Chapter 75 : The Three-Cloud Training Corps (4)
Chapter 75 - The Three-Cloud Training Corps (4)
The Two-Cloud members, not to mention the nearby instructors, had to retreat from the violent aura that Ha Mujung was emitting.
The stone fragments in the vicinity stirred and a dust cloud rose up, and the imposing presence of Ha Mujung, who was at the center of it all, was terrifying.
“Heo. Was the Azure Star Sword always that high-spirited?”
“Is this really happening?”
“To think the Martial Conquest Hall Master would also permit it.”
Everyone in the Training Corps was struck dumb with astonishment at the suddenly unfolding situation.
A duel between a Four-Cloud and a Two-Cloud.
In the first place, it was a case that would never have come to fruition if it were not a guidance duel where teaching was the objective.
Looking at the way the situation was unfolding now, it did not seem that they would be going easy on each other as they would in a guidance duel.
‘It seems they intend to have a proper match under the pretext of the martial test.’
‘Namgung Jun is one thing, but it seems the Hall Master has also properly made up his mind. All hell is about to break loose.’
Crackle!
In the middle of everyone widening the distance, Namgung Jun alone advanced forward.
While cloaking himself in the lightning energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art as if it were a banner and powerfully pushing back the aura of the Martial Supremacy Art.
RUMBLE!
The Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art and the Martial Supremacy Art.
As the Hot Yang Energy and the extremely hegemonic energy clashed, the atmosphere churned as if it would be crushed and let out a scream.
Every time they did, a translucent shockwave even spread out.
The personnel who were not taking part in the duel also had to draw up their internal energy to nullify the shockwaves and the aura.
The Two-Cloud members, who were watching the back of Namgung Jun as he advanced without restraint, realized.
‘In the first place, he has no intention of just trying to endure for the time limit.’
‘Does he intend to genuinely cross hands with the Hall Master!’
‘An aura of this level! I heard he was at the perfection of the Peak Realm, but it seems the rumors were wrong.’
Namgung Jun felt the coolness of his hilt.
In contrast to that, his physical body, despite not having moved in any particular way, was already being heated up.
‘This is a good opportunity to keenly feel the changes in my physical body.’
One ke (about 15 minutes).
This time was not a time limit that he had to endure.
It was merely the available time in which he could clash with the Martial Conquest Hall Master with all his power.
Ha Mujung’s mouth twisted as he felt the savage aura of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art.
“You’ve gotten even stronger than at the time of the meeting?”
His fiercely sharp eyes flickered brightly.
Along with his intensifying gaze, the aura of the Martial Supremacy Art also churned even more powerfully.
The mercilessly pouring aura swallowed the space like an overflowing, raging wave.
The blue lightning energy, which was pushed back in strength, was crumpled whole and pushed to the rear.
FLARE!
Namgung Jun’s steps did not stop or slow.
Even while the atmosphere in all directions was churning violently, the aura of his Infinite Steps Footwork extended out freely and threw open the path for Namgung Jun to advance.
As if to say he could extend in any direction.
“Here I come.”
Ha Mujung answered by lighting the new stick of incense he had inserted.
It was when the bittersweet fragrance was wrapping around the training ground, carried on the aura that was churning from both sides like a strong wind.
A blue flash of light, piercing the center of the training ground.
Namgung Jun displayed a steadfast and uncompromising movement that had been created based on his Infinite Steps Footwork and the Empyrean Aegis.
‘How aggressive.’
It wasn't as if a separate attack or check had come in.
He had to consume a considerable amount of strength just by shaking off the hegemonic aura of the Martial Supremacy Art.
Namgung Jun, who felt as if he were consecutively shattering invisible walls and advancing, gazed at the Martial Conquest Hall Master.
It seemed that Ha Mujung was simply watching with his arms crossed to see how far Namgung Jun could approach.
FWOOSH!
The sword of Namgung Jun, which had been guarding a middle stance, slowly soared up.
At some point, the sword, which had risen up to the very end of an upper stance like a flag.
Namgung Jun’s two arms were also held stiffly upright, supporting the sword.
“So you’ve broken through with steadfastness.”
Namgung Jun, who had pushed back the aura of the Martial Supremacy Art and had closed the combat distance with only his Footwork and Body Movement Technique.
In the hands of Ha Mujung, who had been watching that sight, a single sword was, at some point, being held.
The sword that Ha Mujung gripped was pointed at the floor. Only the inverted blade was facing Namgung Jun.
