" Uhmmm! Uhmm!" Adam nodded frantically.

"..." The man gazed at them silently.

" Every year, multiple people travel in hopes of joining the sect, yes?" He asked.

"...Someone told us that on the way." Levi said.

" Every year, that number increases." The man said.

" Since we can't accept them all, exams are held based on the partic.i.p.ants' chosen 'Paths'." He explained.

" Does that mean..." Levi paused.

" Hmm. The other partic.i.p.ants have already left for the exam. Unfortunately, two were too late." The man's gaze s.h.i.+fted between the two.

" But! But! Can't you take us?! I mean!" Adam pleaded.

" Huh? You were trying to join the sect too?" Levi asked.

" I told you already, didn't I?" Adam said in a questioning tone.

"...No, you did not. I thought you wanted to go for some other reason." Levi said.

" Yes, I did! Jeez, you are so forgetful!" Adam sighed exasperatedly.

" That would be you!" Levi slapped the back of Adam's head.

' This fool...is he going to follow me even here!?' Levi thought.

'...I've never seen him use qi or anything.' He thought.

" Aiya! S-Senior! Please, you have to shelter me from this violent man! Who knows what he will do if the sect doesn't protect me!" Adam wept as he pleaded.

"..." Levi disdainfully watched the shamelessness.

" I could take you, but..." The man paused.

" Buuut?!" Adam asked.

" In the martial world, independence is a good virtue." The man smiled.

" I-Is that so..." Adam's eyes widened.

"..." Levi's eyes widened.

' What...Charisma!!' He thought.

' Even without a show of power...' He thought.

' This is a small part of what you gain from living a long life, huhuhu.' The demon saint laughed.

" Fufu." The man laughed lightly.

" It seems that you both desperately want to join?" He smiled.

" Uhmm! Uhmm!" Adam nodded.

" Yes!" Levi said with a nervous expression.

" Hmm..." The man paused.

" Follow me." He said.

" Huh?" Levi was taken aback.

" Hurry up if you don't want to be left behind!" Adam said as he walked ahead.

"..." Levi silently followed.

' I instinctively distanced myself earlier...my cover...' He thought.

' Don't worry about it. Old things like him couldn't care less about what you are thinking.' The demon saint said.

' When you get as strong as him, you tend to stop caring about a lot.' He continued.

'...' Levi looked down at his trembling hand.

' How strong is he?' He asked.

' Hehe, I don't know exactly, but...Strong enough to decimate that backwater continent you come from!' The demon saint laughed darkly.

" Try not to crush the little tree saplings, ok?" The man said.

" 'Kay!" Adam said.

"...Yes." Levi took a deep breath.

...

Some time later.

On a small stone cliff.

" Woah! I feel like I'm on top of the world!" Adam shouted with outstretched arms.

The 'cliff' was two large stones, one holding the other up.

Where they stood, the top stone pointed towards the foot of the mountain, allowing them to look over the trees.

" Come here." The man laughed lightly.

"...What's that?" Levi asked.

He pointed at a small, white rectangular box.

" Oh?" Adam looked at the box.

" It is a table, can't you tell?" The man asked.

" A table? But isn't it too sm" Before Levi could finish, a stream of qi spilled from the man's fingertips.

The box grew many times its original size.

'...So it's like that s.h.i.+p I bought!' Levi came to a realization.

' I should have realized sooner...' He thought.

" Heh heh!" Adam looked at it with sparkling eyes.

" How about we begin?" The man asked.

" Um, sir..." Levi called out.

" My name is Zephyr Tempest, call me as you like." The man said.

' Ze-What?!' Levi thought.

" Senior tempest?" He called out.

" Yes?" Mr. Tempest smiled.

" Why did you bring us here? Didn't we miss our chance?..." Levi asked.

" The two of you wanted to get into the sect no matter what, yes?" Mr. Tempest asked.

" Yes, but..." Levi said suspiciously.

