The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

It started the very next day.

After the confined spaces and facilities of Dragon’s Head were cleared out, Leonard immediately dove into training the Order of the Golden Dragon.

Though thirty-six knights weren’t many for an entire knight order, that number wasn’t exactly small either, given that Leonard planned to teach each of them proper martial arts. This wasn’t a situation where he could simply pass on a few basic techniques as he had with the Order of the Black Dragon.

The Golden Dragon knights—transformed into Dragonians after encountering a True God entity—couldn’t harness their unique traits or progress through conventional training methods.

Even with the Ancestor’s influence, which allowed them to develop flawless swordsmanship and surpass the Transcendence Tier, their upper dantian hasn’t settled properly. It’s impossible for them to expand or strengthen their Mindscape by accumulating accomplishments.

It wasn’t until Leonard had fully grasped this issue that he understood why the Ancestor had asked him to teach them martial arts. Only through sudden enlightenment could they overcome their condition.

To be more precise, it’s not something they can achieve instinctively. It requires a metaphysical understanding. They must seek answers externally, not from within.

The foundation of the Central Plains martial arts was largely classified into ten principles—Chaos Origin and Yin-Yang; Three Aspects and Four Phenomenas; Five Elements and Six Harmonies; Seven Stars and Eight Trigrams; Nine Palaces and Ten Directions.

Mastering even one of these principles allowed a practitioner, regardless of their innate talent, to surpass their limits and reach the next stage. Most cases of explosive growth, even without practical experience, came from meditation and the realization of these truths, which were proof of sudden enlightenment.

This was the faint but singular path forward for the Golden Dragon knights. The challenge, however, lay in their understanding. Unlike the Central Plains martial artists, the Golden Dragon Knights lacked the cultural depth to grasp the metaphors and paradoxes embedded in the martial arts scriptures.

“...So what this means is, we’ll begin with theoretical lessons. Understood?”

Those who had come expecting an aura control method or awe-inspiring sword techniques showed hints of disappointment, but their ears perked up as they listened to Leonard’s explanation, understanding its significance.

It would be impractical to cover the entire Classic of Changes—years of instruction wouldn’t be enough. Instead, a basic grasp of martial doctrines, sufficient to digest and internalize their essential principles, would suffice.

Ironically, Leonard recalled a piece of advice once given by the Heavenly Demon Dan Mok-Jin.

“As you know, there are five principles a martial artist can embody: Chaos Origin, Yin-Yang, Three Aspects, Four Phenomenas, and The Five Elements.”

“The Six Harmonies are beyond the capacity of the living, the Seven Stars choose their bearer, and the Eight Trigrams lie outside the body, charting a path distinct from martial arts. The Nine Palaces are reliant on fate, and the Ten Directions are theoretical constructs, nothing more.”

Dan Mok-Jin, the only supreme master who had reached the Profound Realm in Leonard's past life, had spoken words that were relevant even in this world.

Starting with the Six Harmonies, human understanding struggled to grasp those principles, and the difficulty of the disciplines was inherently immense. This made them unsuitable for the Golden Dragon Knights.

“Chaos Origin is straightforward. It’s seeing all things as one and riding that current to wield the power of everything in the world at will.”

The internal energy cultivation of the Kunlun Sect mainly pursued Chaos Origin, and the Kongdong Sect’s core internal energy cultivation, the One Chaos Origin Qi Method, explicitly embraced that path. However, it was notoriously difficult to master, given its prolonged training period and the risk that it would become ineffective if the practitioner's internal energy was impure.

“Yin-Yang splits that unity into two—Yin and Yang. From the sun and the moon to male and female, it perceives dualities, comprehending both harmony and conflict.”

The famed Taiji used by the Wudang Sect represented Yin-Yang. In its most perfected form, the Taiji Sage Sword could sweep aside all things in the universe like a gentle stream. To master it, one had to grasp the polarities of existence and maintain a still mind, balanced like a clear mirror.

“The Three Aspects are different. It sees the earth as the form of all things, the heavens as the movement of all, and humanity as the mediator between order and chaos.”

