Three years later

A boy and girl clashed together in a dirt training courtyard. The Boy, tall with black hair and dark blue eyes was around fifteen. Dark Green Wood Qi glowed around his forearms and hands, and he fought with a dominating, unyielding style.

The girl, a few years older and even taller than him, was a pretty if slightly round in the face. Her light pink hair swished around her in a loose ponytail and her green eyes danced with a fierce light. She dodged and weaved around the boy, sometimes floating like the air others bending like water, Yellow-green and light blue Qi swirled in a chaotic mixture around her.

"Senior Li Is just so Dreamy" Hong Cao said as she dodged to the side.

"Yeah, and is this Senior Shuren Li or Senior Kun Li?" Dong Yi asked lashing out with a foot and then quickly shifting closer to exchange punches. Cao grunted slightly as one grazed her but was still smiling.

"Neither Shuren is taken and Kun looks like a Rabbit ascended to human form. It's Li Yating that my heart pines for." Suddenly she shifted, her body flowed to the left like water in a way that should not be possible, and she struck. Yi Staggered back, nose bleeding. He wiped his face on his bare arm, saw that it was covered in blood, and raised a hand in defeat.

"Li Yating, eh? Well, he is quite good looking, but I thought you had your heart set on Chu Fang?"

"Chu Fang... Oh yeah, that guy. That was ages ago, and he simply cannot compare to Senior Li" Cao Smiled dreamily while Yi cleaned his face with a rag and some water.

"Ages ago? You told me about him less than two weeks ago?" Yi responded, tossing the rag aside and getting into a stance for the next fight.

"Oh Little Yi, you will never understand the Intricacies of a woman's heart." Cao said dramatically.

"Woman?" Yi looked around him, and then peered behind Hong Cao. "Granny Tang is the only woman I see around here; she is quite a looker too." The granny in question, a servant who often cleaned the training grounds smiled at Yi.

"Dong Yi you little rascal, don't tease this old lady, I know you say the same thing to Granny Xia at the food hall" Granny tang said shaking her head. Yi Grinned back at her cheekily. Hong Cao, annoyed at his comment, took that moment to strike, Yi of course, knew it was coming and blocked.

"See, sneak attacks, not womanly at all" he said. "Really Cao Cao." Hong Cao roared her outrage; the fight began in Ernest.

Dong Yi and Hong Cao walked briskly through the outer sect on the way to the Initiation ceremony. Today was the day they would officially be welcomed into the Inner Sect.

They chatted back and forth about their lives and Cultivations. These days the two only saw each other a few times a week for sparing, usually far too busy with other pursuits. Suddenly Yi froze mid-sentence and then swore.

"Elder Lin" He hissed and Cao Grabbed him up in her arms as yellow-green Qi swirled around them both. She leapt, bounced off one building and landed on the roof of another. She let go of Yi and quickly they both ducked down.

"I can't believe she hasn't given up on marrying you to her Granddaughter. It's been three years." Cao Remarked in a whisper.

"If anything, it's gotten worse. Lucky for me her Granddaughter is an Inner disciple, so I haven't been forced to meet her yet. That would be just too awkward."

"Yi" Cao said hesitantly. "You're becoming an Inner Disciple Today..."

"Shit."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

When the two arrived at the ceremony area there was already a small group of five other outer sect disciples. All wore the formal robe of the Raging Wild Moutain Sect, Dark Grey with Yellow trimming.

Since the Entrance exam to get into the Inner sect was only held every six months, outer sect Disciples usually went in as a group. This was why Yi, who had broken through to Meridian Cleansing five months ago, and Cao who had only managed three weeks prior, were together.

The exam itself was a few days ago, and more of a formality than anything. Some Elders quizzed them on their Sect Code of Honer, had them spare a little and verified they had indeed Cleansed their first Meridian.

