Chapter 9

As soon as they stood before the main gate, bewilderment spread across the applicants' faces.

Taken literally, the test was absurdly simple.

All they had to do was walk through the main gate.

There was no obvious way to distinguish one candidate from another. Contrary to the rumors, it looked like an almost laughably easy exam.

But the atmosphere changed the instant everyone noticed the Demon crouching in the middle of the gate.

A Demon.

Its skin was ash-gray. Its arms were unnaturally long, and its neck stretched to an impossible length.

Its eyes were closed, yet the corners of its mouth seemed faintly curled into a smile.

There were no Sacred Straw Ropes, no barriers, no chains around it.

It wasn't a bound Demon.

It was simply sitting there.

Which meant they had to walk past a perfectly free Demon standing in the narrow entrance.

If, by any chance, it decided to attack......they would lose their lives on the spot.

The applicants immediately understood the purpose of the test.

Among the four virtues—Scholarship, Martial Ability, Courage, and Righteousness—it was testing Courage.

The courage to keep walking despite the crushing pressure of a Demon that could kill them at any moment.

But... this seems too easy.

No matter how terrifying or unfamiliar a Demon was, if they knew it wouldn't attack, then all they had to do was walk past it.

What was so difficult about that?

Yise tilted his head.

Apparently the first applicant thought the same.

With a mixture of nervousness and bravado, he muttered,

"So what? This isn't a big deal."

Then he started walking.

Three steps.

That was as far as he got.

His legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stand again.

"Failed."

Chief Examiner Kang I-tae announced it without hesitation, and the examiners dragged the man away.

Then came the second.

The third.

The fourth.

Applicant after applicant stepped forward, yet most collapsed after only three to five steps.

Whenever someone sat down, stopped walking, or hesitated, the Chief Examiner never waited long before declaring,

"Failed."

"Hae Unchan."

A familiar name was called.

Murmurs immediately reached Yise's ears.

"So that's the legitimate orthodox successor of the Hae Clan."

"The favorite to finish first among this year's applicants..."

A clan?

If they called it a clan, then he was probably from some noble family.

Since Yise knew almost nothing about the great clans of the continent, he simply watched without much interest.

Hae Unchan strode forward confidently.

Then he faltered on his third step.

Clenching his fists tightly, he forced himself onward.

With every step, cold sweat drenched his entire body.

Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fists.

At last, he became the first applicant to pass through the gate.

"Passed."

Kang I-tae's brief declaration drew quiet gasps from the surrounding applicants.

After that, amidst the countless failures, a few more candidates occasionally managed to pass.

"Next. Yise."

When his name was called, Yise quietly steadied his breathing.

As he walked toward the gate, he focused every sense in his body.

...Strange.

His eyes narrowed as he examined the Demon.

I don't recognize it.

He had memorized every one of the hundreds of Demons recorded in the Gwisu library.

Precisely because of that, an unfamiliar Demon stood out all the more clearly.

A Demon that isn't recorded in the library...

The Gwisu archives might have lacked information in other areas, but when it came to Demons, they were virtually unmatched.

Three hundred years of Demon Hunting by Mongryeon had seen to that.

And yet...

He had never seen this one before.

Judging from its demonic energy... it's only slightly stronger than Aseong Yongma. Around the late Qi Condensation Realm, perhaps.

He dismissed the thought.

Third step.

The air changed.

An overwhelming killing intent crashed over him, so thick it felt capable of slicing open his throat and tearing apart his organs in an instant.

You're going to die.

Take one more step......and you will definitely die.

It was as though someone were screaming directly into his ears.

How is this the killing intent of a Qi Condensation Realm Demon?

The disparity between its actual demonic energy and the murderous aura he felt was simply too great.

It felt like the pressure of a being from a far higher realm bearing down upon him.

His body reacted instinctively.

Without realizing it, his hand reached toward his waist.

His fingers gripped the familiar handle of his Hand Axe.

"Hey."

An examiner's voice rang out.

"If you attack the Demon, you're disqualified."

"..."

Unable to bring himself to sheath the axe again, Yise nevertheless took another step.

Fourth step.

