Lin Xiao woke before dawn, the first rays of sunlight barely touching the horizon. His body ached from the previous day's humiliation, but his mind was clear. Today marked the beginning of his journey.
He dressed quietly, not wanting to wake his parents. They had been supportive despite his disappointing awakening, but he didn't want to see the concern in their eyes. He needed to do this alone.
The training grounds behind the Spirit Hall were empty at this hour. Lin Xiao found a secluded corner beneath an ancient oak tree, far from the main areas where other students might see him. He didn't need an audience for his first attempts.
He sat cross-legged on the grass and summoned his Soul Bone Nunchaku. The two small bones and frayed rope appeared above his palm, looking as pathetic as ever. But Lin Xiao didn't laugh. He didn't feel shame. He felt purpose.
According to the ancient scrolls, the first step was basic soul power infusion. The cultivator had to guide their soul power into the weapon, strengthening it gradually through repeated exposure. It wasn't about overwhelming the weapon with power—it was about patient, consistent infusion.
Lin Xiao closed his eyes and focused on his inner energy. Soul power Level 5 was average, nothing special, but it was what he had. He drew upon it, feeling the warm energy gather in his dantian, then slowly guided it down his arm, through his palm, and into the nunchaku.
At first, nothing happened. The bones remained dull and lifeless, the rope frayed and weak. Lin Xiao didn't give up. He maintained the infusion, keeping a steady stream of soul power flowing into the weapon.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
A faint gray light began to emanate from the bones. It was barely visible, like moonlight on a cloudy night, but it was there. Lin Xiao's heart raced. It was working.
He maintained the infusion for another hour, until sweat dripped down his forehead and his arm trembled from the effort. The gray light grew slightly stronger, but the bones themselves showed no visible change. The rope remained frayed, the surfaces still dry and brittle.
Lin Xiao released the soul power and dismissed his martial soul, exhausted. His body felt drained, but his spirit soared.
The scrolls had warned that the initial progress would be slow. Infusion was only the first step. The real transformation would come from repeated practice, from using the weapon in actual combat and training, from infusing it again and again over months and years.
But he had started. That was what mattered.
He returned home as the sun rose, his parents still asleep. He showered and changed, then headed to the Spirit Hall for the first day of orientation at the Spirit Master Academy.
The academy grounds were bustling with activity. Children who had awakened their martial souls the previous day were gathered in groups, excitedly discussing their futures. Lin Xiao walked through the crowd alone, ignored as before.
"Hey, look who it is," a voice called out. "Bone Nunchaku boy!"
Lin Xiao turned to see a group of boys approaching. The speaker was a tall boy with a Flame Tiger martial soul—Level 6 innate soul power, talented and arrogant.
"What do you want?" Lin Xiao asked quietly.
"Just wondering if you're planning to train with that... thing," the boy said, gesturing at Lin Xiao's palm where his martial soul would appear. "Or are you just going to accept that you're trash and quit now?"
His friends laughed.
Lin Xiao met the boy's gaze evenly. "I'm going to train. And I'm going to get stronger."
The boy laughed harder. "With that? You can't be serious. Even if you train for ten years, you'll never catch up to real martial souls."
"Maybe not," Lin Xiao said. "But I'll be stronger than I am now. That's what matters."
The boy's smile faded slightly, confused by Lin Xiao's lack of anger or shame. He had expected tears or defiance, not calm determination.
"Whatever," the boy muttered, walking away. "Waste of time."
Lin Xiao watched him go, then continued to the orientation hall. The incident had barely registered. He had a goal now, and petty insults couldn't shake him.
The orientation was conducted by a Spirit Master named Elder Zhang, a stern woman with a Lightning Hammer martial soul. She explained the academy's structure, the curriculum, and the expectations for students.
"All of you have awakened martial souls," she said, her voice commanding attention. "Some of you are talented, some are average. But talent alone is not enough. The Spirit Master Academy will test your discipline, your perseverance, and your character. Only those who work hard will succeed."
She paused, her eyes sweeping across the room. "In three days, you will undergo the entrance assessment. This will determine your placement in the academy classes. Those who perform well will be placed in the advanced class. Those who perform poorly will be placed in the remedial class."
The room grew quiet. Everyone wanted to be in the advanced class.
"The assessment will test your basic soul power control and your martial soul familiarity," Elder Zhang continued. "I suggest you all train hard in the next three days."
As the orientation ended, students began to file out. Lin Yue, surrounded by a group of admirers, walked past Lin Xiao without even glancing at him. She was already being treated like royalty, the genius Ice Phoenix who would undoubtedly top the assessment.
Lin Xiao didn't care. He had his own path.
That afternoon, he returned to the training grounds beneath the oak tree. This time, he didn't just practice soul power infusion. He began practicing basic nunchaku movements.
The scrolls had described fundamental techniques: the basic swing, the figure-eight pattern, the wrist flick, the transition between offense and defense. Lin Xiao practiced each movement slowly, carefully, without using soul power at first. He needed to master the mechanics before adding energy.
His nunchaku was awkward and unbalanced. The bones were too light, the rope too loose. The swing felt wrong, the rhythm off. But Lin Xiao persisted, repeating each movement hundreds of times.
Swing. Return. Swing. Return.
His wrist grew sore. His fingers cramped. Sweat dripped into his eyes.
He didn't stop.
By sunset, he had practiced the basic swing over a thousand times. His form was improving slightly—the movement was becoming smoother, more natural. The nunchaku still felt wrong, but less wrong than before.
He summoned soul power and began the infusion technique again, combining it with the swing. Gray light flickered around the bones as they moved through the air, faint and unsteady, but present.
Lin Xiao dismissed his martial soul and leaned against the oak tree, exhausted but satisfied. He had trained for six hours straight. His body ached, his soul power was nearly depleted, but he had made progress.
Tomorrow, he would train longer. And the day after that, longer still.
As he walked home under the stars, Lin Xiao thought about the entrance assessment in three days. He knew he wouldn't perform as well as the geniuses like Lin Yue. He might even end up in the remedial class.
But that didn't matter. The assessment was just one test. His real journey would take years, not days. And he was willing to work for every single step.
End of Chapter 2