After hiking for around twenty minutes, the group came upon an open field. Children looking their age,all the way up to ten-year-olds, were practising in different ways. Lin could almost smell their sweat hit the ground. They were divided into groups of around twenty, with each of them supervised by one older member of the Sect, presumably Novices but maybe even Adepts among them, Lin could not differentiate between them easily with so many instructors going around. As far as Lin could tell, some disciples ran an obstacle course, with moving parts, fascinating Lin. A small part of them seemed to be sparring with each other, while others were practising movements on their own, while an instructor occasionally corrected their form. The largest part of the practising students was sitting still, though, meditating in silence. It seemed a little odd to her, that all of them just sat there without showing the slightest movement, while others were running around, jumping, shouting, but she supposed that it could have some other reasoning behind it, that she didn't get, yet. As she took in their new surroundings, Adept Ji swiftly walked toward one of the most senior looking instructors, while their group followed him, like little ducklings, all the while most newcomers kept observing the practising children almost zealously. When Adept Ji approached, the instructor opened his eyes and rose swiftly from his meditation. "Geetings Brother Ji, are these the new Initiates from the south?" The previously meditating insctructor asked. "Yes, they are indeed, Brother Lu. Fresh Initiates ready to begin their training." They both saluted each other, and it looked like they were on good terms as well. The so-called Brother Lu smiled, showing an expression that looked more like a grimace. He wore ornate robes, leaning towards a darker shade of green. In Lin's opinion, it made him look like a scholar. Adept Ji then took out a scroll from his bosom and handed it over. "In here are the names and talent levels of the new Initiates." They both just nodded at each other, like this was just another formality to them, which it probably was, she reflected. "Be on your way then, Brother Ji. I will get them situated." Adept Lu saluted the other Adept and gestured for the children to follow him. Ren was just about to follow with the other children, as the hand of Adept Ji came down onto his shoulder. "Not you, Initiate Ren, you are a bit of a special case. I will present you to my master directly." At first, Lin did not even realize, what was happening. But then a cold shower ran down her back with this declaration, and she looked frantically at Ren and the other Adept, hoping that someone would do something, anything. They were getting separated! Nobody told them before now, and she just felt helplessness building, small and weak as she was. Ren didn't look phased in the least. In fact, it seemed like he suspected something to this effect happening. He looked at her reassuringly, then turned to Adept Ji, and said. "All right, let's go." Adept Ji nodded at Ren with a fastuous look, and gestured for him to be carried on his back. Lin still didn't, couldn't, grasp what had just happened. Her best friend was getting taken away. She was already painting scenarios in her head, in which she never saw Ren again. Ren, now situated on the Adept's back, said, with surely put upon confidence. "It will be all right." Then, to Lin's eyes, the both of them simply vanished in a flicker. Lin's legs felt like lead to her. She did not know how she felt, when she was dragged along with the others. Adept Lu continued as if nothing happened. "Every one of you will get allocated, a room to share with two others. We will first have a small tour of the most important buildings of the elementary division. After that we will eat, and then I shall assign rooms. You may already form pairs or triplets. I will take them into consideration. Furthermore, let me make it clear to you all, that gross misconduct will not be tolerated here." He looked back at them all as he spoke in a heavy tone. "Did I make myself clear?" And all of them echoed back with a resounding. "Yes, Sir!" The next few hours felt extremely long to Lin, as they toured the grounds. They stopped by the book reserve, which was a relatively small building considering the more than two hundred disciples she had seen on the training ground that they had first seen. It was light blue with red accents and built in a pagoda-style, with three floors. The next stop were multiple lecture halls for their upcoming classes on subjects she did not yet even know the names or the contents of. They were spacious, and the seats were arranged like they might be in an amphitheatre. The Adept showed them multiple training grounds for different activities after that, rock-climbing, lifting weights, training in the forest, training different kinds of weapons, and apparently also to train and advance different spirit arts. At last, they arrived at the canteen, to Lin's relief, as she felt both physically and mentally drained after the day. The meal was quite rowdy, despite the Adept sitting with them. To Lin, he felt like a looming mountain, but it seemed the other children did not share that sentiment. While eating, some of the others were asking the Adept questions. "Sir Adept, what are we going to do if we get lost?" one boy asked in an almost exited voice. "In each of your rooms there will be a map of the elementary division. If you can not read it, simply ask your peers for direction and hopefully remember the way next time." The Adept replied. "What about spirit arts, Sir Adept, when will we be learning them." Another child asked, almost petulantly. The Adept smiled at this, like everybody asks this question, which to be fair they likely did. "Tomorrow at dawn all of you will learn the foundational art of the sect. The whole day will be dedicated to this endeavour. This will take place at the meditation training ground by the small waterfall we walked by today. I will direct this training, as for subsequent training, all of you should refer to your schedule for the first year. It will also be waiting in your rooms. Should you advance either faster or slower than anticipated, based on your talent, these schedules will change. Though for the first half year they will largely stay the same." The man replied. Having taken it all in, Lin continued to eat in silence, not even really noticing what she was shovelling into her mouth. After everyone finished their meal, the Adept directed them to the living quarters. They looked more like a village, and it seemed that the 'rooms', were houses. Elaborately bracketed beams, and matte roof tiles that flowed into each other grabbed Lin's attention directly, looking like waves on the shore. When it came to the distribution of housing, Lin and Aya stood together, but since Ren was not here, and they did not really know anyone else, Adept Lu put them together with a girl called Junko Yu, who did not find anyone.