The two swords, which were at an upper and a lower stance respectively, were drawn toward a middle stance at the same time and collided.
KWAAAAANG!
A deafening roar, as if metal were being crushed, struck the eardrums of everyone present.
Though the floor of the training ground shook violently from the after-effects of the clash of blades, Ha Mujung firmly held his ground.
In contrast, Namgung Jun was pushed back three steps.
The clear footprints that were left, having shattered the stone floor, spoke in his stead of what kind of might he had just endured.
The Two-Cloud members who saw this were astonished.
“Only three steps? Even after receiving the Hall Master’s sword head-on?”
“That is an unbelievable sword power!”
“Was the Heavy Sword of Namgung Jun that I had only heard of in rumors of that level?”
There was no Hall Master who could follow Ha Mujung in the might of a single sword strike.
The hegemonic strike through the Martial Supremacy Art possessed just that much of an immense might.
Even the other outstanding supreme masters of the Martial World would often have their weapons broken, unable to handle Ha Mujung’s sword strike.
But a mere Two-Cloud had handled the Martial Conquest Hall Master’s Martial Supremacy Art head-on.
Ordinarily, it would have been normal for not only his weapon to be shattered, but for him to be sent flying far away while vomiting blood.
‘It did not seem as if the Hall Master had held back his strength.’
‘But to think he is standing there, perfectly fine?’
‘Is he not a monster?’
The hearts of the Three-Cloud members, who could feel Ha Mujung’s martial prowess more directly and closely, were pounding.
“A rarely seen sword power. To think he could achieve such growth in a short period of time.”
The scar on Ha Mujung, who was recalling the time of the Mount Song meeting, twitched here and there.
It was a twitch in which a faint surprise was suffused.
Ha Mujung lightly rotated the wrist of the hand that was gripping his sword.
In that interval, Namgung Jun once again brought his sword to a middle stance.
Though his hand was numb and his blade was trembling minutely, Namgung Jun paid it no mind.
He had already expected this much.
The Heavy Sword and a Hegemonic Martial Art.
It was only natural that it would lead to an aggressive, head-on collision of power against power.
‘As expected. The strongest of the Ten Hall Masters.’
Though he had faced masters of a higher rank until now, he had never been pushed back in the might of a single sword strike. This was the first time he had had to concede a step in a head-on contest of power.
‘Yes. If he is the strongest Hall Master, he should at least be at this level.’
The smile on Namgung Jun, who had twisted the corners of his mouth, deepened.
Though he was in the middle of learning the various branches of the sword, unlike in his past life, if he were to one day return to a single path, the final destination would, as a matter of course, be the Heavy Sword.
‘Someday, I will create a new sword style that will surpass the Heavenly Wind Sword Style.’
So massive and heavy that he could overwhelm the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult with a single sword.
Thump!
Namgung Jun, who had stomped his foot powerfully, shot out first.
Every time he received Ha Mujung’s sword, it felt as if he were parrying a giant falling rock from a cliff.
No matter in what way he parried the sword strike, an immense shock and pressure pressed down on his entire body.
If it had been his physical body from before the Great Art and the Forceful Breakthrough, it was clear that he would have already reached his limit by now and sustained an internal injury.
K-KA-KA-KANG!
The swords of the two swordsmen fiercely tore the atmosphere apart.
Every time they did, a colorless shockwave erupted along with a fierce, explosive sound.
Was it that Namgung Jun, who had suffered a loss in the first exchange, had at some point adapted?
Though he could not seize the upper hand, he was enduring Ha Mujung’s hegemonic sword form like an iron wall.
FWHOOSH!
The sword wind of the Heavenly Wind Sword Style, which was being woven like a thick rope, gathered as if to protect the blade.
CRASH!
Despite this, after it handled a single sword strike from Ha Mujung, it would immediately scatter like a skein of thread.
Namgung Jun did not use even the dispersed sword power carelessly. Otherwise, he would not have been able to endure Ha Mujung’s offensive.
‘I must pour my efforts not only into the emission of power, but also into its flow.’
Even while pouring out the Heavy Sword, he mixed in the finer points of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash and the Layered Cloud Form to deflect the sword strikes and re-gather the dispersed sword power.
In that process, though his two feet were buried up to his ankles, Namgung Jun did not care.
Thump!
Namgung Jun, who was coordinating the strength of his entire body while stomping his foot powerfully, clearly felt that he had changed from before.
