Book 7 Chapter 14
Intensive Short-Term Accelerated Special Enhancement Training
- Move with Intent, Not Qi
Unaware of what was happening around them, the students of Cheonmu Academy were diligently training under Yeomdo’s rough and brutal guidance.
It was called, Intensive Short-Term Accelerated Special Enhancement Training!
The midsummer sun was scorching, making the skin feel like it was burning.
“Intent, not Qi! Move with spirit, not matter.”
Yeomdo demanded only one thing first.
“Move the water in the jar placed five jang (approx. 15 meters) away!”
“Without using internal energy!”
The last condition was fatal.
“Yes?”
It was natural for everyone to be horrified.
“How is that possible?”
It was clearly an extremely difficult task. They couldn’t be sure if they could achieve it with their current abilities.
“Move objects with intent, not Qi! Anyone can move things with Qi. Don’t try to move objects by squeezing out Qi, move them with intent, with your will. Do it if I tell you to!”
Yeomdo wasn’t one to let things go just because they said they couldn’t.
“Th-that…”
Despite their dejected faces, the Cheongwan students had no choice. Their special training began.
Sweat poured down their backs like rain.
How much time had passed?
They couldn’t tell how long they had been holding a horse stance, eyes fixed on the paper five jang away and swords extended forward. The muscles in their entire bodies writhed and screamed. Yet, indifferently, the water in the jar five jang away didn’t show the slightest movement.
If they had used sword Qi, breaking the jar would have been a trivial matter! Everyone couldn’t understand why they had to continue this seemingly meaningless task.
“You should accomplish this in one day!”
Yeomdo roared. It had already been two days since the special training began.
“Have dominion over existence! Don’t try to move Qi. Move with intent. When intent arises, Qi will naturally follow! Concentrate!”
“The opponent will never show mercy if your concentration wavers. The world of competition is cold.”
“Concentrate! When concentration reaches its peak, a master dwells in another world, another time.”
Yeomdo’s teachings were strict. He had a mission that had to be accomplished.
“Stop complaining!”
The Cheongwan students somehow managed to maintain their postures, on the verge of collapsing. The posture the Cheongwan students took was simple. They just pointed their swords at the jar, extended them forward, took a horse stance, and stood rigid like statues.
“Focus your minds!”
Yeomdo repeatedly emphasized the importance of mental focus.
“Once your mind is gathered, if it scatters, it’s over. Before your scattered mind can gather again, the enemy’s sword will take your life.”
Yeomdo’s words were filled with strictness and decisiveness. They were in a desperate situation. They were performing a precarious dance on the blade of death. Under such circumstances, undergoing such rigorous training was like digging their own graves. Though it looked simple, the training demanded immense physical and mental strength.
Yeomdo’s voice was unwavering as he addressed the Intensive Short-Term Accelerated Special Enhancement Training.
“The messengers of the underworld are waiting by your side. Whether you are dragged away by them weakly or you kick them strongly and laugh, it all depends on your efforts. Did you understand?”
“Yes!”
A thunderous voice erupted. Sweat, the product of their passionate efforts, poured down like rain. The sweat they had shed so far would have easily filled a bucket.
But this was still just the beginning. The walls of hardship still blocked their path, layered two or three times over. Whether they would overcome the obstacles of hardship or collapse beneath them now depended entirely on their own will.
The water was still stagnant.
“Why isn’t Biryu Yeon participating in this training?”
Qinghen asked during the training. It was a sudden question. He hadn’t let go of his posture. The muscles in his legs were screaming.
‘Damn it, why ask such a question….’
Yeomdo’s inner thoughts were that he wished they would refrain from asking such difficult questions. How could these kids today have so little consideration for others!
Yeomdo grumbled inwardly and said indifferently,
“He’s hopeless anyway, so it’s a waste of time. I’ve assigned him as a lookout, so ignore him!”
Yeomdo enjoyed the fleeting pleasure of taking out his anger when he had the chance. When else would such an opportunity arise!
Biryu Yeon was currently engaged in a very important task. However, Yeomdo could never tell the children about it. It was a secret between him and himself. He didn’t want to be beaten up disgracefully on charges of leaking secrets.
At the very moment they were all sweating profusely in their special training under the scorching sun! There was someone in the forest, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. A man whose hair was so long it covered his eyes, he was Biryu Yeon.
“Where would be good…”
His gaze, hidden by his long bangs, was exceedingly cautious and serious, even carrying a sense of mission. His eyes, which had been searching every nook and cranny, flashed and settled on one spot. He had finally found the target he was looking for. His gaze sharpened like that of a hawk hunting its prey.
‘That’s it! I finally found it!’
Biryu Yeon exclaimed inwardly.
The wide shade spread beneath a tree too large to be embraced at once was truly artistic. The gentle breeze that caressed his ears was also pleasantly just right. Nowhere else would be as good a spot. It was a paradise.
“Ah! Good! This is it!”
