Kerus felt a completely different pressure.
That was the first sensation he noticed.
His consciousness surfaced slowly, as if rising from deep water. Sounds reached his ears before his eyes opened. Soft murmurs, uneasy breathing, and the rustle of cloth.
Kerus frowned, "Am I alive?"
The last thing he remembered was darkness swallowing the forest, his consciousness tearing apart, and the mask shattering.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
What greeted him was not the rain-soaked Ancient Myriad Forest.
Instead, he saw a wide stone courtyard under a clear sky. Neatly dressed youths stood around him in rows. Their clothes were simple training robes, mostly gray and blue, marked with the emblem of a sect.
Kerus stiffened.
This place…
He sat up instinctively.
The first thing he noticed was the pressure, or rather, the lack of it.
His cultivation.
Gone.
His internal condition was weak, extremely weak.
Kerus's pupils shrank as he realized, "This is not my body."
His heart pounded once, then steadied.
He looked around again.
No Elder Gucheon.
No Cheon Ilseong.
No murderous auras pressing down on him.
Relief spread through him, slow but undeniable.
They are not here…
Only then did he realize something.
The body he occupied felt light. Too light. His limbs were thin, his hands pale and unfamiliar. When he clenched his fist, there was no overwhelming strength behind it but only weakness.
Kerus inhaled deeply.
Calm down.
If panic had ever existed in his life, it had long been burned away through countless battles. Even now, in an unfamiliar body, he forced his mind to steady.
That was when a voice rang out.
"Silence."
The courtyard fell quiet instantly.
Kerus raised his head and looked ahead.
At the front stood a tall man in his forties. He wore dark robes trimmed with silver. His posture was straight, his presence firm but restrained. His black hair was tied neatly behind his head, and his sharp eyes swept across the disciples.
A teacher.
A strong one, judging from the stable qi faintly radiating from him.
The man clasped his hands behind his back.
"Today, the Seven Petal Sword Academy's field test will start."
A ripple of excitement passed through the disciples.
Kerus remained silent. Seven Petal Sword Academy… another name that felt somewhat familiar to him.
The teacher continued, his voice steady.
"What test?" someone whispered.
The teacher's gaze sharpened, "In the Black Fog Forest."
Silence again covered the whole courtyard.
Then whispers exploded across.
"The Black Fog Forest?"
"Isn't that insane?"
"That place is huge!"
Kerus frowned slightly, "Black Fog Forest…"
Before he could think further, the teacher spoke again, "The test will be taken in the outer layer of the forest."
"The Black Fog Forest is divided into three areas," he said. "The outer area. The middle area. And the core area."
His voice carried clearly.
"The outer area contains low-level beasts. Beasts that can be handled easily by martial artists who have created stars," the teacher said, a faint, unreadable smile on his face.
A wave of panic spread.
Many faces turned pale.
Kerus noticed clenched fists, trembling shoulders, and shallow breaths.
"Star formation?" he thought.
He quickly examined his body internally.
Nothing.
Not a single star was there.
His gaze darkened slightly, "So this body hasn't even stepped onto the martial path. Still, at least I have got another chance to rise."
The whispers grew louder.
"Are we supposed to die?"
"I haven't even sensed qi yet!"
"This is madness!"
Kerus stood still, his expression blank, his mind racing.
That was when whispers reached his ears from nearby.
"Is the master trying to kill us or what?"
"I think this is all because of him."
Kerus's brow twitched.
"Are you talking about Rick?"
"If not him, then who? Just look at him. Pale skin like a walking skeleton. Dark circles under his eyes. Sometimes I get scared just looking at him."
Another voice lowered.
"Come on… You know what happened to him. I think he's still mentally broken after what happened a few days ago."
Kerus's breath slowed.
They're talking about this body.
About him.
Fragments stirred in his mind.
Pain.
Fear.
A woman's pale face.
Shouting. Blood. Night.
Memories flooded in, but not his own, yet now undeniably part of him.
Kerus closed his eyes briefly, and little by little, every memory settled.
The body's name was Rick.
Rick was the younger son of Han Yeong, a Martial Warrior.
A talented child once.
But everything collapsed a month ago.
His father had tried to kill his own wife but failed, and she fell into a coma.
His father was imprisoned, and his only elder brother was missing from then on.
And Rick...
Rick was left behind.
A child burdened by shame, fear, and whispers.
An orphan in everything but name.
Kerus exhaled slowly and thought, "No wonder this body was so weak. I have to regain my strength very soon."
"Because of that mask, I lost my life… and my cultivation. But my techniques remain. That is enough."
Another whisper cut in.
"I heard the headmaster wants to get rid of that brat."
"Shut up! Watch your mouth. What if someone hears you?"
Kerus opened his eyes.
There was no anger.
Only understanding.
So that's how it is.
The teacher raised his hand, silencing the courtyard again.
"The rules are simple," he said. "You will enter only the outer area. You will hunt beasts and gather materials. To pass the test, you have to present at least two heads of any beast and 10 pill refinement materials. Survival is mandatory. Cowardice will not be tolerated."
His gaze swept over the disciples, lingering for a brief moment on Kerus.
"Those who refuse to enter will be expelled from the academy."
Gasps echoed.
Expulsion.
For them, that was a fate worse than injury.
"You will gather at the forest entrance," the teacher concluded. "Prepare yourselves."
He turned and left.
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
Some disciples argued. Some cursed. Others fell silent in despair. Not everyone had formed stars yet. And even those who had barely stepped into the Qi Gathering Realm and formed three stars knew, this test was far beyond their level.
Among them, Kerus remained still.
A weak body with no cultivation would be surrounded by beasts.
Yet his lips curved faintly.
How familiar.
He had walked through battlefields filled with corpses. He had faced Sovereigns and Emperors alike. Compared to that, this was merely a different starting line.
His cultivation was gone.
His body was weak.
But his soul…
His soul was still that of a Martial Sovereign with numerous techniques and skills.
Kerus clenched his thin fist, "Rick… your suffering ends here. From today onward, I will walk this path. And the Black Fog Forest… it would not be a grave, but a beginning."