Chapter 23
Training (6)
Even in the middle of the night, Namgung Jun’s training did not stop.
After completing his external-body training, eating dinner, and taking a brief nap, he immediately returned to the training grounds and began swinging his sword.
Whooong!
A heavy sound of air splitting accompanied each swing.
He was not using internal qi, nor was he applying the principles of the heavy sword.
The blade was moved through nothing but pure physical strength.
Even so, the force contained within his sword was far from light.
It was the result of his recent external-body training.
He still had a long way to go, but compared to the past, the improvement was remarkable.
“You've improved a lot.”
Moonlight filtered through Lee Seha’s long eyelashes as she sat nearby watching him train.
Reflected in her silver-lit eyes, her disciple looked vastly different from how he had appeared three months ago.
He had gained enough weight that he no longer looked skeletal, and muscle had gradually begun to form.
Anyone could see that his body was becoming healthier.
He was still far from possessing the physique of a true martial artist, but considering how recently he had begun practicing martial arts, his rate of growth was astonishing.
Despite his lack of physical conditioning, he displayed such martial prowess through sheer talent and swordsmanship alone.
What would happen once he acquired a fully developed martial body?
Lee Seha found herself unable to look away from Namgung Jun’s achievements, which visibly changed day by day.
“Jun, give it a little more time and you'll become handsome enough to charm most women without even trying.”
“Master, do you think I’ll have time for that?”
“You never know. You might find yourself surrounded by romantic troubles even if you don't want them. And when that happens, don't come asking this master for help.”
Despite Lee Seha’s teasing, Namgung Jun merely continued swinging his sword without changing his expression.
“Don't worry.”
Even at his curt reply, Lee Seha chuckled and rested her chin on both hands.
Most boys his age would have become embarrassed or flustered.
Yet Namgung Jun did not waver in the slightest.
He was like an old man trapped in a young body.
And yet there was something reassuring about that mature composure.
It was another strength unique to Namgung Jun.
“Jun is so stubbornly straightforward that it worries me.”
Her cheerful muttering was no different from the sound of the wind to Namgung Jun.
His master's occasional comments and advice blended with the sound of his sword cutting through the air.
Moonlight danced between master and disciple.
The quiet scene felt like a solitary banquet held deep in the night.
Whooong—
The first sword art Namgung Jun had created in this life was the Thirteen Flash Lightning Swords.
Yet the sword art he had chosen as the foundation of his training was the Great Abyss Sword Art.
The Great Abyss Sword Art possessed the potential to branch into every major path of swordsmanship:
Fast Sword, Heavy Sword, Illusion Sword, Blunt Sword, Soft Sword, and more.
For Namgung Jun, who wished to explore the essence of the sword itself, it was the ideal foundation.
When slashing sideways, the calf muscles should remain more flexible, while the oblique muscles along the waist must stand firm like pillars.
Namgung Jun was reorganizing everything he had learned from Dan Jungse—the names of muscles, the principles of external-body cultivation—from the perspective of a swordsman.
And the tool he used to actively apply those lessons was the Great Abyss Sword Art.
With the mindset of rebuilding his fundamentals from the ground up, he sought to elevate his mastery of the Great Abyss Sword Art beyond Great Mastery and into the realm of Ultimate Mastery.
External-body training at Iron Tower Hall during the day.
Reconstructing external-body principles as a swordsman at night.
Such had become Namgung Jun’s daily routine.
After watching his training until the end, Lee Seha nodded.
“If your contribution points were high enough, you could take the promotion examination immediately.”
“Master, are there advantages to being promoted?”
“Of course.”
Lee Seha idly played with her hair, dark as the night sky.
She seemed amused that Namgung Jun was finally showing a hint of interest in what she was saying.
“The quality of supplies improves—elixirs, uniforms, weapons, that sort of thing. You also gain the right to volunteer for missions.”
“You mean I can choose the missions I want?”
Lee Seha nodded.
“You can't reject missions assigned by the Ink Fragrance Division outright, but you can request priority for missions you prefer.”
“I see.”
When living in the martial world, grudges and obligations naturally accumulated.
Even the members of the Azure Sky Society often acted according to their own debts and vendettas.
“Besides that, your rank determines your range of authority, influence, and the information you can access. Naturally, it will also help you overcome the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”
Holding his sword horizontally as he thrust forward, Namgung Jun nodded.
Moreover, if he intended to oppose the Sun Moon Demonic Cult in the future, he would need to raise his rank as much as possible.
Small-scale missions were one thing.
But in major campaigns and province-wide conflicts, influence based on rank would become essential.
As Namgung Jun's eyes shone fiercely with renewed determination, Lee Seha smiled.
“It makes me imagine you one day wielding the Uicheon Sword. Though no matter how much it's you, Jun, I can't yield the Uicheon Sword.”
The moment he heard those words, Namgung Jun froze.
The name was far too familiar.
For a moment, he thought he had misheard.
“Did you just say the Uicheon Sword?”
“Yes. The Uicheon Sword. Ah, did you not know?”
For the first time, the sword that had been tirelessly slicing through the air came to a complete stop.
Namgung Jun fixed his gaze entirely on Lee Seha and waited for her answer.
Seeing his reaction, Lee Seha tilted her head before continuing.
“You know that the leader of the Sword Fragrance Division is called the Sword Lord, don't you?”
“Yes.”
“In the martial world, the title Uicheon Sword Lord is far more famous. The fact that the Uicheon Sword itself is one of the rarest divine swords under heaven certainly contributes to that.”
“The Uicheon Sword Lord...”
A pure white sword that looked as though it had been forged from freshly fallen snow.
A blue jade ornament carved in the shape of a cloud embedded in the scabbard.
And four engraved characters upon the blade:
皆充義天 — All Beneath Heaven Filled with Righteousness.
