The wind blew strongly, rustling the trees of Woodshade City as the sun rose above all its inhabitants.
The leaves on the trees and the wildflowers shook in the wind, which was powerful but bearable. Strong, but caressing.
This strong breeze, combined with the intense sun above them, told the inhabitants that it was midday.
The sun shone brightly and beat down on the roofs of the city's tallest pavilions, while most of those walking its roads wore straw hats or carried wooden umbrellas.
In the Zhang Family Mansion, the First Elder nodded at this sight. He stopped looking at the leaves shaking in the wind and focused his gaze on the young people gathered in front of him, who waited patiently and nervously for his words.
"The time has come. This is your last chance to awaken, dear children of my clan." He was tall and imposing, dressed in a classic light blue robe with golden accents. A sheathed sword adorned his right hand.
"As proud swordsmen of the Swordsman Region, I hope you can raise your swords high at the end of this awakening!" His strong words reached the young men, who felt a tightness in their hearts.
He pointed behind him, toward the door leading to one of the Clan's most legendary halls.
In this world, cultivators are those who rise above the sky and rule the earth, its seas, and its mountains alike. They enjoy great power; even the weakest among them can kill powerful wild tigers with a single blow, and the most powerful could split a mountain in half.
For the Zhang family, who cultivated the art of the sword, only a powerful and sturdy sword, capable of withstanding the onslaught of the wind, could be worthy of respect.
That was why the nervousness on the faces of the Zhang family's sons was so evident; beads of sweat dripped onto the ground beneath them, allowing the midday heat to evaporate them in seconds.
They were all part of the last group that had failed to awaken on the two previous occasions in this generation. They were already 18 years old; if they didn't awaken here... they would have to resign themselves.
For the rest of their lives, they would have to work in the fields, do domestic chores, or, at best, do administrative work, depending on their intelligence and abilities.
But one thing is sure: they would have to give up all hope of fulfilling their dreams. Give up the possibility of entering the Oak Sword Sect or the Swordsman Legacy Tower...
They would have to give up on obtaining a Legacy Technique...
They would have to become part of the lowest ranks of the Ashblade Empire.
"Haha, First Elder, that being the case, our most outstanding young master should go first behind you; we can't go in such a disorderly fashion." The mocking voice of one of the young men echoed; it was Zhang Baicheng.
Everyone understood what he meant by "most outstanding young master" and turned to see a figure among the 11 present.
He seemed to stand out naturally among his peers. His bearing was firm as an oak tree, and his aura was sharp as a sword wielded by a powerful cultivator. His gaze was fixed on the door, waiting for the moment to advance.
He was Zhang Xiaotian. In previous years, he was considered the greatest genius the family had ever produced. His intelligence was astonishing, and he had a good understanding of swordsmanship without being a cultivator.
So much so that for a time he was known as the "Son of the Sword."
As the son of Zhang Hutian, the most powerful man the family had ever had after the family's founder, everyone had high expectations of him.
But since his father died for unknown reasons, his life had only gone from bad to worse. He did not awaken at age 14. Nor did he at age 16... This was his last chance.
His growth in swordsmanship naturally stagnated, as he was unable to break through his limits.
The young people who asked him for advice on swordsmanship in those years had already surpassed him as swordsmen.
The young man who had once been most respected by both young and old in the clan was now the most despised among them.
That was why the First Elder said nothing in response to Zhang Baicheng's mocking tone.
"Let's go in order. Follow me closely," he said and began to walk.
Zhang Xiaotian didn't waste time listening to the nonsense his clanmates were saying about him. He was used to it. He was the first to walk behind the First Elder and the other elders.
Despite the combination of misfortunes that had befallen him, his determination remained intact.
'I have to become a powerful sword cultivator.'
His mind was set on it, even if he had to force it by seeking his opportunity among the beast zones.
He needed to know why his father died. He didn't believe the story that beasts devoured him...
When everyone entered the hall, the door closed.
Immediately, a darkened hall greeted him, and seconds later, blue flames flickered in the darkness, one after another, as if someone had lit them with magic, illuminating the room and revealing a long path beneath his feet.
On the other side was the famous Stone of Awakening. It was an elongated rectangular stone that rose to the ceiling, connected to the hall, and was responsible for making the blue flames inside it glow.
The First Elder spoke when he reached it.
"I don't have to explain what to do; you've done it twice before, and the process remains the same. I will call you one by one, in alphabetical order," he said.
"Zhang Baicheng."
Zhang Xiaotian stared at Baicheng as he climbed onto the platform where the awakening stone stood.
He was one of his cousins, like practically all the young people present. Only that he and a certain young man who stood out because the rest of those present surrounded him were the closest in terms of blood ties. However, he knew them more as some of those who had conspired with those who had managed to awaken to make his life miserable.
Zhang Baicheng shot him a piercing, mocking glance, with clear murderous intent, but he continued on his way to the platform.
He took a deep breath when he stood in front of the Awakening Stone. He couldn't deny that he was nervous, but he managed to calm his heart and placed his hand on the stone.
Suddenly, he felt his hand sink into it, and a strange bluish aura run through his body...
That strange aura clung to him, and the Awakening Stone suddenly glowed.
"He awakens! Brother Baicheng really did it!" Zhang Feng shouted.
With the first shout, those of 9 of the 11 soon followed.
