After all eligible children were tested, those who were accepted, came to a respectable number of nineteen. It was far more than Ren had expected, but neither the Adept nor the Novices seemed shocked. The names of those with talent were then reported to the Novices, and the one who spoke to the Adept previously wrote them all down on a small scroll, that she put away into her robe. Here, Ren had thought, that they would be celebrated as the chosen ones, and maybe even paraded through the town, like heroes, since in prior years this was what happened on the festival, chosen children were carried on wagons and drunken crowds would cheer them on. He did not, in fact, think that only those of affluent families would receive this privilege, making an unbidden feeling of envy emerge in his chest. Five of those chosen were in fact part of this coveted rank of society, the rich and powerful. The drunk bankers' son was even among them, to his slight surprise. Ren's gaze lingered only for a moment, though, as the other boy looked as if he didn't even want to join the celebrations. Though it seemed like the Adept and Novices already knew something along those lines was going to happen, as in a deeper part of the gigantic tent there were already both beds and food prepared for not only the sect members but those newly selected as well. The parents, and in their case caretaker, were allowed to visit in this communal room to say their goodbyes. Ren did not in fact pay attention to the other children's goodbyes, and only focused on Nanao. Emotional Nanao, always a kind word on her lips, was desperately trying to hold her tears at bay as they embraced her. She told all of them how proud she was, and that all of them at the orphanage were cheering for them. How they should always take good care of themselves, be kind to others, and always remember that they can rely on each other. At the end of their heartfelt goodbye, all four of them were crying, though Ren would later not easily admit to it. After having said their goodbyes, they asked one of the Novices, a tall, burly fellow with an honest face, what they should do now. "Just unwind for a bit, eat something, meet your new fellow sect brothers and sisters. We will sleep here for the night, and come morn we ride north." The man said, not unkindly. Lin was a little confused at his wording, though. "We 'ride' north? I thought cultivators could run like horses and fly like the wind." The Novice laughed, and Lin flushed slightly in embarrassment. "That is what all the books say." She muttered, only barely audible to Ren. "It is not your fault for thinking highly of our progress, junior apprentice sister. Simply put, there are not many who can fly over long distances, let alone take people with them. As for running fast like horses ourselves, should we put you in baskets on our backs you reckon?" He laughed deeply again. Aya was a little protective of Lin and returned to the Novice. "Well how about you tell us a little about the Sect and yourself then, senior? After all, you told us we should mingle with our new sect brothers and sisters." She said confrontationally, with her arms crossed. "I suppose that I deserve your ire little Sister. My family name is Han and my given name is Juan. What do the three of you want to know about the Sect? Know that most of what you ask will be made clear at the Sect." The now named Novice Han said. First the three of them were a bit confused, as Juan was a female name, but they didn't want to ask about his families sense of naming their children. The three of them huddled together and discussed in hushed whispers what they should ask senior Han. After a few minutes they came to a consensus, that their questions should be: How long will the journey to the sect take? What are they going to learn? How is the sect structured? Lin was especially proud of the last question, as she thought it might reveal more about the world of cultivators in general. Though, it could also be the most redundant. Han pondered for a moment, then answered with a level voice. "It will take us a week to reach the Sect, and we will cover around five hundred kilometres. As for what you will be learning." His voice turned teasing for a moment. "Cultivation of course." All of them made a dismayed face at him, as they obviously wanted to know more details. "All right, everyone, your second question also ties into your third. At least a little. When we reach the Heart's Illusion Sect's mountain, all of you will join the elementary division of the sect. There you will learn the basic spirit arts of cultivation, to build your base. This lasts for four years, generally. Afterwards, you will join either the inner or outer sect based on your performance. If you join the inner sect, you then join one of the seven divisions, which are specialized in different aspects of cultivation and how to utilize spirit. That is all you need to know about how the Sect works for now. At the sect you will get a clearer picture, as this is only a rough outline." Regardless of the sect-structure, Ren immediately jumped on one point in Han's explanation. "What is 'spirit' brother Han?" The other two obviously also wanted to know, as they looked on with curious expressions. Han looked perplexed for a moment, blinking twice. Then he answered with a heavy sigh. "I already forgot where we are. This is a relatively small town without even a name after all." He sighed again. "This will be taught again on the mountain, but I might as well give you the general idea. Spirit is the energy of the world. It is in all of us, empowers us, and it is what makes cultivators work their arts. It is sometimes also called the 'breath of the world'. You'll get more in depth explanations in the sect, like I said, but this is the gist of it." They were all silent after his explanation. 