Hours later, faint high-pitched squeaks, tiny meows, and whimpers could be heard. Kieran opened his eyes and sat up feeling extraordinarily refreshed like he had slept the best he had ever before. Still hearing the noises that woke him, he did nothing and sat down in a small chair in the hallway, patiently awaiting the Sect Master, but surprisingly, he didn't have to wait for long.
With a soft click, the door to the room opened and Sect Master Eleanor walked out in her human form. In her arms was a tiny Nine-Tailed Fox pup sleeping softly.
"So uhm. How are you going to explain that?" I ask awkwardly.
"You needn't worry about that. Our race grows very quickly. I've already imprinted all the necessary memories in her mind, and she will be a fully grown adult in only a week. I only need to announce that I am entering secluded cultivation for a week. I will have the Grand Elder take over the affairs of the sect in the meantime. Saying that, I trust you will keep these affairs hidden?"
Kieran nodded quickly like a chicken pecking rice but said nothing.
"Good. Now, with that concluded, why are you even here? I thought you were situated inside your room?"
"I don't want to be cooped up forever. I may be a male but I'll die of boredom if I stay in there any longer. I'd like to ask to become a disciple of your sect and be allowed my own freedom again."
Saying this, Ella sat in a thoughtful silence for a moment before softly nodding.
"If you truly keep your mouth shut about my situation, it's a small price to pay to allow you to roam around freely. With that, we will no longer owe each other anything. As for becoming a disciple, that will depend on your talent. I don't want anyone starting any rumors because you are a man. You must at least possess the minimum level of talent necessary."
Saying this, she pulled out a small orb from her spatial ring and held it out.
"I noticed you have already reached the fifth level of Qi Accumulation realm. I won't ask how you did this. I personally verified your lack of cultivation when I arrived so I do find it a little strange, but we are all entitled to our own secrets. Place your hands on this orb and inject your Qi into it. It will shine red if you do not have enough talent to become a disciple, but it will shine yellow if you barely pass, green if you are talented, even in the sect, blue if you are a cultivation genius, and purple if you are as talented as the founder. Just reaching orange is fine. Not many shine green and I have not seen blue for over a decade. Speak nothing of purple."
After her long winded explanation, Kieran wasted no time and placed his hand on the orb. Then he paused.
"Uhhm. Sorry...How do I inject Qi?" Kieran mumbled awkwardly.
Flabbergasted, the Sect Master made an aggrieved expression and briefly explained.
"Simply locate your reserves of Qi in your body. Tempt it toward your hands, no force necessary. Simply will it, and it will move. It is a part of you, so it should come naturally, though to do it flawlessly requires much practice."
Saying so, Kieran focused inwardly. After a few moments, he seemed to find what he was looking for and coerced the strange energy toward his outstretched hand. After only a single attempt, it shot toward his hand instantly and disappeared into the orb he was touching.
The orb shined brightly for a moment, before suddenly shining brighter and brighter and didn't seem to want to calm down.
"Huh? What's going on? I've never seen something like this happen." Eleanor mumbled to herself.
Many moments went by without the orb showcasing any color before calming down and suddenly a deep abyssal black shone from in the orb like a black hole. The darkness of the black seemed to want to suck them in for a moment before the orb suddenly cracked and fell apart, leaving both Sect Master Eleanor and Kieran standing there shocked.
"W-what...What is this??" Sect Master Eleanor shouted in confusion.
Without waiting for any sort of explanation she grabbed Kieran by the hand and dashed off into her room with him.
She rummaged through another couple storage rings she had lying inside a small lockbox on her dresser and pulled another orb out.
"Try again." She said without any room for negotiation.
Kieran let out a awkward laugh and did as instructed. Grabbing on to the orb, he performed the same steps as last time, but the result was the same. With a bright flash of light, the orb suddenly dulled into an unfathomable dark black. before shattering and crumbling to pieces once more just the same as the first one.
Sect Master Eleanor sat there in even more shock than the first time before closing her eyes in deep contemplation. After a few short moments, she opened her eyes again and looked at Kieran saying nothing initially. After breathing a deep sigh she finally spoke.
"It would seem that you have passed. From this day forth, you will be my first and only personal disciple, and throughout the sect you will be known as the Divine Sword Sects Prime Disciple. We haven't had a Prime Disciple since our founding, so stand proud. We will need a few days to tailor and create your uniform. In the meantime, wear this core disciple outfit."
Saying so, she brought out a Core Disciple uniform. The robe was all black with gold and red trimmings and intricate designs.
"This is my personal token. Use it if you find yourself in any situation that you feel you are unable to resolve yourself within the sect. And lastly, take this Prime Disciple token. It is a one of a kind so don't lose it. You can use it to collect cultivation resources once a month as well as to showcase your status in the sect. I will announce to the elders that you are now a Prime Disciple to eliminate any confusion until I leave closed door cultivation."