Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 4

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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Chapter 4.
“How delightful!”
Chuk Mu Gwang’s frenzied cry, echoing with raucous laughter, shook the Underground Training Ground.
Thousands of children were crushed beneath his overwhelming presence, unable to draw even a single breath.
Even the hundred-odd instructors could not move freely, waiting in tense anticipation for his next action.
Thump, thump—
Chuk Mu Gwang descended from the platform and approached Yun Cheon directly.
“Well spoken. Now then, let me examine the blade you claim to possess.”
A cruel smile played at Chuk Mu Gwang’s lips.
His gaze swept across Yun Cheon’s frail frame from head to toe.
From crown to sole, his scrutiny was relentless, as though counting the very bones beneath the skin.
It was the cold, clinical eye of a butcher assessing livestock.
“The trials of the Demonic Way Hall are not so lenient as to be passed by mere words. Yet I confess, I am curious about what you possess. Therefore….”
Just as Chuk Mu Gwang was about to render his judgment, a sharp voice tore through the silence.
“Instructor! We cannot let this pass.”
It was Yalü Hee, the girl in crimson silk robes.
“Hmm… the daughter of a sect member, are you? Speak freely then.”
He did not rebuke her for interjecting during his deliberation.
They were discussing matters of the sect’s doctrine, after all.
Anyone had the right to voice their opinion.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward and cried out in a voice brimming with fury and arrogance.
“That child has clearly deceived the instructor and disrupted the order of the Demonic Way Hall! Beneath the guise of strength, all he has shown is theft and honeyed words!”
Her bold outcry rippled through the crowd like waves, drawing nods of agreement and murmurs of assent.
“It is unacceptable that one should obtain the highest qualification through cunning in a place where martial prowess is being judged!”
The taut air of the Training Ground grew sharp once more.
Yet rather than silence Yalü Hee, Chuk Mu Gwang seemed to savor this intriguing turn of events, his smile taking on a bloodthirsty edge.
‘That attire… is she from the Yalü clan? The way she invokes the sect’s rules—truly, she bears the mark of the Twelve Orthodox Families.’
Like a judge laying down the rules of the game, Chuk Mu Gwang gestured toward Yun Cheon.
“She makes a fair point. Tell me, whelp—can you prove here and now that you possess a blade, not mere cunning or silver tongue? Should you fail, you will be discarded.”
All eyes converged upon Yun Cheon once more.
Contempt, curiosity, jealousy, and pure bewilderment.
The invisible pressure created by thousands of gazes bore down upon his entire being.
Yet even beneath this crushing weight, Yun Cheon’s gaze remained unshaken.
He did not spare Yalü Hee a single glance, fixing his eyes only upon Chuk Mu Gwang as he spoke quietly.
“Discerning true talent is not so simple a matter. Perhaps what appeared to be mere words and theft was simply the limit of one’s perception….”
His tone seemed to admit fault, and a faint smile of victory played at Yalü Hee’s lips.
But Yun Cheon had not finished speaking.
“If one’s own discernment is lacking….”
His next words were unmistakably mocking Yalü Hee.
“What?!”
Yalü Hee responded with sharp immediacy.
“If one cannot recognize what stands before their eyes, it is as though they are blind. To demand proof of what has already been proven is most troublesome.”
“What proof are you talking about!”
Yalü Hee pressed further.
“…Are you perhaps referring to withstanding my aura?”
At Chuk Mu Gwang’s words, the other children flinched visibly.
‘He withstood the aura of a master at the pinnacle?’
‘Could it be… the blood trickling from his lips….’
Even Yalü Hee was taken aback.
If this boy had truly endured Chuk Mu Gwang’s aura, then by that alone he could be said to possess the qualities of a warrior.
Yet Yun Cheon’s next answer defied everyone’s expectations.
“That is not it. I have already saved the instructor’s life once.”
“…Saved?”
“Had I aimed not merely at the recognition token, but at the vital point where Ma Chung’s token was positioned, would that too have been dismissed as cunning and theft?”
The Training Ground stirred with sudden tension.
A single possibility crystallized in the minds of all present.
‘An assassination attempt!’
Yalü Hee’s smile froze.
The man at the center of these unfolding events.
Ma Chung’s face, the Blood Wind Claw master, drained of all color until it turned ashen white.
‘This madman! If things had gone differently, my head would have been severed!’
The catastrophe born of his own carelessness.
And what hung in the balance was his own neck.
‘Damn… I cannot step in here. What am I to do….’
Yet Yun Cheon paid neither Ma Chung nor Yalü Hee any mind.
He fixed his gaze solely upon Chuk Mu Gwang, the master of the Training Ground.
After all, the one he needed to convince was not some powerless girl or an instructor, but the one who held true authority.
