Inside the vast, glowing Spiritual Mind World, the scenery was breathtaking.
A never-ending sky, jade-green plains, towering spirit trees glowing with ethereal light, and celestial mountains suspended upside down in the horizon.
The twelve figures landed gently in a circular training ground — no way to run, no escape.
Kang Woo clapped his hands once, his voice echoing like a god's proclamation.
> "Alright everyone, before we start the beating— I mean, training…"
> "Let me do introductions."
He placed his hands on Ji Hoon and Ara's shoulders.
> "These two brats are my kids."
> "So from now on, they are your younger brother and sister."
---
Mixed Reactions
The ten disciples looked at the twins — still in disbelief — but none dared question Kang Woo.
Baek Soojin scratched his head.
> "Wait, our younger siblings? Seriously?"
Nam Daeho leaned closer to Ara and whispered:
> "She looks like a beginner archer from a web novel."
Seo Rina gave Ji Hoon a fake warm smile.
> "You must be the 'pride of the family' huh?"
Ji Hoon backed up behind Kang Woo like a scared kitten.
> "Dad, I don't like them…"
Kang Woo grinned.
> "Get used to it. Now—"
He pointed at his old disciples one by one.
> "Line up, introduce yourselves, name, age, and maybe how many times you cried during Murim war."
---
Introductions Begin
Soojin stepped forward with a proud smile.
> "Baek Soojin, age 82."
> "Nickname: Stone Whisperer."
> "And yes, I cried 17 times."
Nam Daeho swaggered up.
> "Nam Daeho. 79."
> "Blade Drunkard."
> "Didn't cry. I sweated from my eyes."
Rina flipped her ponytail and winked at Ji Hoon.
> "Seo Rina, 76."
> "Shadowfoot."
> "Cried once. Then killed 43 enemies. Balance."
One by one, the rest followed:
Han Minki, 81 – "Silent Fist"
Cho Wook, 71 – "Poison Gale"
Kim Iseul, 89 – "Sky Needle"
Jang Hwan, 103 – "Spirit Walker"
Na Yuri, 95 – "Fox Mirage"
Kwon Taejin, 150 – "Oldest Bastard"
Im Sun, 61 – "Steel Rain"
Ji Hoon and Ara's jaws dropped after each introduction.
---
Twins Processing Error
Ji Hoon muttered under his breath:
> "Bro… one of them is older than grandpa."
Ara stared in horror:
> "And she just said she whispers to poison clouds."
Kang Woo laughed heartily.
> "Get used to it."
> "You've got 365 days with these monsters."
> "Now line up, all twelve of you."
He cracked his neck.
> "Day One starts with a little warm-up."
> "If you survive until tomorrow, I'll let you eat."
As the echoes of introductions faded into the dreamlike winds of the Spiritual Mind World, a heavy silence followed.
Kang Woo stood at the center of the twelve, his arms folded behind his back. His gaze — no longer warm, no longer fatherly — now carried the pressure of a millennia-old war god.
> "Well, now that you've all met…"
He stepped forward.
> "Let me be clear."
> "You have exactly 365 days in this realm."
> "And by the end of it — I expect all twelve of you…"
> "To reach Peak 7th Level Cultivation."
Gasps followed.
Even Ji Hoon, still clinging to the idea this was some long, weird lucid dream, finally understood he was in the deepest nightmare of his life.
> "W-Wait wait wait wait… Dad—"
> "Peak 7th!? In a year!?"
> "Even with a spirit time ratio, that's suicide!"
Nam Daeho whistled low.
> "Haven't touched 7th level in decades… thought I'd died before trying that again."
Seo Rina cracked her knuckles with a resigned sigh.
> "Oh joy. He's serious."
Kang Woo smirked, his killing intent flickering like the edge of a divine blade.
> "I've brought down sects with less training than what I'm about to give you."
> "You're my disciples."
> "You're my children."
> "And I'll be damned if you're going to walk around like glass-boned amateurs in a world full of monsters."
---
Resistance Is Futile
Ara tried, again, to protest.
> "B-But I can't even channel Qi properly yet!"
> "You'll learn."
Kang Woo said, raising an eyebrow.
> "Through repetition. And pain."
He turned to Ji Hoon.
> "Any other complaints?"
Ji Hoon opened his mouth—
> "Nope. Nope. I'm good."
---
The Mountain Cracks
Kang Woo raised his hand.
The sky trembled.
Twelve training fields rose around them — one for each student — customized for their weaknesses and personalized to torture them just right.
A mountain that collapses if you stop moving.
A lake of gravity water for endurance drills.
A maze of illusion beasts.
A pressure chamber with time acceleration.
A forest that constantly resets your location.
Screams began echoing before they even entered.
> "Training begins now."
> "No food until you puke blood."
> "No sleep until you see your cultivation core."