The wind carried the scent of blooming lotus and warm dirt, rustling through the branches of the Grand LianXu Tree, the pride of the city that shared its name.
Su FengQiu lay sprawled on his favorite spot—not just anywhere under the tree, but on the smooth, half-buried stone that jutted from the earth like the shell of some ancient beast.
Nobody in the city knew where the stone came from. It had no carvings, no marks, nothing that made it special... but for FengQiu, it was his spot.
It felt like the kind of place where a boy could close his eyes and dream about a world bigger than this sleepy city.
Su FengQiu
"FengQiu!"
A voice broke the quiet, and I groaned. Only one person would come nagging me when I was finally at peace.
Sure enough, it was my sister, Su Qingyu, ponytail bouncing like she was on a mission from heaven. She stormed toward me, a steaming meat bun in one hand, and that familiar scolding glare in the other.
"I knew it. Slacking off again!" she huffed, dropping the bun right on my chest like it was some royal decree. "Father's gonna skin you if he finds out you're napping out here the day before your Awakening Ceremony."
I grinned lazily, arms behind my head, not even bothering to sit up.
"I'm conserving my spiritual energy," I replied, dead serious.
"In your dreams, dummy. You don't even have a spiritual core yet."
"Exactly." I puffed my chest proudly. "Which means I gotta rest twice as much to make up for it."
She rolled her eyes so hard, I half-expected them to pop right out of her skull.
Truth was, tomorrow was supposed to be the most important day of my life—the day I'd finally step into the Awakening Hall, offer my blood to the ancestral altar, and awaken my spiritual roots.
For kids like us, born into noble families, this wasn't just some old ceremony. It was the day the heavens decided if you'd be respected… or pitied.
But right now?
I didn't feel anything.
No nerves. No excitement.
Just... nothing.
Maybe it was because, deep down, I already knew what my future looked like.
Son of a low-ranked noble family, guardians of LianXu, a tiny border city no one outside even bothered to put on maps.
My family had been stuck holding this same title for generations—keepers of peace in a city that never even saw war.
Except maybe that once a long time ago, all the way back to the Great War and it ain't even confirmed.
I could already see it.
Awaken some average, no-name root.
Train until my bones crack.
If I was lucky, I would reach the third or fourth realm before growing old, protecting a city that history would forget.
Yeah. Real exciting life ahead.
But even as I tried to convince myself of that dull future, the wind blowing through the leaves of the Grand LianXu Tree said otherwise.
They said this tree was older than the city itself. That it watched over dreamers and fools alike.
Me? I was both.
And it wasn't just the tree I was laying under.
My back rested on that strange, half-buried stone, the one nobody else paid attention to.
It was cold. Smooth. No carvings. No marks.
But for some reason... it always felt like it was supposed to have something on it.
Probably just my imagination. Tho.
I tilted my head, staring up at the twisting branches stretching toward the heavens.
"Hey, old tree," I mumbled. "You think someone like me can actually change anything?"
The wind answered with a soft rustle.
But whether it was a yes, a no, or just the breeze laughing at me—I couldn't tell.
Tomorrow... my life would start.
But tonight?
I was still just Su FengQiu, a kid lying under the tree of my childhood, breathing in lotus flowers, gnawing on a meat bun, and dreaming of a future I didn't really believe in.
Most people in LianXu City said I was the type of kid everyone liked.
Guess they weren't wrong.
When you grow up in a place this small, everyone knows everyone.
They'd wave when they saw me, toss me an extra bun at the stalls, or give me free firecrackers during festivals.
And I'd always wave back.
Smile. Joke around. Help an old lady lift her baskets.
Not because I had to.
Just... 'cause that's who I was.
But friends?
Real ones?
Only one name came to mind.
Chen HaoYu.
My best friend since we were five.
Loud. Brash. Always looking for trouble—and somehow, always dragging me into it.
While the rest of the city treated me like the young master of the Su family, HaoYu never gave a crap about that.
To him, I was just Su FengQiu, the kid who used to cry when his bun fell in the river.
And honestly? I liked that.
He was the only one who didn't look at me like the city's little future leader or some noble's son.
He looked at me like... me.
And maybe that's why he was the only one I ever called brother outside of blood.
I bet he was probably out there right now, running his mouth off to some shopkeeper or sneaking into the spirit herb garden again.
Dude never learned.
And tomorrow?
He'd be standing right beside me at the Awakening Hall, blood brothers in spirit and stupidity both.
Thinking about it, I smiled to myself, still lying on that weird stone like the useless slacker I was.
I guess no matter what kind of root I awakened tomorrow… at least I wouldn't face it alone.
The wind through the Grand Lian Tree rustled again.
And this time...
It almost felt like it was laughing at me.
