NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Awakening Day
"In current times, the only inherited God-level martial spirits are the Six-Winged Angel of the Spirit Hall's Qian family and the Sea God Martial Spirit of Sea God Island."
"Sea God Island?"
"Yes, it is located in the vast sea northwest of the continent and serves as the spiritual faith of sea spirit masters and sea spirit beasts."
"Are there only two types of God-level martial spirits?"
"Not necessarily. God-level martial spirits are passed down by gods. Over the past millennia, only the Angel God and the Sea God have ascended to godhood. However, according to ancient texts, there were once more than a dozen gods on this continent.
In fact, a long time ago, there were over ten divine churches serving these gods. At that time, it's likely there were other God-level martial spirits, and who knows? Perhaps one day, another God-level martial spirit might emerge from some hidden corner."
"Where did those churches go?"
"History is often fraught with twists and turns. In any case, they disappeared into the annals of history. You can read these historical texts yourself; perhaps you'll uncover some answers. For now, only the Spirit Hall, which serves the Angel God, and Sea God Island, which serves the Sea God, remain, along with a few heretical cults."
"The Spirit Hall evolved from the original followers of the Angel God into the Angel Church and then into the Spirit Hall. It seems like many untold events took place during that transformation." Chen Xiao-Jun was astonished and immediately asked, "Heretical cults?"
"On this continent, there are organizations of evil spirit masters who serve and worship malevolent gods. Their members are mostly evil spirit masters who commit heinous crimes, slaughtering civilians and spirit masters for power. The most infamous among them is the Crimson Church."
"The Crimson Church? Isn't that the group that emerges every few centuries to cause massacres, wreaking havoc on the world of spirit masters, and has persisted for thousands of years despite repeated attempts to eradicate it?"
"Yes. According to various records, the Crimson Church serves multiple evil gods, with their primary deity being the Rakshasa God. We'll talk more about these matters another time."
"Grandfather, how does martial spirit awakening work? What is the principle behind it?"
"According to the research of our clan's intellectual genius and 17th-generation ancestor, Chen Qianhua, before the age of six, a martial spirit resides within the spirit nest. The nest's door is completely sealed and hidden within certain acupoints.
At six years old, the body becomes fully formed. Only then can the Awakening Stone activate the innate energy within the body to awaken the martial spirit.
Ancestor Chen Qianhua defined this innate energy as 'innate qi.' He theorized that after birth, a person's innate qi is gradually depleted due to environmental influences or simply with the passage of time.
Innate spirit power is essentially a portion of innate qi retained and preserved by the martial spirit. This portion of qi nurtures the body's affinity for spirit power and is released during martial spirit awakening.
Thus, the quality of the martial spirit becomes crucial. The higher the quality, the faster it absorbs innate qi, resulting in greater spirit power affinity. Simultaneously, innate qi also nourishes the martial spirit.
Chen Qianhua hypothesized that mutations in martial spirits are also related to innate qi. Naturally, the individual's constitution plays a role as well. A stronger physique facilitates the absorption and retention of higher levels of innate spirit power. That's why children of the Chen family undergo herbal baths and consume medicinal diets starting at the age of three."
"Impressive... truly impressive!" Chen Xiao-Jun couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the ancients.
"All right, make sure to rest early tonight. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you to the ancestral hall."
"Yes, I'll go to sleep now."
After Chen Xiao-Jun left, Chen Yu's expression turned serious. "Xun'er, how are things with the Xi-Li clan and Douhun City?"
"The Xi-Li clan is relatively stable for now. Though they've caught the attention of a few petty thieves, there's no major issue. Douhun City, however, is a bit turbulent. Many eyes are watching, but nothing we can't handle for the time being."
"Understood."
The father and son continued their discussion in the study late into the night.
The next day, June 20th, at 5 AM, just as dawn broke.
Chen Xiao-Jun woke up and immediately felt a subtle difference within himself. His body seemed to have matured slightly, with a certain profound and steady aura.
When he asked his father, Chen Xun, about it, Chen Xun explained, "This is a common sensation for those with keen perception on their sixth birthday. Your skeleton has set, your meridians have stabilized, and your martial spirit has fully formed."
After finishing his morning exercises, Chen Xiao-Jun took a ritual bath, dressed ceremonially, and prepared to set out.
At 9 AM, Chen Yu led Chen Xiao-Jun, followed by his father Chen Xun, mother Ye Xiuxin, elder brother Chen Jian-Jun, and others, to the ancestral hall on a small hill south of the village.
Joining them were Zhu Tianhao, Aunt Ding Dang, and Xiao Wuneng. Zhu Tianhao was Chen Xun's personal aide, a loyal servant akin to a family retainer in ancient times. He had earned the privilege of witnessing the awakening ceremony.
After Zhu's father sacrificed his life to save Chen Yu, Chen Yu personally raised him.
Ding Dang was also from a family of loyal retainers, while Xiao Wuneng was expected to become Chen Xiao-Jun's future follower. As long as both of them awakened martial spirits, their bond as master and servant would be formalized. Therefore, Xiao Wuneng was granted the special privilege of attending. His siblings, however, did not have this right.
Additionally, Chen Xiao-Jun's second aunt, Ximen Shao-Ping, and his cousin Chen Feng, joined from the side courtyard.
The ancestral hall was a sacred place for every family, established to honor ancestors from the distant past to more recent generations. It represented the family's traditions and achievements and served as a unifying force. In this soul master-centric world, where bloodline inheritance was paramount, its influence was unparalleled.
The Chen family's ancestral hall consisted of a front hall, main hall, and rear hall, aligned in a north-south direction.
The front hall served as the entrance and a venue for large family gatherings and important meetings.
The main hall was the core, where the principal ancestors were enshrined. Three plaques were placed in the central shrine: one for the founding ancestor, Chen Ling; one for the transitional ancestor
Chen Xi-Li; and one for the revitalizing ancestor, Chen Fei-Yi.
The transitional ancestor signified the continuation of the family lineage through turbulent times, while the revitalizing ancestor marked a period of resurgence and prosperity. These two figures, alongside the founding ancestor, held unparalleled significance in the Chen family's history.
The left annex of the main hall housed the plaques of titled Douluo and the founding figures of family branches.
Long ago, the second-generation ancestor, Chen Qian, deemed himself unworthy to be honored alongside the founding ancestor, establishing the rule that only those who made monumental contributions or achieved the level of peerless Douluo could join the central shrine.
The right annex contained plaques of other ancestors from various generations.
The rear hall was dedicated to individuals who had greatly benefited the Chen family or were loyal followers. It was slightly smaller than the main hall, with five rooms following a similar but simpler structure.
Other parts of the ancestral hall included auxiliary buildings such as side halls for meetings, gardens for cultivating plants, pavilions commemorating ancestral deeds, and a rear garden for family relaxation. Additionally, the Martial Hall served as a training ground for family members aged six to twelve to learn the basics of soul mastership.
Prior to reaching six years old, Chen Xiao-Jun had visited only the auxiliary areas. Entry into the ancestral hall itself was forbidden for those under six.
The ancestral hall's design and function reflected the Chen family's emphasis on honoring tradition and achievements. It symbolized the clan's rich heritage and upheld its guiding principles: Preserving knowledge through scholarship, strengthening lineage through martial power, commemorating achievements, fostering unity, and biding time while growing stronger.