Chapter 37: The Test Hall

The chamber was a sea of murmurs and shuffling papers, each whisper a testament to the exam's significance. But for Cheol Su, the noise was nothing more than a distant hum, his thoughts focused on the task at hand.

Indeed, the sudden disappearance of Cheol Su caught Tae Won and his gang by surprise, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

"What the hell?" Tae Won exclaimed, his voice rising with a mixture of confusion and anger.

His friends looked at each other, their faces etched with perplexity.

"He just...vanished," Lee Min muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's impossible," Shin Sung added, his voice trembling with a hint of fear."There's no way he could have..." Tae Won trailed off, his words fading into silence as he stared at the spot where Cheol Su had been standing only moments before.

The realization of what had just transpired struck them like a bolt of lightning, their eyes filled with an unspoken terror.

"He's gone..." one of the cronies whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of his words.

And in that moment, they knew something was different. As Cheol Su stepped into the testing hall, his gaze swept the room, his mind clear and focused. He knew that he was not the same man who had failed the exam before, his newfound power granting him a sense of confidence that had once seemed impossible.

The murmurs of the other students faded into the background, their voices lost in the hum of anticipation as Master Xiang entered the hall.

His eyes swept the room, landing on Cheol Su with a familiar sneer.

"Well, if it isn't the waste of space himself," Master Xiang remarked, his voice laced with contempt. "I see you've decided to humiliate yourself once again."

Cheol Su stood his ground, his expression unyielding. "I've come to pass the exam, Master Xiang," he replied, his words resonating with a newfound conviction.

Master Xiang arched an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"And how do you intend to do that? You've already failed once.

Cheol Su stared at his peer, his gaze unflinching. "I may have failed once, but I have grown in power since then. I will pass the exam today."

Master Xiang scoffed, his expression one of condescending amusement. "Power? You? What a joke. You're nothing but a failure, and always will be. Now go home and save yourself the embarrassment of failing again."

Cheol Su's lips curved into a faint smirk. At Master Xiang words, the crowd erupted into a chorus of laughter, their derision washing over Cheol Su like a wave.

"Yeah, go home, failure," one of the students taunted, his voice carrying across the hall.

"What a joke," another added, his laughter piercing the air.

But Cheol Su remained unfazed, his confidence unwavering.

"I'm not here for your entertainment," he replied, his voice cool and measured. Just as the crowd's mockery reached a fevered pitch, a hush descended upon the testing hall, the students' laughter silenced by a single, commanding voice.

"Master Yun, it's good to see you, as always." Master Xiang's face betrayed a hint of nervousness as he turned to greet the newcomer.

As ever his tall, imposing figure stepped into the room, his presence radiating with an undeniable authority.

"Master Yun," Master Xiang repeated, his voice slightly faltering. "Please, take your seat." Master Yun's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and uncompromising. "How dare you restrict a student from being tested? This is an academy, not a playground for you to abuse your position."

Master Xiang s expression contorted with fear, his voice quivering as he spoke. "I...I was just trying to protect him, Master Yun. He's a failure, a waste of space. I was trying to spare him the embarrassment of failing again."

Master Yun's lips curled into a sneer, his voice sharp as a blade.

"You're the only failure here, Master Xiang.My mistake! Let me revise that.

"Kneel before Cheol Su and apologize for your behavior," Master Yun ordered, his voice a blade of ice that cut through the air.

Master Xiang hesitated for a moment, his face a mask of humiliation and fear. But Master Yun angrily stood up emitting a murderous aura the pressure of Master Yun's power left him no choice.

Slowly, with trembling hands, he lowered himself to the ground, his body quivering as he bowed his head in apology.

"I...I am sorry, Cheol Su," he whispered, his voice little more than a choked sob.As the events unfolded before them, the students of the academy gaped in shock, their expressions morphing into wide-eyed disbelief.

"Wh-what is happening?" one of them stuttered, his mouth agape as he watched Master Cheol groveling before Cheol Su.

"Is this real?" another whispered, her voice barely audible as the scene before her defied all logic and reason.

And as the stunned crowd looked on, Cheol Su rose to his full height, his eyes blazing with the power that he had suppressed for so long.