The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh dew and the faint excitement of the entire village. Children were already gathering in the central hall where the Spirit Grandmaster had set up for the annual awakening ceremony.
Ayan stood next to Tang San in the crowd, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the room. He had barely slept the night before, his mind buzzing with thoughts of what kind of martial spirit he might awaken.
One by one, children stepped forward, placing their hands on the crystal sphere. The Grandmaster would chant, a warm light would flow, and their martial spirit would appear — sometimes a weapon, sometimes a plant, sometimes something disappointing like a sickle or a broom.
Finally, it was Tang San's turn. He stepped forward calmly, his small hands glowing faintly as the Grandmaster activated the awakening. A dazzling blue light erupted around him — the Blue Silver Grass unfurled in his palm. A humble, simple spirit… yet something about the way it swayed in his hand felt alive.
"Spirit power rank… innate full spirit power," the Grandmaster announced in shock.
The hall murmured in awe. Tang San stepped back, hiding his thoughts, but Ayan caught the faint glimmer in his friend's eyes.
Now it was Ayan's turn. He placed his hand on the sphere. At first, nothing happened — then a ripple of deep black and silver surged through the crystal. A phantom image began to form — a shadowy Doppelganger, its form almost identical to Ayan's, but slightly distorted, as if it could change shape at will. Its eyes glowed faintly, and a sense of mystery filled the hall.
The Grandmaster's expression changed to one of intrigue.
"A rare Doppelganger Soul martial spirit… innate spirit power rank 7," he said. "This is highly unusual. With this, you could copy abilities, appearances, even presence itself… depending on your cultivation."
Ayan smirked. "Sounds fun."
As the two boys stepped outside together, the sun bathed them in light. They exchanged a glance — not of rivalry, but of shared determination.
Tomorrow, training would begin. Today, they had taken their first step toward becoming legends.