After walking into what was their new home for the foreseeable future, Junko immediately noticed, that their beds were little more than a mattress on the floor with one pillow each and a thin blanket.

Lin and Aya on the other hand noticed how spacious it was, living in an orphanage, they did not often have space to themselves in the house. Writing supplies were lying readily available on the main table, and there were even different rooms for all of them.

Lin just wanted to lay down, maybe practice 'looking' for a bit, and talk to Aya about their day and what was to come in the next years.

"I can't believe this! Why do I have to share such a small place with two others!? Hmpf." Junko cried out in an indignant voice.

Lin and Aya, looked at each other as if to say, that they couldn't believe Junko's outrage. It was spacious, they had both board and bed, and they were going to learn how to be cultivators. It was a dream come true.

Junko still huffed and puffed, all the while muttering about how much better her estate in their town was, having servants catering to her every need, and many different dresses to try on each day.

In the sect on the other hand, she was just another face in the crowd and not a little spoiled princess. She had to wear the same light grey robes as every other Initiate, eat the same bland food, and now sleep under the same roof.

"I will take the large room. You two can make do with the smaller ones." Junko said imperiously, walked into the room, slammed the door aggressively, and then quieted down.

"I guess that means we won't make a new friend today, Lin." Aya said while stretching her arms over her head. "I guess so. Well, do you want to look at our schedule together, Aya?" "Sure." She answered, and then a little shyly.

"You want to maybe also sleep in the same room, like back home, it would be fine if you don't of course." Aya was getting flustered as she continued speaking.

Lin just laughed and said. "I would have suggested it, if you didn't. Let's drag one of the beds over." Aya's face lit up. "Let's do it!"

After dragging one of the mattresses over, the both of them looked at their schedule for the first time.

On the table in the living room, three tables lay, made from a crystal like material. As Adept Lu said, the three of them had the same subjects standing on them for their first year.

The plan mostly consisted of physical exercise, meditation practise, and lectures on different aspects of spirit arts. Though it didn't say what aspects specifically. Other things like reading and writing practice, their different break times, and mathematics, was also on the schedule.

After looking through the timetable, the both of them decided to lay down, to be fresh and rested in the morning, as they didn't know how hard learning the spirit art was going to be.

Rolled into their blankets, and huddled together, the both of them talked for a bit.

"I had hoped we were all going to be together, Lin. What do you think is Chen doing now?"

