CHAPTER 56
Unawakened: Freedom Is Just One Failure Away.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•Ω•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
As the Frost Python vanished and Lu Xie stood revealed, whispers erupted like a sudden storm, quickly evolving into a hum of murmurs.
All the disciples present were actively discussing the identity of the young lady in red and the dark rumors of the "tragedy" that had supposedly befallen her a month ago.
Rumors, being rumors, had naturally spread like wildfire—warping into the unbelievable after being retold countless times. Everyone easily deduced her identity from the luxurious red robes and the veil, attracting a myriad of reactions ranging from genuine pity to scornful judgment from the bolder, higher-ranked disciples.
However, "Alia" was not bothered by this attention. Lu Xie had experienced reactions far greater—and far more hostile—before her age regressed.
She was too busy assessing her surroundings, syncing her observations with the stolen memories of Alia.
With a quick glance around, Lu Xie quickly understood the hierarchy of this world.
Firstly, the massive Golden Rump Spider structure was an Assessment Hall, designed to test each disciple's progress periodically.
Secondly, the color of a disciple's uniform determined their rank within the Coven's pyramid.
For regular disciples, there were seven ranks, mirroring the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Lilac, and Pink.
Red being the least completed menial laborers. They ran errands and cleaned.
Pink being the Core Disciples. They were the elites, inferior only to the "Children of Principalities." They did usually end up as Lords or Demoness at least within coven.
Children of Principalities, on the other hand, they also wore attire ranging from Red to Pink based on their internal ranking amongst the seven of them.
Alia being the newest and unawakened, she was at the very bottom, identified by her luxurious Red uniform.
Elders uniform were Grey.
Demonesses like Lela and Lords like Rava usually wore Crimson.
Priests/Priestesses wore brown.
While the High Priestess/Priest wore Gold.
The only way to differentiate a "Child of Principalities" like Alia from a lowly Red-rank disciple was the lavish quality of the fabric and, crucially, the face or hat Veil they wore.
However it was only mandatory for disciples to wear these uniforms when there was an official event.
Realizing that everyone around her was in full uniform, a thought dawned on her.
She turned to question Lela. "Big Sis, what event is going on today? Is that why you chose to bring me here?"
"You are quite intuitive," Lela commented with a calm smile.
First, she chose to silence the gossiping disciples with a single, sharp glare. The crowd flinched, quickly responding with courteous gestures—clasping their hands together and bowing—before scurrying away like frightened mice.
Then she turned back to Lu Xie.
"Today, a Grand Induction Ceremony is being held, along with a General Assessment Test. In fact, I was instructed by the High Priestess to bring you here personally so you can partake in it."
Lela's eyes narrowed slightly, gauging Lu Xie's reaction.
"Everyone is quite curious to see what your Innate Spirit might be. Your induction should have been held a month ago; however, due to your... circumstances... it was rescheduled for today."
In shock, Lu Xie asked, "I just got back. Why the hurry?"
But to her disappointment, Lela merely shrugged it off, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the where the ceremony was to be held.
As she was dragged along, Lu Xie's mind raced. She had a hunch.
The real Alia had encountered her "mishap" just a few days before her original induction ceremony. This was no accident; it was premeditated. And now, the Coven was taking quick action to force the issue before any other "mishap" could occur.
'But didn't Alia's misfortune have anything to do with the Coven itself?'
'Or did she simply run away? From what?'
'If she ran, and they think I am Alia, why are they rushing to have me take the test?'
'Could it be internal strife?'
'The weirdest part is... I can't remember any suspicious memories from Alia's perspective. The entire Coven might be in on it. They likely wiped those specific memories before planting them in my head.'
According to the stolen memories, an Induction Ceremony was held for a child once they turned thirteen. It was at this age that one's Innate Spirit and Mythical Attributes awakened.
Innate Spirits were graded by their formidability and were usually tied to some elemental affinities.
Mythical Attributes on the other hand were generally considered secondary. They were difficult to cultivate and often weaker than Innate Spirits unless they perfectly complimented one's main Innate Spirit.
Everyone was looking forward to Alia's awakening for a reason. Amongst all Seven Children of Principalities, she was the only one left to awaken. The other six were older, as Alia was replacing a previous Seventh Child who had died mysteriously a few years prior.
Alia was special. She had been born at the exact moment a phenomenon of Blood Rain fell from the skies. Because of this bad omen, she was deemed to possess an "Evil Innate Spirit." Her orthodox parents, fearing the stigma, had been forced to give her up to the unorthodox Order of Principalities.
Currently, as the unawakened Seventh Child, she was at the bottom of the hierarchy. Only after assessing her spirit would she be fully inducted—or discarded.
'Discarded...'
Lu Xie's eyes lit up.
With this newfound information came a golden opportunity.
She theorized that since she wasn't from this world, the likelihood of her awakening an Innate Spirit was non-existent.
In this world, people without spirits were termed "Merefolks". If she failed the test and proved to be a Merefolk, the Coven would have no choice but to kick her out.
Though she wasn't familiar with the cultivation dynamics of this world, she knew exactly why she was currently as weak as a mortal. It wasn't because she lacked talent; it was because her Qi was suppressed by the very Laws of this Universe.
The Daos of this world were repulsed by her foreign Qi.
'Perfect,' she thought, suppressing a grin. 'I will go in there, fail spectacularly, get labeled a useless Merefolk, and be thrown out the front door. Freedom is just one failure away!'
This was a natural plan that suddenly felt almost too good to be true.
It was at that moment she felt herself suddenly come to a stop.