The Heavenly Demon's Education (3)
I opened my eyes early in the morning, my mind consumed by a single burning desire: to bring today's trial to a flawless conclusion.
"Phew..."
Climbing out of bed, I sat cross-legged on the floor and began circulating my qi. I needed to widen my meridians as much as possible, even by a hair's breadth, if I wanted to absorb as much of Mother's internal energy as I could.
Calm down... I have to push myself as far as I can before receiving her power...
As I remained immersed in meditation, the door slid open.
"You are up early, Young Master. I brought your meal."
Sama Hyeol had arrived to attend to me, carrying dumplings for breakfast. They tasted utterly atrocious, but today of all days, I thought I could stomach them with a joyful heart.
"...Urgh!"
I take that back. They still tasted awful.
Shortly afterward, I headed to the training grounds. Several cultists were already gathered around the perimeter, waiting.
"Greetings, Young Master."
"We have no doubt you will achieve splendid results in the Cult Leader's trial today."
The moment our eyes met, they clasped their fists in a formal martial salute.
"Yes, thank you."
I walked to the center of the grounds and assumed a rigid, upright stance. The sun had not yet crested the horizon, leaving the courtyard draped in pre-dawn gloom, but the moment day broke, Mother would emerge and the trial would begin.
As time passed, the martial grounds swelled with people until it felt as though the entire Heavenly Demon Cult had gathered. Murmurs and hushed chatter buzzed ceaselessly around me.
"Once the youngest master receives the Cult Leader's martial arts, does that mean we'll have three more Heavenly Demons?"
"Well, calling it three is a bit much... The eldest young lady is, you know..."
"Even without the eldest, that still leaves two. It's a tremendous feat regardless."
...So even the ordinary cultists view Wolha-noona that way.
Still, it's fine. If necessary, I can just help her.
"Wait, hasn't the third young master been standing completely still in that same posture? Isn't he still third-rate since he hasn't received internal energy yet?"
"He's been standing like that without budging for two whole hours since early this morning. He hasn't twitched a single muscle."
"That just proves how rigorously he's trained, refining himself into a vessel ready to accept her power. It's a marvelous thing."
Yes. My preparations were complete. All that remained was to embrace whatever was to come.
Creeeak.
The instant the sun crested the mountain ridge, the doors to the main hall swung open. Mother stepped out. Dressed in the black and crimson robes emblematic of the Heavenly Demon, with an ornate hairpin adorning her hair, she exuded an overwhelming presence that commanded the sprawling grounds. Every cultist snapped into a formal salute.
"We pay our respects to the Cult Leader!"
From the moment the doors parted, Mother's gaze had been locked squarely on me. She strode across the training grounds and stopped directly before me, a faint smirk playing on her lips. Today's occasion was surely a monumental event for her as well.
"My third child. You know what day this is, yes? Are you prepared?"
"Of course. Today, I will spar with you to prove my competence, inherit your internal energy, and embark on a new life as a new Heavenly Demon."
"Hmph..."
"It is the path both Sister Wolha and Sister Suyeon have walked before me. Naturally, failure is not an option for me either. We may begin whenever you are ready."
Hearing my answer, Mother broke into a wide grin, her smile splitting from ear to ear to bare all her teeth.
"Very well. I hate tedious explanations myself, so let us begin at once."
Shring.
I drew my sword without hesitation and took my stance. As if anticipating the move, Mother stepped back to open up distance between us.
"Well, the rules are simple. Struggle until you reach a level that satisfies me. That is all. You learned basic swordsmanship and martial arts from Hyeol, did you not? Let us see how much of it you can actually use."
Then, the air began to tremble. The wind shifted direction. And... a visible, pitch-black and crimson aura began to bleed from Mother's body.
It was no metaphor. The air truly turned heavy. My shoulders felt weighed down by leaden weights, and drawing breath became a chore. Mother's martial power spread across every corner of the training grounds like massive, creeping roots.
"Urgh...! Haa... haa... Incredible... Your internal energy is..."
"Fufu... What is the matter? Surely you aren't going to turn tail and run over just this? Stand against me. It does not matter if you lose. It would be far stranger if someone who has trained for a mere fifteen years could surpass me. However... you must not disgrace yourself by showing me anything pathetic or subpar."
The elders of the Heavenly Demon Cult watched the confrontation with expectant gazes. Several cultists collapsed to the ground, crushed beneath the sheer weight of Mother's pressure. Those still on their feet gritted their teeth, their faces contorting as they struggled desperately to endure it.
"Whew... Here I come!"
I dashed forward with sword in hand. The distance was short. My blade could reach her in an instant!
Clang!
Though I swung with fierce momentum, Mother caught the blade effortlessly with her bare hand.
"Commendable courage... but courage alone will not defeat your opponent."
