Chapter 39
Wuhan, Hubei Province.
The early morning at the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance was always filled with the rough breathing of martial artists.
"Heok, heok..."
Anyone belonging to the main headquarters, whether they were a unit member or a unit commander, and even the commanders and hall masters, had to run a morning jog without exception.
And for a full hour with their internal energy self-restricted.
When the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who had been inaugurated a few years ago, had ordered it, complaints had poured in. However, the alliance leader had pushed ahead, and surprisingly, it didn't take long to see results.
Jang Woopyeong, who had been the newcomer until recently, giggled as he ran alongside Song Yiyeon.
"Wow, you're about to pass out, aren't you?"
It was no exaggeration. Song Yiyeon's entire body was drenched in sweat, and he was panting as if he would stop breathing at any moment. White breath burst out roughly from Song Yiyeon's lips without rest.
"Heok, how do you seniors run so well?"
"This is experience, you punk."
The other alliance members, who had already been running the morning jog for the past few years, were only slightly out of breath.
Jang Woopyeong, who seemed to be enjoying himself, turned his head here and there and observed the newcomers of the other armed forces as well.
The guys from famous families and sects also looked as if they were about to pass out. Jang Woopyeong himself might be better at movement skills than them. However, running with internal energy restricted was a matter of pure physical strength.
Unlike him, who had trained for the past few years, it was natural for the newcomers, for whom this kind of jog was a first, to find it overwhelming.
Jang Woopyeong turned his head here and there with a face full of expectation. It was to find the monster newcomer.
Soon, Cheon Woojin came into Jang Woopyeong's sight.
"What..."
His expression was so calm. Since it was a situation where they had almost completed the full hour, there were quite a few guys among the newcomers of the other armed forces who had dropped out.
However, Cheon Woojin had a truly calm face, as if he were an old man who had come out for a neighborhood stroll with his hands behind his back.
His running stride was constant, his body's balance was as peaceful as someone who had just started running, and the most surprising thing was that unlike the drenched Song Yiyeon, he was so dry.
"Aren't you secretly using your internal energy?"
Even Jang Woopyeong, who said so, knew. That there was no way that was the case.
Surprisingly, during the morning jog every day, the alliance leader also observed unless there was something special. Of course, he would come out an hour earlier than the other alliance members, finish his jog, and then watch.
Because of the alliance leader who was watching with his eyes on fire, it was impossible to secretly draw out internal energy. Unless one was a master who could deceive the alliance leader's eyes.
'If you can deceive my eyes, you can do so. It's a good thing, hahaha.'
It was what the alliance leader always said.
Jang Woopyeong looked back and forth between the alliance leader and Cheon Woojin and then shook his head.
* * *
"Heok, heok..."
Song Yiyeon, who had returned to the Black Tortoise Unit after finishing the jog, leaned against the wall and retched several times. His insides were so full of cold wind that it was painful.
Cheon Woojin, who had approached at some point, patted Song Yiyeon's back several times.
"No, how are you so fine, young hero? Is it because you grew up in the mountains?"
Why, there are stories like that, aren't there?
The story of a master who grew up in the mountains, away from the world.
Running up steep cliffs every morning, cultivating his mind under a waterfall...
However, unlike Song Yiyeon's expectation, Cheon Woojin answered nonchalantly.
"I used my internal energy."
Song Yiyeon, who had straightened his body, looked at Cheon Woojin with a very serious face.
"Coward."
"The alliance leader said I could use it if I could get away with it."
"No, how on earth did you get away with it?"
Cheon Woojin just shrugged his shoulders.
Song Yiyeon narrowed his eyes and looked at Cheon Woojin, who felt somewhat detestable.
He thought that he had learned a martial art specialized in some kind of trickery.
While the two were talking nonsense.
"Our newcomers, good morning."
Zhuge Lin approached with a gentle smile. Song Yiyeon felt that smile was somewhat frightening. Because in Zhuge Lin's hand was a book that looked like a martial arts manual.
"Deputy Commander, can't we rest a little more?"
At Song Yiyeon's desperate request, Zhuge Lin pointed at Cheon Woojin.
"Your friend is fine, isn't he?"
"No, young hero Cheon secretly used his internal energy, you know?"
Zhuge Lin narrowed her eyes and looked at Cheon Woojin.
"Is that true?"
However, Cheon Woojin just shook his head as if to say 'what are you talking about'. At that sight, Song Yiyeon's eyes widened as if they would pop out, but there was no way to prove this injustice.
