Volume One, Chapter 10: The Day of Awakening

Afterward, no further missions came their way.

Every day, Lu Jing went to Lao Cao’s fried chicken shop to practice his blade techniques. Of course, he occasionally filled in as a server as well. Unexpectedly, Lao Cao’s fried chicken remained immensely popular.

During this period, Lin Xin came by and brought them the spoils from their battle: three hundred spirit stones per person.

That was an enormous sum of money, and it kept Lu Jing excited for quite some time. Unfortunately, his happiness did not last long. After purchasing combat uniforms and equipment, the entire fortune vanished.

Well, he could consider it an early investment, though his heart bled at the expense.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Lu Jing would ask Su Qiqi out. First, he helped her make up for the gaps in her studies. Although he had already learned the material before, he had forgotten some of it.

Second, they used the opportunity to deepen their relationship—and they had certainly done more than a little of the bashful sort of thing.

The days passed peacefully. At last, the day came for Lu Jing to return to school. It was also the annual Awakening Day.

That day, all the senior students gathered on the athletic field, forming a vast, densely packed crowd.

Today marked the turning point in their lives.

Those who awakened a spiritual body or an A-rank mortal body would be admitted directly into a martial arts academy. Those who awakened nothing could only attend an ordinary university, become reserve Night Hunters through outstanding monster-slaying skills, or devote themselves to scholarship and become technical talents or alchemy masters for Huaxia.

More than sixty-six hundred students arrived on the field and lined up in orderly rows. At this moment, many of them anxiously tried to hide toward the back.

Yet every face was filled with excitement.

They had finally awaited this day.

Everyone hoped to awaken a spiritual body. If that proved impossible, an A-rank mortal body would do.

But according to the usual proportion, out of these thousands of students, only one-third—just over two thousand—would be able to enter the Chosen Ones Academy directly.

As for those who awakened spiritual bodies, there might be only ten or twenty.

The odds were exceedingly low.

Su Qiqi stood beside Lu Jing, her heart filled with unease.

She stole a glance at him.

The Vermilion Bird spiritual body?

Although Lu Jing had told her many times already, she was still worried that he might be disappointed.

Sensing her tension, Lu Jing took her hand and smiled at her. “Don’t be nervous. Just let everything unfold naturally.”

Zhang Wei, standing in front of Lu Jing, kept stamping his feet nervously and muttering under his breath, “I can do this. Come on, I can do this…”

Lu Jing raised his eyes to that anxious face and asked in mild surprise, “Didn’t you say before that there was no need to be nervous? That all you had to do was feel sincerely and generate electricity with love?”

“That was then. This is now…”

Zhang Wei lowered his voice, somewhat embarrassed. “Besides, this is my first time.”

Lu Jing was speechless.

Your first time? You actually have the nerve to say that.

Who here wasn’t experiencing this for the first time?

“Don’t worry. You’re A-rank.”

“Really? Really?” Zhang Wei stared at Lu Jing with wide, excited eyes.

“Mm.”

Zhang Wei truly was lucky. Among all the students who struggled academically, he alone had awakened an A-rank body.

Just then—

“Silence!”

Director Zhou, who was presiding over the Awakening Ceremony, swiftly swept his gaze across everyone below the stage.

“As everyone knows, awakened abilities are divided into five ranks: D, C, B, A, and spiritual body. This year’s ceremony has been adjusted slightly compared with previous years. Those who awaken at A-rank or above may enter a martial arts academy directly without taking an entrance examination. Those at B-rank or above will undergo selection by the academies, which will choose the students with the greatest potential to enter.”

The moment Zhou Kang finished speaking, murmurs began to spread through the crowd.

“This time, the martial arts academies are making a major move.”

“Could the fighting at the front have grown so intense that they urgently need more ability users?”

“Probably. Monster activity has become more frequent lately.”

“Ah… Life is only going to get harder from here on.”

Director Zhou spoke again. “All right, quiet down. The Awakening Ceremony is officially beginning. Remember this well: whether or not you awaken an ability, you are all sons and daughters of Huaxia. I hope that in the future, you will dedicate your strength to Huaxia.”

“I have no regrets about being born in Huaxia! In the next life, I’ll still be a citizen of Huaxia!”

Those words seemed to ignite the crowd, stirring everyone’s emotions.

“Awakening—begin!”

The principal’s impassioned declaration sent their excitement surging to its peak.

Ten radiant awakening stones stood on the principal platform.

At last, it was about to begin.

Would he awaken a B-rank mortal body again this time? And would his premature awakening affect the result?

He did not know. But Lu Jing was fearless. After all, he had a cheat at his disposal.

Soon, several teachers took their positions near the ten awakening stones. Seated in the front rows of the platform were many influential figures from Wucheng: city officials, military representatives, and leaders of universities.

This was a major event and had to be handled with the utmost care.

Under the eyes of the entire crowd, the Awakening Ceremony began.

Ten students took part in each round, awakening one after another.

Under the teachers’ guidance, they merely had to place their hands into the grooves of the awakening stones.

A moment later, the stones would shoot out a beam of light.

If a spiritual body was awakened, the light would be golden.

An A-rank mortal body produced red light.

A B-rank mortal body produced cyan light.

A C-rank mortal body produced orange light.

If nothing was awakened, the stone remained colorless.

The first round began. Before long, three awakening stones emitted pillars of light.

Red, orange, and orange.

One A-rank and two C-ranks.

The student who had awakened the A-rank body laughed wildly. From that moment onward, his fate had changed.

The other seven students, meanwhile, wore visibly dim expressions. None had awakened anything. They were destined to remain ordinary people.

Then a B-rank awakening caused the students below to erupt in cheers.

The second round passed, then the third… and finally the seventh.

At last, it was Su Qiqi’s turn.

“Don’t worry. You can do this.” Lu Jing smiled at her.

“Mm.”

Su Qiqi stepped onto the platform and gently placed her hand on the awakening stone. A current of electricity swept through her entire body as she waited in silence.

The current entered her body and began gathering toward the center of her brow.

At that moment, an utterly terrifying pressure began to form.

Thirty seconds later, a dazzling pillar of golden light shot into the sky.

“It’s golden! A spiritual body! The first spiritual body has appeared! Golden with a hint of red—it’s the Vermilion Bird spiritual body!”

The entire field erupted.

The principal shouted in delight, and at last a smile appeared on his deeply wrinkled face.

A blazing cluster of fire burned at the center of her brow. Golden light radiated from her entire body, making her look like a divine being descended into the mortal world.

Brilliance filled the heavens and earth.

At that moment, every gaze gathered upon her.

The distinguished figures seated in the principal seats exchanged looks.

“This child’s future is limitless!”

“Indeed.”

Though the powerful figures maintained genial expressions on the surface, beneath it they were already jostling one another, preparing to compete for her.

Below the stage, Lu Jing also revealed a gratified smile.

Qiqi had already spread her wings.

What about him?