dognovel Chapter 1-Awakening
Chapter 1-Awakening
There is only one month left until the college entrance examination.
Lin Fan sat in the classroom, looking out the window at the students practicing martial arts on the playground, his fists unconsciously clenching tighter.
On the playground, beams of martial spirit light shone forth. Some people had three-meter-tall giant flame wolves appear behind them, some had ice spears condensing in their palms, and others were surrounded by lightning. Every punch they threw was accompanied by a muffled sonic boom.
This is their world.
A world where awakening a martial spirit allows one to cultivate, and cultivation leads to increased strength.
Becoming stronger means being able to get into a martial arts university, and after graduation, joining the military or a demon-hunting guild to become a pillar of humanity in the fight against demons.
That's what you call a future.
Lin Fan withdrew his gaze and looked down at the palm of his right hand.
A dim martial spirit mark was faintly visible there.
He has awakened his martial soul for three years, but even now, he still doesn't know what grade his martial soul is.
Because his martial spirit... is a person.
a woman.
A sleeping woman.
When the school was conducting a unified awakening of martial souls, the teacher in charge of the test asked him to release his martial soul, which he did, and then everyone was stunned.
A phantom female figure appeared behind him. The woman was stunningly beautiful and had a slender figure. There was no light flowing around her. She just floated quietly in mid-air with her eyes closed, as if she had fallen into an eternal sleep.
The crystal ball did not react at all during the test.
The teacher changed to another crystal ball, but there was still no reaction.
In the end, even the principal was alarmed and came to check it out personally, using the school's most advanced testing equipment, but the result was still blank.
"This situation...is unprecedented," the principal said with a frown.
It has no grade, no attribute, and no power fluctuations.
His martial spirit was like an exquisite ornament, a sculpture that floated in the air.
There is no use.
Three years.
For three years, Lin Fan tried everything to awaken the sleeping woman, but neither meditation, combat training, nor even taking the lowest-grade spiritual medicine had any effect.
She remained asleep, without even blinking.
Because he lacked the support of a martial spirit, Lin Fan's physical abilities were somewhat stronger than those of ordinary people, but compared to his peers who had awakened combat-type martial spirits, the gap was enormous.
A student with a Yellow-level Martial Soul, even if the Martial Soul is ordinary, can at least improve their physical fitness by three to five times.
And his martial spirit... wasn't even 0.1 times stronger.
Therefore, Lin Fan's martial arts performance can only be described as abysmal.
In his first mock college entrance exam, a comprehensive test on martial arts subjects with a total score of 600, he scored 83 points.
He was last in the class.
Third from the bottom in the entire grade.
With this score, you wouldn't even qualify for a junior college, let alone a university like Wuhan University of Science and Technology.
"Ugh."
Lin Fan sighed and opened the humanities textbook in front of him.
Fortunately, his humanities grades were quite good, especially in Chinese and history, where he consistently ranked among the top in his grade. If the military science route didn't work out, he could still get into a good humanities university and work in an administrative position, which would also be a viable option.
Although it's not as glamorous, at least I can support myself.
"Lin Fan".
A crisp sound rang out from the side.
Lin Fan turned his head and saw his deskmate Zhao Xiaoyue tilting her head to look at him, her beautiful big eyes curving into crescents.
Zhao Xiaoyue is indeed beautiful.
With fair skin, delicate features, and long, jet-black hair tied in a high ponytail, she exuded an indescribable charm even in her school uniform. She was the school beauty of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, and her suitors could line up from the teaching building to the school gate.
But Zhao Xiaoyue always had a cold face towards those people, only towards Lin Fan was she always smiling.
the reason is simple.
Lin Fan is not good at martial arts, but he is good at humanities. Zhao Xiaoyue is the opposite. She awakened the Xuan-level martial soul Ice Phoenix Feather. Her martial arts scores are in the top ten of the grade, but her humanities scores have always hovered around the passing mark.
The teacher arranged for the two to be deskmates, intending for Lin Fan to tutor Zhao Xiaoyue in humanities subjects.
After a while, the two became acquainted.
"What's wrong?" Lin Fan asked.
"Today is my birthday, and I'm having a birthday party at my house tonight. I'd like to invite you to attend." Zhao Xiaoyue blinked, her tone filled with anticipation.
Lin Fan was stunned for a moment.
A birthday party?
He thought about it for a moment, and since he didn't have anything else to do that evening, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go over tonight."
"That's great!" Zhao Xiaoyue's smile became even brighter.
Just then, Lin Fan felt a cold gaze fall on him.
He looked up and followed the gaze. In the classroom, by the window, a tall young man was staring coldly at him.
Sun Hao.
The second young master of the Sun family in Jiangcheng awakened the Xuan-level superior martial soul, the Blazing Blade. He ranked fifth in his grade in martial arts and was also one of Zhao Xiaoyue's most ardent suitors.
