The morning sun blazed across the skies of New Moon City, casting a golden sheen over the massive Awakening Grounds on the city's northern outskirts.
Hundreds of people filled the ceremonial plaza — young candidates, families, officials, and the curious masses.
The plaza itself was a masterpiece of astral architecture: wide marble platforms, shimmering astral runes carved into the ground, and towering Testing Pillars that pulsed faintly with spiritual light. Massive flags fluttered from atop crystalline poles, bearing the city's crest and the ancient symbol of awakening — a hand reaching toward a distant star.
Ren Zian adjusted his simple black robes, taking a deep breath as he walked alongside his father through the bustling crowds.
Zhantian's face was calm but sharp, scanning the area instinctively like a seasoned warrior.
"You nervous?" he asked without looking at his son.
Zian shrugged. "Shouldn't I be?"
Zhantian gave a rare smile. "Good. Nervousness means you're alive. Fear keeps your blade sharp."
They made their way through the crowd, drawing a few curious glances. After all, even among cultivators, Zhantian's quiet but overwhelming aura was hard to miss.
Zhantian took that moment to pull his son aside.
From within his robes, he produced a small object — a polished astral stone, about the size of a coin, with ancient shifting runes carved into its surface. It radiated an almost imperceptible hum.
"This," Zhantian said quietly, "is from Suiren Industries. Crafted to suppress Astral Pressure. When activated, you'll seem like a normal early-stage Foundation cultivator. Although it won't be able to hide from the measuring devices, at least you can avoid drawing attention right away. Being a Late Stage Astral Foundation cultivator when you hadn't awakened a week ago might cause a little bit of alarm." He laughed.
Zian accepted it, feeling the soft warmth against his skin.
"Don't let it slip," Zhantian warned.
Zian nodded solemnly and tucked the stone under his robe, feeling it settle against his chest.
Almost immediately, he felt the immense pressure of his Regal Dragon Vein fade into a calm ripple.
As they reached the candidates' staging area, a voice called out.
"Zian!"
He turned and saw her — Juno Lai, waving as she jogged over, a big smile plastered across her face.
She looked almost the same as always — bright, energetic, confident — but there was a new edge to her.
A faint, disciplined pressure around her body, a product of recent cultivation.
Behind her came two adults, presumably her parents. They had the bearing of experienced mid-tier cultivators, respectable but clearly not influential elites.
Juno stopped in front of Zian, hands on her hips, grinning.
"Well, look at you. Still alive, huh? I thought you'd be hiding under a rock after the Awakening."
Zian smirked. "Funny. I could say the same about you."
Juno snorted. "Please. I'm a two-layer achiever now. Not bad, right?"
She puffed her chest out proudly, drawing an amused glance from Zhantian.
Zian chuckled. "Congrats."
Juno tilted her head. "So? Did you awaken? Or are you here just to watch the real stars?"
Zian raised an eyebrow, amused at how casual she was being.
"I awakened," he said simply.
She blinked, then beamed. "Knew it! Knew you weren't some trash. You're gonna be fine, Zian. We'll both find good dojo's. You'll see!"
Zian only smiled faintly.
If only she knew.
They didn't have to wait long before something changed.
A sudden hum filled the air — a vibration that made the Testing Pillars shiver.
Everyone turned their eyes skyward.
Dark shapes blotted out the sun.
Massive spaceships descended from the heavens — each one a flying fortress, massive enough to cast city-sized shadows.
The crowd gasped collectively, many falling silent in awe.
The lead ship was a floating palace, sculpted like a colossal golden dragon coiling around a citadel. It blazed with heavenly light, banners of flowing silk trailing behind it. On its hull gleamed the emblem of the Heavenly Dragon Dojo.
The second ship was sleek and sharp — a blood-red blade soaring through the sky, leaving streaks of crimson light. Its body pulsed with faint killing intent. The insignia of the Scarlet Cloud Temple shimmered on its sides.
The third ship was a wall of iron and stone, built like a mobile fortress, with defensive towers and heavy spiritual cannons mounted along its sides. The crest of the Titan Gate loomed proudly atop its main tower.
Spiritual pressure poured from the ships like tidal waves.
The weak among the crowd staggered. Some normal civilians even collapsed to their knees, unable to withstand the oppressive might descending from above.
Even seasoned Foundation cultivators had to steady themselves.
Zian remained still, breathing slowly, hidden behind his suppressing stone.
His heart, however, beat faster.
This... was real.
The strongest powers on Earth had come to watch.
For him.
Murmurs erupted around them.
"Those are... Ascendant Realm cultivators!"
"Why are the giants here?!"
"New Moon City's Awakening Ceremony is just for a mid-sized region. Why would they send envoys here!?"
