Chapter 292: Do You Have a Master? (2)

It’s the third day since the entrance examination began.

Although the countless individuals who first came to take the exam were largely eliminated after two tests, hundreds of people still remained.

If you thought the exam’s difficulty was low. That’s not the case. It’s simply because the number of late-stage cultivators is overwhelmingly large in this era.

Even.

‘You can’t even take the exam at the Divine Dragon Hall without a recommendation letter.’

Prestigious families and renowned schools. Or unless you have the influence of an instructor or a high-ranking figure from an alliance, when you recall that even taking the entrance exam for the Divine Dragon Hall is impossible, you could say this era is teeming with late-stage cultivators.

Even if there are many, there should be a reasonable amount. How many are piling up like this?

‘Perhaps that’s why they start classifying people as shooting stars and whatnot.’

Since this is an era with an unprecedented number of late-stage cultivators, it naturally means more geniuses and ordinary talents are born proportionally. And because there are those who are called geniuses among them, having overcome such competition, they probably give them names like the ‘Generation of Shooting Stars’ and elevate them.

It’s truly a futile endeavor.

‘After all.’

Even if all those geniuses gather and pile up, they won’t be able to do anything about the Demon King.

‘My time at the Divine Dragon Hall will end within half a year, or a year at most.’

Considering the educational period is two to three years, that means cutting it down by more than half, but I’ve already figured out a way. Of course, that’s assuming I finish all the tasks planned by the Divine Dragon Hall within that time. At the very least. I shouldn’t exceed one year.

‘The Demon King’s appearance is still four to five years away, but’ given how many things have gone awry, the Demon King could suddenly appear. It was important to shorten the time.

‘The most comfortable and best method would be…’ If that being I encountered at the Black Night Palace is truly the future Demon King. ‘…I could just find and kill him, and it would be over.’ It would prevent the future bloodshed and solve the calamities that would occur because of it all at once, but

‘I can’t find him.’ Even though I’m consistently gathering information and searching, I couldn’t find any information about him anywhere. Frankly, if he’s truly hiding within the Demonic Mirror Realm, how could I possibly find him? Therefore, I can’t just spend my time searching for the Demon King of this current era. It’s a situation where I have to deal with both.

‘So, I need to quickly get what I need from the Divine Dragon Hall and bolt.’ As I rubbed my throbbing forehead, I heard voices from afar.

-We will now begin the examination, so please gather.

It was the start of the final test. For a moment, I wondered what the others were doing, but I figured they’d handle it themselves, and even if I didn’t look, I’d find out eventually, so I decided to ignore it for now. The third test was like that. If my prediction was correct.

As expected. While preparing to take the test, an instructor. Specifically the Sword Empress, approached and handed me a differently colored sash. I knew what it was the moment I saw it, so without asking why, I reached out to take the sash, but

“Thank you….”

Squeeze

It wouldn’t budge, as if it were fixed in place.

“Huh?”

Since the loose cloth sash couldn’t possibly have hardened, I naturally looked up at the Sword Empress.

“…Instructor?”

“What is it?”

“Shouldn’t you give it to me?”

The Sword Empress was holding onto it tightly, refusing to let go. Why is she doing this?

To my question, the Sword Empress replied with her characteristic fragrant smile.

“Oh dear, I apologize. I exerted myself too much the day before yesterday… my body just won’t seem to move properly…”

“…”

No way. Is this person deliberately messing with me?

‘Because of that thing I unleashed last time?’

Of course, my conscience, small as it was, pricked me. The surroundings were wrecked because of it, and furthermore, the exam currently being held was taking place a little distance from the original location. It was too chaotic there, so it was impossible to hold it there.

‘Who told her to provoke me like that?’ If the Sword Empress hadn’t unnecessarily provoked me by testing me, I would have let it slide. Actually, it was the Sword Empress who provoked my temper. I merely responded to it. And. Although it was excessive, I had anticipated that the Sword Empress would block it when I initiated it. Of course, I couldn’t fully trust her, so I had regulated it, even sustaining some internal injuries.

