cultivate for revenge

The Awakening Ceremony (2)

There are four main roads in Moon King City.

Each passes across one side(north, south, west, and east) of the city, leading to the city center, the square.

Jong Ji and Quin Qi arrived along the pathway next to the main road that passes through the southern part of the city.

As he always fantasized about his mother riding in a carriage and living in luxury, the ten carriages on the southeastern side of the square parked under the shadow of a few nearby trees were the most striking in Jong Ji's eyes.

However, that was not the most important thing right now.

Glancing at the Awakening hall, he saw nervous parents surrounding the lined children from both sides.

" We almost didn't make it on time." Jong Ji said as he made his way through the mass of parents and stood at the back of the line. He was last in line, as Quin Qi was before him.

Quin Qi: "..."

Seeing the long line before him made Jong Ji a little more relaxed as there was plenty of time before his turn came.

He had rarely come to the square before, and even if he came, it must have been for work as which he had never taken a closer look at the Awakening hall.

Now looking at the Awakening hall, it was a relatively big two-story tall building.

Above the giant iron door was engraved a Taurus head whose eyes directly pointed down the five stairs as if examining everyone entering the hall.

...

In a short few seconds, as they were going up the five giant stairs, there was not a single child who did not fantasize about becoming a famous cultivator known throughout the continent. But most that walked out through the giant iron door had been left with only their dreams.

Of course, there were ones whose dreams might come true as they awakened a class with potential.

For example, most children from noble families awakened a middle-potential class.

The parents of those children could not come as they were all busy, but the servants accompanying them sent a messenger pigeon as soon as they heard.

As even cultivators in the mortal realm were very expensive to hire, a cultivator with middle-class potential born into an ordinary noble family was worth celebrating for three days and three nights.

It didn't only mean that the family would have a powerful backer in the future. It also meant the family would have a chance to become a cultivation family.

( Qin clan territory rulebook, rule number two: If an ordinary wealthy family wants to become a cultivation family, a cultivator born in their family must have a cultivation level equal to one of the seven elders of the clan.)

Time quickly passed, and soon it was noon.

The sun was high in the sky, roasting the square bricks.

The noble children had already left.

The other children who had finished their ceremony?

They were under the thick shadow of the trees where the carriages were parked before.

Every child must be present when the awakening ceremony ends because the master performing the ceremony will announce whether the clan will take disciples or not.

And as to why the noble children left, that's because they had the luxury of fast travel. Thus, they never remained there under the hot sun.

There were only a few children left before Quin Qi.

Seeing that his turn would soon come, Qin Qi turned back at Jong Ji, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. "Jong Ji.Could.We switch places?" His voice was breaking from time to time, and he was uncontrollably shaking.

" Quin Qi, what's wrong?!" Seeing his usually calm friend in such a state made Jong Ji panic.

"Don't ask. Let's switch places."

Like that, Quin Qi moved behind Jong Ji.

Jong Ji looked back at Quin Qi worriedly, but he knew even if he asked him, Quin Qi would never tell what was troubling him. That's just how he was.

Finally, Jong Ji's turn came.

Jong Ji looked up at the giant iron door as he climbed the stairs.

His eyes met with the eyes of Taurus.

Like everyone else, as he slowly climbed the stairs, he dreamed about awakening a class with potential.

However, he did not dream about becoming the strongest cultivator or ruling over the world.

He dreamed simply of himself and his mother living in a small luxury house near a quiet lake.

Before he knew it, he had already stepped inside of the Awakening hall.

The magnificent new world he saw brought him back to his senses.

It was the world of luxury.

Four stone pillars decorated with carefully engraved golden lines are placed in the corners holding the whole structure.

His eyes fell on the red carpet as he looked down, feeling something different under his foot.

Following the red carpet with his eyes, he saw two stone pillars with about one meter(3.5 feet) between them and one meter high.

Unlike the four pillars holding the hall, the two small pillars had carefully engraved blue lines.

Two shiny crystal balls were on top of each pillar.