It was a principle popularized by techniques like the Three Aspects Sword Art and the Three Aspects Step, which were considered basic martial arts in the Central Plains. While the stability offered by this triadic foundation was notable, advancing in mastery required nurturing all three, resulting in slower growth, which often caused practitioners to disregard it.

“The Four Phenomenas is even more complex. The Sun, Moon, and Star constellations don’t just signify the sun, moon, and starlight but rather represent the axes that distinguish space and time.”

While the sun and moon symbolized the passage of time, the movement of stars reflected the three-dimensional celestial sphere. The term “Chen” was also used historically to denote units of time.

Unlike the Chaos Origin, Yin-Yang, and the Three Aspects—which had quite a few practitioners—the Four Phenomenas was incredibly difficult, so there were few who actually trained in that. In fact, nearly every martial art that incorporated the enlightenment of the Four Phenomena was regarded as a hidden cultivation method.

As such, very challenging martial arts were often lost.

Lastly, Leonard proceeded to explain about The Five Elements.

“The Five Elements is known for intuitively demonstrating the cycle of the world, balancing elements to push the practitioner beyond their limits. Failing to achieve this balance would create walls impeding growth.”

Leonard’s own practice of the One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method exemplified this. However, The Five Elements was unattainable for the Golden Dragon knights due to their similarity to the origin of Cardenas, namely the Gold Dragon. Their bodies and minds leaned heavily toward a single attribute, making the pursuit of balance impossible and a waste of time.

Leonard paused briefly, choosing his next words carefully.

“...There’s more to learn beyond this, but this foundational theory should suffice. Now, those I call, come forward and expose the center of your backs.”

This was to assess their internal condition through their Myeongmun points. The Golden Dragon Knights, one by one, stepped onto the platform and showed their backs as Leonard placed a palm over them, sending a current of qi into their bodies. The process was quick, with the qi circulating through them and leaving their bodies instantly.

With their meridians entirely unclogged, there was no need to worry about regulating the flow of qi. After evaluating the aptitudes and dispositions of all thirty-six knights, Leonard paused to reflect.

Their internal constitutions are even more uniform than expected. I can teach a single martial art to all thirty-six knights. The Ancestor’s influence must have reshaped their innate dispositions completely.

Though it meant Leonard’s workload would be reduced, the realization was unsettling. Even altering a newborn’s bone structure was a difficult task that left Creation Realm experts exhausted after one attempt.

As such, to alter the very core disposition of an adult—someone long past their growth period—and on such a scale? Something like that was unthinkable in Yeon Mu-Hyuk’s world.

Well, I suppose it’s a good outcome.

In any case, Leonard would save a significant amount of time by not having to tailor separate cultivation methods for each knight.

Leonard stepped down from the platform, running a mental exercise of disassembling and reconstructing various cultivation methods in his head before drawing his sword. It was time to teach with his body, not just his words.

The Golden Dragon Knights, sensing the shift in Leonard, gathered eagerly around him, which prompted a faint chuckle from him.

“There’s no need to rush. I’ll take you all on until you can’t stand,” he said with a hint of provocation.

The Golden Dragon Knights’ eyes sparked with competitive fire. The usually somber atmosphere at Dragon’s Head began to heat up with excitement.

* * *

Leonard’s teaching method was straightforward and efficient. He would first teach theory classes, ensuring the knights understood the principles and scriptures of the martial arts. He would then impart internal energy cultivation methods that constrained the flow of energy, awakening their senses and potential.

However, these teachings didn’t immediately boost the combat strength of the Golden Dragon Knights. After all, their bodies were already so powerful that additional training in internal or external cultivations yielded minimal improvement. It only served to slightly increase their chances of breaking through to the next tier.

And that was the purpose.

Boooom—!!

A storm erupted from Una’s sword, leaving a deep crater in its wake. She hadn’t even projected sword energy or augmented sword energy.

