Chapter 13 :

Chapter 13

Act Three: The Grand Martial Path Entrance Examination (6)

“It looks as though our turn will come soon.”

The examination was already nearing its end.

“Are you still not going to tell me what happened yesterday?”

“It was nothing important.”

“Hmm.”

“It seems I possess a somewhat unusual constitution. You said you have one too, didn’t you? The Heavenly Root Physique?”

“I knew there was something extraordinary about you.”

Their conversation ended there.

Hae Unchan was not the type to interrogate someone relentlessly, while Yise was not the type to explain every minor detail.

Hae Unchan merely added that it sounded interesting and suggested they test themselves against each other in a sparring match someday.

Another group’s examination concluded.

Growing bored, Yise began warming up with bodyweight exercises.

He performed a handstand and repeatedly lowered and raised himself with one arm.

Hae Unchan called it an interesting posture and began imitating him.

Although the surrounding gazes were uncomfortable, neither of them cared.

“That person possessed a spiritual root and applied last year, yet he still failed.”

“Really? You have a good memory. But his movements are sluggish, and his combat instincts are terrible. If he became a cultivator like that, he’d make perfect demon food.”

“Is it acceptable to eliminate someone after going to the trouble of creating a spiritual root for him?”

“Well, he can try again next year or become an unaffiliated cultivator. Otherwise, he could join a small or medium-sized cultivation sect or cultivation clan. Many people do that. Most unaffiliated cultivators and members of smaller cultivation organizations are people who failed the Grand Martial Path’s examination. Naturally born spiritual roots are extremely rare.”

Hae Unchan’s explanation made Yise realize once again how precious the Grand Martial Path’s divine beast was.

Another applicant was eliminated.

Yise switched the hand supporting him against the ground and murmured.

“More people are failing than I expected. The fighting is brutal, but the standard itself seems lenient.”

“Does it? I think it seems appropriate.”

“Why are they becoming so unnecessarily violent?”

“Merely passing the test isn’t what matters. The real objective is to place among the top five. Competition is unavoidable.”

“The top five? Are there special benefits?”

“You didn’t read the notice on the bulletin board? The top five receive standard-grade ritual implements personally made by Hall Master Hong Mihi. The ritual implements she creates are so famous that they’re called Hong-Crafted Spirit Treasures. Even the standard-grade ones must possess tremendous performance.”

Yise recalled the red-haired woman.

She was Hong Mihi, Master of the Vermilion Bird Hall, whose cultivation realm he had been completely unable to gauge.

Her question echoed through his mind.

“Where do you think all the ritual implements you use come from?”

“First and second place also receive an opportunity to spend an entire day receiving personal instruction from a Great Cultivator of Hall Master rank. That’s an incredible privilege!”

“A Hall Master... Does that mean any one of the eleven?”

“Any of them.”

A strange light entered Yise’s eyes.

The only Great Cultivator believed to possess information about Yise’s constitution was Hae Il, Master of the Azure Dragon Hall.

However, Hae Il was supposedly too busy to concern himself with a mere Energy Refinement cultivator.

If Yise placed first, he could personally request Hae Il’s instruction.

After what happened yesterday, Yise had lost some enthusiasm because it seemed he would pass the examination without much difficulty.

Now, however, everything had changed.

Yise looked at Hae Unchan.

“W-Why are you staring at me so fiercely? Did I do something wrong?”

This boy would probably be Yise’s greatest obstacle and strongest rival.

Yise felt somewhat apologetic, but he would have to take first place from him.

“Next: Yise, Cho Ho, Yun San... Thirteen applicants in total. Step forward.”

His name was called at that moment.

Whoosh.

While the other applicants took deep breaths to calm their nerves, Yise alone quietly examined his competitors.

Regardless of gender, every one of them had trained their body thoroughly.

The time and effort they had invested in entering the Grand Martial Path were clearly visible.

However, even when people spent the same amount of time training, the quantity and quality of their efforts inevitably differed.

The balance of power would always tilt toward one side.

“Begin.”

The instant the examination began, Yise employed Dokkaebi Steps and approached the nearest applicant with his distinctive footwork.

The boy gasped at the opponent who had suddenly appeared before him.

Yise immediately extended his left hand as though preparing to strike.

The boy instinctively raised both arms to block the attack.

However, Yise had chosen to deflect rather than strike.

He instantly pushed the boy’s arms aside, created an opening, and smashed his elbow into the boy’s jaw.

Crack!

A dull impact rang out, and the boy collapsed without even managing to scream.

Yise immediately sought his next target and drove the sole of his foot toward another applicant’s face.

The sole suddenly filled the applicant’s vision.

His sight flashed, and stars burst before his eyes.

Yise appeared and disappeared like a ghost.

The signal to begin had sounded only moments ago.

Yet by the time everyone regained their senses, half the applicants had already collapsed or been thrown outside the formation.

The remaining six exchanged glances.

Their faces revealed their fear that they might be helplessly defeated by a single opponent without ever having an opportunity to fight back.

Naturally, they all charged him simultaneously.

Whenever one applicant displayed exceptional strength, that person had become the target of a coordinated attack.

Their only misfortune was the identity of the opponent they had chosen to surround.

Yise could hold his ground against three young Spirit Kin in hand-to-hand combat.

He had even survived fighting a mid-ranking demon in the middle stage of the Energy Refinement Realm with his bare body.

His extensively trained physique belonged in an entirely different weight class.

Yise seized a massive boy and lifted him into the air.

He swung the boy at the charging applicants as though wielding a log.