Some tried to guess.
Others simply stared in awe.
Then came the inevitable.
A tall, sharp-faced young man in pristine white robes stepped forward from the gathered students. Zian recognized him immediately — Lu Tianhao, the so-called 'genius' of New Moon Academy.
Lu Tianhao had awakened a Third Layer Astral Vein, a rare feat in itself, and carried himself with enough arrogance to drown a stadium.
He straightened his back, smirked, and whispered loudly enough for those nearby to hear.
"Looks like the big powers heard about my awakening."
Several students around him nodded or muttered agreement, feeding his ego.
Zian rolled his eyes.
Juno stifled a giggle behind her hand.
"God, he's worse than ever," she whispered.
At the head of the stage, the principal, a dignified, aging cultivator named Master Han stumbled forward with wide eyes.
He bowed deeply toward the ships still descending.
When the ships finally hovered above the field, spiritual arrays flared beneath them, creating shimmering landing platforms.
One by one, figures descended.
Envoys of the major powers.
Each was an Ascendant Realm powerhouse — their mere presence distorted the air around them, their astral robes fluttering with suppressed force.
A man draped in golden armor, bearing the sigil of a dragon across his chest, landed first.
A crimson-robed woman with a face like a frozen rose descended second, cold and proud.
A mountain of a man, clad in thick, rune-etched armor, thudded onto the ground, shaking the plaza slightly.
Master Han struggled to keep his composure.
"Esteemed guests! We are honored by your presence!"
He gestured frantically, rushing to escort the envoys to specially prepared VIP seating near the stage.
The entire student body whispered among themselves, half in awe, half in terror.
Only a handful of people truly understood why these monsters were here.
And among them, Ren Zian stood quietly.
Invisible.
Waiting.
The announcement came moments later.
"Candidates!" Master Han called, voice echoing through the plaza.
"The Awakening Assessments will now begin!"
Students immediately began forming lines before the Testing Pillars, their faces a mixture of excitement, terror, and grim determination.
Each candidate would place their hand on a Pillar to have their Astral Vein grade evaluated, then demonstrate their current Astral Energy density through simple astral resonance tests.
Zian stayed near the back, his body still, his aura muted by the artifact.
From the VIP section, sharp gazes began sweeping over the students.
Hunters searching for prey.
Up above, the massive ships hovered silently, their banners snapping in the breeze.
The sky was split between sunlight and the towering shadows of the powers that ruled the Earth.
The game had begun.
And among the gathering sheep...
A dragon waited.
Smiling quietly to himself.
The Awakening Ceremony had begun in full.
Candidates lined up nervously, a river of black and white academy robes stretching toward the towering Testing Pillars. Families crowded the observation decks, whispering, clutching hands, praying. The plaza buzzed with tension.
One by one, students stepped forward.
The first boy placed his hand on a pillar, the stone flashing a dull red.
"Flame Seed Vein," Master Han announced. "First Celestial Layer. Early Astral Foundation density."
The boy bowed awkwardly and stumbled off, face a mix of relief and embarrassment.
A girl followed, her pillar flashing a soft blue.
"Azure Ripple Vein. First Layer. Early Foundation."
Not horrible, at least they were an awakener, but this was essentially the lowest tier of awakeners.
The next few students showed similar results.
Low-tier veins, basic Astral Energy densities.
Some families cried in joy just to see their children awaken anything at all. Others wept in frustration, realizing their hopes of reaching greatness had ended before they even began.
And yet, for all the emotions playing out, none of the envoys stirred.
The Ascendant Realm figures from the great powers sat impassively, their expressions carved from stone.
Their gazes swept across the testing stage without much interest.
Then came the first small ripple.
A broad-shouldered boy stepped forward, the pillar flashing a vibrant green.
"Wind Gale Vein! Second Celestial Layer!" Master Han's voice rang out, more animated.
Excited gasps from the crowd.
A few teachers even clapped.
The boy's Astral Energy test showed solid almost Mid Foundation density a rare achievement for a fresh Awakener.
As he bowed proudly, a thin envoy draped in crimson robes flicked a token through the air. It landed neatly at the boy's feet.
"Scarlet Cloud Temple invites you," the envoy said casually.
The plaza erupted into murmurs again.
More candidates followed.
Another boy revealed a "Silver Claw Vein" — strong physical attributes, second layer.
A girl awakened a "Tideflow Vein" — a water element-based astral vein, second layer.
Both received mild offers — admittance letters, polite nods from mid-tier factions, a few minor dojos.
The atmosphere grew warmer.
Candidates dared to hope.
Families leaned forward eagerly.
Then, the real performance began.
Lu Tianhao stepped forward.
He radiated smugness, his pristine white robe almost glowing under the sunlight.
