Chapter 26
Sparring Guidance (3)
Man Hun, the Mountain-Wandering Wind
During his active years, he had led the Flying Swift Hall and was renowned as a master of movement techniques.
There were even rumors that, in the field of movement arts alone, both the Lord of the Changcheon Society and the Sword Lord would willingly concede a step to him.
As Man Hun suddenly appeared before Namgung Jun, the members of the Heavenly Sword Hall let out cries of admiration.
“As expected!”
“What a miraculous movement—it looks as though he merely changed positions.”
“Didn't even the masters of the Kunlun Sect praise the Elder Council Chief’s movement technique? His reputation is well deserved.”
In truth, not a single person present had managed to follow Man Hun’s movement with their eyes.
His robes had not fluttered in the slightest, as though he had never moved at all.
The surrounding air showed no disturbance either.
It was a truly terrifying display of body movement.
A peerless master!
Seeing the old man appear as though he had risen straight from the ground, Namgung Jun immediately realized it.
The elder before him had surpassed the realm of Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown and reached the realm of Five Qi Returning to the Origin.
A true peerless master.
“Come.”
“Yes.”
Lightly gripping his sword hilt while brushing a hand over the scabbard, Namgung Jun immediately drew his sword.
Unlike the draw of Flash Thunder Thirteen Sword Lightning, this stance anchored his lower body much more firmly.
Hwaaaang!
The moment the sword left its sheath, a tremendous sword wind erupted outward from the scabbard.
Heavy Wind Wall
The sword wind surged upward from the ground like a waterfall flowing in reverse, resembling an immense wall.
It was a technique meant to completely seal off the front.
Yet Man Hun paid it no mind.
Simply by turning the tip of his foot slightly, the wall of sword wind split apart to the left and right.
It was likely the qi emitted through the movement art he had learned in the Flying Swift Hall.
Then Man Hun leisurely took a step forward.
His hands remained clasped behind his back, yet Namgung Jun’s hair whipped violently.
Hwaaaak!
An overwhelming pressure crashed down upon him.
It felt as though an invisible fortress wall were pushing his entire body backward.
Man Hun had not even launched an attack.
He had merely released a trace of movement-art qi through his footwork.
Yet it was more threatening than the strike of most masters.
Still, Namgung Jun did not retreat.
He swung his sword again and unfolded the forms of the completely transformed Great Wind Sword Art.
His intention was to use the power of the sword wind to maintain the ideal distance.
Through the surging currents of movement-art qi, Namgung Jun fixed his gaze upon the faint silhouette of Man Hun.
He isn't simply pouring out qi to suppress me.
Namgung Jun could see it.
There was a flow hidden within the elder’s footsteps.
Blue light flashed within his eyes as he strengthened his footing.
To advance, swordsmanship alone would not be enough.
What was he lacking?
The answer was—
Step.
Boom.
Namgung Jun advanced with a powerful stamping step.
Following the sword wind, he forcefully employed Infinite Steps and opened a path forward.
But he was not recklessly charging at Man Hun.
He did not oppose the currents of the elder’s movement-art qi.
Instead, he calmly flowed with them, slipping the steps of Infinite Steps into the tiniest gaps between those currents.
The moment he did, Man Hun’s movement-art qi split apart as though it had been waiting for him, opening a new path.
Freed from the oppressive pressure for an instant, a faint smile appeared on Namgung Jun’s lips.
I see. As expected, the key wasn't swordsmanship—it was footwork.
Hwaak!
Once certainty took root, qi began pouring freely from Namgung Jun’s Yongcheon acupoints.
It was the qi of Infinite Steps.
The movement-art qi of old and young collided.
In terms of raw power, Man Hun’s qi could have crushed Namgung Jun’s with ease.
Yet when the two currents met, they quietly dissipated as though blending together.
Step by step, the young man advanced.
Watching Namgung Jun steadily close the distance, Man Hun let out an aged chuckle.
So you've seen through it?
Originally, he had intended only to examine Namgung Jun’s newly created sword art.
But after witnessing several exchanges, his mind had changed.
The techniques Namgung Jun had developed were elegant.
They were free of unnecessary movements and possessed far greater potential than the original Great Wind Sword Art.
The art was not flawless, nor completely perfected, but it was beyond a realm where he should interfere.
A heaven-blessed sword talent that reaches the skies. This old man should not clumsily meddle in that domain.
Thus Man Hun turned his attention elsewhere.
Unlike Namgung Jun’s sword talent, which transcended generations, there were other aspects where he still lacked polish.
Of course, even those areas were exceptional for someone his age.
Yet compared to his sword talent, they inevitably seemed dimmer.
The martial world is not a comfortable place where one survives with a single talent.
Man Hun decided to fill in Namgung Jun’s deficiencies.
Among them, he focused particularly on his footwork.
If he added guidance in movement techniques, Namgung Jun’s martial prowess would undoubtedly rise another level.
And so the nature of the spar shifted toward stimulating and refining footwork.
Namgung Jun proved even sharper than expected.
He immediately understood Man Hun’s intentions and began employing Infinite Steps with all his might.
Excellent.
At some point, Man Hun abruptly widened the distance between them.
Yet Namgung Jun could not simply chase after him.
Dozens of barriers and vine-like currents of movement-art qi surrounded him from every direction.
To break through them, sword wind alone was insufficient.
Naturally, the heart of the spar shifted from swordsmanship to footwork.
However, there was no one present capable of immediately grasping the subtle changes taking place.
One would need to be at least a supreme master who had reached the realm of Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown to perceive the true flow of the spar.
He's opening up new possibilities for Infinite Steps.
Namgung Jun acknowledged it.