‘If I had known she’d block it so well, I should have just unleashed it all.’ If there was anything unexpected, the Sword Empress’s internal energy was much stronger than I anticipated, and although she claimed to be tired, it seemed she had only sustained a minuscule amount of internal injury. Even though I deliberately reduced the destructive power, controlled it, and then unleashed it, this feels quite unfair.

‘Because of that, the surrounding gazes became quite unpleasant too.’ From time to time, around me. the gazes that seemed to question if that person was truly the True Dragon (眞龍) now felt mixed with other emotions. Was it awe or admiration? Or perhaps fear? Or maybe all three, but regardless, it was equally bothersome.

I exerted force and pulled the sash held by the Sword Empress.

Tug

The Sword Empress soon released her grip, and only then could I take the sash.

“…Could you explain it?”

I asked the Sword Empress. I had an idea of what the test was, but it would be strange to admit I knew, so I had to ask.

“Hmm, you seem rather annoying, so I don’t feel like telling you.”

“Your honesty is admirable, but wouldn’t it be problematic if you don’t tell me?”

Her boldness was actually quite amusing. Though I couldn’t laugh right in the Sword Empress’s face, the Sword Empress let out a small sigh, and then proceeded to explain calmly. The sashes I received were two in total, divided into red and yellow colors. And. It wasn’t just those two colors, there was also a blue sash. Looking around, some had received blue and red, while others had yellow and blue. The test related to this is simple. Before sunset. you must obtain the other colors you don’t have and possess all three sashes. For reference, the sashes of other colors were tied to the bodies of monsters released into the forest. It means you just need to catch them and rip them off. Since the Divine Dragon Hall is nominally a sword training institution, the final test was to deal with monsters.

‘Then it’s not blue, but likely Green grade.’ Even if it were Kunlun or the Martial Arts Alliance, they wouldn’t have captured blue-grade monsters for an entrance exam. The probability is high that they would be at most Green grade monsters. Even if they had captured blue-grade monsters, releasing them among the late-stage cultivators wouldn’t make sense.

Ah, and of course.

‘It means it’s okay to steal them from other people too.’ There was no need to obtain the sashes only from monsters. You could also attack other examinees and snatch them away. That’s the purpose of the test from the start.

‘What about the others…’ The ones tied to Group 2, are only Gu Jeolyub and Gu Yeonseo, so that’s understandable. I was concerned about the ones who stayed in Group 1. I’m sure they’ll do fine, but still.

‘Is this why they divided the test location into two?’ No wonder they unnecessarily divided the mountain. Why would they use such a troublesome method?

‘Wait, did Peng Ah-hee cross the mountain just for this?’ To deliver the warning about the Jang family members to me. Thinking of Peng Ah-hee, who came from afar, touched me a little. Though I don’t know why she used such a troublesome method.

As I waited for things to settle down, fidgeting with my legs, I finally heard the instructor’s shout.

-This third test will conclude when the sun sets.

-It will begin half an hour later, upon the firing of an arrow.

As soon as the instructor finished speaking,

Whoosh-

the late-stage cultivators gathered around disappeared without a trace, concealing their presence. Starting in half an hour. And announcing the start with an arrow meant they were expected to hide and prepare within the allotted time. The ones remaining, perhaps because they made it to the third test, seemed to have understood the instructor’s words well on their own. The reason they hide is simple. Although this test is meant to assess situational response capabilities and how one hunts monsters, in the end, they all know that attacking others to snatch the sashes is faster than finding and catching monsters.

‘Everyone’s quick.’ It seems everyone realized the third test was the real deal. I quietly watched them, and then slowly started walking into the forest.

---

Whoosh-

My body, enveloped in heat, streaked past the trees at high speed. Channeling the power of my internal energy into my toes, I stomped on the ground,

Whoosh!

and my speed increased along with the heat in my body.

Click.

As the distance closed, I saw my target far ahead. The moment the target entered my sight, the young man gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist. The target, sensing my presence, tried to flee at an even faster speed, but the difference in skill was too extreme. It wasn’t a level where one could escape once noticed.

I saw his back. The young man’s eyes lit up. Seeing his back meant

‘I’ve reached him.’

He had entered my range.

Swish-

Upon reaching a certain distance, the young man immediately swung his sword, and sword energy imbued with internal energy sliced through the air, shooting towards the opponent. Perhaps sensing the energy flying from behind, the person ahead hastily turned around to defend, but

Pang-

“Kyak!”

