C16 Battle Spirit Awakening

"Beijing?" Feng Yixiu blurted out, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Aren't the schools in the capital supposed to be top-notch? Why come all the way to Jiangshui City for the Martial Exam?"

Beijing remained the heart of China, one of the strongest base cities. It baffled him why someone like Han Xiao would choose Jiangshui City for the Martial Exam.

Feng Yixiu gave Han Xiao a once-over. No designer labels graced his clothing, yet the unmistakable air of affluence clung to him. Clearly, he wasn't from a poor background.

In truth, Feng Yixiu had taken a liking to Han Xiao. When he mentioned he hailed from Ningping County, he detected neither scorn nor surprise in Han Xiao's demeanor. That level of composure earned him Feng Yixiu's respect.

After a brief pause, Han Xiao spoke with a measured tone, "Well, that's quite a story. If we end up in the same class, I'll fill you in."

Just then, a voice echoed from the elevated platform, "Next up, Han Xiao."

The awakening ceremony had been underway for an hour, with many already bonding with their battle spirits.

Over four hundred hopefuls had undergone the ceremony. Joy and disappointment were written on faces in equal measure, as some left the hall, their dreams of awakening unfulfilled.

Those who failed faced the harsh truth: they had lost their shot at becoming War Spiritualists and were left with no choice but to head home and prepare for the Knowledge Exam in two days.

"It's your turn. Good luck!" Feng Yixiu said with an encouraging smile.

With a nod and a smile, Han Xiao approached the Awakening Array, his nerves barely concealed.

The Awakening Hall buzzed with the activity of ten arrays. Without them, awakening the masses in a single day would be impossible.

Feng Yixiu watched the enigmatic arrays, their strange spirit patterns seemingly pulsing with a bizarre magic. A sense of anticipation stirred within him as he watched Han Xiao step into the heart of the array.

The instructor activated the array, which began to glow with an odd yellow light, a similar glow forming above Han Xiao's head.

Feng Yixiu could see Han Xiao struggling, his eyes shut tight, cold sweat beading and trickling down his forehead as the light above him solidified.

Moments later, the glow waned, and an ancient, pale yellow tome hovered quietly above Han Xiao.

"Han Xiao, you may now attempt to summon your battle spirit," the summoning instructor said, his face impassive as he gestured.

Han Xiao guided the Grimoire of Demon Spirits into his hands and opened it to reveal a sleepy Tortoise Spirit.

With a mere thought, the Tortoise Spirit materialized at his feet.

"Gugu…" The Tortoise Spirit, larger than most, could stand knee-high to Han Xiao. It affectionately nuzzled his leg, seemingly thankful to Han Xiao for the gift of life.

"Ah, a solid system Tortoise Spirit, that's unfortunate. Had it been a water-type Tortoise Spirit, it would have been considered a high-level battle spirit," lamented the overseeing teacher, shaking his head in disappointment. He then swiftly filled out the details on a blank form.