Chapter 13
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13
"It'll be our turn soon."
Before they knew it, the exam was drawing to a close.
"By the way, are you really not going to tell me what happened yesterday?"
"It was nothing."
"Hmm."
"It just seems I have a somewhat unusual physique. You too, right? The Heavenly Root Body?"
"I knew it. I had a feeling you were out of the ordinary."
That was the end of their conversation.
Hae Un-chan wasn't the type to pry into every detail, and Ise wasn't one to chatter endlessly about his personal affairs.
Sounding amused, Hae Un-chan merely added that they should spar sometime later to test things out.
Another test came to an end.
Growing bored, Ise began to warm up with some calisthenics. As he dropped into a one-armed handstand and started doing push-ups, Hae Un-chan found the posture interesting and copied him.
Though the glares from the other applicants were stinging, neither of them paid any mind.
"That guy failed even though he possesses a spirit root. He applied last year, too."
"Really? You have a good memory. But his movements are sluggish, and his battle instincts are terrible. If he becomes a cultivator like that, he'll be nothing more than demon ghost food."
"Is it really okay to fail someone after going through all the trouble of creating a spirit root for them?"
"Well, he could try again next year, or become a rogue cultivator... Or maybe join some small-to-medium cultivation sect or clan. There are plenty of people like that. Most rogue cultivators and disciples of smaller sects are applicants who failed to get into the Great Martial Dao. After all, natural spirit root possessors are exceedingly rare."
Hearing Hae Un-chan's words, Ise once again realized just how precious the divine beast of the Great Martial Dao truly was.
Another failed applicant was added to the list.
Switching the hand supporting his weight on the floor, Ise muttered,
"There are more failures than I expected. Leaving aside their ruthless methods, the actual criteria seem easy enough."
"Is that so? I feel like it's just right."
"Why are they heating things up so unnecessarily?"
"Passing the exam isn't the real goal—the truly important thing is placing in the top five. Naturally, the competition is fierce."
"Top five? Are there special benefits?"
"Ah, you didn't see the notice on the board? They say the top five will receive a mass-production dharma artifact crafted by Hall Master Hong Mi-hui as a reward. The artifacts she creates are so famous they're called the 'Hongje Ghost Step.' Even if it's just a mass-produced version, its performance must be extraordinary."
At Hae Un-chan's words, a red-haired woman came to Ise's mind. Hall Master Hong Mi-hui of the Vermilion Bird Hall, whose cultivation realm he couldn't even begin to fathom.
Her earlier question echoed in his mind: Where do you think all the dharma artifacts you use are made?
"And the top two—the highest scorer and the runner-up—get the chance to be personally tutored for a full day by a Hall Master-level Great Cultivator. Now that is an incredible privilege!"
"A Hall Master... Any of the eleven?"
"Any of them."
Instantly, an intriguing light flashed in Ise's eyes.
This meant he could directly request instruction from Hae Il, Hall Master of the Azure Dragon Hall. He was the only Great Cultivator currently believed to know about Ise's unique physique, yet he was supposedly too busy to pay any mind to a mere Qi Refining cultivator.
Truthfully, after yesterday's events, he had felt somewhat deflated, assuming he would easily pass the exam anyway. But this changed everything.
Ise looked at Hae Un-chan.
"W-Why are you looking at me so fiercely? Did I do something wrong?"
This guy is probably my biggest hurdle and competitor.
Sorry, but I'll have to take first place.
"Next. Ise. Cho-ho. Yun-san... That is all thirteen. Step forward."
Right on cue, his name was called.
Huuu.
Amidst the applicants taking deep breaths to quell their nerves, Ise calmly surveyed his competitors.
Regardless of gender, everyone possessed solidly trained bodies. The long, painstaking hours they had dedicated to entering the Great Martial Dao were plainly visible.
Of course, even given the same amount of time, the quantity and quality of that effort inevitably differed, and the scales of power were bound to tilt to one side.
"Begin."
The moment the test started, Ise closed the distance to the nearest applicant using the unique movements of Dokkaebi Footwork.
The boy gasped in shock at the enemy's sudden appearance.
Ise immediately thrust his left hand forward, feinting a strike.
Reflexively, the boy raised both arms to block the attack.
However, Ise didn't aim to land a blow, but to deflect. Sweeping the boy's arms aside to open up his guard in a flash, Ise slammed his elbow straight into the opponent's chin.
Crack!
With a heavy impact, the boy collapsed without even having time to scream.
Immediately moving on to find his next prey, the sole of Ise's foot flew toward another applicant's face.
With a foot filling his vision in an instant, the applicant saw flashing stars before his eyes.
Elusive and unpredictable.
The voice signaling the start had only just echoed, yet when the others came to their senses, half of them were already unconscious on the floor or thrown outside the array.
The remaining six applicants exchanged glances.
Terror washed over their faces as they realized that, at this rate, they would be helplessly beaten by this single individual without even putting up a fight.
Naturally, without anyone needing to say a word, they charged at him all at once.
After all, throughout the test, anyone displaying exceptional strength had inevitably become the target of a combined assault.
Their only misfortune was that the target of their combined assault was a highly trained, terrifying powerhouse—a guy who hadn't backed down in hand-to-hand combat against three young Dogwi, and who could hold his own bare-handed even against an intermediate demon ghost at the Mid Qi Refining Stage.
Grabbing hold of a large boy, Ise lifted his body into the air.
He swung him like a log, battering the incoming applicants.
