C15 Awakening Hall

The "Awakening Hall" was impressively vast, capable of holding over a thousand people with ease.

At this moment, the hall was packed with attendees. Over a thousand students had gathered for Qingyun Academy's Martial Exam, all eager to participate.

These students hailed from various counties under Jiangshui City and its junior high schools, each possessing the coveted War Spiritual Bloodline. A mix of excitement and anxiety was etched on their faces; the upcoming Awakening Ceremony was a pivotal moment. The quality of their awakened battle spirit could determine whether they'd become a distinguished War Spiritualist.

"Please settle down, students," a voice called out. "First off, congratulations on being the cream of the crop. Today marks the start of the Martial Exam, beginning with the Battle Spirit Awakening Ceremony. I'll be overseeing the ceremony. My name is Lee Chang'an, the grade director at Qingyun Academy. Feel free to address me as Director Lee."

A hush fell over the crowd as a middle-aged man in a black suit ascended the stage, his demeanor stern. The once-bustling "Awakening Hall" fell silent, every student's gaze fixed on the figure above, hanging on his every word.

Director Lee, noting the quiet attention, cleared his throat and continued, "The Martial Exam is split into two phases. Today's Battle Spirit Awakening Ceremony is the first. Those who successfully awaken their battle spirit may proceed to the second phase. However, students who awaken a senior class battle spirit will be directly placed into Class A, bypassing the second phase altogether."

The hall erupted into whispers and speculation. Some students were optimistic about awakening a senior class battle spirit, while many were anxious, dreading the possibility of a low-level spirit—or worse, failing to awaken one at all.

"Yu, what exactly is a senior battle spirit? Aren't all newly awakened spirits considered Infants? How can there be different classes?" Feng Yixiu inquired, turning to Shen Ruyu with a puzzled look.

Shen Ruyu pondered before responding, "The War Spirit Alliance categorizes battle spirits into senior, middle, and junior classes based on their potential. A battle spirit with strong potential and power is naturally classified as senior class."

"And this Class A you mentioned?" Feng Yixiu pressed, still unclear.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Shen Ruyu admitted, her expression reflecting her uncertainty. She wasn't from Jiangshui City and wasn't well-versed in Qingyun Academy's class system. Her knowledge of battle spirits came from books, and even then, it was limited.

Just then, a tall man beside Feng Yixiu chimed in, "Qingyun Academy sorts students into four levels—Class A through D—based on their battle spirits' potential. Class A is the elite, receiving the lion's share of resources. The further down the classes, the fewer resources allocated."

Feng Yixiu nodded in understanding, then realized it wasn't Shen Ruyu who had answered. He turned to the tall man, surprised, and extended his hand with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the explanation. I'm Feng Yixiu, from Ningping County."

The tall man paused, taken aback for a brief moment, before he too reached out with his right hand, offering a warm smile. "Hello," he greeted, "I'm Han Xiao, from Beijing."