Chapter 10
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10
"There are far more of the latter than the former, and they're significantly more dangerous. So, if you happen to bump into a cultivator who isn't affiliated with the Great Martial Dao? Run away immediately and report back to the sect. That's the policy I learned at my main family's estate."
Truth be told, Ise didn't quite understand.
His sole goal was to eradicate every last demon ghost to exact revenge, and then become a ghost exorcist worthy of his master's expectations.
He had been taught that cultivators were beings who pursued the Dao and accumulated good karma. Why, then, did they engage in constant rivalry, plundering, and scheming against one another?
Could such behavior even be called 'cultivation'?
Seeing Ise's conflicted expression, Hae Un-chan began drawing on the stone floor with his finger to lighten the mood.
An auspicious aura hummed at his fingertip; he clearly already knew how to manipulate spiritual energy.
The moment his finger touched the hard stone, it dug into the surface as effortlessly as parting sand.
"Ise, have you ever seen a map of the world?"
"A map? No."
"I figured."
With a confident look, Hae Un-chan drew lines, circles, and barely legible marks.
To be completely honest, Ise felt his four-year-old younger sibling could draw better than this.
"Alright, this is the continent we live on. To be exact, it's called the Eastern Continent."
"It looks like a half-eaten fried egg."
"Hush. Don't talk about food, you're making me hungry."
Hae Un-chan cleared his throat and tapped the drawing.
"This jutting part is where we live: Tabaro, Suari, and Gamori. Together, they are the Three Peninsular Kingdoms."
He then drew a massive landmass above the peninsula.
"This is the Jeong Empire. It's a vast realm compared to the Three Peninsular Kingdoms."
"...It really is huge."
"There are other small, weak nations like Sihan or Taira, but most of them are vassal states of the Jeong Empire. The Three Peninsular Kingdoms are the only ones independent of it."
Ise caught a discrepancy in the explanation. Even as an alliance of three nations, the difference in power between them and the Jeong Empire seemed night and day.
And in a world ruled by the law of the jungle, the weak were bound to be swallowed by the strong.
"Why haven't the Three Peninsular Kingdoms become vassals of the Jeong Empire?"
"Oho, sharp question. It's because of the cultivators."
"Cultivators?"
"Yeah. To be precise, it's because of the Great Martial Dao. The rulers of the Three Peninsular Kingdoms and the Great Martial Dao maintain a non-aggression pact, but if a nation launches a large-scale war of conquest, the cultivators inevitably step in."
"Why?"
"Because war breeds bad karma and resentment."
Ah. Ise understood immediately.
The accumulation of bad karma and resentment directly fueled the world's demonic energy. Demonic energy birthed demon ghosts, which shattered the natural balance.
The Great Martial Dao—whose very purpose was to abhor demon ghosts and restore nature's balance through ghost exorcism—would never allow such a thing to happen.
As Ise gave a slow nod, Hae Un-chan pointed at the sketch again, looking pleased.
"While we're on the subject, want to hear a fascinating bit of lore? The Eastern Continent is walled off to the north by the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li and the Great Heavenly Demon Mountain, to the southeast by the ocean, and to the west by deserts and wastelands. These are natural barriers no ordinary mortal could ever cross. But they say that if you reach the Core Formation Stage and learn to fly through the sky without the aid of dharma artifacts, you can cross over to the other side."
"What's on the other side?"
"Other continents. Places known as the Western Regions, the Frozen Lands, and the Archipelago."
Hae Un-chan's eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation as he spoke.
"My dream is to travel across every continent and complete a true map of the world."
A fine dream, Ise thought. He felt a touch of envy toward Hae Un-chan for having a dream to pursue on his own.
For that reason, Ise refrained from pointing out that Hae Un-chan's drawing skills were far too atrocious to make any sort of map.
"Though, what I actually asked about was the cultivation sects."
"You're a lot less fun than I thought, aren't you?"