They were strictly forbidden from using spiritual power, yet the sheer degree of his physical strength was unbelievable for someone relying purely on his bare body.
What kind of insane strength is—
While his body looked sturdy, such physical strength was incomprehensible no matter how one looked at it.
Only the proctors realized that he was utilizing the Borrowed Power Art trained to its absolute limit, redirecting and amplifying the power of the other applicants against them.
Before long, Ise was the only one left standing on the formation.
Kang I-tae's forehead creased in a frown.
This was not a test to determine victory or defeat; it was an exam to evaluate combat instincts and fighting spirit.
With the match being this one-sided, there was no room left to evaluate the others.
Sighing softly, he took extraordinary measures.
"Except for the one standing right now, everyone retakes the exam. Gather yourselves and step back into the formation."
A shocked silence fell among the applicants.
*
"That is all. Those who failed, pack your belongings and descend the mountain."
A total of 120 applicants passed the third test. This meant an additional forty-nine applicants had failed.
Once again, Ise thought the criteria were quite generous, but it seemed the outcome was hard to accept for some.
One applicant, who looked close to adulthood, confronted the proctor demanding an answer.
"I am a Three-Spirit Root Cultivator! That person over there has Five Spirit Roots! How can you pass someone with such trash spirit roots and fail me...?! Are you certain you won't regret this?!"
A few other failed applicants slunk behind him in agreement.
All of them were unable to accept the results of the exam.
Noticing the group, Hae Un-chan muttered to Ise.
"Looks like this year is the last chance for those guys."
"Meaning they're nineteen years old?"
Ise tilted his head. Even if it was hard to stand out when every applicant diligently practiced martial arts, the exam wasn't difficult enough to fail four times.
It simply meant they had no talent for physical combat whatsoever, or lacked even the will to put in the effort.
Even so, the applicant shouted at the top of his lungs, acting utterly insolent.
Before them stood a proctor whose cultivation realm was incomprehensible—Ise wondered what foolish bravado drove the man.
Hearing the commotion, Kang I-tae stepped forward slowly.
As Kang I-tae appeared, the applicant's momentum wavered slightly.
Yet, having failed his final opportunity in life, the man seemed to have no intention of backing down.
"Please... I beg you... judge us by our aptitude as cultivators."
"The decision will not be reversed. Turn back."
"Is the Great Martial Dao not a cultivation sect?! How can cultivators be judged by bare-handed brawling rather than talent or constitution?! Is that the way of the Great Martial Dao?!"
"If you insult our sect, I will sever the tendons in your limbs and slash your spirit veins."
It was a dry, emotionless warning, yet the trembling man tucked his tail and pleaded desperately.
"I cannot understand why I must be failed like this. I want to know... at least know the reason, Senior! Trash like that—if I could just use spiritual energy, I could subdue them in an instant...!"
Just as Ise was thinking that managing to say everything he wanted despite trembling like an aspen leaf was at least commendable in spirit, Kang I-tae continued.
"The foundation of our sect is the Body Refinement Art. When fighting demon ghosts, situations inevitably arise where your spiritual energy is sealed, or you are left with nothing but your bare body after expending all your reserves. Therefore, mastering the body is the most essential talent, a priority above all else. A Three-Spirit Root is a quite decent talent, so seek out another cultivation sect."
"...You will regret this."
"It seems I have been looked down upon."
"......"
"If you had met me anywhere other than as a proctor and an applicant, your eyes would have already been gouged out and your limbs severed. Be thankful for our sect's mercy."
Realizing he was crossing the line, the man slowly began taking steps backward.
As Kang I-tae said, had they met outside, the difference in status was such that his limbs would have been torn apart before he could even let out a scream.
The pressure of spiritual energy leaking out bit by bit forced him to face reality.
"However, you must pay the price for running your mouth so recklessly. Consider this a lesson bestowed upon you by a senior."
Kang I-tae raised his index finger in front of his face. Then, with a simple flick, the man's tongue thrust outward as if being yanked by an invisible force.
"Mph, mmph!"
The next instant, with a squelching crunch, a lump of bloody flesh was ripped out and fell to the ground.
Muffled screams followed. The man collapsed, rolling on the ground in agony.
"Clear him away."
"Yes, sir."
Leaving behind the proctors to drag away the convulsing applicant, who was vomiting a bucketful of blood, Kang I-tae turned around without a shred of hesitation.
The rejected applicants who had been lined up behind the man were already nowhere to be seen.
No one dared to criticize his ruthless methods.
*
"Didn't you say you were going to wait for me before eating?"
"Whoa, you startled me! Give some warning when you walk around."
"Ah. Sorry. It's a habit."
Concealing one's presence while walking was another characteristic of Dokkaebi Footwork.
Thanks to this technique—learned from his master through tears of blood—he had been able to approach the Aseongyongma undetected. Having naturally internalized it into his body, there was no way he wouldn't use it.
"Do you want to practice martial arts together after we finish eating?" Ise asked Hae Un-chan, taking a spoonful of white rice from a mountain-like stack.
Judging from the test earlier, the guy seemed to have trained in physical combat just as intensely as Ise had.
Truthfully, he couldn't even guarantee who would win or lose.
"You mean spar? Sorry. I'm still clumsy at controlling spiritual energy, so if we fight seriously, you might get hurt."
Hae Un-chan rejected him offhandedly, then froze as realization hit, looking at Ise.
Young men from his clan were usually full of vigor and pride, so words like that would typically send them flying into a rage.