Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chaos
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Haa... I really thought I was gonna die."
Jang So-ya, who had just finished basic first aid and returned, let out a long sigh as he sat down.
His arms and torso were wrapped in thick bandages in several places, but there were no serious injuries that would leave lingering aftereffects.
"Still, you managed to catch it, didn't you? A Ghost Tiger should've been no easy opponent."
"Tch, it was just a Bent Pavilion-level one anyway. I wanted to take it down in one shot..."
Ghost Tigers were Malevolent Spirits infamous across all of East Asia, tigers possessed by the souls of plague victims.
The scariest thing about them was that they grew stronger every time they devoured a human.
The Ghost Tiger that So-ya had faced was of the lowest Bent Pavilion grade, possessing power comparable to a second-rate martial artist.
But starting from the next level, Imoogi, it took a group of martial artists including a first-rate one to subdue them.
And a final-stage Soul Tiger at Six Souls grade was beyond anyone short of peak transcendent level.
Because of this, the more they were left alone, the exponentially worse the damage became, to the point that the moment any trace of a Ghost Tiger was found, the imperial guards would immediately intervene and seal off the surrounding area.
The one So-ya faced was probably caught early enough that it hadn't had a chance to grow.
"Even a Bent Pavilion Ghost Tiger is the strongest Malevolent Spirit we've seen so far. You got grazed a bit in your first real fight, but you did well enough, so stretch out and get some sleep."
"A... but it feels like I fought so pathetically! What if none of the elders want to take me as a disciple...?"
"One of the elders had his eye on you. High chance he'll pick you."
"R-really!?"
It was right then, as Baek Hyun was consoling So-ya over his needless worries.
"Initiate Disciple Baek Hyun, step forward!"
Finally, his own name was called.
Only then did Baek Hyun flash a faint smile and begin walking toward the Demon Subduing Hall before him.
"Haa... thinking about it, no matter how you did it, it'd get credited to you anyway. Guess it was needless worry."
"Don't get too down. Even if there's sunlight, you still need a candle... nah, probably not if there's a sun."
"Hey, man."
With those words, Baek Hyun walked toward the Demon Subduing Hall with a relaxed expression utterly unlike the other Initiate Disciples—no trace of tension whatsoever.
Not only that, but his strikingly handsome looks that clearly set him apart, his golden-glowing eyes, and that peculiar, otherworldly aura.
His extraordinary appearance drew the gazes of all the First-Generation Disciples.
"Huh, is that kid really an Initiate Disciple? Looks at least six feet tall."
"Every move exudes confidence and leisure. Arrogance? Or... well-earned confidence."
Receiving the stares of countless people, he finally reached the front of the Demon Subduing Hall. With a hint of anticipation, he slowly reached out toward its doors.
He had been curious ever since first hearing about the Demon Subduing Hall.
It measured the user's strength and summoned a Malevolent Spirit they could reasonably subdue.
So... what summoned beast would be assigned to him at his current level?
With that thought, Baek Hyun poured his internal energy into the hall.
However.
The Demon Subduing Hall visibly began to shake upon sensing Baek Hyun's internal energy.
A phenomenon clearly different from what had happened with the other Initiate Disciples.
As everyone watching fell into bewilderment at that moment.
______!!!!!!!!!!
A grotesque roar utterly unbelievable from any living creature echoed, and an enormous form burst from the Demon Subduing Hall, lunging at Baek Hyun.
Having half-expected this since the hall started shaking, Baek Hyun swiftly dodged the ambush attack.
-KABOOOMMM!!!
The attack that grazed past Baek Hyun slammed into the ground, shattering the earth around it.
A level of monstrous strength worlds apart from the previous Malevolent Spirits.
At that dizzying power, Baek Hyun hurriedly checked the identity of the Malevolent Spirit that had burst from the Demon Subduing Hall and soon let out a scoff.
"Ha, quite the tough bastard that came out, huh?"
The massive foot that had shattered the ground resembled a grizzly bear's, but the terrifying strength within was like a living natural disaster.
The long fur covering its entire body served as armor and shield, protecting it from all attacks.
A savage maw like a wolf's came into view.
But no mouth was visible. No eyes either.
No nostrils, no ear holes.
Not a single one of the vital orifices humans and beasts alike possess—what are commonly called the seven apertures.
No abdomen,
no eyes,
no ears,
no heart.
Without any desire or purpose.
Possessing nothing, it moved solely for destruction and slaughter—the worst of Malevolent Spirits.
Chaos.
The natural disaster in the form of a living creature broke free from the Demon Subduing Hall's seal and began to move.
"W-what nonsense is this...? Chaos in the mountain entry exam!?"
"There must be some mistake! Halt the exam immediately and protect the disciples!!"
The First-Generation Disciples cried out in shock upon confirming Chaos's presence.
Some were convinced something was wrong with the hall and even drew their swords.
Though it was a mindless being driven purely by instinct, Chaos possessed combat prowess rivaling the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts—a top-tier Malevolent Spirit.
It was absolutely not something for a mountain entry exam.
'I don't know why Chaos came out, but first, take it down as fast as possible so the disciples don't get hurt!!'
The exam proctor, First-Generation Disciple Hyun-ryeong, drew his sword to charge at Chaos that instant.
-SCREEEEEECH!!
