The Day of Awakening

On her sixth birthday, Yun Zhiyu woke especially early.

Outside the window, the sky was still a hazy grayish blue. A thin mist drifted over Sea God Lake like crumpled silver gauze. Lying in bed, she listened to Yun Zhishu's steady breathing beside her and felt the power that had lain dormant within her for years—the Torch Dragon Bloodline had stirred all night, as though something was about to break free from its cocoon.

Three years had passed.

Over a thousand days and nights, she had pored over yellowed ancient texts in the library, memorizing the habits of every soul beast and the legends of every ruin. She had sweated in the forging room, progressing from hundred forging to thousand forging, until the metal beneath her hammer gradually gained spirit. She had practiced swordsmanship beneath the moon, using branches as weapons, dismantling, blending, and recreating the sword techniques bestowed by the system.

Everyone said she was mature beyond her years. Only Yun Zhishu would come running over with a hot towel after she finished practicing, standing on tiptoe to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Big Sister," the little girl always said with a solemn expression, "grow up more slowly. Wait for me."

Yun Zhiyu always laughed at her for being silly, but as she listened to her sister's breathing now, she suddenly wished time truly could slow down.

"You're awake?" Yun Zhishu had opened her eyes at some point. Her amber-gold eyes shimmered faintly in the dimness like two stars soaked in honey. She snuggled closer into her sister's arms, her voice soft and sleepy. "Big Sister is awakening her martial soul today. I'm nervous."

"What are you nervous about?"

"I'm afraid Big Sister will become really amazing and stop paying attention to me."

Yun Zhiyu rubbed her hair without saying anything.

Shrek Academy's dedicated awakening chamber was built beneath Sea God Island. Its four walls were constructed from black jade rock that isolated soul power fluctuations, while an ancient hexagonal formation lay at the center, its patterns formed from ancient runes personally carved by Yun Ming. When Yun Zhiyu entered hand in hand with her parents, quite a few people were already inside—Zhuo Shi, Feng Wuyu, Cai Yue'er, Long Yeyue, and even Zhen Hua, who had rushed back overnight from Bright City, still looking travel-worn.

"Little Zhiyu." Zhen Hua grinned. "Master brought you a gift. I'll give it to you after your awakening."

Feng Wuyu rolled his eyes beside him. "Too late for that. I already stuffed my gift into her forging room."

"Enough." Long Yeyue tapped the floor with her cane. A sharp glint lay hidden in her clouded eyes. "Business first. Yun Ming, begin."

Yun Ming nodded and stepped to either side of the formation with Yali. He wore a solemn black formal suit today, his normally loose hair tied into a crown that revealed his broad forehead and deep-set brows. Yali wore a long white dress, its hem embroidered with pale golden Holy Spirit patterns, gentle yet dignified.

"Zhiyu." Yali held out her hand. A warm jade pendant rested in her palm. "Old Long gave this to you when you were born. Wear it today. It will calm your mind and steady your soul."

Yun Zhiyu accepted the pendant and tied it at her waist. She looked toward Yun Ming. Her father was gazing at her, his eyes as deep as the sea.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

Yun Zhiyu thought for a moment before answering earnestly, "Because no matter what I awaken, I'm still Yun Zhiyu. I'm Dad's daughter, Mom's daughter, Zhishu's big sister, and Master's disciple."

The corners of Yun Ming's lips lifted slightly. He raised his hands, forming seals alongside Yali. Two streams of soul power flowed into the formation. The runes on the black jade rock lit up one by one, and deep blue light swept across the floor like a tide, lifting Yun Zhiyu into the air.

"Close your eyes and feel the power inside you." Yun Ming's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Let it out. Do not resist it."

Yun Zhiyu closed her eyes as instructed.

In the darkness, she saw a cluster of golden light. It was no larger than a bean at first, but it swelled and blazed with every breath until it became a colossal sword stretching across heaven and earth. The blade bore the sun, moon, and stars on one side, and mountains, rivers, plants, and trees on the other. A massive dragon with closed eyes coiled around the hilt, its scale patterns perfectly resonating with a rhythm deep within her bloodline.

Xuanyuan Sword.

The sword of the Human Emperor, the weapon of the Sacred Path.