“I merely exploited carelessness and made all aware of it.”
A cold smile played at the corners of Yun Cheon’s mouth.
“So I ask: does our sect’s doctrine of ‘might makes right’ mean that those fortunate enough to be born with abundance may oppress those who lack it in this moment?”
The instant Yalü Hee heard Yun Cheon’s words, she sensed her defeat.
‘He was never trying to argue with me, was he? Could it be… from the very beginning?’
Yun Cheon’s words were masterfully crafted.
Strong and weak.
The most primitive relationship, decided by the superiority of force.
Yun Cheon had reframed it as the relationship between the fortunate and the not-yet-capable.
And thus the contradiction that had been subtly justified by the doctrine of ‘might makes right’ became starkly apparent.
‘Status.’
It was vividly contrasted in the tattered rags Yun Cheon wore and the crimson silk martial robes Yalü Hee had donned.
His words carved themselves deeply into the minds of all present.
Hereditary power passed down through bloodline from birth.
Yun Cheon’s words pierced straight through that truth.
‘…!’
In that instant, Yalü Hee’s face flushed crimson.
Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang’s eyes shifted, as did those of the senior disciples.
‘This has truly become dangerous!’
‘There are quite a few children of the sect’s established powers here!’
I was certain of it.
No Demonic Cult member could openly deny my words.
‘I’ll wield your own doctrine more zealously than anyone, and one day I’ll aim for the heart of your sect!’
Once one openly proclaimed the doctrine of the strong, there was no way to prevent challenges.
“…You know our sect’s doctrine quite well, don’t you, boy.”
The smile that had lingered at Chuk Mu Gwang’s lips vanished in an instant.
Instead, his eyes flashed with a chilling gaze that seemed to pierce through his opponent.
“Indeed, you speak truly. A weakling cornered by fate biting at the throat of the strong—that too is the doctrine of the strong.”
He quietly affirmed my logic.
But his words did not end there.
Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang turned toward the senior disciples and spoke.
“In other words, the doctrine of the strong means that not even a single moment of carelessness is permitted to the strong. But how did you all fare?”
My act had somehow transformed from mere theft into a demonstration of the very foundational ideology of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
“This boy has proven the doctrine of the strong with his very body! Therefore, I shall grant him an opportunity. Is there anyone here who still objects to my decision?”
Yalü Hee trembled with rage and humiliation.
‘I’ve been outmaneuvered…!’
Meanwhile, Yu Ha, who had been observing the situation, felt an involuntary chill run down his spine.
‘…This madman. He turned the doctrine of the strong against them and silenced everyone’s objections! That’s a checkmate. What in the world… is his true identity?’
Yu Ha’s eyes gleamed with admiration, as if he had discovered a precious gem for the first time.
“….”
A heavy silence descended upon the Training Ground.
Chuk Mu Gwang, unbothered, called upon Ma Chung.
“You who evaluated this one—Ma Chung of the Crimson Wind Kick—step forward.”
Ma Chung immediately dropped to his knees and struck his forehead against the ground three times.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
The Training Ground floor cracked, and bright red blood streamed from his forehead.
“Ma Chung. You, a senior disciple, grew careless and were toyed with by a mere boy. You are unworthy of your station as one of the strong.”
Ma Chung, as if to offer his arm as the price of his transgression, sealed his own pressure point and thrust his arm forward, crying out.
“The Heavenly Demon Reigns Supreme—Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission!”
As Chuk Mu Gwang’s hand moved toward the long blade at his waist, everyone in the Training Ground held their breath.
“Ma Chung, severing your neck would not be difficult. However….”
In a moment, the senior disciple’s arm could fly—or worse, his head.
Not only the students but even the senior disciples bore tension etched across their faces.
“What a waste of the sect’s efforts in raising you.”
Yet Chuk Mu Gwang did not draw his blade.
His hand slowly withdrew from the hilt.
“Listen well, all of you sect leaders. Your negligence dulls the sect’s blade. Should I witness such carelessness again, my steel will aim not at an arm, but at your neck!”
Chuk Mu Gwang scattered a chilling killing intent across all the sect leaders as he spoke.
“Understood!”
This time, Chuk Mu Gwang’s cold gaze turned toward Yalü Hee and the elite-ranked children.
“Hear me, daughter of the Yalü clan and those who secretly sympathized with her.”
Chuk Mu Gwang clicked his tongue as he continued.
“Looking at you, I see nothing but well-fed tiger cubs.”
“….”
“Have you forgotten how to hunt because you never thought to hunt for yourselves, content with the prey your mother brought you?”
At Chuk Mu Gwang’s rebuke, Yalü Hee blamed herself.
‘…That boy and the instructor are right.’
All this time, accustomed to the backing of the Twelve Orthodox Families and the sect’s hierarchy, I had forgotten the true essence of being a strong one.
