Chapter 4: The Awakening Ceremony
The dawn air over Qinghe City was thick with energy. From the academy to the government towers, faint ripples of spirit light shimmered in the sky. Every year, this day marked the city's most anticipated event — the Martial Awakening Ceremony, when young cultivators would reveal their fated attributes.
It wasn't merely a school ritual. It was a test of destiny.
Ren Yu stood in front of the mirror, fastening the collar of his uniform. The pendant — the ancient dragon and flame — glowed faintly beneath his shirt, the energy within it calm yet alive, like a sleeping beast.
Downstairs, Lin Yuyan waited with a soft smile and a hint of unease."You've been meditating every night," she said as he entered the kitchen. "Even your aura feels… older."
Ren Yu smiled faintly. "Maybe I'm catching up to Father."
From behind a newspaper, Ren Housheng gave a low chuckle. "Hmph. You'd need a few more decades for that." He looked up, gaze sharp. "But remember — the Awakening will attract powerful eyes. Don't reveal more than you must."
Ren Yu nodded. "I understand."
Still, deep down, he knew it wasn't something he could entirely control. The energy inside him was alive — restless, aware.
The academy plaza was already crowded when he arrived. Floating banners shimmered above the stage, displaying the names of participants. Each family, each sect, each guild had representatives waiting — scouts searching for talent.
Kairen Liu waved from the crowd, grinning. "Ren Yu! Over here!"
Ren Yu joined him, scanning the vast energy screen where each student's martial vein manifestation would soon appear. Lira Han stood near the front, calm and composed, her aura already radiating faint golden motes. She caught his gaze briefly — then looked away.
"Man," Kairen whispered, "rumor is, the top academies are watching this one. Some from outside Qinghe too."
Ren Yu half-smiled. "Then I guess I'll try not to embarrass us."
The ground vibrated as the city's central bell rang — deep, resonant, and old enough to make the very air tremble.From the main platform, Elder Jian, a man in ceremonial robes, stepped forward.
"Today," his voice boomed, amplified by spirit arrays, "we honor the ancient bond between body, soul, and the martial path. The awakening is not merely a test of power — it is a call to one's true self."
One by one, students stepped into the Spirit Array Formation, standing on glowing sigils as crystalline light enveloped them. Each awakened with varying results — some with minor elemental affinities, some with enhanced strength, others with rare talents.
Applause and murmurs filled the air.
Then, the announcer's voice called:"Ren Yu — of the Ren Family."
The plaza grew quieter.
Ren Yu walked forward, his steps measured. The sigil beneath him lit up — a swirl of blue and silver light, pulsing gently as spirit energy flowed upward.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.A few whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Is he a dud?""Didn't his father used to be—""Maybe their bloodline really faded—"
Then, the pendant on Ren Yu's chest pulsed. Once. Twice.
And the world changed.
The sigil's light fractured — not in failure, but in expansion. Rings of golden energy erupted outward, merging with the sky. The clouds above Qinghe twisted violently as a surge of spirit energy gathered like a storm.
A roar echoed through the air — deep, ancient, unmistakable.
A golden dragon coiled from the light, its translucent form stretching above the plaza. Its body burned with flame, its eyes two molten suns.
The crowd fell into stunned silence.Elder Jian's voice caught in his throat. "That… that's—"
"The Primordial Martial Vein…" someone whispered.
Ren Yu felt his body lift slightly off the ground. His veins blazed beneath his skin, gold and crimson intertwining. He wasn't summoning this — it was awakening through him. The pendant on his chest disintegrated into dust, merging into his body with a flash.
Every student nearby staggered back under the sheer pressure. Even the elders shielded their eyes.
Then — as suddenly as it had appeared — the dragon dissolved into sparks of light, vanishing into Ren Yu's body.
The silence that followed was absolute.
Ren Yu's feet touched the ground. His breath was steady, but inside, his heart was racing.
He had not meant to reveal that much.But fate had its own timing.
After the ceremony, chaos followed in quiet waves.Reporters, sect recruiters, and government officials all wanted to know who Ren Yu was. The Ren family's ancient insignia — thought to be a relic of history — was now being spoken of again in reverent tones.
Kairen found him by the gates later, face pale with awe. "Ren… bro, you literally summoned a dragon. Do you even realize what you just did?"
Ren Yu exhaled slowly. "I didn't do it. It woke up on its own."
Lira Han approached then, her expression serious. "That wasn't just awakening. You invoked a bloodline resonance. There's no record of anyone in Qinghe doing that for centuries."
Ren Yu's eyes met hers. "Maybe that's because it didn't belong to this world."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
But before he could answer, a distant thunder rumbled across the horizon. Dark clouds gathered unnaturally fast, flickering with violet lightning.
Lira's voice lowered. "The city's barrier just activated. Someone… or something… is approaching."
At that same moment, on a distant mountain outside the city, an ancient temple stirred. Runes lit up one by one, responding to the energy that had just awakened.
A shadowed figure opened his eyes, their depths glinting with gold."So… he's returned," the figure murmured. "After all these ages."
His gaze turned toward Qinghe City.
"The blood of the Martial Emperor rises again."
Ren Yu stood beneath the darkening sky, unaware of the storm that his awakening had unleashed.
But within his chest, the dragon's voice whispered once more:
"Now that the seal is broken… your enemies will remember."
The wind howled. The first drops of rain fell, glinting like molten gold in the light.
Ren Yu clenched his fists.
"Then let them come."