He placed his hand on the pillar with a dramatic flourish.
Boom!
The Testing Pillar shuddered, a brilliant flash of white-gold light surging upward.
Master Han's eyebrows lifted in visible surprise.
"White Tiger Vein," he announced loudly. "Third Celestial Layer!"
A collective gasp echoed through the plaza.
Third Layer Veins were rare. Revered. Powerful.
Whispers rippled:
"Third Layer!"
"Incredible!"
"No wonder the big powers came!"
Lu Tianhao soaked in the adoration like a sponge.
He turned to face the VIP seats, bowing deeply.
His Astral Energy density test followed — Mid Foundation Stage. Exceptional for someone relatively fresh from awakening.
For a moment, silence reigned.
All eyes flickered toward the VIPs.
And yet...
The envoys remained still.
Polite smiles.
Faint nods.
Nothing more.
The golden-armored man from the Heavenly Dragon Dojo leaned back casually.
The woman from Scarlet Cloud Temple inspected her nails.
The Titan Gate envoy yawned.
If Lu Tianhao noticed, he didn't show it.
He strutted back toward the crowd, nose held high, convinced of his own destiny.
At the back of the formation, Zian watched quietly.
He didn't bother hiding the slight smirk tugging at his mouth.
'This world loves crowns made of sand,' he thought.
Most here had no idea what true strength looked like.
No understanding of what real monsters could do.
He rolled his shoulders lazily, feeling the suppressing stone hum lightly against his chest, keeping his true aura buried.
His father's voice echoed in his mind:
"True dragons do not need to roar. Their existence alone shakes the heavens."
Zian closed his eyes briefly.
He wasn't here to bark like a dog for attention.
He was here to change everything.
More students tested.
Some cried tears of joy.
Some wept in humiliation.
Most fell into the expected ranks of mediocrity — First or Second Layer veins, low to mid Foundation densities.
Offers trickled out from smaller powers, regional dojos, corporate-sponsored martial houses.
The VIP envoys continued to watch with polite detachment, the real interest never surfacing.
Until now.
Master Han, sweaty and slightly hoarse from hours of announcements, unfurled another scroll.
He squinted at the next name.
"Ren Zian!" he called out, voice booming through the plaza.
For a heartbeat, everything stilled.
Zian opened his eyes.
He stepped forward.
The murmurs began immediately.
"Ren Zian? Who's that?"
"Wait... wasn't he in the loser class?"
"I thought he didn't even awaken last month?"
Whispers filled the air.
Lu Tianhao scoffed loudly from the sidelines, arms crossed.
Juno, standing near her parents, clutched her hands together, worried but hopeful.
But up in the VIP seating?
The change was instantaneous.
The relaxed gazes of the Ascendant Realm envoys sharpened.
The golden-armored man from the Heavenly Dragon Dojo leaned forward slightly, his golden pupils narrowing.
The crimson-robed woman from Scarlet Cloud Temple lowered her hand, focusing fully.
Even the Titan Gate envoy, who had seemed utterly bored, straightened in his seat.
Their pressure, previously leashed, trembled faintly — a predator's instinct triggered.
They didn't know who Ren Zian was.
Not exactly.
But they had received rumors.
Whispers of something extraordinary hidden in this ceremony.
Their eyes locked onto the simple black-robed youth stepping calmly onto the marble stage.
Zian felt it, the shift in the air.
The weight of their gazes pressing down from above.
But he didn't flinch.
He walked with measured steps, breathing evenly, every movement carrying an unconscious grace sharpened by days of brutal training.
He passed Lu Tianhao, who sneered audibly.
"Don't embarrass yourself, trash," he muttered under his breath.
Zian didn't even glance at him.
He had long since realized — barking dogs didn't warrant attention.
He approached the Testing Pillar.
The ancient marble structure towered before him, covered in shimmering runes that pulsed gently, waiting for his touch.
He could feel the suppressing stone humming against his chest, masking his true Astral Energy output.
It wouldn't matter soon.
He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing the cool stone.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Above, hidden behind layers of astral shielding, unseen figures adjusted their instruments, their spiritual senses locking onto this boy.
Somewhere high above, far beyond even the ships, a hidden satellite focused its lens - observing, recording.
And as Zian's hand pressed fully onto the pillar...
The ground beneath him vibrated subtly.
The Testing Pillar's runes lit up, brighter and brighter, energy building.
Master Han leaned forward, eyes wide.
Families leaned forward, breathless.
Envoys leaned forward, smiling ever so slightly.
The crowd's murmurs ceased.
All eyes, for the first time, turned fully to one figure.
Ren Zian.
And among them, the dragon smiled silently to himself.
The mask was about to shatter.