With a flick of her hand, Mother deflected my sword. Yet I could not let it end here. Giving up after a single exchange was utterly unfitting for a Heavenly Demon.
"Hup! Haa!"
Quickly steadying my footing, I swung again. A second strike, then a third. But Mother deflected every blow with an indifferent expression.
"How dull. I know you have only learned the basics... but would it kill you to use your head a little?"
Mother lashed out with a lightning-fast kick aimed at my shin.
Thud!
"Urgh...!"
A sharp, electrifying pain seized my leg, making me recoil. Before I could even reach down to clutch my shin, Mother's boot planted square into my stomach, sending me skidding all the way to the opposite end of the training grounds.
"Guh...! Haa... haa..."
Terrifying strength. It was powerful enough to knock the breath clean out of my lungs.
"Sticking faithfully to the fundamentals when swinging a sword is fine, but you cannot simply stand in one spot and swing away. Exploiting an opponent's blind spot to create an opening is something even foot soldiers of the local magistrate know, let alone martial artists. Bear that in mind."
"...Thank you for your guidance."
I raised my sword and readied my stance once more. She was right. Who couldn't predict the next move when someone attacked rooted to a single spot? I had been far too naive.
Boom! Boom!
As I chided myself for my naivety, a thunderous roar reverberated across the yard. Mother was walking toward me, yet every step she took heralded an explosive blast.
...The stone pavers of the training grounds could not withstand her internal energy. Wherever her feet touched down, stone powder and gravel sprayed into the air, leaving deep footprints carved into the rock.
"My qi shredded my shoes again. I liked this pattern, too... This is precisely why I hate unleashing my energy recklessly."
"...Haha."
A hollow chuckle escaped my lips. I had heard for as long as I could remember that Mother was the strongest under the heavens.
Yet... witnessing it before my very eyes felt like a dream.
I had imagined fists that could shatter boulders and footwork swifter than arrows. But the reality unfolding before me utterly surpassed my imagination.
"Phew..."
I untied the sash of my robe. I had to try something, anything...!
"Hmph... Did you come up with a bright idea? Or perhaps you've steeled your resolve even further."
I lowered my stance and lunged. This time, I held my sword cocked back behind my body, poised to slash. Naturally, Mother would deduce the blade's entire trajectory just from that stance alone.
"Hmm, getting a bit boring..."
Mother extended her arm once more to block the incoming strike. At that exact split second, I forcibly bent my charging legs and dropped low to the ground.
"Kugh...!"
Agonizing pain tore through my legs.
My muscles screamed in protest. Forcing legs propelled forward at full sprint to brake and crouch in an instant yielded merciless recoil.
Still, I could not stop. Now, while Mother had yet to predict my trajectory, I had to land this strike. I swept my sword low toward her legs.
Clang!
Yet even that desperate gambit was futilely thwarted. Mother simply raised her foot and caught the blade against the sole of her shoe.
What? Is this even possible?
Through sheer, monstrous internal energy, she had casually accomplished the absurd feat of blocking a sharp blade with the bottom of her foot as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Now this is quite novel. It ruins the leg muscles, which is why no martial manual contains such a technique... but you are my son, after all!"
My movements were not over yet. My blade was already checked. In that case, I had to adapt and use whatever remained at my disposal.
"Yaaah!"
Abandoning the sword, I surged upward and threw a fist.
Thwack!
Yet even that attempt was snuffed out. Mother caught both of my wrists, pinning me completely immobile.
"Splendid. To possess such tenacity... Most would have lost heart after their carefully laid plan went up in smoke."
My wrists were firmly trapped in her grip. No matter how much strength I channeled, I couldn't budge her hands in the slightest.
This was undeniably... my defeat.
"...I yield. You are... truly invincible, Mother. And my swordsmanship was so pathetic it couldn't even bypass the sole of your foot."
"Do not speak so dishearteningly. You must preserve the fighting spirit you just displayed deep within your heart."
Mother looked at me and beamed with genuine satisfaction.
"You pass. As you are now, you are more than worthy of inheriting my power. You performed far better than your elder sisters did."
Mother released my wrists and called out to Sama Hyeol.
"Sama Hyeol! Tend to the third child. He strained his legs recklessly, so soothe the tension with something cold."
"Understood, Cult Leader. Young Master, this way..."
Sama Hyeol stepped forward to support me. Suddenly, all the strength drained from my body. With my legs trembling uncontrollably, I leaned on Sama Hyeol for support.
"You worked extraordinarily hard. Please, rest comfortably for now."
"The transmission of internal energy will take place this evening," Mother declared. "Rest well until then."
And so concluded the trial to prove my strength.
That moment was exactly sixteen double-hours before I fled the Heavenly Demon Cult.