Chapter 10

"Compared to the former, the latter are more common—and far more dangerous. So if you ever run into a Cultivator who isn't affiliated with the Great Martial Path? Run. Then report it to the sect immediately. That's the policy I was taught by my family."

Yise honestly didn't understand.

His only goal was to wipe out every last Demon and avenge his family. After that, he simply wanted to become a Demon Hunter worthy of his master's expectations.

He had been taught that Cultivators were people who pursued the Dao and accumulated virtue.

So why did they spend their time competing with one another, plundering one another, and constantly trying to suppress each other?

Could that even be called cultivation?

Seeing Yise's conflicted expression, Hae Unchan began tracing something on the stone floor with his finger, as though trying to lighten the mood.

An auspicious aura gathered at his fingertip. It seemed he already knew how to manipulate spiritual energy.

The moment his finger touched the hard stone, the rock split apart like loose sand, leaving grooves wherever he drew.

"Yise. Have you ever seen a world map?"

"A map? No."

"I figured."

With a confident grin, Hae Unchan drew a few lines, several circles, and a collection of barely recognizable shapes.

To be honest, Yise thought his four-year-old sibling could probably draw better than that.

"Alright, this is the continent we live on. More precisely, it's called the Eastern Continent."

"It looks like a leftover fried egg."

"Quiet. Don't talk about food. You're making me hungry."

After clearing his throat, Hae Unchan tapped the crude drawing.

"This little peninsula sticking out here is where we live—Tabaro, Suari, and Gamori. Together they're called the Three Peninsula Kingdoms."

He then sketched a massive landmass above the Three Peninsula Kingdoms.

"This is the Zheng Empire. Compared to the Three Peninsula Kingdoms, it's a true giant."

"...It's huge."

"There are smaller, weaker nations too, like Sihan and Taira, but most of them are vassal states of the Zheng Empire. The Three Peninsula Kingdoms are the only ones that aren't under Zheng rule."

Yise sensed something strange in that explanation.

Even if the three kingdoms stood united, the gap in power compared to the Zheng Empire was overwhelming.

And in a world where the strong preyed upon the weak...

The weak should have already been swallowed.

"Then why haven't the Three Peninsula Kingdoms become a vassal of the Zheng Empire?"

"Oh? Good question."

Hae Unchan smiled.

"Because of the Cultivators."

"The Cultivators?"

"More specifically, because of the Great Martial Path. The rulers of the Three Peninsula Kingdoms and the Great Martial Path maintain a mutual non-aggression agreement. But whenever a nation launches a large-scale war of conquest, Cultivators always intervene."

"Why?"

"Because war accumulates evil karma and resentment."

Ah.

Yise immediately understood.

The more evil karma and resentment accumulated, the more demonic energy spread throughout the world.

That demonic energy gave birth to Demons and disrupted the balance of nature.

There was no way the Great Martial Path—which despised Demons and made restoring nature's balance through Demon Hunting its sacred duty—would tolerate that.

As Yise slowly nodded, Hae Unchan smiled with satisfaction and pointed back at his drawing.

"Speaking of which, want to hear an interesting old story? Look—the Eastern Continent is blocked off by the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li and the Heavenly Demon Mountains to the north, the sea to the southeast, and deserts and wastelands to the west. They're natural barriers that ordinary humans could never cross."

"But once a Cultivator reaches the Core Formation Realm and can fly through the sky without relying on a Magical Artifact, they can travel beyond them."

"What's beyond them?"

"Other continents. The Western Lands, the Frozen Wastes, and a place called the Archipelagos."

Hae Unchan's eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement as he spoke.

"My dream is to travel every continent and complete a true world map."

Yise thought it was a wonderful dream.

He even found himself envious of someone who had discovered a dream of his own and was chasing it.

So he decided not to point out that Hae Unchan's drawing skills were utterly hopeless.

"But what I asked about was the cultivation sects."

"...You're less interesting than I expected."

Clicking his tongue, Hae Unchan drew eight circles across the map.

Except for one, nearly all of them were located within the Zheng Empire.

"The Eastern Continent is currently divided among three great cultivation sects and five prestigious cultivation clans. Only the Great Martial Path is based in the Three Peninsula Kingdoms. The other seven are all inside the Zheng Empire."

"Doesn't the Great Martial Path have any allies?"

"None at all. The cultivation organizations within the Zheng Empire sometimes form alliances with each other, but as far as the Great Martial Path is concerned, it's everyone's common enemy. It's practically treated like a demonic sect."

"You know what a demonic sect is, right?"

"Those who practice demonic arts. Corrupt cultivators with bounties on their heads—the enemies of the entire continent."

"Exactly. They usually operate from the shadows. The most famous one is the Iron Sun Thunder Gate."

Yise vaguely remembered reading about it in The Great Martial Path Basic Handbook.

The Great Martial Path clashed with the Iron Sun Thunder Gate so frequently that the handbook even detailed specific countermeasures against them.

Now that most of his questions had been answered, Yise sincerely thanked him.

"Thank you. I learned a lot."

"No need to thank me. We're friends, aren't we? Let's get along from now on."

Friends...

Yise forced himself to smile.

For some reason, the word reminded him of the young Dogwi left behind at Gwisu.

"But you already turned down being my meal companion. So what kind of friend does that make us?"

"...You're more petty than you look."

Just then, word spread that the room assignments had been completed.

And so, their first night at the training grounds quietly came to an end.

***

Early the next morning.

A tense silence filled the waiting hall where the applicants had gathered.

The second examination was about to begin.

Chief Examiner Kang I-tae slowly walked forward with a Crane Bird perched on his shoulder.

"The second examination will now begin."

Without so much as a greeting, he immediately got to the point.

