C16 – Battle Spirit Awakening
“Beijing?” Qin Hongyu blurted out in surprise before adding, somewhat puzzled, “Aren’t the schools in the capital supposed to be better? Why come to Deepfell for the Martial Exam?”
Beijing remained the capital of Xaprassau, one of the mightiest base cities. He couldn’t fathom why someone like Fu Tian would journey to Deepfell for the Martial Exam.
Qin Hongyu scrutinized Fu Tian. No designer labels adorned him, yet the unmistakable air of wealth clung to him. Clearly, he wasn’t from a poor family.
In fact, Qin Hongyu found himself quite impressed with Fu Tian. When he mentioned he was from Cirencester, he detected neither scorn nor surprise in Fu Tian’s eyes. That composure alone earned him Qin Hongyu’s respect.
After a brief pause, Fu Tian spoke nonchalantly, “Well, that’s a long story. If we end up in the same class, I’ll fill you in.”
Just then, a voice echoed from the stage, “Next, Fu Tian.”
The awakening ceremony had been underway for an hour, with many already having summoned their battle spirits.
Over four hundred individuals had undergone the ceremony, leaving a mix of joy and disappointment in their wake. Those who failed walked away from the hall, their hopes of becoming Battle Spirit Fighters dashed, left to face the Knowledge Exam in two days.
“Your turn. Good luck!” Qin Hongyu said with a smile.
Fu Tian returned the smile and a nod, then made his way to the front of the Awakening Array, visibly nervous.
The Awakening Hall buzzed with activity from ten arrays working in concert; otherwise, awakening a thousand participants in a single day would be a daunting task.
Qin Hongyu watched the peculiar arrays, their intricate runes seeming to pulse with an otherworldly magic.
Something stirred within him as he watched Fu Tian step into the heart of the Awakening Array.
The instructor promptly activated the array, which began to glow with a mysterious yellow light, a soft aureole forming above Fu Tian’s head.
Qin Hongyu could tell that Fu Tian was in considerable discomfort. His eyes were tightly shut, and beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, while the faint yellow glow above his head slowly solidified.
After a few moments, the yellow light gently dissipated, revealing an ancient, pale yellow book floating serenely above Fu Tian’s head.
“Fu Tian, you may now attempt to summon your battle spirit,” said the person overseeing the summoning array, his expression unreadable as he signaled to proceed.
Fu Tian willed the Grimoire of Demon Spirits into his hand and carefully opened it to the first page, where a drowsy Tortoise Spirit was depicted.
With a mere thought, the Tortoise Spirit from the Grimoire materialized at his feet with a soft “Gu Gu.”
This Tortoise Spirit was slightly larger than a typical spirit turtle, standing—if it could—about knee-high to Fu Tian.
No sooner had the earthy-hued Tortoise Spirit emerged than it affectionately nuzzled Fu Tian’s pant leg, seemingly expressing gratitude for the life it had been granted.
“Ah… a solid system Tortoise Spirit, such a shame. Had it been a water-type, it would have qualified as a senior class battle spirit,” lamented the supervising teacher, shaking his head before swiftly jotting notes onto a blank form.