“Mmm.”
The one who broke the long silence was Cheon Un-gwang, with a low grunt that sounded as if his throat had been choked. Cheon Un-gwang who was known for his brutal personality and having fought countless battles still hadn't predicted that Bu Eunseol would unleash a lightning-fast killing strike and kill Byeok Hanseong.
“So you've learned the Beast Way.” The strikes from Byeok Hanseong’s wooden sword carried enough force to shatter stone.
Yet despite being hit multiple times by the Asura Sword’s ultimate techniques, Bu Eunseol didn’t even show the faintest bruise.
“That’s correct.” At Bu Eunseol’s reply, Cheon Un-gwang’s thick eyebrows twitched.
“Were you originally a disciple of Nangyang Pavilion?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Then you’re saying you mastered Beast Path perfectly in just half a month?”
“I’ve only learned the basics.” Cheon Un-gwang had misunderstood.
He believed that Bu Eunseol had reached the highest level of Beast Path, neutralizing all incoming force even before it landed.
“Basics?” Cheon Un-gwang scoffed at Bu Eunseol’s reply. “So Nangyang Pavilion teaches lying first nowadays, does it?”
“I…”
“No need for excuses. Whatever your tricks are, they don’t concern this instructor.” Cheon Un-gwang coldly cut Bu Eunseol off and pointed at Byeok Hanseong’s now lifeless body.
“Remove him immediately.” Once, they had shared a bond as teacher and student, training in martial arts together.
Yet Cheon Un-gwang now regarded the corpse like a rotting fish displayed on a market stall—nothing more.
“Instructor.” Just then, a female trainee with long hair tied up stepped forward.
“I have something to say.”
“Speak.”
“That person committed murder during what was supposed to be a standard duel.”
“Murder?” As Cheon Un-gwang raised his eyebrows, the girl pointed squarely at the calmly standing Bu Eunseol.
“Yes. His crime must be judged strictly, so that nothing like this ever happens again.” Cheon Un-gwang stared at the girl for a moment, then let out a low snort.
“It wasn’t murder. It was an accident during a duel.”
“What?”
“That guy used a killing technique first, aiming to smash the other’s skull. The other simply countered.”
“But…”
“Just because this place is called a martial hall, do you actually believe it’s a real martial hall?” Cheon Un-gwang looked down at the girl with disdain, his eyes burning as he spoke:
“This place is a living hell.” Those were the same words spoken by the lower instructor Jingak when they had first disembarked from the ship.
But coming from Cheon Un-gwang, with that murderous intensity, the meaning felt utterly different.
This place is hell.
The fierce blaze in Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes seemed to say it all. As the trainees stood around in confusion and disorder, Cheon Un-gwang spoke in a low voice.
“Let the test resume.”
***
The sparring matches were intense.
Despite the original purpose being to observe how the students handled their swords—regardless of victory or defeat—the trainees all fought as if their lives were on the line. Naturally, this was because of what had happened during Bu Eunseol’s duel.
—You can die in a sparring match.
During the test, now fraught with tension, no further deaths occurred. However, as a series of fierce, real-battle-like matches unfolded, the number of injured steadily increased.
“You to the left. You, to the right.” After each duel, Cheon Un-gwang would separate the trainees to the left or right.
Sometimes he sent both to the left, or both to the right. Though he gave no explicit explanation, the trainees could infer that this was the process of determining who passed and who failed.
“This is the end.” Cheon Un-gwang gave a slight nod as he looked at the lines of trainees standing to either side.
Most of those who had finished sparring bore various injuries, and many were still gasping for breath.
“Fifteen, huh.” Cheon Un-gwang stroked his chin as he looked at the trainees standing on the left.
“You may all proceed to the advanced training hall immediately.” The trainees on the left brightened with joy and quickly exited the martial hall.
Then Cheon Un-gwang turned to the group on the right. They were the ones who had yet to achieve the synchronization between hand and sword.
“As for you, leave this place immediately and seek another martial hall.” The students on the right were stunned by the unexpected verdict.
“But it’s just one failed test, isn’t it?” One boy protested with a frustrated expression, and another next to him raised his voice as well.
“We’ll train harder and surely pass into the advanced hall next time!” But Cheon Un-gwang shook his head firmly.
“You cannot.”
“What?”
“The fact that you’ve trained in the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword yet still can’t synchronize with your sword means you lack the natural aptitude for it in the first place.”
“But…”
“Your physical build is decent, so perhaps you passed the beginner hall without much trouble.” A faint gleam flashed in Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes as he continued in a low voice.
“But to truly master the Hwa Wu Sword, you need more than physical strength—you need extraordinary talent.” There was an irresistible force in his quiet tone.
“The kind of rare martial talent that can overcome its limits through relentless, bone-grinding effort.” The trainees had nothing to say.
Because among those standing on the right, none had pushed themselves to such extremes to become one with the Hua Wu Thunder Sword.
“Complacent and lazy personalities can never learn the Hwa Wu Sword.” With Cheon Un-gwang’s final words, the trainees fell silent and quietly left the martial hall.
"……."
After all the trainees had left, silence once again settled in. Inside the now-empty martial training hall, only Bu Eunseol remained, standing alone.
Cheon Ungwang looked at him and spoke in a cold voice:
“Why are you just standing there blankly? Why haven’t you left?”
“Am I supposed to leave too?”
“If you have the skill to dismantle the Raging Lightning Whirlwind form of the Asura Sword Sect at close range, then you must already possess considerable swordsmanship.” Looking down at Bu Eunseol’s cold, motionless eyes, Cheon Ungwang snorted.
“Was your plan to sneak into the intermediate hall late and make a strong impression during the duel?” With a curled lip, he looked down at Bu Eunseol, who kept his mouth tightly shut. “If you were just trying to play smart, I would’ve cracked your skull open. But… it seems you have the skill, so I’ll acknowledge that.”
