Three days slipped by while the new Disciples balanced dreams of the future against their private anxieties.
Dawn light spilled across the white-jade square in front of the Main Hall, where one hundred and thirty-six new Disciples already stood in perfect Formation.
Gone were the novelty and nervousness of three days earlier; today they wore identical uniforms.
Moon-white robes or skirts, simply cut, bore pale-gold cloud-and-star embroidery only at cuffs and hems.
Hardly Advanced robes, the cloth was still finely chosen—tough yet supple, comfortable against the skin.
Guided by instructions, they lined up in neat ranks.
Faces, some childish, others adolescent, were tense, expectant, thrilled.
This morning would decide the path of their training—perhaps of their entire cultivation lives.
Which Elder accepted you mattered more than anything to Disciples who had not yet formally begun to Cultivate.
While they held their breath, several streaks of light tore through the sky.
First came a rainbow beam: Elder Butterfly Dance.
She had exchanged her usual dress for formal palace attire; the butterfly seal between her brows shimmered like a living dream, dazzling many below.
Next arrived Elder Yun Miaoyi, gentle and serene.
Then Elder Ink Scale and Elder Fu Shan arrived side by side—one steady as a mountain, the other bold as a cliff.
To everyone's surprise, Grand Elder Li Hanyi, who normally secluded herself on Snow Moon Peak to practice sword forms, appeared as well.
Clad in snow-white, tingyu sword cradled in her arms, her aloof figure looked carved from Nine Heavens ice.
Merely standing there seemed to lower the square's temperature.
Though she throttled back her Sword Intent, many Disciples still felt their Souls quiver and dared not meet her gaze.
'So that's the Grand Elder who never shows herself? She feels so cold…'
'Did she come to choose a Disciple?'
'If only she'd pick me…'
Whispers rippled through the ranks.
Five more lights of different colors slashed the sky and landed at the square's front.
They were the new Outer Sect Elders—Golden Peak, Green Vine, Blue Sea, Red Cherry, and Profound Elegance.
Each bore a distinct bearing—sharp, gentle, scholarly, brisk, or calm; the Five Elements aura about them merged subtly, refreshing to behold.
Finally Vice Palace Master Yun Yun stepped from the side of the Main Hall.
She wore a plain long skirt, her dark hair like a waterfall, only part of it pinned up with a white-jade hairpiece.
The rest fell naturally, lending her dignified grace an air of compelling wisdom and steadiness.
Her gaze swept the square; seeing all were present, she inclined her head slightly.
'Three days have passed; you should now have some grasp of the palace grounds and our rules.'
'Today, according to your potential, Heart-Nature, and aptitudes, you will be assigned to the various Peaks and pavilions to begin formal Cultivation.'
'Let us begin.'
The moment her words fell, the atmosphere turned delicate with tension.
The Elders' eyes swept the young faces like searchlights.
The first to speak was the usually taciturn Li Hanyi.
Her gaze, sharp as sword-light, drifted across the crowd and finally fixed on two figures.
One was a small girl in Disciple robes, tiny face taut, eyes strikingly clear and resolute—Little Grass, who had tested as seven-star Peak and was suspected to possess an inborn sword-bone.
The other was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl, coldly beautiful and likewise aloof—Murong Xue, tested as eight-star potential.
'You—and you—step forward.'
Li Hanyi's voice was cold yet carried absolute authority.
Little Grass and Murong Xue started, then, under envious or astonished stares, hurried out and bowed respectfully.
'Your name?' Li Hanyi asked the thin girl.
'I—I'm an orphan, I don't know my parents' names; everyone calls me Little Grass.'
Though nervous, she fought to keep her back straight.
Li Hanyi gave a slight nod, eyes lingering as if peering through to the hidden sword-bone.
'From today you will Cultivate with me.'
'As for a name… since you enter my gate, take my surname Li; Li Zhiwei—how does that sound?'
Granting surname and name—an immense honor and recognition.
Little Grass trembled, eyes reddening; she nodded hard, voice thick yet firm: 'Li Zhiwei—thank you, Grand Elder, for the name! This Disciple will strive with all her might!'
Li Hanyi turned to Murong Xue: 'Are you willing to Cultivate with me?'
Joy flashed across Murong Xue's cool face; she bowed deeply: 'Disciple Murong Xue is willing!'
The Grand Elder herself had taken Disciples—and two at once.
Countless eyes burned with envy.
Finished, Li Hanyi inclined her head to the assembly, then swept her two new Disciples away as a sword-light back toward Snow Moon Peak, leaving a tide of exclamations behind.
Next, Yun Miaoyi smiled gently, her soft gaze settling on Zhao Linger and Wang Zhaojun, then on several youths with dual fire-wood Spiritual Roots.
'Zhao Linger, Wang Zhaojun, and Lin Yan, Su Mu, Han Qianqian, Chen Yu, Sun Miao—will you seven enter my Pill Pavilion to study the alchemic Dao?'
Zhao Linger and Wang Zhaojun beamed and stepped out at once; the other five, three boys and two girls, followed, thrilled beyond words.
'We are willing!' they answered in chorus.
'Excellent.' Yun Miaoyi nodded, then bowed slightly to Yun Yun.
Elder Butterfly Dance came next.
Her dream-like eyes shimmered with an uncanny light that seemed to read hearts.
'Xiao Ya.' She spoke the name first.
Xiao Ya's heart jumped; she hurried forward.
'You perceive the world in unique ways, your thoughts leap boundaries, and you show gift in Formation. Would you follow me to study Formation and illusion?'
Xiao Ya's eyes lit up—Formations, the very discipline she felt could wed with 'science'!
'Disciple is willing!' She curtsied.
Butterfly Dance chose five more youths and took them as well.
Then Elder Fu Shan cracked a wide grin, voice booming: 'I want the strong and straight-forward! Zhang Xiaohu, Shi Yong, Wang Meng… you ten, out!'
All he picked were the sturdiest, most frank and hearty-looking Disciples.
Though some wavered, most were elated; to study under the Fushan Ape King, a Mahayana Yao, would bring honor to their ancestors.
Ink Scale, calm as ever, selected eight Disciples, mostly of water or lightning attribute, including the young flood-dragon and two avian members of the Yao Race.
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