With the sound of internal energy exploding, his body flew into the air and rolled on the ground.

“Kuhhh…!”

The martial artist rolled on the ground and groaned. He hadn’t sustained any particular injuries, but

“Hoo…”

the one who had been chasing him was now right before his eyes. That was the end of it. The man, seeing the wooden sword touching the tip of his nose, screamed as if in agony.

“…How can you be so persistent! Can’t you just catch monsters moderately! Why are you chasing me like this!”

“I apologize. I couldn’t help but get competitive.”

As the late-stage cultivator cried out resentfully, the one who had unleashed the sword energy, Yeolhyeopgeom Gu Jeolyub, chuckled sheepishly.

“Kkeu… Damn it all…!”

He spat out angry words continuously, but Gu Jeolyub paid it no mind. Having endured much greater hell all day for the past few years, this level of abuse was quite trivial.

Tuk-

Gu Jeolyub untied the blue sash from the late-stage cultivator’s arm and put it in his embrace. The martial artist, having his sash stolen, looked pitifully at Gu Jeolyub, but Gu Jeolyub could only force a smile.

“There’s still plenty of time, so you’ll be fine.”

“…That’s truly comforting.”

After the brief exchange, Gu Jeolyub left to find a hiding spot.

‘I got lucky.’ He thought as he walked. I was really lucky. To think that the martial artist I encountered right after the test began would have the blue sash.

‘The test seems easier than I thought.’ I feel my self-esteem rising a bit. In fact, throughout the test, I didn’t feel it was particularly difficult. Not just the first test, but the second test was the same. Only then did Gu Jeolyub realize that among these late-stage cultivators, who were abundant with prestigious families and renowned schools, he was at a level that could hold its own.

‘I… might be a little strong.’ He felt his shoulders shrug involuntarily. It was because he realized that all the rolling around he had done wasn’t in vain. The martial artists around Gu Jeolyub were people like Sword Dancer, Snow Phoenix, or Mu Yeon, so even though they were growing, I couldn’t properly gauge it.

‘The martial artist I just met… was definitely from the Seven Immortals Sect.’ He was a descendant of a sect Gu Jeolyub knew. Even if not on the level of the Nine Great Sects, it was a renowned or guardian-like famous place in that region,

‘He was ridiculously weak.’ He felt weak for someone from such a place. Honestly, every time I took the test, everyone around me felt the same way. Thinking about it now,

‘Am I strong?’ It must be because Gu Jeolyub’s level has become too high. Compared to the late-stage cultivators nearby, that is.

The corners of his mouth turned up. His self-esteem and pride, which had plummeted to the bottom after being constantly bullied and tossed around all day, felt like they were rising again.

‘If it’s like this, should I be grateful to First Young Master too?’ Gu Jeolyub knew that his growth was partly due to Gu Yangcheon’s help. Even though he was constantly pushed around and beaten under the guise of sparring, he knew that process had been helpful.

However.

‘No, that’s not right.’ No matter what, he couldn’t express gratitude to that devil-like human. It would be better to express gratitude to a stray dog in the neighborhood…

Crunch-

“…!”

The sound of footsteps crunching on fallen leaves came from behind. Sensing the presence, Gu Jeolyub immediately assumed a fighting stance, but

“…Huh?”

He turned his head in the direction of the presence, and there stood.

‘Bloody hell, speak of the devil….’

“You look happy?”

The devil… no, Gu Yangcheon was standing there. Hiding his flustered state, Gu Jeolyub asked,

“Why are you here, First Young Master…?”

“I’m taking the test too, so I can see you. What? You got a problem with that?”

“Ah, no…”

Shit. That thought immediately crossed Gu Jeolyub’s mind. To think I’d run into that guy in this situation.

‘No… Am I sure we met?’ While the possibility of it being a coincidence was higher, Gu Jeolyub somehow suspected it wasn’t a coincidence that he met Gu Yangcheon. As such a thought flashed through his mind and Gu Jeolyub wiped away cold sweat, Gu Yangcheon grinned and said,

“Hey, you got something nice earlier, didn’t you?”

