The accepted disciples' ceremony was to take place at the lower level of the region. It was only the morning after when Li Meirong realized how vast Forgotten Waters sect truly was.
It wasn't one mass of land, but rather, a collection of islands, each with their own designated specialities. Each patch of land was actually hovering mid air, defying gravity. They were basically floating islands.
Every separate island was as a city and had its own division, and on the highest point of each island resided the grandmasters of each division, respectively.
The hierarchy in Forgotten Waters sect was organized by rank and seniority, and as such, the moment a cultivator entered the sect, their classification was determined by these parameters, and whatever social status they previously had became irrelevant.
What provided a cultivator status and influence was one's own strength or any familial connections within the sect. One's attributes, cultivation level and personal excellence within the division could make a disciple attain higher status. However, if one had a high ranked family member in the sect, that would also increase their own status by extension.
If a grandmaster chose to take a disciple under their personal care, they would be considered a succeeding disciple. A succeeding disciple was considered a cultivator with potential for greatness, earning all the possible benefits the sect had to offer.
Forgotten Waters sect's islands floated atop an endless ocean without an edge in sight. When the sun rose up in the skies, the gleaming rays stretched over all the islands. There were houses, mansions, a marketplace and even servant quarters. The wealthier neighbourhoods were structured with such great care, it was as though a Fengshui master had designed them.
Whilst the majority of the people living in the sect were disciples, there were a few exceptions such as the servants. They weren't actually in servitude, yet they were still labelled as such.
In actuality, they were outer sect disciples, meaning they got accepted, but their aptitude was either too weak or their contribution to the sect was too little. Their job was to care for each division's daily necessities, such as meal preparation, cleaning and other basic chores.
On the morning of the ceremony, Li Meirong was treated to another light meal and a cup of warm water before she was ushered to the stable house of Healer's Peak. Instead of horses, however, she was met with humongous cranes.
The birds were large, twice or thrice bigger than the size of a man. They had long graceful necks and thin, dark legs. Their beaks extended long and far ending in a sharp, pointy edge. Their feathers varied in shades of white, with only their neck and a small part of their faces coated in a black splash.
One of the attending servants in Healer's Peak was a young boy who looked no older than eight or nine years old. The boy was holding a large wooden bucket filled with freshly caught fish, one of which he tossed to one of the giant birds perched side by side inside the stables before moving on to the next. The moment the fish was flung their way, each crane opened its beak and ravenously gobbled it up.
When the boy noticed Li Meirong, he dropped the bucket at his feet and ran to her side, kneeling in greeting.
Li Meirong helped him up with a smile "There's no need for such a formal greeting with me."
The little boy looked up, slightly dazed. He gazed at her in admiration as he thought, 'this older sister is such a beautiful fairy!'
Li Meirong made her greetings to the boy. He was sweet and polite. His name was Chao Dequan. Their conversation was brief but she learned that the boy was actually born inside the sect. A rather common occurrence. He was the offspring of a servant girl who had been impregnated by a famous and prominent cultivator who had no intention of helping her raise the boy, and instead chose to follow his master's teachings, achieving greatness and letting go of "worldly affairs".
Li Meirong would have called it negligence, irresponsibility and selfishness but she wasn't part of the story and felt it wasn't her place to comment on the matter.
Despite the unorthodox circumstances for his birth, Chao Dequan was a cheerful, optimistic young boy. Li Meirong promised to come back to visit him later on.
He was grinning from ear to ear as he handed her the reins to one of the birds.
Her brow knitted in a frown. She never even rode a horse before. Now, she had to ride a bird...
With Chao Dequan's assistance, she managed to leap onto the Crane, not without the help of a footstool.
"Give Furifuri these grains after he takes you to the lower level." Chao Dequan handed her a small, full bag.
"Thank you, Junior Brother!" She patted the boy's head affectionately. Chao Dequan blushed right up to his ears and pushed her hand away. "I-if you want to come back here, I'll wait for you!" He shouted while running away.
Li Meirong was definitely happy to have a cute junior brother like Chao Dequan, she grew excited at the prospect of seeing her other brothers and sisters in the sect.
Meanwhile, Chou dozed off comfortably in her sleeve.
Li Meirong puzzled over how to get the crane to fly without falling off, but she didn't have more than a moment to ponder before Furifuri spread its wide wings and took off to the skies on its own accord.
It was both shocking and exhilarating. Li Meirong clutched the Bird's feathers tightly, not daring to look down. This was definitely too high for comfort!
The fresh salty smell of the ocean water assaulted her senses and a cool wind grazed her skin.
This was a frightening, exhilarating and amazing experience all at once.
It could have been a lot better if only she didn't feel like she was about to drop off at any second. No seat buckle nor saddle, nothing to make sure she won't fall.
Li Meirong sat frozen, too terrified to move.
"Furifuri was it? You have a very nice name. You must be an intelligent bird! I'll give you all the contents inside this bag I have right here after we get to the lower levels." Li Meirong said to the Crane. 'Let's be friends, just don't drop me!' She thought.
Furifuri craned its long neck towards Li Meirong. They stared at each other face to face for a moment.
Then, Furifuri huffed in disdain, wondering why someone so powerful was so scared?
'Coward.' The huffing bird didn't pay Li Meirong any heed and went back to focusing on its path.
Having realized that their interaction was unsuccessful, Li Meirong busied herself with the little sack of grains she carried. She munched on one and noticed they were a tad chewy and a little bland.
There were a lot of ways to improve them, soaking them with honeyed water or adding small amounts of dried berries...
While her thoughts wandered, the raven-haired girl perched upon the bird had consequently reached her destination.