While the Bai Clan had their Bai Ling, a genius of a century, who awakened his spirituality at the age of 9 without the baptism of an ancestral spring as well as an extraordinary echo, this was an anomaly.
The Ding Clan has their Ding Tian, who also awakened an exceptional echo upon awakening his spirituality from the ancestral spring.
If the Bai clan had Bai Ling, and the Ding Clan had Ding Tian, then the Yin clan had Yin San!
Unfortunately, Yin San's status has been on the decline, but some of the older generation of the Yin clan still held hope for this young genius.
At this moment, Yin San's movement was casual and filled with leisure, but his indifferent attitude as well as cold disposition seemed to congeal into a chill wind, causing the crowd to part as he strode forward.
Yin Yue was among the members in the crowd. When he heard his brother's name, he had already turned his head to look at him.
Yin San's eyes were cold and desolate, void of emotion, as though he was a puppet. Seeing this, Yin Yue didn't dare to meet his brother's gaze and looked away.
The trace of confidence remaining in his heart shattered instantly, leaving him hopeless.
Meanwhile, the teenager who pointed out Yin San presence placed him at the center of everyone's attention. Yin San became a dark star which devoured the brilliance of the various outstanding talents among the younger generation.
"Isn't that the fallen genius?" a voice whispered nearby, deliberately loud enough to reach his ears.
"What genius?" Mo Yan's voice cut through the murmurs. "Before awakening, none of that matters. Some prodigies never even make it through the baptism."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Mo Yan's face as several youths nodded in agreement. Beside him, Zhen Fang smirked, both of them basking in the rare opportunity to stand above the once-brilliant Yin San.
If not for Yin San presence, perhaps Mo Yan, Yin Yue, and Zhen Fang would have became the dazzling stars of the Yin clan.
Unfortunately, Yin San was too bright, and even though this brightness has dimmed greatly, the shadow it casted has left an imprint in their heart.
Of course, these three could not be compared with the likes of Ding Tian, much less the monster that is Bai Ling.
Yin San didn't pay them any attention. Instead, he looked toward the elderly figure at the front.
This man was of great status—the head elder of the Yin Clan's academy, responsible for holding the annual coming-of-age rites and managing the affairs of the academy.
His face was wrinkled, almost withered, yet his posture was as straight as a tall tree. There was an air of authority around him even as his complexion remained pale, as though a slight wind could push him off the earth.
This man was Zhen Rui.
He wore formal robes of deep crimson embroidered with the clan's ancestral patterns in golden thread, and a green amulet hung from his waist, marking his position of authority within the clan's hierarchy.
The moment Yin San looked at the elder, the old man also noticed Yin San's cold gaze. This gaze startled him.
"This child's attitude is extraordinary," the elder thought. "Facing a crowd of ridicule and contempt, he pays them no mind. This is clearly the trait of an exceptional person!"
This slight appreciation made him view Yin San in a more positive light.
Regarding the younger folks, he made no attempt to stop the rising crowd gossip, the reason is to incite competition among the younger generation.
This is the nature of the clans in the crimson shore. A sapling sheltered by tall shades and deep roots without facing rain and wind cannot be considered strong!
After a couple of minutes had passed, the space around the pond became more crowded.
Yin San settled down in another corner by himself. He did not speak to Yin Yue, or anyone else for that matter. It was as though he was here as a spectator, not a participant.
This indifferent attitude caused Mo Yan and Zhen Fang to sneer in their hearts. Their hatred for this white-haired figure grew by another layer.
Yin Yue shook his head upon seeing this. 'Brother, if only you showed some respect for the people around you, perhaps you would not have garnered such animosity!'
The elder stepped forward and raised his hand.
"The time has arrived," He announced, his voice carrying a trace of confidence and sturdiness that made all the young members of the crowd silent.
And as he spoke, he turned to look at the ancestral spring in front of him with reverence in his gaze.
Behind him was a blue-whitish pond, its liquid resembling milk as it churned and moved like a river. There was ancient stone carvings surrounded the spring, giving it a sense of history. Followed by wisps of mist that danced above the surface, forming incorporeal shapes which seemed almost sentient.
At this moment, his voice continued as he explained.
"The rites of baptism are simple," He continued. "It is a chance for you to awaken your spirituality. Some of you will not awaken at all!"
His gaze scanned the crowd full of heads before landing on Yin San.
"Each person will have more or less spirituality upon awakening. This is a matter of talent, and it cannot be changed!"
"Once you awaken, you are considered a rank 9 dustborn. In the world of mysticism, this is the gateway to the extraordinary," He sighed, with a hint of longing in his voice that was only noticeable to Yin San.
The elderly man's gaze seemed to dazed, as though he was looking at a scene of the past. But his voice continued in the present moment.
"By becoming a rank 9 dustborn, you will be granted talents, whispers, and rarely, an echo. Our Yin clan's first ancestor was able to occupy the Yin Mountain due to his echo. By possessing an echo, you are destined for greatness!"
His final words seemed to be targeting the lone figure sitting at the distant corner.
Hearing this, Yin San chuckled lowly to himself.
Only he could truly understand the rarity of echoes. In his first life, after his death, he revived and started the second cycle. He didn't understand the cause of this phenomenon. Only after he awakened again did he understood.
I awakened 'that' echo in my second life, [Return by Death]. With that, I was able to die without regret in my second life and return again...
Only he knew that this Return by Death echo was a unique case. During his three hundred years of slaughter, he never met another person with an echo such as his. Not even Bai Ling, the genius of the Bai clan.
In my later years, I was fortunate and encountered a particular secret. Through an 'oath', I sacrificed my eyes in exchange for talents and whispers relating to divination. This turned me into a blind seer. The price was significant, but the benefit was even more so!
If possible, I need to obtain that oath again!
The elder observed the crowd's understanding and nodded, letting out a deep breath.
"How much spirituality you possess will be determined by how many steps you can take within this ancestral spring. As for your talents and whispers, this is a matter of luck."
With that said, he looked toward a burly body youth.
"Mo Yan, step forward."
Mo Yan was surprised to hear his name first. But he quickly stumbled forward among the crowd, walking to the front.
Standing in front of the elderly man, he bow lowly. Seeing this, Zhen Rui said," The ancestral spring is shallow, the more step you take, the deeper the depths."
"Your goal should be to take as many step as you can, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
"But remember carefully, what you see, or hear, do not lean in, do not listen! If you cannot restraint your instinct, even I cannot save you!"
"Yes Elder Zhen Rui!"
The crowd was quiet, with a few whisper still lingering in the air. But all their attention was focusing on this short burly figure which was carefully taking his step into the shallow spring.
As his foot touched the surface of the water, it became alive, ripple began to form as the light from the spring began to glow.
"Cold!" He exclaimed and immediately retracted his foot. Even through he wore a thick boot, the water was like ice spike, producing chills that drills into his dense muscle.
"Just the first step already made him stop!" Someone whispered, there was a hint of fear and anxiety in their voice.
No one knew what it felt like to step into the ancestral spring, so they were afraid of being 'called' first by Zhen Rui. Fortunately, Mo Yan was the first person to be called, thus allowing them to witness it firsthand.