The use of spiritual power should have been prohibited, yet Yise’s tremendous strength seemed impossible for an unaided human body.

“What kind of strength is that?”

Yise’s body certainly appeared sturdy, but his power was still incomprehensible.

Only the examiners realized that he had trained the Force-Borrowing Art to an extreme level, allowing him to redirect the strength of the other applicants and amplify his own movements.

Before long, Yise stood alone within the formation.

Kang Yitae frowned.

This test was not intended to determine victory or defeat.

It was meant to evaluate fighting spirit and instinctive control of the body.

The battle had been so one-sided that there had been no opportunity to score the other applicants.

Kang Yitae sighed faintly and made an exceptional ruling.

“Everyone except the person currently standing will be tested again. Recover yourselves and reenter the formation.”

A stunned silence descended over the applicants.

***

“That is all. Those who failed must gather their belongings and descend the mountain.”

One hundred and twenty applicants passed the third test.

Another forty-nine had been eliminated.

Yise once again thought the standard was generous, but someone else apparently found the result impossible to accept.

One applicant who appeared close to adulthood confronted an examiner.

“I possess a three-attribute spiritual root. That person over there has a five-attribute spiritual root. You passed someone with such a worthless mixed spiritual root but failed me! Are you confident you won’t regret this?”

Several eliminated applicants moved behind him in apparent support.

None of them accepted the examination’s results.

After observing the group, Hae Unchan murmured to Yise.

“It seems this was their final year of eligibility.”

“You mean they’re nineteen?”

Yise involuntarily tilted his head.

Since every applicant had trained diligently in hand-to-hand combat, it was difficult to distinguish oneself.

Even so, this test was not difficult enough to justify failing four times.

That meant they either possessed no talent whatsoever for physical combat or lacked even the will to work hard.

Despite that, the applicant continued shouting and behaving disrespectfully.

The examiner standing before them was a cultivator whose realm they could not even estimate.

Yise wondered what could possibly inspire such recklessness.

Having heard the commotion, Kang Yitae slowly approached.

The applicant’s momentum weakened when Kang Yitae appeared.

However, having failed the final opportunity of his life, the man did not appear willing to retreat.

“Please... judge me according to my aptitude as a cultivator.”

“The result will not be overturned. Leave.”

“Isn’t the Grand Martial Path a cultivation sect? Why should a cultivator be evaluated through bare-handed brawling instead of talent and constitution? Is this truly the Grand Martial Path’s method?”

“If you insult this sect, I will sever the tendons in your limbs and destroy your spiritual meridians.”

It was an emotionless and matter-of-fact warning.

The applicant’s hands trembled, but he lowered his hostility and pleaded.

“I don’t understand why I must fail like this. I want to know the reason—at least the reason, Senior. If I could use spiritual energy, I could defeat trash like them in an instant!”

Despite trembling like a leaf, he still managed to say everything he wanted.

Yise had just begun thinking that the man’s courage was at least worthy of recognition when Kang Yitae continued.

“This sect’s foundation is its Body-Refinement Cultivation Method. While fighting demons, you may have your spiritual energy restricted. You may also be forced to continue fighting after exhausting every trace of spiritual energy, with nothing remaining except your body. Therefore, the ability to control your body is the most important and fundamental talent you must possess. A three-attribute spiritual root is reasonably good aptitude, so seek another cultivation sect.”

“...You will regret this.”

“It appears you have mistaken my restraint for weakness.”

“.......”

“Had you encountered me anywhere other than an examination between examiner and applicant, your eyes would already have been torn out and your limbs severed. Be grateful for this sect’s mercy.”

Realizing that he had crossed the line, the man slowly began backing away.

As Kang Yitae had said, the difference between their realms was great enough that the applicant could have been torn limb from limb before managing even a single scream.

The pressure of Kang Yitae’s gradually emerging spiritual energy forced the man to confront reality.

“However, you must still pay the price for carelessly wagging your tongue. Consider this a lesson bestowed upon you by a senior.”

Kang Yitae raised his index finger before his face.

When he crooked it, the man’s tongue shot from his mouth as though being forcibly extracted.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

A sickening crunch followed.

A crimson lump of flesh was ripped free and fell to the ground.

The man’s scream followed as his body rolled across the floor.

“Remove him.”

“Yes.”

The examiners dragged away the convulsing applicant as he vomited nearly a basinful of blood.

Kang Yitae turned away without the slightest hesitation.

The failed applicants who had gathered behind the man had already disappeared.

No one dared criticize Kang Yitae’s methods.

“Didn’t you say you would wait before eating?”

“You startled me! Make some noise when you approach.”

“Sorry. It’s a habit.”

Concealing one’s presence while moving was another characteristic of Dokkaebi Steps.

It was the technique that had allowed Yise to approach the Crying-Infant Dragon Steed unnoticed.

He had learned it from his teacher through blood and tears.

Once a technique became naturally ingrained in the body, it was almost impossible not to use it.

“Would you like to practice hand-to-hand combat together after we finish eating?”

Yise asked Hae Unchan while scooping up a spoonful of the mountain of white rice piled before him.

Judging by the earlier examination, Hae Unchan had also trained his physical techniques intensely.

Yise honestly could not guarantee which of them would win.

“You mean a sparring match? Sorry. I’m still inexperienced at controlling spiritual energy, so if we fought seriously, I might injure you.”

Hae Unchan refused without any particular intention to offend.

Then he suddenly realized how his words might sound and looked toward Yise.

The boys of his clan were usually hot-blooded and overflowing with pride.

They would fly into a rage if anyone said such a thing to them.