Today was the Awakening.
In Cloud City, every student who turned sixteen underwent their fate-defining ritual.
The square buzzed with anticipation, filled with students in matching uniforms. Some shifted nervously, while others stood tall, confidence gleaming in their eyes.
In a less crowded area stood a boy with an average appearance and long black hair. The nervous tension on his face was plain to see.
"I hope I awaken a good path... Even if it's just tier five. Even tier three would be good," he thought, lowering his head.
"Wu Yuan, what are you thinking about? You're worried about your awakening, aren't you?"
A girl suddenly appeared beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder with a playful smile.
Compared to Wu Yuan's plain looks, her beauty could easily be called top-class in the city.
"Sister Ying..." Wu Yuan muttered, sounding a little exasperated
From her casual manner, it was clear they were close.
"Don't 'sister' me. Just answer, yes or no?" she said, trying to look serious.
"Sister Ying, I'm about to awaken a path. Do you really have to treat me like this... in front of everyone?" Wu Yuan looked around, embarrassed. Several students were already glancing at him like a child getting scolded by an older sibling.
"Hmm...!" Sister Ying pursed her lips, keeping up her serious act.
"Yes." Wu Yuan gave in. He knew she wouldn't stop otherwise, and continuing the argument would just end with more teasing.
"I knew it. I was just like you during my awakening. I didn't even want to come, but Dad dragged me here himself. And now look at me! No one my age is even close to me," she said proudly, clearly trying to comfort him, though Wu Yuan could only hear her boasting.
Wu Yuan rolled his eyes.
"How could I compare to the great and talented awakener of Cloud City?"
"Of course not," she grinned. "But don't worry. Even if you awaken a bad path, your big sister will always take care of you."
She puffed up her chest with pride. Wu Yuan couldn't help but glance at it.
"Hey...!" She flicked him on the forehead.
"Don't get any ideas, or you'll get more than a tap," she warned, face suddenly serious.
Wu Yuan rubbed his forehead. It hadn't been a hard hit, but it came from a cultivator.
"Yes, yes, Sister Ying. I won't do it again," he said solemnly.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He missed his previous life.
Yes — Wu Yuan was a reincarnator.
In his former life, he had been an ordinary college student on Earth, working part-time to get by. One day, he was caught in the crossfire of a gang shootout. A stray bullet had found him, and he died on the spot.
Three hundred years later, he was born again — on Earth — and adopted by Sister Ying's parents. As a baby, he'd been found on the streets. After asking around for over a month and getting no answers, Sister Ying's mother, heart aching at the thought of sending him to foster care, chose to adopt him.
He had grown up with their family, and in these sixteen years, he'd learned a lot about the world. The most common knowledge?
Everyone awakens a path at the age of sixteen.
At first, he'd believed he'd reincarnated into one of those fantasy worlds, dungeons, EXP farming, monster grinding, leveling up...
But what he learned next stunned him.
There were no dungeons here. No monster kills. No levels.
While there were beasts, killing them did nothing for growth.
The only method of advancement was through cultivation, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Paths were ranked from tier 1 to tier 10, with most people awakening somewhere between tiers 4 and 8. Almost everyone he knew had already awakened.
The awakened were far superior to the unawakened. Even the tap Sister Ying gave him hurt more than a normal slap should.
He missed the days when a tap was just a tap.
Wu Yuan sighed.
"Hey, what's with that expression?" Sister Ying tilted her head.
"Was it the tap? Oh no, I forgot. I get carried away sometimes..." she said guiltily, covering her face with her hand.
"Of course you did." Wu Yuan rolled his eyes again. He wasn't falling for that expression.
"Wu Yuan!"
A voice rang out. A group of arrogant-looking boys approached.
Wu Yuan's expression darkened. He knew that voice.
"Didn't expect you to show up, trash. You think getting awakened will make you less pathetic?" the boy in the middle sneered.
"Bao Ling, don't waste time. Let's head where the popular kids are — I bet Mei Li's already there," one of the others said.
"Hmph!"
Sister Ying snorted.
The three boys looked over. When they saw her, their faces went pale.
"S-Senior Sister Ying?!"
"You stinky little brats." Her voice turned sharp. "How dare you belittle my brother—"
Wu Yuan glared at her.
"Brother? Couldn't you use another word...?"
"Cough, cough!" Sister Ying cleared her throat, realizing her slip.
She shot him a look that said, Don't look at me like that — I'm helping!
Wu Yuan rubbed his forehead again. This girl...
"Now then…" she faced the group. "How are you going to compensate my little brother?"
The boys froze.
"H-How do you want us to compensate?" Bao Ling asked, his voice shaking.
"Hmm... five gold coins each should do," she said thoughtfully.
"But—" the boy on the right began.
"Six." She raised the price.
"That's robbery!" the boy on the left protested.
"Seven." She smiled.
"But!"
"Shut up!" Bao Ling snapped at them.
"Eight." Sister Ying didn't even blink.
Bao Ling's face twitched. With a grimace, he reached into his pocket and pulled out six gold coins, hands trembling.
"Senior Sister Ying, I only have six right now. I'll pay the rest later," he said through clenched teeth.
"Hmm." Sister Ying nodded, accepting the coins. "Make it seven."
Then she looked at the other two.
They reluctantly handed over five and six coins respectively.
"You can go now. But if I hear you belittling my brother again, it won't just cost you gold," she warned with a sharp smile.
"Y-Yes, Senior Sister Ying!" the three chorused before hurrying off, but not without giving Wu Yuan a cold, lingering look.
"Hehe. I made some money today."
Sister Ying jingled the coins in her hand.
"Aren't those my coins?" Wu Yuan asked, baffled.
"Oh? You want them?" She gave him a sweet, dangerous smile.
"No, no! I was just joking!"
"Hmph! Coward," she said and turned her attention back to counting the coins.
Minutes later...
"Look! It's the Vice Principal!"
A student pointed toward the sky
"Who's the person walking in front of him?"
"I don't know… but with how respectfully the VP treats him, he must be important."
A middle-aged man hovered on a flying disk, trailing behind an older man who walked through the air without visible support. The Vice Principal wore a humble expression, eyes fixed on the man before him.
The older man hovered in silence, his indifferent gaze sweeping the square.
"I hope I become a Soul Armamenter one day. Then I could fly too," someone whispered in awe.
The older man landed gracefully, followed by the Vice Principal.
The flying disk under the VP disassembled into a cloud of blades, which spun and reformed into a sword that floated behind him.
He quickly stepped forward.
"Let me introduce our distinguished guest, Mr. Wei Jian from the Heavenly Mystery Academy."
"WHAT?!"
The students erupted.
"Hmmhmm!"
A warning cough from the Vice Principal brought silence.
"I now yield the podium to Mr. Wei Jian."
"Thank you, Vice Principal."
"My pleasure, my pleasure."
Wei Jian stepped forward.
"As you know, everyone awakens their path at the age of sixteen. You're all familiar with the common path tiers. I hope you each awaken something powerful today."
"Now you might be wondering why I'm here."
He paused, scanning the students.
"The reason is simple: to recruit talents. But who awakens something worth recruiting... that's up to fate."
He turned to a glowing orb beside him.
"This is the Star Orb. It will be used to awaken your destined paths."
The orb was a perfectly round sphere, about the size of a human head. Translucent, with tiny stars swirling inside, forming a nebula-like vortex.