The sky was high, the sun was warm, and the wind was refreshing. Inhaling the scent of the dense greenery, Biryu Yeon lay sprawled in a star shape under the shade. Looking up at the sky from the earth, only white clouds drifted leisurely.
“Peaceful!”
Peaceful?
How could this situation, where enemies were positioned all around, wanting to end his life as quickly as possible, be called peaceful? It was an extremely unique sensibility.
Biryu Yeon, showing utter indifference to the sweaty training under the hot sun and the burning passion, had been searching for a prime napping spot, avoiding the scorching summer sun. Moreover, his efforts had not been in vain, as he had found a remarkable spot.
“Shall I take a nap then!”
Completely disregarding the surrounding situation, his eyelids slowly closed. The gently blowing wind was peaceful.
A day passed, then two, then three.
It was enough time to prove that the Vermilion Phoenix Squad and the Heavenly Sword Squad were not fools. As time passed, they were accepting Yeomdo’s teachings and becoming increasingly proficient. Even though their progress varied, the fact that they showed results proportional to the teaching indicated they were certainly not fools. After all, it would be a great insult to consider meticulously selected talents as fools.
Yeomdo’s teachings were by no means easy, but everyone was showing small accomplishments.
“When the mind is concentrated, nothing is impossible!”
“Mind is sword, sword is mind!”
While the words were easy, putting them into practice was rarely seen in the world. However, thanks to Yeomdo’s coercive and strict training and his talent, they were achieving more and more. The time they maintained the union of sword and mind in a state of concentrated mind was gradually increasing. But…
‘Move! Move! Move!’
They tried to gather their minds and shout, but the water in the jar remained as it was.
On the fourth day, a change finally occurred.
A change occurred in the water in the jar placed five jang away. The water, which had arrogantly refused to move, finally did. Small, round ripples appeared on the surface of the jar. Though it was the movement of a single small circle, there was a vast difference between stillness and even the slightest movement. It was equivalent to the creation of something from nothing.
Intent had begun to gain power. It also signified a leap in their ability to control Qi.
Without intending to move Qi, Qi naturally arose from their bodies and moved the water in the jar as if it had a will of its own. It was so natural that it was difficult to even properly discern how the Qi had moved.
Only now had they finally entered the threshold of the realm of unified intent, where Qi moves on its own when the mind moves.
Three more days passed since the creation of something from nothing.
On the seventh day!
Yeomdo simply stood them up at sunrise. It was finally the last day they had promised. Judging by the killing intent filling the surroundings, no more time would be given.
As the sun moved in an elegant curve, time flowed. As time passed, the expressions of the Heavenly Sword Squad and the Vermilion Phoenix Squad became increasingly grim. A ripple appeared on the surface of the water in the jar, and then another layer was added, and another.
“Thud!”
When about ten ripples began to form, the first person dropped out. It was Yi Jinseol of the Heavenly Sword Squad. In truth, this training was still too much for her. It happened two shichen (four hours) after the training began.
The ripples continued to form, and finally, they began to slowly rotate and form a vortex.
Another dropout followed. This time it was Hwa Seol-ok, a disciple of the Hwa San Sect belonging to the Vermilion Phoenix Squad. Her delicate legs could no longer endure the training and she collapsed.
Following her, Danmok Susu of the Danmok Family fell. Even her cheerful and bright personality could no longer endure.
“Crash!”
Another person collapsed on the ground. Surprisingly, this time it was a male. He was Geum Yeongho of Geumho Commerce, the first dropout among the male members of the Vermilion Phoenix Squad. His plump body had finally surrendered. A considerable amount of weight must have been shed as sweat today.
Immediately after Geum Yeongho fell, the next one to collapse was Noh Hak, shamefully. He had been enduring until now with sheer stubbornness, not wanting to be the first dropout among the male members of the Vermilion Phoenix Squad. Therefore, he had no more patience left.
Next to fall was Hwangbo Okyeon. The responsibility and pride of being the eldest daughter of the Hwangbo family could no longer restrain his body.
The vortex deepened.
As the vortex in the jar deepened and its speed gradually increased, dropouts began to increase one by one. One by one, they lost their strength and collapsed. Their mental and physical strength had already reached their limit.
“……”
Il-gong of the Shaolin Temple, the epitome of stoicism, again collapsed in silent silence. It happened four shichen after the training began. Now, less than fifteen people remained.
Their entire bodies were soaked as if they had just emerged from water. Even without showing it, and without needing explanation, one could feel the muscles in their entire bodies screaming from ten paces away.
By the fifth shichen, the water in the jar began to tremble and overflow. The rotational force of the vortex had begun to break free from the jar's confinement.
The sixth shichen!
Those who endured this far were worthy of being called monsters. Their mental states had reached their extremes.
The remaining people were now narrowed down to ten.