He had been pursuing Zhao Xiaoyue for over a year, but Zhao Xiaoyue had never given him a kind look.
Seeing Zhao Xiaoyue take the initiative to invite Lin Fan to the birthday party, Sun Hao's eyes practically wanted to devour Lin Fan alive.
Lin Fan withdrew his gaze, too lazy to pay any attention.
He was already used to that look.
From the day he became Zhao Xiaoyue's deskmate, countless people in the school disliked him.
But so what?
He doesn't owe anyone anything.
The school bell rang.
Class teacher Zhou Hai walked in from outside, holding a stack of test papers in his hand.
"This lesson is a mock test. Put your textbooks away."
A chorus of wails erupted in the classroom.
Sun Hao also withdrew his gaze, but a cold smile remained on his lips.
……
7 PM.
Following the address given by Zhao Xiaoyue, Lin Fan arrived at the Ziyuan Villa District in the eastern part of Jiangcheng.
This is the most exclusive affluent area in Jiangcheng, where every villa is worth hundreds of millions of yuan, and the people who live here are all extremely wealthy and powerful.
Zhao Xiaoyue's home is located in the center of the Ziyuan Villa District. It is a three-story detached villa with a yard of several hundred square meters.
The courtyard was brightly lit inside and out, with colorful ribbons and balloons hanging all over the walls, and the air was filled with the aroma of barbecue and desserts.
Quite a few people had already arrived in the courtyard, most of them high school students around the same age as Lin Fan. Some were classmates he knew from Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, while others were unfamiliar faces, probably children from other schools or prominent families.
"Lin Fan!"
Zhao Xiaoyue spotted him immediately and quickly walked over to him.
She wore a white dress today, her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore a thin silver chain around her neck, making her look like she had stepped out of a painting.
"Happy birthday." Lin Fan handed over the prepared gift, a book. It wasn't anything expensive, but Zhao Xiaoyue loved reading, and he had spent a long time choosing it.
"Thank you!" Zhao Xiaoyue accepted the gift, her smile impossible to hide.
She pulled Lin Fan into the courtyard and introduced him to the surrounding classmates: "This is my deskmate, Lin Fan, the one who's especially good at humanities."
Several classmates nodded politely, but their eyes held a hint of scrutiny.
Everyone at Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School knows Lin Fan.
It wasn't because of his excellent grades, but because his martial spirit was so famous—the only person in the entire school who had awakened a humanoid martial spirit, but whose grade couldn't be determined by testing.
To put it bluntly, it's a useless martial soul.
In this world where martial prowess reigns supreme, a person without combat ability, no matter how good they are at academics, is ultimately just an ordinary person.
Just as Zhao Xiaoyue was about to chat with Lin Fan a little longer, new guests arrived at the door, so she said, "Lin Fan, you chat with them first, I'll go greet them."
"Go ahead," Lin Fan nodded.
After Zhao Xiaoyue left, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Lin Fan couldn't join in the conversations of the wealthy young men around him.
"I heard your dad killed a fourth-tier demon beast in the South China Sea demon-hunting area last month? That's at least Earth-level combat power, right?"
"No, I was just lucky. But the demon core of that monster did sell for 80 million. My dad said he'll get me a new martial spirit weapon after the college entrance exam."
"By the way, have you heard? A few days ago, an auction house in the capital sold a Dragon Blood Pill for 300 million!"
"What's three hundred million? The real treasures are those unearthed from ancient ruins. My cousin found a fragment of a martial spirit in the Black Wind Ruins, and after absorbing it, he directly broke through from the Profound level to the Earth level."
Lin Fan stood quietly in the corner, holding a glass of juice, listening intently.
Three hundred million.
Eighty million.
Ancient relics.
Martial Soul Fragment.
These words were too far removed from him.
His monthly allowance is 500 yuan. His most expensive clothes are his school uniform, and his most valuable possession is the fountain pen in his drawer that he has used for three years.
"Why don't you go chat?"
A voice came from the side.
Lin Fan turned his head, and Sun Hao walked over with a glass of red wine, a half-smile on his face.
"We can't really connect," Lin Fan said casually.
"Of course." Sun Hao laughed, his smile full of undisguised contempt. "You and we are from completely different worlds."
He took a step closer and lowered his voice: "So I advise you, don't try to get involved in our world anymore. Stay away from Zhao Xiaoyue, or don't blame me for being impolite."
Lin Fan frowned.
He had thought Sun Hao was just being polite, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so direct.
"You're overthinking it." Lin Fan glanced at him, his tone calm. "Zhao Xiaoyue and I are just classmates, nothing more."
"That's for the best." Sun Hao sneered, patting Lin Fan's shoulder with considerable force. "People need to know themselves, don't you agree?"
