, exchanged glances in the air.
A thick smile formed on Namgung Ji-hu's lips.
"See you at the festival, then."
"You coming to watch the jiangshi training?"
Dang Jin-san called out to Namgung Ji-hu, who was about to leave.
He had been focused solely on internal energy cultivation.
But when practical jiangshi training resumed, Namgung Ji-hu would return, he figured.
Namgung Ji-hu paused at the question.
"That's that, and the festival's the festival."
With that, he hurried off.
"Alright, let's grab lunch and gear up for more training."
Namgung Ji-hu had been exiting Devouring Dragon Pavilion; they had spotted the notice while entering.
After lunch.
The Fierce Dragon Corps cadets gathered at the grand training hall were all immersed in meditative circulation.
Aside from Squad Seven and a few first-years from sects who had joined Fierce Dragon Corps anyway, everyone else cultivated the Three Talents Heart Method.
A heart method notoriously slow in building internal energy.
Yet Ha Mu-baek's Half-Liang Clear Spirit Decoction worked its magic, piling up an unbelievable amount of energy in their dantians.
Ha Mu-baek scanned the cadets' internal energy states with Infinite Bright Wheel Eye active.
His gaze lingered on Squad Seven.
"Hm."
A low hum.
Now that even Yeon Ha-min had a new art, Nak Woo-jin was the only one in the squad still solely on Three Talents Heart Method.
'What to do with that one...'
A new dilemma arose.
The Full Moon Harmony Heart Method.
True to its Yeoui-infused nature, its effects were astounding.
Even at Yeon Ha-min's low level, her internal energy grew at a tremendous pace.
Leaving Nak Woo-jin inevitably lagging behind.
But.
Giving him a suitable heart method was tricky.
There were concerns.
He hadn't verified that aspect yet.
Moreover, Ha Mu-baek's position was Squad Seven instructor and chief instructor of Fierce Dragon Corps.
A role overseeing all cadets.
He couldn't teach a different heart method just to one.
It might be seen as favoritism toward others in Fierce Dragon Corps.
Responding to requests for advice on their arts was fine.
But proactively offering different ones? No.
Especially since none were his sect disciples.
Nearly two hundred Fierce Dragon Corps cadets.
Talents were already diverging among them.
Despite the same heart method and elixir.
Their accumulated internal energy varied.
Differences in aptitude.
'Some are nearing the wall.'
Ha Mu-baek's gaze paused on a few cadets.
The first to catch his eye.
'Cho Mu-ha, was it?'
He had seen him training with Squad Seven a few times.
A first-year, yet progressing fastest.
'Guide him a bit, and he'll breakthrough soon.'
Unrivaled talent.
He had a solid foundation from his sect, and cultivated his sect's heart method, not Three Talents.
Thus, superior in every way.
Even among second-years, some matched Cho Mu-ha's talent.
Their absolute energy lagged due to heart method limits.
One unassuming female cadet.
One burly male cadet.
One diminutive, agile male cadet.
These three drew Ha Mu-baek's attention.
All slated for Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest soon.
At this rate.
A few days, and they might reach sword aura.
Of course, with guidance.
Thus, another day passed into night.
Training time ended; cadets ceased circulation.
"From tomorrow, we'll alternate circulation and sparring."
With that, Ha Mu-baek vanished from the platform.
No one left after him.
They resumed lotus positions and circulation.
Hooked on the thrill of growing internal energy.
Among them.
One.
Only Yeon Ha-min stopped, rose, and headed to Squad Seven's training ground.
Time to practice her swordsmanship.
Circulation mattered, but so did mastering Myriad Flowers Moonfall Sword Dance.
While swinging her sword, skipping dinner.
Ha Mu-baek appeared.
His brows furrowed.
"Eating well is training too."
Pointing out her skipped meal.
His gaze turned to the grand hall.
"Those kids too. Tsk."
Clicking his tongue in disapproval.
"From tomorrow, I'll lay down the law properly."
With that, Ha Mu-baek looked at Yeon Ha-min.
"Show me."
Yeon Ha-min straightened the sword she had halted upon his arrival.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation for his guidance as her sword began its slow starting form.