Chapter 12 :

Chapter 12

Act Three: The Grand Martial Path Entrance Examination (5)

Ascending to the celestial realm presumably meant becoming an immortal and rising to the heavens.

If so, why had no one filled the position of Grand Martial Path Lord?

Noticing Yise’s confusion, Hong Mihi smiled and answered.

“The most advanced Great Cultivator in the Grand Martial Path is currently Hae Il, Master of the Azure Dragon Hall. But he declared that he would not inherit the position until he reached the former Path Lord’s cultivation realm. That makes it difficult for Hall Masters weaker than him to claim the position, so it has simply remained vacant.”

After explaining, Hong Mihi turned toward Kang Yitae.

“Should we ask Cultivator Hae Il or the Chief Administrator? I feel as though those two might know something.”

“The Azure Dragon Hall Master would probably scold us for disturbing him. The Chief Administrator is currently away, so if the boy enters the Grand Martial Path and an opportunity arises, I will send word. However, both of them are extraordinarily busy. I doubt they will concern themselves with a newly admitted Energy Refinement disciple...”

A constitution was ultimately only a constitution.

Other cultivation powers might have poured all their clan’s resources into raising someone with such a constitution as a central fighting asset.

However, the Grand Martial Path did not believe that the strong survived.

It believed that those who survived became strong.

It was common for even people with unusual constitutions to die before advancing beyond the Energy Refinement Realm.

“That’s true, but they might show some concern if his constitution is identical to the Path Lord’s. Our Chief Administrator completely loses her mind whenever something involves the Path Lord. In any case, child, avoid acting recklessly whenever possible and concentrate on the examination. It would be troublesome if a side effect of your constitution split your body into approximately thirty-six pieces.”

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

Yise answered respectfully before adding something.

“If you have no further business with me, may I return now? I need to eat and complete my afternoon physical training.”

Any loss of training time was a matter of tremendous importance.

“What an unusual child.”

“Ahaha. It’s probably because of Sister Mong Ryeon. She has always considered eating extremely important...”

Gong Wol Ah smiled brightly as she answered Hong Mihi.

Hong Mihi scolded her for giggling foolishly before poking Kang Yitae in the side with her fan.

“There are quite a few promising children this year. I thought you spent all your time lazing around and eating, but it seems you actually work occasionally.”

“You, of all Hall Masters, are the last person I wish to hear that from.”

“What? What did I do?”

“Don’t you have the lowest mission-acceptance rate among all the Hall Masters in the Grand Martial Path?”

“That’s because I’m busy. Where do you think all the ritual implements you use come from? What about your elixirs and talismans?”

“Producing those is also part of your duty as a Hall Master.”

“How absurd. In any case, don’t select them carelessly. Less than ten percent of last year’s newly admitted disciples survived their missions over the past year. They’re all dying out there. Do you understand? Choose them properly this time.”

“I merely follow the rules.”

“‘I merely follow the rules.’”

Hong Mihi distorted her face into a ridiculous imitation.

Kang Yitae clicked his tongue at the sight of her wasting her beautiful features.

Who would believe this woman was a cultivator more than four hundred years old?

“...And they call you an enlightened cultivator. Please act your age, Hall Master.”

“What?! Did you just call me an old monster?”

“Did I? I merely asked you to act your age.”

“That means the same thing!”

Hong Mihi fumed, Kang Yitae narrowed his brow, and Gong Wol Ah clapped her hands beside them.

“If there is nothing more to do, I will take my leave.”

“Why? Since you’re already here, why not stay and enjoy yourself a little longer?”

“We are all busy people.”

Ban Ho left those brief words before flying away aboard a flight artifact.

Hong Mihi fanned herself in dissatisfaction.

“That tiger is only pretending to be busy.”

“Don’t be too hard on him.”

“What did I do? Young people these days have no respect.”

The three Hall Masters continued laughing and talking for some time before slowly rising.

They were pleased to see one another after such a long absence, but they were busier than almost anyone else.

Their positions were too important for them to spend much time idling.

“Still, there seem to be many interesting children this year. Raise them properly and send them to the Inner Halls, our idle Kang Yitae.”

Kang Yitae frowned slightly.

Hong Mihi, Master of the Vermilion Bird Hall, was known as a madwoman.

She possessed countless abilities and talents, but her greatest gift was her eye for recognizing talent and unusual constitutions.

It would not be an exaggeration to call her the finest in the entire continent.

If even she held such high expectations, this year’s class must genuinely contain an unusual concentration of talented individuals.

Kang Yitae felt the burden upon his shoulders growing heavier.

“What a long day.”

After completing his evening training, Yise returned to the applicants’ quarters.

His room was small, but it was private.

Considering there were nearly one hundred and seventy applicants, this alone demonstrated the Grand Martial Path’s resources.

“They even provided a luminous pearl, though it’s small...”

Strictly speaking, the applicants were guests rather than formal disciples.

No one would criticize the Grand Martial Path for treating them somewhat casually, yet this hospitality almost seemed excessive.

“Are they trying to display their wealth?”

Most young people throughout the Three Kingdoms of the Peninsula were already desperate to enter the Grand Martial Path.

Even without such luxuries, the successful sect clearly had its reasons for prospering.

For Yise, it was beneficial because no one would disturb him.

Rustle.

He turned a page.

Ordinarily, he should already have been asleep.

Yise followed his schedule meticulously without deviating by even a quarter-hour.

However, he needed to reduce his sleeping time and read the Grand Martial Path Basic Handbook thoroughly at least once.

He had only skimmed parts of it on the first day because he lacked time.

Today, he had been occupied with the examination all day.

The first page contained the Ten Commandments of Demon Hunters.