After saying that, he turned and left to clink glasses with several wealthy young men over there, and their laughter soon drifted over.
Lin Fan watched his retreating figure, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes, but it quickly dissipated.
It doesn't matter.
He never intended to integrate into this circle.
Since pursuing a career in martial arts is not an option, I should go to a good university, study a professional subject, and find a stable job in the future.
Ordinary people can also live a good life.
The banquet began soon after.
Zhao Xiaoyue's parents came out of the villa. Zhao's father was in his forties, with a burly build and an imposing aura that he possessed, a kind of killing intent cultivated from years of fighting with demonic beasts.
He is a martial artist of the Earth rank.
Zhao's mother, on the other hand, was much more gentle. She wore a cheongsam and looked at her daughter with eyes full of doting affection.
"Moon, this is a birthday present from your father."
Mr. Zhao took out an exquisite sandalwood box and handed it to Zhao Xiaoyue.
Zhao Xiaoyue opened the box, inside lay a silver bracelet with a bead the size of a thumb embedded in it.
The bead was a pale gold color with naturally formed patterns on its surface, resembling miniature Bodhi leaves, shimmering with a soft glow under the light.
"These are... Bodhi beads?"
People around gasped in surprise.
Sun Hao also came over, examined it carefully for a few moments, and suddenly said, "Uncle Zhao, the pattern on this bead is very special; it doesn't look like an ordinary Bodhi bead."
Father Zhao smiled and said, "These are not ordinary Bodhi beads, they are Bodhi seeds."
"Bodhi seeds?!"
Sun Hao's face showed shock. "I heard that at the Black Moon auction overseas last month, a Bodhi seed was auctioned off for 80 million. Could it be Uncle Zhao...?"
"That's right." Mr. Zhao nodded. "That's the one. I took a picture of it specifically to give to Yue'er as a birthday present."
A collective gasp immediately filled the air.
An 80 million bracelet!
Although everyone present was from wealthy families, 80 million is a sum that not just any family can easily come up with.
Moreover, it was given to my daughter as a birthday gift.
"Thank you, Daddy!" Zhao Xiaoyue's eyes sparkled as she immediately put the bracelet on her wrist.
The silver chain contrasted against her fair skin, and the bodhi seeds swayed gently on her wrist, emitting a faint golden glow.
Lin Fan stood on the periphery of the crowd, looking at the bracelet, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Eighty million.
He may never earn this much money in his lifetime.
The world of the rich is indeed beyond his comprehension.
He glanced down at the nearly empty juice in his glass and thought it was about time to leave.
The banquet continued, and Zhao Xiaoyue was surrounded by a group of classmates, her face beaming with smiles.
Lin Fan waited for a while, and when there were fewer people around her, he went over.
"Zhao Xiaoyue, I'm going back now."
"Leaving so soon?" Zhao Xiaoyue was a little surprised. "There's still so much delicious food that hasn't been served yet."
"I have to get up early tomorrow to memorize humanities material, so I won't stay too late." Lin Fan smiled. "Happy birthday, have fun."
Zhao Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll see you off."
The two walked out of the courtyard side by side.
The streets outside the villa were much quieter, the streetlights were dim, and the chirping of insects came from the distant green belt, forming a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle in the yard.
As the two walked down the street, Zhao Xiaoyue suddenly raised her wrist and held the bracelet up to Lin Fan's face.
"Lin Fan, look at my birthday present, isn't it beautiful?"
Lin Fan glanced at it.
The silver chain and pale gold beads gleamed warmly under the streetlights.
"It looks good," he said.
How could something worth 80 million not be good-looking?
"Take a closer look," Zhao Xiaoyue said, somewhat dissatisfied, and stretched her wrist forward again.
Lin Fan had no choice but to stare intently at it.
That Bodhi seed was indeed very special. The surface texture was layered, like countless tiny Bodhi leaves stacked together, and each texture contained a very faint golden halo.
He subconsciously reached out, his fingertips touching the Bodhi seed.
A cool sensation came from my fingertips.
Then--
boom!
Lin Fan felt as if something had exploded deep within his mind.
An indescribable tremor spread from between his eyebrows to his entire body.
The sleeping woman.
Dressed in white like snow, with long hair like a waterfall, her face remained as beautiful and serene as ever.
But this time, it's different.
Her eyelids twitched slightly.
Then--
He opened his eyes.
What beautiful eyes they were.
The depths of his pupils seemed to contain a myriad of stars, so profound that they seemed capable of swallowing all light.
A thunderous roar resounded in Lin Fan's mind as an extremely clear and cold female voice echoed deep within his consciousness, as if it came from the farthest reaches of time and space.
"I... am awake."
On the Bodhi seed, a very faint golden light followed Lin Fan's fingertip and entered his body.