Chapter 11
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11
A murmur rippled through the crowd like a rising tide.
More than the Haljo speaking with a human voice, and more than Kang I-tae's movements—which had been far too fast for the naked eye to follow—what truly shocked everyone present was Ise’s reaction.
Astonishingly, completely oblivious to the commotion around him, the boy had entered a state of cultivation.
A wisp of spiritual energy, introduced through the Haljo, flowed through his body and grew increasingly vigorous.
It was as if he had ingested some spirit medicine in the past; the moment this new catalyst entered him, hidden energies that previously had nowhere to settle finally made their presence known.
Falling into a state of no-self in a situation like this?
Kang I-tae could only let out a dry laugh.
Even if he is achieving enlightenment, he should still be able to hear my voice.
The boy was suspected of being a spy for a Demonic Path Sect. The chilled, razor-sharp edge of a blade hovered right over his artery, ready to strike at the slightest opening.
Though it felt like singing his own praises, Kang I-tae knew he could obliterate a Qi Refining cultivator with his aura alone, as easily as stepping on a bug. The pressure currently radiating from him should have been impossible for the boy to endure.
Even the proctors were straining to hold their ground, while the surrounding applicants staggered back one by one to put distance between them.
Yet this kid didn't care in the slightest. He was hurriedly probing into his newfound realization, greedily devouring the enlightenment. He wasn't just audacious—he was single-mindedly reckless. It was as if his very nerves had burst out of his chest and were pulsing in the open air.
One of the proctors vehemently urged Kang I-tae, "Hall Master, you must execute him! It is a fundamental principle of the Great Martial Dao to execute spies of the Demonic Path Sects immediately upon discovery."
"Wait."
Kang I-tae withdrew his blade and reined in his momentum, holding up an open palm.
The proctor wasn't wrong, of course. However, an opposing principle also existed.
"It is also a paramount rule to protect a disciple of the Great Martial Dao with our lives if they are undergoing enlightenment."
"But this person is—"
"Not a disciple yet, yes. Nor is it confirmed that he is a spy. The demonic energy in his body is suspicious beyond measure, but no Demonic Path Sect would be stupid enough to send a spy reeking so openly of demonic energy."
Kang I-tae's momentum gradually gathered and dispersed as he weighed the situation.
"If he possesses a unique physique, the enlightenment of a prospective disciple takes priority. Fall back, everyone, and continue the exam elsewhere. The three of you proctors and I will stand guard here. You, go and summon all nearby Hall Masters."
At his firm command, the proctors immediately bowed. The proctor he had singled out instantly shot away.
The exam was temporarily halted.
The applicants gathered to one side, whispering amongst themselves in a muted commotion. Meanwhile, the proctors, led by Kang I-tae, formed a protective circle around Ise, silently watching his form.
Meanwhile, a desperate struggle was taking place inside Ise's body.
The moment the Haljo's beak pierced his heart, it was as if a single drop of water had fallen onto a tranquil pond. A crown-shaped ripple formed on the surface, its vibrations awakening every corner of his being.
Immediately after, two reactions occurred.
The first was an ominous energy that had always unsettlingly occupied a corner of his body, swaggering about as it pleased.
The second was an energy he hadn't even known existed. But the moment that single drop of spiritual energy entered him, it swelled rapidly, like a snowball rolling down a steep slope.
Like oil and water, the two energies vehemently refused to blend. They violently repelled each other before suddenly belching out an intense, feverish heat.
His insides felt like they were burning to ashes. Nausea surged and cold sweat poured down his skin. Amidst the agony, Ise came to an instinctive realization:
If I can't endure this and collapse here, my body will be left crippled.
Regardless of Ise's will, the two energies ran wild.
Strangely, as they rampaged and hammered against the various parts of his body, he felt his bones and muscles shatter, only to knit back together, growing denser and firmer with each cycle.
He was certain he had heard voices debating what to do with him just moments ago, but from a certain point onward, all external sounds vanished.
