The Sect Master shook his head, a faint smile on his face. "You are all the same," he muttered, loud enough for the nearby disciples to hear.

Zhi-Zhi puffed out his chest. "What do you mean by that? I'll have you know I'm one of a kind!"

Before the Sect Master could respond, a thunderous voice boomed across the plateau. "Luo Qiang!"

Everyone's heads snapped up. A massive shadow loomed over them, growing larger by the second. With an earth-shaking impact, something enormous landed on the plateau. The ground trembled violently, causing many disciples to stumble and fall.

Kai, however, managed to keep his balance. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

An enormous tortoise stood before them, easily the size of a small hill. But this was no ordinary tortoise. It had curved horns that sprouted from its head and the azure scales that covered its shell looked more draconic than reptilian.

A blue box popped up in Kai's vision:

Name: ???

Species: Dragonback Tortoise

Stats: ???

You are not of a sufficient level to see this being's stats.

Another being that is so powerful the system can't even show me its stats.

Kai glanced around, taking in the reactions of those around him. The Elders seemed surprised, but not alarmed. There was no hint of fear or preparation for battle in their postures.

Okay, so we're not under attack. They know this... creature. Is it the spiritual beast protector that sects tend to have?

This tortoise...it's definitely beyond the Nascent Soul level. But not quite at the Sect Master's level. There must be a realm between them. I really need to learn more about these cultivation stages soon. My knowledge of this world's power structure is only based on the novels, it's too limited.

The massive tortoise's gaze swept over the crowd, its eyes narrowing as it spoke again. "Luo Qiang, you said there was a youngling here."

As if on cue, its gaze settled on Zhi-Zhi, who was perched on a large stone. For the first time since Kai had met him, Zhi-Zhi seemed to lose his bravado. The spirit tortoise let out a sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a whimper before retreating into his shell.

"Oh ho," the huge tortoise chuckled. "A shy one, are we?"

The Dragonback Tortoise lumbered forward, each step causing a tremor that rippled through the ground. It lowered its massive head, bringing one enormous eye level with Zhi-Zhi's shell. It then tapped the shell with the tip of its horn.

"Come now, little one. No need to be afraid. I don't bite... much."

"Cang Long," the Sect Master called out. "Be careful. You might accidentally squash him."

Cang Long snorted. "Please, Luo Qiang. I've been handling delicate things since before you were born. Why, I once balanced an entire mountain on my back just to win a bet with the Mountain Spirit!"

Sun Jun, standing nearby, muttered under his breath, "Another one that just likes to spout nonsense."

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Cang Long's head swiveled towards Sun Jun, eyes narrowing. "Did you say something, young human?"

Sun Jun's face went pale, then rapidly reddened. His eyes widened, and for a moment, it looked like he might burst into tears. "N-no, great one," he stammered. "I was just... admiring your magnificent shell!"

Cang Long preened at the compliment, his earlier suspicion forgotten. "Ah, yes. It is quite spectacular, isn't it? Did you know that each scale holds the essence of a star?"

As Cang Long launched into a tale how even a dying star wasn't be able to penetrate its shell, Elder Tao stepped forward. “For those who don't know, this is Cang Long, the legendary beast of the Azure Sky Sect. He has been our protector for thousands of years."

"A guardian beast?" one disciple whispered.

"I thought those were just legends," another replied.

So, I was right, it really is the sect’s guardian beast. That's... actually pretty cool. No wonder I couldn't see its stats. But why a tortoise with dragon features? I would've expected a full-fledged dragon to be the guardian of the Azure Sky Sect. Are dragons rare in this world or something?

Cang Long, who had finished with his tale, turned his attention back to Zhi-Zhi, who still hadn't emerged from his shell.

The great beast snorted, a gust of wind erupting from its nostrils. "It really is just a baby," it rumbled. "But a Spirit Tortoise... I haven't seen one of those in over a millennium."

"..."

Seeing that Zhi-Zhi was still hiding within its shell, Cang Long flared its nostrils in annoyance.

"Come out, little one," Cang Long commanded. "Where's your confidence? A Spirit Tortoise should stand tall and proud, not cower in its shell!"

Slowly, trembling, Zhi-Zhi poked his head out. "I... I'm not cowering," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just... conserving energy. Yes, that's it!"

Cang Long let out a booming laugh. "Ha! So you do have some spirit. But you need to work on your delivery. Watch and learn."

The massive tortoise reared up on his hind legs, his voice echoing across the plateau. "I am Cang Long, Guardian of the Azure Sky Sect! My shell has weathered a thousand storms, my claws have carved valleys, and my roar has toppled mountains!"

He looked down at Zhi-Zhi expectantly. "Now you try."

Zhi-Zhi cleared his throat, trying to puff himself up. "I am Zhi-Zhi, a...baby spirit tortoise...uh...my shell has... weathered a light drizzle, my claws have... scratched an itch, and my voice has... mildly annoyed people?"

Cang Long shook his massive head. "We've got a lot of work to do."

Kai couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. I've never seen Zhi-Zhi like this before. Usually, he has all the confidence of the world and you can't get him to stop talking. Who knew all it would take to shut him up was a dragon-turtle the size of a hill?

The Sect Master stepped forward. "Cang Long," he said, "perhaps you'd be willing to take young Zhi-Zhi as a disciple?"

Cang Long's eyes narrowed as he considered the proposal. "Hmm," he rumbled. "The youngling's personality needs a lot of work. But..." He paused, his gaze softening slightly. "He is a Spirit Tortoise. I suppose I could make an exception and take him in. After all, who better to teach him than the greatest tortoise cultivator in history?"

He turned back to Zhi-Zhi. "Well? Address me as 'Master', youngling."

Zhi-Zhi's eyes bulged. "M-Master," he squeaked.

Cang Long nodded, satisfied. "Good good. Now, let me tell you about the time I raced a phoenix and won...”

As Cang Long launched into what promised to be a long-winded tale of his own greatness, Kai couldn't help but smile.

Well, what do you know, he thought. Looks like Zhi-Zhi found the perfect master after all. They're practically two peas in a pod.

But this is good, having a connection to the sect's protector could be incredibly useful in the future.

The Sect Master clapped his hands sharply, the sound cutting through Cang Long's boasting and drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Now that that's settled," the Sect Master said, "I believe we've kept you all here long enough. You are dismissed to your new quarters. Remember, I expect great things from each and every one of you."

He then turned to Kai and Shen Yu. "You two, wait here. Elder Feng will show you to your quarters shortly. We'll meet again soon to discuss your training."

Before either of them could respond, the Sect Master simply... vanished. There was no dramatic gesture, no flash of light. One moment he was there, and the next he wasn't.

Now that's what I call a dramatic exit, Kai thought, impressed despite himself. I wonder how long it takes to learn that trick.

As the crowd began to disperse, Kai noticed Liu Wei following his new master, Elder Jiang. The former bandit caught Kai's eye and gave him a small wave and a nervous smile before hurrying after his new master.

Kai's gaze then drifted to where Zhi-Zhi sat on a nearby rock. The tiny spirit tortoise wore an expression of pure torture as Cang Long continued his endless boasting.

Finally, Kai thought with a smirk, Zhi-Zhi's getting a taste of his own medicine.