Cheon Un-gwang pointed toward the open door on the left.
“You go to the advanced hall as well.” To skip the intermediate level and go straight to the advanced hall? That was an exceptional privilege.
But Bu Eunseol responded with something completely unexpected.
“I haven’t yet learned any martial arts from the intermediate hall.”
“What did you say?”
“I want to learn swordsmanship in the intermediate hall.” Fixing his gaze on Bu Eunseol’s face, Cheon Un-gwang wore a look as if he were staring at something strange.
“Why would you choose to remain in the intermediate hall?”
“The only sword technique I’ve learned is the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms.”
“Are you still talking nonsense?”
“If it’s a lie, you can cut off both my hands.” A light like the hot sun flowed out from Bu Eunseol’s eyes, which were as cold as ice.
“Good. I’ll teach you. But,” Cheon Woon-gwang looked down at Bu Eunseol with eyes that were filled with murderous intent.
“If I find any trace of learning swordsmanship other than the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms, I will immediately cut off your head.”
* * *
Four days later.
Whoooosh!
The Swift Sword Form, released in a burst of explosive energy from within, suddenly split into three mid-flow and transformed into the rotating Chain Sword Form.
‘Tch.’ As the sword move, sharp as a ray of light, was rapidly converted mid-execution, a pain like his wrist and elbow were twisting out of place surged through him.
But Bu Eunseol didn’t show it. He continued rotating his shoulders, wrists, and body without pause, unfolding the Linked Ring Sword in a continuous flow.
Swish swish swish swish—whoosh!
With the slicing of air, the endless swordplay suddenly shifted once again into the Swift Sword Form.
Rotation and Speed, two opposing principles in swordsmanship, were being wielded simultaneously.
That was the true form of the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword.
“Haaap!”
With a sharp shout, the iron sword in Bu Eunseol’s hand spun with ferocious speed, releasing a dazzling burst of light like fireworks exploding. It was the final technique of the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword, Ten Thousand Lights Shining Across the World—a move that could never be executed without complete mastery of the blade.
“Tch.”
A low groan escaped Bu Eunseol’s lips as he continued his sword sequence. Because he had been spinning his body rapidly while performing the technique, the iron sword slipped out of his control and grazed his shoulder, neck, and face. No matter how gifted or determined he was, he had only been practicing the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword for four days.
He still couldn’t control the sword with the precision and finesse as if it were an extension of his own hand.
'So it was true.' Cheon Un-gwang, who had been watching Bu Eunseol's training, looked at him with an incredulous expression.
'He really only learned the Thirteen Forms of Flame Rain in the beginner’s hall?' Cheon Un-gwang was a sword master who had spent his entire life honing the blade. On the first day he taught Bu Eunseol the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword, he had instantly seen from Bu Eunseol’s movements that he had never properly studied swordsmanship before.
‘A guy who just picked up the sword, already executing the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword after four days?’
It was laughable, practically absurd. Even if he hadn’t yet reached sword-hand unity, Bu Eunseol’s ability to absorb and apply what he learned was far beyond ordinary.
‘So he really did learn the Beast Way in two weeks?’
It felt like a cold wind brushed past his ear, and goosebumps prickled his skin. How many martial prodigies in the past had died trying to master the Beast Way? A hyper-sensory martial art that even the top warriors of the Ten Demon Sects envied. Without heaven blessed talent, one wouldn’t even dare to attempt learning such an abtruse martial technique—yet Bu Eunseol had mastered it in just fifteen days?
“Tch.” At that moment, another sharp grunt escaped from Bu Eunseol’s mouth.
He had ultimately failed to control the spinning force of the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword, and the blade began cutting into his own arms and legs.
'But he’s still a long way off.' Cheon Un-gwang clicked his tongue as he watched.
If one couldn’t wield the sword with the delicate control of one’s own hand, the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword would inevitably harm its user. Even for a martial genius favored by the heavens, this was not a technique that could be mastered in a single leap.
‘No matter how I look at it, he shouldn’t be strong enough to defeat that guy from the Asura Sword Sect.’ Cheon Un-gwang couldn’t understand.
Even with his rapid learning, Bu Eunseol was still a novice who had just started learning swordsmanship. How had he managed to defeat Byeok Hanseong, who had not only perfected the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword but could also wield the chaotic techniques of the Asura Sword Sect with such ease?
Crash, clap, clap!
Meanwhile, the whirling Hwa Wu Lightning Form grew stronger, and the iron sword that Bu Eunseol swung began to cut deeper and deeper into his skin and muscles. But he did not stop moving.
“Stop. If you keep swinging your sword, your body will eventually break down." At Cheon Un-gwang's words, Bu Eunseol bit his teeth and shouted.
"I’m fine."
"What?"
“I think it might be possible if I work on it just a little bit more." Even though he had been turned bloody while spinning the sword, Bu Eunseol started to execute the Hwa Wu Lightning Form from the beginning.
“Oh my.” Meanwhile, the rotational force had become stronger, and now only a 'thud' sound was heard from the tip of the sword.
Red blood spurted out from Bu Eunseol's body as he spun around and performed swordsmanship. Even though his pitch-black uniform was soaked in blood, Bu Eunseol did not stop moving.
"Is that so." Only now did Cheon Un-gwang realize it.
He finally understood how Bu Eunseol had managed to master the Beast Way in just fifteen days.
It was his indomitable perseverance and determination.
He was devoting his entire being to learning and mastering martial arts, as if his life depended on it. Not only that—there was no trace of fear or pain that a boy of his age should naturally possess.
There was only an unyielding resolve to grow stronger, completely consuming that frail body.
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