Soon, the defeated Song Yiyeon straightened his clothes with a sullen face and said.
"Yes, let's start..."
Zhuge Lin handed two books to each of the two.
White Will Protecting Righteousness Art, Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art.
"As you can tell from the names, the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art is a common martial art that all Martial Alliance members must learn, and the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art is an external art created by the first commander of our Black Tortoise Unit. They say that if you master it, you will have a body as hard as a black tortoise's shell."
"Is there anyone who has mastered it?"
"There are many for the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art. After all, it can't be too profound if all the alliance members are to learn it."
Song Yiyeon nodded his head. He had a memory of hearing about the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art even before joining the alliance. It was based on hand-to-hand combat and dealt with various weapons.
The reason for making them learn such a martial art was simple. Because it was naturally easier for those who had learned a common martial art to coordinate with each other during a mission.
"What about the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art?"
"Someone who has mastered it? There's probably no one except the first commander."
"As expected..."
To have a body like a black tortoise's shell just by mastering it, it was obvious that it would be an external art of a truly tremendous level.
The first commanders of the Martial Alliance were the heroes of a turbulent era who had fought against the First Heavenly Demon.
Naturally, since they were the masters who had represented that era, there was no way that the martial arts in which their insights were melted would not be profound.
While Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin were scanning the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art, Zhuge Lin's explanation continued.
"The order doesn't matter, but after learning each up to the third level, you master the less difficult White Will Protecting Righteousness Art first. In fact, even for the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art, there are few people in our Black Tortoise Unit who have mastered it..."
Song Yiyeon raised his hand. As Zhuge Lin nodded her head, Song Yiyeon's question continued.
"Is there perhaps a deadline? Like being kicked out of the Martial Alliance if you can't learn it within that time."
"Of course there is. The minimum qualification is to achieve the third level in both. The deadline is half a year. Of course, I've rarely seen anyone get kicked out for not being able to do that, so don't worry too much."
Zhuge Lin was not particularly worried. Not only were both martial arts not that difficult up to the third level, but Song Yiyeon was also a successful applicant who had achieved the top results in this selection exam.
'Of course, this one is needless to say.'
At Zhuge Lin's gaze, Cheon Woojin just tilted his head. Soon, Zhuge Lin's explanation continued.
"I'll only explain the martial arts once, so both of you remember it well. If you get confused during your training, you can go and ask Jang Woopyeong over there."
At the end of Zhuge Lin's extended finger was Jang Woopyeong, who was still panting from the aftereffects of the jog. Although he looked somewhat unreliable, the two newcomers just nodded their heads.
Soon, Zhuge Lin's explanation of the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art and the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art continued for a while, and after the explanation was over, the two each began their training.
* * *
The two newcomers' week was rather peaceful.
There were no particular missions after the mission of transporting the body of the Giant Stone Monster with the Black Tortoise Unit and the Heavenly Tiger Unit. It was a consideration of the Martial Alliance to give the incorporated newcomers time to learn the martial arts.
Of course, the two newcomers' martial arts training was also quite a point of interest for the seniors. There were even those who bet money on how much progress the two would make in a week.
And so, Song Yiyeon, who had immersed himself in training with the full attention of his seniors, produced a result that no one had expected at the end of the week.
"I-I did it!"
In the exclusive training ground of the Black Tortoise Unit, there was a large rock. There were countless wounds on the rock, all of which were traces of the Black Tortoise Unit members' training.
Song Yiyeon withdrew the fist he had thrust at the rock.
White steam was seeping out from the rock, and a mark about an inch deep was made.
He had achieved the first level of the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art.
"Young hero! Look at this!"
Song Yiyeon, who was truly excited, dragged Cheon Woojin, who was a little further away, by his clothes and approached the rock.
He boasted of the fist mark that was engraved on the rock.
Cheon Woojin nodded his head.
"Amazing."
"Hahaha! I'm not a bad martial artist either, although I'm buried by you, young hero."
If he continued to devote himself like this, he would be able to achieve the third level in both martial arts without much difficulty within the set period of half a year.
Cheon Woojin let out a smirk.
"Not not bad, but a good martial artist."
Cheon Woojin genuinely thought so. Among the martial artists he had seen since coming down from the mountain, the man who was counted among the best in terms of pure talent was Song Yiyeon.
Of course, it seemed that Song Yiyeon himself was not properly aware of it.
While the two were talking.
Cheol Jiak, who had come out of the pavilion where the Black Tortoise Unit martial artists stayed in comfortable clothes, approached.
