Awakening Ceremony

As the academic elder's voice echoed through the grand courtyard, the fifty students stood in anticipation. Some were trembling with excitement, others with fear.

"Today," the elder continued, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered youths, "marks the beginning of your true journey. You will awaken the bloodline slumbering within you, a gift from your ancestors. From that single bloodline, you will select the path that aligns with it, forging your own destiny."

Zhou Fan stood among the gathered youths, his gaze fixed on the towering mountain behind the academic elder. The countless stone steps stretched endlessly upward, each one a test of fate.

Those who climbed would awaken their bloodline. With each step, their body would tremble—an invisible transformation taking place deep within. No one else would sense it, but when they reached their limit, a surge of energy would erupt from their body. Some would release a mighty force, shaking the air around them, while others would barely produce a ripple.

If the energy released was weak, it meant the person had awakened a common bloodline, one with little potential. But if the aura was strong and overwhelming, it signified the awakening of a powerful lineage, one that could change their destiny.

The academic elder's gaze swept over the gathered youths, his voice firm and resolute. "This will be the turning point of your lives. From this moment onward, your fates will be decided."

"First of all, we have Lin Zhi," the academic elder announced.

Lin Zhi stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly. Nervousness gripped his heart as he glanced at the towering stairs before him. He looked ordinary—short brown hair, brown eyes, dressed in simple attire—but today would decide whether he remained ordinary or not.

He took his first step.

Suddenly, chains shot out from the mountain, wrapping around his limbs. His body stiffened, the weight unbearable, yet he gritted his teeth and pushed forward. Another step. Then another. The chains tightened with every movement, dragging him down.

On his fifth step, his legs refused to move. No surge of energy burst from his body.

Silence.

The academic elder shook his head. "Lin Zhi has failed to awaken a bloodline."

Lin Zhi clenched his fists but stepped aside, his face pale.

"Next, Fang Min!"

A person usually awakened a common bloodline after taking 20 to 30 steps. Those with greater potential would awaken their bloodline between 50 to 60 steps. However, this concept did not apply to those who possessed special physiques.

Physiques were unique—completely separate from normal bloodline awakenings. A person with a physique would either awaken their bloodline in just three steps or fail to awaken one even after walking beyond 60 steps. Their fate was unpredictable, bound by something far more profound than mere ancestry.

Zhou Fan possessed the second-to-last worst bloodline, a lineage that others would dismiss without a second thought. Yet, in his previous life, he had used this very bloodline to crush his enemies and carve out his own path. After all, there was no strongest bloodline or physique—only the strongest cultivator.

One by one, more than five youths failed to awaken a bloodline, their steps ending in silence. The academic elder exhaled and called out, "Next up, Zhou Fan!"

Zhou Fan stepped forward. His expression was calm, his movements steady. He walked past the gathered youths, climbed onto the stage, and stood before the towering mountain.

"This will be interesting."

As soon as Zhou Fan took his first step, a heavy pressure weighed down on him. Unlike the others before him, no chains emerged to bind him. He continued forward, step by step, his body enduring the force pressing down on him.

After seven steps, the first chain shot out from the mountain, wrapping around his body.

---

Legends speak of the first human, Kai Rui.

Kai Rui was not born human—he was originally an Immemorial Desolate Beast, a creature of unfathomable power. It is said that he once entered the Domain of Heaven and Earth, the Elysium of Genesis. Upon stepping into that sacred land, his monstrous form began to shift, his body reshaping into that of a man.

Yet, in that transformation, he lost all his cultivation. Stripped of his former might, Kai Rui wandered for days and nights, a being between two worlds.

Then, he encountered the Chains of Fate.

These chains coiled around him, binding him completely. But instead of restraining him, they awakened something deep within—his bloodline.

Legends say Kai Rui was unique. He did not awaken a single bloodline. He awakened all bloodlines.

It was from him that all humans inherited the potential to awaken bloodlines, though none could ever match his boundless nature.

...

As zhou fan reached 25 steps three more chains binded him this was his limit at an instant a burst of energy eave swept through the area it was a greyish aura and it was weak

Zhou Fan reached the 25th step, and as he placed his foot forward, three more chains shot out from the mountain, wrapping around his body. The weight was immense, and he could feel them tightening, restricting his movement. This was his limit. He could not go any further.

At that moment, a burst of energy erupted from him, sweeping through the air like a wave. The energy was weak, its aura a dull grey. It didn't stir the ground or shake the heavens like the more powerful awakenings—it was faint, almost imperceptible, yet it carried a sense of finality.

The greyish aura flickered, and then it dissipated into the air. Zhou Fan stood still, his breath shallow, feeling the chains slowly retract. It was over. His bloodline had been awakened, but it was nothing special, just a common bloodline, weak in comparison to others.