At the same time, another power awakened from every limb and bone. It was the Torch Dragon Bloodline that had lain dormant for six years, finally tearing open a corner of its seal. She felt her bones growing and reshaping, her blood boiling and transforming, while an ancient, majestic presence spread from the depths of her soul.

Boom—

The soul power density in the awakening chamber suddenly surged, and the black jade rock walls groaned under the strain.

Yun Ming's expression shifted slightly. He and Yali increased their soul power output at the same time, stabilizing the formation. To everyone's shock, the little girl floating in the air was enveloped in a golden-purple halo. The light grew brighter and brighter before finally turning into a pillar of radiance that shot skyward—

Crack!

A huge hole was blasted through the awakening chamber's dome. Morning light poured down as Yun Zhiyu slowly descended. Her long hair fluttered amid the surging soul power, and only then did everyone realize that her originally jet-black hair had turned silver-white, like a waterfall condensed from moonlight. When she opened her eyes, they revealed a pair of violet irises, as deep as the eternal night sky, with a faint vertical line hidden within her pupils like the eyes of a sleeping dragon.

"This is..." Zhuo Shi sucked in a sharp breath.

Long Yeyue's cane struck the floor with a thud, her aged face filled with disbelief. "Silver hair, violet eyes... the Torch Dragon Aspect recorded in the ancient texts!"

Yun Zhiyu lowered her head and looked at her hands. Her skin was still as delicate as a child's, yet faint golden light flowed between the lines of her palms, as though flames were quietly burning in her veins. She could feel the soul power sealed within her for years finally being released, surging through her meridians like a burst dam—Innate Full Soul Power, Level 20. Every level was incomparably solid, without the slightest instability.

Even more wondrous was her spiritual sea. Her once-chaotic sea of consciousness had suddenly opened up, and a gleaming blue wave stretched across the horizon. It was the manifested form of Psychic Realm spiritual power. The system notification sounded in her mind, but unlike its usual mechanical voice, it carried an ancient majesty:

[Congratulations to the host for successfully awakening her martial soul]

[Innate Full Soul Power, Level 20. Meets expectations]

[Sign-in reward issued: one Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit (compatible with the Xuanyuan Sword martial soul; can evolve as the host grows)]

[Xuanyuan Sword exclusive sword technique—Xuanyuan Nine Forms: Emperor Sword Art (sealed; gradually unsealed as soul power increases)]

[Spiritual Power: Psychic Realm, 100 points]

Yun Zhiyu reviewed the rewards in her mind. The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit was sealed within the system space as a ball of golden light, its outline vaguely resembling a dragon. The diagrams of the Emperor Sword Art transformed into countless golden runes and sank deep into her spiritual sea, waiting to be unlocked once she became strong enough.

"Zhiyu!" Yali was the first to rush over, pulling her tightly into her arms, her voice trembling. "Let Mom see. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Yun Zhiyu came back to herself. The vertical lines in her violet eyes gradually faded, returning them to a child's clarity. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm just... a little hungry."

Her words broke the heavy atmosphere in the chamber. Zhuo Shi burst into laughter, Zhen Hua shook his head with a smile, and even Long Yeyue's lips curved upward. Yun Ming walked over and drew both his wife and daughter into his embrace. His chin rested atop Yun Zhiyu's head, and his voice was so low that only she could hear it. "Silver hair, violet eyes, the Torch Dragon Bloodline... Zhiyu, your path will be harder than Father imagined."

"I'm not afraid."

"I know." Yun Ming tightened his arms around her. "That's why Father will always stand behind you."

Yun Zhishu squeezed in from outside the crowd. The little girl had been blocked by the wall of people earlier and had been jumping anxiously in place. Yet when she saw her sister now, she suddenly froze, her amber-gold eyes widening. "Big Sister... got prettier."

Yun Zhiyu laughed and pinched her cheek. "What's pretty about me?"

"Like the moon," Yun Zhishu said seriously, reaching for her silver hair. "A silver moon."

Warmth filled Yun Zhiyu's heart. She bent down and picked her sister up—her six-year-old body was far stronger than it had been three years ago, and lifting five-year-old Yun Zhishu took no effort at all. The little girl immediately wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her face in the crook of her shoulder. "Big Sister became the moon. Will you fly away?"