'...He's not some old monster with...acquired tastes, right!?' He thought.

" That is why you were brought here." Mr. tempest said.

" Really?!" Levi's eyes brightened.

" Yes." Mr. tempest smiled.

" We don't have to do anything...um, 'extra' afterward, right?" Levi worded carefully.

"...No? Why?" Mr. Tempest said blankly.

" Phew!" Levi sighed in relief.

' Confirmed.' Levi thought.

" What is the matter?" Mr. Tempest asked.

" Nothing!" Levi hastily said.

"...Not one thing." He mumbled as he glanced to the side.

" Let us begin, then" As Mr. tempest said this, multiple drawers opened and closed simultaneously, as different things flew out.

Different materials and tools lined the surface of the table.

They were gathered in different groups.

" Pick from these tools and materials, then begin." Mr. Tempest said.

" Of course, if you do not know what to do with any of them, that is also ok." He continued.

" Hmm..." Levi looked across the table.

Puft!

" ?!" Levi's gaze s.h.i.+fted.

'...That idiot is using mental energy?!' He thought in shock.

A golden mental energy flame appeared before Adam, as he fiddled with different tools.

Ting! Ting!

" Hmm." Adam nocked a metal ingot with a hammer.

His eyes were sharp and his face serious, nothing like his regular appearance.

"High-quality iron! Usable materials! Exceptional tools!" Adam spoke loudly.

" Let's get started." He interlocked his fingers, before cracking them all at once.

" Oh?" Mr. Tempest watched with interest.

" First, the iron." Three iron ingots floated just above the table's surface.

" Humph!" Mental energy gathered around the head of the hammer as Adam struck down.

Mental energy exploded as the hammer connected.

Deng!

Deng!

Deng!

The bars were flattened with one strike each.

They retained their sharp edges.

" Huff..." Adam wiped away some sweat.

" Now, to shape it." Looking at the tools on the table, out of a pair of iron scissors and a chisel, the latter floated.

"..." Adam placed the chisel at the base of one of the metal sheets.

Znnnnnnn!

He held the chisel at an angle, before pus.h.i.+ng.

Mental energy spilled out, resembling sparks as the chisel swiftly cut through the sheet of metal.

The other two metal sheets were also cut into inch-wide strips.

"...Folding." Adam breathed heavily.

His mental energy swelled as creases appeared on the metal strips.

Corners were bent in, then sides.

"..." Adam tiredly gazed at the pink 'rope' on the table as it, along with the metal scissors floated toward him.

Snip!

Snip!

He cut off pieces of the 'rope' before cutting them down the middle.

The sheets of metal rattled as he fitted everything together.

" Oh! A gauntlet!" Mr. Tempest clapped.

" Ugh..." Adam staggered closer to the table.

" Oh? You aren't finished?" Mr. Tempest watched with interest.

" Take this piece of frost iron..." Adam mumbled.

Deng!

He hit the small piece of deformed, bluish metal as it formed a small circular disk.

" Then..." His mental energy swelled once again.

Crackle!

A light crackling sound rang out, as Molten, maze-like lines appeared on the disk's surface.

" A mental energy inscription, hmm. So that hole was for this disk." Mr. Tempest smiled.

"..." Adam's arms trembled as he slowly put the disk in a small hole on the back of the gauntlet.

Chi!

A burst of cold qi escaped the gauntlet.

" Ah! cold! cold!" Adam rolled on the ground.

" This, I call, the ' Frost gauntlet'!" He said as he got up.

" It can be worn like this, or attached to a 'puppet! Would you like a demonstration?!" Adam glared.

" Oh, please." Mr. Tempest smiled with interest.

" Please!" Adam held out the gauntlet in both hands toward Levi.

" Why do I?!" Levi questioned.

" 'Cause I got no strength left..." Adam weakly fell to the ground.

"...Sigh." Levi took it from Adam's hands.

" First..." Adam spoke, his face still on the ground.

