A month before the Awakening Ceremony, Qing Yan was training in the remote forest outside of Zahriyah al-Rabi' City. The forest was thick with trees, the sounds of wildlife gently filling the air. It was the perfect place for him to focus on his training. Away from the city and its distractions, he could practice his combat techniques in silence, free from the pressure of social expectations.

He had grown used to distancing himself from the city, away from the excitement and celebrations leading up to the Awakening Ceremony, when all the children would gather to summon their spirits on that fateful day. He, like the other youth in the city, was thirteen, and the ceremony would determine his entire future.

However, unlike the others, Qing Yan wasn't filled with the same eagerness. As he thought about it, he felt a sense of unease. An orphan, living in a small house alone after his parents passed away at an early age, he didn't have anyone waiting for him, watching over him. He knew that success in the Awakening Ceremony would mean little unless it gave him power.

"Why should I be like everyone else?" Qing Yan muttered to himself, swinging his fist through the air. "I don't need to prove anything to anyone. Power is all that matters in this world."

Just as he was preparing to return home after a long day of training, he heard the sounds of a battle in the distance—shouts, crashes, and the unmistakable signs of a violent conflict. The sounds were chaotic, and for a moment, Qing Yan hesitated. But something strange urged him forward. Whether it was curiosity or sheer luck, he couldn't tell, but he felt compelled to investigate.

"What is that sound?" Qing Yan said quietly to himself, stopping for a moment to listen closely.

As he drew closer to the source of the sounds, the scene in front of him became a blur of blood and dust. He saw two Spirit Masters locked in a fierce battle. The fight was so intense that the ground beneath their feet cracked, and violent gusts of wind swirled around them, as though they were both defying the very laws of nature. One wielded a fiery sword that glowed with intense heat, while the other stood encased in a misty barrier, skillfully deflecting the attacks.

The sky grew dark with every strike, and violent storms of wind erupted at every corner, as if the forces of nature were stirred by their power. The spiritual energy they released was so overwhelming that the trees around them withered and twisted from the pressure. The sounds of explosions echoed, each blow leaving a whirlwind of scorching air in its wake.

"They... are so powerful!" Qing Yan muttered, watching the battle with wide eyes. "Are they level five? Or even six?"

The fight grew more intense, and it was clear that one of the masters was beginning to dominate. The ground shook beneath their feet, cracks forming in the earth with each step. Suddenly, the fiery warrior moved with blinding speed, landing a decisive blow that shattered the misty shield, sending it scattering like mist. But the other warrior, despite being on the defensive, was able to retaliate with one final, blinding beam of light, piercing through the earth and shooting into the sky.

But it was futile. The fiery warrior struck one last, fatal blow, and the other's body collapsed unnaturally to the ground, twitching before it stilled. His spiritual energy quickly dissipated, vanishing into the air.

"Is... is he dead?" Qing Yan whispered, wide-eyed, as he cautiously approached.

Qing Yan stepped closer to the two bodies, still unable to believe what he was witnessing. As he neared the first body, he confirmed it was lifeless, with no sign of life remaining. But what caught his attention were the small boxes lying beside the bodies.

"These boxes... were they what they were fighting over?" Qing Yan thought, his gaze fixed on the boxes scattered on the ground. There were three small boxes: one golden, about the size of a palm, next to the man who had been laughing before he collapsed. The other two, one red and the other blue, were similar in size to the golden box.

Qing Yan felt a sense of awe as he inspected the bodies. "These can't just be ordinary treasures... These souls, there must be something extraordinary about them." He muttered to himself as he quickly grabbed the boxes.

"But... what should I do now? If I leave these boxes here, someone else will come and take them. If I take them, will I be in danger?" Qing Yan's mind raced between worry and curiosity. But he didn't hesitate long.

Without further thought, Qing Yan quickly hid the boxes in his clothing. The city was rife with internal conflicts for power, and treasures like these would surely attract the greed of others. He wasn't foolish enough to leave them behind. And, as he knew well, the Awakening Ceremony was fast approaching, and once he became a Spirit Master, he would have the power to open these boxes. For now, he decided to return home as quickly as possible.

"I won't take any risks now. I'll open them when I'm stronger!" Qing Yan whispered to himself as he turned to head home.

Once back at his house, Qing Yan sat before the boxes, trying to open them. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't. He felt frustration building, but then he realized something important.

"I need spiritual energy to open them!" Qing Yan sighed. "But I can't give them to the clan for help. If I do, they'll take them from me."

In that moment, Qing Yan made up his mind. He would wait until the Awakening Ceremony. On that day, he would become a Spirit Master, and he would have the power to open these boxes himself.

"I won't open them now… I'll wait until the Awakening Ceremony. On that day, I'll be a Spirit Master, and I'll open them myself." Qing Yan said firmly, standing tall.