How much time had passed?
Deep within his body, a crisp crackling sound burst forth, like shattering glass.
It was hot yet cold, tumultuous yet tranquil.
The two clashing energies finally began to swim through his meridians, maintaining a slight distance from one another.
An uncomfortable coexistence.
Even with his eyes closed, the interior of his body seemed completely transparent to his inner sight. The flow of blood running along his acupuncture points. The calm stream of spiritual energy flowing right beside it. And slightly further away, the thick, sticky sludge of demonic energy.
He could feel it all with striking clarity.
When he finally opened his eyes, Ise truly understood the meaning of the phrase—it was a true awakening.
A world completely different from the one he had known unfolded before him. It was a brilliantly golden vision, a realm where the spiritual energy and demonic energy that composed the world were clearly distinguished by their colors.
"This kid is really something. Even if you've opened your Spirit Eye, do you not see your seniors standing right in front of you? Watch where you're looking!"
Only then did Ise snap out of his daze and look at the four men and women surrounding him.
Chief Proctor Kang I-tae.
A woman with fiery crimson hair.
A massive, muscular man wearing tiger-skin clothing.
And... a female Dogwi with a familiar presence.
Spiritual energy gathered densely everywhere else in the world, yet in the immediate space around these four, absolutely nothing could be felt.
No, to be precise, he was unable to feel it. It was as if an invisible barrier shrouded them, forbidding any outside intrusion or probing.
"My apologies."
Ise hurriedly straightened his posture and bowed his head.
Once he became fully aware of his surroundings, the crushing pressure radiating from them was immense. Was this what it felt like to be submerged in the deep ocean? It felt as if a boulder weighing a thousand catties was pressing down on his shoulders.
Judging purely by the momentum radiating from them, they were undoubtedly high-ranking figures of the Great Martial Dao. He had completely lost himself in his own cultivation right in front of such exalted seniors; he was certainly in the wrong.
"Cut the small talk and explain the demonic energy in your body. You will also need to prove you aren't a spy from a Demonic Path Sect."
At Kang I-tae's words, Ise turned to the woman who appeared to be a Dogwi. Since a member of the Dogwi Tribe held such a high position in the Great Martial Dao, telling the truth shouldn't cause any trouble. Still, he wanted to remain cautious to the very end.
"May I speak openly about the Dogwi Tribe?"
The Dogwi woman tilted her head at his question. "Why are you asking me that? The Dogwi Tribe and the Great Martial Dao are firm allies, so you don't really need to hold back on that front."
He had heard as much, but he had asked just in case. Now that he was seeing a Dogwi who was an actual member of the Great Martial Dao with his own eyes, there was no need for further restraint.
He then laid out everything he had experienced, without embellishment or omission.
"Ah! You're that boy Sister Mongryeon took in recently...! Right, I heard about you. Your name was... I-sip-se, right?"
"It's Ise."
"Right, right! That was the name. Nice to meet you. I'm Gong Wol-ah. Sister Mongryeon and I are like real sisters. But why didn't I-tae know? Don't you write that down when submitting your application...?"
Gong Wol-ah. Her name is similar to Gong Ah's. What is her relation to her?
Ise merely kept the thought to himself, musing that Dogwi names were all so similar it was confusing.
Kang I-tae shrugged and held up Ise's application form. The space for his affiliation was completely blank.
"If you are a disciple of Mongryeon, the leader of the Ghost-Guarding Temple, your identity is already settled. Why didn't you state it?"
"I wasn't sure if I was permitted to speak of the Dogwi Tribe. I was also concerned I might bring dishonor or harm upon our clan. As for the demonic energy in my body, I am not entirely sure myself... but I suspect it is because I lived in the domain of the Dogwi Tribe for a long time."
Listening to Ise, the red-haired woman cackled and chimed in. "Aha-ha! Look at this. A mere human referring to the Dogwi Tribe as 'our clan'?"
