As soon as the formation was fully activated, spiritual energy rushed into the bodies of all the participants.
The energy entered their bodies and quickly flowed through their blood vessels, reaching every part of them. It then gathered inside their bodies, stimulating the Seeds that had existed within them since birth.
All the participants sat cross-legged on the ground, following the instructions they had received before the ceremony.
Some clenched their fists, while others gritted their teeth as the strange energy spread through their bodies.
"Ahhh!"
A young man suddenly cried out in pain.
At the same time, several participants were thrown out of the formation. Their bodies landed outside the glowing rings, leaving them staring at the formation in shock.
"They're over fifteen years old," one of the spectators said.
"The formation really can tell their ages by examining their bones!"
Those who had been removed could only watch from outside. They had lost their chance to take part in the ceremony.
Meanwhile, almost every participant sitting inside the formation was already feeling pain.
Some bent forward while remaining seated. Others trembled and struggled to keep their bodies upright. A few had already broken out in cold sweat, their faces pale.
The spiritual energy continued to flow into their bodies, showing no sign of stopping.
Shen Yanzhou also began to feel something strange.
At first, it was only a slight warmth in his chest.
But within moments, the warmth turned into intense heat.
"Ugh..."
He frowned and looked down at his chest.
The heat spread quickly through his blood vessels, moving from his chest to his arms, legs, and the rest of his body. It felt as though burning liquid was flowing through his veins.
His skin slowly turned red, and sweat began to cover his forehead.
"Damn, why does it hurt so much?"
Shen Yanzhou gritted his teeth.
The burning feeling grew stronger with every passing moment. It was as though his blood was being heated from within, making every part of his body feel like it was on fire.
He tried to stay calm, but the pain was becoming harder to bear.
Damn it! Is this only the beginning?
His breathing grew heavier as he struggled to endure the burning pain inside his body.
The pain lasted for quite some time. All the participants sat cross-legged inside the formation, enduring the burning pain as spiritual energy continued to flow through their bodies.
After a while, faint auras finally began to appear around some of them. This story is hosted at g.com.
Gray light surrounded their bodies. Although it was dim, everyone could see it clearly.
These were Ash Seeds!
"The first Ash Seeds have appeared!"
Many people in the viewing stands turned their attention toward the participants whose bodies were surrounded by gray light.
The Shen Clan
"Look! That's Shen Tong! He's beginning to awaken his Ash Seed!"
One of the Shen Clan elders pointed toward a young man sitting inside the formation. A faint gray aura had appeared around Shen Tong's body.
Shen Tong was one of the talented young members of the Shen Clan. Seeing him awaken his Seed brought smiles to the faces of several elders.
"Good! Our clan will have another young cultivator joining a sect this year."
"Indeed. If he can awaken a Stone Seed or even a Wood Seed, his achievement will surpass ours!"
"That's right. Let's see how far he can go."
Several Shen Clan elders began discussing Shen Tong with pleased expressions.
Shen Hongyuan also watched the formation closely. Although he was happy to see another young member of his clan awaken a Seed, his eyes soon moved toward his own son.
More Ash Seeds Appear
Just then, a faint gray aura began to appear around Chang Shiyue.
"Look! Miss Chang has awakened her Ash Seed too!"
The spectators turned their attention toward her.
Chang Shiyue remained seated with her eyes closed. Despite the pain, her expression remained calm as the gray light slowly surrounded her body.
However, she was not the only one.
A faint gray aura also began to appear around Shen Yanzhou.
"Young Master Shen has awakened his Ash Seed!"
Several people looked at him in surprise.
At the same time, more gray auras began to appear among the young members of the five great clans.
Lu Bai was among them.
Wu Lang's body soon became surrounded by the same gray light. Meanwhile, several other participants from the Wu and Yi Clans also began to awaken their Ash Seeds.
One after another, gray auras appeared throughout the central formation.
Some parents smiled with relief, while others watched nervously, hoping their children could endure the next stage.
"Young Master Shen, congratulations!"
A woman's voice suddenly reached Shen Yanzhou's ears.
He could hardly resist turning toward the source of the voice. When he finally looked over, he saw three beautiful women smiling at him. They were the same three women he had slept with at the brothel that night.
Ah! My three beauties!
Shen Yanzhou almost called out to them. However, just as he was about to respond, he suddenly remembered something.
His expression changed.
He simply nodded at the three women before closing his eyes and returning his attention to the ceremony.
He sat straight, his face calm and serious, looking like a noble young man who was pure, well-educated, and focused on cultivation.
Sigh! Damn it, damn it, damn it! What a waste! If that damn heaven hadn't kept messing with me, I could have spent more time enjoying myself with them! Imagine showing off in front of all those beautiful women. Ahhh, what a wonderful life!
His mind was already filled with thoughts of being surrounded by beautiful women.
He imagined them smiling at him, praising him, and fighting for his attention.
Hehehe! Now that's the life!
Although his mind was full of wild thoughts, his face remained calm and focused. He even looked like a serious young genius who had put aside worldly desires to pursue cultivation.
In truth, he was so lost in his fantasies that he barely noticed the pain in his body anymore.
Meanwhile, Chang Shiyue had been secretly watching him.
She was surprised by his reaction.
He only nodded at them and then returned to focusing on the ceremony?
If this had been the old Shen Yanzhou, he would have surely called out to those women and started flirting with them.
But this time, he had simply acknowledged them before turning away.
Could it be... that he really intends to leave those women behind for my sake?
Shiyue's cheeks slowly turned red.
Does he truly love me that much?
The more she thought about it, the more her heart began to race. Yanzhou's image kept appearing in her mind, and she became so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed the pain she had been enduring.
She had no idea what he was actually thinking.
If she had known that he was imagining himself surrounded by beautiful women, she might have dragged him straight to the palace and made him a eunuch herself.