The hall fell silent when the glowing crystal dimmed for the second time.
Lin Feng stared at it, his hands trembling. He had spent an entire year preparing saving every spirit stone he could, taking cheap medicinal herbs until he felt sick, training long after everyone else slept. He'd hoped… maybe this time…
But nothing happened.
An elder exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Lin Feng… I'm sorry. There's no reaction. Again."
Before Lin Feng could respond, another elder scoffed from the side. "There's no point in trying to force destiny. Some people simply aren't meant to cultivate."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. They weren't loud, but they were clear enough for him to hear.
"He prepared for months…"
"I heard he spent everything on herbs."
"It's fate. Some people just don't awaken."
The quiet certainty in their voices cut deeper than shouting ever could.
Lin Feng swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady. "I… understand."
He stepped down from the platform, but the second elder raised a hand, stopping him.
"Lin Feng," he said with a sigh that felt more dismissive than sympathetic, "you belong to the Lin family, but our resources are limited. It might be time for you to consider another future… one outside cultivation."
The words landed heavily. They weren't cruel, but they still felt like a door closing on him.
He lowered his head as he walked back toward the crowd, each step feeling heavier than the last. He told himself to breathe, to not let it show, to keep moving even though every whisper felt like another weight on his chest.
He forced himself to watch as the other youths took their turns, one after another awakening their spirits. And then, Lin Hai the now young master of the clan stepped onto the platform.
The boy turned, meeting Lin Feng's eyes deliberately. "This," Lin Hai said, loud enough for all to hear, "is what real talent looks like, not whatever that was earlier."
The hall grew quiet again.
Lin Hai placed his palms on the altar and injected his Qi. A burst of crimson light exploded outward, heat rushing through the room like a sudden summer wind. Gasps echoed from every corner.
Then
A sharp cry pierced the sky.
A fire phoenix, brilliant and majestic, unfurled behind Lin Hai. Its wings glowed like molten gold, its presence overpowering. For a heartbeat it filled the hall, radiating heat and pressure, and then it vanished just as quickly.
Every elder except one shot to their feet, eyes wide with awe.
"Incredible."
"A phoenix spirit, just like Grand Elder Lin!"
"This is a once-in-a-generation awakening!"
Lin Hai's father, the second elder, stood straighter than ever, pride swelling in his face. His smirk deepened as his gaze slid back to Lin Feng.
Moments later, he bowed to the clan head and spoke, voice oozing triumph. "Clan Head, since Lin Feng has failed twice and has no spirit, I propose that he be assigned to the Medicine Hall. At least he may still be useful helping gather herbs."
His words weren't shouted, but everyone understood their intent.
One by one, elders nodded in agreement. Even those who didn't dislike Lin Feng stayed silent, Lin Hai's awakening overshadowed everything else.
The clan head sat rigidly in his seat. His expression was calm, but his hands trembled just slightly beneath the table. Lin Feng was his son quiet, overlooked, born from a woman the clan barely acknowledged. He had hoped the boy would awaken a spirit and claim his place.
But now…
He closed his eyes briefly, regret flickering in them, before giving the smallest of nods.
"Very well," he said quietly. "Lin Feng will report to the Medicine Hall."
His voice didn't waver, but Lin Feng saw the strain in his father's eyes.
It didn't make the decision hurt any less.
And it didn't change the fact that, from this moment on, he would be known as the boy who failed twice.
The boy without a martial spirit.
He was a disgrace to his father and mother...