‘…Damn it.’ At Gu Yangcheon’s beaming words, Gu Jeolyub had to curse inwardly.

“First Young Master… Please don’t do this.”

“That’s a strange way to put it? If I don’t do this, what will you do?”

“Aren’t we family?”

“Family my ass. Does having the same surname make everyone family? You only call us family when it suits you. You’re the one who always runs away whenever I suggest we train together.”

“…”

If I had to endure that kind of training every day, I’d probably die, so what could I do? As Gu Jeolyub harbored his resentment inwardly, Gu Yangcheon extended his hand with a light movement and said,

“Bring it here.”

In the hand Gu Yangcheon extended were the red and yellow sashes. Seeing that, Gu Jeolyub cursed inwardly with all sorts of profanities.

“…”

But there was no other way. He knew what kind of fate awaited him if he didn’t hand them over.

‘Strong, my ass…’ If I can’t even deal with that devil, what good is getting stronger? His gradually rising self-esteem was trampled once again. Gu Jeolyub handed the blue sash to Gu Yangcheon with trembling hands. It was an item he had held for less than half a quarter-hour.

“Kkeuup.”

He suppressed his cry of frustration, but there was no way Gu Yangcheon would listen. Gu Yangcheon, having received the blue sash, stared intently at Gu Jeolyub. As Gu Jeolyub wiped away cold sweat under that strange gaze,

“What are you doing?”

“Yes…?”

Gu Yangcheon said, looking incredulous.

“Why are you only giving me one?”

“…What do you mean?”

“If you’re going to give them, you should give all three.”

“Huh?”

Three sashes were needed, and Gu Yangcheon, having obtained all three colors just now, shouldn’t need any more? When Gu Jeolyub asked what he meant, Gu Yangcheon grinned and said,

“Hand over all three.”

“No…! You’ve collected them all, so why are you doing this?”

Gu Jeolyub expressed his utter indignation. Asking why he had to do this. It was a highly inefficient request, but Gu Yangcheon said calmly,

“You’ve come this far. You should suffer a bit, Jeolyub-ah. Such suffering builds character, you know? I’m definitely not saying this because watching you struggle is amusing.”

“…”

Seeing Gu Jeolyub’s disgusted expression, the smile faded from Gu Yangcheon’s face.

“If you don’t want to get beaten, hand them over quickly. Three… two…”

Terrified, Gu Jeolyub quickly handed over all the sashes he had, thinking, As expected. This guy really is a devil.

---

After snatching the sashes from Gu Jeolyub, who was on the verge of tears, I thought as I walked.

‘Honestly, that brat gets so arrogant when you give him a little leeway.’ Just because he beat one or two late-stage cultivators. I’m talking about Gu Jeolyub, who immediately became smug after doing well on the test.

‘He wasn’t even on guard. Just frolicking around.’ Since I happened to spot him, I decided to follow him for a bit. It was good that Gu Jeolyub snatched the sash, I originally didn’t intend to take them all, I only planned to take the blue sash, but

‘He wasn’t even on guard.’ Even though I deliberately revealed my presence and approached, Gu Jeolyub didn’t sense me until I was right behind him. What’s more,

‘That smug expression.’ Wondering if he wasn’t actually a great person? His grinning face was quite unpleasant to see. It’s obvious without even looking. Just because he got a nickname, and grew a bit among the brats, he immediately became arrogant.

‘Did I treat him that carelessly?’ Or perhaps he got used to being treated so roughly. Whatever the reason, I really didn’t like the sight.

‘He needs to suffer a bit at times like this to get his act together.’ I thought as I put the sashes in my embrace. He’ll probably have a hard time getting the three sashes again. Of course, I don’t think he’ll fail to get them eventually, but if he really struggles, I might return the sashes.

‘That might not be so bad either.’

“Speaking of which.”

Now that I had obtained the three sashes, it felt like I just needed to spend the remaining time quietly, but there was one bothersome thing left.

“Why are you following me…?”

I glanced sideways and asked. Right after the test began. There had been someone following me continuously. I had already figured out who it was. Among these brats called late-stage cultivators, there was only one person who could follow me like this, in my opinion. There was only one. Honestly, I wanted to run away, but in my current condition, escaping from that person was impossible.

