The morning sun spilled over the Sea of Stars Sect like molten gold, casting long shadows across the courtyard and training grounds. Lanterns still swayed faintly from last night's breeze, and the scent of dew mixed with incense lingered in the air. Today was the first morning after the spirit root ceremony, and the entire sect buzzed with anticipation.
Disciples moved in orderly lines, robes rustling softly, as Elder Wu stepped forward. His long, silver hair caught the sunlight, and his piercing gaze swept across the gathered students.
"Today marks the beginning of your true cultivation journey," he announced, voice carrying across the courtyard. "Those who awakened as mages, warriors, summoners, or alchemists will begin basic techniques today. Even those with weaker spirit roots—or in rare cases, those who appear rootless—will not be neglected. You are all disciples of the Sea of Stars Sect. You will train, you will persevere, and you will grow."
The crowd murmured, some in excitement, others in doubt. And then the whispers began—the familiar undercurrent that followed Li Shen like a shadow.
"Why is he even here?"
"Rootless trash, still standing?"
"He'll only embarrass himself again."
Li Shen kept his head down, the murmurs washing over him like cold rain. He walked with deliberate steps, his black hair falling over his eyes. Two days had passed since the humiliating spirit root testing ceremony, yet the memory of Zhao Feng's sneer, Mei Lin's hesitant gaze, and the mocking laughter of the disciples still burned fresh in his mind.
He felt the sting of every word, the weight of every stare. His shoulders ached under the invisible burden of shame, yet he refused to stop.
I cannot show weakness. I must not break. Mother… I promised.
---
The courtyard was divided into sections. Mages gathered on the left side, practicing elemental control with tiny jets of flame, streams of water, and gusts of wind. Warriors lined the central training ground, summoning faint weapon spirits in their right hands, executing precise forms and stances. Summoners knelt on the right, concentrating on small spirit beasts, each disciple calling forth foxes, hawks, or even one-tailed lions. Alchemists mixed powders and elements delicately, their hands glowing faintly as they combined fire and earth to create volatile reactions.
Zhao Feng stood at the center of the warriors' section, his violet aura flickering faintly around him. Even without a weapon in hand, the crowd could sense the power emanating from his spirit root. His movements were elegant yet deliberate, each stance precise, radiating confidence.
Beside him, Mei Lin demonstrated her mastery of water and light. A stream of liquid shimmered in midair, twisting into delicate patterns, catching the sunlight like liquid crystal. Her peers watched in awe, whispering about her rare dual-element genius.
Li Shen's heart clenched. He could see it all, the magic, the weapons, the beasts. And then there was him—nothing. His hands remained empty. His Sea of Ocean still silent. The orb had shown no spark, no tier, no sign of awakening.
A disciple nearby snorted. "Look at him. Two years of training… and still nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if he falls asleep mid-practice." Laughter followed, echoing across the courtyard.
Zhao Feng smirked. "Maybe he should go back to farming, see if that suits him better."
Li Shen swallowed hard. The taste of bitterness and shame was sharp, almost suffocating. He could feel every eye on him, weighing him down, judging him. His cheeks burned with humiliation, and for a moment, he considered walking away entirely, leaving the sect that had turned its back on him.
But then…
A quiet voice in his mind stirred. The faint pulse he had felt the night after the spirit root ceremony. Almost imperceptible, yet undeniably there.
Something is… stirring.
He clenched his fists. Even if the world saw him as nothing, even if every disciple laughed at him, something deep within refused to remain dormant.
---
Elder Wu raised his hands, signaling the disciples to begin their practical exercises.
"Focus your qi," he instructed. "Mages, channel your element. Warriors, summon your weapon spirit. Summoners, call forth your spirit beast. Alchemists, combine your elements carefully. Those who feel stagnant, concentrate on controlling your Sea of Ocean—learn to sense even the smallest flickers of power."
Li Shen took a deep breath. He extended his left hand, attempting to infuse qi into his Sea of Ocean. Nothing happened. He tried again, deeper, pushing harder than ever, drawing on every ounce of energy, every memory of late-night practice, every lesson his mother had ever taught him in secret.
Still… silence.
