"-Meng"
"-Xue Meng?"
"Murong Xue Meng? You awake?"
"Nangong Xue Yan?"
"You must've been exhausted to sleep so unguarded. Anyway Elder Xie is holding a introductory class for the new disciples soon, We should go."
"Thank you."
"No problem, Let's go"
.
.
.
As we arrived, many disciples from across the Eastern Luo Continent. The oldest of whom were 20 and the youngest 10.
"Welcome to the Myriad Heaven's Sect and congratulations for being accepted as a disciple. First and foremost I would like to say that no matter what your background is, it doesn't matter here at the sect. The most important thing is strength. Now will the top 10 of each banquet come with me and the rest will leave with Elder Li."
As Elder Xie was speaking a pure white crane descended from the skies. This was his contract spiritual beast, an ascending 9th layer Pure Sky Crane famous for it's elegance during flight and ruthlessness during fights.
"Everyone get on"
The disciples hopped on one by one and the crane took off. They soared over a massive circular forest and crossed over to the other side where the inner disciples' quarters and administrations were located. As they descended Elder Xie explained the rules of the sect.
"There is only one rule at the Mystic Heaven's Sect and that is whoever is stronger makes the rules. I hope that you take advantage of this rule and can learn about martial society as is. We are a sect that doesn't shelter young brats, if you are crippled you can only say that it's the overestimation of your abilities. That is all, good luck on your journey to the heavens."
And with that Elder Xie disappeared from the horizon, leaving 10 small disciples in a tiger's den. With everyone being awarded 200 Mystic points, a form of currency in the inner sect, many new disciples are robbed every year when they arrive as earning Mystic points is very difficult. With so many new and weaker disciples many of the older disciples rob them for easy points.
Everyone is awarded 200 mystic points when they enter the ranks of being an inner disciple and these mystic points are used as a form of currency at the Mystic heaven's sect. To gain these points, you can complete missions, make bets, sell items or rob other disciples. The most efficient way of course is robbing and it has almost become a tradition for the new inner disciples to be robbed as soon as they arrive. Mostly, they are much weaker than those who have been in the inner sect for a long time hence they become the equivalent walking bags of money to the disciples who've been there longer. The elders do not try to stop nor change this, because in Jianghu this is often the way things go. It is much better that they learn young rather than lose everything when they are older.
Once Elder Li left, the inner disciples that were hiding just within the forest revealed themselves.
"Ah is it that time of year again? I guess we're finally going out of poverty!" A boy in his teens sneered. He looked to be around 16 and lead a gang of about 10 other inner disciples with him. They had a mix of cultivation from 8th-10th layer harmonisation realm and were holding various weapons from swords to silks. The boy scanned the disciples from this year and snickered when he saw Murong Xue Meng.
"I guess the sect lets in everyone these days, whats a little squirt doing here? Waiting to die?" The rest of his gang behind him all snickered, the boy continued "Since you're still a kid I'll be nice, if you join the Hong faction with me and the rest of us here I'll let you off, I'll even chuck in a bonus. I'll 'protect you' if you pay me 50 points a week how's that for a deal?"
"Pfft, that's such a scam Heizi who the hell can earn 50 points a week except that bastard Liu Yang? He's basically going to become a core disciple next tournament too, unlike that little girl" said a girl with pink pigtails, Xin Yao'er, as they would later learn was her name.
"Shut up Yao'er, so little girl wanna come with me? If not then prepare to get your points taken. It ain't gonna be fun experience though."
Murong Xue Meng walked straight to Heizi and looked up at him dead in the eye.
"No"
Heizi's face changed, he laughed and that laughter immediately became a stare of anger before he swung his ridged saber straight down at Murong Xue Meng. A strike from a 10th layer harmonisation realm, even a low level one, wasn't to be looked down on especially if their technique focussed on strength and you were several levels lower than them.
But she stayed calm, she knew her advantages will and Murong Xue Meng wanted to use them to her best ability. Its a good idea to set out her abilities right at the start so that people know not to pick on her. Even if it garners some negativity the positives of this outweighs the negatives, so Murong Xue Meng decided that she will put on a show by fighting Heizi.
So she dashed to his right and shot towards him, pushing him back by using his chest as a springboard to push herself into a backflip and increase their distance. All of this was done in a beautifully elegant way and with her long black hair trailing out behind her it was sight to behold. She landed lightly on the soil behind and drew her sword.
"Don't think that flimsy sword will do anything against me ya little squirt!"
Heizi roared and lunged toward Murong Xue Meng, although his saber looked clunky his movements were still agile and smooth, an indication of the hours of training he has put into his saber arts. But this wasn't surprising to Heizi's gang, rather it was Murong Xue Meng's precise use of her sword arts that really surprised them. The sword art in the Mystic Heaven's Ascension Technique was called the Mystic Heaven's Constellations and there were 13 movements in the sword arts. Murong Xue Meng became well versed in the first 3 movements of the technique when she was training in Jade Mist Forest and she used them along with her precise control of essence qi to deflect each of Heizi's strikes with ease. It was as if a rolling boulder was stopped by an ant, it was a fascinating battle.
Murong Xue Meng knew she couldn't let this match drag on, her supply of essence qi was bound to run out much faster than Heizi and she was already getting pushed back by his continuous onslaught. She had to end this quickly, so she decided to use one line sword even if it costs her a vast amount of essence qi. She quickly found her chance after observing Heizi's movements. He takes a step back to balance himself after the 4th strike in the 2nd sequence of his attacks and that's the moment Murong Xue Meng made her attack.