By the time Eren reached the center of the village, the crowd had already begun to gather.
The Spirit Awakening Hall stood as it always had—a worn, two-story building made of stone and timber, centered around a cracked stone pillar engraved with faded inscriptions. Time had taken its toll on the structure, but no one dared move it. According to the elders, a Soul Saint had once been born in this village, and the pillar was his legacy.
It now served as the ceremonial site for every martial awakening held in Holy Spirit Village.
Around the hall, eight or nine children stood in nervous clusters, their ages all near six. Some fidgeted with their sleeves. Others looked around with excitement. Eren stepped into line quietly, his presence neither welcomed nor shunned. The orphan boy did not stir much interest.
But his gaze soon drifted to the side.
There stood Tang San, holding the hand of the village chief, Old Jack, who appeared to be muttering curses under his breath. Tang San looked thinner than usual—his skin pale, his expression flat. But most striking was the bright red palm mark across his left cheek, still fresh and clearly swollen.
Eren raised a brow.
"So the bowl hit him harder than I thought," he murmured under his breath. "Though that still doesn't explain why Old Jack is blaming Tang Hao."
He didn't need to listen closely. Jack was whispering with the intensity of a man trying to keep composure.
"That brute… doesn't know how to raise a child. Look at his face, poor boy… nearly turned into a ghost!"
Eren looked away and stifled a grin. He decided to wait.
They were all gathered here for the arrival of one man—the official from Spirit Hall who would perform the awakening.
Su Yuntao.
On social forums back in his past life, people had given him many names. The one that stuck was: The Blind God. Eren had never understood why.
He didn't have to wait long to find out.
There was a sudden shift in the air.
A gust of wind stirred the dust near the front of the Spirit Hall, and a black-robed figure leapt down from the roof with arms folded, descending slowly as if performing some martial-arts play.
His coat billowed. His hair whipped backward. And when he landed, his foot tapped the earth with theatrical precision.
He rose to full height—tall, sharp-featured, with confident eyes and a slight smirk on his face, as if the children before him were simply background extras in his grand performance.
Eren stared in silence.
"…You could just walk like a normal person," he muttered dryly. "This isn't a stage. Villains have better presence just by walking slowly."
Su Yuntao glanced at the group of children, then shifted his gaze to Old Jack.
"I thought I'd be waiting for stragglers," he said impatiently. "Let's not waste time. I still need to visit five other villages today."
Without waiting for Jack's reply, Su Yuntao turned toward the Spirit Hall and raised his hand. A faint shimmer passed through the entrance as the spiritual barrier was lifted. The heavy wooden doors opened with a creak.
"Follow me," he said. "Stand quietly in a line. No shouting. No touching anything."
The children followed.
Eren walked at the back, his steps slow, observant. Tang San walked ahead, with Old Jack still hovering near the door, hesitant to follow them in.
---
Inside, the Spirit Hall was cool and dimly lit, but clean. The floor was lined with protective inscriptions to stabilize spirit energy. At the center of the hall stood a large circular array carved into the stone—its purpose to awaken and test martial souls.
Su Yuntao stood beside it and unfolded a scroll.
"Each of you will come forward in order. Place your hand on the center and close your eyes. I will channel spirit energy into your body. Your martial soul will awaken."
The first child stepped forward, trembling.
Su Yuntao placed one hand on the child's back and activated the array.
A faint glow rose around the boy. Then, above his palm, a shimmering figure took form.
"A gardening hoe," Su Yuntao said without emotion. "No innate spirit power. Next."
One by one, the children stepped forward.
A cooking pot. A chicken feather duster. A straw hat.
Most of the spirits were ordinary objects. Only one girl awakened a blue silver grass, and even that drew just a faint glimmer of spirit power.
Then it was Tang San's turn.
He stepped forward confidently and placed his hand on the circle.
Su Yuntao activated the array.
The array activated beneath Tang San's hand. Spirit light surged around him as a single martial soul emerged from his palm.
A limp, bluish mass appeared—somewhere between grass and fur, coarse in texture and vaguely unpleasant in shape. It hung there without strength or sharpness.
Su Yuntao blinked.
"…Blue Silver… Pig?"
A ripple of awkward silence spread through the room.
Tang San hesitated, trying to suppress his own confusion. Even he hadn't expected this.
Su Yuntao leaned forward slightly, still scanning the faint blue spirit. "There are many trash spirits, but… this one is new to me."
He pressed two fingers against Tang San's wrist, then froze.
"…Innate spirit power: Level 10."
That startled everyone.
"How is that possible?" he whispered.
"Full innate level… with a pig-weed martial soul?"
Tang San nodded stiffly and stepped back, concealing his other hand behind his back.
Eren watched from the shadows, suppressing a snort.
'Of course he didn't dare reveal the second one. I wouldn't either. Not when it's just a stick made from bamboo.'
Tang San kept his expression blank, but a sharp glint flickered in his eyes. He had felt something else awaken alongside the Blue Silver Pig—but there were things better kept hidden.
For now.
At last, it was Eren's turn.
He stepped forward without hurry, keeping his face calm. He placed his hand onto the circle, feeling the cold energy rise beneath his palm.
Su Yuntao activated the formation, and a gentle glow enveloped him. Unlike Tang San's dramatic flash, Eren's light was soft—barely brighter than the others before him.
A rainbow lotus appeared above his hand—small, clean, and unassuming.
To most of the villagers watching, it looked like a medicinal plant or an ordinary herb. Only Su Yuntao's trained senses caught the difference.
He frowned slightly and leaned in.
"…Lotus spirit," he muttered under his breath. "Unusual coloring… but no obvious combat features."
He placed his fingers against Eren's wrist and checked his soul level.
"Innate spirit power: Level 3," he declared, then added, "Healing-class type. Rare in this region. It has good potential for support cultivation paths."
The crowd murmured briefly, but most quickly lost interest. In a village where most spirits were hoes and pots, a healing flower didn't mean much—especially with such a modest soul level.
As he returned to the line, no one looked twice. There were no gasps. No envy. No whispering behind hands.
Just how he wanted it.
But behind his still eyes, Eren smiled quietly.