The night of the Gift Giving Ceremony arrived before anyone knew it. Both Long Yifei and Chen Wentian were busy with their own tasks that the days seemed to melt away quickly. Long Yifei was focused on her training. She was always a hard-working cultivator. Her status as the prime disciple at Glacial Palace in the past didn't come from talent alone. Chen Wentian still had vast lands of the Martial Brilliance Continent to explore. It was a step-by-step, province-by-province process that might take him many years so he didn't have much time to spare.
"Are you ready?" Chen Wentian asked, stepping out from behind a wooden divider.
They were in Long Yifei's room, about to head down for the ceremony for a night of festivities and excitement for all the wrong reasons. Tonight would be a night of many tribulations. They had prepared for it the best they could but there were still many uncertainties and unknown enemies.
He nervously smoothed the layers on his clothes. He had on a simple but classy set of silk robes of a light blue hue. His hair was short and he was clean-shaven. He was not overly adorned and only sported a belt of gold and jade that signified any kind of wealth. It was in keeping with his style of looking unremarkable from a distance.
"Mmm." Long Yifei's voice came from a corner of the small room.
She straightened and faced him, the Flawless Snowfrost earrings he had given her swinging about prominently. She wore no other jewelry and her long black hair flowed down her back. Like him, simplicity was her style, simplicity that took advantage of her natural gifts.
Her uniform as a first-year Sacred Daughter looked far better than he expected. The layers of white silk across her torso accentuated her natural bust, providing just a hint of her prominent twin peaks. The belt around her waist was a bit wider than normal and proudly displayed her almost impossible figure, a slender waist and flat stomach that contrasted sharply with her wide hips and ample ass.
With long wide sleeves and a floor-length skirt, her outfit was nothing but elegant and demure. Yet he couldn't help but undress her with his eyes, recalling everything he had ever done to each part of her body. It didn't matter what she wore, her raw beauty was irresistible.
Long Yifei arrived beside him and hooked an arm around his. "I'm ready."
He stared at her for a while. They had prepared for tonight meticulously but he suddenly felt a pang of uncertainty.
"Are you really?" He asked.
"I am." She affirmed, "Let's go."
He smiled wryly and nodded.
They left the dormitories and descended a few sets of stairs to the grand banquet hall which was already beginning to fill up. There were many Sacred Daughters, members of the Order such as prioresses and abbotesses, and male guests that were acolytes.
Tonight, for the Gift Giving Ceremony, the tables were arranged in a peculiar fashion. Gone were the rows of seats of the opening ceremony or the large tables during everyday meals. There were only small tables with two chairs each, over a thousand of them that dotted the hall.
Chen Wentian and Long Yifei passed by the stewards at the door. They showed their badges and were given their assigned seating, a table near the middle. Like them, other pairs of Sacred Daughters and acolytes were already seated or were quickly taking their seats. The tables with two occupants were gathered around the middle while the Sacred Daughters without acolytes were seated by themselves around the outside.
"Looks like almost everyone is here." Chen Wentian said idly, looking around at the sea of faces.
Long Yifei sat facing him with a serene expression, "The hall looks so big with only the first years. Usually, it is very crowded during meals with those from upper years."
"Do you see any of your classmates?" He asked.
"Some, they are a bit scattered. I haven't talked to them much after the Gift Exhibit."
Chen Wentian nodded. He also saw a few familiar faces including Immortal Bamboo Wave Yang Gehu and others of the Seven Potentates of Jiannan. It wasn't just them as there were also people from the Golden Basin Auction House as well as other unknown factions. There were many male guests not yet officially affiliated with any Sacred Daughter. They stood around the outer edge of the banquet hall, chatting amongst themselves while partaking in refreshments.
After the last of the stragglers arrived, Immortal Dawn Euphony Li Shishi, as the head abbotess of the school, stepped forward onto the stage. A hush swept over the grand banquet hall as everyone turned their attention toward her.
"Welcome Sacred Daughters, welcome acolytes and friends of the Martial Brilliance Continent and beyond, to the Millennium Mountains Campus. This is our two thousand five hundred and fiftieth school year and also the two thousand five hundred and fiftieth Gift Giving Ceremony. By the powers vested in me by the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen, I welcome you all. May each of you have a gratifying and rewarding experience tonight!"
The hall erupted in applause. The large contingent of male immortals was especially loud and filled the chamber with their enthusiasm and spiritual auras.
Li Shishi waved both hands, quieting them down, "Tonight is a special night for our new Sacred Daughters, the first years who have only been at the school for a few short months. It is a night that could change their future and their destiny forever!"
She continued with a long-winded explanation about the history of the school as well as the order, highlighting why the Gift Giving Ceremony was so important.
In the beginning, when the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen was first established many thousands of years ago, they did not have the same level of support from other immortal factions as they did now. It was a difficult time as their Dao of purity required vast amounts of resources to cultivate. Sacred Daughters had to work hard to find the right acolytes and the Gift Giving Ceremony was the final step in that arduous process that formally established their relationships.
Nowadays, the Virtuous Order experienced widespread support due to the benefits their Dao could provide. There were far more people willing to become acolytes than there were open spots. Thus, it became important to assure that the best acolytes were chosen and those that were incompatible or incompetent were removed.
The modern-day Gift Giving Ceremony still celebrated the relationship between a Sacred Daughter and her acolyte but it was now a formal affair with many rules. The ceremony tonight consisted of three phases.
The first phase was for Sacred Daughters that did not have acolytes yet. Over a third of the new students this year landed in this category and had joined the Order by themselves. They were the ones sitting alone with an empty chair across from them throughout the banquet hall.
Over the last few months, through events such as the Gift Exhibit, they were exposed to many talented men who were willing to be their acolytes. Tonight was the culmination of that process, just like in years past, where they could formally declare an official acolyte. Those acolytes would seal their newfound relationship with a public display of gifts, declaring their honest intentions as well as their capability to support their Sacred Daughter. This represented the true essence of the Gift Giving Ceremony.
The second and third phases were slightly different but still represented the concept of gift-giving.
The second phase was an opportunity for Sacred Daughters who already had acolytes to formally separate from them and introduce a new acolyte. This could happen for various reasons such as incompatibility or incompetence. An acolyte may also choose to give up their position due to a variety of factors. This was intended as an amicable breakup that was decided beforehand. The ceremony was a platform for a formal declaration to the school and the wider Order that was also accompanied by a public display of gifts.
The third phase was similar to the second but it was far more contentious. It rarely occurred but it was a necessary part of the tradition. It was an opportunity for all parties present at the ceremony to air grievances or challenges.
This was necessary because Sacred Daughters were reliant on their acolytes and subject to their whims and desires. Sometimes the relationship became toxic and detrimental to the Sacred Daughter's growth. Sometimes the Sacred Daughters themselves didn't understand the situation clearly and needed outside help. The third phase was a chance to weed out bad actors and undesireable people from their positions as acolytes.
"Alright!" Li Shishi clapped her hands together after the speech, "That's all I had to say. Let us have a wonderful and exciting Gift Giving Ceremony!"
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