Hae Un-chan clicked his tongue and drew eight circles over his map.
Except for one, all were located within the Jeong Empire.
"On the Eastern Continent, three major cultivation sects and five prestigious cultivation clans are currently locked in a struggle for supremacy. Only the Great Martial Dao holds the Three Peninsular Kingdoms as its base; the rest are all centered in the Jeong Empire."
"Are none of them allied with the Great Martial Dao?"
"Not a single one. While the cultivation factions in the Jeong Empire occasionally form alliances among themselves, the Great Martial Dao is treated as a public enemy by all outsiders. It's practically regarded as a Demonic Path Sect. You know what a Demonic Path Sect is, right?"
"Corrupt cultivators who practice demonic arts. Wanted public enemies across the continent."
"Spot on. They usually operate in secret from the shadows. The most notorious one is the Cheolyang Lightning Sect."
It was something he had read briefly in the Basic Manual of the Great Martial Dao. Perhaps because clashes with the Cheolyang Lightning Sect were so frequent, he recalled that detailed guidelines on how to respond to them were written in the manual.
With his curiosity satisfied to some degree, Ise expressed his genuine gratitude.
"Thank you. My perspective has broadened thanks to you."
"Hey, what are friends for? Let's keep getting along."
Friends.
Ise offered the warmest smile he could muster.
For some reason, the word made him recall the boys of the Dogwi tribe left behind at Ghost-Guarding Temple.
"Though, I already turned you down when you asked to be meal buddies. So what kind of friend does that make us?"
"...You're much pettier than you look."
Just then, an announcement declared that room assignments were complete, and their first night at the Training Center soon faded into history.
* * *
Dawn the following morning.
Tension filled the air among the applicants gathered in the waiting room, for the second exam was about to begin without delay.
Chief Examiner Kang I-tae stepped forward slowly, the divine bird Haljo perched on his shoulder.
"We will now begin the second exam."
No pleasantries, straight to the point. Ise felt he was starting to get a grasp on Kirin Hall Master Kang I-tae's personality.
"The second exam is to forge a Spirit Root."
The restless applicants held their breath.
Anyone seeking to walk the path of cultivation knew what a Spirit Root was.
Even so, Kang I-tae obliged them with a detailed explanation.
"A Spirit Root is the foundational origin and constitution required to become a cultivator. Just as blood flows through the body's blood vessels, spiritual energy flows through newly formed spirit veins. Everything—from their attributes and quality to their scale—is collectively known as the Spirit Root. Naturally, a Spirit Root is an innate gift. If you were not born with one, it cannot be created, nor can its predetermined quality be altered."
Kang I-tae gently stroked Haljo's back. Haljo fluttered its wings as if pleased.
"Only the Great Martial Dao possesses the power to alter a destiny fixed by heaven—and all thanks to this divine beast."
This was why thousands of applicants flocked to join the Great Martial Dao every year, despite the vast number of cultivators who perished while performing ghost exorcism work.
This creature was the treasured bird of the Great Martial Dao Master—the founder of the sect who had led humanity to victory in the Great Heavenly Demon War three hundred years ago and practically established the modern system of cultivation.
It was a divine beast capable of forging Spirit Roots, the bird that instilled fierce fighting spirit into soldiers heading for war: the divine beast Haljo.
"However, even with Haljo's blessing, there are those whom heaven forbids from cultivating immortality. Do not be overly crestfallen if that happens. Even if you fail to awaken a Spirit Root, performing well in the remaining exams will allow you to join the Great Martial Dao as an outer disciple, where you can fulfill a vital role in your own right."
Put another way, to become an inner disciple—the core strength of the Great Martial Dao—obtaining a Spirit Root was non-negotiable.
This was a domain where sheer hard work was useless.
It was entirely up to heavenly mandate—the destiny dictated by heaven itself.
"First, those who already possess a Spirit Root, step forward."
