Lin Feng trudged along the overgrown village path, dragging a basket of freshly picked herbs behind him. The straps dug into his calloused hands, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere—stuck on a single day, a single moment.
The last Spirit Vein Awakening Ritual.
The day his life had shattered.
He didn't know it then, but on that same day, fate had already begun weaving a legend in his name. A Legendary Story had begun that same day.
***
The Spirit Vein Awakening Ritual—a sacred ceremony that marked the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
For generations, the ritual had been the foundation of every cultivator's journey, a moment where fate was laid bare before the heavens. At the heart of the village square, beneath the towering statue of the Elder Ascendant, a great altar of spirit jade and runic stone stood, pulsing faintly with remnants of ancient qi. Elders draped in ceremonial robes surrounded the platform, their chants echoing through the air, weaving together an invocation that bridged the mortal and spiritual realms.
One by one, the youths would step forward, placing their hands upon the Awakening Stone, a relic said to be forged from the heavens themselves. With each touch, the stone would come alive—glowing in vibrant hues that corresponded to the child's latent potential.
Gold for divine talent.
Azure for elemental affinity.
Crimson for warriors of blood and battle.
Silver for those attuned to the mysteries of the soul.
And for the truly cursed—no color at all.
It was said that to awaken a spirit vein was to take one's first step toward immortality. But for those who failed, it was a sentence—an invisible chain binding them to a life of mediocrity, forever beneath the feet of those destined to rise.
And on one fateful day, amidst whispers and shouts, a boy named Lin Feng stepped forward.
He was expecting his destiny.
Lin Feng had been watching from the company of his friends as the older ones first walked up to the stone, testing their fate against the cold rock. The crowd cheered as the last person touched the rock, establishing his spirit vein.
Now, it was the turn their turn. Seeing the first boy in his group walk forward, striding towards the stone in an epic manner, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a certain tightening in his stomach, he suddenly didn't feel good, not at all.
A few moments later, the boy was back, all had gone well. Lin Feng went quiet, watching as time seemed to fly immediately, and soon, it was only one person left before it got to him.
"Hey, Feng...Tyger called. It's Jet turn already, both of you are eternal rivals, what do you think he's going to get?" Tyger spoke, laughing when he got to the "eternal rivals" part. However, he wasn't entirely wrong, Lin Feng and Jet had been in an unshakable rivalry ever since they were younger, and it wasn't an entirely friendly rivalry. Not that Lin Feng care though.
Lin Feng shrugged. "Who cares? I won't get any less than he gets."
Tyger smiled warmly and patted his back. He believed him.
They were all orphans, they all grew in the same orphanage home, so they all got along very well, acting like family, well, they were.
They had all grown together, and now, it was time for them to separate. The Spirit vein awakening ritual was not just for determining one's fate. To these orphans, it meant that they were leaving the orphanage home, to be adopted by anyone who falls in love with their affinities.
Jet walked up to the stone, touching it with a smug look on his face. He let his heart beat resonate with the thomp that was coming from the stone. At first, there was only silence, then...
The stone lit up, glowing a bright Gold color.
Jet's eyes lit up, the golden hue shining all over his eyes and face. It was spectacular.
Jet had always felt he was special, but even this amount of specialty shocked him, this was...this was...he was going to become a God!
The crowd was taken by surprise, they burst into a round of cheers and claps, each family already readying their purse, preparing to bid for the golden talent with their last drop.
Lin Feng's mouth dropped open, watching as Jet walked back down, a smile plastered across his lips.
"Woaah! Tyger exclaimed. Jet's insane! Think you can equal that, Feng?" He asked, staring Lin Feng in the eye.
It was clear to him that even Lin Feng was not confident of equaling this. Maybe their rival was about to end.
Lin Feng suddenly smirked. "Gold, I won't get anything less than that."
Tyger clapped his back as he started walking towards the stone, "Go buddy! You've got this!"
Lin Feng cracked his knuckles as he approached the stone, he stood in front of it, watching the golden glow around it slowly disappear, then he stretched his hand, slowly reaching for the magical stone.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, then he thought to himself. "Gold, it had to be gold. Anything else was unacceptable. My entire live had led to this moment. He closed his eye as his hand made contact with the stone, his body and mind melting to become one with it...or so he thought.
Lin Feng slowly opened his eye, only to see... nothing.
The crowd hadn't noticed yet. Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, he panicked. He slowly pulled away from the stone, then he touched it again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Lin Feng stepped backwards. How could this be?
The crowd had caught on already and everywhere was suddenly to loud for him to concentrate, he felt sick.
Why...he was already an orphan... wasn't he? Was this still fair?
Lin Feng was desperate now, he clutched the stone, holding onto it tightly and touching it repeatedly, nothing was happening.
The crowd was even more put off by this, now they were shouting ontop of their voices.
Lin Feng pulled away from the stone, his form rigid and swelling. He turned around, scared to look at the crowd. He finally mustered courage as he turned around, staring at the once familiar faces.
Yes, they were no longer familiar to him, every single one of them had suddenly turned foreign, they gazed at him like he was a monster.
Lin Feng stared at Jet, this was the end of the rivalry... clearly. Jet looked him over and grinned, his intentions clear. He didn't pity Feng, he didn't care, not at all.
Lin Feng slowly stared at Tyger, he was the only one he could recognise. Tyger hadn't changed.
Lin Feng flashed a broken smile as a tear drop escaped his eye.