“Uhh, uhhh…”
“What is this? What happened?”
This ominous atmosphere hung over the members who came out. It was not just the blood. Those present there were those who had witnessed countless deaths before.
However, the person who killed the member was not of their troops, but someone else’s trainee.
In addition, it was not a proper fight but a surprise attack. Above all, it was in a place where they were being trained.
“This dog…”
“I will take care of that bitch.”
Step
Several members of the Blood Strong Troops were ready to get their revenge.
There was some discomfort about the fact that the trainees not of their pavilion were coming in and getting trained.
However, as soon as they came there, they killed the people who were hosting them right then and there. And it was a woman who was an assassin.
Even if they did not have a relationship with the former member, it felt like the name of their pavilion and warlord had been tarnished.
Three to four of them were approaching with their swords out and did not seem to have any intention of letting this go.
“Come on. Let us handle this personally.”
The woman called Ju Seorin did not back down even in such a place. Rather she provoked the group by pointing her finger at the men who approached her.
Shhhh
Black energy could be seen rising from the tip of her blade. After seeing the skills she held, several of the people were on guard.
“Th-that…!”
“Black Demon Arts. Damn it…”
Black Demon Arts—
The highest skill of martial arts which were representing the Demonic Sect, and as it said, it displayed a dark black energy. It was said that its destructive power was incomparable to any other martial arts and was difficult to learn.
A special kind of medicine and poison had to be fed to the trainees from a young age in addition to specific training.
However, it was a skill which only reaches the peak when one has the stubbornness to reach for greatness.
“Uh. What now?”
“Well…”
Naturally, the men began to slow down. They were not stupid. Showing this black energy and not some martial arts gave them proof that she was above their power level.
“Do not be afraid. If the three of us work together, we can take her down.”
However, Jeok Heol-myung, who stood at the forefront, did not back down. The ones Ju Seorin killed were under him. And before the training session began, he was ranked ninth in the troops.
On the other hand, the opponent was a woman and young on top of that.
No matter how skilled she was, there was no one she would be ranked in the top ten. In addition, those by his side were also in the top 20.
If they ran with their tails between their legs, they would not be able to hold their heads high before the others.
“At the same time! Be prepared…!”
Clap! Clap!
“These people, they have so much free time.”
However, just before they rushed in, loud clapping broke out and delayed their fight.
“Huh.”
“Hmm…”
At that, the movement of the Blood Strong Troops stopped. Without a sound or sign, a person in an instructor uniform appeared.
Clap clap clap clap
It was the sound of clapping with internal energy being used. The instructor who drew their attention pointed a finger at himself.
“Bloody Killing Secret, Heol Bi. In this group, I will be the one incharge of the complex training.”
“A-A Bloody Killing Unit…”
“Uh…”
The faces of the members all went stiff, and Seol-Hwi looked there
Bloody Killing Secret, one elite unit within the Blood Strong Troops.
They were the warriors exclusive to the Warlord and were known to take their own lives if the Warlord dies.
“No. Why is that elder…”
“This… What kind of training is this?”
“…”
Seol-Hwi listened to the whispers around, and he could feel their fear and confusion.
Apparently, the instructor named Heol Bi did not always come here.
“I will inform you before the class. A little while back, two members of our side died. However, the academy will not investigate this matter. They will not find out why and who did it. After all, there is no rule against killing one another.”
“…!”
“…”
Swish
Wind flew around.
And the eyes of the members all changed.
“If you feel that it is unfair, then prove it with strength, with pride. Shouldn’t that be how we work?”
Gulp…
All the Blood Strong Troops gulped.
Pride—
The unwritten rule of the Demonic Sect, the strong get to do anything they want.
And there was not a single member who did not know that. But to say that now…
Whether killing or something else, regardless of any means, one can do whatever they want. No, this man was pushing for that to happen.
Whether the opponent was Ju Seorin or those who tried to attack her, it was a competition where anyone could be the enemy.
Shhh
Thanks to that, the killing intent directed to Ju Seorin was disrupted and everyone was now wary of each other.
“Good. Fine. I am getting a little more sane now.”
Kekeke.
The instructor laughed in the hall.
“In the future, do not waste energy. Take it out on someone. Like anger. I will make a new rule for you people. From now on, there will be no such feelings during the class.”
“…”
“…?”
The members all frowned as they could not figure out the reason for what the instructor said.
“Bloody Death Secret. Get ready.”
But the instructor took a quick look whether or not his people were fine with this.
Shshshs
“Huk!”
“This…”
Dozens of Bloody Death Secret Troops appeared behind, and they already held out the masks prepared beforehand.
“Ah!”
“What is this!”
The masks began to be distributed to the troops, and no one seemed to be an exception.
Double Force Divine Step.
Seol-Hwi suddenly felt a presence appear behind him.
He could move with internal energy, but if he did that, then his skills would be exposed. So instead of moving, he just pretended like he could not cope with that.
Well, I guess this works as…
Shhh
As expected, once everyone put on their masks, no one fought with each other anymore.
Jrt
But at that moment—
Suddenly the nape of his neck felt numb with a feeling of anticipation riding down it.
This! Scattering Energy Poison!
He realized it right then. The Scattering Energy Poison, it was a term for the skill where the internal organs were disrupted where one was very exposed and vulnerable for a certain period of time. The effect could be as short as a second all the way up to a day.
Are they trying to get the right conditions?
Looking at it now, everyone around seemed affected by this poison, and Seol-Hwi who thought about it, came up with something.
It makes us unable to use internal energy… the same condition?
He did not know what the conditions they wanted were, but that was what went through his mind right then.
