Chapter 7
Placement Examination (1)
“Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunders!”
Muk Simjung, who had witnessed the duel from beginning to end, let out an exclamation.
I truly can't believe it.
He had taken the insights gained from several secret manuals, woven them together according to his own vision, and created entirely new techniques.
Then, using the Sword Demon as a whetstone, he tempered those techniques and refined both their form and structure.
The resulting sword art was undeniably new.
It was not some crude patchwork of techniques stitched together for appearance's sake.
In the first place, combining techniques that contain completely different insights and martial principles is nearly impossible.
Yet Namgung Jun had not only created techniques of his own, but had established a complete and coherent sword art worthy of receiving its own name.
If that manual were donated...
Muk Simjung suddenly wondered how many clouds would be engraved upon it if Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunders were added to Gwonamu-go.
At the very least, Three Clouds. Of that much, I'm certain.
He trusted his own judgment.
Who would believe that a boy who had only just begun learning martial arts had created a martial art worthy of the Third Cloud rank?
The youth before him felt less like a human and more like a supernatural being wearing human skin.
That was how shocking Namgung Jun’s talent was.
***
After remaining silent for a time, the Sword Demon finally spoke.
“You. I like you.
Come to the Mukryun Hall.”
Namgung Jun’s eyes narrowed at the sudden invitation.
Before he could answer—
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
Lee Seha was already approaching Gwonamu-go, glaring at the Sword Demon.
Her expression was terrifyingly cold.
A chilling frost seemed to cling to the sharp corners of her eyes.
Perhaps it was because her large eyes gleamed darkly, but even her hair appeared darker than usual.
Master...
It was a face she had never once shown him.
Even as Lee Seha radiated an aura that seemed ready to draw her sword at any moment, the Sword Demon remained unconcerned.
“I've taken a liking to that brat. Is there a problem?”
“He's my disciple. Don't touch him.”
“Your disciple? Why should I care?”
The moment Lee Seha gripped her sword hilt, the Sword Demon’s robes began fluttering violently.
“You next?”
A savage grin spread across his face.
“Perfect. I was just starting to warm up.”
Just as Muk Simjung's face turned pale at the sight of two supreme experts preparing to clash—
Step.
A light yet impossible-to-ignore footstep echoed across the training ground.
Namgung Jun stepped between them.
It was a single step inserted perfectly into the rhythm of the confrontation.
Then he turned toward the Sword Demon.
“When the time comes, I shall visit Mukryun Hall myself.”
Unexpected interest appeared on the Sword Demon’s face.
“What do you mean?”
“Isn't it my sword you're interested in, Hall Master of Mukryun?”
Namgung Jun smiled faintly.
“I'll occasionally serve as your sword companion.”
“A sword companion?
You?”
The Sword Demon burst into loud laughter.
After looking between Lee Seha and Namgung Jun, he finally lowered his sword.
“Ah.”
He glanced into the distance.
“The Mokju is calling.”
Having sensed Yun Gyeongjong’s aura approaching from afar, he shrugged.
“Don't keep me waiting too long.”
The Sword Demon tossed a wooden box toward Namgung Jun.
Then he turned and walked away.
His pace was leisurely, like someone taking a stroll.
Yet before anyone realized it, he had already vanished beyond the halls.
***
Watching him disappear, Lee Seha let out a small sigh and finally relaxed her grip on her sword.
“What’s in that box?”
“The spiritual medicine he promised.”
Inside was a pill of pure white color.
A faint but elegant fragrance drifted from it.
“A White Crane Pill?”
“Is it a useful spiritual medicine?”
“Very much so.”
She smiled as she looked at the pill.
“Especially for someone like you who's only just begun accumulating internal energy.”
Then she carefully examined her disciple.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I am not.”
“Why did you make a promise like that?”
Was she scolding him?
Her eyebrows rose slightly.
Yet the warmth in her eyes remained unchanged.
“It will benefit me as well.”
Namgung Jun answered calmly.
“Opportunities to cross swords with a swordsman of that caliber are rare.”
