Eun-woo moved first—his approach relaxed, his movements efficient. A probing strike came toward Wooyun's shoulder, quick but not overbearing.
Feeling the heavy weight of the sword in his hand made him hesitate to strike. His movements were heavy and sluggish at first, and he didn't enjoy the feeling of having its weight slowing him down. He couldn't understand how people wielded such a heavy weapon, and was thankful that all that training he had endured made it so he wasn't dropping the blade all the time.
Eun-woo sensed his unease. "Don't focus too much on the weight of the sword. Think of it like an extension of yourself."
The young man considered his words and nodded as he put them into practice.
Wooyun sidestepped, pivoting just enough to let the strike skim past him. He didn't waste any movement. He stayed loose, feet light, shifting his weight effortlessly. Wooyun knew Eun-woo was testing his reaction time and so he decided to give the man something to be surprised about.
As Wooyun had taken boxing lessons for three years, he was able to pick up some key techniques and movements throughout his brief journey. Footwork was just as important as handling one's fists in the sport, and Wooyun had a knack for moving quickly on his feet. He used those skills and moved with more agility and finesse.
Eun-woo's gaze sharpened when he noticed the sudden shift in Wooyun's movements. Not one to waste time figuring things out, his next attack came without warning—a feint, then a sharp jab toward Wooyun's ribs. But unlike his initial expectations, Wooyun didn't just dodge. He weaved. His body twisted in a way that was too fluid, too unorthodox for standard martial arts. And instead of stepping back, he stayed close, body coiled like a spring.
Eun-woo stilled for a fraction of a second. His brows furrowed."What was that?"
Wooyun didn't answer. No point in explaining something that didn't exist in this world. Eun-woo's expression shifted into something more serious. "Alright then."
His next move was faster.
Wooyun barely had time to block before Eun-woo's palm struck his forearm. The force sent a jolt through his bones. Another strike followed—a kick aimed low. Wooyun dodged, but again, his movements weren't what Eun-woo expected. He didn't leap back like a trained martial artist. Instead, he angled his body at the last second, dodging by the smallest margin. His footwork was compact, sharp.
Eun-woo's eyes flickered with something unreadable. He tested it—threw another strike. Again, Wooyun avoided it by weaving, his torso shifting just enough to evade. He countered with a fast jab—short and efficient, aimed at Eun-woo's chin.
Eun-woo twisted away, but this time, a flicker of amusement crossed his face. "The way you fight is strange ." He noted.
Wooyun exhaled, rolling his wrist. "Is that a problem?"
Eun-woo thought for a moment before shaking his head. There were different ways of fighting, especially among cultivators. Some chose to fight with their fists, others with personalized weapons. How one fought didn't matter as long as they won. The sparring continued until Wooyun was left on the floor, panting heavily. He had lost—no surprise there, but he strangely found the act of fighting fun. He couldn't help thinking back to his delinquent days.
Eun-woo nodded before extending his hand to help Wooyun up. "You did good…for a novice. Though you have much to learn. If you keep at it, you will only get better from here." He paused for a moment, as if considering his words before speaking once more.
"Though you aren't at the level of joining the Heavenly Summit Tournament, I would encourage you to come if you can." He said.
Wooyun looked at him in surprise before sighing. "Yeah, there's no way that's happening. I'm not allowed to leave the estate without permission. And if Kang Choon-hee were to see me there, who knows what she'd do?" He said.
Though he said that, he had every intention of going. The book had described the Tournament as a must see event, plus it's where Seo-yoon first meets the Demon Lord. Wooyun wanted to get the chance to see him in person and perhaps find a way to befriend him so he could have a way out of this hellhole.
Eun-woo nodded. "We will spar once again tomorrow and with each move, I will increase my power."
Wooyun's face paled. "Increase? What do you mean, increase?"
Eun-woo said nothing, and his silence only increased the feeling of dread within him. "Please have mercy on me, brother." I am but a simple modern man. I don't know how much more of this I can take. He wailed to himself.
"If you wish to get stronger, you need to make sacrifices. Building a powerful body externally is just as important as building a strong body internally. You need balance, so we will keep up with sparring until your reaction time gets better and until you can land a proper hit."
Wooyun could only nod in resignation.