Una, the formally appointed vice commander of the Order of the Golden Dragon, glanced down at her hand in disbelief, then reflexively turned to Leonard. He didn’t need his Dragon Eyes to understand the meaning behind her gaze. He reacted with a simple nod, unable to suppress a click of his tongue.

Not the slightest internal injuries or signs of pain from the recoil, huh?

In martial arts, there was a common technique across all disciplines—channeling energy through specific acupoints to temporarily enhance physical ability or internal energy. This technique was often a last-ditch measure in desperate fights against stronger foes or in battles meant to end in mutual destruction.

Although that technique could be used as a lifesaving trump card, it usually came at the cost of torn muscles, shattered bones, and severe internal damage. As such, using the technique just for a temporary boost was more common.

However, the Golden Dragon Knights could wield that enhanced physical prowess and energy without any backlash or pain. In fact, they used it freely.

Come to think of it, it makes sense. Their bodies are tougher than the Divine Monk’s and stronger than the Fist King’s. Even if they swallowed an incendiary bomb, they’d just spit out some blood. Nothing more.

Next, Leonard taught them the highlight of group strategy, namely battle formations. Formations like the Eighteen Arhat Formation or the Heavenly North Star Formation took time to master. They required more than just memorizing positions; the group had to move as one, like a well-rehearsed ensemble.

Starting from the fundamental Three Man Formation, Leonard moved on to the Four Phenomenas Formation, then the Five Elements Formation, and finally, the Six Harmonies Formation.

They’re learning faster than I expected. They’re not understanding it with their brains; they seem to observe and absorb it through their senses.

It seemed that their extraordinarily keen physical senses would speed up the process of mastering Leonard’s teachings. As formations were established and the flow of energy shifted, the Golden Dragon Knights grasped the energy current and moved fluidly, striking at the right moment.

Within less than an hour, they had advanced to effectively deploying formations from the Three Man Formation to the Six Harmonies Formation.

Leonard, intrigued by their rapid growth, said, “Your forms are progressing well. Shall we test it out?”

He walked into the center of the Six Harmonies Formation, where Una and Tress, along with four other Golden Dragon knights, stood in anticipation.

Rumble…

As he entered their area of influence, a suffocating pressure surrounded Leonard, and he inwardly marveled at it. Normally, the Six Harmonies Formation wouldn’t unleash such suppressive force. The knights’ sheer power was amplifying the formation itself.

With the chance to challenge their commander at last, the Golden Dragon Knights attacked with fierce determination. Blades came at him from six directions, each one seeking an opening.

If it was Cybele in her Wraith King form, they’d even manage to trap her.

Like a master fisherman’s net, the knights’ strikes enclosed him, weaving in and out with deadly precision. Facing pressure from all four directions was difficult enough; six was nearly impossible.

Clank—!!

But Leonard, who needed to demonstrate his authority as commander, had already discovered a way to break through without even needing his mental martial arts.

The edge of his jet-black sword shimmered like a mirage.

Heart-Controlled Sword—Ancestor Cardenas had bestowed this slashing technique upon Leonard.

“...Huh?”

“What just...?”

The knights’ swords, aiming to cut Leonard down, halted as if they had sliced nothing but air. All six knights froze in place, wide-eyed with disbelief.

Clang! Clatter! Clank!

The blades of their swords shattered simultaneously, leaving only the hilts in their stunned hands. Leonard had cleaved through them head-on, without even relying on an Aura Blade or any unique traits.

“Well done for a first try. Next.”

Leonard gave the six knights a brief nod of approval and glanced at the remaining Golden Dragon knights. The confidence they had built through their amplified energy and formation skills deflated instantly. They exchanged wary glances as their breathing grew cautious.

The isolation in Dragon’s Head had dulled their awareness of the outside world, making them forget the vast power gap between themselves and Demigod Tier beings. Leonard’s strike had just cut through that forgetfulness with razor precision.

Clang!

Just like the first bout, six more knights, with their weapons shattered, looked at their empty hands in stunned silence.

Leonard remarked, “You’re too stiff. Try attacking more assertively.”

Then, he turned to the remaining twenty-four knights and gestured with his sword.

“Next.”