Based on Lee Seha’s description, it was undoubtedly the very same Uicheon Sword he had wielded in his previous life.
He would need to see it with his own eyes to be certain.
Yet Namgung Jun already knew.
His intuition told him that it was unquestionably his former beloved sword.
The Uicheon Sword remained within the Azure Sky Society as well?
It was something he had suspected for a long time.
The Azure Sky Society and the Southern Heavenly Palace were clearly connected in some profound way.
As his rank rose and his position expanded, he would naturally learn the origins of the Azure Sky Society.
“The Uicheon Sword...”
Namgung Jun could feel his heart pounding violently.
The possibility of reuniting with the sword that had accompanied him throughout his previous life filled him with anticipation.
No sword ever suited my hand as perfectly as the Uicheon Sword.
I must obtain it.
His determination to quickly rise and become the leader of the Sword Fragrance Division grew even stronger.
Naturally, the hand gripping his sword tightened.
The prominent muscles running along his forearm seemed etched with unwavering resolve.
Before he realized it, Lee Seha had approached and gently placed both hands on his shoulders.
“You've got a lot of tension in your shoulders.”
“I think I've found a clear goal.”
“You've decided you want the Uicheon Sword?”
“Yes.”
Lee Seha understood.
This was not simply about obtaining a famous sword.
Still, she deliberately kept the conversation light, hoping to ease the pressure surrounding him.
When someone became overly tense, mistakes inevitably followed.
Though Jun will probably handle everything just fine on his own.
A master's role was to trust their disciple while continuing to watch over them until the end.
Namgung Jun was dependable enough that he rarely gave her cause for concern.
Even so, he still needed the caring gaze of a teacher.
After all, his potential was more than enough to reach even greater heights.
Lee Seha loosened his shoulders before gently pushing him from behind.
“Let's call it a day. You've already pushed your training close to the limit. It's time to let your body rest.”
“Yes. For tomorrow.”
Namgung Jun sheathed his sword without protest.
The sun had not yet fully risen.
The world remained wrapped in predawn shadows.
Leaving the darkness of dawn behind, the young man headed straight for the Hall of Martial Archives.
Despite the early hour, Muk Simjung was at his usual post.
Seeing the boy, who had become considerably more familiar to him over time, Muk Simjung gave a small nod.
“Young Hero Namgung. You've come again today?”
“Yes. There is still so much to study.”
“If you have any questions, come to me anytime. Discussions of martial arts with you are always welcome.”
Conversations with Namgung Jun were genuinely enjoyable.
The young man often approached him first to ask questions regarding various martial arts.
Unlike others his age, his questions were broad and profound.
At times, simply discussing martial principles with him provided entirely new insights.
After offering proper greetings, Namgung Jun entered the archive.
Then he began examining various martial manuals.
Sword, saber, spear.
Fist, palm, kick.
Movement techniques.
Regardless of weapon or martial discipline, he read everything.
Rather than limiting himself to the sword alone, he immersed himself in the entirety of martial arts.
This had become part of his daily routine.
Unlike his previous life, where he had focused solely on the Heavy Sword path, he now broadened his horizons by experiencing many different martial disciplines.
All of it would eventually become inspiration for creating new martial arts.
As he endlessly flipped through manuals, his hand suddenly stopped.
A familiar title had caught his eye.
“This sword art was here as well.”
A trace of delight appeared on his face as he pulled out the manual.
Great Wind Sword Art.
One of the primary martial arts of the old Southern Heavenly Palace.
It was a sword art deeply imbued with the principles of the Heavy Sword and one that the Sword Emperor had frequently used in his youth.
Since the Infinite Step technique existed here, he had expected that other arts would remain as well.
Still, seeing it firsthand filled him with nostalgia.
“I need to create a new Heavy Sword Art. Using the Great Wind Sword Art as a foundation wouldn't be a bad idea.”
In his previous life, once his martial realm had reached a certain height, he had stopped refining it further.
He had believed it was already more than sufficient for his disciples to learn.
But now things were different.
He could view the art from an entirely new perspective.
As someone living a new life while carrying the memories of the Sword Emperor, how far could he develop the Great Wind Sword Art?
“There's even an annotated edition.”
An annotated edition was a manual in which later generations had either simplified explanations to make a martial art easier to learn or reinterpreted it from a different perspective.
Many of the Southern Heavenly Palace's martial arts had originally been created by Namgung Jun himself.
Yet no such annotated editions had ever existed there.
Since the creator of those arts had still been alive and well, most people had been reluctant to offer their own interpretations.
But things were different now.
Upon inspection, there were no fewer than four annotated editions of the Great Wind Sword Art.
Interesting.
So this is how they interpreted the formulas.
Reading how later generations had interpreted the very principles he himself had written was both fascinating and refreshing.
Even if those interpretations appeared lacking from the perspective of the Sword Emperor, they still provided valuable new viewpoints and inspiration.
Namgung Jun continued turning pages without pause.
Then—
“You're Namgung Jun, aren't you?”
Hearing his name suddenly called out, he turned toward the source of the voice.
A young girl stood there.
She appeared to be around his age.
“They say you're incredibly skilled with a sword.”
“...”
When Namgung Jun gave no response, the girl clenched both fists, seemingly annoyed.
“Let's spar. I can't accept that you're supposedly the most promising young talent in the Azure Sky Society.”
She abruptly drew a sword from the weapon rack within the archive.
A heavy sword wind shimmered around the blade.
Whoooong!
The moment he saw it, Namgung Jun's eyes changed from indifference to interest.
The flow of qi contained within that sword was extremely familiar.
The manual currently in his hands—
The Great Wind Sword Art.
And the movement she had just displayed was unmistakably the opening sign of its execution.