Seven Disciples at once was a bit abnormal but it most likely had to do with the large-scale recruiting efforts that were still in progress. Something had stirred up the Sects, yes there was plenty of in fighting and postering, but something more had been going on for a while. The Elders however, never said anything about it, if they even knew why in the first place.

The ceremony was short and simple, the Sect Grand Elder made a brief appearance to congratulate the group. Normally it would be the Sect Head who did this, but he was deep in seclusion and had been for about six years. One by one, they lined up to formally receive the Sect badge of an inner Disciple.

The Inner sect was arranged differently from the Outer. Before, Yi went to different halls each run by an Outer Sect Elder. In the Inner sect however, the Halls were all run by a Senior Core Disciple.

In the Inner sect there were Six Elders, and each could choose a new Inner Sect Disciple for their Pavilion. These Disciples would be able to go to their Elders for anything that the Halls could not help them with. In exchange they would work directly for that Elder in tasks and missions.

These six Elders stood at the Ceremony today to call upon the new Disciples they chose for their Pavilion. The chosen would be given their Inner Sect badges directly from their new Elder.

When Yi was called up it was by a very old man in simple robes, much less grand than the others. He was given his Inner sect badge by the old man, who he bowed to formally before rejoining the others.

On the front of his badge, which was shaped like a set of distant mountains, were the words 'Inner Sect.' When you flipped it over there was more writing that said, 'Flowering Jade Pavilion.'

The Flowering Jade Pavilion was run by Elder Tao Qigang. Elder Tao always chose Disciples that might have some Promise in Alchemy, and that is where Yi ended up.

In his spare time over the years, he had launched an independent Study into Tea Arts. This had led him down a rabbit hole as not many in the Sect Practiced the Art, and one of the few was Elder Tao.

In some ways the Tea Arts and Alchemy had similarities, and the Elder was so obsessed with Alchemy that he studied anything related. This Made him the only person even close to an expert in the Sect.

After much effort Yi had managed to meet the Inner Sect Elder and convinced him to lend Yi books on the Art. But it didn't end there, because the Elder checked in on him several months later and found that he had rapidly picked up everything the books had to offer.

This sparked a Mania in Elder Tao, a man who loved talent almost as much as Alchemy. From then he would often check on Yi and give him various books he had dug up about Tea making.

Of course, he would nag at Yi to also learn alchemy, and Yi did try, once. He blew up several things, Elder Tao was actually impressed as, in his own words, nothing in the recipe should have been so flammable.

The Elder was already nearing the end of his life at almost four hundred, so Talent and Legacy were very important to him. He was sure that Yi could become a master Alchemist with a little effort and training, so despite the explosions continued to try and force alchemy onto Yi.

Cao was called up by a stern man who looked middle aged but was most likely a few hundred years past that. It was the famous Elder Zhou Lingxin, the four Attribute Root Elder and leader of the Raging Storm Pavilion. It was well known that he always took in the multi–Attribute Disciples when he could.

The Ceremony came to an end, Yi and Cao both went off to finish packing for the Inner Sect, chatting animatedly and laughing. The Others in their group similarly talked and joked around with their peers, except one. This boy, a man really as he was almost twenty, left right after the ceremony.

Nobody thought this abnormal as he was well known in the Outer Sect for being quiet and diligent. Elder Shing of the Ten Thousand Man Pavilion took him in and that Elder only took the most hard-working disciples.

Wang De had stood with an upright posture, a serious expression on his face. To any who had looked at him in that moment, would think him a diligent disciple, who had been patiently awaiting the start of the ceremony. Nobody could guess his true thoughts.

Because he was indeed diligent, hardworking, and most importantly, loyal. Oh yes, very Loyal, to the Sleeping Emperor Demonic Sect that is. Several long years had passed since he Infiltrated the Raging Stormy Moutain Sect. A message had been received, finally his real mission was at hand.

And so, he stood diligently, he bowed at the correct times, said all the correct things. When the ceremony ended, he left without a word. Soon, the time was soon.