Right when the kids finished their training and the beast had appeared, there were four silhouettes a few distance away on a roof watching the scene unfold. They all seem to be middle aged men.

One was a man with towering figure like that of a seasoned veteran of war, the other was a fat plump man with his body covered with gold and jewels, then there was a bull like hulking figure of a man with a tattoo of a black hammer with fiery read smoke swirling around it, the last one was a scar-faced man who in an ordinary situation would himself by quite intimidating but standing near the other three he looked like a soldier in presence of kings and generals.

“Holy mother of god!! Just look at the size of that dog. No wonder they thought it was a vicious beast, is it really safe to use such an animal for the test?” - the plump man’s eyes went round in surprise for even he had not seen a dog that big in his life. Any normal animal would turn into vicious beast upon developing a core which would increase their size tremendously but the animal before them had not developed a core, yet it was so big that a normal dog would look like a puppy compared to it.

“No matter how big, it is still just a dog, and a trained one at that, it might bare its fang but it’ll never bite unless commanded to. Isn’t that right trainer Li?” asked the bull sized man turning towards the scar-faced trainer.

“Ye.. yes sir! There’s absolutely no danger, the dog has been trained to chase around and play so it’ll never attack”. Answered trainer Li without delay. This mountain like man before him was Jonathan Smith, the top blacksmith, and one of the stronger cultivator of the town.

Right then they felt a strong pressure emitting from the towering man beside them who spoke in a serious tone - “It starts! Get ready to intervene at any moment”. This man who spoke in such a authoritative tone was none other then Alfons Silvermoon. A faint silver glow seemed to surround him that sent chill down the spine of whoever met his gaze.

At this time, the dog sprang towards the trio. They saw the kids shower stones towards the dog which slowed down its pace. As the dog neared, one by one the kids started climbing the metal pole. The dog lunged but couldn’t catch up in time. It smacked its head right into the pole and fell down.

“Damn! How dare that animal attack my little baby, I’m gonna mince it alive!” Growled Hugo seeing the pitiful state his daughter was in. Soon, the dog lay limp with the kids sprawled around and back of it.

“Trainer Li, go take care of it and send the kids home. It seems you are doing a good job. The training ground looks like it could use some improvements, the clan will cover up the expenses, do continue taking care of the young ones”. Saying that he flicked his wrist signaling the man to go.

“Yes, my lord. It is an honor!” Glee spread across the man’s face, he bowed slightly towards them, stepped on his foot and disappeared with a jump.

——————————————————————

“Genius! He has a bearing of a true leader, capable of decisive actions, truly impressive. At such a young age, responding to a critical situation without much help, using the surroundings to his advantage, just what kind of cultivator will he grow to become, makes one wonder. In front of such a genius, others like my son just pale in comparison”. Praised Jonathan, admiration filling his eyes.

To that, Hugo frowned his eyebrows and snorted - “Hmmff! What genius? That kid will grow up to be a scheming thug, I say you. At least he did a good job of protecting my baby, I’ll give him that! But, he’s still a thug, believe me, a complete bully!”. A sour memory flashed across his mind as he looked at the boy who has always been a pain in his ass. After the “heavenly spit” incident, there was the “yellow rain” incident a year back which he dared not speak out loud.

“It doesn’t mater! Genius or no genius, for those who have the heart to cultivate, nothing maters. Countless genius fall on the path of cultivation and heroes have risen from weak and frail. It all depends on themselves.

And don’t look down on your son Jonathan, you smiths always have growth spurt around the age of 10. With your cultivation technique being based on raw strength and his competitive heart, I’m sure he’ll grow up to be a man in your shadow. Theres a harsh and cruel world ahead waiting for the them, time waits for none. It will be painful and unbearable for them, but they’ll grow up to be strong and unyielding. Lets go, it is time to introduce them to the world of cultivation”.

Looking at the back of the man in front of them, Jonathan and Hugo’s eyes filled with reverence. He was the lord of their town, the strongest cultivator around, a capable leader. Nodding their head, they followed ahead.

———————————————————————

The trio were in a hall inside the Silvermoon household. Looking haggard, their eyes were red, hair messy, expression a mixture of anger, sadness, fear and anxiety.

In front of them stood Alfons with a serious face like a general looking at his soldiers. Meeting his gaze made them shiver and forget about the frightful encounter they just had. Hugo, Jonathan and Erna were on the side watching silently.

After a period of silence, Alfons spoke - “Are you angry? Do you think this was too much?”

With their head down, their expression betrayed their thoughts, but they didn’t dare to voice it.

“Cultivation is a long journey. To become strong, to have the power to protect what is yours is not easy. It seems magical but cultivation is harsh, its filled with pain, sadness, blood flow like river, it is hell. Only by crossing this hell can one stand strong. That is what differentiates us from mortals. Not everyone gets a chance to cultivate, not everyone can cultivate, not everyone stays alive for long in this road. We can prepare you and give you the best foundations, but it’ll be useless if your heart is not strong.”

There was a pin drop silence. The trio now had eyes burning with desire, their fist clenched, body straightened. Even the adults couldn’t help feeling their heart beat faster.

Alfons directed a little qi to his throat which made his voice reverberate like roars of thunder.

“Tell me, do you have what it takes to walk on this path?”

“yes..“ “ yes..” Ye…yes.”

“Tell me, Do you want to be a cultivator that surpasses their predecessors?”

“““Yes!”””

“TELL me, Did you think the experience you had earlier was unfair?”

“””No”””

“TELL ME, Are you willing to suffer what it takes to be a cultivator?”

“YES!!!”

The atmosphere changed in an instant. By now the exhausted kids looked like they were ready to go to battle, all their energy restored. Alfons had his hands around the back, a big grin plastered on his face, he said “Then so be it, give your best and prepare the next few years, cause… Hell is waiting for you!!”