His breathing grew labored, and an invisible force squeezed tightly around his chest.

Fifth step.

An icy chill crawled from the back of his head down to his waist, while the muscles in his shoulders stiffened painfully.

Then—

The demonic energy inside his body suddenly twitched violently....So it wasn't my imagination after all.

The day he had performed Spirit Exorcism on Aseong Yongma...

The lingering demonic energy left inside his body had writhed uncomfortably.

Now that same unsettling sensation had returned.

Don't run wild.

Silently muttering to himself, Yise dragged his palm across the blade of his Hand Axe, opening a shallow wound.

Fresh blood slowly trickled out.

Gripping the bloody palm tightly, he stepped forward.

This fake killing intent...

Compared to standing before a Demon that's genuinely trying to kill me......it's child's play.

Then he suddenly accelerated.

Not into a sprint, but into a brisk, determined pace.

Faster than any applicant before him had dared to move.

Finally, Yise crossed the gate.

"Passed."

Kang I-tae's short announcement echoed out.

At the same moment, the murderous aura carving through his body vanished.

Beyond the gate, he saw a boy waving enthusiastically at him.

"Knew you'd make it!"

Hae Unchan ran over, looking happier than if he'd passed the test himself.

"What was that at the end? You practically rushed through it! Seriously, I could barely force myself to take each step."

"I've just..."

"...Been through something like this before."

"...Huh?"

Hae Unchan tilted his head in confusion.

Yise merely shrugged.

After all, who would believe him if he said he had hunted a low-level Demon at the age of ten, and only a few days ago had taken the head of a Mid-Level Demon?

People would only think he was boasting.

***

With well over a thousand applicants, the examination continued until sunset.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the first test had finally ended.

Fewer than two hundred applicants remained.

Compared to the original number, nearly ninety percent had been eliminated.

Kang I-tae stepped before the unevenly assembled group and slowly swept his gaze across them.

"One hundred sixty-nine."

"There were many applicants, so there are many who passed."

"Welcome. You have passed the first examination."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bird circling overhead descended and landed upon his shoulder.

Meanwhile, the Demon guarding the gate transformed before everyone's eyes and came to stand beside him.

Yise immediately recognized both creatures.

One was a gigantic white-feathered bird—the Crane Bird.

The other was a horned beast resembling both a lion and drifting clouds—the Haetae.

The two Divine Beasts that symbolized the Great Martial Path, and whose existence had helped establish it.

The Demon from the first test...had actually been the Haetae in disguise.

While the applicants stood in awe of the overwhelming Divine Beast, Kang I-tae continued.

"The examinations will continue for seven days."

"One test per day."

"As you all know, disciples of the Great Martial Path are selected according to four virtues."

"Scholarship."

"Martial Ability."

"Courage."

"And Righteousness."

Everyone nodded.

The standard was famous throughout the continent.

"The first examination confirmed your courage—the courage not to retreat before a Demon."

"Now prove the remaining three virtues through the next six tests."

Sweeping his eyes over the crowd, Kang I-tae spoke in an unusually solemn tone.

"There are several things you must remember."

Walking back and forth, he casually tapped the staff in his hand against his palm.

"If there's anyone here foolish enough to join the Great Martial Path in pursuit of immortality..."

"Leave."

"Get out."

"Go crawl back into some den of pill addicts..."

"Or go chant scriptures with those cowardly long-nosed Daoists."

Yise blinked, unable to understand the remark.

Hae Unchan quietly nudged him with his elbow and whispered,

"He's mocking the major cultivation sects of the Zheng Empire."

"Cultivation sects? Besides the Great Martial Path?"

"Yeah."

"The Zheng Empire has two enormous cultivation sects—Jedan Sect and Kunlun."

"The Jedan Sect hunts spiritual beasts and collects spiritual herbs to refine medicinal pills."

"They forcefully raise their cultivation through pills."

"That's why everyone calls them pill addicts."

"And Kunlun?"

"They're sword cultivators, but instead of fighting, they lock themselves away in the mountains, trying to become immortals through meditation and enlightenment."

"So everyone calls them those long-nosed Daoists."