"I won't," Yun Zhiyu said softly. "The moon is always with the stars, right?"

Yun Zhishu thought about it before nodding hard. "Right! I'm a star!"

The sisters' exchange amused everyone. Zhen Hua stepped forward, took a sandalwood box from his robes, and solemnly handed it to Yun Zhiyu. "The gift Master promised you. Open it and take a look."

Inside the box lay a fist-sized piece of metal. It was jet-black throughout, yet dark golden patterns flowed across its surface beneath the light, as though it were a living thing breathing.

"Soul-forged metal?" Feng Wuyu exclaimed from the side. "Zhen Hua, you're willing to give that away?"

"What's there to be reluctant about?" Zhen Hua glared at him before turning back to Yun Zhiyu with a smile. "This is the companion metal produced after the fusion of a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone. I named it Soul-Eater Gold. Once your soul power reaches Level 30, it will be perfect for forging your first battle armor component."

Yun Zhiyu held the box, feeling the warm pulse emanating from the metal. She gave Zhen Hua a solemn bow. "Thank you, Master."

"And mine!" Feng Wuyu refused to be outdone, pulling out a yellowed booklet. "Thousand-Forging Insights. All the experience from my entire life is written in there. Since you've awakened your martial soul, you need to place equal importance on forging and cultivation from now on. Don't neglect one for the other."

"Thank you, Grandpa Feng."

Everyone offered their gifts in turn, and the awakening chamber became warm and lively.

Yun Zhiyu stood at the center of the crowd, her silver hair drifting gently in the passing breeze, her violet eyes reflecting face after face filled with concern. She suddenly remembered the lonely self from her previous life, who had died in a car accident. She remembered the fear and confusion from when she first transmigrated, and every little moment of the past six years.

In this life, she had a home, family, and a road ahead.

"Yun Ming," Long Yeyue suddenly said, her aged voice cutting through the crowd's laughter, "do not spread news of Zhiyu's bloodline for now. The emergence of the Torch Dragon may bring unnecessary trouble."

Yun Ming nodded. "I understand. We'll only say that she awakened a sword-type martial soul and has innate full soul power."

"What about the soul spirits?" Yali asked. "Level 20 requires two soul spirits. Zhiyu's soul spirits..."

Yun Zhiyu's heart stirred. The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit awarded by the system lay quietly in her space, but she had no idea how to explain its origin. Just as she was considering it, Yun Ming said, "I'll arrange the soul spirits. Zhiyu has only just awakened, so she should stabilize her realm first. There is no rush for soul spirits."

She let out a quiet breath, knowing her father was covering for her. That unspoken understanding sent a warm current through her heart.

That night, Sea God's Pavilion held a grand family banquet. Yun Zhiyu sat between Yali and Yun Ming, with Yun Zhishu clinging to her on the left and Zhuo Shi fighting to put food on her plate on the right. Feng Wuyu and Zhen Hua had already begun arguing over whether she should learn Spirit Forging or Fusion Forging first. Cai Yue'er held a wine cup, her silver hair glowing softly in the candlelight. Long Yeyue sat at the head of the table, her gaze distant. It occasionally fell upon Yun Zhiyu, carrying a meaning she could not yet understand.

"Big Sister," Yun Zhishu whispered into her ear, "I'm going to awaken a really powerful martial soul too someday. I'll be just as powerful as you."

"Alright." Yun Zhiyu wiped pastry crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "I'll wait for you."

"Then we'll fight bad people together, wear battle armor together, and..."

"And what?"

Yun Zhishu thought for a moment, then revealed a sweet smile. "Go home together."

Yun Zhiyu froze for a moment, then smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her sister's forehead. "Alright. We'll go home together."

Outside the window, the rippling surface of Sea God Lake reflected the star-filled sky. The hole in the awakening chamber's dome had not yet been repaired, and moonlight poured through it, falling directly upon the two sisters.

Silver hair and black hair intertwined, violet eyes and golden eyes reflecting one another. It was like some ancient prophecy, or perhaps fate's gentlest gift.

Yun Zhiyu raised her head toward the bright moon, feeling the surging power within her. She knew that her era had only just begun.