"Now, let's go back to basic training techniques." He said in a stern voice.
Wooyun once again sat in the lotus position as he adjusted his breathing and concentrated on the energy core inside of him.
"The basic training techniques of all cultivators, regardless of their type, all come down to five elemental training techniques. Wind, water, earth, fire, and lightning. Since these are the five elements that make up our world, it is important that you learn them if you ever want to get a shot at breaking through the cultivation realms. Your task right now is to move your energy core by yourself." He explained as he kept a steady gaze on Wooyun.
The young man nodded his head and did as he was told. The minute he saw his energy core, he started to circulate the qi. A burst of energy surged within him, and a burning heat erupted in his core.
"What is the first element you were able to sense within you?" He asked.
Wooyun furrowed his brows. Though he couldn't see the flames outright within him, he could feel a burning heat, one that didn't seem to cool down. "Fire?"
Something flickered in Eun-woo's eyes when he heard this. Although it was normal for beginners to feel different elements on their first try, it was quite rare for fire to be the first element to manifest itself. Usually one would feel the earth element since it was the most peaceful of the five.
Interesting.
"Good. Focus on that feeling and hone it." He said.
Within minutes, Eun-woo could sense Wooyun's energy core and it was starting to move quite quickly.
Despite how dense Wooyun could be in certain matters, he was a person who was gifted. He had the ability to adapt and learn quickly, which was a useful talent to have when learning martial arts, and Eun-woo could recognize that as a fellow genius himself.
A bead of sweat rolled down Wooyun's temple as the heat inside him grew stronger. It wasn't a painful feeling—mostly strange. Normally, one feels heat externally, like when you're outside in the blazing sun, or you're near a hot oven or stovetop. It was strange to feel direct heat coming from inside his body, but Wooyun didn't let this discomfort prevent him from molding and controlling it.
Things were going well, when suddenly, the fire surged chaotically, flickering wildly. He tried to grasp hold of the flames, but the more he did, the quicker it slipped through his fingers like wisps of smoke. Wooyun grit his teeth, frustration creeping in.
"Don't force it," he heard Eun-woo say through the haze.
Easy for you to say.
"You're trying to command the fire when you should be guiding it."
Wooyun frowned. "What? What does that mean?"
Eun-woo crouched beside him, tapping a finger against his abdomen. The sudden feeling made his body shake. "Hey—"
"Think of the fire as if it were a living thing." Eun-woo said, cutting him off. "You wouldn't go around barking orders at a person, would you? If you want to get someone to do something, you guide them through it. Get them to follow you. You can't bend a person to your will through brute force—so give that fire within you a path to follow, slow and steady."
Wooyun inhaled deeply, forcing his body to relax. Instead of gripping the flames tightly, he tried to move with them, like adjusting his stance in a fight rather than resisting an opponent's force.
Then something shifted.
The fire that was wreaking havoc inside him started to settle, no longer fighting against him, but moving with him. It still burned hot, still roared beneath his skin, but there was a rhythm to it now—a pattern he could follow.
Wooyun was able to successfully create some warped circular balls of energy. Though it wasn't perfect, it was an amazing feat on his part. Once all those balls of energy were formed and well-rounded, they would then combine and create a perfect circle.
"Good. You're not beyond hope after all." He said.
Wooyun glared at him the moment he opened his eyes. "Thank you very much for the compliment, brother." He said in a sardonic tone.
Eun-woo said nothing, but his eyes were filled with astonishment. Wooyun really was progressing at an alarming speed. At this point, if he were to consume the infernal ember pill, he would be able to form a complete circular ball of fire energy, and would have mastered the element within a few days.
It was advised, though not necessary, to consume a pill of the same element. This was the fundamental of energy core training since it helped with strengthening the energy.
It was too bad he wasn't in possession of one.
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***Important note***
Here's a list of all the elemental pills that help with advancement. They will be mentioned throughout the book so just a heads up for you all.
Infernal ember pill = fire-element pill
Adamantine root pill = earth-element pill
Tempest core pill = wind-element pill
Azure depths pill = water-element pill
Thunderclap pill = lightning
Also energy core is just another way of saying dantian. I will be switching to both of these sometimes, but I will most likely stick with energy core.