A wave of despair rose, threatening to engulf him. He saw the sneers, the laughter, the judgmental eyes of Zhao Feng and his followers. The whispers of "trash" and "rootless" pressed down like a physical weight.
I have nothing. I am nothing.
His knees threatened to buckle. His chest tightened. But then, just at the edge of perception, a faint flicker—like a single star twinkling in an endless void—pulsed from deep within his Sea of Ocean.
He blinked. Was it real?
A single thread of qi, so faint that anyone else would not have noticed, responded to his will. His hands tingled, warmth spreading slowly from his chest to his fingertips. A spark. That was all it was—a tiny, fragile spark—but it was something.
Li Shen's eyes widened. His heartbeat accelerated. The spark persisted, shimmering faintly in the dark recesses of his mind. It was not enough to summon fire, weapon, or beast—but it was proof. Proof that he was not truly rootless.
The corners of his lips twitched. He allowed himself the smallest smile, though no one could see it.
I am not nothing.
---
The surrounding disciples, engrossed in their own training, barely noticed the faint disturbance. Zhao Feng, however, was quick to sense something unusual. He narrowed his eyes, leaning slightly closer, as if he could see into Li Shen's untrained Sea of Ocean.
"What's this?" Zhao Feng muttered under his breath, voice just low enough to avoid catching attention. "He's… moving his qi? Impossible. The orb showed nothing. How—"
He trailed off, suspicion flickering across his face.
Li Shen kept his movements small, subtle. He could not afford to reveal too much. If Zhao Feng caught even a hint of potential, the rivalry would escalate, and the mocking would turn into outright hostility.
And yet, the spark continued. The tiniest flicker of qi, pulsing faintly, waiting for its moment to grow.
---
By the end of the morning training, the crowds dispersed to rest or continue practice. Zhao Feng strode past Li Shen, sending a piercing glance. His smirk was present but restrained.
You won't get away forever, Li Shen, he thought, sensing that there might be more to the boy than the orb revealed.
Li Shen retreated to the edge of the training field, leaning against a shaded pillar. He flexed his hands slowly, feeling the faint warmth of the spark pulsing within.
Mother… I will not fail you. I will not be nothing. This spark… is only the beginning.
The sun climbed higher, casting golden rays across the Sea of Stars Sect, but Li Shen's gaze was fixed inward, on the hidden depths of his Sea of Ocean. There, a flicker of light danced, faint but alive.
The path ahead would be long, lonely, and dangerous—but at last, the first step of his true awakening had begun.
---
By mid-morning, the training grounds were alive with the sounds of strikes against dummies, shouts of concentration, and the faint hum of awakened qi. Elder Wu, having given the basic instructions, now allowed disciples to pair up for sparring exercises, testing both reflexes and the ability to apply control over their elements or weapons.
Li Shen was paired with Jian Yu, a tall, broad-shouldered warrior with a fifth-tier green root. Jian Yu had sneered at him all morning, barely hiding his contempt.
"Well, rootless trash," Jian Yu said, voice low but cutting, "let's see if you can even keep up."
Li Shen said nothing. He bowed slightly, as custom demanded, though inwardly his nerves tensed like a drawn bowstring. I may not have awakened like the others… but I can still fight.
---
Jian Yu lunged first, swinging his weapon spirit—a faint, emerald spear that flickered in the air, barely tangible. Most disciples had started with minor demonstrations, but Jian Yu was confident, aggressive, eager to humiliate Li Shen.
Li Shen ducked instinctively. His body moved in ways he didn't consciously command—his reflexes sharper, faster, reacting almost before thought. A whisper of qi stirred faintly along his veins.
The spear grazed past his shoulder, leaving him unharmed but shaking slightly from the force. Li Shen countered instinctively, shifting his weight and stepping forward with a precise sweep, guided not by his conscious training, but by an instinctive understanding of distance, timing, and momentum.
The crowd gasped.
---
Jian Yu stumbled slightly, stunned. He had underestimated the boy, assuming a complete lack of skill. But Li Shen's movements were… unusual. Flawless. Natural. Almost as if the body knew the correct response before the mind did.
