After many goodbyes to the senior disciples of the Infernal Sky Sect, Teacher Li, and Grandmaster Qin, the twins stood alone with Elder Sima and his two disciples back on top of the mountain.
"Hmm, Eryn, Elias...let me introduce to you two youngest of my four disciples," Elder Sima started. He gestured to the black-haired on with the sword. "This is Azure, my fourth disciple."
Azure gave a quick slight bow and a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Azure Hui," he said.
Elias straightened. "Are you related to Lord Hui?" he asked.
The look on Azure's face brightened up significantly, gaining new interest. "Ah, yes! He is my uncle! Since you know him, are you perhaps from Pheonix City as well?"
"Yes, we are," Elias answered.
Azure's grin widened, his magnificent robes fluttering brilliantly. "That's amazing! It means we'll have much to talk about in the future! Come to me if you have any questions, this big brother will help you."
Elder Sima hummed with approval and turned to his other disciple, the one with the blonde hair and sly looks. "This is Lance, my third disciple," he introduced.
Lance was too busy staring daggers at his junior brother to notice that he was being called on.
Elder Sima cleared his throat. "Lance," he repeated.
The young man turned his head in surprise as his teacher called his name. "Huh? Oh...greetings, beautiful miss and handsome young man. I am Lance, the greatest and most attractive disciple of all sects," he said dramatically with a flick of his hair.
"..."
"..."
Lance darted his eyes between his audience that stared at him with awkwardness and disbelief, a smile still frozen onto his face. He cleared his throat and flicked his hair again. "I suppose I shall work on my new charm," he muttered.
Azure rolled his eyes while Elder Sima turned back to the twins. "Now, kiddos. My sect is quite different from this, and the journey to the north won't be so easy. There may be heavy snowfall and strong winds before we reach our point, I suggest you prepare yourselves."
Eryn and Elias nodded.
Elder Sima rubbed his chin and glanced up at the sky. "If we hurry now, we can reach back to the sect within a couple of hours," he said thoughtfully. "We should get moving."
Azure and Lance nodded, though both cast uncertain glances at Eryn and Elias. It wasn't a problem for the two of them, right? Though their master had told them of Grandmaster Feng's chosen ones, they still had their doubts.
Elder Sima paid no heed and rose into the air. "Come along, now. Let's not waste time."
Quickly, his two disciples leaped up into the sky after him, and the twins soon followed.
Elias stared at Azure and Lance curiously. Their expressions were calm and serious, and judging from their clothes, they seemed like important figures in their sect. Was it because Elder Sima had a high position?
He shrugged. Maybe everyone in their sect was quite regal.
After all, the Mystic Sky Sect was at the top of the chain in their country.
_______________
After more than four hours of flight, the little entourage touched down on the soft, fluffy snow. Little snowflakes gently descended from the gray clouds above them, and Eryn held out her hand in awe as she watched them melt away at her touch.
This wasn't the first time they'd seen snow, of course, but what they experienced back in the Bai Residence was nothing near to the tranquility of the sect that stood magnificently before.
Everything around them, the pavilions, the gates, and even the mountains that stood on all sides, it was like a white blanket had covered them whole.
Azure glanced behind his shoulders at the twins who lingered behind to marvel at the snow while his master had already begun to head towards the gates. He waved his arm and motioned for them to catch up.
Eryn held her breath as she stepped forward in the ankle-deep chilly snowfield. An ice-cold breeze swept by them, blowing her hair and robes to the side, but she didn't feel a thing, as she had already been generating her inner qi to keep her warm.
Elias, on the other hand, struggled.
'Idiot,' Drachnai said in his mind.
Elias could picture the black dragon rolling his large eyes as he buried his neck in his shoulders, chills running up and down his spine.
'Hmph, this is why you should train every day,' the dragon scolded. 'Look at your sister, she can do so with ease. What about you?'
Elias wrinkled his nose and clenched his teeth as he forced the energy within him to move, slowly bringing warmth to his muscles.
'Ah, there we go,' Drachnai said with approval. 'So it seems that you only needed a push.'
Elias rolled his eyes but smiled in triumph.
The five of them stopped at the front gates of the sect, and Eryn peered inside to see dim lights from silver lanterns hanging from the edges of the tall pavilions.
The cobblestone roads were clear of snow as if they were just recently shoveled, the courtyards stood quite empty, and Eryn could only spot a few disciples walking on the little decorated bridges that stretched over the frozen pond.
Everything here seemed so different from the Infernal Spirit Sect, which was many miles south. The environment contrasted, but yet the Mystic Sky Sect was noticeably larger and grand, the atmosphere eerily calm.
Perhaps this was the difference between the first-rank sect and the ones beneath it.
Elder Sima hummed a cheerful tune as he stepped forward and placed his hand on the gate pillars.
The air between the two silver pillars buzzed and crackled, and the twins took a step back in confusion as to the images before them gave way to clear skies and bright roads, replacing the cold, eerily-still perception that appeared in front them just moments earlier.
"Eh? So it was just an illusion?" Elias said, scratching the back of his head.
Lance turned his head and gave another flick of his hair, winking. "Of course. You didn't expect this whole place to be filled with snow, did ya?" he said. "It's a just a form of misleading-"
Elder Sima cleared his throat and shot him a glare. "Come along now, don't just linger around there," he chided.
Lance sighed and crossed his arms. "There's no need for the rush, Master."
The elder raised his eyebrow. "Do you want to keep the other elders and the Grandmaster waiting? Don't think that just because you're my disciple, that everyone will have to wait on you..."
He trudged along and stepped through the gates behind Azure, causing the air to ripple between the pillars as they did.
Elder waved at the twins. "Come, kiddos. I still have to bring you to the Grand Halls. Many are awaiting your arrival."
Eryn nodded and stepped through the gates, feeling the air wobble around her, tickling her skin. The moment she stepped through, snow no longer fell from the skies, and not a single cloud was visible.
Elias and the elder stepped in after her, and she heard her brother sigh in relief behind her.
Elder Sima murmured a few phrases and the gates closed, the image of the mountains of snow disappearing. The pillars disappeared, and only an empty road stretched behind them.
Elder Sima clapped his hands together and placed one hand on each of the twins' shoulders.
"Let's go now, shall we?"