The next day.
At the foot of the mountain, Tang San arrived to find Qian Jue already waiting for him. He had a sentence stuck in his heart, but didn't know whether he should say it or not.
"Tang San! You're here! Come on, let's hurry up the mountain—if we're late, we'll miss it!"
Qian Jue moved in naturally, wanting to grab Tang San's hand, but Tang San sidestepped.
"You… why are you here again…" Tang San asked, speechless.
"Of course it's to watch the sunrise! What else? I specially waited for you here. Do you know how rare it is to have someone to watch the sunrise with?"
"I—"
Tang San really wanted to curse. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to interrupt his Purple Demon Eye training, he would've turned and left on the spot. He had already made up his mind—by afternoon, he would go look for another place to cultivate. If he couldn't provoke this clingy fellow, then at least he could avoid him.
Sidestepping Qian Jue, Tang San activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step and swiftly climbed toward the summit.
Since he'd already been seen yesterday, it didn't matter if he showed it again.
"Eh, Tang San, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!"
Qian Jue saw Tang San ignoring him and rushing ahead. He secretly grinned, then hurried after him.
But unlike Tang San, the climb wasn't easy for Qian Jue. The mountain wasn't high, but the path was rugged. By the time he reached the top, panting heavily, Tang San was already seated cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Qian Jue, gasping for breath, walked over and put on an unhappy look. "Tang San, why do you always run so fast? You didn't wait for me yesterday either. Do you even consider me a friend?"
Tang San opened his eyes and glanced at him. He took two deep breaths, forcing back the words, 'I really don't see you as a friend.'
His upbringing didn't allow him to say something so hurtful. After all, they were still children. This boy didn't seem malicious—he just wanted to be friends with someone who shared the same interests.
"…Fine. Sorry, Qian Jue. I should've waited for you just now."
"Forget it, forget it. I'm not that petty. I'll forgive you!" Qian Jue waved generously.
"Then… I have one request. When the sun rises later, could you stay quiet and not disturb me?" Tang San asked.
Since Qian Jue wouldn't leave, Tang San could only hope he wouldn't interfere with his Purple Demon Eye cultivation. After all, the training caused no obvious phenomenon—only a faint purple light in his eyes. If he sat closer to the edge, Qian Jue probably wouldn't notice.
"Alright, I won't disturb you." Qian Jue readily agreed. He hadn't planned to interfere anyway. Tang San might dislike his clinginess, but he wouldn't truly hate him for it. If he disrupted Tang San's cultivation, however, Tang San would never treat him kindly again.
So Qian Jue sat cross-legged not far away, imitating Tang San, quietly waiting for sunrise.
He wanted to see if he could also glimpse that faint purple aura in the rising sun.
---
At last, the first rays of light spilled across their faces. Tang San opened his eyes at that moment.
Both boys stared wide-eyed at the slowly rising sun. Tang San's gaze was unwavering, but Qian Jue's eyes were streaming with tears.
'No, I can't take it anymore!'
He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing them furiously.
Although the morning sun wasn't blinding, the light was still harsh, and keeping his eyes exposed for so long made them unbearably dry. His body reflexively produced tears to moisten them. By the time he opened his eyes again, the sunrise was nearly over.
When the sun fully cleared the horizon, Tang San finally shut his eyes and exhaled deeply.
Qian Jue wiped his tears on his sleeve, stretched, and worked out the stiffness in his body while waiting for Tang San to finish.
Before long, Tang San stood up as well.
"Qian Jue, I have to go home now. I left food cooking."
"Alright, let's head down together. I need breakfast too."
"…Mn."
Tang San didn't object. He had expected Qian Jue would follow today, so he'd thinned the porridge with extra water and banked the fire lower before leaving. Still, he hadn't expected Qian Jue to wait for him at the mountain foot.
As they walked down, Qian Jue seized the chance to chat.
"Tang San, how old are you? I'm six."
"I'm five, almost six."
"Oh, so I'm older! That makes me your big brother. Don't worry, I'll look out for you."
Qian Jue puffed his chest.
Tang San glanced at him without responding.
"By the way, Xiao San, why do you run so fast? Yesterday going down, and today going up—you were gone in the blink of an eye."
Unconsciously, Qian Jue had started calling him 'Xiao San'. He boldly pressed the question.
He already knew the reason—Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step—but if he didn't ask, Tang San might get suspicious.
Tang San shook his head calmly. "I just train a lot. If you practiced as much, you could do the same."
"Yeah right, who are you fooling? That's not something you get from random exercise. Ah! I know—you've already gone through the awakening ceremony and gained your Martial Spirit, haven't you?"
"Martial Spirit? Awakening ceremony?"
As expected, Tang San's interest was piqued. He'd heard vague mentions of Martial Spirits, but never studied the details.
"I haven't gone through any awakening. Can you explain?"
"You haven't awakened yet? Perfect, I'll tell you!"
Qian Jue slung an arm over Tang San's shoulder.
Tang San looked at the hand but said nothing.
"In this world, everyone is born with a Martial Spirit inside them. That Martial Spirit decides your future and stays with you for life."
Tang San quietly circulated Xuan Tian Gong inside his body, checking himself.
Qian Jue guessed what he was doing but didn't expose it. He continued, "Martial Spirits can't be detected by normal means. Only the awakening ceremony can reveal them."
Tang San stayed silent.
"The awakening ceremony is hosted by the strongest organization in the world—the Spirit Hall. They have branches in every city, and each year they send Spirit masters to every village to awaken the Martial Spirits of six-year-old children. After awakening, you'll discover your Martial Spirit!"
"Wait, shouldn't the most powerful force be the government?" Tang San asked.
In his old world, sects and clans flourished, but the government remained supreme. Even peerless masters would eventually tire—only the state endured.
"Government, huh…" Qian Jue sorted through his memories.
"Perhaps if both empires joined forces with every sect, they could match Spirit Hall." He recalled the hidden worship halls and the living ninety-ninth-rank Qian Daoliu, and shook his head lightly.
"Then why hasn't Spirit Hall unified the continent already? Surely it's impossible for every force to ally together."
This time Qian Jue gave him the side-eye.
"How should I know? Don't interrupt."
"…Fine, go on," Tang San conceded.
"After awakening, as long as your Martial Spirit isn't trash and you have innate Soul power, you can train as a Spirit master—and walk the path toward godhood!" Qian Jue spoke with passion.
But Tang San, not yet understanding how powerful Spirit masters could be, remained doubtful.
"Become a god? How strong is a god?" he asked skeptically.
Qian Jue turned to him with solemn eyes. "Strong enough for one person to suppress an entire world."
Tang San was speechless at his serious tone. He didn't believe it, but didn't argue further.
"Then what counts as a good Martial Spirit? And what's a useless one?"
"There's no strict line. Martial Spirits are endless in variety—no one can catalog them all. But generally, the rarer they are, the stronger."
"I see… Then when is this year's awakening ceremony?" Tang San asked his final question.
"In three months. Village Chief Jack will come for you. Don't worry, you won't miss it."
"I understand. Thanks for telling me so much."
Tang San spoke sincerely. No one had ever explained these things to him before. He also noticed Qian Jue's difference—when he tried to talk to the other village children, they barely understood him.
"Don't thank me—we're friends! I know lots more. If you're ever curious, just ask me. We're friends, after all!"
Tang San studied him closely, then held out his hand solemnly.
"Alright. From now on, we're friends. My name is Tang San."
Qian Jue clasped his hand. "Qian Jue."
His face stayed calm, but inside he was overjoyed.
'Success!'