Chapter 1: The Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony
Chapter 1: The Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony
In the Great Martial World—a world forged by blood, ambition, and the endless pursuit of power—four vast continents stretched across the heavens. The Vast East Continent, the Boundless North, the Scarlet West, and the Primal South—each a land of legends, eternal struggles, and untold mysteries.
Among them, the Vast East Continent stood as an ancient land teeming with martial legends. For countless generations, warriors here had clawed their way through blood and sweat, yearning to shatter their mortal shackles and ascend toward immortality.
Within this continent, the Vast Sea Region was renowned—a realm of flowing rivers, spiritual lakes, and cities where trade and cultivation intertwined. Among its many kingdoms, Lingshui Country was known for its rich heritage and powerful martial families.
Yet no city shone brighter than Clear Water City—a beacon of commerce, cultivation, and hidden ambitions.
Nestled along the banks of the Serene River, Clear Water City was a beacon of commerce and cultivation. Its streets bustled with merchants hawking rare treasures, warriors seeking powerful techniques, and alchemists refining mystical elixirs. The city owed its prosperity to the presence of three mighty influences:
The Xiao Family, a lineage of powerful merchants and cultivators, once the undisputed rulers of the city's economy.
The Lao Family, a clan of martial warriors, whose strength in combat ensured their growing influence.
The Alchemy Association, a branch of the prestigious guild from the capital, controlling the city's supply of pills and rare medicinal herbs.
For centuries, the Xiao Family stood at the pinnacle of Clear Water City. With their vast wealth and deep connections, they dictated the flow of commerce, their name carrying both respect and fear. Yet, ten years ago, the tides began to shift.
The turning point came when Luo Ning'er, the unparalleled genius of the Lao Family, was chosen to marry into the royal family. Becoming a concubine of the 2nd Prince of Lingshui Country, her union elevated the Lao Family to newfound heights. Royal favor flowed toward them like an endless stream, and their influence surged, placing the once-dominant Xiao Family under mounting pressure.
Now, a silent battle raged beneath the surface of Clear Water City. While merchants continued their trade and alchemists refined their pills, the hidden power struggle between the two great families shaped the city's fate.
In the world of martial arts power is everything, the strong grow stronger and the weak grows weaker. The cultivation level system was a beacon that sharped the life of very martial artist, the cultivation range from Martial Disciple, Martial Apprentice, Martial Adept, Martial Core Realm, Martial Soul Realm, Martial Master, Martial Grandmaster, Martial Lord, Martial King, the famed Martial Monarch, the legendary Martial Emperor realm and the illustrious Martial Saint realm, this twelves realms was further divided into four stages, early stage, middle stage, late stage and peak stage.
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Nestled within the Serene Spirit Mountain, towering above Clear Water City, the Xiao Family's ancestral home stood as a testament to its once-glorious past. The mountain, veiled in mist, was embedded with ancient spiritual arrays and heavenly formations, designed to guard the family's legacy for generations. Yet, despite these formidable defenses, the family itself had suffered centuries of decline, the family had once been a grade four family but now it had been reduced to an ordinary peak grade two family.
In the martial world, the grade of an influence is determined by it's level of powerhouses, an influence ruled by a Martial Grandmaster is a grade one influence, one ruled by a Martial Lord is a grade two influence and one ruled by a Martial King is a grade three influence and so on.
Long ago, the Xiao Family was an unshakable powerhouse, renowned across the Vast East Region. Nearly 900 years ago, their founder—a Martial Monarch—established the family with overwhelming strength, earning fear and respect even from royal factions. However, 500 years ago, the founder vanished, and no successor had since risen to the Martial King Realm. Without such a supreme expert to support them, the family's influence steadily waned, leaving them vulnerable to external pressures, especially from the rising Lao Family.
But today was not a day of lamentation—it was a day of hope and destiny.