“From now on, either sharpen your fangs and reclaim your place as a predator, or prepare yourself to become prey. The choice is yours.”
He nodded and continued speaking.
“This is the true meaning of the strong one’s way that you must carve into your very bones!”
“The strong are supreme, the Demonic Way flourishes!”
The sect leaders answered in unison.
Chuk Mu Gwang smiled inwardly.
‘Thanks to that brat stepping forward, I’ve easily dispelled the sect leaders’ complacency and tightened the disciples’ discipline. Not a bad harvest at all….’
The voices of the sect leaders no longer carried carelessness, but a sharper vigilance.
Yet watching this unfold, Yun Cheon felt even greater alarm.
‘The Demonic Cult… more systematic than I thought. They used the unexpected situation to actually strengthen the sect leaders’ discipline. A formidable opponent.’
The instructor knew how to accept small losses in exchange for greater gains.
‘Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang… he is no ordinary man.’
Not mere fanatics relying solely on strength, but an organization moving with cold calculation and efficiency.
‘Perhaps Kunlun fell because the Demonic Cult was this thorough.’
All the more a terrifying enemy.
“Good. Let us continue with the evaluation.”
Chuk Mu Gwang called forward the upper-ranked children who had proven themselves separately.
Thirty in total, including Yun Cheon.
“The ten of you who survive to the end will be granted the highest qualifications!”
Color rose to the faces of the upper-ranked children at this unexpected opportunity.
Meanwhile, the existing elite-ranked children still showed their displeasure.
I felt dozens, hundreds of eyes following my back as I joined the ranks.
I met the contemptuous gazes directed at me with indifference.
Expensive silk martial robes, an intricate jade pendant at the waist, and above all, that expression of arrogance soaked to the bone.
‘So the Demonic Cult also has privileged disciples from its internal establishment.’
Those raised from birth on every elixir and teaching, viewing themselves as the center of the world.
The very image I had grown sick of witnessing among the hypocritical disciples of the Orthodox sects in the past.
‘In the end, the righteous and the Demonic Cult are no different.’
A nauseating experience from my days as a rising talent of the remote Kunlun Sect.
As I joined the rear of the formation, I heard blatant whispers.
“Look at that appearance. A filthy wretch like that actually got a chance through sheer luck….”
“Hmph, scheming a little and suddenly he’s elite? The instructor’s judgment must have clouded for a moment. What could possibly be done with such inferior bone structure?”
“Surely that fool isn’t aiming for the Shedding Demon Bone Art? It’s laughable.”
Then a boy laughed wickedly and made a slashing motion across his own throat with his hand.
It was Muk Ha Jin of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family, famous for employing sinister and lethal martial arts as treacherous as snakes and scorpions.
“What use is an opportunity from the instructor? Those of us unfit for elite status can simply eliminate them ourselves. Kekeke.”
At the small whispers among the children, Chuk Mu Gwang turned and issued a warning.
“Is there anyone else who refuses to accept the judgment? I shall personally re-evaluate them. However… those who continue to delay the evaluation schedule will pay the price.”
At Chuk Mu Gwang’s menacing warning, even the rowdy elite-tier children finally fell silent.
“Good.”
Chuk Mu Gwang nodded and personally led all thirty children toward a corner of the Demonic Way Hall.
In the corner of the Demonic Way Hall, precariously built on the mountainside, lay a dizzying cliff.
Below the bottomless abyss, bizarrely shaped rocks jutted out like the teeth of some colossal beast.
“Here, I shall test your mettle and resolve!”
Whoooosh—
Before Chuk Mu Gwang’s words had even finished, a fierce mountain wind lashed mercilessly at the children’s tattered garments.
The height was such that not even a corpse would remain intact after falling.
“Only ten of you will ascend to elite status. Cling to the cliff and outlast the others to survive.”
The faces of the children who had to participate in the test turned ashen.
Then, from the group of elite-tier children watching from behind without participating, someone suddenly raised their hand.
It was that boy with the mischievous expression who had been observing Yun Cheon with interest throughout the debate.
“Instructor, I have a question.”
Chuk Mu Gwang’s brow furrowed.
“Speak.”
“Is this test simply about enduring quietly for as long as possible? Or… is it about eliminating others and surviving?”
At Yu Ha’s chilling question, tension rippled through the children.
‘Depending on the answer, the nature of the test changes completely!’
Fear appeared in some children’s eyes, while anticipation gleamed in others’.
The boy’s question was the most fundamental doubt everyone harbored in their hearts.
A cruel smile played at the corners of Chuk Mu Gwang’s mouth.
He looked down at the thirty children and declared in a low but resolute voice.
“…Of course not? To survive, any means are acceptable. Is that not what makes one strong?”

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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