A sizable crowd of applicants moved to the front. Most were in their late teens.
"Excluding retakers, first-timers step forward one pace."
Nine candidates, including Hae Un-chan, took a step forward. Almost all of them wore lavish attire, likely hailing from aristocratic clans or secular lineages affiliated with the Great Martial Dao.
Among the applicants, they were known as the 'pre-selected'—those whose admission was practically guaranteed.
Kang I-tae began inspecting the pre-selected candidates' Spirit Roots one by one.
"Water-Wood-Metal Three-Spirit Root."
"Fire-Wood Two-Spirit Root."
"Five Spirit Roots."
Meanwhile, Ise recalled the knowledge he had gleaned from the scripture room back at Ghost-Guarding Temple.
Spirit Root attributes ranged from a minimum of one to a maximum of five.
Naturally, the spells one could master depended on these attributes. Having more attributes offered greater versatility in battle, but it significantly slowed down cultivation speed.
Because advancing through cultivation realms was exceedingly difficult, for someone with ordinary aptitude, having fewer attributes was considered far superior—and consequently, much rarer.
Kang I-tae paused before Hae Un-chan.
"Oho."
Upon examining his Spirit Root, the corners of Kang I-tae's mouth curled upward.
"A Water Attribute Single Spirit Root. And among those, a constitution truly beloved by the heavens. It has been a long time since I last saw a Heavenly Root Body. What's more, your current cultivation realm is already approaching 3-Star Qi Refining. Your name is... ah, Hae Un-chan."
Kang I-tae stroked his beard, speaking with renewed interest.
"So you are Hall Master Hae Il's great-great-grandnephew."
"Yes. Though a lacking descendant, that is correct."
Ise turned to a dazed candidate standing beside him and asked in a low voice, "What's a great-great-grandnephew?"
"Um... a nephew's great-great-grandson? Something like that?"
"They're practically strangers at that point."
Just how old was this Hae Il person?
The rumor that high-stage cultivators enjoyed exponentially lengthened lifespans was evidently true.
Once the pre-selected candidates with Spirit Roots returned to their places, it was time for those who had yet to awaken one.
"Sit and take your lotus positions."
The process was simple. As an applicant closed their eyes and assumed a meditative posture, Haljo would approach each person and strike their heart with its beak.
The bird's entire beak sank into the heart and pulled back out, yet amazingly, not a single drop of blood spilled.
The applicants didn't even scream; they merely sat with bewildered expressions.
"For those who already possess a Spirit Root, this process will aid in its awakening. Even for those without one, it grants a fresh opportunity to forge a Spirit Root anew. Of course, the timing varies depending on your talent. Some may awaken to spiritual energy today; others might not do so until the final day."
With his eyes closed, Ise felt Kang I-tae's voice drawing steadily closer.
"If you fail to perceive spiritual energy over the remaining six days, it means heaven has rejected you, or that your talent is one forsaken by fate. Accept it. Surrendering to that reality will be better for you."
Finally, it was Ise's turn. An auspicious aura wavered directly in front of him.
Haljo stared intently at him.
Suddenly— thump —Haljo's beak plunged deep into his chest, right over his heart.
Rather than painful, a cozy, soothing warmth surged through the beak, flowing through his body like blood. A sense of serene tranquility washed over his mind.
Yet at that very moment, the demonic energy already rooted inside him thrashed violently in response.
Caw! Caw!
Haljo suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably, beating its wings in a frenzy.
— This kid! There's demonic energy inside his body!
An eerie voice, far removed from anything human, reverberated through the air. Along with a surge of bone-chilling killing intent, the cold touch of steel pressed against Ise's neck.
Kang I-tae had moved like lightning, unsheathing his sword and aiming it at Ise before he could even process the motion.
"Move, and I strike."
Kang I-tae growled at Ise, his tone lethal.
"You bastard. Are you a spy from a Demonic Path Sect?"