"So they don't get along?"

"Do they ever."

"If you ever visit the Zheng Empire, watch your back."

"They call us Demon butchers."

"Haha."

"They say cultivators seek longevity and immortality, yet we throw away our lives without a second thought."

"That's enough chatting."

Though they had spoken in barely audible whispers, Kang I-tae somehow caught every word.

His sharp glare landed on them.

"We're sorry."

The two immediately straightened their posture.

"We do not treasure our lives."

"To make Demon Hunting one's calling..."

"...Is itself Righteousness."

"...And the heavenly duty of a cultivator."

"Do not hunt spiritual beasts recklessly."

"Do not destroy spiritual herbs carelessly."

"Those who walk a different path from ours..."

"...Are all our enemies."

So... does the Great Martial Path never consume medicinal pills?

If you've already eaten one... do you have to spit it back out?

Remembering that medicinal pills became necessary at certain cultivation stages, Yise found himself genuinely curious.

"Answer."

"Yes!"

The applicants responded in unison.

The examiners then began distributing robes and books.

"That book contains the fundamentals every disciple of the Great Martial Path must learn."

"There will be a written examination on the final day."

"Study it whenever you have time."

At the mention of a written test, several applicants frowned.

Most, however, understood immediately.

It was the examination meant to prove their Scholarship.

Embossed across the thick book's cover were the words:

<The Great Martial Path Basic Handbook>

"Lastly."

"If you fight privately or injure another applicant..."

"...You will be disqualified."

"If someone angers you enough to make you want to kill them..."

"...Request an official duel through me."

"The loser will be eliminated from the examination."

"That's all."

"Questions?"

No one spoke.

Yise slowly raised his hand.

The most important thing had yet to be explained.

"When are meal times?"

"Is food self-served?"

Instantly, every applicant turned to stare at him.

"...Is that really important?"

"Yes."

The expression on everyone's face seemed to ask how such an obvious question could matter.

A vein twitched on Kang I-tae's forehead.

This year's applicants really do have an unusual number of oddballs.

"A bell will ring at every meal."

"As for how the food is served..."

"I don't know."

How could he not know?

Do cultivators not eat?

Yise had countless questions.

Still, he limited himself to the most important one.

"Will there be enough food for healthy growth?"

"...Does this sect look so poor that we'd ration meals?"

"Next."

Once Yise broke the silence, other applicants also began asking whatever questions had been on their minds.

After answering several of them, Kang I-tae heard the bell announcing dinner.

He raised his hand, bringing the questions to an end.

"That's enough for today."

"Since it seems someone's extremely serious about eating..."

"...Go have your meal first."

"Afterward, wait in the reception hall."

"You'll be assigned temporary accommodations."

***

After dinner, they returned to the waiting hall.

Yise quickly skimmed through the handbook before turning to Hae Unchan, who had been sticking to him like a leech.

"Hae Unchan."

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me more about the cultivation sects on the continent?"

"Sure. That's easy."

"What do you want to know?"

"Just... in general."

"You mentioned there were two other cultivation sects in the Zheng Empire."

"Are there any others within the Three Peninsula Kingdoms?"

Hae Unchan looked momentarily puzzled.

To anyone dreaming of Immortal Cultivation, that was unbelievably basic knowledge.

But then he remembered hearing that some applicants spent years secluded in the mountains before coming to take the examination.

Satisfied with that explanation, he answered.

"There are."

"But most are either affiliated branches of the Great Martial Path..."

"...Or so tiny they're barely worthy of being called cultivation sects."

"There are three kingdoms on the peninsula."

"Why is that?"

"Because the Three Peninsula Kingdoms are the territory of the Great Martial Path."

"Think about it."

"Cultivators value their own lives more than anyone else."

"The greatest goal of their lives is to live longer and remain young, no matter the means."

"Most cultivators obsess over medicinal pills and fortunate opportunities."

"So why would they want to challenge a place crawling with Demon butchers who fearlessly throw away their lives?"

"..."

"Well, a few still come."

"Only two kinds."

"The idiots who die young..."

"...And the ones who are confident enough in their own strength."