In the poor and rugged village nestled between barren hills, a large crowd had gathered before the timeworn altar. Dust swirled in the dry air, and whispers of excitement floated among the villagers.

Today was the long-awaited Awakening Ceremony.

Before the altar stood eight children, each no older than ten, lined up in front of a giant stone carved with ancient runes. Their small bodies trembled with excitement, anxiety, and hope. This was the moment that would determine their fates. Whether they could awaken a spirit beast and step onto the path of cultivation.

At the center of the field stood a man dressed in flowing white robes. On his chest, the character "武 (Wu)" was stitched in golden thread - the mark of a cultivator from the Martial Spirit Sect. He stood with arms folded beside a large, cracked stone that pulsed faintly with mysterious energy - the legendary Awakening Stone.

Among the children, a six-year-old boy with a scar on his left cheek stood silently, his fists clenched tightly. Unlike the others, he did not fidget or whisper. He only stared at the stone, his gaze deep and unreadable.

"Can this stone really make me stronger...? If I have power... can I find my parents?" he murmured, barely audible.

Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind swept the field.

A man in a black robe, embroidered with a red spider lily, walked slowly up to the altar. His eyes were sharp, and his presence cold and oppressive. The crowd instinctively quieted.

"Chen Kun," the man said to the one in white, "let's begin. The sooner we finish here, the sooner we can move on to the next village. The sect needs more spirit stones, and these villagers are eager to pay."

Chen Kun nodded respectfully. "Understood, Senior Brother."

The two men raised their hands and began forming hand signs in sync, chanting in an ancient tongue. Strange fluctuations rippled through the air. The Awakening Stone began to glow with vibrant colors: red, blue, green: Until it floated into the air, radiating energy like a beating heart.

A collective gasp escaped the villagers. Even the old chief’s eyes shimmered with hope.

"Children," Chen Kun said gently, "do not be afraid. Step forward, one by one."

The first to move was a chubby boy with soft cheeks and wide, nervous eyes. His steps were shaky as he approached the stone and the white-robed man.

"U-Uncle… what do I do?" he asked, voice trembling.

Chen Kun chuckled. "Haha, don’t worry, little one. You don’t have to do anything complicated. Just place your hand on the stone."

"O-Okay…" the boy nodded, taking a deep breath.

As soon as his hand touched the surface, the stone pulsed with a white light… and then darkened.

Seeing this, the boy’s face paled. "Uncle… did I fail?"

Chen Kun squinted at the stone, ignoring the boy’s panic. Moments later, a blurry image shimmered into view—a wild boar spirit, its body thick and its head adorned with a single horn.

"Not too bad," Chen Kun said, nodding. "A horned wild pig spirit. Ordinary, but better than nothing."

"What’s your name?" he asked.

"Li Lu," the boy replied.

"Alright, Li Lu. Stand to the right and wait there."

Li Lu nodded, still pale, and walked to the side.

"Next."

A girl stepped forward. Her dress was elegant, clearly made of silk, and her hair was tied with red jade clips. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips curled into a charming smile.

"Uncle, do I place my hand on the stone like the others?" she asked sweetly.

"That’s right," Chen Kun replied with a faint smile. "Go ahead."

The girl gently laid her hand on the stone. Almost instantly, the stone erupted with a radiant red light. Gasps echoed through the crowd, and even the black-robed man narrowed his eyes.

"Red talent? Haha! Chen Kun, we’re rich! The sect might grant us a bonus for this one," the black-robed man said excitedly.

Chen Kun’s expression remained calm, but his eyes glinted with interest. As the light stabilized, a powerful image emerged, a crane with golden eyes, its wings spread wide, its form elegant and regal.

Chen Kun took a step forward. "A golden-eyed crane… Rare and noble."

"What’s your name, little one?"

"Lin Jing Jing," she replied proudly.

"Well done, Lin Jing Jing. Go stand beside Li Lu."

The ceremony continued.

The third and fourth children stepped forward one by one, but the stone remained dark and dull. No spirit, no light, complete failures. The villagers sighed quietly. Some even looked away, ashamed for the children’s families.

The fifth child stepped forward, a boy with fierce eyes and steady breathing. When he touched the stone, flames burst forth. A glowing image of a Flame Lion emerged, roaring silently.

"Blue talent. A strong combat beast. Very good," Chen Kun praised.

The sixth and seventh children each awakened green talent, both revealing images of strange turtles, their shells etched with mysterious runes.

Now, only one child remained.

Fu Hong Jun.

The crowd grew silent.

The boy took a deep breath, then walked forward quickly, eyes fixed on the floating stone. His small hands trembled slightly, but his heart was steady.

Behind him, a tall boy with strong muscles, Ke Yan, called out, "Xiao Jun, don’t be nervous."

The scarred boy was named Fu Hong Jun, a name found on the worn name tag tied to his neck when he was discovered six years ago. The village chief had found him lying unconscious at the gates of the village, his small body drenched in blood, and his face wounded so badly that it later formed a permanent scar across his cheek. No one knew where he came from, who his parents were, or why he had been abandoned so close to death. Since then, the village chief had taken him in and raised him as his own, but the boy remained quiet, always carrying a sense of longing and solitude far beyond his years.