'So the glow is spirit, and I somehow was able to look with it and at it, even though I have never been taught before.' Ren thought to himself. Ren wanted to at least know a little more about the divisions of the inner sect. Since he thought, that the Novices must be part of the inner sect, he asked. "Which division are you part of, brother Han?" "I am a member of the Han family, which means I am of course part of the body-division." He said jovially, pride filling his expression. 'Body-division, huh, I can see that' they all thought, looking at his stature. "All right, that is enough for now. Run along, children." Novice Han made a motion with his hands for them to leave. Following senior Han's suggestion for now and wanting to think about what they heard, the three of them took beds next to each other at the far side of the tent, and a few snacks to mull over it all. They talked about what they thought of the Adept and Novices, so far, speculated what kind of divisions there must still be beside the body one. They had Ideas like: Sword from Ren, music from Aya and, maybe an obvious choice from Lin, Illusion. Some more outlandish ideas were, a puzzle division, gardening, and while giggling a sleeping division was suggested. Contrary to what Han Juan recommended they do, they didn't want to mingle with their peers. They instead stayed in their chosen corner of the tent for the rest of the day, talking about the sect and the different Novices going back and forth, with nothing substantial happening. The ones who got to enjoy the festival did not in fact come back this evening. Though not much happened on this day, the three of them were fast asleep only shortly after the sun set, while the celebrations were still going on in the streets. The next morning, they were woken up by one of the female novices. She told them to get ready for departure, eat a bit, and gather at the tent entrance in one hour. 'Looking' around, Ren still did not find the five who didn't sleep in the tent. They ate a little bread, fruit, and an egg each, and immediately went towards the tent entrance. After only a few minutes, everyone was gathered, and fourteen horses stood at the ready. The Town was shrouded in mist this morning, and it was slightly chilly. The remaining test participants were waiting, with their families, outside the tent. They were exchanging pleasantries with some of the Novices and each other, while some stable hands were preparing the sect members horses. When the Adept began to speak, everyone quieted. Even though he was not loud, his voice carried as far as a shout. "Everyone, we will be departing shortly, towards the Heart's Illusion Sect." One of the important looking elderly men, who talked with one of the Novices previously, stepped forward and wished the party a swift journey. "It is my hope that you might take care of the young ones, venerable Adept Ji." He added on. The Adept then directed everyone to take at least one child with them on their horse. Aya was taken in front of the good-natured brother Han, together with one of the more pompous looking children. Lin and Ren were taken to the Adept's horse. When they were settled, all of them rode out into the mist, over one of the two stone bridges, and northwards. The ride itself was a quiet affair for Ren and Lin, as they did not really want to talk, with Adept Ji behind them. The experience was still very exciting to the two of them. Riding past lush meadows swaying in the wind, beautiful mountain vistas, rushing rivers and overbearing, dark forests. They had never experienced the world like this before, galloping through the scenery, on the back of horses. Ren also observed, that the spirit of the world around them changed according to the different environments they traversed. Over the meadows it felt like the wind, free and airy. The forests almost all felt dark and oppressive to him, while when they rode between mountains, the surrounding spirit thickened noticeably. Ren and Lin both noticed, that the Adept breathed a little deeper between mountains, and Han Juan also said, that the Sect was situated on a mountain. At night, they did not in fact ride on, as the horses as well as the children had to rest. This was also the first time that Ren saw a Cultivator meditate. It was an eye-opening experience for him, to say the least. Somehow, the Adept seemed to nourish his own spirit by drawing the spirit from around him in and then also exhaling spirit in a calm rhythm. It made the man look like a dragon, in Ren's opinion. The curious boy could not really tell how it was done though, he saw how the Adept let his own spirit flow, as well as the reactions of the surroundings, and yet he could not peer deeper into the workings of it or how to enter meditation himself, but he supposed that meditation was one of the many things that they would be taught in the sect. The journey took eight days in total, and by the end of it they stood in front of a giant gate with cryptic writing at the top of it saying: To master the world, break the illusions of your heart. They all unsaddled, with the Adept leading them to the gates. Two guards in grey robes saluted him and the Novices. "Greetings, venerable Adept. Was the selection fruitful?" The Adept, who was stoic over the duration of the entire trip, actually smiled and answered them cheerfully, that he did in fact find a few talents. After they passed the gates, the Adept looked to the Novices. "All right, you can disperse now, I will take our new junior brothers and sisters to the elementary division to start them on their way." Then he made a dismissive motion with his felt hand. Some Novices were a little confused, but looking at Adept Ji, they just shrugged and went on their way. Aya waved to Han Juan enthusiastically, who waved back to her just as jovially, elicting a raised eyebrow from Lin. Now being in the sect proper, Ren was full of anticipation. He was feeling the air, thick in spirit, and breathed deeply. They walked on cobbled paths, with abundant bamboo lining the sides, as they slowly ascended the mountain. Their group kept walking toward the elementary division, teeming with excitement. As Ren, Lin and Aya walked side by side, they again realized, their life was going to change dramatically.