Mong Ryeon had already repeated all of them until they were engraved into his mind, so Yise turned the page.

A simple organizational chart of the Grand Martial Path appeared.

It was too basic to be considered confidential and seemed intended merely to explain the organization’s hierarchy.

At the very top were the Grand Martial Path Lord and the Chief Administrator who assisted the Path Lord.

Below them were the eleven halls known collectively as the Eleven Inner Halls.

Disciples belonging to an Inner Hall were called True Mountain Disciples.

One had to reach at least the Foundation Establishment Realm to enter an Inner Hall.

Every disciple who did not belong to an Inner Hall was called a formal disciple and was responsible for carrying out various missions.

The majority of disciples belonged to this category.

There were also outer personnel who were not disciples but assisted the Grand Martial Path, as well as secular disciples—former inner disciples who had become independent and established secular branches.

These were the people who constituted the Grand Martial Path.

“It doesn’t mention their numbers.”

All the seemingly important information had been omitted.

Yise estimated that, including the outer personnel, the organization must contain at least several thousand people and possibly close to ten thousand.

Rustle.

Another page turned.

The next section listed the various rules a disciple of the Grand Martial Path was required to know.

Hunting spirit beasts was prohibited.

Gathering spiritual objects was prohibited.

Killing fellow disciples of the Grand Martial Path or destroying their spiritual roots was prohibited.

Traveling beyond the Grand Martial Path’s territory was prohibited.

It listed dangerous regions that could be entered at each cultivation realm.

It provided rules of conduct for encountering demons in relatively higher realms.

It provided rules of conduct for encountering unaffiliated cultivators.

It explained how to respond when encountering demonic sects or other cultivation powers.

It also covered matters of etiquette.

A cultivator in a higher realm should be addressed as “Senior” out of respect.

Cultivators of similar standing could address one another as “Fellow Daoist” or “Cultivator.”

The more Yise read, the more the contents resembled general etiquette for cultivators rather than teachings specific to disciples of the Grand Martial Path.

Several passages exemplified this.

“A demon is transparent inside and out. A cultivator, however, is often pure white on the outside and pitch-black within. When confronting opponents in the same realm, a cultivator will be more dangerous than a demon nine times out of ten.”

“If an outside cultivator shows you kindness without reason, they inevitably possess an ulterior motive greater than the kindness you can perceive.”

“Statistically, nine out of every ten people who enter personal soul-binding contracts are exploited like slaves before being murdered.”

The latter part of the book organized information about Energy Refinement demons that formal disciples commonly encountered during missions, arranging them from Risk Level Nine to Risk Level One.

Yise already knew most of the information, but he occasionally discovered something new.

He was particularly interested in why only Energy Refinement demons were divided into risk levels, while those at the Foundation Establishment Realm and above were not.

The classification system had been created to improve the survival rate of Energy Refinement cultivators, who died in enormous numbers.

Rather than ranking demons solely by cultivation realm, the Grand Martial Path categorized them by danger and encouraged disciples to advance through the levels gradually.

“Fight with your life at stake, but never consider that life worthless.”

The passage clearly revealed the concerns of the Grand Martial Path’s leadership, making Yise smile.

His eyes shone as he devoured the words as though savoring the finest delicacy beneath the heavens.

He did not know who had written the book, but the author’s skill was truly exceptional.

The third day of examinations began.

The third test evaluated hand-to-hand combat.

Thirteen applicants gathered together for a chaotic group brawl while the examiners assigned scores.

In a sense, it was the first test that truly felt like an examination.

The applicants’ faces were visibly tense.

The first thirteen applicants called stepped forward.

“Look at the pattern on the ground.”

Kang Yitae briefly explained the rules.

“This formation restricts the use of spiritual energy. From this moment onward, use only your natural physical abilities to subdue one another until only one person remains. Once someone falls or leaves the formation, their evaluation ends. Prepare yourselves.”

Shortly afterward, the test began at the command, “Begin.”

At first, the applicants hesitated and watched one another cautiously.

They soon became entangled in a fierce brawl.

It was intense.

It was certainly intense, but...

“They don’t meet the standard.”

Compared with Yise’s physical battles against the young Spirit Kin, this was merely children playing.

However, their determination to enter the Grand Martial Path was genuine.

Most continued desperately swinging their fists even after their lips split and blood poured from their faces.

No.

Their fighting was not inadequate.

Yise and the young Spirit Kin had simply trained far beyond reasonable limits.

Watching the applicants push themselves almost to their physical limits changed Yise’s assessment.

At last, only one applicant remained, his face so battered that it was almost unrecognizable.

The first group’s examination ended.

“Jo Seongmin, Wang Jae. You have failed.”

Two of the thirteen applicants were eliminated.

Yise tried to determine the criteria but remained somewhat confused.

The applicant named Wang Jae had survived almost until the end.

“That boy spent nearly the entire fight avoiding everyone. It seems you fail if you don’t fight actively.”

Yise let out a brief sound of understanding at Hae Unchan’s explanation.

The next group was called, and three applicants were eliminated.

By the time half the groups had completed the test, an average of two applicants had been eliminated from each one.

The atmosphere grew increasingly violent, and injuries became frequent.

One applicant bit off a competitor’s ear, covering the ground in blood and causing several others to retch.

Even then, the examiners did not intervene.

The applicant who had torn off his opponent’s ear even roared as though it were obvious that he deserved a high evaluation.

Yise finally understood the elimination criteria.

Applicants failed if their physical abilities were far below the minimum standard, if they remained too passive, or if they surrendered too easily after taking a few blows.

No matter how he considered it, this examination method seemed somewhat excessive for a Daoist institution.

It was a disparity to which he did not think he could easily adjust.