Yise felt he was beginning to understand Kirin Hall Master Kang I-tae's personality.

"The second examination is to create a Spiritual Root."

A ripple of excitement swept through the applicants.

Anyone aspiring to become a Cultivator knew what a Spiritual Root was.

Even so, Kang I-tae patiently continued his explanation.

"A Spiritual Root is both the foundation and the constitution required to become a Cultivator. Just as blood flows through blood vessels, spiritual energy flows through spiritual meridians. The attributes, quality, size, and every aspect of those meridians together are called one's Spiritual Root."

"A Spiritual Root is an innate talent. If you are not born with it, you cannot create it. Nor can you change the quality you were born with."

Kang I-tae gently stroked the Crane Bird's back.

The divine beast happily fluttered its wings.

"Only the Great Martial Path can alter the destiny Heaven has ordained."

"And it is all thanks to this being."

That was why, despite countless Cultivators dying every year during Demon Hunting, thousands still sought admission to the Great Martial Path.

The Crane Bird—the divine beast capable of creating Spiritual Roots.

The beloved companion of the founder of the Great Martial Path, the man who had led humanity to victory in the Heavenly Demon War three hundred years ago and had all but established the cultivation system of the present age.

The divine beast that inspired soldiers with courage before battle.

"But even after receiving the Crane Bird's blessing, there are those whom Heaven still refuses to accept for Immortal Cultivation."

"Do not be overly disappointed. Even if you fail to awaken a Spiritual Root, outstanding performance in the remaining examinations can still earn you admission to the Great Martial Path as an outer disciple, where you will serve an important role."

In other words...

Anyone wishing to become one of the Great Martial Path's core inner disciples absolutely had to obtain a Spiritual Root.

This was one thing that effort alone could never overcome.

It depended solely on destiny.

On the will of Heaven.

"Those who already possess a Spiritual Root, step forward."

Quite a few applicants did.

Most appeared to be in their late teens.

"Now, excluding repeat examinees, only those taking the examination for the first time may take one more step forward."

Nine people, including Hae Unchan, stepped forward.

Most wore luxurious clothing.

They were likely members of noble families or descendants of the Great Martial Path's affiliated clans.

Among the applicants, they were already known as those with "reserved spots."

Kang I-tae began inspecting their Spiritual Roots one by one.

"Three Spiritual Roots—Water, Wood, and Metal."

"Dual Spiritual Roots—Fire and Wood."

"Five Spiritual Roots."

Meanwhile, Yise recalled what he had read in the library of Gwisu.

A Spiritual Root could possess anywhere from one to five attributes.

The attributes determined which spells one could cultivate.

The more attributes one possessed, the greater one's versatility in battle.

However, cultivation progressed more slowly.

Since advancing one's realm was already extraordinarily difficult, those with ordinary talent generally considered fewer attributes to be superior.

In reality, single-attribute Spiritual Roots were exceedingly rare.

Kang I-tae stopped in front of Hae Unchan.

"Oh?"

The corner of his mouth rose after examining him.

"A single Water Spiritual Root."

"And one blessed by Heaven itself."

"It's been a long time since I've seen someone with the Heavenly Spirit Physique."

"You're already approaching the third star of the Qi Condensation Realm, too."

"Your name is... yes. Hae Unchan."

Stroking his beard, Kang I-tae continued with interest.

"So you're Hall Master Hae Il's great-grandnephew."

"Yes. Though I'm an unworthy descendant, that's correct."

Yise quietly asked another examinee standing beside him in stunned silence,

"What's a great-grandnephew?"

"Hmm... your nephew's grandson's grandson? Something like that."

"So they're practically strangers."

Just how old was this Hall Master Hae Il?

People had said that high-realm Cultivators lived exponentially longer lives.

Apparently, that was no exaggeration.

After the applicants who already possessed Spiritual Roots stepped back, it was time for those who had yet to awaken one.

"Everyone, sit down and assume the lotus position."

The procedure was simple.

Each applicant closed their eyes and entered meditation.

The Crane Bird then approached them one by one and pierced their hearts with its beak.

Its entire beak disappeared into each person's chest before withdrawing again.

Yet astonishingly, not a single drop of blood was shed.

None of the applicants screamed.

They simply sat there wearing blank expressions of disbelief.

"For those who already possess Spiritual Roots, this process will help awaken them further."

"And even for those without one, it grants another chance to create one."

"Of course, the timing differs according to talent."

"You may awaken spiritual energy today."

"Or perhaps not until the final day."

With his eyes closed, Yise sensed Kang I-tae's voice drawing nearer.

"If you fail to awaken spiritual energy within the remaining six days..."

"...Then Heaven has rejected you."

"Or your talent has been abandoned by Heaven."

"Accept it."

"You will be better off giving up."

Finally, it was Yise's turn.

An auspicious aura shimmered before him.

The Crane Bird stared directly into his eyes.

Then—

Its beak plunged deep into his heart.

Rather than pain, he felt a warm, comforting energy flow through the beak and spread throughout his body like blood.

His heart became calm.

His mind settled into perfect peace.

But at the same time...

The demonic energy that had long lain dormant inside him suddenly convulsed violently.

Caw! Caw!

The Crane Bird abruptly began trembling all over.

Its wings flapped wildly.

—This child! There is demonic energy inside his body!

A strange voice—utterly unlike that of a human—boomed through the hall.

At the same instant, an icy killing intent swept over him.

Cold steel pressed against his neck.

Kang I-tae had drawn his sword with lightning speed, so fast that no one had even seen him move.

The blade was already pointed at Yise's throat.

"Move..."

"...And I'll cut you down."

He growled at Yise like a beast.

"You."

"Are you a spy from a demonic sect?"