Chapter 12

First Mission (1)

Ever since the placement examination, there was not a single senior member who did not know Namgung Jun's name—excluding the Sword Lord and a few hall masters who were away on missions.

The boy with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians sought by the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.

A sword prodigy whose talent surpassed his years.

The disciple of the Heavenly Sword Hall Master.

The swordsman who had earned the interest and favor of the Sword Demon.

All of those titles referred to Namgung Jun.

Thus, when the name of a mere First-Class Member appeared in the grand council chamber, nobody found it strange.

It had been a very long time since such a remarkable newcomer had appeared.

As a result, everyone's attention naturally turned toward the middle-aged man who spoke first.

"The boy born with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. A rare constitution unheard of in living memory, to the point that the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult coveted him obsessively."

The middle-aged man's eyes were sharply slanted, and he spoke with unwavering firmness.

His plump frame made him look more like a wealthy merchant than a martial artist, yet there was an unmistakable stubbornness about him.

At his thick waist hung a massive hand axe that seemed completely at odds with his appearance.

The fearsome axe of the Azure Heaven Society.

The master of the Crushing Sect Hall, the military force that stood at the front lines and smashed apart the Society's enemies.

The hall master continued.

"The reason we sent the Heavenly Sword Hall Master in the first place was to protect the boy and prevent him from falling into the hands of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. And now you're talking about releasing him into the martial world? If the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult learns of it, what do you think they'll do?"

Several senior members nodded in agreement.

"The Sun-Moon Demonic Cult certainly won't remain idle."

"And now that he's learned the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art from the Heavenly Sword Hall Master, the matter is even more serious."

After listening to the Crushing Sect Hall Master's opinion, Yun Gyeongjong turned his gaze toward Lee Seha.

"Heavenly Sword Hall Master. What are your thoughts regarding Namgung Jun's future?"

"I believe Namgung Jun should walk proudly through the martial world as a member of the Azure Heaven Society."

"Heavenly Sword Hall Master!"

The Crushing Sect Hall Master raised his voice, but Lee Seha continued unfazed.

"I do not view Namgung Jun as someone who needs protection."

Yun Gyeongjong asked with interest,

"Then what do you view him as?"

"A child who will someday become this Society's Divine Sword. He deserves the opportunity to fully display the talent he possesses."

Lee Seha looked directly at the Crushing Sect Hall Master.

"I accepted Namgung Jun as my disciple in order to protect his chivalric spirit."

"Not merely to keep him out of the hands of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

In response to the question, Lee Seha slowly recounted his first meeting with Namgung Jun.

The senior members remained silent after hearing the story.

"'One who does not take responsibility for his own martial path has no right to wield a sword'... He said that at his age?"

The Crushing Sect Hall Master could only mutter under his breath.

Watching the others silently contemplate Namgung Jun's words, Lee Seha added:

"He is the budding sprout of a new hero."

"He should not be hidden away in the shadows. He belongs beneath the light."

The Sword Demon, Hall Master of the Ink Wheel Hall, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke.

"You fools are only focused on what happens if that brat falls into the hands of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult."

The Sword Demon rarely spoke during meetings.

As soon as he opened his mouth, all eyes turned toward him.

"Consider the opposite possibility."

"He possesses the Nine Yin Severed Meridians and sword talent that defies common sense. Is there anyone else with such gifts or potential? Not in this room."

No one rebutted the Sword Demon's cold words.

Deep down, everyone agreed.

"You people constantly complain that we never have enough capable hands."

"And yet, when the sharpest blade imaginable falls into your lap, you don't even think about tempering it."

"Pathetic."

The Azure Heaven Society had countless enemies throughout the martial world.

The Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.

The unorthodox factions.

Even some so-called righteous sects that had abandoned proper principles.

Meanwhile, those who truly pursued justice and chivalry were few.

And when one considered both martial prowess and talent, the situation became even bleaker.

That was the point the Sword Demon was making.

A personal code of chivalry.

