“What are you doing, moving like a slug?
Hurry up and come at me.”
I raised my sword and charged toward Gu Do-gwang.
His palm sliced through the air toward me.
I tried to cut his hand with my sword, but his palm dodged my blade like a ghost and flew toward my chest.
Thud!
A single blow sent me tumbling to the ground.
Blood spurted from my mouth.
“Haha.
Contrary to what that Jin fellow said, you’re pathetic.”
Gu Do-gwang’s voice echoed in my ears.
Before I could even get up, his foot flew toward my stomach.
Thump!
My body flew through the air once more.
My entire body ached.
Dammit.
The internal energy I’d gained from the elixir, the stats I’d accumulated—they were all useless before him.
The wall of a first-rate master was this high.
“How long are you going to lie on the ground?”
Gu Do-gwang slowly approached.
I could feel the pressure with his every step.
I got up again and took my stance.
The next attack didn’t come.
Gu Do-gwang seemed to be thinking about something as he watched me.
“That’s enough for today.
We’ll begin the real training tomorrow.”
“…Thank you.”
Gu Do-gwang nodded and turned away.
The next day, Gu Do-gwang’s voice cut through the dawn air.
The air in the training ground was still cold.
“Your foundation is completely broken.
Your swordsmanship is just about crushing the weak with brute force…”
I nodded at his words.
Looking back at my fights, starting from the Dungeon Conquest Chronicle , I realized most of them were won by overpowering my opponents.
The only one who was close to my level was Jin Myeong-woo, and even then, I gained the upper hand with the physical abilities I’d raised with stats.
“We’ll start with your breathing.
Assume the lotus position.”
I sat down and took the position.
Gu Do-gwang inspected my posture.
“Inhale and gather the qi in your dantian.
Slowly.”
Following his instructions, I breathed in.
As I tried to gather the qi in my dantian, my unstable internal energy scattered.
You’re trying to rush it.
Slower, let it flow naturally.”
I tried again.
This time, I breathed as slowly and naturally as possible.
A faint energy began to gather in my dantian.
“Yes, like that.
Gather the qi, then slowly spread it throughout your body.”
The energy in my dantian began to flow along my meridians.
It was unstable at first, but it gradually became more natural.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Gu Do-gwang spoke.
“It’s starting to stabilize.
But you still have a long way to go.” “…..” “We’ll continue tomorrow, so that’s all for today.
Keep practicing your breathing.”
I remained in the training ground and continued my training.
It still wasn’t enough.
My training continued even as the sun set.
The energy gathered in my dantian grew more and more stable.
I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.
As the sun was slowly setting, Seol-hee approached.
“Young Master, I’ve brought you a meal.”
“Thank you.”
She sat next to me and carefully fed me the food she had brought.
Several days passed like this.
The training continued every day.
Under Gu Do-gwang’s tutelage, I was improving little by little.
“You’re finally starting to look the part.”
After receiving Gu Do-gwang’s instruction, I could definitely feel my breathing had stabilized.
“Now, we’ll move on to the next step.”
The look in his eyes changed.
I had a feeling.
The real training was about to begin…
“Draw your sword.”
At Gu Do-gwang’s command, I drew my blade.
“I’ll stand still.
Try to attack me.”
I swung my sword at Gu Do-gwang.
“You have too many openings.”
Gu Do-gwang deflected my sword with his bare hands.
“All your movements are rigid.
And it’s strange.
Your swordsmanship is complete, but…”
Thump!
My body was pushed back.
“You’re not using your body properly.
Your upper and lower body are moving separately.”
Gu Do-gwang slowly circled me.
His eyes scanned my posture for weaknesses.
“When you swing your sword, the connection between your waist and legs is broken.
That’s why your center of balance falters with every attack.”
He blocked my sword with his bare hands again.
In that instant, my stance crumbled.
Thwack!
A palm brushed my shoulder, and my body staggered.
“See?
Your sword strikes lack the power of your waist and legs.
You swing with only your arm strength, so your balance is easily broken.”
I see…
Until now, I had relied solely on my Advanced Swordsmanship trait and swung my sword with just my arm strength.
I had overlooked the importance of my lower body.
“Fix your stance.
This time, watch my movements carefully.”
Gu Do-gwang picked up a sword.
I could see his feet and waist moving as one.
Every time he took a step, he stomped firmly on the ground, using the rebound to twist his waist, and that power transferred directly into his sword.
Is this what true swordsmanship is…
“I can see your next move perfectly.
Your fundamentals are good, but they’re too textbook.”
Gu Do-gwang was right.
The Advanced Swordsmanship trait had given me perfect techniques, but they were just the ‘basics.’ I hadn’t learned how to respond to unorthodox moves in a real fight at all.
“Let me show you just how sloppy your movements are.”
Gu Do-gwang’s sword cut through the air.
I felt a completely different, sharper aura than before.
I raised my sword to meet his attack.
Clang!
“Look.
See how rigid your stance is.”
His sword slid up mine as if it were gliding.
Smack!
His sword struck my wrist, and I lost my grip on my own.
“A perfect stance can sometimes allow the enemy to predict your next move.
In a real fight, what’s important is to survive, even if your form breaks.”
His sword flew at me again.