" Put it on." He said.

" Next, use either mental energy or qi to protect your hand on the inside." He held up two fingers.

" So I have to protect my hand even though I'm wearing this?" Levi asked.

" This was made as a weapon, not for defense!" Adam energetically shouted.

" Sigh." Levi pinched his nose bridge.

" Finally, channel mental energy through the 'core plate' while slas.h.i.+ng, or stabbing out." Adam said.

" Hmm? There is resistance when I clench my fist." Levi mumbled.

" You can also punch out!...wait..." Adam paused.

" You...do have mental energy, right?" He suddenly asked.

"..." Levi furrowed his brows exaggeratedly as he glared down.

"...Right?" Adam began sweating nervously.

Puft!

Levi's mental energy flame appeared.

" Think about that..." Levi paused.

" Before you ask, moron!!" He stabbed down.

Ice trailed across the gauntlet, resembling the maze-like lines on the 'core plate'.

" Aghh!! Cold! It hurts!" Adam rolled on the ground.

" Huh?" Levi looked at the bluish icicles now sticking out of the ground.

" Agh! Pain! Pain!" Adam wailed.

" Shut up! You didn't even get hit, all five of them hit the ground!" A vein bulged on Levi's face.

"...Oh, you're right." Adam sat up.

" Do you always have to be so violent?!" He shouted.

" The last time you even tried to shove a rock down my throat!" Adam shouted.

" Because you were snoring like you wanted to shatter the earth with your voice!" Levi shouted.

" And then back at that city! Instead of finding your bullies, you hit me." Adam said.

" You are the only bully around here!" Levi pointed with the gauntlet.

" Even earlier than that, you-"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of clapping interrupted Adam.

" Wonderful. Even with just these few materials and tools, you created something spectacular." Mr. Tempest said with a smile.

" Although, your stamina is one among other things you should improve." He continued.

" Oh, haha!" Adam rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

" It is your turn now." Elder Tempest looked toward Levi.

"...Ok." Levi took off the gauntlet.

" Fuuu..." He released a calming breath.

" You're not gonna use any tools or materials?" Adam tilted his head as he looked up from the ground.

Blue, water-like qi streamed from his fingertips.

Some streams broke, forming droplets.

These tiny water veins snaked, forming pattern after pattern.

Puft!

Pitch-Black mental energy cloaked each pattern, dampening the vibrant blue.

They were pulled closer and closer until they fused, reminiscent of a symbol from a paper talisman.

" Wow! An inscription! And one constructed with compressed qi!" Mr. Tempest clapped.

" So? What does it do?" He asked curiously.

" Well..." Levi smiled awkwardly as he looked to the side.

" Hmm?" Mr. Tempest tilted his head.

" The thing is... I don't actually...know...how to use it." Levi's voice got progressively softer.

"..." Mr. Tempest gazed blankly.

" Pfft, hahaha! You-You made an inscription without knowing how to get it to work?!" He laughed while looking up at the sky.

" W-Well! Most inscriptions are easy to understand! You channel some kind of power through them, and they work!" Levi's cheeks reddened as he hastily explained.

" But when I channel qi through this, it just screeches loudly!" He continued.

"...What kind of inscription is it? You do know that much at least, yes?" Mr. Tempest restrained his laughter.

" I-I know what kind it is! It's a sound inscription!" Levi quickly exclaimed.

" Oh. Sound, hmm..." Mr. Tempest paused.

" When trying to use it, what do you do?" He asked.

"...I just channel qi through it?" Levi said with uncertainty.

" Hmm...Why not make another?" Mr. Tempest said.

" Huh? W-Why?" Levi asked.

" Oh, and keep the first one here, too..." Mr. Tempest said.

"...O-Ok then." Levi began making another sound inscription.

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The steps were repeated, and before long, another one was crafted.

"...What now?" Levi looked up.

" Hmm." Mr. Tempest reached out.