Elder Wu's gaze sharpened. He watched from the side, silently observing. Something about Li Shen's posture, his speed, the subtle flicker of qi in his Sea of Ocean—it was… irregular. Not powerful yet, but different. Unique.
A faint, bluish spark of energy burst from Li Shen's left hand, invisible to most of the crowd but detectable to those attuned to qi. It pulsed in time with his heartbeat, a tiny flicker in the vast Sea of Ocean.
Impossible… a voice whispered in his mind. Not his own—deep, ancient, echoing. A dragon's whisper, faint and fleeting. You have only begun.
Li Shen's eyes widened. The spark—his first real manifestation of potential—was not a mistake. It was a signal. A hint that his Sea of Ocean, his sealed spirit root, was beginning to stir.
---
Zhao Feng, standing nearby, narrowed his violet eyes. "Did you see that?" he muttered to one of his followers. "He… moved instinctively. There was a flicker of qi. How could that be? The orb—" He clenched his fist. His pride pricked. I will not be outshone by trash.
Meanwhile, Mei Lin's gaze softened as she observed Li Shen. She had felt conflicted since the ceremony—torn between her loyalty to the sect's social hierarchy and the boy she had trained beside for two years. Now, seeing this unexpected movement, a spark of doubt crept in. Could Li Shen truly have something the orb failed to reveal?
She bit her lip, unwilling to speak. Her silence, however, did not go unnoticed. Li Shen caught her glance briefly. For a fleeting instant, it felt like encouragement, a quiet signal that perhaps she still believed in him.
---
The sparring continued, Jian Yu now cautious, each strike carefully measured. But Li Shen's movements were fluid, precise, almost preternatural. He dodged, countered, and deflected with instincts far beyond a rootless disciple.
Inwardly, Li Shen's resolve hardened. I may have been mocked today. I may have been declared useless. But I am not nothing. I will find my path. I will awaken my power, and I will not be humiliated again.
The spark within him pulsed stronger, faintly illuminating the depths of his Sea of Ocean. He had no idea yet what lay dormant, sealed away by his father in twenty intricate layers, but this first flicker promised that one day he would unlock it all.
---
Some disciples noticed the unusual movement. "Did you see that?" one whispered. "He moved like a trained genius, almost… instinctively."
"Impossible," another replied. "The orb showed nothing. He shouldn't even be able to react like that."
Gossip spread, but mostly among the curious rather than the mocking. The ridiculers continued to jeer, but small pockets of attention and speculation began to form. A few eyes lingered on Li Shen, noting the anomaly.
Even Zhao Feng's smirk faltered slightly, replaced by a faint shadow of unease.
---
In a final exchange, Jian Yu lunged with full force, intent on humiliating Li Shen completely. This time, something remarkable happened. Li Shen's right palm, unconsciously channeling the faint pulse of qi from his Sea of Ocean, flared with a soft violet-blue shimmer. Not enough to summon a weapon or element, but enough to disrupt Jian Yu's attack and send him staggering back.
The courtyard fell silent.
Elder Wu's brow furrowed. "Interesting," he muttered under his breath. "This disciple… he is not as simple as he seems."
Zhao Feng's eyes darkened. "He… has potential." He ground his teeth. "This isn't over, Li Shen. I will surpass you, and everyone will see your place."
Mei Lin watched from the sidelines, conflicted. A mixture of fear and admiration crossed her face. Could it be… he's not just a rootless disciple?
---
As the crowd dispersed, Li Shen stood alone once more, breath heavy, body trembling with adrenaline and exhaustion. Yet beneath the surface, deep in the hidden Sea of Ocean, the spark pulsed stronger, as if calling to him.
A whisper echoed faintly, almost like a dream: "You have only begun… the path is long, and the layers await. Unlock, rise, and become what none have ever seen."
Li Shen's eyes shone with determination. "I will… I will not be nothing. I will awaken my power, no matter what it takes."
The first spark of talent had appeared. And though it was small, faint, and fragile, it marked the beginning of a journey that would shake the Sea of Stars Sect to its core.
The path ahead would be filled with mockery, rivalry, betrayal, and pain—but also glory, strength, and the awakening of the sealed dragon core within him.
And for the first time in his life, Li Shen smiled.