2 years had passed since Qian Chi had her spirit awakening ceremony and left the orphanage. Over this time, Xueqin seemed to return to his usual cheerful and smiling self, playing along with the other children, causing the deacons over the orphanage to smile at him thinking that it was much better than before, passing so much time alone with that rare girl.
However, Priest Qi knew it better than the others. He was a spirit trainee at rank 9. While he was not considered strong, his senses were greater than normal people, having detected a forcefulness in Xueqin's smile, not being a true one.
Priest Qi had tried to cheer him with games and some toys, but it wasn't possible. Both kids were very close to each other, needing time to get used to their distance. The only moments that Xueqin truly smiled was when he receive Chi's letters.
She had kept her promise of writing. At least once a month, writing to Xueqin about the academy and how she missed him. Of course, Chi didn't want to worry Xueqin so she didn't was exactly telling the truth.
Today, Xueqin woke up earlier than usual as today was a very special day to him, it was his 6th birthday, meaning that today was his awakening day.
Just as he left the room, Priest Qi was already waiting for him "Happy 6th birthday, Xueqin" Priest Qi said giving him a little cake, chocolate, like he liked the most, with a candle over it.
"Thanks, Priest Qi" Xueqin smiled truthfully, blowing the candle and eating some of the cake. Then, Priest Qi brought him over the awakening room.
The awakening room was inside of the same orphanage. Children all over the city came to the orphanage to awakening their spirits, usually giving a donation for the care of the orphanage that it usually became greater if the kid became a spirit master.
The other option to awaken your spirit was going to the Spirit Pagoda. However, the Spirit Pagoda had fixed dates, only doing it twice every year while in the Dawn Church if you reserved with advance, all the days were free, causing people to usually reserve as soon as their sons are born.
Priest Qi opened the big doors, showing a wide room. Entering inside, Xueqin couldn't help to shiver a little by the cold air inside the room.
It was a golden colored room with a lot of strange patterns over the ground and walls, similar to a big circuit, all of them connected to a big device with a screen and two keyboards, a soul computer.
At the back of the room, a golden figure of the Angel Goddes with her 12 wings spread could be seen while at the center of the room, stood a curious blue pattern with some black rocks around it.
"Wait here for a moment" Priest Qi stepped forward, going to the computer. He typed something over the keyboard, all the room lighting up, the pattern at the center shining brightly.
This was the cause that the Dawn Church was able to awaken people everyday. While the Spirit Pagoda used spirit master, the Dawn Church had found a way to substitute the spirit master role for a sophisticated computer with a soul battery. Making able to a normal person to awaken the spirit of others.
The Dawn Church had always in its mind rather than strength or power, the improvement of the normal people's and commoner's life. They had invested hundreds of years before they could complete it. Not letting even that lucky commoners that awakened with soul power waste half a year of the best time to cultivate.
"You can already step over the formation, Xueqin" Priest said while typing more keys.
Xueqin stepped forward with a very determined face, completely decided to have soul power. It didn't matter the quantity, talent or spirit, he wanted to have soul power to be able to assist Greenground Primary Academy. At least, living for a year in the same place as Chi before she graduates from it the next year.
Stepping over the formation, the glow started to increase. The black rocks around him started floating, lightning flowing over them.
Looking at this, Xueqin was a little nervous, but he put a strong front, keeping his cool. Worrying wouldn't help at all.
A warm feeling started entering his body, flowing all around as the light from the formation increased its intensity. A blindly flash of light covered the room.
Then, the light disappeared completely, revealing a dumbfounded Xueqin looking at his surroundings "What happened" asked him. He started feeling the warmth, but it was quickly absorbed by his body. He knew that he needed more of that warm feeling.
"Brrrrrr!" Alarms started sounding from the computer, a big "ERROR" written over the screen.
"I don't know" Answered Priest Qi "This is the first time that happened this." Priest Qi started typing furiously the keyboard, his face completely confused at the situation.
"Tock! Tock!" Someone knocked on the door causing both of them to jump in surprise. It must be known that an awakening ceremony was something sacred, very little people would dare to meddle with one in course.
Seeing that there was no answer, the door opened without waiting for one. Over the door, a tall old man stood.