Fu Hong Jun looked back slightly. "Brother Ke… if I awaken a powerful spirit… will my parents come back?"

Ke Yan didn’t answer. Instead, he placed a hand on Fu Hong Jun’s shoulder and smiled faintly. The nearby villagers looked at each other with heavy expressions. They had all heard the boy’s longing many times before.

An older man spoke, laughing gently, "Don’t worry, little Jun. Once you become powerful, you’ll have the power to find anything, even the heavens will answer you."

Fu Hong Jun nodded and turned back toward the stone.

Then, without hesitation, he placed his hand upon it.

At first, there was silence.

Then, suddenly BOOM! The stone shook violently, trembling in the air.

A torrent of color burst from it, red, gold, blue, green, white, even violet, one after another. The crowd gasped. Even the black-robed man stepped forward with narrowed eyes.

"What is happening?" he muttered.

"This kind of fluctuation…" Chen Kun’s brows furrowed. "He might be… a genius."

But just as hope rose… the colors flickered… and faded.

The light disappeared.

The stone turned grey.

The image that appeared was vague a swirling mist with no clear shape. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Chen Kun sighed and forced a polite smile. "A barely awakened spirit. Nothing special… but still, it counts."

"What is your name?"

"Fu Hong Jun."

Chen Kun said with a bitter smile, "Kid, you can’t come with us to the sect assessment, but I can give you the chance to enter a martial school. Do you want it?"

"Uncle, going there can make me strong?" said Fu Hong Jun with hopeful eyes.

Before Chen Kun could answer, the black-robed man spoke with disdain, "Chen Kun, don’t waste time. Let’s go back to the sect."

Knowing he couldn’t stay longer, Chen Kun quickly took out a plain piece of paper, wrote a recommendation, and handed it to Fu Hong Jun.

"Hey kid, take this and go to Jing Kong City. Find the Martial School named 'Mortal Academy' and give this letter to the dean. He will arrange for you to learn."

"Thank you, Uncle," said Fu Hong Jun in a soft voice. He knew that because of his low talent and unknown spirit, he was lucky just to have this opportunity.

Then he turned to Ke Yan. "Brother Ke, let’s go back home and tell Grandpa about this."

"Okay, Xiao Jun. Let’s go."

At the altar, Chen Kun said, "Hey kids, come with us to the sect. There, you can cultivate and become powerful. Now go say farewell to your parents."

Fu Hong Jun looked back at them and felt a pang of sadness. He clenched his hands tightly and muttered in his heart,

"Why is my talent so weak...?"

After arriving home, Fu Hong Jun said, "Brother Ke, thank you. I’ll send some meat to your house."

“Haha, don’t you dare bring just a tiny piece! You know I treat meat like treasure.”

"Okay, Brother."

Then Fu Hong Jun entered the house and went directly to the inner room. An old man with an eye patch sat leisurely, drinking tea. Seeing the little boy return, he asked,

"Jun'er, how was your talent? Did you get selected into the sect?"

"Grandpa, I didn’t make it. My talent is too weak. I can only go to a martial school."

Hearing that, the old man looked seriously into Fu Hong Jun's eyes and said,

"Jun'er, there is no such thing as weak talent in this world, only weak hearts and minds. Don’t worry. I can afford to send you to another sect to learn."

"Thank you, Grandpa, but never mind. I can still live with you and take care of you. Don’t worry."

The old man sighed and said, "Jun'er, I can take care of myself. But you must go to the sect or martial school to learn. Now go rest. I have to attend the village meeting."

"Yes, Grandpa."

After talking with his grandfather, Fu Hong Jun lay on his bed and whispered,

"Father, Mother... why did you abandon me...? I want to see you..." he said, tears welling in his eyes.

"Oh tsk tsk, a little crybaby missing the parents who didn't want him."

Fu Hong Jun quickly jumped from the bed. "Who is talking?! Who are you?!"

Suddenly, Fu Hong Jun felt his spirit shake and stir.

A grey mist emerged from his body without his will, swirling in the air.

"Boy, you’re the first one who has actually awakened me..."

The mist seemed to pulse, darker at the edges now. Slowly, it formed the vague outline of a humanoid figure; tall, cloaked in shadow, its eyes glowing faintly like two pale stars in a storm.

"So weak... yet you dare to call for strength?"

Fu Hong Jun backed up against the wall, heart pounding. "Who are you?!"

The voice chuckled, low and menacing.

"Who am I? My name was forgotten long ago. But that doesn't matter. Since you're my host now... do you wish to become strong?"

Fu Hong Jun’s eyes widened. "I have the weakest talent... Can I really become strong?"

"Hmph. Ignorant brat. If you weren’t my host, I would’ve killed you on the spot."

Just then, Fu Hong Jun felt his body fall into a dark abyss. A mysterious power seemed to pull him down. In the depths, he saw countless corpses. Blood rained from above, flowing in rivers beneath his feet.

In the real world, Fu Hong Jun’s body trembled violently and dropped to his knees. A few minutes passed before he regained himself.

Seeing this, the mist's voice echoed again, "Not bad... you actually withstood a glimpse of my essence."

Fu Hong Jun’s face turned pale. Cold sweat drenched him, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

The mist drifted closer. "Tell me, brat. Do you want to become my disciple?"