Ch.7: Shocked!
Every day, Zhou Yueling's life followed the same pattern.
Wake up before dawn.
Practice her combat forms under the rising sun. Train her body within the crushing gravity field of her martial spirit. Rest briefly at noon, take a light lunch, then dive straight into meditation.
Her cultivation sessions stretched until evening, sometimes late into the night, only interrupted when her grandmother inevitably stormed into her room to drag her out for dinner.
After that came spiritual refinement before sleep.
A precise, relentless cycle.
Every day accounted for.
Every breath purposeful.
But today was different.
Today, despite the early hour, Zhou Yueling stood at the awakening platform, arms crossed, watching a child prepare for his spirit awakening—a boy who was supposed to become her first disciple.
Not that she had asked for one.
Apparently, the boy's ancestor had been a close friend of her grandfather and had once helped him during difficult times.
Fate had been unkind to their family, leaving only this child alive. Out of gratitude, her grandfather decided to adopt him as his son.
That alone was irritating enough. But then came the suggestion that he would call her Niece Yueling.
Just imagining a three-year-old tugging at her sleeve and calling her that made her skin crawl.
So, after a long "family discussion," she'd struck a compromise: he would be her disciple instead.
He could live in the manor, learn under her supervision, but she would not be his "niece."
That much was non-negotiable.
And now, because this disciple of hers was awakening his martial spirit, she'd set aside her morning cultivation to watch it happen in person.
Frankly, she was disappointed the moment she saw him.
Timid posture. Nervous eyes.
He looked as if a strong breeze would send him running.
My disciple can't be this lacking, she thought, annoyance flickering in her chest.
'Even if talent is weak, confidence must never be.'
That belief had guided her entire life.
Determination, self-discipline, and willpower: those were the foundations of strength she herself had followed.
Without them, genius was wasted potential.
It was that very belief that had kept her going.
Even after reaching the level of a Spirit Sage, she never stopped her training, while even the intensity continued to increase.
And this mindset also made it hard to mix in with other people of her age, who were either too busy enjoying life to cultivate or too elegant to even bother working hard.
These were the situations which never let her stop, even in this quiet backwater city.
Far from the bustling Royal Empire academies, training alone among her aged grandparents—two retired Spirit Douluos whose glory days had long passed.
Still, she exhaled and eased her frown.
Confidence could be cultivated. Resolve could be forged.
If the boy lacked them now, she would simply hammer them into him herself.
Her dark eyes softened slightly as she looked at him. 'But talent... talent can't be forged. For that, he'll have to rely on fate.'
Under the morning sunlight, Zhou Yueling stood like a peerless flower in full bloom. Her long black hair shimmered softly as it flowed down her back, and her figure was elegant and well-proportioned, her presence naturally commanding.
Even without makeup or ornament, her beauty was striking; dressed neatly with only a touch of color, she seemed effortlessly radiant, her every glance carrying quiet confidence.
Her long, slender legs showed faintly beneath her dark blue skirt, smooth and graceful, adding to her poised charm under the soft morning light.
No wonder even the city's guards had gone stiff-faced when she passed by earlier.
But beneath that flawless exterior lay a mind as sharp as a blade and a pride that bowed to no one.
Soon, the ceremony began. The awakening array shimmered faintly as a Spirit Elder named Mo Jun stepped forward and placed his palm over the boy's chest.
"Begin," the Spirit Elder announced, channeling his soul power into Lu Sheng's body.
Zhou Yueling observed carefully, eyes sharp, ready to judge.
"Such wide meridians…" Mo Jun murmured in surprise.
Yueling nearly scoffed.
'Of course they're wide.'
Her grandmother had personally cleansed and opened all twelve meridians ever since the boy was barely old enough to walk, reinforcing his body with medicinal baths and energy circulation therapy.
After so much preparation, it would be strange if he had less than Rank-7 innate soul power.
Still, Zhou Yueling's attention didn't waver. Her curiosity stirred.
Whatever his background, whatever her reluctance, this boy was now her disciple.
She had a stake in his future.
And though she didn't expect much from him, part of her still wanted to see something, anything, worthy of her time.
Mo Jun gestured. "Don't be afraid," he said gently.
"Now, hold out your palm."
The air trembled.
Light gathered around the child's body.
Zhou Yueling straightened unconsciously, her heartbeat quickening.
Then the chaos began.
...
Light flared.
The air shimmered as soul power pulsed through the awakening array.
Lines of faint blue light crawled along the stone floor, wrapping around Lu Sheng like veins of energy seeking a path.
His body trembled, not from fear, half from excitement and half from the instinctive shock of spirit energy flooding into him.