He—and everyone there—witnessed it.
The sun descended into the mortal world in human form.
Shoot the Sun Sword Art, 5th Form
Slanting Sun Radiance
A sun blazed in the heart of one boy.
The sun rose in heavenly flames matching his breath and heartbeat, soon creating a sanctuary of immense light and heat.
The flames, as if understanding his will, quietly surged toward the sky, and soon spread as scorching waves in all directions.
______!!!!!!!!!!
Chaos's body was instantly engulfed in overwhelming flames and set ablaze.
A overwhelming sight like the sun in the sky passing judgment on the enemy before them.
The First-Generation Disciples who had tried to intervene could only lose themselves momentarily, watching the scene.
"Thanks for the concern, everyone, but I'm fine. This one's assigned to me, so I'll handle it."
In the stunned silence gripping the area, Baek Hyun calmly spoke.
But the First-Generation Disciples, still reeling from the shock, lacked the mental bandwidth to respond.
With every surge of flames, the sky brightened endlessly like greeting a new dawn.
All nature around him quietly bowed in worship to the sun standing at the center.
How—how on earth was this possible?
Even the Starpoint Sect's First-Generation Disciples, who had decades of experience in the martial world and seen all manner of bizarre events, couldn't comprehend the phenomenon before them.
Just watching made their lips and skin dry out, the surrounding air so hot that breathing grew difficult.
Emitting such intense solar energy endlessly was impossible for any human.
All the more so for a mere boy of fifteen.
It should be impossible, yet... what was this scene unfolding before their eyes?
The First-Generation Disciples fell into collective chaos.
"...Solar Body, is it."
Only the Sect Master and elders, who had reached far higher realms, discerned the source of Baek Hyun's overwhelming yang energy.
"Ha... hahaha!! That kid's a total monster! Who'd have thought such an absurd constitution existed... Is the next generation's supreme underheaven from our Starpoint Sect!?"
A dark-skinned man covered in large and small wounds across his body grinned broadly.
With a colossal frame over six feet and a ferocious visage that could pass for a infamous bandit chief, he always carried a massive single-edged blade as tall as himself. He was the captain of the Starpoint Sect's strongest force, the Shoot the Sun Sword Squad, and one of the three elders known as the Starpoint Three Swords.
Gale Sword, Ink Quake.
Bursting into laughter at the emergence of such an incredible junior, he soon addressed Hyun-gang.
"Hyun-gang, you hid a treasure like that without a word?"
"It was such a precious treasure that I thought it best to keep it hidden until it could fully soar."
"Still, you could've tipped us off a bit. Keeping a kid like that to yourselves for two years..."
"Enough pointless grilling. Hyun-gang's right. Fewer people knowing about a fragile treasure is always better."
At that moment, a stern-looking middle-aged man whose every gesture and expression exuded elegant dignity spoke up.
The Pavilion Master of the Finance Pavilion, handling all of Starpoint Sect's finances, and one of the elders famed for his chillingly precise and clean swordsmanship.
Flash Sword, Ink Immortal.
"I get it, Initiate Disciples are under the Azure Cloud Pavilion Master's jurisdiction. I'm just bummed we didn't know about a kid like that sooner, yeah, bummed."
"Indeed, it's regrettable we didn't know sooner—such a astonishing child."
Ink Immortal gazed at Baek Hyun, radiating yang energy like the sun itself, and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction for the first time in ages.
He had thought from Hyun-gang's boasting that the boy must be exceptional, but to think he was the owner of the Solar Body said to be possessed by Hou Yi's descendant...
Wasn't this just like the descendant reincarnated in the present world and come to Starpoint?
'But the opponent isn't favorable.'
If it had been any ordinary Malevolent Spirit, that intense scorching yang energy alone would have sufficed to subdue it.
But Chaos was no ordinary Malevolent Spirit.
Even as intense extreme yang energy burned its body, Chaos didn't retreat an inch, steadily advancing toward the sun step by step.
Near-immortal vitality.
That was why Chaos was rated as rivaling the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts in combat power.
Chaos had no orifices—what were commonly called the seven apertures.
Thus, it couldn't hear, see, eat, or smell, and had no internal organs in its gut.
With no vital organs whatsoever, Chaos's entire body was like unimportant husk.
Thus, even if decapitated or burned head to toe, it could never die and always survived.
The only way to inflict meaningful damage on Chaos was to attack one of its seven hidden weak points and reopen its seven apertures.
But naturally, striking the weak points hidden beneath its thick fur was exceedingly difficult.
The boy, who had thus far overwhelmed foes relying on his constitution, had low odds of finding and exploiting all of Chaos's weak points.
Sure enough, Baek Hyun abruptly cut off the scorching yang energy storming from his body, as if his internal energy had run dry.
______!!!!!!!!!!
With nothing left to hinder it, Chaos charged at Baek Hyun with tremendous speed.
As Ink Immortal reached for his beloved sword at his waist,
Scorching yang energy, compressed to an unprecedented density, began gathering at the tip of Baek Hyun's sword.
It was the mark of a martial artist at the pinnacle.
Sword Qi.
"W-wait! Sword Qi at that age...!?"
Ink Immortal's astounded shout hadn't even finished.
Shoot the Sun Sword Art, 1st Form
Sun Breaks Forth
A single ray of flash pierced Chaos.