The Trials Were Over…
But the Courtyard Was Not Silent
The trials had ended—
yet the courtyard refused to calm.
Dust still hung heavy in the air, and the stench of blood, sweat, and fear clung to the demonic academy grounds. Only two hundred students remained standing where more than two thousand bodies had stood just hours ago.
On an elevated platform at the edge of the courtyard, the elders of the great families stood apart from one another, united by nothing but tension.
Elders' Dialogue — After the Trials
Mo Kang-Lian clasped his hands behind his back, his jaw tight.
"Two hundred," he said coldly.
"This number does not satisfy me."
Zhao Tian-Hu let out a short, rough laugh.
"On the contrary. It's perfect. Those who remain… are worth observing."
Lin Fu-Shen tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
"The problem isn't the number," he said calmly.
"It's who is among them."
All eyes turned to him.
He continued, his voice steady:
"Especially that boy."
No one needed to ask whom he meant.
Shin Han-Dra spoke next, his voice low and serpentine:
"What we witnessed today was not the endurance of a student…
but the restraint of a beast."
A heavy silence fell.
A Silent Answer
From afar, atop one of the academy buildings, the Grand Guardian stood motionless.
A dark mask concealed all expression, and his black cloak fluttered slowly in the evening breeze.
Beside him stood the man who had brought Jin into the sect, his eyes shining as he watched the courtyard below.
He whispered,
"What do you think, Grand Guardian?"
The Grand Guardian did not answer.
His presence alone was response enough.
One Glance… Complete Understanding
As the students began to disperse, Jin's eyes swept over the faces without interest—
until they stopped.
At the far end of the courtyard sat a boy on the ground. Long black hair draped over his shoulders, and his eyes—unnaturally cold, unnaturally dark—stared forward without focus. His clothes were torn, his body covered in dirt… yet his breathing was far too calm.
Jin noticed the details instantly.
No trembling.
No spasms.
No disturbance in his aura.
He's faking it.
The boy suddenly raised his head.
Their eyes met.
Jin curved his lips into a faint sideways smile and gave a slight nod—
I know.
The boy did not smile back.
His expression remained flat… cold… like stagnant water.
Evening — The Shared Dormitory
The students were assigned to communal rooms, twelve per room.
Jin's room was unexpectedly quiet.
He sat in a distant corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, observing the others without interest. Before any supervisor entered, his fingers moved subtly—
—and the weapons vanished into his storage ring.
A faint, mocking smile crossed his lips.
Predictable.
Minutes later, a dormitory supervisor entered, his voice sharp.
"Inspection. Weapons are forbidden in the dorms."
He checked each student one by one. When he reached Jin, he paused briefly, studying him with suspicion—then moved on, finding nothing.
The atmosphere shifted.
No one spoke loudly anymore.
Across the room, the black-haired boy sat alone as well, back straight, expression rigid.
After a short silence, Jin was the one who spoke.
"Your acting was good," he said calmly.
"But you overdid the stillness."
Those black eyes lifted toward him slowly.
The boy replied in a flat, emotionless voice:
"And you overdid your presence."
Jin smiled.
"My name is Jin. And you?"
A brief pause.
"Xing Yuan," the boy said.
"Formerly of a righteous sect."
Jin chuckled softly.
"A righteous sect? Interesting choice."
Xing Yuan's expression didn't change.
"The righteous path didn't stop my family from being slaughtered."
Silence fell.
Jin spoke without false sympathy.
"So you're here for revenge."
Xing Yuan answered with absolute coldness:
"For power. Revenge comes later."
Jin looked at him with genuine appraisal.
"Good. Blind hatred only kills its owner."
A Scuffle… Black Comedy
Suddenly, the dormitory door slammed open.
Jung Shin-Baek, one of the Heavenly Demon Lord's sons, entered, followed by two attendants.
Greetings rang out:
"Welcome, Young Master!"
"We salute you, Young Master!"
Jin didn't react at all.
Shin-Baek's gaze stopped on him.
Irritation flashed across his face.
"You," Shin-Baek snapped.
"What are you doing? Do you know who I am?"
Jin slowly raised his head and looked him up and down.
Then he replied flatly:
"Are you finished?"
Shin-Baek laughed mockingly.
"You forget yourself quickly. Remember that I—"
Jin cut him off.
"—the sect leader's son. I know.
Your voice sounds like someone who relies too much on his father's name."
Suppressed laughter spread through the room.
Shin-Baek's face reddened.
"Watch your—"
Jin said lazily, deliberately provoking him:
"Watch what? Will you tell your father?
Or will you collapse under pressure again?"
Several students burst out laughing.
Shin-Baek shouted, furious:
"Do you realize what you're saying?! Do you know who you're talking to?!"
"I'll make you regret—"
Jin took a single step forward.
All sound vanished.
In a low, terrifying voice, he said:
"Sit down…
or you'll learn why no one approached me today."
Shin-Baek unconsciously stepped back.
Then he turned, furious, and stormed out.
It was the first time he had ever been treated this way.
The idea that someone could truly not care about his family or his father was unthinkable.
Jin smiled—this time, widely.
The Next Day — Declaration of the Path
The students gathered in the main courtyard.
The instructors stood in formation.
Then the Right Guardian — Mo Cheng-Yi appeared.
The courtyard fell instantly silent.
He spoke in a calm yet penetrating voice:
"From today onward…
you are students of the Demonic Academy."
He paused.
"And those who do not understand what that means… will die."
No one laughed.
He continued:
"The training system consists of five stages."
He raised one finger.
"First stage: Foundation Reforging.
Three months of breaking basics—
control of internal energy, restructuring the body, and rebuilding combat principles."
Second finger.
"Second stage: Tempering.
Seven months of real combat, missions, and confrontations between students."
Third.
"Third stage: Selection.
Another three months… where killing is permitted.
Those unfit… are eliminated."
Fourth.
"Fourth stage: Isolated Training.
No fixed duration.
You either emerge… or you don't."
Fifth.
"Fifth stage: The Trial Cavern.
No time limit. No guarantees.
Only those who survive… deserve to remain."
He finished with a cold gaze.
"Those who wish to live…
become stronger."
Silence followed.
As for Jin—
He smiled.