Upon entering the city and walking with some guards, after some time all the young people arrived at the city plaza. There they saw around ten men and women dressed completely in black. They were also wearing black shades.
One of them stepped forward and asked,
"Are you the young people here for the natural awakening ceremony?"
All of the youths nodded their heads in response.
"Follow us quickly, or you will be left behind," one of the people in black shades said before turning around and walking ahead.
Seeing the young people follow the group of black-shaded staff members, the guards who had escorted them simply turned around and walked back toward the city gate.
After following them for a while, Du Shentian and the others finally arrived at the Awakener Building of Dragon Sanctuary 007.
Du Shentian looked at the enormous structure and thought to himself,
The Awakener Building of Dragon Sanctuary 007 is quite large… but it is still small compared to the Awakener Building in Bloodstone Heaven.
However, there is one major difference.
In Bloodstone Heaven there is no cathedral used for public awakenings. That place is a battlefield where fierce battles occur every day. If a cathedral were destroyed during combat, the cost of rebuilding it would be enormous.
The powerful families living there possess their own cathedrals, but they never allow ordinary people to use them. Those are reserved only for their own clan members.
Soon everyone entered the Awakener Building.
Once inside, Du Shentian noticed that the cathedral hall was extremely spacious. Tall pillars supported the ceiling, and the air itself seemed to carry a faint pressure.
As the youths walked further inside, they suddenly noticed a man floating in the air above the ceremonial platform.
The moment they sensed his presence, many of them felt their hearts tighten.
His aura alone made them feel as if a heavy mountain was pressing down on their shoulders.
All the people wearing black shades immediately bowed respectfully.
"We have brought all the children here, City Lord," one of them said.
The man nodded calmly.
"Thank you for your hard work."
He then looked down at the crowd and spoke in a clear voice.
"Welcome to Dragon Sanctuary 007."
"My name is Han Wuchen. I am the City Lord of Dragon Sanctuary 007. You may address me as City Lord Han."
The moment the young people heard his introduction, the entire hall erupted into shocked whispers.
"City Lord Han?!"
"Isn't he a Peak True Saint Stage cultivator?"
"Someone who is close to reaching the Emperor Stage!"
Peak Saint-level cultivators were rarely seen inside cities.
They were usually busy fighting powerful demonic beasts on distant battlefields.
And even when they were not fighting, they spent most of their time in strict scheduled cultivation.
Meeting such a powerful figure in person was almost impossible for ordinary people.
Yet today, the person presiding over their awakening ceremony was exactly such an individual.
For the youths present, it was something they could proudly remember for the rest of their lives.
Suddenly four figures slowly descended from the air behind City Lord Han.
Many of the youths gasped.
Only King-level awakeners possessed the ability to fly.
That meant the four people behind him were at least King Tier warriors.
The first man stepped forward confidently.
"Hello everyone. My name is Gao Ren, and I am the leader of the Iron Mountain Battalion (Twenty-Seven Years Old)."
Another man with sharp, calculating eyes followed.
"I am Mo Jianyo, the leader of the Shadow Fang Battalion (Twenty-Nine Years Old)."
A tall man with a cold expression stepped forward next.
"I am Zhao Tianlong, the leader of the Azure Wolf Battalion (Thirty-Two Years Old)."
The moment Du Shentian saw Zhao Tianlong, his blood began to boil.
It was because of the Azure Wolf Battalion's mistake that his brother Liang Zhen had been crippled.
Deep down, Du Shentian had always suspected that something shady existed inside that battalion.
Then the final battalion leader stepped forward.
"I am Luo Xinyan, the leader of the Silver Dragon Battalion (Twenty-Four Years Old)."
The moment she appeared, the entire cathedral hall seemed to fall silent.
Luo Xinyan floated gracefully above the ceremonial platform.
Her long silver hair flowed behind her like strands of moonlight drifting through the air. Each strand shimmered faintly beneath the cathedral lights, giving her an almost ethereal presence.
Her crimson eyes slowly opened.
They were deep, cold, and incredibly sharp—like burning rubies capable of piercing straight through a person's soul.
Anyone who met that gaze felt their heartbeat quicken.