“You'd have more than enough opportunities with me alone.”
Namgung Jun simply smiled.
“How could I ever point a killing sword at my master?”
“That's true, but—”
Lee Seha paused.
“No, continuing those kinds of duels with the Sword Demon is also a problem.”
Before she could continue grumbling, Namgung Jun smoothly changed the subject.
“Will I be entering the Heavenly Sword Hall immediately?”
Lee Seha's expression became somewhat awkward.
“Not exactly.”
“Then what happens?”
“Newly admitted Un spend an adjustment period in the First Cloud Dormitory.”
She continued.
“Once enough newcomers have gathered, they're brought together and made to compete against one another.”
Namgung Jun immediately understood.
“So those who achieve the best results in that competition are given priority opportunities.”
“Exactly.”
Lee Seha nodded.
“No matter that we're master and disciple, I can't simply place you into the Heavenly Sword Hall through my own authority.”
“I understand.”
With a somewhat regretful expression, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“For the time being, you'll be staying in the First Cloud Dormitory rather than the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
“Do not worry.”
Namgung Jun answered confidently.
“I'll be joining the Heavenly Sword Hall soon enough.”
Trust filled Lee Seha’s gentle smile.
“Good.”
She nodded.
“This master will simply believe in her disciple.”
“Urgh...”
Seated cross-legged upon his bed, Namgung Jun let out intermittent groans.
Cold energy filled the room around him.
His Nine Yin Severed Meridians had begun acting up once again.
As his muscles cramped and contracted, Namgung Jun’s body trembled.
His meridians gradually stiffened under the influence of the icy energy spreading through them.
Protecting the Geolgyeol and Gimu acupoints with lightning qi definitely helps.
Whenever an attack occurred, frigid yin energy flooded throughout his meridians.
Through repeated experimentation—blocking certain acupoints during some attacks and leaving them alone during others—he had discovered that protecting specific points with scorching yang energy significantly reduced the pain.
Each episode became another opportunity to refine his methods.
At the same time, his control over lightning qi improved.
Naturally, his mastery of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art advanced as well.
“Huu...”
When the attack finally subsided, Namgung Jun opened his eyes and slowly lay back on the bed.
His body had become extremely sensitive.
He needed to rest and allow himself to calm down.
I should open the first blockage as soon as I've accumulated enough internal energy.
Although he had consumed the White Crane Pill, it was still insufficient to break through the first blockage of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
Even so, things were far better than before.
Compared to the first time he had suffered an attack, his situation had improved considerably.
Now he could at least resist with internal energy instead of helplessly losing consciousness.
Still, I need to be careful.
A single mistake could double the risk of qi deviation.
The attacks struck unpredictably, spreading cold yin energy throughout his body.
For a martial artist, it was a fatal weakness.
One day, an attack might occur in the middle of a life-and-death battle.
He needed a solution before that happened.
“Huu...”
Among all his problems, the most urgent remained his weak body.
His internal energy was still lacking as well, but the White Crane Pill had at least relieved that issue somewhat.
His body, however—
Worn down by years of hardship and the Nine Yin Severed Meridians—
Could not be rebuilt overnight.
The meals provided at the First Cloud Dormitory were helping him gradually regain weight, but he still had a long way to go.
***
“Hah!”
“One more time!”
The communal training ground of the First Cloud Dormitory was filled with newcomers practicing in every corner.
Some trained martial arts they had recently learned from Gwonamu-go.
Others sparred among themselves.
Each was preparing for the upcoming placement examination in their own way.
“Hmm.”
After taking a short rest and reviewing his latest method of handling the attacks, Namgung Jun rose to his feet.
It was time for today's training.
Everything is lacking.
Finding a quiet corner of the training grounds, he settled into position.
He slowly spread his feet apart.
Keeping his spine perfectly straight, he lowered his hips.
The Horse Stance.
A fundamental among fundamentals.
Nothing special.
Yet at the moment, few exercises were more effective.
My body can't be transformed in a short period of time anyway.
