Chapter 2: Spirit Awakening
Countless thoughts intertwined in Xu Tianhao's mind, causing him to fall into deep thought, so much so that he didn't even immediately hear his eldest brother Xu Tianran's voice.
"Tianhao, don't be nervous. Your big brother went through the same thing back then."
A gentle voice sounded in his ear, carrying a bit of soothing power.
Xu Tianhao snapped back to his senses and looked up, only to see Xu Tianran smiling at him, his eyes filled with encouragement.
Xu Tianran reached out and gently patted his shoulder. The strength was just right, conveying warmth without making him feel pressured.
"When I awakened my Spirit back then, I was even more nervous than you, fearing I wouldn't awaken any innate spirit power and would lose face for the Imperial Family."
Xu Tianran softened his tone, recalling his childhood experiences, and a trace of a smile appeared on his face.
"But when the ceremony actually started, I calmed down instead."
"Spirit awakening is a matter of letting nature take its course. No matter the result, you are still Big Brother's good younger brother, and Imperial Father won't blame you either."
Xu Tianhao nodded, and the anxiety in his heart eased slightly.
He knew his big brother was telling the truth. Although the Emperor Xu Jilong was a monarch and usually incredibly majestic, he had always been doting toward his children.
However, the obsession in his heart could not be dissolved by a simple phrase like 'just do your best'.
Just then, Xu Tianzhen's crisp voice rang out, carrying a hint of playfulness:
"Little brother, you're the Little Prodigy of our family. Being this nervous now doesn't seem like you at all."
Xu Tianzhen skipped over to Xu Tianhao's side, reached out her fair little hand, and gently patted the top of his head.
Her palm was soft and carried a faint fragrance, letting Xu Tianhao's tense nerves relax a few degrees more.
In Xu Tianzhen's eyes, Xu Tianhao usually acted like a little adult.
Whether it was reading or learning the basic knowledge of spirit tools, he was much more serious than the other princes and princesses, and he learned everything instantly; that's why she teased him by calling him a Little Prodigy.
"I'm not nervous, really." Xu Tianhao looked up and gave Xu Tianzhen a bright smile.
His smile was clean and pure, but his eyes held a hint of determination that didn't match his age.
He truly wasn't nervous—or rather, he had transformed that nervousness into anticipation.
Six years of waiting, six years of preparation, all for today.
No matter the result, he would face it calmly.
If he awakened a powerful Spirit and innate spirit power, he would follow that path and accumulate strength.
He would move toward his goal step by step. Even if he had to face the God King Tang San in the future, he would be fearless.
If he didn't awaken innate spirit power, he would find another way. Relying on his understanding of spirit tool technology, he would carve out a path in the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool field.
After all, the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool technology was top-tier in the entire Douluo Continent.
Even if he couldn't become a Spirit Master, becoming a powerful Soul Engineer would still give him a place to stand.
The Emperor Xu Jilong watched the warm interaction between his three children, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
He coughed lightly, breaking the silence in the hall, and said in a deep voice: "Tianhao, are you ready? The awakening can begin."
Xu Tianhao took a deep breath, his gaze falling on the Obsidian Platform in the center.
He bowed respectfully to the Emperor Xu Jilong, his voice crisp and firm: "In response to Imperial Father, your son is ready."
After speaking, he took small steps, walking toward the Obsidian Platform one step at a time.
The cool sensation of the white jade floor tiles transmitted through his soles, making his mind even clearer.
He could feel the gazes of his big brother and Fourth Sister on his back, filled with expectation and concern.
He could also feel the gaze of his Imperial Father, filled with majesty and hope.
Reaching the center of the platform, Xu Tianhao stopped.
Following the method he had been told beforehand, he slowly closed his eyes and emptied his mind.
The spirit tool formation on the Obsidian Platform instantly erupted with a strong purple light. Countless tiny light dots overflowed from the formation, dancing around him like fireflies before slowly seeping into his body.
