Chapter 21: Sacred Awakening, Scion of Light (I) [Part 2 here]
Long Xing Yu said: “Two kinds of spiritual energy exist: the external and the internal. External spiritual energy is used to cause changes to the body and to enhance it. Simply said, it is generated in the body with physical practice and enables the power and the toughness of your body to be enhanced, attaining a new level. But since it is the body’s power, it has its limits. This limit is the 200th spiritual energy level.”
“Like I have already taught you, the division between the second and the third step is the watershed moment in any vocation. The majority are unable to break through the second step throughout all their life, not even speaking about entering the third one. For knights like us, it is impossible to train inner spiritual power, just like for mages it is impossible to change the mastery element.”
Your current external spiritual energy still has room for progress, but if we were to wait until you reach the 200th spiritual energy level by external practice, it would just be a waste of effort. I had you sit in a meditative posture for a year to get your internal energy ready for this moment. You have to know that along with the growth of his inner spiritual energy, the strength of one’s body will also grow. When one’s spiritual energy is higher, completing skills will require him to use his inner spiritual energy together with his external spiritual energy.
“Give me the awakening stone you brought from Hao Yue Hall.” Long Xing Yu extended his hand towards Long Hao Chen.
Long Hao Chen handed the yellow rock to his father.
Long Xing Yu told him: “For the next two years, I will make you cultivate your inner spiritual energy and, at the same time, practice to get your external spiritual energy to the peak level and you will have to study the secrets of spiritual stoves as well. Right now, I have to make you first accomplish the most solemn ceremony for us, knights, the Sacred Awakening.”
Long Hao Chen listened carefully. On this early morning, he was very clear-headed because he had slept earlier the day before. He pledged that he wouldn’t let his father down, and that he would train even more seriously than before, for the sake of this father he troubled so much.
Long Xing Yu continued: “From some points of view, we knights belong to the magical swordsmanship school. Those swords skills I taught you use your spiritual energy. The next step is the cultivation of the inner spiritual energy, and we have a single mastery element and it is the holy attribute”.
“This awakening stone that I told you to bring will transform the light attribute of your body. The higher your innate mental capacity is, regardless of your physical condition, the more effect the awakening stone will have. But you have to know that our holy arts and the magic from the mages are not the same. Mages use the power of magic elemental spells, but we, the knights, directly use the spiritual energy in our bodies to form our holy arts. But in fact, there is an important factor. The deeper one grasps the Ten Rules of A Knight, the stronger his holy magic will be. Understood?”
Long Hao Chen pondered for a moment before replying: “Father, are you saying that knights like us only need to seriously practice our inner spiritual energy to be able to master sword skills and holy magic, these two different styles?”
Hearing these words, Long Xing Yu was surprised. He didn’t expect Long Hao Chen to understand so quickly.
“That’s right. You can interpret my words like that. The spiritual energy of knights is used for sword skills as well as magic. This is what makes us completely different from warriors who cannot use magic. Okay, let’s begin the Awakening now. Come out together with me.”
Part 2:
With these words, Long Xin Yu brought Long Hao Chen out of the log cabin and they headed towards the peak of the mountain.
Long Xing Yu waved his left hand and a thick layer of golden light spread out from his body, forming a golden mantle that was quickly growing, from 16.5 meters (5 Zhang) to 33 meters (10 Zhang), enveloping both father and child.
This rich light seemed as if it tried to fill Long Hao Chen’s soul; when bathing in this golden radiance, his whole body felt stronger. The [Heavenly Battle Array] that Li Xin used released a holy light, but compared to the golden mantle that Long Xing Yu formed, it was simply the same as comparing a firefly to the moon.
“This is the [Bright Blessing], a high ranked defensive skilled used by high step knights. Hao Chen, close your eyes and stay focused. Regardless of whatever you feel, you must stay calm, and quietly feel the changes in your body. Specifically, try to comprehend the light, understood?”
“Yes.”
Long Xing Yu looked at the kid in front of him, took a deep breath, and slowly lifted the awakening stone in his right hand. He didn’t tell Long Hao Chen at all that, compared to an ordinary knight’s [Sacred Awakening], his [Sacred Awakening] was going to be way more painful and hard to bear. Because his spiritual energy didn’t reach the 110th rank yet, compared to the peak Standard Knight who went through this awakening, the burden that was going to be put on his body was immeasurable. Naturally, it was by this way that Long Hao Chen’s potential would develop the most.
According to the Knight Temple’s rules, taking the [Sacred Awakening] in advance like this was strictly forbidden for fear that it could permanently injure the knight’s body. The risks of failing the awakening could go as far as endangering his life.
Of course, Long Xing Yu didn’t want at all to put Long Hao Chen’s life at stake. But no one understood better than him the mysterious process of the [Sacred Awakening], and Long Xing Yu didn’t care at all about the Knight Temple’s rules. Originally, Long Hao Chen’s mental capacity was far higher than ordinary people’s and, at the same time, he had a caring and almost flawless heart. In addition, he had already grasped most of the Ten Rules of a Knight, and he had the support of Long Xing Yu, so it was almost guaranteed that he would successfully bear this pain.
A twinkling golden radiance rose from Long Xing Yu’s hand; its brightness surpassed the rising sun’s. However, this radiance was motionless, it was completely blocked from spreading out by the [Bright Blessing]’s shining mantle. At this very moment, the shining mantle covered the father and his son and their silhouettes disappeared completely.
Long Hao Chen suddenly felt that his own body became hotter; his body’s temperature was in fact raising and he felt like a nucleus formed in the middle of his internal organs (Footnote: author’s metaphor; since it’s very hot, this nucleus is compared by the author to a sun “一颗太阳一般”). At this moment, he clearly discovered that his own body contained countless channels, and each of these channels was an extension of the newly formed internal nucleus.
Shutting his eyes, he saw a bright golden color. It was the golden color from the insides of his body. A violent pain emerged at this moment.
A thin grey colored gas violently emerged from Long Hao Chen’s body, disappearing in the golden radiance; it was the internal impurities in his body. This was one of the results of the [Sacred Awakening], a purification effect.
During this purification, Long Hao Chen felt that his own body was pierced by a myriad of sharp arrows. Meanwhile, this scorching hot sensation became even more violent than during the beginning.
The [Sacred Awakening] does not only enable the knight to transform their spiritual energy into holy light useable with magic. At the same time, it purifies his soul and his body. Therefore, knights who went through the [Sacred Awakening] rarely went against their own beliefs and convictions.
Long Hao Chen’s body is violently shaking. If someone could see what happened inside the [Bright Blessing], he would discover that at this very moment, Long Hao Chen’s whole body’s pores were all bleeding from inside. But precisely by this process, on his chest, a golden ring of light gradually appeared and was becoming more and more imposing.
here, is the pre published part 1 (likely slightly modified afterwards).