Before them stood a man wearing a long blue robe. The robe was simple in design, yet it carried an unmistakable sense of authority. The cloth shimmered faintly, embroidered with patterns that symbolized status and power within the academy.
He stood tall and straight, his posture dignified. Long white hair flowed down his back, tied loosely with a jade clasp. His face bore the marks of age, but his eyes were sharp and clear, like calm waters hiding unfathomable depth.
Behind him, several teachers entered quietly and stood in two lines. Outside the room, senior brothers gathered, their expressions solemn. No one dared to speak.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Mei Ling immediately stood up from her seat. She lowered her head respectfully and bowed.
"Greetings, Headmaster."
Her voice was clear and sincere.
Kerus slowly shifted his gaze toward the man. Even without anyone explaining, he knew who this person was.
The headmaster of the academy. A figure who stood at the peak of authority within the academy.
The headmaster nodded slightly at Mei Ling, then his gaze fell upon Kerus.
"How are you now?" he asked. His voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried a weight that made people listen instinctively. Kerus gathered his strength and slowly straightened his posture on the bed. His body still ached, but his expression remained composed.
"I am fine, Headmaster," Kerus replied respectfully.
The headmaster examined Kerus's physique, his cultivation, and the eyes of someone who had walked the line between life and death.
Mei Ling stepped back quietly and stood at a distance, giving the teachers space to approach him. But her eyes never left Kerus, worry still lingering in her gaze.
The headmaster clasped his hands behind his back. "We should have paid more attention, Rick, we have failed in our responsibility," he said slowly
The teachers behind him lowered their heads slightly.
"We allowed young disciples like you to enter a forest that was no longer safe for you. We should have selected the location with more information."
Kerus looked at the headmaster's face. There was no falsehood there. Only genuine regret.
"Headmaster," Kerus said after a brief pause, "this was not your fault."
The headmaster's eyes narrowed slightly, hearing that.
Kerus continued.
"We are martial artists. Danger is a part of our path. Battles do not come knocking at our door."
The room fell silent.
Several teachers looked at Kerus in surprise, and Mei Ling blinked.
The headmaster's expression softened a bit then.
"…Well said," he said quietly.
The teachers exchanged glances. With their decades of experience, they could tell that Kerus's words were not spoken to flatter. They came from understanding.
Then, a teacher standing to the left of the headmaster stepped forward.
He was middle-aged, with sharp eyebrows and a stern face.
"Disciple Rick," he said, "May I ask about your cultivation level?"
He was teacher Seo Hwan, a specialist in sword art and a Martial Master like other teachers. Trying to reach the peak in that realm. For teachers like them, such a question would be unnecessary. With their cultivation, the teachers could easily see through a disciple's realm. But what they had witnessed in the Black Fog Forest shattered common sense.
Kerus answered honestly.
"I am in the Qi Gathering Realm," he said. "I have formed six stars."
The moment the words left his mouth, the room froze. Only one word kept lingering in the headmaster's and the teacher's mind.
"Six!"
The room grew colder with a few teachers' exchanged glances. It didn't show admiration but calculation of what to do next. No one spoke after hearing that for a few breaths. Mei Ling's eyes widened because she guessed, but was never sure, that he formed six stars. The senior brothers outside the room sucked in sharp breaths.
Before the age of twenty, forming four stars was considered talented.
Five stars separated geniuses from ordinary cultivators.
But six stars…
That was a level only prodigies reached.
And the boy before them was not even twenty yet.
A teacher in the back, among other teachers, clenched his fist unnoticed.
"Six stars…" he muttered.
Another teacher behind the headmaster frowned deeply. "This doesn't make sense."
Unable to hold back any longer, the teacher spoke.
"Disciple Rick," he said, his voice filled with doubt, "we heard reports about you."
Kerus looked at him calmly.
"You were thin, your body was weak, and you looked like you were on the brink of death. But now your physiques don't match what I have heard."
The teacher continued.
"And until recently, you had not formed a single star. You were stuck in the Body Tempering Realm."
Mei Ling's heart tightened.
Adding to the questions, another teacher added quickly.
"Are you truly saying that you advanced to the Qi Gathering Realm and formed six stars in such a short time?"
The questions came one after another.
The teachers' expressions were disturbed.
No one accused him, but no one believed him either, and silence stretched.
The teachers' gazes became heavier.
Kerus felt the change in the atmosphere.
He could see it clearly.
Some suspicion, some shock, and some were concerned.
Before he could answer, the same teacher opened his mouth again, intending to ask something else.
But...
"Enough." The headmaster raised his hand. The word was not loud, but every teacher lowered their gaze instantly and stopped talking immediately.
The headmaster looked at Kerus with serious eyes.
"Disciple Rick," he said, "you have just awakened. Your body is still injured."
He paused and said after a few breaths, "We only need to know one thing."
And the air in the room became heavy.
"Who killed the demonic beast?"
The question fell like a stone into still water and ripples spread instantly.
Mei Ling turned toward Kerus sharply. The teachers' gazes locked onto him. Even the senior brothers outside leaned in unconsciously. Kerus felt the weight of their attention. He knew this moment would come. He also knew the consequences of answering truthfully.
If he spoke about Gravity, The Mask, and the time-stopping scene now, then everything would change.
He took a slow breath and calmed his face. Because he could feel that one wrong word, and his life would no longer be in his hands.
"I don't know," Kerus replied. The room fell silent. The moment Kerus spoke those words, the air inside the Medicine Hall subtly changed.