If he became impatient and forced himself through excessive external-body training, injury would be the likely result.
It was better to calmly build a solid foundation and properly forge the vessel of a martial artist.
“Huu...”
Extending both arms forward, Namgung Jun exhaled a stream of hot breath.
Before he realized it, more than one shichen had passed while maintaining the Horse Stance.
His legs trembled.
Sweat soaked his back.
Yet he endured.
After remaining motionless for a full two shichen, Namgung Jun finally wiped the sweat from his chin.
The other newcomers watching nearby quietly commented.
“That fellow's determination is impressive. At first he couldn't even endure a quarter of an hour.”
“Still, at this rate he'll never achieve a good result in the placement exam. He spends all day doing nothing but basic training.”
“He seems to be learning the sword, but I've never actually seen him hold one.”
The stay in the First Cloud Dormitory was long enough that the newcomers naturally became acquainted with one another.
They looked at Namgung Jun with concern.
Yet none of them interfered.
To meddle in another martial artist’s training was considered extremely rude.
That's what most people would think.
Though distant, Namgung Jun could still vaguely hear their conversations.
Slowly, he relaxed his body.
But I possess the experience of a previous life.
Since he had no way of knowing how the placement examination would be conducted, his priority was simple.
Close every gap between himself and his peers.
That approach made the best possible use of the one advantage only he possessed—his past-life experience.
***
Swish.
Namgung Jun stepped forward lightly.
His leather shoes skimmed across the stone floor with effortless smoothness.
The tip of each step lifted ever so slightly toward the sky.
Freed from restriction, his feet seemed capable of moving in any direction.
Infinite Step.
A footwork technique that maximized freedom of movement.
It had originally been used to lighten the movements of South Heavenly Palace disciples, whose fighting style centered around heavy swords.
This is quite interesting.
A faint smile appeared on Namgung Jun's lips.
The Infinite Step he practiced now was very different from the version he had used in his previous life.
Gwonamu-go contained numerous commentaries that reinterpreted Infinite Step from different perspectives.
Namgung Jun had read every single one.
Then he practiced each variation exactly as described, personally experiencing the insights of later generations.
Afterward, he reinterpreted those insights once again and transformed them into principles suited to himself.
A footwork technique suitable not merely for heavy swords, but for the sword itself...
As Namgung Jun moved, the aura of Infinite Step continuously expanded around him.
At times it felt heavy.
At others, light and refreshing.
Sometimes it flowed endlessly.
Other times it broke apart in short, abrupt bursts.
Every different step gradually united into one.
His Infinite Step differed from the one he had practiced in his previous life.
It differed from every version found in Gwonamu-go.
It even differed from Lee Seha’s.
Namgung Jun was creating a step uniquely his own.
A step that contained limitless potential.
***
Meanwhile—
Within the grand conference hall of the Mukhyang Division.
It was the place where the leaders of the Sword Fragrance Division and Mukhyang Division gathered to discuss the affairs of the Blue Sky Society.
Today, every Hall Master of the Sword Fragrance Division and every leader of the Mukhyang Division currently present at headquarters had assembled.
The atmosphere was therefore solemn and heavy.
The first agenda concerned the newcomers who had recently joined the Society.
“This generation has quite a large number of recruits.”
“It's been difficult lately to bring in new Un. Everyone deserves credit for working so hard.”
“Not only that. There are quite a few promising talents among them.”
After the reports concerning the newcomers in the First Cloud Dormitory concluded, discussion naturally shifted toward the placement examination.
“It’s rare for us to have this many newcomers at once. How about making this placement examination a large-scale event?”
The proposal came from Lee Seha.
The other leaders immediately understood her intention and nodded.
“If planned properly, it would save both time and resources.”
“And it would allow other members to spectate. That should help boost morale throughout the Society as well.”
Once every detail had been finalized, Mokju Yun Gyeongjong, who had been quietly sipping tea, finally nodded.
“Very well.
Four days from now, the placement examination shall begin.”
News of the placement examination was promptly delivered to the First Cloud Dormitory.