“Do you need something….”

Thwack-

As I asked what was wrong, suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from beyond. It was the sound of internal energy being unleashed. Something flew towards me rapidly.

‘Fast.’ Much faster than I expected. A black object flew in, and in an instant, it snatched my neck and dragged me across the ground.

Kuuung-

“Ack!”

I had to groan as I was scraped across the floor. It was heavy. My body had already drawn out its internal energy in preparation to deal with something like this, but

‘This crazy bastard.’ The force was much stronger than anticipated. As I rolled my eyes, wondering what to do,

“I have something to ask you.”

The opponent, who had half-subdued me in an instant, asked me. Compared to the absurd strength, the voice that reached me was incredibly calm. I circulated my internal energy inwardly and met the opponent’s eyes. The distant blackness was unsettling. Those damned pupils were still abyssal.

“You.”

Paejon Bi Ju. Or perhaps Turong Bi Ui-jin. This was the identity of the person who ambushed me.

“What is your identity?”

“…What… what…”

I could understand the sudden attack, considering it was a test, but wasn’t the question too out of the blue?

“The power you displayed that day was certainly not something a martial artist merely at the peak level could unleash.”

He seemed to be referring to the time I unleashed the Blazing Hellfire.

‘Was that the problem?’ Although I did display excessive power, it shouldn’t have been such a significant issue.

“So I’m curious. Is it truly overwhelming talent? Or is there another reason?”

Grind.

The hand gripping my neck tightened. He was serious. This crazy bastard really seemed intent on breaking my neck.

‘Is he insane?’ Since killing is strictly forbidden in this test, was I being too complacent? Then again, someone like the Pae-jon wouldn’t care about that.

‘Ah, screw it.’

Thwack! I grabbed the Pae-jon’s wrist that was gripping my neck. And then,

Whoosh!

I raised the internal energy within my body.

Throb-

As I raised my energy beyond a certain point, my injured dantian cried out in pain, but if I hesitated any longer, I would truly be screwed.

‘After staying still for days, even though he seemed to have some objective regarding me, and had only been watching me since we met, was he perhaps waiting for this exact moment? It was possible.’ Gathering the heat in my body and circulating it,

Gguuuk-

I focused it into a single point.

“…!”

The Pae-jon seemed to have noticed what I was about to do, but I was faster.

Kwaaa!

I unleashed the energy outwards from my body. I felt my energy draining rapidly, but I couldn’t help it for now. As a recoil, the Pae-jon’s body, which was holding me, flew away.

Kung!

I heard the sound of something falling somewhere far off.

“Ack… ack.”

Only then could I quickly get up and regulate my breathing.

‘They said his body was ruined from the Reverse Aging technique.’ How much had he recovered in the meantime? The overwhelming pressure that surged was no joke, even if brief. Why is he acting like this all of a sudden? Is this perhaps punishment for messing with Gu Jeolyub? But I can’t just give up on messing with people.

Hudududuk.

Due to the wind pressure that swept through the surroundings, the air was filled with dust. Since I had only managed to blow him away briefly, I scanned my surroundings, looking for a place to escape. Having been caught once, I knew for sure now. In my current state with internal injuries, I couldn’t win against that person.

‘Let’s run.’ If it was going to be like this, I should have run the moment he started following me. I lingered foolishly and got thoroughly beaten. As I gathered my internal energy in my toes, trying to escape quickly,

“Not bad.”

“Oh, for crying out loud…”

The Pae-jon’s voice came not from the direction he flew, but from behind my back.

“I really can’t let this go.”

Before I knew it, the Pae-jon had appeared behind me.

‘Is this how Gu Jeolyub felt?’ This is quite terrifying. Just as I wondered if I needed to use all my remaining strength to escape the Pae-jon,

“You.”

the Pae-jon asked me.

“Do you happen to have a master?”

“…Yes?”

What? I felt like I heard something strange, so I instinctively looked at the Pae-jon, but what followed was even more absurd.

“If you don’t, how about my master? He’s currently recruiting disciples.”

“…”

Could it be? Due to the side effects of the Reverse Aging technique, had he also developed senility? I genuinely wondered if that wasn’t the case.