A warm power flowed through his body, gathering from his limbs and bones into his dantian, as if something was about to break out of its shell.
Xu Tianhao could clearly feel that his body was undergoing a wonderful change.
The connection between his soul and body became tighter, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around him was also converging toward him.
Is this the feeling of Spirit awakening?
Xu Tianhao's heart was filled with curiosity and anticipation.
He could feel that warm power growing stronger, and the throbbing in his dantian became more and more obvious.
Xu Tianran stood in place, his hands unconsciously clenching, his eyes full of tension and expectation.
He hoped more than anyone that Xu Tianhao could awaken a powerful Spirit, not just because of their brotherly bond.
But also because he knew the Sun Moon Empire's future path would not be easy. With one more powerful brother, the Empire would have one more share of strength.
Xu Tianzhen also put away her usual playfulness. She folded her hands and muttered softly: "It must be a powerful Spirit, there must be innate spirit power..."
The Emperor Xu Jilong's expression remained steady, but the light in his eyes betrayed his inner lack of calm.
As the Emperor Xu Jilong of the Sun Moon Empire, he knew better than anyone the importance of a powerful Spirit Master to the Empire.
He hoped that Xu Tianhao could be like Xu Tianran, becoming a pillar of the Empire and contributing to the Sun Moon Empire's future.
The air in the hall seemed to freeze, leaving only the faint sound of the purple light flowing and Xu Tianhao's steady breathing.
Time passed bit by bit, and that warm power reached its peak within Xu Tianhao's body.
Suddenly, he felt a strong throb from his right hand. Immediately after, a majestic aura erupted from his body.
A resonant dragon roar echoed through the entire hall. Xu Tianhao's right hand flashed with light, and a domineering Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon flew out, circling around Xu Tianhao's body.
At this moment, Xu Tianhao only felt an indescribable power filling his limbs and bones.
Seeing that it was the Purple Blazing Heaven Dragon Martial Soul, the Emperor Xu Jilong, Xu Tianran, and Xu Tianzhen all revealed excited smiles at the same time.
Although the Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon was the inherited Spirit of the Imperial Family, it was extremely rare. Among all the current imperial bloodlines, there were only a few people who possessed it.
But from now on, there would be one more: Xu Tianhao.
Most importantly, since the Imperial Family's inheritance began, as long as one awakened the Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon Spirit, their innate spirit power had never been lower than rank seven.
Xu Tianhao awakening the Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon Spirit meant he was destined to become a powerful Spirit Master in the future!
But soon, the Emperor Xu Jilong and Xu Tianran retracted their smiles because they discovered that the Spirit awakening had not ended.
An unbelievable hypothesis appeared in both their minds. Father and son glanced at each other, both seeing a trace of astonishment in the other's eyes.
Xu Tianran couldn't help but open his mouth: "Could it be that Tianhao has awakened twin spirits?"
As if in response to Xu Tianran's words, in the next moment, Xu Tianhao suddenly opened his eyes, and two beams of brilliant gold and silver light shot out from his pupils.
The gold and silver light intertwined with the light refracted by the crystals, instantly illuminating the entire Sun Palace.
Looking closely, Xu Tianhao's left eye seemed like a great sun, and his right eye seemed like a bright moon.
This pair of eyes seemed to contain the sun and the moon.
At this moment, Xu Tianhao stood there with the Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon circling his body, his eyes emitting divine gold and silver light.
It was as if a deity had descended; his entire being looked extraordinary and miraculous!
"twin spirits!" The Emperor Xu Jilong stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and wild joy: "It really is twin spirits!"
Xu Tianran also widened his eyes, his face showing an expression of disbelief:
"Purple Bright Heaven Extinguishing Dragon! A Body Martial Soul! Tianhao actually awakened such Spirits!"
Xu Tianzhen jumped up even more excitedly, clapping her hands: "Great! Little brother, you're too amazing! twin spirits! You're even more amazing than Big Brother!"