Among the men were Moyong Hui, Qinghen, Namgung Sang, Hyun Woon, Hyo Ryong, Jang Hong, and surprisingly, Yoon Jun Ho. Among the women were Jin Ling, Namgung Sansan, and Na Yerim. As members of the Seven Phoenixes of Cheonmu, they remained until the end, upholding their dignity. Dangmun Hye of the Vermilion Phoenix Squad and Moyong Cui of the Moyong Family, although they could not endure until the end and dropped out, possessed talent, skill, and endurance even greater than most men. They were not meant to be protected by men. There were far too many men in this world who needed their protection.
They had forgotten their own existence. The illusion of pain had already left them.
As the sun set beyond the western mountains with twilight, it was long past.
Among the female members of the Vermilion Phoenix Squad, Jin Ling and Namgung Sansan endured the longest. As two of the Seven Phoenixes of Cheonmu, they remained the longest. However, the longest enduring among the female students of Cheonmu Academy were not those two.
The water in the jars before them continued to overflow more and more. It felt as if an invisible hand was scooping out the water.
Surprisingly, Yoon Jun Ho stubbornly remained. His constant lack of presence was enough to surprise those around him. Those who had always found Yoon Jun Ho, who always appeared clumsy and dull, to be displeasing and had a tendency to dismiss him. However, this incident proved that Yoon Jun Ho was fully qualified to participate in the group training.
Who would be the final one? It was a matter of great interest to the observers.
‘What is this?’
Moyong Hui suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. Time around him seemed to slow down, and each object appeared distinctly. It was a strange feeling, as if he had multiple eyes and was seeing in all directions simultaneously. Even the slightest sound was clearly audible. All sounds were separated and transmitted to his ears as information. He felt no pain.
It was a strange and intense feeling, as if lightning were coursing through his entire body. It was an intense feeling he hadn’t experienced since witnessing the ultimate mastery of the Silver River Meteor Sword Style.
A tingling sensation, as if lightning were piercing him in a straight line from the Baihui acupoint on the crown of his head to the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet! A sensation he had never been able to regain despite trying. That mysterious sensation had now returned to him.
He was not the only one to experience such an unfamiliar phenomenon. The remaining eight had entered a state of selfless absorption, forgetting their own existence.
The ninth shichen!
The trembling of their muscles, which had been violently shaking, stopped. The sweat that had been pouring like rain also stopped as if by magic. Their bodies became still, as if time had stopped. The sweat beads on their skin seemed to have cooled and evaporated into the air.
Like people submerged in silence, they stood, blended with the silence and the darkness of the night. The sun that had been above their heads had long since changed to the moon. Even as the moon rose and set, there was no change in their movements. Everyone watched their figures, holding their breath. They appeared peaceful, as if they had become one with nature.
In contrast to their seemingly static stillness, the water in the jars before them spun and overflowed madly.
Hyo Ryong no longer intended to hide his skills. Therefore, in this training, he decided to reveal everything he had and face it head-on. He keenly felt his lack of skill in his current state. Jang Hong felt the same way.
“Ah!”
Jin Ling, watching with anxiety, let out a short cry. Finally, Yoon Jun Ho had fallen. Jin Ling, unable to endure any longer after seven shichen, had dropped out with Namgung Sansan and could now only watch, unable to even lift a finger.
Yoon Jun Ho fell very quietly. He had already lost consciousness. It happened so naturally that for a moment, they didn’t even realize he had fallen. There was not a single drop of water left in the jar before him. A satisfied smile lingered on his lips.
The twelfth shichen!
Day was breaking. The morning sun brilliantly pierced the darkness of dawn, scattering golden dust. Another day had passed. The pre-dawn glow pushed away the darkness of the night, scattering waves of light.
Everyone had stayed awake all night.
“Crack!”
“Look at that!”
At Namgung Sansan’s words, everyone’s gaze turned to the jars before the seven remaining individuals. The remaining individuals were Moyong Hui, Qinghen, Hyo Ryong, Namgung Sang, Hyun Woon, Jang Hong, and surprisingly, Na Yerim.
They noticed a fine crack. Their five senses had been dramatically enhanced by the seven days of special training.
“The violently swirling jar is cracking! It can’t withstand the pressure of the water!”
At this rate, it might break soon. This phenomenon was occurring identically for all seven of them.
The eyes of the seven were not fixed on the jars. They were looking beyond them, to something else.
“Crack! Crackle!”
The crack that had appeared began to grow, and its force spread throughout the entire jar. It was a web of cracks.
“Crackle!”
“Snap!”
“Boom!”
Finally, the seven jars exploded simultaneously. The swirling water splashed in all directions. It was like rain falling from a clear sky. The splashing water momentarily obscured their vision.
When their gaze returned to the training ground, the result was clear.
In the end, there was no single last person. The seven people, completely exhausted of their physical and mental strength, collapsed simultaneously.
Bathed in the dawn’s light, these seven fell asleep in harmony. A satisfied smile, rather than pain, adorned their faces. Sunlight shone upon them as they lay, and the sound of morning birdsong reached the ears of the onlookers.
The students watching felt their hearts swell. Only then did they realize that they had passed a trial throughout the night.
They were different from who they were yesterday and who they were today. They had changed. And it was to a higher dimension! Their chests swelled with pride.