For this first lesson, everyone seemed to be attending - a stream of children was slowly forming - flowing into the hall - filling each and every single chair and table.

Taking a place in the back once more Kou stayed silent under the nearly deafening chatter going on, there were already a whole bunch of groups forming - mostly around someone of noble background.

To Kou’s surprise Hei Tian took his place next to her, she would’ve guessed the boy would sit in the front row - so she did cast a somewhat questioning glance at him “Wouldn’t you want to sit.. further up?”

Hei Tian showed a grin and shook his head “Nah, I know everything that is going to be talked about already - like most people here we are just here for the first lesson to keep appearance, you will see that the attendance rate will change every day.”

Nodding to that Kou brought up some paper and ink to make notes of important things, Miss Hei had taught her that taking notes was important even with the better memory that came with cultivation. Hei Tian, on the other hand, did have nothing with him.

“If you have any questions you can ask me if you want to! My cousin told me to have an eye on you, and I’d like to become better friends!” He grinned again - a gullible and innocent smile that made Kou look to the side..

“Thanks..” Mumbling she shook her head a bit, she hated the number of people in here - it’s too much and to little place to hide, so having the boy by her side did ease her mind just a little bit “I’m ... not good with many people - so having someone with me is… good.” Her explanation made the boys grin dim a little.

“Oh, well - I’ll try to sit with you as much as I can then!”

While the two of them were awkwardly chatting Miss Xiu slowly approached as one of the last people - while she did not sit down directly next to Kou as Hei Tian did, she did take a place not too far - nodding slowly towards the scruffy girl.

“Uh, you know Xiu Shihong?” The question made Kou go a little stiff, was that bad? “She.. is my roommate.” her voice continued to be the quiet mumble she almost always did - speaking up was simply not in her nature.

“Ah.” The boy nodded slowly. “Just surprised - I would’ve imagined she would take one of the mansions as her own, she is the daughter of one of the duke houses.”

And with that Hei Tian became a well of information, even without having to ask he went over some information about the Xiu house. Apparently, they were the masters of the western deserts, while the land was mostly unfertile they here almost twice the size the rest of the empire had, they also had big spirit stone and obsidian steel mines

A family that was almost on par with the royal family and quite the big shots in this country, this information on it's own made Kou shiver a bit - she would be extra polite with Xiu Shihong for now. Hei Tian also went over the reason so many nobles attended this year, apparently, it was for social interactions between them as well as "friendly" competition on the neutral sect grounds

Hei Tian was clearly a bit unhappy about this “Using the 4 big sects to sort out the bad apples seems a bit excessive, but this way everyone has a chance to shine, all of this was the emperor idea so nobody can say anything anyway.”

They had been chatting… or more Hei Tian talking to her. For about 10 minutes - Hei Tian went over a few more Noble houses that attended this time but then they were stopped by a clap from the podium.

Nobody in the hall had seen where she had come from but next to it stood a stern looking old lady. It was almost as if she had appeared out of thin air. “Silence now.”

The old woman wore a pristine white robe - her grey hair was bound up to a stiff bun. The gaze out of her grey eyes was rather warm as she brushed over the children but it did little to stop the oppressive feeling that came from her.

“I’m Elder Yee. There are simple rules for my class, you are to stay silent if not asked to speak by myself. If you ever have questions you may ask them after the lesson.” The old woman’s voice was neither friendly not unfriendly.

“These lessons will go over the basics and slowly build on them to give each and every one of you a good foundation to build on in this one year of time, while I would assume I won’t be seeing many faces the next time - I implore these people to go over the basic’s as well - a fractured foundation will bring anything build on top of it crashing down in due time.”

The woman paced back and forth while talking her eyes wandering from student to student, just for a moment they brushed over Kou herself, the girl was one of the very few that hat brought writing material which made the old woman almost crack a smile - before she continued with her speech.

“Each and every single one of you is just at the beginning of cultivation - while some of you might already have entered the second realm - while others are just awakened. Those of higher cultivation should never grow complacent because if they do they will be stepping stones for those they deemed to be beneath them”

“This will also be the case in this lesson! On each last day of the week - I will personally pick 5 people that I have found to have made the best progress and bestow on them some resources - that might be pills - sect points, or even arts. So those of weaker cultivation may not disappear on the distance between yourself and your peers - just hard work can close that gap immediately.”

And then the lessoned started, of course, the first day was about circulating energy and awakening - there were a fair few people in the room that did not yet breach into the first realm so this information was probably only directed at them

Still - what the elder talked about was in a lot more detail then what Miss Hei had done and so Kou found herself taking notes while listening with furrowed brows. However many other children found their attention span growing thinner by the time - they knew all of this already after all.

About an hour later the elder slowly came to an end, she left as quickly as she showed up, but not before telling the theme for tomorrow which would be meridians.

The children quickly started to pack up and flow out of the room, they would have an hour free time before the next lesson, this lesson would be down the mountain on the training fields.

Hei Tian stuck around Kou as she made her way down the mountain. “Tomorrow is going to be the lesson that you are probably the most interested in!” He continued to blubber on and on - not that it bothered Kou at all, she was just not used to someone constantly talking to her, or for that matter .. at all.

Still, Kou put in as much effort as possible to indulge the boy - so that he did not feel like she was ignoring him. “Yes… I plan on spending a lot of time in .. the Art archive after training, and work on opening the first meridian as soon as I can.. to catch up.” She nodded slowly.

“Good Good! You surely be able to catch up in time if you put in the effort!” The boy was cheerful and supportive - so much so that it made even Kou crack a smile for a moment.

While they continued to talk a few people glanced over to them somewhat irritated - the irritation did just raise the moment Xiu Shihong joined the two of them on the way down. “Good day - Mister Hei, Miss Yun - may I join you on the way?” Kou went a little stiff, her roommate, after all, seemed to be a rather important figure so she simply nodded.

Hei Tian, on the other hand, blushed a little “S..Sure Miss Xiu, you can join us!” She did not really think the boy would react this way, but thinking about it it was only normal - Xiu Shihong was like a doll - beautiful like a little fairy, maybe her friend had a little baby crush on her roommate?

Shaking her head she pushed weird thoughts like that out of her head. She had caught some of the glares she got for talking with Hei Tian, and now she got, even more, her heartbeat became a little faster as she considered splitting away from the two, gnawing on her lip she put that idea away for now.

And so while Hei Tian and Xiu Shihong were happily chatting, Kou went a little ahead looking somewhat stiff.