After the sun was high in the sky and it was noon, Gu Ryu took to the podium again. The points were tallied against the jade slips which were then displayed on the display board they had set up.
"Good day everyone. Now that all of you have gathered and without incident I might add, it is time to announce the results of the competition.
So without delay, at first place is Xiao Wu of Heavenly Dragon Sect with 7000 points.
At 2nd place is Luo LianHao of Ancient Zither Abode with 6500 points.
At 3rd place is Hua Geming also of the Ancient Zither abode with 6200 points.
Congratulations to the three of you. Your visit to the Royal Library is scheduled for 3 months from now. Emissaries to your sect will notify you before you need to depart for the Royal Library.
Now with that I call the Summer Competitions CLOSED!"
The prizes were delivered to the winners after the declarations were done. Xiao Wu got the Low grade Xian Tier defensive artifact. Luo got the Space ring and Hua Geming got a Lower grade Xian tier Qi Condensation pill.
When he got a bit of time after all the revelry that went on to celebrate the winners, Luo slipped away for a while and quipped his Space ring. He just had to use his Qi to mark it as his , which he immediately did and when he flowed his Qi through the ring, he could perceive that there was an additional space in the crack of space that was opened up before him right now as if he was in its center.
When he wanted to take anything out, he had to activate the space ring and catch anything inside the space ring with his hands.
The rest of the applicants cheered for the top 3. The masters of various sects had made it to the venue for watching the final results. Master Han Ryu looked at Luo and Hua and he was a little pissed off that they hadn't joined the Heavenly dragon sect.Masters of other sects also bemoaned a lost opportunity and were giving Master Fu Lin sidelong glances.
Ignoring the looks, Fu Lin rushed in and she hugged Luo and Hua with each of her arms. Hua blushed immediately and tried to complain but ended up muttering meaningless words.
"Great job all of you. You have worked hard and I mean all of you. Now let's go to the sect and get you guys initiated, shall we? I have brought a big carriage, SINCE I HAVE SOOO MANY OF YOU TO TAKE BACK TO THE SECT. HAHAHAHAHA!" Fu Lin made the last part of her sentence loud so that she could make the others jealous, but Hao Qi and others were just feeling a bit embarrassed.
Once everyone had boarded the carriage they began to talk and share their adventures. Fu Lin noticed what Hao Qi and Xun had loaded onto the carriage and immediately asked about it "Hey, what is that? Did you find something precious in the forest?"
"Yes, Master. Luo and Hua defeated a half step Tier3 monster. It was the boss of the local Nagas in the forest. This is the bounty that we got from its body.. I think it should sell for quite a bit." Xun said while pondering the prices.
Cai MingZhu, Zhong Bai, Gui, Fu Lin were all shocked. Finally Fu Lin said "The both of you killed a half step Tier3 monster. I didn't see that reflected in your points. You both would've gotten the 1st and 2nd places."
Hua replied , "Well, Luo here asked us all a favor whether he could refine the monster core. Then Xun gave me and Hao Qi her share of the points so that the 3 of us could stay in the running. If not for her I would've been 2nd place, not Luo. HAH!"
"I know right. How great is my little Xun'er. I have the greatest little itty bitty sister in the world. And there are a couple reasons I asked for that favor as well. The monster core was of Poison Qi attribute and one of my techniques cultivates that so I deemed it a good choice to refine the core instead of giving it away for contribution points.
And I wanted to come in 2nd place. A space ring is much more handy than a defense artifact. Its usage is not limited to your cultivation base."
Fu Lin thought 'Wonderful way of thinking. If his heart stays like this then he will become someone akin to Mount Hua in a place where the rest are just hills. Ohhh I have to keep up as well or I might find him overtaking me in the coming years.'
The conversation then generally tried to drift towards how the Ancient Zither Abode sect would be. Everyone there had only cultivated amongst their families and this was their first time joining a sect. Cai MingZhu, Zhong twins and Hao Qi had a bit of contact with Fu Lin as she had visited different families to scout out future disciples and had given them cultivation pointers.
Hua then asked Fu Lin "Master, now that i have joined the sect, I want to know if there is any scope for me to learn sword techniques as I feel it in my bones that my destiny lies in the way of the way of the sword."
"Don't worry Hua. I know it might seem that Ancient Zither abode will not cultivate strong offensive capabilities from the rumours you might have heard, but did you know that we have the strongest Soul attack cultivation techniques? As for the rest, I can guarantee you that I will personally try to find you as many opportunities for improving your techniques as I can. The rest depends on fate."
"Thanks master. That puts my heart at ease. One more question master, do I have to pick up an instrument as well. Because I suck,,,ahem..I am less than average when it comes to playing instruments."
"HAHAHA. That is true though. All disciples are required to pick up an instrument of their will. Most prefer the classic Zither or flute or the steel pan. You can do that after reaching the sect though. It is still a ways north from the Xian town, a bit to the south of the Bohai sea coast."
Hua was suddenly feeling as if the air was getting heavy as the prospect of him playing an instrument daunted him. Luo looked at his face and laughed "HAHAHA. You don't have to lose color over such a simple task. Don't worry I will teach you if you pick up a Zither and I'm sure Hao Qi can teach you if you pick up a flute right Hao?"
Hao nodded succinctly and went back to her own world.
"Master what kind of place does the sect reside at?" Xun asked Fu Lin. "Ohh, well, that's a good question. It lies on a mountain with thick woods surrounding all sides of it. Quite a few streams and waterfalls are a part of the sect's land and they are very beautiful.
If you hike to the top of the mountain, you can see the Bohai Sea and the sunrises from there just look breathtaking. You can hear music pouring in from almost anywhere you go in the sect. Even in the outlying villages around the sect, the villagers have taken to picking up an instrument. All in all it's a beautiful place."
After that they all slept as they were pretty tired and the journey was swift and smooth. In a matter of 4 days, they reached the border of the Ancient Zither abode sect from where they had to walk into the inner areas. The forests were lush and there were wildflowers of different colors blooming everywhere. The smell of crushed herbs and fresh, wet air along with traces of someone playing Zither flew on the wind.
Unknowingly everyone felt relaxed and there were faint smiles on their faces. It felt like a perfect homecoming for them.
As they reached an esplanade, overlooking a babbling brook, there were a lot of masters, some with long smooth beards, some with beautiful faces, but all of them clad in long, pristine, flowy robes. Then a lilting and silky voice announced loudly but with grace "Welcome new disciples. Master Fu Lin, I see that we have had a good many people choosing to join our sect."
"Yes Sect Master Fu Rah. And all of them are most promising. These two disciples, Luo Lianhao and Hua Geming, even placed 2nd and 3rd in the final test of the summer competition. The rest of them were also in the top twenties."
"HOO. perhaps fortune blows our way, to send such good seedlings. Welcome to you all, again. Master Fu Lin will help you get acquainted with the sect rules and regulations and the things you have to do and things you are not allowed to do. But all of that for tomorrow. For today, I will just say, you are home, little seedlings."