The Spirit Hall's awakening chamber gleamed with golden light, the polished marble floors reflecting the anticipation of thirty-six children standing in line. Lin Xiao stood near the middle, his heart pounding against his ribs. Today was the day that would decide his future.
At six years old, every child in the Spirit City underwent the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony. The martial soul that manifested would determine their social standing, their opportunities, their very worth in the eyes of society.
"Next," the Spirit Master conducting the ceremony called out. His white robes marked him as a Spirit Elder, his cultivation of Level 32 giving him an air of authority that made the children tremble.
A girl stepped forward, her hands shaking as she placed them on the awakening crystal. Light flared, and a small bird made of ice materialized above her palm. The Spirit Master nodded. "Ice Sparrow, beast-type. Innate soul power Level 4. Average. You may proceed to the Spirit Master Academy."
The girl's parents beamed with pride. Level 4 was average, but an Ice Sparrow was a respectable beast-type soul. Their daughter would have a decent future.
Children continued to step forward one by one. A boy awakened a Flame Tiger with Level 6 innate soul power—talented, destined for greatness. Another awakened a Steel Sword with Level 3—below average, but a weapon soul at least had combat potential.
Then it was Lin Yue's turn.
She walked to the awakening crystal with the confidence of a child who knew she was special. When she placed her hands on the crystal, the chamber filled with an icy blue light so brilliant that some children had to shield their eyes. Above her palm, a magnificent phoenix made of crystalline ice materialized, its wings spreading as if to take flight.
The Spirit Master's eyes widened. "Ice Phoenix! A legendary beast-type martial soul!" He quickly checked the soul power measurement crystal. "Innate soul power Level 8! Genius!"
The chamber erupted in gasps and whispers. Level 8 was genius talent, and an Ice Phoenix was one of the most powerful beast-type souls imaginable. Lin Yue's father, a Spirit Douluo named Lord Chen, stepped forward with tears in his eyes. His daughter was destined for greatness.
Lin Yue turned and caught Lin Xiao's eye. For a moment, their gazes locked across the chamber. Then she looked away, her expression dismissive. She had no reason to notice an ordinary boy like him.
"Next," the Spirit Master called out.
Lin Xiao stepped forward, his legs feeling heavier with each step. He had dreamed of this day for as long as he could remember. He had hoped for a powerful beast-type soul, or at least a formidable weapon. He had trained his body since he was four, preparing himself for the cultivation journey.
He placed his hands on the awakening crystal and closed his eyes, praying to any spirit that might listen.
Light flared, but it was weak—a dull grayish-white instead of the brilliant colors that had accompanied the other awakenings. Lin Xiao opened his eyes and looked at his palm.
Above it floated two small bones, tied together with a frayed rope. They looked like something a dog might have chewed on and discarded. Mismatched fragments, dry and brittle, dangling uselessly from a thin cord that looked ready to snap at any moment.
The chamber fell silent. Then the laughter began.
It started with a giggle from one of the other children, then spread like wildfire. Soon, the entire chamber was filled with laughter. Even the Spirit Master couldn't suppress a smirk.
"Soul Bone Nunchaku," the Spirit Master announced, his voice thick with amusement. "A tool-type weapon soul, but... this appearance. It looks like trash."
He checked the soul power measurement crystal. "Innate soul power Level 5. Average. But with this martial soul..." He shook his head. "You might struggle to reach Spirit Elder. The Soul Master Academy will accept you, but I wouldn't expect much."
The laughter grew louder. Children pointed and jeered. "Bone Nunchaku! What a joke!" "That's not a weapon, that's garbage!" "My martial soul could break that just by looking at it!"
Lin Xiao's face burned with humiliation. He stared at the two bones floating above his palm, the frayed rope swaying slightly as if mocking him himself. This was his martial soul? This ridiculous, pathetic thing was what destiny had given him?
Lin Yue stepped down from the platform, her Ice Phoenix still glowing with residual power. She walked past Lin Xiao and paused, looking at his martial soul with undisguised contempt.