Lin was silent as she deliberated on how to answer. "I think Chen should be fine. He didn't get accepted like us, but he can still have fun with the others, and when we are stronger we can visit them." "But sister Ning didn't ever visit, and she is part of the sect for almost ten years." Aya said worriedly. 'That is true, maybe she is only in the outer sect, and is not allowed to leave the sect that easily' Lin thought to herself. Instead, she said. "We'll just have to do our best. Join the inner sect, and keep improving, Aya." Aya whispered back to Lin. "All right, Lin. I think we should try to sleep now."

She closed her eyes and almost immediately her breathing evened out.

They didn't mention Ren not being with them. 'I hope you are safe, Ren'

Shortly after, Lin drifted into a fitful sleep.

Lin awoke the next morning to the sound of a shrill bell ringing.

After quickly washing themselves, Aya and Lin wanted to hurry to the canteen right away. Junko did not yet leave her room, and while they did not get started on the best of terms, the two of them did not want to have to explain why miss Yu did not show up to either breakfast or their important first lesson.

Aya banged on her door and shouted, that they were going to breakfast now and that she should not forget their first lesson. A low grumble and quiet, all right, was their only answer. They simply shrugged their shoulders and left the house.

While walking to the canteen, they saw hundreds of other disciples again. All of them were wearing the same light grey robes, but most of the older Initiates had some personal touches from, a different coloured belt, under shirt, or shoes, to necklaces, rings or other accessories.

After getting their food, the both of them walked to a higher floor of the canteen to eat, but were stopped after ascending the stairs, by an older female disciple. "Hey, the both of you!" They turned to the girl who was talking to them, and Aya pointed at herself while looking between Lin and the other girl. "Yes, you two. The higher floors are for the more senior disciples. You two are completely new, right? Go back down."

The girl made a dismissive motion with her hand and sat down with her friends, who laughed in their direction.

Lin looked at Aya and sighed. "Let's just go back down for now. We have to be strengthened for our lesson."

Lin remembered the face of that girl, because who knew if there really was such a rule, the Adept had told them nothing to this effect.

After eating, the both of them made a beeline for the training ground that Adept Lu told them to visit.

Contrary to Lin's expectation, they were not in fact the first to arrive. Adept Lu was already sitting on a boulder, in front of the small waterfall, with his eyes closed and legs crossed. In front of him lay multiple rows of prayer-mats together with small bound books. One book for each mat.

There was at least two meters distance from one mat to the other, and there were at least fifty mats lying on the grass. Lin thought that this was a lesson only for the few of them who were from their town, but it seemed that was not the case.

As no other student had yet to reach the clearing, Lin and Aya took prayer-mats directly in front of the Adept and next to each other and started waiting for others to join them and the lesson to begin.

They did not have to wait long, as only twenty minutes later the whole clearing filled with new disciples. Some chattering away, while others stayed completely quiet.

When it looked like nobody else was going to join them, the Adept cleared his throat and every conversation slowly died.

"Good morning, Initiates. Today, all of you will take your first step on the path of cultivation. Before each of you lies a copy of the basic spirit cultivation art of our mighty sect. This art will be by your side up until you reach the rank of Adept. It teaches you the most fundamental aspects of spirit arts and lets you build up a reserve of spirit in your body that allows for easy transition into other arts of this nature upon becoming Adepts."

He paused, to look at them intently. "This lesson is focused on, firstly, sensing the surrounding spirit, and secondly using it to nourish our own. We will have this lesson for this whole day, in the hopes, that each and every one of you may have some amount of success."

And so they began. Adept Lu read them how to sense the surrounding spirit, which was very close to Ren and her 'looking', only it seemed that Adept Lu thought an Initiate could only sense the spirit flying around and not perceive the rest of the world in any meaningful way.

When they reached midday, they each ate a small meal, that Adept Lu had someone prepare for them in advance.

Lin was the first to draw the spirit of the world in. It felt soothing and revitalizing, like she was sleeping and extremely focused at the same time.

The Adept was able to realize her success and congratulated her, though he also said, that there was still a long way to go.

For all of them.