"Since a week has passed today, individual missions will probably be given to the newcomers of each armed force from tomorrow. You know that, right?"
Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin nodded at the same time.
There were exactly three set processes that the newcomers of the Martial Alliance went through.
First, they were put into a joint mission of each armed force, and second, they were given a week to focus on training.
And the last was the individual mission.
A team of one to two people was formed, and a mission was given considering the individual's characteristics.
Of course, since it was a process for the newcomers, the difficulty itself would not be that high.
"Then..."
Cheol Jiak, who was looking at the two with a satisfied look, approached the rock. There was a fist-shaped mark engraved an inch deep.
From the fact that the fingers were rather thin and the fist was not large, he could guess the owner of the mark.
"Song Yiyeon, you've already achieved the first level?"
"Hehe."
Song Yiyeon let out a silly laugh.
"What about the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art?"
"I've also achieved the first level in that."
A strange light flashed in Cheol Jiak's eyes.
Certainly, everyone's attention was excessively focused on Cheon Woojin, but Song Yiyeon also had better talent than any newcomer Cheol Jiak had seen.
"Usually, it's fine if you achieve the first level in just one of them in a week, but Yiyeon must have trained hard even before coming to the Martial Alliance."
The Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art was a martial art where the quality of internal energy was fundamentally important. In fact, martial arts of the type that protected the body by operating ki were generally like that.
When ki and ki collided, what was important was not the amount itself, but how outstanding it was in quality.
After all, the legendary Diamond Indestructible Body Art was also a martial art of Shaolin, which was said to handle the purest and deepest internal energy in the world.
Of course, the greatest advantage of the Virgin Boy Art that Song Yiyeon had learned was the purity of his internal energy.
Cheol Jiak nodded his head with satisfaction.
"Unlike the first level, which is the entry stage, the difficulty will double from the second level, which requires continuous refinement and development. You're doing well now, but be careful not to be arrogant and continue to devote yourself."
"Yes, Unit Commander."
Song Yiyeon nodded his head seriously. Because it was the first teaching he had received from the unit commander after joining the alliance.
Soon, Cheol Jiak's gaze turned to Cheon Woojin.
"Umm..."
For some reason, he was afraid to ask.
He knew well enough that Cheon Woojin's martial might was far beyond common sense.
However, hearing it in specific numbers was a different matter.
The worry that had been keeping Cheol Jiak from sleeping lately was 'am I a vessel that can handle such a newcomer'.
Cheol Jiak, who had prepared his heart to some extent, asked cautiously.
"How much has our newcomer Cheon learned?"
"I have achieved up to the third level."
"..."
Cheol Jiak took a breath for a moment, but then he put on a nonchalant expression as if nothing had happened.
Pretending not to be surprised, pretending to be calm, pretending to have expected it...
The effect of having prepared his heart firmly was there.
"Yes, as expected, you are excellent. If you have learned the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art up to the third level, now you can learn the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art. If you need any help, feel free to tell me at any time."
Although he spoke nonchalantly, he was inwardly very surprised.
No matter how much the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art was the basic martial art of the alliance, it was not inferior compared to the traditional basic martial arts of a decent great sect or a large family.
Considering that it usually took successful applicants about two months to achieve the third level, the fact that he had broken through it in a week was truly a surprising thing.
However, at Cheon Woojin's continued words, Cheol Jiak swallowed a hollow breath.
"I was talking about the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art."
"...Really? I see. So it was."
He had thought it was the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art, but it was the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art, which was more difficult.
It had taken Cheol Jiak himself exactly three months to reach the third level of the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art. He was even on the fast side among his peers who had joined at the same time.
Cheol Jiak, thinking that he would be in deep thought again tonight and that he had lost all his sleep, forced himself to nod his head.
"Yes, now you can learn the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art."
"Since I have achieved up to the fourth level in the White Will Protecting Righteousness Art, I think I will focus on the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art for the time being."
"Yes, I see. So that's what happened."
Cheol Jiak, who had lightly patted Cheon Woojin's shoulder, soon turned his body towards the way he had come.
The expression of Cheol Jiak, who had turned around, was deathly pale.
Cheol Jiak, who was walking, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked up at the particularly high moon.
'...Alliance Leader, I think something is wrong.'
Of course, Cheol Jiak's reaction was natural.
Because he would not know that Cheon Woojin had learned all the insights that the Black Master and the White Master had achieved and accumulated over their entire lives, starting from the age of five, in just fifteen years.
(End of Chapter)