When it came to movement arts, Man Hun surpassed even himself despite the memories of a previous life.
And so Namgung Jun actively took advantage of him.
Rather than focusing on swordsmanship, he repeatedly employed Infinite Steps in every direction, opening new avenues with each step.
Freely.
Resolutely.
How many steps had he taken?
Infinite Steps was no longer merely approaching Great Mastery
It was approaching Ultimate Mastery
Great Mastery meant fully mastering a martial art.
Ultimate Mastery meant transcending it—reaching a new realm beyond the original limits of the technique.
In other words, Infinite Steps had begun laying the foundation to transform into an entirely new movement art.
BOOM!
Namgung Jun’s forceful footsteps gradually blended with Man Hun’s gentle, flowing steps.
Whoooosh!
As that happened, the new movements of Infinite Steps naturally merged with his swordsmanship.
The heavy sword winds and the free-flowing footwork qi intertwined perfectly, opening a path toward Man Hun.
Ten steps in total.
Had his swordsmanship and footwork not evolved and harmonized simultaneously, taking those ten steps would have been impossible.
Before they knew it, the two had returned to the same distance at which they had begun.
Sweat poured from Namgung Jun’s entire body as he struggled to steady his ragged breathing.
Yet the sword raised before him and his eyes shining with a clear blue light remained unchanged.
One could glimpse his nature through that steadfastness and composure.
Man Hun nodded.
“Your footwork has improved considerably.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
“Rather than giving you clumsy advice about the sword, I wished to teach you something in which I had confidence. Fortunately, it seems that was the right decision.”
“I will continue to develop it further.”
Man Hun nodded again.
“With your talent, Infinite Steps can surely transform into an even greater movement art. I hope you obtain a martial art that truly suits you.”
His gaze shifted slightly downward.
He was looking at the sword in Namgung Jun’s hand.
A heavy qi still hummed around the blade, as though it could unleash powerful sword winds at any moment.
“Come to think of it, have you decided on a name for the sword art you created? It has changed so much that the name Great Wind Sword Art no longer suits it.”
“Not yet.”
In an unusually cheerful tone, Man Hun asked,
“Would it be acceptable if this old man named it for you?”
Namgung Jun looked at him.
An elderly swordsman who had spent his life walking the path of chivalry.
Though worn down by countless years, the simple sincerity shining in his eyes made it clear that the stories told about him had not been exaggerated.
If such a man named the sword art, it would be an honor.
“I would be grateful.”
“Then I shall call it Heavenly Wind , in the hope that your martial arts and your sense of righteousness rise high into the heavens like the wind. You do not seem to be someone who enjoys overly flamboyant names... Does that sound acceptable?”
“Thank you. I will call it the Heavenly Wind Sword Art.”
Heavenly Wind Sword Art
A new heavy-sword art that Namgung Jun would wield in this life.
As Namgung Jun bowed respectfully, Man Hun’s smile deepened.
**
I couldn't even take a single step forward.
Standing below the platform and watching Namgung Jun move, Man Yewon’s mouth hung open.
She was so shocked that she did not even realize it.
I was truly lacking.
Her face burned hot.
How could it not?
After sparring with him, she had then watched her grandfather personally guide him.
The experience made the difference between them painfully obvious.
She could now see how foolish it had been to provoke Namgung Jun out of childish pride, merely to gain her grandfather’s attention and earn his praise.
Among our generation, no one can catch up to him.
Because she herself possessed exceptional talent, she could perceive it all the more clearly.
Just how dazzling Namgung Jun’s martial talent truly was.
“Um...”
With an awkward expression, Man Yewon cautiously approached him.
“I’m really sorry. I was being selfish. It won’t happen again.”
After confirming the sincerity in her eyes, Namgung Jun simply nodded.
“It’s fine. People can be like that at your age.”
“What?”
His tone sounded like that of someone far older than her.
Man Yewon’s face immediately went blank.
“Hoho.”
Watching the conversation between the boy and girl, Man Hun chuckled softly.
Despite being so young, he's remarkably mature. Truly mature.
As he watched Man Yewon and Namgung Jun standing side by side, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
What if that child became Yewon’s husband?
There could hardly be a better match.
His background as an orphan meant nothing.
What mattered were martial ability and a righteous heart.
Originally, the Elder Council Chief had been considering Baekri Cheong.
Now his attention had shifted entirely to Namgung Jun.
***
After returning and receiving reports about everything that had happened in the Heavenly Sword Hall during his absence, Lee seha’s eyebrow twitched.
“Something like that happened?”
“Yes. The Elder Council Chief has taken quite an interest in him.”
“Hah. Who does he think he is?”
Lee seha recalled Man Yewon.
She possessed beauty, martial talent, and an excellent background.
Yet compared to Namgung Jun, she still fell infinitely short.
“Does he think he can tie Jun’s future down with a marriage arrangement?”
Not a chance.
No matter how good a person the Elder Council Chief might be, this was one thing Lee seha absolutely could not allow.
As Lee seha huffed indignantly, Gong Junam asked,
“Hall Master, shouldn't we focus on assigning personnel for the mission first?”
“You’re right.”
Lee seha unfurled a scroll and reviewed the mission details.
“It seems I’ll have to participate personally.”
He wrote down the names of the Heavenly Sword Hall members one after another, then paused before filling in the final spot.
“Of course Jun should be included too, right?”
Gong Junam did not disagree.
Namgung Jun had become that promising a force.
“It would be an excessive mission for an ordinary Cloud, but Namgung Jun is a different story.”
After completing the mission roster, Lee seha sprang to his feet.
“Why don't I go see what kind of miraculous medicine Jun received?”
Without another word, Lee seha immediately shot toward Namgung Jun’s residence.