Chapter 92
Intensive Training (2)
Namgung Jun also drew his sword.
Like Heo Il, he assumed the opening stance of the Great Flame Sword Art.
The two swordsmen slowly circled each other, carefully observing their opponent.
As their positions gradually switched, Heo Il made the first move.
His feet brushed across the ground with swift, subtle steps.
Unlike his silent approach, however, the sword in his right hand unleashed a chilling whistle through the air.
Swoooosh!
A strike imbued with the principles of the Fast Sword shot toward Namgung Jun's right shoulder.
Namgung Jun rotated his waist in the opposite direction and slashed diagonally.
It was the same Fast Sword technique from the Great Flame Sword Art.
Deflecting the incoming blade, he spun his body and traced a wide arc.
His strike accelerated even further as it came crashing in.
Yet Heo Il successfully blocked every attack.
At the same time, he split his breathing into short intervals and launched another counterattack.
Rapid sword strikes intertwined endlessly as sparks scattered in all directions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
More than a dozen exchanges occurred in an instant.
Yet neither sword touched its wielder.
Still, only Heo Il was forced backward.
Namgung Jun stood firm in place, his sword held steadily before him.
As the distance naturally widened, Namgung Jun extended his blade and stepped forward with Infinite Step.
A thrust shot directly toward Heo Il's chest.
It was a strike that perfectly exploited the fleeting moment when the distance between them changed.
Heo Il's shoulder twitched.
Sharp. Extremely sharp.
Perhaps because it was sparring conducted as though it were a life-and-death battle.
The techniques Namgung Jun displayed now were far more dangerous and ruthless than those used in ordinary matches.
He gave no openings and pressed forward with almost selfish aggression.
An unknown depth of experience and flawless sword skill blended together, creating a dense and merciless offensive without a single wasted movement.
Even so, I can't allow myself to be pushed back helplessly.
To stop the deadly strike, Heo Il thrust out his left hand.
Seeing that response, interest flickered in Namgung Jun's eyes.
Senior Heo... you've completely abandoned hidden weapons now.
The old Heo Il would have answered with daggers or any number of concealed weapons.
But what Namgung Jun saw now was completely different.
Heo Il pressed his left palm against the flat of his sword and poured internal energy into it.
A textbook response used by orthodox swordsmen.
BOOM!
The sword that blocked Namgung Jun's blue-glimmering thrust bent dramatically under the impact and emitted a heavy groan.
Recalling the principles of the Flowing Sword contained within the Great Flame Sword Art, Heo Il hurried to disperse the force surging through the blade.
Otherwise, the sword would snap instantly.
“Senior Heo. Here I come again.”
Namgung Jun spoke while continuing to force his sword forward with overwhelming grip strength.
Heo Il could not answer.
The Eternal Justice Sword, which had been pressing horizontally against his blade, suddenly stood upright.
And it was becoming heavier by the moment.
The Heavy Sword techniques of the Great Flame Sword Art were unfolding.
The immense pressure transmitted through the blades gradually pushed Heo Il's feet backward.
Yet he did not avoid the contest of strength.
I can do this.
In the past, he would have avoided a direct clash and responded with one of the miscellaneous grappling techniques he had learned in his youth.
Even now, dozens of such techniques flashed through his mind.
He knew that resorting to them would make the spar much easier.
Yet he did not use them.
Instead, he trusted the external cultivation he had forged through the Sword Foundation Art.
And the sword techniques he had recently developed.
Heo Il understood something clearly.
If he continued relying on the grappling techniques he had unwillingly learned from that old man, he would never reach the realm he sought.
So he abandoned grappling.
And chose the sword.
It was a bold change.
But he did not regret it.
Even if his martial prowess stagnated—or even regressed temporarily—he believed this was the correct path in the long run.
He looked at the young man who had inspired this choice.
Namgung Jun had undoubtedly influenced him greatly.
“Young Hero Namgung. Let's continue.”
Heo Il steadied his heart and thrust his sword forward once more.
Whoosh!
The Great Flame Sword Art flowed continuously from his blade.
Heavy sword winds accompanied the attacks as they surrounded him.
Each strike was so weighty that a clean hit could easily shatter bones.
Heo Il tightened his grip and blocked.
Then blocked again.