" Huh?!" One of the inscriptions was pulled towards Mr. Tempest's palm.

" What are you-?!" Levi was startled once again, as Mr. Tempest tapped the ground with his foot before soundlessly shooting into the sky.

" Whoooa..." Adam said as he continuously tilted his head back.

"..." Levi watched silently as, within just a few seconds, Mr. Tempest had already gone beyond the clouds.

...

In the sky.

A plateau of clouds floated leisurely.

Shadowed by another large cloud, a person stood with one hand behind his back.

"...Fu, this should be far enough, yes?" Mr. Tempest mumbled.

" Then..." He paused.

" Shall we begin?" He smiled.

A large, white mental energy flame ignited before his forehead.

Around this white flame were two black rings.

One sat above the flame's tip, while the other sat around the middle of the flame.

White mental energy enclosed the sound inscription, leaving only a small patch of Levi's.

"...Do you understand how it works now?" Mr. Tempest said.

...

On the ground.

"..." Levi stood silently.

' What is he doing?' He thought.

"...Acting sure is rough." Levi mumbled.

"...Do you understand how it works now?" A voice echoed loudly.

" ?!" Levi's gaze swiftly s.h.i.+fted to the inscription in his hand.

" Ahhh!" Adam jumped in shock.

" D-Did he have to say it so loud?" Levi whispered as he winced.

" Sorry, sorry! Inscriptions made with compressed qi tend to be significantly more powerful than normal." A voice echoed from above.

" Huh?" Levi looked up.

A figure swiftly plummeted.

" Oh s.h.i.+t..." Levi braced himself.

Fwooshh!

A few seconds before Mr. tempest slammed into the cliff, air exploded from beneath him as he landed softly.

"...What are you doing?" Mr. Tempest asked with a tilted head.

" No...Nothing." Levi peaked through one of his eyes before straightening his posture.

Gloom hanged over him as he glared to the side in embarra.s.sment.

" So? Did you understand how your inscription works?" Mr. tempest asked.

" !" Levi's gaze s.h.i.+fted.

" Put extremely simply, both inscriptions house your mental energy."

" When another person covers one of them with their mental energy, a connection is formed between the two." Mr. Tempest explained.

" See this black dot? This is your mental energy after I poured mine into the inscription." He said.

"...Oh." Levi curiously looked.

" You should also have a white dot on the one in your hand, yes? Although it might be difficult to see since mental energy is mostly transparent." Mr. Tempest smiled.

" Oh, you're right!" Levi gazed with interest.

"...In any case, why did you choose to construct this inscription?" Mr. Tempest asked.

" What do you mean?" Levi asked.

" You easily made two of the same inscriptions, with qi compressed via a cultivation technique." Mr. Tempest said.

" This already shows that you have a certain amount of knowledge regarding inscriptions, and great capability when it comes to crafting them since it is much harder to work with volatile compressed qi." He continued.

" So why would you risk failing this test by crafting an inscription that you cannot well work?" He asked.

"..." Levi kept silent.

" There..." Levi paused.

" Hmm?" Mr. Tempest curiously listened.

"...There was a chance that even if I created a perfect inscription, I would have still failed this test." Levi said.

" Oh?" Mr. Tempest listened with interest.

" Since that was the case, then shouldn't I get the advice of an experienced senior such as yourself, at least?" Levi's eyes became slits as he smiled.

"..." Mr. Tempest's face went blank.

" Is it normal for children in this age to lie so naturally?" He mumbled.

" Huh?" Levi questioned.

" In any case, since you both have satisfied certain requirements, it's time to go back to the sect, yes?" Mr. Tempest walked towards the table.

" !" Levi was slightly startled.

" Woohoo!" Adam threw his arms into the air.

"..." Mr. Tempest smiled.

Deng!

" Ow!" The gauntlet dropped on Adam's head.

The tools and materials on the table floated, as draws opened and closed simultaneously.

The table then shrunk in size, floating as Mr. Tempest reached out.