Skyfire Empire,
Bright Sun Prefecture.Qingyuan County, Guangchuan City.
The plaza outside Guangchuan City Second High School was filled with noise and restless anticipation. Students gathered in clusters, some excited, others tense, all waiting for the same moment.
Today was Demon Spirit Awakening Day.
In this world, cultivation was meaningless without a demon spirit. Strength, status, and future—all were decided by what one awakened today.
Yu Chen stood quietly among the third-year students.
Sixteen years old.Body Tempering — Six Stars.
An orphan.
No family. No background. No one expecting anything from him.
"Six stars is decent," someone whispered nearby."But awakening decides everything," another replied."If he draws a low-grade spirit, he's done."
Yu Chen didn't respond. Hope was a luxury he couldn't afford.
At the center of the plaza, the Spirit Awakening Formation pulsed with steady light. Spirit stones embedded along its edges powered the array, their energy rippling outward.
One student stepped forward.
A ferocious howl rang out.
"Iron-Fanged Hound! Spirit Awakening — Three Stars!"
Cheers erupted.
Another followed.
"Blazing Feather Hawk! Spirit Awakening — Six Stars!"
This time, the applause was louder. Six stars was enough to be considered talented.
Then—
A crushing pressure descended on the plaza.
A tall youth stepped into the formation, his aura sharp and overwhelming.
Zhao Ming.
Body Tempering — Nine Stars.
Ranked first in the grade.
The moment his hand touched the formation, spiritual light exploded skyward. The array trembled violently as a massive phantom took shape—its body metallic, its eyes cold and domineering.
The crystal panel flashed.
Demon Spirit: Azure Iron Ape
Realm: Spirit Refinement Stars: One
For a heartbeat, the entire plaza went silent.
Then chaos erupted.
"Spirit Refinement?!"
"He skipped Spirit Awakening entirely!"
"That's a monster-level talent!"
Even the instructors were visibly shaken.
Spirit Refinement demon spirits were normally obtained only after long-term nurturing—or by using extremely rare Heavenly Treasures. To awaken one directly was almost unheard of in Guangchuan City .
Zhao Ming withdrew his hand calmly, ignoring the uproar.
Nearby, Lin Yue, Body Tempering Eight Stars, watched quietly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she committed Zhao Ming's strength to memory.
The gap had been established.
"Next—Yu Chen."
Yu Chen stepped forward.
Compared to Zhao Ming, his presence was insignificant.
The formation activated as his palm touched the surface. Spiritual energy flowed steadily into his body, calm and controlled. Deep within his consciousness, something stirred.
A shadowy figure slowly emerged above the formation.
It was a wolf-shaped demon spirit, its body wreathed in faint darkness, eyes glowing dimly with crimson light. Its aura was restrained—neither fierce nor weak.
The crystal panel flickered.
Demon Spirit: Nether Shadow Wolf
Realm: Spirit Awakening Stars: Five
The reaction was muted.
"Five stars. Not bad.""Middle-tier awakening.""At least it's stable."
The instructor nodded. "Spirit Awakening, five stars. Acceptable."
That was all.
Compared to Zhao Ming's Spirit Refinement demon spirit, Yu Chen's awakening barely registered.
Yu Chen stepped back into the crowd.
Outwardly calm.
Internally—
A translucent interface unfolded silently before his eyes.
Demon Spirit: Nether Shadow Wolf
Realm: Spirit Awakening (5 Stars)
Upgrade Condition:– Consume 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones to advance to the next star
Yu Chen's pupils contracted slightly.
In this world, demon spirit stars could only be increased by:
Breaking through to the next cultivation realm, or
Using Heavenly Treasures—items so rare that even major clans fought over them.
Spirit stones alone were never enough.
Yet his demon spirit didn't care about those rules.
From afar, Zhao Ming glanced at Yu Chen once, then looked away.
"Five-star Spirit Awakening," he said indifferently. "Irrelevant."
Lin Yue's gaze lingered for a brief moment longer, a faint hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes—before she turned away.
Yu Chen lowered his head, his fingers brushing against the small pouch at his waist. Inside were several low-grade spirit stones, hard-earned from menial work and saved carefully over the years.
Ten spirit stones …
If this is real…
The Nether Shadow Wolf stirred faintly in his mind, its presence silent but attentive.
Yu Chen exhaled slowly.
Others needed time.Others needed treasures.Others needed fate.
He only needed spirit stones.....