Talent unmatched in generations.

The finest prodigy imaginable possessed both.

And yet they were wasting the opportunity.

"Which is more likely?"

"That the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult kidnaps the brat again..."

"Or that the brat becomes so strong they cannot even dream of kidnapping him?"

The Sword Demon curled his lips into a mocking smile as he looked at the Crushing Sect Hall Master.

"My bet is on the latter."

Lee Seha emphasized Namgung Jun's chivalry.

The Sword Demon emphasized Namgung Jun's martial talent.

Both arguments were reasonable.

Kang Mong cautiously added his own thoughts.

"He possesses astonishing talent for creating martial arts."

"If that young man gains more experience and continues to grow, who knows what kind of extraordinary martial arts he might create in the future?"

"And when that happens, the Society's strength will increase as well."

In an instant, momentum shifted heavily in favor of allowing Namgung Jun to enter the martial world.

"..."

The Crushing Sect Hall Master fell silent.

It wasn't because he had been overwhelmed by Lee Seha and the Sword Demon.

Rather, he had begun reevaluating Namgung Jun himself.

Until now, he had viewed him merely as a boy with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

He had focused more on the dangerous constitution coveted by the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult than on the brilliance of the boy's talent.

Responsibility...

Now, however, he could not help but reconsider.

If Lee Seha's words were true, then Namgung Jun was a talent rarely seen even within the Azure Heaven Society.

Watching the exchange, Yun Gyeongjong stroked his beard.

So the difference lies in how one views Namgung Jun.

A future pillar of the Azure Heaven Society.

Or a potential problem that needed to be isolated from the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.

The Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.

The state of the martial world.

Namgung Jun's chivalry and talent.

The future of the Azure Heaven Society.

All of these factors had to be weighed against one another.

Setting down his teacup, Yun Gyeongjong finally struck a balance.

"However, the concerns of those opposed are also reasonable."

After a moment of thought, he continued.

"Let us permit him to enter the martial world for now."

"However, he shall be excluded from any missions related to the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult."

"Afterward, we will observe Namgung Jun's conduct and make further decisions based on what we see."

As Yun Gyeongjong skillfully moderated the situation, even those who had opposed Namgung Jun's departure into the martial world had no choice but to nod in agreement.

So the Chief of the Ink Division attended today's meeting because of this matter.

The rumors that he's taken a special interest in Namgung Jun were true.

His expectations must be extraordinarily high.

Several pavilion masters and hall masters who had silently observed the meeting became convinced of the rumors when they saw Yun Gyeongjong personally speak on Namgung Jun's behalf for the first time.

It was unprecedented for the Chief of the Ink Division to take an interest in a mere First-Class Member.

As a result, even those who had paid little attention until now found themselves engraving the name Namgung Jun firmly into their memories.

***

Meanwhile, a sparring match was underway within the Heavenly Sword Hall.

A considerable crowd had gathered around the arena, and every gaze was fixed on the same person.

Sparring matches were an everyday occurrence in the Heavenly Sword Hall.

Yet this one inevitably drew attention.

The participant was the youngest member.

A youngest member blessed with extraordinary talent.

Shhhrak!

Although fully aware that countless eyes were upon him, Namgung Jun's sword continued moving calmly, tracing elegant arcs through the air.

A strike rising upward suddenly split into countless variations, producing pale sword shadows.

The transformation filled half of one's vision in an instant.

Faced with it, the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsman could only retreat.

But Namgung Jun did not easily surrender control of the distance.

Stepping with the Infinite Step, he curved around to the side in a graceful arc.

Cutting off his opponent's movement route in advance, he slashed downward.

The strike, carrying tremendous weight, swept toward the man's left calf.

A seamless transition from illusion sword to heavy sword.

Freely utilizing the techniques of the Greater Evolution Sword Art, Namgung Jun continuously pressured his opponent.

The Heavenly Sword Hall swordsman managed to block the horizontal slash by angling his blade, but cold sweat formed on his brow as he hurried backward.