He was over 2 meters tall and seemed to be around the late fifties, early sixties. His short hair was black, but there was already a lot of white hair due to the age. He had a sharp and oppressive gaze, only having his left eye in function as a great scar cut all over his right eye.
He wore black clothes, with a red coat over it, with its left sleeve hanging, showing the fact that he lacked a left arm, only his right arm remaining. However, even with his body full of wounds, missing parts and wrinkles, toned muscles were all over his body, strength being emitted by him.
Seeing the man, Priest Qi was about to chase him away until he saw the emblem over the man's chest, a 5 pair of wings emblem, shocking him completely.
Priest Qi quickly kneeled over the ground with a lot respect "Cardinal!"
The Dawn Church was divided due to ranks based in their contributions, powers and responsibilities. The ranks were Deacons, Priests, Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals and the Pope. Each rank being represented by a new pair of wings, starting for the one pair of wings Deacon to the 12-winged Pope.
The man in front of them was a Cardinal, meaning that he was almost at the top of the Dawn Church, his power being impossible to even imagine for someone like Priest Qi.
"Why we deserve this honor, sir Cardinal?" asked politely Priest Qi without lifting his head.
"You can rest. Leave the room. I will carry the ceremony" the man said. Priest Qi didn't think for even an instant to negate to his request, quickly retiring from the room, leaving the man and Xueqin alone.
"Can I ask, why did you come, your holiness?" Xueqin bowed, trying to be the most politely possible.
"I'm not your holiness, keep it for the true wings" The man said something that Xueqin really didn't understand "I came for the signal" He said pointing at the ERROR "I was unlucky to be the nearest member here, forcing me to come" He said sighing.
The man approached the computer "I always hate these things" He took out some rectangular metal that shined with bright yellow light from his coat, inserting it over a hole at the computer.
"Yin, explain the state of the error" The man seemed to say to no one.
"Immediately, master" A young female voice surged around the room "Error code 103, recommend to change to manual model."
"Thanks, Yin" He said before turning over Xueqin "You are quite a lucky boy."
Xueqin was truly too shocked but what happened, the cardinal, the voice, the error. He was a little overwhelmed, but he achieved to say "Why?"
"The automatical awakening while being very reliable, it had some restrictions." The man explained "One of them it that the potency is not enough to awaken anyone with an innate spirit soul of 8 or higher. There are very few cases like this, so it's an ignorable error. Once it happens, there's only the need to sent a spirit master to manually awaken."
Xueqin nervous vanished as a smile appeared over his face. If the man was right, not only he had soul power, but his innate soul power was incredibly high. He had great talent! "I will be able to become a spirit master?"
The man smirked at the question "With ease, even if you have the lowest measure of 8."
"Yin, start manual mode!" The man ordered.
"Yes, master!" again the female voice sounded, the light over the room turning off, only the center pattern with the black rocks remaining.
The man approached Xueqin "Don't move, boy" The man opened widely his left eye, the aura around him becoming impossible oppressive. If it was directed to Xueqin, it was enough to crush him.
"Shinx!" spirit rings started appearing over the ground, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black and Red, showing a total of 8 spirit rings. The man in front of Xueqin was a spirit douluo powerhouse!
A big completely black and with a devilish aura greatsword stood over his hand. He pierced the sword over the ground and extended his arm over Xueqin, sending soul power to the formation.
The black rocks floated again. However, this time the lightings between them were much more strong and fiercer, the light over the formation much purer and stronger.
The warm feeling return, but this time multiple times stronger, flowing all over Xueqin's body, focusing over his back.
Xueqin's back felt itchy, but quickly it started to burn as Xueqin's boy eagerly continued absorbing the soul energy."Ahhhh!" Xueqin started crying. This caused the man to lift curiously his eyebrow.
Xueqin could feel his skin burning, like something wanted to carve his back, scrapping his way out. He couldn't last much more, it was about to surge.
"Booom!" An explosion of light surged from Xueqin's body, an immense holy aura following it. Xueqin's body was floating, a beautiful spirit of a golden girl with twelve wings stood at his back, overlapping with the golden statue from the Angel Goddess at the back.
"Seraphim" The man said stunned.