" What's your name, kid?" A tired but somehow pleasant voice brought Jong Ji back to his senses.

He quickly turned toward the voice.

Unexpectedly, the man was standing just a few meters from the crystal ball.

' How come he was so close, yet I didn't see him?' Jong Ji thought as he cupped both his hands and bowed.

" Sir, my name is Jong Ji."

Jong Ji's eyes fell on the only cloth the man wore covering his private part, his shorts.

'Are they made out of leather? Why is the fur still intact?' Jong Ji thought as he raised slowly, examining the man.

The man had a height of at least two meters (seven feet).

His great stone-like muscles were visible even though his hairy body was trying to cover them.

His dirty face, messy hair, and short beard made it hard for Jong Ji to determine this man's years.

"Sighh!"

Jong Ji noticed that the man was bored and reeked of alcohol.

" Kid, come here." The man kindly said, placing his hand on one of the crystal balls.

Jong Ji nodded and walked forward to the crystal ball.

Jong Ji had already started liking this man, as even though he was tired and bored, the man was still kind toward the children.

"Just place your hand on the crystal ball." The man said, taking his hand off the ball.

Jong Ji placed his hand on the crystal ball and looked at the man.

The man had closed his eyes and was performing some unknown hand signs.

Blue light slowly enveloped his right palm as he performed the hand signs.

He slowly lowered his hand, and placed it on the crystal ball.

The blue light disappeared from the man's palm, and the crystal ball started shining.

Soon the light from the ball started dispersing, and Jong Ji felt something entering his body through his palm.

He felt like he could lift a whole tree from its root. However, that feeling was soon replaced by dizziness as he felt his energy sucked out of his body.

"Alright, you can remove your hand from the crystal." The man said.

Jong Ji quickly let go of the crystal ball.

Both the man and Jong Ji watched the crystal ball with excitement.

A pale black color appeared at the center of the crystal ball.

However, it did not remain like that for long as the dark color inside the ball was darkening, and soon it became pitch black.

Not only did the color darken, but it also expanded from the center to the whole crystal ball.

The darkness emitting from the ball started affecting the surroundings as the colors around the crystal ball disappeared, and darkness replaced them.

The darkness started expanding and eating the colors around the hall.

The man instinctively jumped back as he sensed danger within the darkness.

However, not knowing what was going on, Jong Ji was caught in the darkness.

"c***k!"

Just as Jong Ji started panicking, he heard the sound of something breaking, and soon the darkness dispersed.

The colors immediately returned, and Jong Ji saw white lines on the face of the man as the sweat cleaned parts of his dirty face.

Looking at the shattered crystal ball with terror, he held a fireball in his hand.

All this happened in a short few seconds. But to Jong Ji, it felt like hours passed.

The man quickly came back to his senses.

He vanished from Jong Ji's vision, and the next second he appeared in front of the crystal ball.

'So this is the speed of a cultivator.' Jong Ji thought as he watched the man touching the remains of the crystal ball.

The remains of the crystal ball were still pitch black.

'What is this power?' The man thought.' I am in the seventh level of the spirit realm, but that darkness still absorbed my fireball like nothing. I don't know what might happen if the crystal ball did not shatter. And this kid...'

The man raised his head and looked at Jong Ji. 'He was unaffected by the darkness. Could he be? Ah, forget it. I will bring the remains of the crystal ball to the clan leader and the elders to examine.'

The man passed with his hand above the remains of the crystal ball, and they vanished.

The next moment, a bluish, brand new crystal ball appeared in the man's hand.

"Kid, come and place your hand on the other crystal ball." The man said as he placed the new crystal ball where the shattered one was.

Jong Ji nodded again and walked to the next stone pillar.

The crystal ball on this stone pillar had a greenish color.

As he placed his hand, Jong Ji said: "What now?"

"Imagine how darkness moves through your hand and hits the crystal ball."

Jong Ji closed his eyes and imagined.

The moment the darkness in his imagination hit the crystal ball, the crystal ball started shining.