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After Yun Ming completed his vow and kowtows, he retreated to Yang Wudi's side.
The other clansmen also recovered from their shock and began to offer incense one after another, though they couldn't help but glance at Yun Ming as they passed by. Everyone thought, "He's so well behaved and has such a righteous heart, truly worthy of being the Clan Chief's Grandfather!"
As the members of the Breaking Clan finished offering incense one by one, the ceremony drew to a close.
After the ceremony, most of the clansmen left to begin their day's work, leaving only Yang Wudi, a few excited elders from the clan, and three children, including Yun Ming, along with their parents.
Yun Ming stood still with two children his age. The next event was a fixed procedure after the annual memorial day, and it was also the most important ceremony on the Douluo Continent, held by the Yang family every three months: the Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
From his Grandfather Yang Wudi's teachings and books, Yun Ming knew that everyone on the Douluo Continent possessed their own Spirit.
At the age of six, people could awaken their Spirit through an Awakening Ceremony, and children generally awakened the Spirit of the stronger parent.
Spirits are divided into two main categories: Tool Spirit and Beast Spirit. As the name suggests, those with tools as their Spirit are Tool Spirit users, and those with animals as their Spirit are Beast Spirit users. Relatively speaking, Tool Spirit encompasses a broader range, and most people possess Tool Spirit. The inherited Spirit of the Breaking Clan, the Soul Breaking Spear, is a top-tier Tool Spirit.
Yun Ming wasn't particularly curious about his own Spirit; if there were no surprises, it would most likely be the Yang family's inherited Soul Breaking Spear. His father's Ghostly Leopard Spirit could only be considered an Advanced Spirit, still quite inferior to the Soul Breaking Spear.
More than his Spirit, Yun Ming was curious about his Innate spirit power Rank, because Innate spirit power is directly proportional to the speed of Acquired Cultivate. As for not having any? Children born from the union of two Spirit Masters, unless they are exceptionally unlucky—such as 'a long drought meets sweet rain, only a few drops; meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, an enemy; the wedding night, next door; the time of success in examinations, failing'—will generally have spirit power, it's just hard to say how many Ranks.
A classic negative example of this is the 'continent-famous' Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang. The son of a Titled Douluo, with Innate half-Rank spirit power—it's hard for a normal person to imagine how these two terms are connected, but our Grandmaster easily achieved it. Of course, this can't be blamed on the Grandmaster; although his character and ability are lacking, his Innate spirit power truly has nothing to do with him.
Yang Wudi saw that the other clansmen had all left, and only relevant personnel and a few elders remained in the ancestral hall, so he straightforwardly began the Spirit Awakening Ceremony. Perhaps because he was addressing the children of the clan, Yang Wudi's attitude was somewhat gentler.
"Children, stand in a row! Our Spirit Awakening Ceremony begins now!"
The three children, all members of the Breaking Clan, stood still before Yang Wudi. Yun Ming stood on the far left, and according to the order, he would be the last to awaken.
Seeing the three standing properly, Yang Wudi took out two items from his storage spirit tool: six dark, round stones and a shining crystal ball.
The six dark, round stones were called Awakening Stones. On the Douluo Continent, Spirit Awakening required the aid of Awakening Stones. These stones were strictly controlled by the two great Empires and Spirit Hall. Aside from Spirit Hall, only some great nobles and large Spirit Master families possessed them. The shining crystal ball was a spirit power testing crystal. The one Yang Wudi took out had a low spirit power detection limit, only up to Rank ten, but it could relatively accurately test a person's Innate spirit power Rank.
Yang Wudi arranged the six Awakening Stones on the ground in a hexagon, then called the first boy on the right to stand in the center of the hexagon.
"Yang Lin, you first!"
The little boy named Yang Lin walked to the designated spot. After he stood still, Yang Wudi swiftly clapped his hands, and six black lights shot into the six Awakening Stones on the ground. Instantly, a layer of golden light radiated from the six stones, forming a golden shield that enveloped the boy in the center of the hexagon.
Golden light specks floated out from the Awakening Stones, continuously pouring into Yang Lin's body. As more and more light specks entered, Yang Lin's body began to tremble slightly.
Seeing that it was about time, Yang Wudi directly issued an order.
"Extend your right hand."
Yang Lin obeyed the command and extended his right hand. Immediately, all the light specks burst forth. A two-meter long spear, entirely black, formed in the boy's hand, shimmering with a cold luster. The shaft was eight chi long, and the broad spearhead was four chi long. The spear shaft was as thick as a normal person's arm. As expected, it was the Yang family's inherited Spirit, the Soul Breaking Spear. Perhaps because the spear was heavy, as soon as Yang Lin grasped it, he was immediately bent over by its weight. This made Yang Wudi, who had initially felt a slight sense of relief upon seeing a clansman awaken the Soul Breaking Spear, instantly scowl, and he spoke in a displeased tone.
"Use your will to retract your Spirit! Then come over to test your spirit power!"
Yang Lin, hearing the Clan Chief grandfather's slightly displeased tone, was a bit scared, causing him to take a long time to retract his Spirit, the Soul Breaking Spear. Although Yang Wudi was even more dissatisfied seeing this, he remembered that he was still a child and said no more, handing the spirit power testing crystal to Yang Lin and telling him to place his right hand on it.
Yang Lin obeyed. Soon, the spirit power testing crystal lit up with a brilliant blue light, from a mere dot at the beginning to eventually lighting up about seventy percent, indicating Innate Rank seven. Seeing this, Yang Lin's parents were also excited; Innate spirit power was quite good! Their son was a little Genius.
Yun Ming was originally quite happy for his clan brother upon seeing Yang Lin awaken with Innate Rank seven spirit power, but after seeing his parents' excited expressions, Yun Ming's initial happiness gradually cooled, and envy replaced his joy.
Yang Wudi didn't notice Yun Ming's emotions; he just looked at Yang Lin, nodding inwardly. "Good talent indeed." Even though the Yang family all possessed top-tier Spirits like the Soul Breaking Spear, most clansmen's Innate spirit power was only Rank five or six, a few were Rank seven, and Rank eight or nine were extremely rare. Yang Wudi himself only had Innate Rank eight spirit power.
"Yang Lin, Spirit: Soul Breaking Spear, Innate spirit power Rank seven!"
"Cultivate well from now on!"
Yang Wudi announced Yang Lin's Awakening result, then encouraged him.
Yang Lin's father quickly stepped forward and chimed in.
"Don't worry, Clan Chief! I'll make sure to train this brat well from now on!"
He finished by glaring fiercely at Yang Lin. Earlier, seeing his son unable to hold the spear, Yang Lin's father felt so disgraced that it was as if he had shamed his son's grandmother's Family.
Yang Wudi responded calmly.
"He does need good training. Alright, the ceremony continues."
The Yang Lin Family stepped aside, and Yang Wudi continued with the next Spirit Awakening. The same scene unfolded again; this child's awakened Spirit was also the Soul Breaking Spear, with Innate Rank six spirit power, which was only average for the Yang family.
Finally, it was Yun Ming's turn. The few elders still in the ancestral hall were excited to see Yun Ming's Awakening Ceremony begin.
Yang Wudi watched Yun Ming walk into the hexagonal Awakening array, his eyes filled with tension. Perhaps as a reminder to Yun Ming, or perhaps to calm his own heart, Yang Wudi asked Yun Ming.
"Ming'er, are you ready?"
Yun Ming heard Yang Wudi's words, let go of his tension, and responded earnestly.
"I am ready!"
Seeing this, Yang Wudi directly activated the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, and the Spirit Awakening officially began.