The only two who said nothing were Baicheng himself and Xiaotian, who frowned.
'Shit.' He clenched his fists.
If his bully had awakened and he hadn't...
'Calm down... I'll awaken.' He took a deep breath to calm himself and looked at the rock.
The First Elder nodded with a deep, proud smile.
"Not bad, Baicheng. Your Life Root is Rank 2; you awaken as an Amethyst Blade Swordsman with a Grade D Talent. You will be one of the pillars of our family in the future."
"Rank 2!" The young people, amazed, began to murmur about it.
A Rank 2 Root of Life was not common in this world; it reflected a natural talent for cultivation and a power at least five times greater than that of its predecessor.
Among the cultivators in the family, those of Rank 1 represent the vast majority and form part of the minor force. Despite being cultivators, even with a significant source of Spirit Crystals, they could not reach the Third Realm of Cultivation, let alone what lies beyond.
But a Rank 2 with sufficient resources could reach the third realm without any problems; in the family, those with a Rank 2 Life Root become Elders.
So Zhang Baicheng, who seconds ago was in the mud of society, has just become a dragon that finally raises its head to look at the world.
"Thank you, Elder." Zhang Baicheng was moved and immediately, with tears in his eyes, bowed to the First Elder.
"It is your fortune. I expect a lot from you; don't disappoint your father," said the First Elder and nodded to a gray-haired elder in the crowd. "You have a good younger son."
"Hahaha, thank you very much, First Elder. I will cultivate him diligently!" roared the third elder.
The First Elder gave Baicheng a token. "As a cultivator at last, the Oak Sword Sect of Fire Oak Mountain will welcome you with open arms. Return to your place."
"Yes, Elder, thank you very much!" Baicheng stepped down from the platform, excited, the token still shining in his trembling hand.
The ceremony continued.
With the first one achieving his awakening, the rest of the young people were excited; their hopes were sky high... but the higher the hopes, the harder the reality will be when it hits.
Several of them couldn't bear not having awakened and fainted; some looked like walking dead as they descended from the platform with blank expressions... They had become what their nightmares feared most.
As members of a family of powerful swordsmen and outstanding cultivators from Woodshade City, they couldn't easily accept not having become cultivators. The sword they had used for so many years... would soon gather dust.
Of the 11, only two remained.
"Zhang Feng, come up." The First Elder called the second-to-last of them.
Perhaps the most respected among those present.
"Yes, Father." Zhang Feng lifted his chest proudly.
As the son of the First Elder, he enjoyed great status within the family. Despite being the least talented son, having failed to awaken on previous occasions, he still had numerous resources and was the only one present who, even if he failed, would obtain a good position in the clan, because he was good with numbers and was the son of one of the main leaders.
At the time, he was third among the promising young men, behind only Xiaotian and his own older brother.
He walked past Xiaotian, strutting and looking at him mockingly, but he didn't stop. He arrived in front of the Awakening Stone.
His father glared at him.
Even he had mocked Zhang Xiaotian before for not being able to awaken. But he had a son who hadn't either, and this was his last chance.
If his son didn't awaken either, it would be the biggest slap in the face he could give himself.
Zhang Feng knew this, but there was nothing he could do. Awakening was a matter of luck. If luck didn't smile on you, it didn't matter how smart you were or how well you wielded a sword; you wouldn't awaken.
So it didn't matter; everything had to be left to talent and luck. He couldn't sink into despair trying to achieve it, like Xiaotian, because even he had failed twice.
Zhang Feng placed his hand on the stone, and it was soon swallowed by it...
The previous process was repeated. That blue energy came out of the stone and surrounded him.
Suddenly...
The stone lit up.
"He awakened!" exclaimed one of the elders, looking at the unusually intense glow.
"Rank 3, Grade B Specialization Talent!" The First Elder couldn't even believe the words that came out of his mouth.
"Rank 3?! Big brother awakened a Rank 3?!"
Both elders and young people listened in shock to these statements or saw the result directly on the Awakening Stone.
Even those who were discouraged had to light up their eyes to catch a glimpse of the birth of a great genius.
In the Zhang family... no, in the entire city of Woodshade, a Rank 3 is considered a great genius, capable of ruling the city, or even more. If Rank 2 can be a pillar of any of the great families in the city, then Rank 3 would be one of the leaders who would protect it.
Currently, there are only three rank 3 members in the family... The First Elder, the Family Master, and the First Elder's eldest son, who currently holds the highest status. But inside the mansion, at this moment, there are only two.
Both are powerful Elders of the Oak Sword Sect, among the strongest in the city.
Well... now there were three.
Not only that, Zhang Feng had awakened a specialization of B-grade, just like the First Elder and the Family Master, only one grade below his older brother!
'Rank 3, Grade B...' Xiaotian clenched his fists.
His voice had been diluted over the years in this family, along with his status.
Now it was normal for him to be constantly teased and even occasionally beaten by those in power, as he lacked the strength to defend himself. The only thing that saved him from death at the hands of his own family was that he had belonged to the Sect before they did, thanks to his father.
But now the two instigators of his troubles had awakened and become members of the Sect. His nightmare seemed about to begin very soon.
'I have to awaken,' he repeated to himself, clenching his fists. It was his only option.
"Zhang Xiaotian."
His thoughts were interrupted by the First Elder's shout, indicating that he could come up. He was the last one.