The Eul-rank training hall wasn’t significantly larger than the Byeong-rank hall, but it had several spacious pavilions, giving it a sense of refinement. The dormitories were more comfortable as well, with only five trainees sharing each room.
Meals were still taken at the kitchen hall, but the Eul-rank trainees dined at different times, allowing for quieter, more relaxed meals.
Training in the Eul rank was directly supervised by instructors rather than assistants, who now focused primarily on maintaining dormitory order and preventing absences. This shift meant far less interference.
More importantly, the instructors’ attitudes toward the trainees also changed.
Since those who passed the Eul rank qualified as Outer Sect disciples, the instructors became noticeably more cautious in how they treated them.
The first lesson for Eul-rank trainees was Danjeon Breathing Technique.
“Danjeon breathing is the method of nurturing True Origin Energy. True Origin Energy is the source of life, making Danjeon breathing the foundation of vitality cultivation. It also expands the vessel that will later hold internal energy, so practice it daily without neglect.”
Eul-rank trainees were required to practice Danjeon breathing for one hour each morning before dawn and another hour before bed.
Physical training also intensified dramatically compared to the Byeong rank.
While the Byeong rank focused on building basic strength and balance, the Eul rank emphasized agility, reaction speed, and endurance.
The trainees had to climb mountains daily, walk across ropes tied between trees, and carry water-filled jugs along rugged paths until their mouths tasted of blood.
They even had to dive into the Dragon Pool and hold their breath underwater for a set period. Anyone who surfaced early was struck without mercy.
The difficulty of training increased in cycles.
The slopes grew steeper, the ropes higher, the water jugs heavier, and the time underwater longer.
After enduring such grueling sessions, trainees still had to practice Danjeon breathing for an hour before their day ended.
Unlike Byeong rank, the Eul-rank hall had no formal promotion tests—every day felt like an evaluation.
If a trainee failed three consecutive days of training, they were expelled without hesitation.
“It’s easier to give up. Why suffer through this when you’re not going to make it anyway? The training will only get more dangerous. You might end up crippled. Joining the secular branch families in perfect health is a better path, isn’t it?”
The assistants constantly whispered such sweet temptations into the ears of struggling trainees.
These whispers were even harder to endure than the hellish training itself.
After all, wasn’t it human nature to want to escape immediate pain?
The instructors targeted Kwak Yeon relentlessly, as he had barely passed the Byeong rank test.
“Kwak Yeon, there’s no one behind you again today. Even if not today, you’ll definitely fail tomorrow. Why struggle so much? Take a break in the shade and head back down. Quit now, and I’ll personally recommend you as a disciple to one of the four major branch families.”
Kwak Yeon was nearing his breaking point.
The end of the training was nowhere in sight.
He couldn’t imagine how much harder it would get—or whether he could last until the end.
He finally understood what Instructor So Jin-sam had meant when he said the Eul rank was on another level.
Not only was the physical pain overwhelming, but the constant mental pressure made it even harder to endure.
Early on, Seok Jangsan’s encouragement had been a great help.
“Keep your breathing steady. Maintain your pace, and don’t slow down when it gets hard—that’ll only make it worse.”
Seok Jangsan had even discreetly supported Kwak Yeon when he was about to collapse.
But each time, their instructors shouted harshly.
“Get away from him! Helping only ruins him!”
As the training intensified, even Seok Jangsan spoke less, too busy trying to keep himself afloat.
By then, more than thirty trainees had either dropped out or been expelled.
Simply enduring that long was already a testament to Kwak Yeon’s determination and effort.
His feet were covered in blisters, and his entire body was bruised from tumbling along mountain paths.
‘Will I even wake up tomorrow morning?’
Every night, he fell asleep fearing he wouldn’t be able to rise again. Yet each morning, his body recovered enough to keep going.
It was this remarkable recovery that allowed him to survive so far.
“I thought you’d be a corpse by now, but you’re up again.”
Mae Jang-so’s voice was rough, but his eyes betrayed genuine concern.
“You were groaning all night. Your fever was awful. But…”
Mae Jang-so looked at him curiously.
“You wake up completely fine every morning. Are you sure you’re not taking some kind of secret medicine?”
“If I had medicine like that, I’d take it right now.”
“Of course not. I’m just exhausted. Let’s go before we’re late for morning practice.”
By the hundredth day, Kwak Yeon started to change.
No longer at the bottom, he had risen to the middle ranks of the group.
The training was still brutal, but at least he no longer heard the instructors’ temptations.
That alone made the hardship feel more bearable.
With fewer distractions, he could focus entirely on training, and accidents—like missteps that sent him rolling down the mountain—became rare.
During a short break at the summit, Seok Jangsan clapped Kwak Yeon’s shoulder.
“You’ll be keeping pace with me soon.”
Kwak Yeon forced a smile.
“I doubt that. I’ve barely made it this far by throwing everything I have into it.”
Seok Jangsan glanced at the stragglers struggling to reach the summit, shaking his head.
“Look at them. They’re giving it everything they have, too. Your growth is extraordinary.”
His words weren’t empty praise.
Kwak Yeon was the only trainee who had risen from the bottom ranks to the middle.
“Do you have some secret technique?”
“What secret technique? It’s just the Jianche Yangsheng Method and the Tendon and Bone Training Method you taught me.”
“But most of the trainees practice those, just like you.”
Kwak Yeon had shared the Jianche Yangsheng Method with anyone interested, and many had seen improvements. But none had advanced as much as he had.
“Honestly, even I’m surprised. Every day felt the same, but then one day, I was running right next to Mae Jang-so.”
Mae Jang-so, catching his breath nearby, nodded.
“I was even more shocked. Just a few days ago, you were gasping for air at the back, and suddenly, there you were beside me. I thought I’d seen a ghost.”
He paused and gave Kwak Yeon an inquisitive look.