"A bone nunchaku?" she said, her voice carrying clearly through the laughter. "That's the weakest martial soul I've ever seen. You'll never amount to anything with that."
She walked away without another word, joining her father who was already celebrating her genius awakening.
The Spirit Master waved his hand dismissively. "Next. Move along, boy. You're blocking the line."
Lin Xiao dismissed his martial soul, the bones fading into nothingness. He walked back to his place in line, head down, ears burning with the whispers and laughter that followed him.
The ceremony continued, but Lin Xiao barely registered it. His mind was reeling from the humiliation. He had trained so hard, prepared so diligently, and for what? To be given a martial soul that was a laughing stock?
When the ceremony ended, the other children gathered in excited groups, comparing their martial souls and boasting about their futures. Lin Xiao stood alone, ignored by everyone.
He walked out of the Spirit Hall, the golden doors closing behind him. Outside, the sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. It was beautiful, but Lin Xiao felt no joy.
He found himself wandering toward the old archives building at the edge of the Spirit Hall grounds. Most people avoided it—the records there were ancient and largely forgotten, deemed useless by modern cultivators who focused on power and combat.
But Lin Xiao had always been curious. He had sneaked into the archives a few times before, fascinated by the crumbling scrolls and dusty tomes that held the knowledge of centuries past.
The archives were empty, as usual. The old librarian was asleep at his desk, snoring softly. Lin Xiao slipped past him and made his way to the back shelves, where the oldest records were kept.
His fingers traced the spines of scrolls written in scripts that few could read anymore. He pulled one out at random and unrolled it carefully. The text was faded, but he could make out enough to understand.
It was a record from over a thousand years ago, describing weapon-type martial souls and their potential. As Lin Xiao read, his eyes widened.
The scroll spoke of a time when weapon-type martial souls infused with soul power had dominated the battlefield. It described techniques for infusing soul power into weapons, methods for strengthening them through discipline and training, ways to transform even the simplest weapon into a formidable instrument of war.
Most importantly, it spoke of the principle that the power of a weapon-type soul came not from its initial appearance, but from the cultivator's ability to infuse it with soul power through relentless practice and mastery.
Lin Xiao's heart began to race. This was exactly what he needed.
He read faster, absorbing every word. The scroll described how cultivators of the past had trained with their weapon souls for hours every day, practicing basic movements until they could perform them perfectly, then infusing soul power to strengthen the weapon itself. It spoke of patience, discipline, and the understanding that true strength came from mastery, not from innate advantage.
The scroll was incomplete—many sections were missing or illegible—but what remained was enough to give Lin Xiao hope.
He carefully rolled the scroll back up and returned it to its place. Then he found another, and another. Each one contained fragments of knowledge about weapon-type souls and their cultivation methods.
By the time the librarian woke up and noticed him, Lin Xiao had read through a dozen scrolls. The old man grumbled and shooed him out, but Lin Xiao didn't care.
He walked home as the stars began to appear in the sky, his mind racing with possibilities. His martial soul might look ridiculous now, but these ancient records proved that weapon-type souls could be powerful. They could be transformed through hard work and discipline.
He stopped and looked at his palm, summoning his Soul Bone Nunchaku. The two small bones and frayed rope appeared, looking as pathetic as ever. But as Lin Xiao stared at them, he saw something different now.
He saw potential.
"I don't care what anyone says," he whispered to the empty street. "I don't care if they laugh. I don't care if they think I'm trash."
He clenched his fist around the bones, feeling their brittle texture against his skin. "I will train harder than anyone else. I will master this martial soul. I will infuse it with my soul power until it becomes something legendary."
The determination burning in his chest was stronger than any humiliation he had felt that day. The laughter, the mockery, the contempt—it would all be fuel. Every person who had looked down on him would one day see how wrong they were.
Lin Xiao dismissed his martial soul and continued walking home. His steps were lighter now, his purpose clear.
The path ahead would be hard. He would face more mockery, more discrimination, more obstacles than those with powerful martial souls. But he didn't care.
Hard work. Discipline. Intelligence. These were the things that truly mattered. These were the things that would make him strong.
And he would prove it to the world.
End of Chapter 1