"I refuse to believe the first step would stop me!" Mo Yan gritted his teeth, his mouth producing rattling noises. Then he raised his foot and stomped into the spring with a loud thump.
Everyone flinched back in anticipation of splashing waters, but it never came. The water was like wet mud, wrapping around Mo Yan's leg.
Elder Zhen Rui watches on the side as he nodded, inwardly, he was impressed," The first step is always the most difficult…Back then, I also almost failed on this crucial step. But once you push through this step, the subsequent step will naturally become easier."
The moment Mo Yan foot submerged below the spring, he could feel a strange breeze coursing through the water.
"I did it!" The joy in his heart rose like a shooting star, but so did the chill. The cold grabbed onto this joy and made his entire body shiver.
For Mo Yan, it felt like a long time had passed, but for the young members in the crowd, only a brief moment had elapsed.
To them, his figure became like a statue, motionless, as though he were a lifeless corpse.
Elder Zhen Rui was paying close attention to this figure in the spring. If Mo Yan were to remain still for too long, then he would forcefully pull this young man out. The consequence of being trapped in the spring for too long would result in one's spiritual body being scattered.
This was true death.
Not to mention, Mo Yan's status was not ordinary, thus Elder Zhen Rui paid extra attention to this young figure.
At this moment, Mo Yan finally raised his other foot, taking another step forward.
His movement was slow but steady, and as he took another step, the cold became painful.
What had been cold became burning heat. He could feel his blood being scorched each second—it was too painful to describe!
Mo Yan's eyes blazed with determination. There was a resolute cry in his heart.
"I must push through in one go! Only then can I make it past the third step!"
With that determination, he suddenly ripped his body from the surface of the water and took several strides. They were all small and barely covered any distance, but each step carrying the the weight of heaven and earth on his shoulders.
Bang!
The water came alive, as though it was angered by his action.
The splash caused Elder Zhen Rui to take a step back. His movement made the crowd mimic his retreat, but only Yin San remained motionless.
Even while Zhen Rui retreated, his hand remained tense, his eyes fixed on Mo Yan's back. He was ready to take action at any moment.
"This feeling..." Mo Yan murmured, his eyes wandering in a daze. It was as though his soul was pulled by another force beyond the brightly lit cavern.
"Awakening! Six steps to awaken—this child has great potential!" Zhen Rui took a deep breath. His voice was low, but it started a discussion behind him.
"Three steps is considered ordinary, five steps is above average, seven steps is genius!" He didn't dare to go further, because he did not believe that anyone here could achieve past the seventh step.
Even as he said this, his eyes unknowingly lingered toward Yin San's direction before returning to the white spring.
But upon thinking of Ding Tian, the younger generation member of the Ding Clan, he shook his head. "That monstrous Ding Tian took nine steps and awakened his echo. If only my Yin clan were blessed with such genius."
Mo Yan's mental state was strange. He didn't hear any voices or discussion behind him, it was as though he was isolated from the world.
In his vision, there was a vast expanse of space, and within one of those spaces, there was a white world. He only saw this world for a split second before being pulled back to an empty space again.
Then, dotted lights appeared, resembling sparkles. These dotted lights were stars! But he didn't know they were stars, because the crimson shore had no knowledge regarding stars.
These stars began to pulse, followed by a quiet murmur or whisper. It was like something was talking to him, and as he attempted to listen, he remembered the older generation members of the Yin clan's warning.
"Do not listen to the voices! Do not listen to the murmurs!"
Quickly, he attempted to block his ears, refusing to listen. As time passed, the stars dimmed, and his vision recovered back to the cavern of the ancestral spring.
A stream of knowledge appeared in his mind. Instinctively, he murmured, "These are my... talents and whispers!"
Hearing this, Zhen Rui's eyes lit up with excitement, it was a rarely seen expression on his aged face. Quickly, he waved his hand.
With this gesture, a calm wind appeared, picking up Mo Yan's small figure and carrying him toward the front of the crowd.
"How is it? You didn't fall victim to those voices or visions, did you?" He asked. There was vigilance in his voice, and even as he asked this, his hand was tense.
Although he was facing a seemingly young child, he looked at Mo Yan with utmost caution.
Yin San watched this with amusement and nodded in his mind. "This Zhen Rui is experienced. He is well aware of the dangers regarding mysticism... Our power comes at a price, this is the truth."
His eyes were dark, but there was a glint of light as his lips curled into a smile. "I have a feeling there are dozens of other clan members in the shadows watching Mo Yan right now."
"The moment this kid show any abnormality, he would instantly be executed!"
This was natural. How can it be so easy for the a clan to survive for this long without the appropriate procedure and measure?
This was natural. How could it be so easy for a clan to survive for this long without the appropriate procedures and measures?
This coming-of-age ritual was a yearly tradition. In the span of dozens of years, how many children had succumbed to the murmurs and whispers of the unknown? A single mistake could easily bring calamity upon the clan.
Although Yin San held little respect for the Yin clan, he had to admit that to survive this long was worthy of his praise.
At this moment, Mo Yan remained somewhat dazed and took a moment to collect himself before bowing respectfully.
"Elder Zhen Rui, I did not listen to those voices and murmurs."
Zhen Rui nodded. His appreciation for the young child grew, but it didn't mean he was cleared of suspicion as he stated, "You will be under supervision for fourteen days following the ancestral spring baptism. This ensures you display no abnormalities."
"Yes, Elder Zhen Rui!"
The crowd nodded in understanding. They were already familiar with this procedure and offered no complaints.
Zhen Rui looked at Mo Yan and pointed toward the side of the cavern. "Go stand there and wait for the others to finish."
He did not inquire about Mo Yan's talent, whisper, or echo, as participants were not required to reveal such information. These abilities remained personal secrets, and the clan did not force disclosure.
Mo Yan nodded and walked to the designated area.
As he walk passed Yin San, he let out a smug and audible sneer. After his awakening, Mo Yan walked with his head held high, openly displaying his contempt for Yin San.
Seeing this, Yin San smiled and then moved his lips.
Mo Yan caught this gesture and focused on the lip movement, which formed a single word.
"Clown."
"You!" Mo Yan pointed at Yin San, about to shout when he felt Zhen Rui's cold gaze, which caused him to remain silent.
"Just wait," he murmured under his breath, not caring whether Yin San heard him or not.
Witnessing this interaction, Zhen Rui chuckled lightly before calling another random person from the crowd.
Like Mo Yan, when this candidate took their first step, a strange force pushed them back, as though the water's surface had become a solid barrier.
"Failed! Go stand next to Mo Yan!" Zhen Rui shouted, shaking his head in disappointment.
After this tall individual failed, the next candidate also failed before even taking the first step into the ancestral spring.
As time passed, the scene in the cavern grew increasingly strange.
Each youth took their turn walking into the shallow spring water, only to be instantly thrown back by an invisible barrier. With each failure, Zhen Rui's expression darkened with disappointment.
He seemed to age with every unsuccessful attempt.
Finally, it was Zhen Fang's turn. As Zhen Rui's grandson, he had been nurtured since childhood specifically for this moment.
His appearance spark a discussion among the crowd.
It was unknown how much resource and knowledge was poured into Zhen Fang, but it was definitely an extraordinary amount!
The moment Zhen Fang walked an inch away from the water of the ancestral spring, Zhen Rui eyes lit up in anticipation.