Despite using the same Greater Evolution Sword Art, the difference between them was enormous.

He's truly monstrous. How can the techniques become this refined?

Every swing of Namgung Jun's blade produced a heavy tearing sound through the air.

The force behind the strikes was unmistakable.

Considering Namgung Jun's still-underdeveloped physique, it was obvious that the power did not come from physical strength.

It came entirely from the exquisite perfection of his techniques.

Jeeong!

The swordsman deflected a thrust by drawing a semicircle with his blade.

His eyes narrowed.

His wrist tingled painfully.

For a moment, he had nearly lost his grip on the sword.

At that same instant, Namgung Jun leaned forward by half a step and launched a fierce assault.

Cloud-Breaking Seven Forms!

Recognizing the technique, the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsman immediately executed the designated counter-technique of the Greater Evolution Sword Art.

No matter how talented Namgung Jun was, he shouldn't have been able to overcome the established counter.

Whoosh!

As the swordsman redirected his blade diagonally downward from above, severing the flow of the technique—

His eyes widened.

The Cloud-Breaking Seven Forms executed by Namgung Jun were subtly different.

The counter-technique suddenly found itself blocked midway through execution.

Does he already know the counter?

Impossible.

They had only taught him the techniques of the Greater Evolution Sword Art.

They had not yet taught him its counters.

Did he figure it out on his own?

The swordsman watched in disbelief as Namgung Jun's elegant swordsmanship shattered the counter-technique itself.

Having crushed the form, Namgung Jun casually swept his sword sideways.

Kaaang!

With a sharp metallic crash, the swordsman's weapon flew from his hand and landed on the ground.

Rather than retrieving it, he simply stared blankly at Namgung Jun.

"Junior. How did you do that just now?"

"A counter-technique isn't invincible. I merely altered the sword path slightly in the middle."

"Which means..."

The swordsman trailed off.

"You're saying you created an entirely new variation."

He could not continue.

Once again, he was reminded of Namgung Jun's overwhelming talent.

The spectators felt the same.

"Techniques aren't something you can establish just by casually changing a sword path."

"No, more importantly, I can't believe he created a move that surpasses the counter-technique itself."

"This is starting to become frightening. We need to stay on our toes."

Namgung Jun had learned the Greater Evolution Sword Art only three days ago.

Yet his mastery already surpassed that of many Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen.

The speed was absurd.

Anyone seeing him for the first time would assume he had trained in the Heavenly Sword Hall for at least a year.

Watching the match, Gong Junam murmured quietly,

"Outstanding."

As they observed Namgung Jun wielding the Greater Evolution Sword Art, everyone was forced to acknowledge the truth.

A monstrous youngest member had joined their ranks.

"It seems the youngster can go on missions immediately."

"Hm. I wonder how he'll perform in real combat. Can he fully display that level of skill?"

"With talent like his, he won't be buried beneath the dust of the martial world."

Hearing the conversation around him, Lee Seha's smile deepened slightly.

"Of course Jun will succeed."

Lee Seha reviewed the missions currently assigned to the Heavenly Sword Hall.

After a moment of thought, he made a decision.

"Heo Il."

"Yes, Hall Master."

At Lee Seha's call, a man with narrow eyes lazily approached.

His slender frame made him appear light on his feet.

Each step caused his sleeves to flutter freely.

The dozens of scars concentrated on his right hand stood out vividly.

In fact, Heo Il seemed conscious of them himself, repeatedly adjusting his sleeves to conceal them.

"How about taking Jun along on a mission?"

"A mission with Young Hero Namgung? That sounds interesting."

"Make sure to teach him well."

Offering a respectful bow, Heo Il glanced at Namgung Jun as he sheathed his sword and chuckled.

Having only recently returned from a mission, he had not interacted much with the gifted newcomer.

He had already been interested in the talented youngest member.

Now a perfect opportunity had presented itself.

"Very well."

"I'll depart immediately."

And so, Namgung Jun's first mission was decided.