His small frame nearly swallowed by the energy spiraling around him.
For a brief moment, everything was silent, no sound but the low hum of the formation.
Then, the air seemed to tear apart.
Zhou Yueling's pupils narrowed.
She could feel it, the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
The boy raised his right hand.
A hum, low and deep, vibrated through the air, followed by a golden radiance bursting from his palm.
A golden light surged upward, brilliant yet oppressive, coalescing into the shape of a humanoid figure floating above his palm.
Like very lean muscular humanoid figure wearing golden metallic full-body armor.
Its surface gleamed like molten metal, golden and bright, traced with streams of silver and deep black. Strange rune-like symbols flickered along its limbs, flowing in rhythm with its heartbeat.
The figure's limbs were sleek and flexible, but its torso carried a powerfully built frame; every line of its form radiated a silent, unbending dominance.
The figure was tall, alien, and regal, its presence alone seemed to bend the air.
Zhou Yueling's pupils narrowed.
That wasn't any martial spirit she had ever seen.
Elder Mo Jun staggered a step back, eyes wide. "This… this aura—!"
Before anyone could react further, the temperature in the hall dropped. A heavy, invisible weight pressed against their chests.
Even Yueling, a Spirit Sage, for a second felt it, a primal, oppressive energy that commanded stillness.
A Spirit Elder whispered hoarsely, "What... what kind of martial spirit is this?"
Mo Jun staggered backward a step, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He had seen countless awakenings over the years, but none like this.
The figure's aura expanded violently, an invisible pressure erupting from its golden form. The air thickened until even Spirit Grandmasters had to stabilize their soul power just to stand straight.
Those with lower cultivation and little kids found their knees buckling under the unseen weight.
That oppressive force came from the spirit itself—its innate ability.
Pressure.
It wasn't directed consciously.
It was instinctive, like the natural dominance of a predator, the kind that crushed weaker wills simply by existing.
Not spiritual pressure, not killing intent—something deeper. A will of domination.
Mo Jun gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain composure. "Innate ability… pressure field…?"
Zhou Yueling's eyes widened slightly.
Even she could feel a twinge of resistance pressing against her soul.
'So this is his martial spirit...'
The boy's golden aura flared again.
Then, something else stirred.
From his left hand, a shadow bloomed—dark, fluid, serpentine. The temperature around the array seemed to drop as a low, vibrating roar filled the hall.
A low roar tore through the air, shaking the stone floor.
Black light burst outward, spiraling into a massive serpent-shaped projection above Lu Sheng's head.
Its jet-black scales gleamed like obsidian metal. Silver runes coursed along its long body, connecting into patterns that seemed almost alive, like rivers of molten moonlight. Around its form, circular energy loops pulsed faintly, echoes of some higher evolution, the kind seen only in ancient records of divine-rank beasts.
The dragon's eyes opened—cold, intelligent, predatory.
The sky above the hall darkened instantly.
Clouds churned out of nowhere. Wind howled through the open windows, rattling the pillars. A faint trace of lightning flickered behind the serpent's translucent form.
Mo Jun froze mid-step. "A… dragon-type martial spirit? No… that aura—this is a field! Again?"
For a brief instant, its head lowered toward the humanoid golden figure, the two spirits locking gazes. The pressure in the hall spiked again, fierce enough to crack the marble tiles beneath the formation.
Twin martial spirits.
The crowd froze in disbelief.
Even Zhou Yueling's normally calm face shifted to open surprise.
Her grandparents—City Lord Zhou Ming and Lady Li Xueya—who had been calmly watching from the viewing stand, rose from their seats, their composed auras flickering for the first time in decades.
Their spirit power instinctively mobilized, protecting the weaker soul masters and other children from the sheer elemental force radiating from the serpent.
"This... impossible," Mo Jun whispered. "Twin spirits again… and both of such level!"
Zhou Yueling stared wordlessly.
Her composed mask cracked for the first time.
Looking at the sight before her.
The humanoid spirit's eyes burned with golden-silver light. The black dragon's projection coiled around him protectively, its body forming an orbit of darkness and light.
At that instant, Zhou Yueling realized that her earlier disappointment had been foolish.
This timid boy—this "disciple" she'd accepted half out of obligation—wasn't going to be ordinary.
His first martial spirit radiated the majesty of an undefeated fighter, a peerless predator, Deoxys.
His second, the serpentine black dragon, the doubtless ruler of skies, Rayquaza, carried the fury and chaos of the heavens themselves.
Zhou Yueling clenched her fists unconsciously, a spark of excitement flashing in her eyes.
'My disciple... it seems I underestimated you.'