"Suit yourself, FengQiu," Qingyu huffed, brushing off the dust from her robes. "If you're not gonna move, then I'm gonna tell Dad you're slacking again."
She turned on her heel, ponytail bouncing like she owned the whole street.
"Go ahead," I yawned, stretching my arms behind my head like a young master from the stories. "Tell him. Maybe he'll finally stop making me clean the martial grounds."
But she didn't answer. She was already halfway down the path, muttering under her breath about lazy little brothers and how she was the only one holding the family together.
I grinned to myself.
That was just how things were.
The people in the city knew me. I knew them. Auntie Liu from the bakery always threw me the ugly buns no one wanted. Uncle Jian from the forge liked to grumble about how my sword practice was a disgrace to his weapons—but still let me hang around.
I guess you could say the city liked me. Or maybe they just pitied me.
Either way, it was home.
The streets were still bathed in orange when I finally decided to drag my lazy self back. By the time I got there, the sky was bruised purple, and the smell of spicy broth drifted from our courtyard.
Dinner was simple. It always was. Some rice, some meat, a few vegetables Dad grew out back. Qingyu scolded me for being late, again. Dad pretended he didn't see me sneaking extra meat into my bowl, again.
And me?
I just smiled.
Afterward, I lay in bed, staring at the cracked ceiling of our old house.
Tomorrow… The Awakening Ceremony.
Most kids couldn't sleep the night before. Too excited. Too nervous.
Me?
I fell asleep before the crickets even started singing.
Because tomorrow would come, whether I was ready or not.
And I figured...
Why stress?
*The Next Day
The entire city felt like it was on fire.
Kids sprinted past me, laughing, yelling, practically tripping over themselves to get to the Awakening Hall like the ceremony would start without them if they blinked. The streets were packed, families closing their shops early, banners flying, incense burning at every corner.
And me?
I was walking like I had all the time in the world.
I swear, I might've been the only one in the whole city who didn't feel the rush.
Everyone else acted like they were about to ascend into immortality. Me? I yawned and stretched my arms behind my head. The altar wasn't going anywhere. Neither was my fate.
People waved at me as I passed, tossing me candied fruits or roasted nuts.
I smiled, waved back, threw a few "Good morning, Auntie," "Yo, Uncle," along the way.
LianXu City might've been small and forgotten by the big clans, but the people here? They were good people. The type to know your name even if you only met once.
But friends?
I only had one.
And like clockwork, that one appeared right on cue.
"Yo, FengQiu!"
Chen HaoYu jogged over, hair tied back sloppily like always. His black hair shined under the morning sun, and his brown eyes had this constant spark of "I'm ready to scrap with the world."
His face? Not bad—not super star handsome, but there was something about his energy that made people like him.
He was also tall for his age, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, towering over most of the other kids by a good half a head.
Chen HaoYu
Man… there he is.
I spotted that lazy punk the moment he turned the corner, walking like the world was waiting for him instead of the other way around.
Su FengQiu.
I swear, this dude… even today, especially today, when every other kid in the city was running toward the Awakening Hall like their lives depended on it—he was strolling like he was out for a morning nap.
Classic FengQiu.
I jogged over, dodging through the crowds. The streets were packed, the air buzzing with excitement, but when I finally caught up to him… it was like he was in his own little bubble, untouched by all of it.
"Yo, FengQiu!" I called out, waving at him.
He lifted a hand lazily, like I was interrupting his beauty sleep or something.
Up close, he looked the same as always.
Black hair, all messed up like he hadn't bothered to brush it. Golden eyes that stood out like some rare beast from those old myths the elders love yapping about.
He didn't even look like a noble kid, honestly. His robes were wrinkled, shoes half-tied, walking posture all loose and relaxed.
But somehow… It worked for him.
I ain't gonna lie—if I didn't know him since we were toddlers, I'd probably think he was some cool traveling cultivator or something.
Too bad I do know him. And I know he's just Su FengQiu, the city's laziest son of a noble.
"You're the slowest person I know," I told him, shaking my head.
He yawned, not even trying to deny it.
"It's not like the ceremony is gonna start without me," he said, that usual half-smile on his face.
"Bro. Seriously? The elders are already lining everyone up. You trying to roll in after the last name's called?"
He stretched slowly as if he needed to to really enjoy it.
"Better than walking in first, then trip and make a fool of myself in front of the elders."
Damn it… why does he always gotta make it sound like he's the only sane one?
We kept walking, side by side, like always.
We walked through the old streets, heading for the Awakening Hall that stood in the heart of the city like some ancient leftover from the past.
Everyone else was already inside.
It wasn't like I didn't wanna rush too.
But when you're best friends with Su FengQiu...
You learn to match his stupidly slow pace or get left talking to the wind.
The Hall was packed.
Parents, elders, shopkeepers—hell, even that grumpy noodle vendor came to watch.
