Free Web NovelChapter 1: 1. The beginning.
Azure Willow City.
The city bustled with activity. Merchants shouted from crowded streets, taverns overflowed with patrons, and groups of cultivators exchanged rumors wherever they gathered.
Among the countless topics of discussion, one stood above all others today.
It was the talk about the Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremonies being held by the city’s three great families.
For every cultivator, awakening a Martial Spirit was the first and most important step on the path of cultivation.
Only after awakening their Martial Spirit could one communicate with Heaven and Earth, absorb Spiritual Qi, and begin their journey as a Martial Artist.
Martial Spirits came in countless forms. Some took the shape of beasts, others weapons, elements, or even stranger existences. Their varieties were so numerous that no one could accurately count them all.
To distinguish their quality, Martial Spirits were classified into five ranks: Mortal, Earth, Legend, Divine, and Myth.
Each rank was further divided into ten grades.
The higher the rank and grade of a Martial Spirit, the faster one’s cultivation speed, the greater their combat prowess, and the higher their future potential.
A powerful Martial Spirit could determine the course of an entire life.
As such, the upcoming awakening ceremonies had become the center of attention throughout Azure Willow City.
Among all the younger generation, one name was mentioned more than any other.
Lin Zhaoyue.
The young lady of the Lin Family was renowned as a once-in-a-generation genius.
She learned faster than her peers, possessed astonishing comprehension, and displayed wisdom far beyond her years.
While most children still behaved immaturely, Lin Zhaoyue carried herself with the composure and elegance of a grown woman.
Whether among the common people or the city’s influential figures, she was admired by all.
Many believed that she would awaken a Martial Spirit of extraordinary rank and lead the Lin Family to even greater heights.
At that moment, within the Lin Family Estate, a large crowd had gathered around a massive white stone altar.
The ancient altar had stood within the family grounds for generations. It was both a symbol of the Lin Family’s history and the foundation upon which their status as one of Azure Willow City’s three great families had been built.
Beside the altar stood a grey-robed elder.
After glancing at the sky, he turned toward a dignified middle-aged man seated at the head of the gathering.
"The auspicious hour has arrived, Patriarch."
His voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Shall we begin the Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony?"
The person he addressed was Lin Xuan, the Patriarch of the Lin Family.
Yet at this moment, Lin Xuan appeared strangely distracted.
He stared blankly at the elder, his expression frozen.
Shock churned within his mind.
’Wasn’t I just drinking tea a moment ago?’
His gaze swept across the unfamiliar courtyard, the ancient altar, and the hundreds of expectant faces surrounding him.
’Why am I here?’
A ridiculous thought surfaced in his mind.
’Did I fall asleep? Is this some kind of dream?’
"Patriarch?"
The grey-robed elder called out once more.
Lin Xuan abruptly snapped back to reality.
Seeing dozens of eyes fixed upon him, he suppressed the confusion in his heart and gave a slight nod.
"Yes."
He waved his hand.
"Let the ceremony begin."
"Understood, Patriarch."
The elder respectfully cupped his fists before turning toward the altar.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan remained seated in silence.
His outward expression was calm and dignified, befitting the head of one of Azure Willow City’s three great families.
Internally, however, his thoughts were in complete disarray.
’What is going on?’
’How did I suddenly become the patriarch of some cultivation clan?’
’This is too real to be dream.’
Before he could sort through the flood of questions in his mind, a translucent screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
No one else seemed to notice it.
The screen floated silently in front of him.
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully surviving.]
[Reward Issued: Newbie Gift Pack.]
[Raise your clan and unlock powerful abilities.]
Lin Xuan stared blankly.
A system?
As someone who had spent countless nights reading web novels, he was naturally familiar with such things.
Still, actually encountering one himself was another matter entirely.
’This is ridiculous—’
Before he could finish the thought, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Lin Xuan instinctively raised his head to see the ancient white altar radiating a brilliant golden light.
Six golden rays shot into the sky, illuminating the entire courtyard.
Standing beside the altar, the grey-robed elder trembled with excitement.
His aged face had turned red.
"T-This..."
He stared at the spectacle before him as though he could scarcely believe his own eyes.
Then he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Six golden rays! Six golden rays have appeared! This is a Sixth-Grade Mortal Rank Martial Spirit!
A Beast-Type Martial Spirit!"
The entire gathering exploded into an uproar.
"A Sixth-Grade Mortal Rank Martial Spirit?"
"No way!"
"Such talent is rarely seen even considering the whole of Loushi kingdom!"
"The heavens are truly favoring our Lin Family!"
Envious gazes filled the courtyard.
Many of the younger clan members clenched their fists.
Others stared at the youth standing atop the altar with unconcealed admiration.
The expressions of the spectators were filled with shock.
To them, such a result was almost inconceivable.
A Sixth-Grade Mortal Rank Martial Spirit was already considered outstanding within the whole of Loushi kingdom.
Anyone possessing such talent would have little difficulty becoming an expert in the future.
As discussions spread throughout the crowd, Lin Xuan remained seated.
His eyes, however, were no longer on the altar.
Instead, they were fixed on the glowing screen that still hovered before him.
One thought echoed repeatedly within his mind.
’So... I really transmigrated.’
