The Day of the Trial — When Stone Bowed
The morning of the trial was unlike any ordinary day within the sect.
In the central plaza of the Demonic Academy, black stone spread like a frozen sea, wide enough to hold over two thousand candidates. They stood in disciplined chaos—ragged breaths, faces caught between ambition and dread.
Ancient demonic pillars throbbed with faint pulses, as if awakening in anticipation of blood.
On the elevated platform sat the Elders of the Council. Their mere presence was enough to silence every whisper.
At the edges of the plaza stood the Right Guardian and the Left Guardian—not as instructors, but as overseers and enforcers of the academy, direct servants of the Sect Leader, their authority standing outside academic law.
Among the ranks, two academy officials rushed back and forth:
Lao Chi, a gruff man in his fifties, barking orders while forcefully arranging the lines.
Ming Xin, a thin young man clutching a registration tablet, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
The Heavenly Demon's Sons
At the very front stood six figures.
Only six.
Jung Han-Dae — Han
Jung Shin-Baek — Shin
Jung Bae-Ryeon — Bae
Jung Xue-Hyeok — Xue
Jung Yan-Mu — Yan
Jung Yi-Su — Yi
Behind them stretched the rest of the applicants from various branches of the sect.
And in one of the rear lines…
Stood Jin.
No name.
No clan.
No visible presence.
First Trial: The Scale of Will
Elder Mo Kang-Lian raised his hand.
A formation activated.
It was not pressure of energy—
but the crushing weight of pure intent.
His voice ground through the air:
"Those who cannot stand before themselves
will never stand within Jianghu."
Breaths quickened.
"My head—!"
"I can't stay upright!"
"This isn't a trial!"
Dozens collapsed to their knees.
Others lost consciousness entirely.
Elder Lin Fu-Shin observed calmly.
"Notice this… those who fall first are not the physically weakest,
but the ones burdened by hesitation."
Elder Zhao Tian-Hu nodded.
"The front row hasn't moved. As expected."
Elder Shin Han-Dra smiled unsettlingly.
"But there is one… with no name—
and he hasn't wavered."
The numbers dropped steadily.
1,300 remained.
Second Trial: The Burdened Ascent
No rest was given.
Black stone steps rose from the ground, each step doubling the weight placed upon the body.
"My legs won't move!"
"Keep going—don't stop!"
One elder frowned.
"The number is still too high."
Jin stood out.
Not through speed—
but through an irrational, unnatural steadiness.
Elder Mo narrowed his eyes.
"His body endures without visible circulation of energy."
Elder Lin replied softly.
"That is more dangerous than talent."
Above the Academy
On a distant rooftop stood the Supreme Guardian.
He wore an entirely black robe, devoid of ornament. His face was concealed behind a smooth obsidian mask, only two narrow slits revealing his eyes.
No aura radiated from him—yet the space around him felt unnaturally still.
Beside him stood the man who had brought Jin into the sect.
"What do you think?" the man asked.
After a brief silence, the Guardian replied:
"Is this the boy you personally brought?"
"Yes."
"His potential is sealed.
Force it open too early, and he will either shatter—
or shatter everything around him."
The second trial ended with 1,000 candidates.
Third Trial: Absolute Pressure
The Guardians stepped forward.
The Elders joined them.
The pressure descended—
like a sky crushing the earth.
Candidates fell one by one.
The sons of Cheon endured… sweat finally appearing.
An elder shouted:
"Not enough!"
"Push them to their limits!"
The Right Guardian approached Jin and released his aura in full.
The stone beneath Jin's feet cracked.
Everyone collapsed—
except Jin.
He stood.
Blood streamed from his face.
The pressure intensified.
And then—
Jin's will erupted.
Behind him, the Guardian saw it—
a dragon of dark energy, its eyes tearing through terror itself.
The Guardian stiffened.
He looked up.
On the rooftop, the Supreme Guardian raised a hand—
a silent command.
The pressure withdrew.
400 remained.
Fourth Trial: Forced Combat
The contingency trial was announced.
"Fight—until fewer than two hundred remain."
Blood.
Screams.
Crippled bodies.
Jin leaned against a wall, silently insolent.
Anyone who approached him… retreated.
Two candidates cooperated.
The first was slammed into the ground.
The second had his sword shattered—
then his arm torn away.
A terrifying silence followed.
The trial ended with exactly 200 survivors.
The plaza trembled.
The man who brought Jin smiled in exhilaration.
And the gaze of the Supreme Guardian fixed on Jin alone.
End of Chapter.