Awakening Day

Thump thump thump!

The deep, clear sound of the ancient bell echoed throughout Jiang City, signaling the imminent start of the annual Awakening Day.

It was a grand celebration, even more lively than New Year's.

At this moment, Jiang City was adorned with festive decorations everywhere. Red lanterns inscribed with various Demon Spirit patterns hung along all the streets and alleys.

The giant screens on all the tall buildings were, without exception, broadcasting spectacular scenes from past Awakening Days. The breathtaking visuals, coupled with explosive music, made everyone's blood boil.

The streets were thronged with people, all heading in the same direction.

Even though they had deliberately woken up early, when people arrived at the city's central plaza, they were still stunned by the surging crowd.

On the ancient altar, built in a retro style, covering over a hundred acres and cast in bronze, various birds and beasts were carved. Around the altar, thousands of police officers stood straight, their expressions solemn and stern as they maintained order.

Above the plaza, the divine artifact [Blue Moon], forged over 37 years with the strength of the entire nation, floated in the air. The [Blue Moon], 138 meters tall, was crescent-shaped and pure white, exuding a strong sense of advanced technology.

At its apex, the energy shield it radiated reflected a pale blue light under the sun's glare, suspended above the city center, looking down upon the land.

This extraordinary Blue Moon was the pride of Jiang City's people and the symbol of Jiang City as one of Huaxia's twelve foundational cities.

Directly beneath the Blue Moon divine artifact, surrounded by railings, the area was covered by a dense mass of people. Over three hundred thousand people were gathered, discussing excitedly.

"Another year has passed, I wonder what kind of geniuses will appear this time?"

"Last year, someone fused with a ninth-grade Purple-Eyed Savage Bull and an Azure Burrow Dragon. That scene was truly spectacular."

"What's so great about that? Seven years ago, Bai Lin, a genius from the Bai Clan, fused with the Six-Winged Sky Demon, ranked 217th on the Earthly Rankings. He was directly recruited by Great Wall University and received a full scholarship."

"Great Wall University, that's one of the three hero academies. I heard that graduates from there directly receive honorific titles. If they join the army, their lowest rank is Major."

"Demon Spirits on the Earthly Rankings are rarely seen in Jiang City, even by the five great clans."

"Who says we don't have any? We have a few, but those vampires are reluctant to take them out. There are some within the [Blue Moon]. They are remnants from the Battle of Dawn. Only the most exceptional talents have a chance to refine them. It's rare to see one even once every five years."

Amidst the lively atmosphere, a middle-aged man walked onto the altar.

Behind him followed hundreds of men and women, dressed in magnificent attire and possessing distinguished temperaments. They were adorned with crystal-clear round bottles, within which a fist-sized cloud could be faintly seen.

These clouds seemed to possess life. Some floated aimlessly, while most were colliding with the round bottles, but none could break free.

The vast plaza fell silent, as if afraid of disturbing them.

The middle-aged man was someone no local of Jiang City would be unfamiliar with; he was the guardian of Jiang City, the Martial King Jiang Chu.

Behind him were those qualified to appear on the altar: the prominent families and major corporations of Jiang City. The cloud masses within the round bottles were Demon Spirits extracted after hunting demonic beasts.

On this Awakening Day, boys and girls in Jiang City who had reached the age of sixteen and possessed a cultivation level of Body Cultivation Stage Five had the opportunity to come here and refine a Demon Spirit into their Soul Sea, becoming a Demon Spirit Master.

However, the success rate was not high; at most, one out of ten people could successfully refine a Demon Spirit, making every Demon Spirit Master extremely precious.

Below the altar, over a hundred thousand boys and girls were seated, their eyes filled with longing, some even trembling with excitement.

Only one person had his head bowed, motionless.

If not for the faint snoring sound, no one would have guessed that he had actually fallen asleep.

"Who is that? How dare they fall asleep on Awakening Day!"

"This kid is Lin Feng, from Class Seven of Senior High. He has a Body Cultivation strength of Stage Seven, but his combat skills are very strong, and he fights ruthlessly, so he's always been quite arrogant."

"The principal specifically instructed today to showcase the unique spirit of Jiang City High School. People like this carefree, shameless person shouldn't even be allowed to participate in the Demon Spirit Awakening Day."

"Keep your voices down. That guy is a dangerous character."

The youths whispered amongst themselves. Today was the most important day of their lives. Even if some had lost sleep last night, they were still excited now. How could anyone feel drowsy?

However, while finding it amusing, they also felt a sense of admiration.

On the day of awakening, some were so nervous they lost composure, even suffering heart attacks from excitement and fainting. But they had never heard of anyone falling asleep from excitement. Lin Feng was probably the first in history.

"What's that sound?"

The surrounding discussions made Lin Feng frown slightly. He tried to listen carefully but couldn't make out anything.

However, he didn't pay it much mind. His gaze was fixed on the peculiar young man not far away, his eyes filled with deep-seated hatred.

Just three days ago, this peculiar young man, dressed in a white robe, had led seven King-level Demon Spirits and over a hundred thousand ferocious Demon Spirits to attack Jiang City. The once prosperous city was now a ruin, with corpses and remains everywhere, heralding the arrival of hell on earth.

Now, the seven King-level Demon Spirits were dead, and the hundred thousand Demon Spirits were mostly casualties. Yet, this mysterious youth remained unharmed.

Lin Feng was less than a hundred meters from the young man. The deafening roar of explosions filled the air. In his line of sight, countless missiles were sweeping towards the same direction.

But no matter how the bombs exploded or the earth collapsed, the pristine white robe remained spotless, blindingly white.

After that, experts continuously charged towards the man in white, but no matter the attack – physical, mental, or even mysterious curses – they were all useless against this peculiar man. Instead, they were easily hunted down.

The city was destroyed, and hundreds of millions of residents were massacred. Ten of Jiang City's thirteen guardians were killed, one self-destructed, and two escaped. Yet, the culprit remained unharmed, and no one even knew what his abilities were. How could this not lead to despair?

The ground was stained red with blood, and the pungent smell of gore permeated the entire city. Facing the invincible, peculiar young man, the survivors had already lost the will to fight and began to retreat, terrified of being killed. Only Lin Feng was still wielding his long sword.

Lin Feng didn't know how many Demon Spirits he had killed. He only knew he was so tired.

So very tired.

He really wanted to take a nap.

His clothes were already stained red with blood, sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Yet, he still moved towards the mysterious figure without hesitation.

Even though he knew his strength wasn't enough to even scratch the opponent, what did it matter? His family was dead, his friends were all killed, what was the point of him surviving alone?

Lin Feng walked slowly. The strange youth turned his head to gaze at the approaching Lin Feng. Those pitch-black pupils were like a deep ancient well, calm and undisturbed yet extremely cold. The youth's gaze held a hint of threat and killing intent, but surprisingly, he didn't make a move.

Even as Lin Feng reached him and shakily plunged the sword in his hand into the youth's throat, he remained completely still.

"Is there no more power?"

Lin Feng looked at the sword in his hand in surprise. Why was there no blood? As he pulled the sword out, a sky full of light enveloped Lin Feng, like a miniature sun.