'Where is my bloodline awakening...'
Standing at the river bank Xuan Yan glanced down at his palm in confusion.
'I am certain that I wrote in my fanfic that my bloodline would awaken as soon as I reached level 30.'
His gaze squinted in thought 'Did that Goddess mess up? Or is something else going on?'
'My bloodline is essential for 'her'.'
Bibi Dong glanced at Xuan Yan, who seemed to lost in thought 'What happened?'
She crouched near him and looked at his face "Yan'er, is everything alright? Do you feel anything wrong in your body?"
Keeping a smile, he nodded his head "Yea, teacher.. its alright."
Bibi Dong looked at him for a moment longer, her instincts telling her there was more to his hesitation.
Yet, she didn't press him. Instead, she returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. "Good. If anything feels strange, you must tell me immediately. Understood?"
"I will teacher."
Satisfied with his response, Bibi Dong rose gracefully and extended a hand toward him. "Then shall we leave?"
Xuan Yan took her hand without hesitation, "Yes, Teacher."
As they continued their journey out of the Spirit Forest, Xuan Yan's mind remained preoccupied. 'Why didn't it awaken? Is there something blocking it? Or am I missing something important?'
...
Xuan Yan stood in the serene courtyard, a faint breeze brushing against his face as he admired the katana in his hands.
Its purple hilt gleamed under the sunlight, radiating a sense of both elegance and lethality.
He traced his fingers over its smooth surface, a small smile playing on his lips.
Though it looks big on his small hands, he can use it somehow.
'This is truly remarkable,.' he thought, appreciating the craftsmanship.
"Zoro really knew what he was doing when he got this," Xuan Yan murmured to himself.
'Enma, wasn't it?'
He gave the sword a light swing, feeling its weight and balance.
The blade hummed through the air, a faint purple aura trailing behind.
Satisfied, he raised it again, this time infusing his swing with sword intent.
A vibrant purple arc of energy shot toward the sky, splitting the clouds with a resonating hum.
'Intermediate sword intent already'
His transcendent body and the rigorous training he'd undertaken over the past three months had paid off.
'I'll need to push further and grow stronger.'
With that thought, he sheathed the katana and turned toward his room.
...
"Haa... Haa..."
As Qian renxue took deep breath, her chest heaved up and down as beads of sweat dribbled down her face.
"Another draw..."
Lowering her sword, she looked at Xuan Yan who was standing opposite to her "This makes our 76th draw, I guess."
Xuan Yan's lips twitched in exasperation as he retracted his martial spirit "If I used my third spirit ring, I could win Sister Xue."
Qian Renxue's gaze narrowed "No, you can't use the third spirit ring until I get my fourth spirit ring. it is not fair."
-_-
Xuan Yan stared at her blankly. How is that not fair?
But considering Qian Renxue's personality, it makes sense. She is extremely arrogant and hates to lose.
Qian Renxue sat on the floor with a sigh "Yan... I have to accept, that you have really gotten better with your sword intent.. Haaa, I am also trying to comprehend that sword intent."
"It is so hard. It takes all of mine just to keep up with you nowadays... you idiot."
With a chuckle Xuan Yan sat beside her on the floor "Hahaha... Guess I am a great prodigy after all."
Qian Renxue shot him a glance and nodded her head mockingly "Yeah, yeah... idiot."
...
Mo Xie sat quietly at the riverbank, her reflection rippling in the gentle current as she stared down at her hands.
She often thought back to the days of her childhood, memories clouded with pain and bitterness.
Her father, a man she had long stopped calling her father in her heart, had always been violent and cruel.
Her mother always endured his beatings and suffering in silence.
The few coins they scraped together were snatched away for his drinking sprees, leaving them to survive in poverty.
In such an environment, Mo Xie grew up believing that men were inherently cruel and selfish.
She carried that belief like a shield, preparing herself for a life of struggle and disappointment.
After all, no one in her family had ever awakened a martial spirit that could be cultivated, so why would she be any different?
Even her mom had a useless grass martial spirit that could not be cultivated.
Her future seemed bleak...
But fate had different plans. Two monumental events occurred in her life on a single day, changing everything.
It was the day of the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, and Mo Xie sat apart from the other children.
Her worn and tattered clothes marked her as poor, and the others avoided her as if poverty were contagious.
But she was used to this.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a boy approached her.
To her surprise, he didn't ignore her like the others.
Instead, he sat down beside her.
At first, she thought he had made a mistake, that he hadn't noticed her there.
But then he turned his gaze to her, and she saw something she hadn't seen in anyone's eyes before... kindness.
"Hi," he said softly. "I'm Xuan Yan. What's your name?"
Mo Xie blinked, her mind blank as she struggled to respond. "M-Mo Xie," she finally managed to stammer.
"Nice to meet you..."
They talked for a while, his voice soothing and reassuring to her.
The more they spoke, the more she found herself drawn to him.
He didn't seem to care about her ragged appearance or her status.
For the first time, she felt seen, truly seen.. having a friend, and it was both terrifying and exhilarating.
When it was time for the ceremony, Mo Xie sat nervously as her turn approached.
Her expectations were low.... why hope for something that would never come?
But when she placed her hand on the crystal, a radiant light enveloped her, and a vibrant blue flower appeared before her.
The elder conducting the ceremony exclaimed, "A rare auxiliary-type martial spirit! And innate level 8 soul power."
Mo Xie's heart soared in happiness.
She was a soul master!
For the first time, she felt a glimmer of hope.
She could become stronger, make something of herself.
And maybe, just maybe... she could stand beside someone like him.
But her joy was short-lived.
When it was Xuan Yan's turn, the ground trembled as his martial spirit awakened.
A sword emerged, radiating an oppressive aura that made the air feel heavy.
The pressure was overwhelming, and Mo Xie fainted before she could fully grasp what was happening.
When she woke up, she found herself surrounded by Spirit Hall guards.
The other children who had fainted were slowly regaining consciousness, but Mo Xie's mind was focused on one thing: Xuan Yan.
She overheard the elders discussing about him in hushed tones.
He had awakened twin martial spirits, a rarity that placed him in a league of his own.
An elder from Spirit Hall had personally recruited him on the spot.
Mo Xie's heart sank.
She realized that the gap between them wasn't just wide... it was insurmountable.
He was destined for greatness, while she was just an auxiliary-type soul master.
Over the next five months, Mo Xie worked tirelessly at the academy.
Her martial spirit turned out to be extraordinary, with self-healing abilities and enhancements that surpassed even the famed Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Her teachers praised her potential, and for a while, she felt a flicker of confidence.
But that confidence was shattered when she saw Xuan Yan again, this time in the arena.
He defeated his opponent effortlessly, without even using his martial spirit.
Watching him, Mo Xie felt both awe and despair.
He was so far beyond her reach that it seemed impossible to ever catch up.
Now, sitting alone in the cafeteria, Mo Xie picked at her food absentmindedly.
She hadn't seen Xuan Yan up close since that day. Would he even remember her?
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts.
She glanced up and froze seeing the boy walking towards her.
It was him.
'H-Huh? What is... What is happening?'
Her heart raced as he walked toward her, his golden eyes locked onto hers.
She turned her head, thinking he must be heading for someone else.
But there was no one behind her.
He stopped in front of her and smiled. "Xie...," he said softly, his voice as warm as she remembered.
That was enough...
Her brain stopped working.
H-Huh?
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I hope you guys liked this chapter!