In this collective training, the captain of their troops was here. And they tried for second place. Normally one would aim for first.
But this time he heard the same thing several times when he came here: No matter what your position was before, once you participated in the training session, you were of the same status as everyone else.
Then—
Then whoever has more internal energy has the advantage.
The course was tough to get through, and that was why they were forcing this poison on everyone to stop them from using their internal energy. This was to allow others the chance to rise up high.
Then I need to conserve my internal energy.
Seol-Hwi held his breath, and he consciously imagined the dantian and opened the upper dantian.
The minimal internal energy—
Even if the poison was used to release the effect he should hold some internal energy so he can still have some when it wears off.
‘Hmm.’
Seol-Hwi caught the poison which spread in the body and maintained a very thin position for it as it moved through the veins and left the poison to flow along the blood meridians.
“Euk.”
“Eup.”
When the mask was taken off, he saw that most of them were staggering like they had lost their balance.
“The most basic training is this.”
Seeing them, Heol Bi spoke,
“This is not the kind of training to be completed with the help of internal energy. When the body is strong, so is the mind, and one can have the will to not give up even in the worst of the situations.”
Flutter
He opened up a scroll to the side as he continued.
“So from now, this is where you will head to. Climb the outer wall of the sect and head south, there you will be moving through a single road, and the distance is around 300 li. The scoring method would be first come first serve. Whoever gets there first will get the highest score.”
“Ahh…”
“Huh…”
Even in the midst of the poison distracting them, most focused on Heol Bi’s words.
“Even if it is a competition, I can understand getting in the way of a colleague next to you or interfering, but if you kill them, then your score will be deducted, and if you do that a lot, you get eliminated.”
The information was clear.
Run a distance of 300 li without using internal energy. Physical strength and the mental fortitude to get the task done were important, and first come first serve would be how they were scored. Everyone would be running in the same manner.
This is bad.
It was said that dealing with competitors was fine when needed, but if you did that, then you’d still be close to failing, because it was a situation where everyone was wary of the other because their internal energy was not usable.
If there was a fight, even if one won, it would consume a lot of stamina. At least it would be worth trying to stop someone at once by killing them, but doing that would reduce their score.
From the start until the end, the intentions of this test felt too calculated to pressure them into the physical side of the body.
“Now then, let us start.”
…Tak!
Tatat!
As soon as the instructor’s words came, the members who hesitated a little ran swiftly.
Huk. Huk.
Due to the effect of the poison, their movements were already looking sluggish, and their breathing was rough. In such a manner, everyone had to move to the set location.
Dududud
As the people disappeared, the atmosphere on the grounds calmed down, and before long, an old man appeared.
“You were watching?”
Nod
Heol Bi bowed his head at a person who had been watching all this unfold from a distance.
“I watched the previous class. There was no hesitation in spreading the technique and now the act will bring in a deduction of points. But indeed, the Third Disciple’s Ju Seorin is as expected.”
“They most likely knew before the first class that things could be exploited. So different from the others.”
“This is what we call a significant difference. Or we can consider it due to being an impure being. For those of us who walk the thin line between life and death, this is the most important thing to know.”
The old man looked at Heol Bi and continued,
“Right. How do you see it?”
“…Uh?”
“Running 300 li with all the internal energy removed? That isn’t such an important manner but didn’t you decide to go strong right from the start?”
“Huh, you noticed it right away.”
Heol Bi laughed, scratching his head. This was a class he planned.
The whole first come first serve and running 300 li without internal energy or any previous training, but this training had a small disadvantage.
That was the duration of the poison used.
“It takes at least one to two days. The guys who can think that would run to their deaths.”
There was the most famous poison which tampered with the internal energy, it was a martial arts poison which was difficult to detoxify.
However, the poison prepared by Heol Bi now was called the Hypocrisy Poison.
It had the same effect and felt similar to the other one, but its duration was short.
It was something to be careful about.
Let alone running 300 li, in just a little over half of that,they should feel their internal energy returning.
“It is quite simple. There will be people who run with all their might as they are in a hurry and there will be those who preserve their stamina. Then, when the internal energy comes…”
“Those who have the stamina will have the most advantage. You are looking for calmness.”
“Yes. Those who rush ahead will be the prey to those following behind. There will be a fight to the death too.”
“That is a lot of blood to spill for one run.”
“Which is why I made the rule. Kill and your score gets cut down, it is easy to kill but tougher to subdue.”
Heol Bi laughed.
“It seems like a fun workout. The members of my unit will help, but someone will surely die.”
“Did the Warlord agree to this?”
When asked by the old man, Heol Bi nodded.
“Yes. This has been discussed before and approved too.”
“…”
The eyes of the old man looked complicated. The members who participated now were precious people for their pavilion. And it bothered him that many would die.
“Those sent out by the disciples of the Heavenly Demon will stand out.”
“Not exactly.”
“…?”
He became curious.
Heol Bi continued,
“In this group training, they aren’t the only ones.”
“Then…?”
“My people are there too.”
Warriors of Peak Demon—
It was said that the Heol Bi who was the strongest besides the Bloody Death Warlord was observing the trainees and the test by keeping his men there.
“Well, the ones chosen by the disciples can be defeated,”
Heol Bi said with a smile.
This collective education session—
Even if all the members of their pavilion died, Heol Bi had no intention to hand the title of best to someone else. Which is why he put in an extensive number of men.
“But…”
The old man titled his head and asked,
“Yes. Go on.”
“Aren’t there supposed to be four people?”
“…What do you mean?”
“The chosen ones sent in by the disciples.”
“Right.”
“…Then why…”
The old man, who paused, said,
“Where is this other one?”
“…”