Responding using only the Great Flame Sword Art was incredibly difficult.
Yet somehow he managed to keep pace.
I see. So this technique was meant to be used like this.
As he directly received Namgung Jun's techniques, insights gradually washed over him like foam carried by the tide.
Heo Il desperately concentrated, engraving every realization into his mind.
Namgung Jun watched him.
Senior Heo's mastery of the Great Flame Sword Art was only around seventy percent.
But what Heo Il displayed now was far beyond that.
He was enduring every technique from a fully mastered Great Flame Sword Art.
Not merely defending against them.
He was gradually absorbing them into his own swordsmanship.
Each time he did so, his gaze would blur for a moment before becoming clear again.
“Good.”
Heo Il had not entered a true state of enlightenment.
But he was completely immersed in the present spar.
His sword moved without hesitation.
CLANG!
After more than seventy fierce exchanges, the two swords finally separated.
Breathing heavily, Heo Il looked toward Namgung Jun.
The younger swordsman was no longer advancing.
“Provided you properly digest what you've learned from this match, you'll achieve a breakthrough before long. Today, I recommend focusing on meditation.”
“Hoo... Thank you, Young Hero Namgung.”
Heo Il sat down on the spot.
There was no helping it.
The moment the tension and concentration left him, all strength drained from his body.
The exhaustion felt as though he had swung a sword continuously for seven days and seven nights.
Namgung Jun handed him a water flask.
“So you've completely abandoned grappling techniques now?”
“Yes. I always knew I'd have to abandon them someday. Better to do it decisively now.”
Namgung Jun did not consider grappling techniques inherently inferior.
Any technique's effectiveness depended on the martial artist who wielded it.
However, Heo Il had no intention of delving deeper into those arts or integrating them into his swordsmanship.
In his current situation, they had become little more than baggage.
Moreover, Heo Il seemed to harbor genuine hatred toward those techniques themselves.
In that case, letting them go was the right choice.
“Haa.”
After drinking some water and catching his breath, Heo Il looked up at Namgung Jun.
“Are you sure you'll be all right, Young Hero Namgung?”
“Of course.”
As Heo Il looked Namgung Jun up and down, a trace of concern appeared in his eyes.
For himself, the sparring match had ended.
Until the next training session, all he had to do was review what he had learned and continue practicing the Great Flame Sword Art.
Namgung Jun, however, was different.
Without any rest, he continued facing Heavenly Sword Hall's swordsmen one after another.
Moreover, he was engaging in fierce sparring matches that bordered on life-and-death combat while wielding a steel sword.
The mental and physical exhaustion should have been tremendous.
Yet Namgung Jun proceeded without even a disturbance in his breathing.
As though this, too, was simply part of his own training.
“You know your own limits, Young Hero Namgung, but I still worry that you're pushing yourself too hard.”
“It's fine. Truly.”
Watching Namgung Jun smile, Heo Il finally nodded.
“Hmmm.”
Letting out a low groan, Heo Il rose to his feet.
Namgung Jun and the other swordsmen of Heavenly Sword Hall were all giving everything they had for the upcoming strength evaluation.
He could not remain sitting here.
A short rest to steady his breathing was enough.
“I still have a long way to go.”
Following Namgung Jun's advice, Heo Il was now aiming for complete mastery of the Great Flame Sword Art.
It would be the first step toward abandoning his old grappling techniques and walking the path of a true swordsman.
***
By the time the training of the Sword Foundation Art and the Great Flame Sword Art sparring sessions ended, the sun had usually set.
Yet the Heavenly Sword Hall's daily training schedule was still not over.
“The moon is particularly bright tonight. I think we can proceed without torches.”
“That has a certain charm to it.”
“It looks like we're about to begin. Everyone, gather around.”
Using moonlight as their lamp, the swordsmen of Heavenly Sword Hall sat cross-legged around Namgung Jun.
The final activity of the intensive training.
A sword discussion.
More precisely, a discussion focused on the Sword Foundation Art and the Great Flame Sword Art.
No matter how much attention Namgung Jun paid to their training, he was overseeing the entire Heavenly Sword Hall.
It would have been strange if he missed nothing.
This gathering existed so that everyone could share what they found difficult, discuss points they did not understand, search for answers together, and receive further instruction from Namgung Jun.