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The Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony
The Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony was the most significant event in a young martial artist. Martial spirits dictated one's potential; a strong spirit meant a future of glory, while a weak one condemned them to mediocrity. Martial Spirit where divided into four ranks, the Mortal rank, Spirit rank, Earth rank and the legendary Heaven Rank. Each rank is divided into four grades, low, mid, high and peak grade. Every great figure in history had possessed an exceptional martial spirit, and today, nine Xiao geniuses would determine their fates.
At the heart of the Xiao Family estate, an enormous stone altar stood, surrounded by thousands of onlookers—family elders, disciples, and servants alike. The air was thick with anticipation, the murmurs of excitement spreading through the vast courtyard like wildfire. The altar itself was engraved with ancient sigils, glowing faintly with spiritual energy.
Upon the altar's grand staircase, nine young prodigies stood proudly, each exuding a profound aura. They were the hope of the Xiao Family, each one having reached the peak of the Martial Core Realm, the final step before their Martial Spirit awakening and breakthrough into the Martial Soul Realm.
Their robes bore the insignia of the Xiao Family—a golden dragon coiled around a flowing river, symbolizing both strength and adaptability. Every member of the family wore a variation of this insignia; for the elders, it was embroidered in gold, while younger disciples wore silver or bronze variations based on their status.
In front of the nine prodigies, standing at the altar's highest point, were three distinguished elders of the Xiao Family. Their presence alone commanded respect, their robes flowing like ancient sages of old.
The first was Elder Xiao Jian, a towering figure with silver hair, sharp eyes, and a long beard. His presence radiated authority, his hands clasped behind his back. As the Great Elder and an early stage Martial Lord realm martial artist, he was responsible for overseeing the ceremony. His robe was midnight blue, embroidered with golden waves and the Xiao Family's insignia at the center.
The second was, Elder Xiao Feng– A middle-aged man with black and white streaked hair, his eyes sharp like a falcon. He was in charge of maintaining the spiritual formations. His robe was deep crimson, symbolizing his role as the Guardian Elder, who protected the family's traditions and laws, he was at the peak of martial Grandmaster Realm, his presence commanding authority.
Lastly was Elder Xiao Mei – The only female elder present on the alter, she had a serene yet intimidating presence. She was a late martial grandmaster realm cultivator, and was the youngest elder among the three, she had hopes of reaching the martial lord realm in the future. She was over a hundred years old but she looked like a beautiful woman in her late twenties. She had long dark blue hair, piercing blue eyes and long lashes, her jade-green robe fluttered in the wind, her piercing gaze scanning the young geniuses with cold calculation. She was the chief appraiser of martial spirits, able to determine the potential of any awakened spirit at a glance.
The stage was set. The Xiao Family gathered in solemn anticipation, waiting to witness the fate of its next generation. A hush fell over the vast courtyard as Elder Xiao Jian took a step forward, his piercing gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd. The anticipation was palpable—this was the moment that would determine the future of the Xiao Family.
"Today," Elder Xiao Jian's voice rang out like rolling thunder, infused with spiritual energy, "we witness the awakening of a new generation. The martial spirit is the foundation of the path of cultivation. It is what determines one's future, one's potential, and one's destiny."
The crowd remained silent, hanging onto his every word.
"Those who awaken a high-grade martial spirit will walk the path of power and glory," he continued. "Those who awaken a low-grade spirit… can only remain as ordinary cultivators or fall into obscurity."
His words were harsh, but they reflected reality. Without a powerful martial spirit, even the most diligent cultivator would struggle to reach the heights of the great experts.
Elder Xiao Jian gestured toward the altar, where the nine geniuses stood tall, their expressions unwavering. Each of them had spent years refining their Internal Qi (iQ), reaching the peak of the Martial Core Realm—but today would decide their true worth.
Elder Xiao Mei stepped forward next, her eyes like cold emeralds as she addressed the nine. "The awakening ceremony will begin. One by one, step forward and place your palm on the Soulstone Altar."