Guess it's not every day you get to see the city's next generation awaken their roots.
And standing in the middle of it all...
Su FengQiu finally decided to look like he cared—well, kinda.
We stepped in and like always, the air shifted.
Even if his family wasn't some big-shot clan, they were still the only nobles here.
The only bloodline that' related to the empire.
And people noticed.
I swear I could feel all the eyes sneak a glance at him when he walked by.
Some respectful. Some... not so much.
But FengQiu? That bastard didn't even blink.
He walked in with his messy hair, wearing his lazy half-smile like he owned the place.
It was so him.
And honestly? Kinda cool.
I caught a glimpse of our reflections in the old bronze doors.
Me—brown eyes, black hair, looking... well, like me. Average.
Tall for our age but still nothing special.
And then him—golden freakin' eyes, like they swallowed the sun itself.
Black hair always messy, never proper, just like his attitude.
He didn't look like a noble.
But in a weird way… That made him look more like one than any of those stiff lords from the books.
I sighed.
"Bro, you do know you're making every kid here sweat just by walking in, right?"
I nudged him.
He yawned.
"Guess they should've woken up later then."
Damn… He's built different.
Su FengQiu
The Awakening Hall smelled like old incense and dust.
Everyone else was fidgeting, whispering, sweating under the weight of what today meant.
Me?
I was just trying not to yawn.
Chen HaoYu kept giving me those side-eyes, like I was about to embarrass him or something.
Honestly, maybe I would.
We stood in the back row, right where the list said we'd be.
HaoYu second to last.
Me? Dead last.
It was supposed to be some symbolic thing—nobles go last, the whole city watching, yada yada.
Like I cared.
But still...
When the line started moving and kids stepped up to the Awakening Stone, even I felt it—the shift in the air.
All those dreams, all those futures... judged in a single moment.
The first few kids got green.
A couple lucky ones got purple.
One girl got black and half the Hall gasped.
And then...
It was HaoYu's turn.
He walked up like he wasn't nervous, but I knew him.
He hides it behind that tall, chill face, but his fists were clenched tight.
He placed his hand on the stone.
It glowed black instantly—strong, rare, enough to make the crowd gasp again.
But for just a split second...
Right before the black settled...
I swear I saw a flicker of gold.
But no one else noticed.
Or maybe they didn't wanna see.
HaoYu blinked, pulling his hand back like nothing happened.
But I caught the way his lips tightened.
"Yo, nice one," I whispered when he walked past me.
He just rolled his eyes, but I saw the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He was trying not to smile.
And then... it was my turn.
The Hall went quiet.
Even the wind outside seemed to stop.
I walked up slow.
Real slow.
Like I had all the time in the world.
The elders stared.
The whole city stared.
I could feel them thinking, "That's the Su family's boy."
Like it meant something.
I pressed my hand to the stone.
Warmth rushed up my arm.
A deep, rumbling pulse that wasn't from the stone itself.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then... the light came.
First a flicker of gold.
Then more.
It swallowed the whole stone, blinding, pure, like molten sunlight.
But buried deep inside that golden glow...
For just a blink...
A faint pulse of crimson.
No one noticed.
The stone couldn't show more than gold anyway.
It wasn't built for more.
I pulled my hand back.
The elders were already muttering to each other, fake smiles plastered across their faces.
They acted impressed, respectful. Lies
I stepped back, stretching like I just finished a boring chore.
HaoYu stood next to me, raising an eyebrow.
"Gold, huh?"
He grinned, nudging me.
"Guess even a slacker like you got lucky."
I smirked.
"Guess so."
I stepped down, brushing the dust off my palm.
Golden, huh?
Guess that was expected.
Everyone from the my family always got purple or higher.
Would've been more shocking if I rolled anything less.
The elders started their speeches—stuff about talent, duty, the future of the city, blah blah.
I wasn't really listening.
HaoYu walked up next to me, arms crossed, his usual lazy smile creeping back now that it was over.
"Black's not bad," I told him, nudging his arm.
He scoffed.
"Not bad? I'm practically the star of the day until you show up all golden and stuff."
He rolled his eyes like he didn't care, but I knew him.
He wanted to punch something.
"Still," I said, lowering my voice, "when we get to a bigger city... you should try again. Use a better stone."
He looked at me, frowning.
"Why? It's not like I'm gonna suddenly wake up with a gold stem."
I gave him a half-shrug.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But those old stones the city got... they can only show so much."
I paused, grinning like I wasn't serious.
"But hey, what do I know? I'm just the slacker noble, right?"
He smirked.
"Yeah, yeah. Slacker noble who woke up golden. Must be nice."
We both laughed.
The ceremony was over.
Everyone was still buzzing, talking about the future, about cultivation, about realms.
But for us?
It was just another day.