“Junior Brother, I'm getting stuck on the Lake Shore Gathering Spiral stance of the Great Flame Sword Art. The technique requires more rotational force through the principles of the Fast Sword, but it's difficult to maintain stability. Yet if I reduce the force, it becomes nothing more than a clumsy dance...”
“Senior Cheong, you need to focus more on the sword than on maintaining your posture. Because you're concentrating too much on your body movement, your sword path becomes distorted. Once rotation is added, that distortion turns into a serious imbalance.”
Namgung Jun answered each question one by one.
His explanations helped not only the person asking but everyone listening.
After all, since they practiced the same martial art, they might eventually encounter the same obstacles.
Nor did Namgung Jun limit himself to answering questions.
“The techniques of the Great Flame Sword Art often feel disconnected from one another. Because the concepts and principles contained within each technique branch in different directions. In such situations, how should one perform them as smoothly as flowing water?”
The topic he raised was difficult.
No one could answer immediately.
Especially since it had originated from the sparring matches earlier that day.
Even when the question was not directed at them, the swordsmen fell into thought.
After all, none of them had truly mastered the Great Flame Sword Art.
Insights could emerge from the most unexpected places.
Questions continued to pour in.
Yet Namgung Jun answered every one of them without hesitation.
Many found this astonishing.
Being talented and being able to teach were two entirely different things.
In particular, geniuses often struggled to understand why ordinary people became stuck.
But Namgung Jun was different.
His explanations were logical.
He spoke clearly.
He taught as though he had spent years guiding others.
Often he would identify the root of a person's problem before they could even properly articulate it.
Naturally, the swordsmen were amazed.
***
The sword discussion continued endlessly beneath the moonlight.
It's fine if they don't understand immediately.
Namgung Jun deliberately encouraged them to keep thinking.
He continuously handed them new questions to contemplate.
If they never let go of those questions and continued pondering them, the answers would eventually reveal themselves.
Sword Foundation Art.
Sparring.
Sword discussion.
Throughout the day's schedule, Namgung Jun almost never rested.
His only breaks came during meals.
Yet he did not find it tiring.
Instead, it brought back memories of his days in Namcheon Palace.
Back then, it was like this too.
He had spent entire days surrounded by disciples.
In truth, little had changed.
Only their relationship had.
Disciples had become comrades.
The act of sharing enlightenment remained the same.
Compared to those days, however, one thing had changed.
The experiences of the Sword Emperor and the experiences of Namgung Jun had merged together, allowing for a more mature and flexible perspective.
Namgung Jun looked around at the companions gathered beneath the moonlight.
It had been an exhausting day.
Yet no one seemed bothered by it.
Though physically drained, every swordsman enthusiastically participated in the discussion, smiling brightly as they shared their understanding of martial arts.
The sounds of reflection and conversation drifted through the night.
Occasionally, the chirping of insects blended into the darkness.
The process of searching for one's own martial path was one of the greatest joys a martial artist could experience.
And when others walked that same path alongside you, how could it not be even more fulfilling?
Simply sharing ideas with like-minded companions seemed to wash away fatigue.
Moments like these helped make me who I am today.
Watching the lively expressions of the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen illuminated by moonlight, Namgung Jun smiled faintly.
Eventually, the discussion came to an end.
Everyone returned to their quarters.
Everyone except Namgung Jun.
He remained alone in the training ground.
He intended to devote a little more time to personal training.
The five sword arts he had mastered, beginning with the Great Flame Sword Art.
One after another, he unleashed them.
And he did not stop at merely switching between different sword arts.
Even if no immediate breakthrough came, it did not matter.
This was both a path toward greater mastery of each individual sword art and an attempt to open an entirely new road.
The same training repeated day after day.
Yet time flowed swiftly.
Especially for swordsmen.
They felt the passage of time more keenly than most.
One day, they would wake up and suddenly realize how much stronger they had become.
The intensity of the training played a part.
But more than anything, it was Namgung Jun's guidance that made such explosive growth possible.
The members of Heavenly Sword Hall had always been hardworking.
Now, with Namgung Jun constantly correcting their weaknesses and addressing every overlooked flaw, their growth naturally accelerated.
Before they knew it, three months had passed.
And the strength evaluation was right around the corner.