If his former body was like a rather thick tree branch, now it felt like a resilient steel rod.
It was easier to draw up a greater power, and he did not feel a single bit of burden on his body.
‘My physical body has changed.’
If he had not achieved a dramatic physical transformation through the Great Art and the Forceful Breakthrough, he would surely not have been able to draw up a sword power of this level.
And of course, he would not have been able to endure the Martial Conquest Hall Master’s aggressive offensive like this.
But now was different.
His physical body, which had been changed to a level close to a complete rebirth, was dependably supporting his forms.
Just by the class of his physical body having changed, not only his sword power, but his overall martial prowess had risen rapidly.
Clang-clang-clang!
Due to the successive exchange of blades, Namgung Jun’s feet were once again pushed back.
The training ground was filled with the thick footprints of Namgung Jun having been pushed back.
In contrast, Ha Mujung was standing in the exact same spot where he had started the duel.
Of course, Namgung Jun did not care.
It was to the extent that, for now, just not having his posture broken could be considered a great feat.
The immense shock that was flowing in through his sword was such that it would not have been strange for the body of the blade to shatter at any moment.
If not for his divine Sword Skill and the finer points of the Layered Cloud Form, it would surely have been broken long ago.
‘Despite that, my wrist is going numb.’
In a situation where he was only now on the verge of achieving the harmony of his Jing, Qi, and Shen, to be able to handle the Martial Conquest Hall Master’s Martial Supremacy Art was in itself a great accomplishment.
But Namgung Jun was not satisfied.
He was trying to take what he could even from the hegemonic sword form of the Martial Supremacy Art.
Just as he had raised his sword speed with the finer points of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash to draw up his sword power, and had condensed the slightly scattering sword power with the insights of the Layered Cloud Form.
KWAAAANG!
The sword of Namgung Jun, which until now had only been staggering and retreating, advanced firmly for the first time.
Though it was only for an instant, it was a moment where Namgung Jun’s sword strike had held its ground without being pushed back.
“Did your sword power increase in that interval!?”
“It is thanks to you, Hall Master.”
Ordinarily, he would not have even had the strength to answer.
But Namgung Jun’s breathing was tranquil.
The veins on the back of Ha Mujung’s hand, who had felt this, twitched.
“I will try drawing out more power.”
As Ha Mujung’s body spun, his sword rotated ferociously.
The immense sword wind that was radiated tried to fiercely push Namgung Jun back.
BOOOOOOM!
Heavenly Wind Sword Style.
Rising Step of the Gale.
The sword wind, which had been stacked thickly in several layers, pushed back Ha Mujung’s sword as if striking it from below.
Thanks to that, Namgung Jun was able to stop at merely being pushed back a few steps.
“A wondrous circulation. It is not easy to turn aside the sword strike of the Martial Supremacy Art like this.”
Ha Mujung, who had only been standing tall in his spot, extended a step for the first time.
With just that, the stone fragments in the vicinity were pushed away in all directions as if they were fleeing.
“Hmm.”
Ha Mujung, who had been on the verge of charging in and extending his sword at any moment, let out a short hum and stood tall, stopping.
At that, the Clouds who were observing the duel instinctively turned their heads.
The incense that had been inserted on the platform had burned down completely.
At some point, one ke had passed.
Ha Mujung, who had at some point finished sheathing his sword, crossed his arms.
“Magnificent growth.”
“Thank you.”
Ha Mujung took in Namgung Jun at a glance as he withdrew his sword.
“When this Training Corps is over, I will be going to my next mission post right away, but the next time we meet, we will be of the same rank.”
Namgung Jun answered by lowering his head.
“Incredible.”
“To think the Martial Conquest Hall Master would acknowledge him.”
“Well, they did cross hands to that extent.”
The Two-Cloud members and the instructors were very surprised at the rare praise from the Martial Conquest Hall Master, but they also nodded their heads as if they were convinced.
The martial prowess that Namgung Jun had shown was by no means that of a Two-Cloud.
Even the rank of a Three-Cloud had aspects that were insufficient to represent Namgung Jun’s martial prowess.
If Namgung Jun had some kind of opportunity, he would surely be fine even if he were to challenge for the Four-Cloud rank advancement right away.
A shining talent.
The eyes of the Clouds who were looking at Namgung Jun sparkled.
Heo Il, who had been quietly watching Namgung Jun, spoke as he raised his gourd bottle.
“The top position of this Training Corps has been decided.”
Though it was quite a loud voice, no one refuted him.