2 Month of Dragons (2/2)
”Huff...huff... I almost won today.”
”But in the end I still won.”
Luo Bao took out his bats again and resumed his practice swings.
”Luo Bao, Why is the month of dragons so important.”
”I'm not sure on details however I overheard some adults talking about awakening.”
”Awakening?”
”Yes awakening to unlock the ability to cultivate. Your father is the strongest man in the village so he would know more.”
”Umm Luo Bao? I have always wondered, where is your father?”
”My father was once a warrior. However one day he was hurt by a demonic beast while hunting. I was too young to know him before he left,” Luo Bao swung his bat down while grinning sadly.
The mood instantly turned sour and even Xin Fan knew it was time to go.
”It's getting late. I need to go home to eat dinner.”
Xin Fan started to head back home contemplating deeply on what it means to awaken.
Am I really going to become stronger by awakening? What if I do not awaken? What if I never awaken?
As Xin Fan arrived home, he could see his father waiting outside for him. The man stood and watched as his son entered the house.
”Son, tomorrow we are going out of the mountains for a trip.”
”Is this about the awakening?”
”I do not know how you found out but yes, you are right. The month of dragons is coming soon and it is time for all the children to attempt awakening.”
Xin Mu took out a dusty scroll off the top of the shelf and unrolled it on the table.
”I assume you want to know what awakening is.”
The boy silently nodded his head looking at the drawings on the scroll
”All of life starts at the beginning. Everyone is the same, a blank slate. That is until the awakening.” Xin Mu pointed at the image of an empty circle which expanded out to three branches.
”Awakening is what many people call 'The second Birth' as it is at that moment they awaken as cultivators. Everyone has different things that they awaken. These are called spirit items. They are items bound to the soul which represent one's future path, their dao. Some may awaken swords. Some may awaken tigers. Some may awaken vines. However they are all divided to three broad categories. Object, Beast or Plant.”
Xin Mu indicated the three images on the end of each branch:a sword, a tiger and a vine.
”Object spirits are broad. They may be weapons in which warriors would train to the pinnacle like bows or blades. It may be minerals in which they can train their body to emulate. Or it may be the elements of nature in which cultivators learn to harness as their own.”
Xin Mu paused for a moment before his arm started to glisten a metallic sheen.
”This is my spirit item: Steel.”
Xin Fan's eyes shined as he imagined himself having an arm of steel.
”What about the other two categories?”
”Beast category refers to anything biological. This could be body parts and animals. A man who possesses the bone spirit can harness enhance their bones to great heights. A boy with a shark spirit can grow tough scales and swim at high speeds.”
”Do you know anyone under the beast category?”
”Well...I know a couple of people with animal spirits. Your mother has skin as her spirit and as you can see it is flawless. Luo Kan, Luo Bao's late father had a bear spirit. He was truly as strong man. Able to break stones with a single punch. It was a shame he had to leave so young.”
”I...I see.”
”Lastly are plant spirit. They are known for tenacity, regeneration and healing. Although rare, there are power based plant spirits. I heard of men with Demon trees as spirits and are able to drain energy from enemies.”
Xin Mu let out a sigh seemingly reminiscing the past.
”Father, why do you focus so much on power?”
Xin Mu looked at his son in the eyes and sighed once again.
”Life is not easy. In the mountains, it is simpler, if you are able to eat, you area able to live. However in outside world, it is hard to live. Without ability, one cannot make a living. Those with power can battle on as soldiers fighting for the king. The rest have to make the use of their advantages to make a living.”
”Then why do we have to leave tomorrow? Doesn't the month of dragons start later?”
”The nearest shrine is a days walk away from the village. Not everyone can simply awaken so we have to pray for the god's blessing to awaken. That will at least increase some chances of awakening, after all, not everyone awakens at the same time. Some may not even awaken till adulthood. At that point, they had lost the critical part of their life to train in qi. While spirit items are important, the most important aspect of awakening is the ability to sense qi. With qi, you can use magical techniques and you become the strong. Even those with a lily as a spirit item can dominate a tiger with a high enough mastery of qi. I'll talk about qi tomorrow.”
”Dinner is ready.”
Luo Qiu came out of the kitchen with a plate of vegetables and meat. Xin Fan filled up a bowl of rice and sat down to eat dinner.
”Remember to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
Xin Fan quickly ate dinner and went to sleep.
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[Installation of Ultimate Rice System 97%]