She wore a black dress that hugged her body with elegant precision. The dark fabric clung tightly around her chest, clearly outlining the generous curve of her G-cup figure, before flowing down along her slender waist and hips in smooth layered folds.
The contrast between the black dress and her pale skin made her appearance even more striking.
Despite floating effortlessly in the air, her posture carried an overwhelming sense of authority.
She did not even need to speak.
Her presence alone dominated the entire hall.
Many of the young men present found it difficult to breathe normally under her gaze.
However, if anyone looked at her with obvious lust, the cold sharpness in her crimson eyes felt like daggers ready to strike them down instantly.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
But at the same time, she was also terrifying.
Even Du Shentian—who normally paid little attention to appearance—felt momentarily captivated.
Suddenly, a strange memory surfaced in his mind.
Golden sunlight covered an endless field of flowers.
In the centre of that field stood a girl.
She had long silver hair.
Two elegant dragon horns curved upward from her head.
Her purple eyes were warm, gentle, and filled with affection.
She wore a soft lavender dress that fluttered gently in the breeze, the delicate fabric flowing around her slender figure.
Her smile was calm.
Warm.
Loving.
And those eyes…
They were looking only at him.
For a brief moment, Du Shentian unconsciously compared the two figures.
The dragon-horned girl in his memory felt warm, compassionate, and gentle.
But Luo Xinyan felt completely different.
Cold.
Proud.
Her crimson eyes seemed ready to strike down anyone who dared to disrespect her.
The dragon-horned girl's gaze felt loving and protective.
Luo Xinyan's gaze felt sharp and domineering, like a queen observing those beneath her.
Why am I even comparing them? Du Shentian wondered.
I don't even know if that dragon-horned girl is real… or just an illusion from my dreams.
And even if she is real… why would I compare her with Luo Xinyan?
Before he could think further, the strange memory disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
Du Shentian shook his head and forced himself to focus again.
For a brief moment, however, Luo Xinyan's crimson eyes swept across the crowd.
When her gaze passed over Du Shentian, it paused for the faintest fraction of a second.
So brief that no one else noticed.
Except her.
Then her eyes moved away as if nothing had happened.
City Lord Han began speaking again.
"If your awakened ability is suitable for one of the battalions, you may be selected directly by a Battalion Leader."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Joining a battalion provides many advantages. You will gain access to secret techniques, cultivation resources, and guidance that cannot easily be obtained elsewhere."
"Of course, secret techniques can also be purchased using Union Coins through the Awakeners Association."
"But battalions provide resources and training in exchange for your service."
"You will need to complete missions and protect the interests of your battalion."
He then began explaining the specialties of each battalion.
"If you awaken a wind-type ability, Azure Wolf Battalion will be the most suitable place for you."
"If your ability is strength-type, Iron Mountain Battalion would be the best choice."
"If you awaken a shadow-type ability, Shadow Fang Battalion is ideal."
"For those who have awakened elemental abilities other than wind, the Silver Dragon Battalion would be the best choice."
"However…"
City Lord Han paused slightly.
"The Silver Dragon Battalion has extremely strict recruitment standards."
"They only accept people who can fight opponents at least one stage above their own level."
"They also have the support of a Space-type True Saint expert named Mei Shiguang."
"In terms of numbers, the Silver Dragon Battalion has the fewest members among all battalions."
"They believe in quality over quantity."
"And they are the strongest battalion in Dragon Sanctuary 007."
Hearing this, Du Shentian quietly thought that joining the Silver Dragon Battalion would be the best choice.
However, he would still accept Iron Mountain or Shadow Fang if given the chance.
Only one battalion he would never join.
Azure Wolf.
City Lord Han then continued,
"Before we begin the awakening ceremony, I will first explain the origin of the Source Energy we cultivate… the arrival of demonic beasts… and the power hierarchy between humans and monsters."
"This explanation is especially important for those who come from underprivileged backgrounds."
The hall slowly fell silent as everyone prepared to hear the history of their world.
End of Ch 3
Author's Note
This is my first novel, so there may be mistakes along the way. Please feel free to point them out so I can improve.
Also, English is not my first language, so there might be some inconsistencies.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!