The Martial Spirit Awakening Hall of the Huang Clan Manor stood tall and solemn, its ancient stone pillars etched with runes that glowed faintly with the power. Every year, the younger generation of the clan would gather here, awaiting the day when their martial spirit would be awakened and their destiny revealed.
Today, however, the atmosphere was different. The elders sat curiously, the juniors whispered more feverishly, and even the servants were not acting as usual. All because the one about to awaken his Martial Spirit was Huang Kong Di—the neglected child of the clan, the son of Huang Kong Mei.
"Bring him forward," one of the clan's elders said, his tone steady but carrying a hidden trace of curiosity.
Huang Kong Di stepped calmly onto the awakening platform, his dark eyes unshaken. Though only 6 years old, his posture carried a maturity that startled those watching. Dressed in simple, worn-out robes, his figure contrasted sharply with the ornate clothes of the favored juniors who had awakened in years past.
At the edge of the platform stood his mother, Huang Kong Mei. Her presence alone was enough to silence many. Despite her fall from grace, her cultivation was formidable at Late Phase 5th Order, her Nine-Winged Serpent Martial Spirit a symbol that once shone brightly within the clan. She had taught her son herself, guiding his every step. She herself used to be a feared expert in the clan, but after being neglected at her most crucial time, her feelings for the clan melted away like summer snow.
The elder beckoned his hand towards Huang Kong Di he slowly stepped into the hexagon-patterned light beam. The hall grew silent, every gaze locked on him.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A surge of black mist exploded outward, chilling the air. From behind Huang Kong Di's body emerged the outline of a massive beast. A serpent-like creature, with nine twisting necks and hollow, spectral heads, rose into the air. Its roars shook the hall, echoing like calamities from the abyss.
"A… Hydra?!" someone gasped, paling.
The phantom of the creature fully took form, its body translucent, like a vessel waiting to be filled. Its hollow eyes burned with cold flame.
The awakening elder stumbled back, his voice trembling: "Gr-grade… Grade Ten Martial Spirit! A peak-grade spirit… The Hollow Hydra!"
The hall erupted in gasps and shouts.
"Impossible! A Grade Ten in our clan!"
"Heavens, our Huang Clan finally has another genius!"
"With this child, the clan's future is secured!"
Even Huang Qide, the Clan Master himself, stood from his seat in shock. His eyes widened, then softened with a deep, complex emotion. Regret, guilt, and longing all mixed together. For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to step down, place a hand on the boy's shoulder, and claim him as his disciple—personally guide this heaven-blessed genius.
But then his gaze drifted to Huang Kong Mei. Her cold, piercing eyes met his, and his heart faltered. Memories of the past clawed at him—the brother who had died to protect him, the niece he had sworn to care for, the promises he had broken when his own sons were born. He had neglected her, allowed the clan to treat her as an afterthought.
And now, her son had revealed a talent surpassing even his imagination.
Huang Qide's lips trembled, but no words came out.
Beside him, the elders' voices rose.
"Clan Master, we must cultivate him!"
"With his talent, the Huang Clan will stand proudly in the city!"
"Every nearby powerful sect and academy will accept him without any reservations!"
But Huang Kong Mei only sneered.
Her disdainful voice cut through the uproar:"Now you remember us? Where were your praises when I wept for my husband's death? Where was this eagerness when I begged for help while carrying his child alone? When the servants starved us, when you shoved us into the coldest, dampest quarters of the manor—where were you then?"
The hall fell silent. Not one elder dared to speak.
Huang Kong Di's young face was calm, yet his eyes flickered with coldness. His gaze swept across the clan members—faces he remembered all too well. The elders who ignored his mother's pleas. The cousins who mocked him. The servants who dared to bully him.
He would never forget.
And he would never forgive.
"Clan Master, Elders," Huang Kong Di finally spoke, his voice steady and mature beyond his years. "You need not trouble yourselves. My mother and I already have plans. Whether I had awakened trash or genius, this clan means nothing to us. You owe us more than we owe you."
Gasps rang through the hall. Even Huang Qide stiffened.
"Huang Kong Di," one elder scolded, recovering first, "you don't understand the fortune—"
"I understand perfectly." Huang Kong Di inclined his head, not quite a bow. "When my father died and my mother cried for aid, fortune did not come. When she carried me alone, fortune did not come. When we were given mold and called it bread, fortune did not come." He looked past the elders, past the rows of cousins, and let his gaze rest on Huang Qide. "You were always busy with fortune then."
Color rose and fell in the Clan Master's cheeks. He opened his mouth again, regret dragging his features.
The Hollow Hydra behind him let out a ghostly hiss, its nine heads swaying as if mocking the gathered crowd.
Huang Kong Mei stepped onto the platform, placing a firm hand on her son's shoulder. Her voice was cold, yet filled with pride."From this day on, my son and I owe the Huang Clan nothing. Remember that."
Without bowing, without waiting for permission, the mother and son turned their backs to the Clan Master and the elders, walking out of the Awakening Hall under countless stunned, regretful gazes.
Behind them, whispers broke out.
"A Grade Ten… genius..."
"…and we just let him go… we even lost a powerful member."
"Where can we find another 5th Order expert??"
But neither Huang Kong Mei nor Huang Kong Di ever looked back.
Outside the Awakening Hall, Huang Kong Di clenched his fists, his dark eyes burning with determination. His Martial Spirit pulsed behind him, the Hollow Hydra twisted in the air, its hollow body glowing faintly as if hungering for something more.
His path had only just begun.