The place where Zhao Mu lived was Garden Town, located in Changxing District, Lujiang City, under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Province of the Xuanfeng Empire.
Changxing District was neither developed nor underdeveloped; it was just a mediocre, ordinary place.
Shen Moran had excellent eyesight. The first time she passed by Zhao Mu's house, she saw Bu Yanhuan teaching Zhao Mu martial arts.
She immediately felt that Bu Yanhuan was more formidable than all the teachers at school!
Therefore, she was very curious about Bu Yanhuan's identity.
Bu Yanhuan shook the wine bottle in her hand and said with a chuckle, "It's probably because I got tired of the fighting on the front lines, so I came here early to retire! Haha!"
Shen Moran was somewhat speechless; this answer was clearly not true.
Otherwise, given Bu Yanhuan's strength, even if she sought a teaching position at a school, the compensation would definitely be extremely generous.
In contrast, now she spent her days living in a small urban area, doing nothing but drinking and getting drunk, aside from tutoring Zhao Mu.
After Zhao Mu finished making breakfast, he called Bu Yanhuan and Shen Moran to come and eat together.
Shen Moran didn't treat Zhao Mu as a stranger. After the two finished breakfast, they headed together to Yuwu No. 2 Middle School in Changxing District.
Bu Yanhuan was lazily lying on the rocking chair under the eaves of the courtyard. Zhao Mu asked, "Aunt Bu, aren't you going to come with me to see?"
The Spirit Awakening Ceremony is a turning point in the fate of ordinary people, so parents accompany their children every year at this time.
Although school regulations do not permit them to enter the Spirit Awakening venue, most parents wait for their children outside the school gate.
Bu Yanhuan simply waved her hand lazily: "What's there to see?"
Zhao Mu couldn't help but smile. Bu Yanhuan must have confidence in him.
Just before the two of them were about to leave, Bu Yanhuan suddenly spoke: "Xiao Mu, come here for a moment. I have something to tell you."
Zhao Mu obediently walked over. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"
Bu Yanhuan stared into Zhao Mu's eyes and asked in a rare serious tone, "Do you still remember what I told you is the biggest taboo on the battlefield?"
Seeing this, Zhao Mu's expression also became serious.
"For a Spirit Power User, the greatest taboo is exposing your hidden cards. Show weakness to the enemy, conceal your abilities well, and once the opponent becomes careless and underestimates you, there is a chance to defeat the strong with the weak!"
Bu Yanhuan nodded.
"So remember, after you undergo the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, your innate talent will be revealed. If it's just common abilities like water, fire, wind, or lightning, then it's fine."
"However, if you Awaken some special ability, then you must remember to hold back and not reveal it easily."
"Otherwise," her gaze sharpened, completely unlike someone who had been drinking, "it could bring about a fatal disaster for you!"
Zhao Mu's heart tightened.
He immediately nodded and said, "I remember."
"Very well, you may go."
Bu Yanhuan closed her eyes, and only then did Zhao Mu walk toward Shen Moran.
Shen Moran walked alongside him curiously, "What did Aunt Bu tell you?"
Zhao Mu merely smiled faintly: "She told me to come back early and cook for her."
Shen Moran covered her mouth and chuckled: "We definitely should celebrate properly then!"
Yuwu No. 2 Middle School is the best school in Changxing District, less than three kilometers from the Urban Village where they live.
On weekdays, they walked to school to train their endurance.
Shen Moran's parents were busy with business, and her mother was not in good health, so Shen Moran did not ask her parents to accompany her.
The two arrived at Yuwu No. 2 Middle School quite early, meeting many classmates along the way.
People greeted them from far away.
"Class Leader! Student Shen, good morning!"
"Class Leader, I have high hopes for you this Spirit Awakening Ceremony! I think you can reach at least C-rank this time!"
"Who are you looking down on? If you ask me, our Class Leader must be at least B-rank!"
The person speaking was Wang Qing, a classmate of Zhao Mu. He looked somewhat weak and timid but was full of admiration for Zhao Mu.
Zhao Mu smiled politely, "It's still hard to say! I hope everyone can Awaken their ideal ability."
"Haha, Class Leader, you're just too modest!"
Zhao Mu had always been a top student at Yuwu No. 2 Middle School, the undisputed Top Scorer in both academic and basic physical education courses.
Therefore, students in the same grade at school all knew him. On such an important occasion today, everyone understood that from now on, classmates who had studied together would embark on completely different lives.
The way they looked at this Top Student of the Year also changed.
Many students' parents, upon seeing Zhao Mu, also spoke to their own children:
"Is this the top student of your Yuwu No. 2 Middle School cohort? He's so handsome, and look at the physique he's trained! Why don't you learn from him!"
"You brat, if you were half as capable as Zhao Mu, I could finally relax."
The parents spoke earnestly, their hearts filled with anxiety and nervousness, just like the students about to undergo the Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
Success meant soaring high and the entire family achieving a class leap.
But if they failed, they would immediately be sent to the front lines, become cannon fodder, and likely die there.
These two polarized life paths all depended on the upcoming Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
Who wouldn't be nervous?
Zhao Mu and Shen Moran smiled and greeted everyone, then entered the school surrounded by a group of classmates.
Today, Yuwu No. 2 Middle School was completely sealed off, and armed Wubei Army soldiers stood outside.
Every year at this time, the Military Department specially sends Specialists to be responsible for conducting the Spirit Awakening Ceremony for every student.
This shows how much the entire Xuanfeng Empire values Spirit Power Users.
Zhao Mu and Shen Moran arrived at class three, and the class three Homeroom Teacher, Xu Mingjie, immediately walked over.
Seeing his star students, he smiled and said, "Zhao Mu, Shen Moran. You two are the most promising candidates to enter Military Martial Specialization School this year. Don't be nervous, just relax. Teacher has confidence in you!"
Zhao Mu nodded: "Thank you, Teacher Xu, I will do my best."
Shen Moran also smiled and thanked him.
The nearby classmates saw this and said with a smile, "Class Leader, and School Beauty Shen, when you enter Military Martial Specialization School in the future, don't forget us old classmates!"
"Exactly, maybe we can enter Military Martial Specialization School together. We'll still need to help each other out then."
There was a hint of envy in the classmates' tones, but more than that, it was flattery.
Social maneuvering began to become apparent from this moment on.
Clearly, they also understood what this Spirit Awakening Ceremony meant for them today.
"We are all classmates; of course, we must help each other in the future."
Zhao Mu had been the Class Leader for several years, so he handled social situations well, agreeing with a smile.
"Alright, everyone line up and head to the stadium! The Specialists sent by the Military Department will be there to conduct the Spirit Awakening Ceremony for you."
Teacher Xu clapped his hands, had everyone form a line, and rushed toward the stadium.
Soon, the people from class three arrived at the stadium.
Yuwu No. 2 Middle School had thirty classes and over 2,000 students in this cohort. Strict birth policies ensured the Empire had a large number of newborns every year.
Population is also a valuable resource for the Empire.
Seeing this, Teacher Xu sighed and said, "Over ninety percent of these people do not possess Spiritual Energy Talent. Soon after today, they will be sent to military camps and deployed to the front lines after brief training."
Hearing this, the classmates from class three nearby couldn't help but feel a tightening in their hearts.
In other words, at least half of the two thousand-plus graduating students in this cohort would die on the battlefield within the next three years.
A sense of dread hung over everyone's hearts.