"Well, it's a bit impudent, but not incomprehensible. Personally, I don't dislike this kind of character." The massive man in tiger skin, who had been listening silently, nodded in agreement.
Kang I-tae sank into deep thought, then exchanged looks with the other Hall Masters.
"Then... since three or more Hall Masters have verified it, we will consider the issue regarding your identity resolved for now. Hall Master Hong Mi-hui, can you provide an explanation for the demonic energy?"
"Hold on. Let me look a bit closer. Stay still, kid."
The red-haired woman, Hong Mi-hui, placed her hand on Ise's chest. A surge of searingly hot spiritual energy swept through his body, completing a full circuit of his meridians.
"I can't say for certain, but... hmm. It looks like a Heavenly Demon Dual-Meridian Physique."
At Hong Mi-hui's words, a strange glint flickered in the eyes of the other three Hall Masters.
Ise was dying to ask what on earth she was talking about, but he kept his mouth shut and listened, knowing better than to carelessly interrupt these high-ranking elders. Noticing his disciplined stance, Hong Mi-hui smiled faintly and continued her explanation.
"To put it simply, it's a constitution that allows one to freely manipulate both spiritual energy and demonic energy. There is no Heavenly Tribulation as punishment for handling the demonic energy, nor do you need to fear accumulating bad karma."
"Could it be... the same as the Great Martial Dao Master's...?"
"That's right. It's exactly the same constitution as the Dao Master. It's the first one seen in three hundred years."
At that moment, Ise felt it. A distinct emotion surfaced simultaneously in the eyes of all four Hall Masters. It was too pure to be called greed, yet too tainted to be mere curiosity.
It must be a thirst for talent, Ise thought.
"Opening his Spirit Eye right where he sat and reaching Meridian Awakening in the Qi Refining Stage on the spot... His talent is far from ordinary, too..."
"Kid, if you enter Gujin Hall, I'll back you to the high heavens."
"Hall Master Ban Ho, soliciting a Qi Refining cultivator is against the rules. Furthermore, he hasn't even passed the examination yet."
Ban Ho scowled at Kang I-tae's reprimand. "Soliciting! It's merely gentle persuasion. Don't act as if you aren't coveting him just as much!"
"Not to that extent."
"Liar! Your eyes are practically gleaming with greed!"
"...Hall Master."
"Then let's do this: we'll keep it a secret from the other Hall Masters."
"That goes against protocol. Not that we could hide it even if we tried."
"You stubborn, rule-obsessed stickler..."
"Um, pardon me for interrupting..." Ise, who had been quietly listening to the Hall Masters bicker, discreetly raised his hand.
Given his low standing, he had tried to remain silent, but their discussion showed no sign of ending. Seeing that there was no one else around, the exam seemed to have been halted, and he still had daily routines and personal rules he absolutely had to keep. Fortunately, the Hall Masters seemed to view him favorably, so he figured he could afford to speak up a bit more confidently.
"What is it?"
"I think I've awakened my spiritual energy, but is it normal for it to not move according to my will?"
"Yes. Controlling it is the next realm you must achieve."
"Ah. Understood. Currently, the spiritual energy and demonic energy are flowing through different paths... but whenever they get close, they seem to growl at each other. Is it fine to just leave them be?"
At this question, all four Hall Masters were struck dumb.
Since Hong Mi-hui was presumably the most knowledgeable in this area among them, everyone's eyes naturally turned to her.
"We don't know either."
"Pardon?"
"No one other than the Great Martial Dao Master has ever had that trait. And well, the Great Martial Dao itself... actually, the entire Cultivation World reorganized its system around three hundred years ago. You could say there's virtually no surviving information on such a rare physique."
"In that case, if I join the Great Martial Dao, will I be able to meet the Dao Master?"
The Hall Masters exchanged blank glances at Ise's question before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"How do you plan on meeting someone who ascended to the Celestial Realm three hundred years ago? What, are you going to perform a séance?"
To Ise, their words were completely incomprehensible.