Galactic Era.
This is an age where humanity has expanded into the cosmos, with their footsteps stretching from Earth's ancestral star across countless galaxies. In this era, both technology and cultivation have reached their zenith. There are cosmic warships capable of obliterating planets in a single strike, as well as supreme warriors who traverse the void and grasp stars and moons.
In this age, the most revered profession is that of the Awakened!
Each person has an awakening factor within them, and once they awaken a Guardian Spirit, they immediately become an Awakened, admired by thousands. Guardian Spirits vary in strength: some are incarnations of ancient champions from hundreds of thousands of years ago, some are gods who fell millions of years past, and some are simply ordinary people.
In this era, the older something is, the higher its value. Ancientness has become the supreme principle!
Many powerful Guardian Spirits are ancient beings, as are cultivation techniques. At some point, the universe adopted an unwritten rule: the older the technique, the more potent it becomes over time, gaining unimaginable power in this era. Techniques from millions of years ago, even those once considered basic, are now Divine Skills, fiercely contested by countless cultivators.
However, human civilization has undergone numerous catastrophes and wars, resulting in repeated cultural collapses. Techniques from millions or even billions of years ago are exceedingly rare, regarded as priceless treasures by various factions.
In the year 2,978,424 of the Galactic Era, on August 23, Feilan High School on Earth hosted its annual Awakening Ceremony.
The Awakening Ceremony occurs once a year, starting at the age of sixteen. Each person has three chances in their lifetime to awaken a Guardian Spirit. If they fail all three times, it proves they lack the talent to become an Awakened.
Awakening a Guardian Spirit requires certain physical conditions—the stronger the body, the stronger the Guardian Spirit awakened. Thus, the Federation mandates that the ceremony begin at sixteen; attempting to awaken too early could result in physical collapse.
Typically, if someone has the potential to awaken, they will succeed on their first attempt. If they fail twice, the odds of success on the third attempt are slim.
At Feilan High School, in the Awakening Ceremony Hall, a massive crystal pillar stood atop a high platform. As each student's name was called, they stepped forward to touch the crystal and undergo the ceremony. Most failed, with no visible phenomena occurring.
But when a thin student touched the crystal, something extraordinary happened!
Boom!
A massive golden-armored figure appeared in the sky, roaring into the heavens as an overwhelming battle aura filled the air.
Witnessing this, many gasped in awe.
"Zane Zhao has awakened a mid-tier Guardian Spirit!"
"Zane Zhao, first attempt successful! Guardian Spirit: Gu Haifeng, a powerful Transcendent Realm figure from ancient Chen Star 30,000 years ago. Guardian Spirit rating: Mid-Tier!" announced the teacher loudly.
According to this era's classification, Guardian Spirits are divided into Mortal, Low, Mid, High, Supreme, and Divine tiers.
Most Awakened possess low-tier Guardian Spirits, and mid-tier is already considered outstanding. Anyone with such a Guardian Spirit is bound to become a top figure in Feilan City.
When Zane Zhao realized he had awakened the Guardian Spirit Gu Haifeng, he couldn't contain his excitement, bouncing up and down.
Then, another name was called: "Next, Xena Xiao!"
As soon as the name was announced, a slender young woman with a flawless, ethereal beauty, dressed in a flowing purple gown, slowly ascended the platform like a celestial maiden.
Seeing Xena, the crowd began to whisper.
"Feilan High's top beauty and the esteemed eldest daughter of the Xiao family, but she's failed to awaken twice—what a pity!"
"The Xiao family is a prominent Awakened family. As the eldest daughter, she was expected to awaken at least a mid-tier Guardian Spirit, maybe even high-tier, but she failed."
"This is her third and final chance. If she fails again, she'll be just an ordinary person!"
"Though Xena is the eldest Xiao daughter, without the Awakened status, her standing in the Xiao family will drop significantly. No matter her beauty, she might end up in an arranged marriage, unable to control her own fate."
"Life may be unfair, but sometimes there's balance—Xena's beauty could enchant even the gods, yet she lacks the talent to awaken. Meanwhile, I've heard another Xiao daughter, less attractive, has awakened a high-tier Guardian Spirit."
"Don't be too quick to judge; maybe Xena will awaken her Guardian Spirit this time!"
Step by step, Xena approached the crystal pillar. Her stunning face appeared calm, but her tightly clenched hands revealed her nervousness. This was her last chance!
"I don't wish for a high-tier Guardian Spirit, or even mid-tier. I'd be happy with a low-tier Guardian Spirit!" Xena thought, gritting her teeth.
Standing before the Awakening Crystal, she gently placed her hands upon it.
Instantly, a surge of power from the crystal entered her body, attempting to trigger her awakening.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Time ticked by, and generally, if no phenomenon appeared within ten seconds, it meant failure.
Xena counted silently, but there was no sign in the sky. Her face paled as she began to realize her fate.
Just as Xena was about to give up, the void rippled, and faint rays of light began to materialize.
"Awakening!"
A look of pure joy crossed Xena's face.
Below, many students were equally astonished. No one expected that Xena would successfully awaken on her third attempt—a rare occurrence.
Soon, the phenomenon fully formed. A figure in his twenties appeared—a completely ordinary human with no aura of strength.
Then, the teacher conducting the ceremony announced, "Xena Xiao, third awakening successful! Guardian Spirit: unknown mortal, status unidentified. Guardian Spirit tier: Mortal."
A Mortal Guardian Spirit!
At that, the entire hall fell into stunned silence.
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