"Sect Leader, where exactly are we going?" Elder Xu asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.
"To the sect. Where else?" Chen Yuxuan replied, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.
Elder Xu glanced over his shoulder at the four teenagers trailing behind them. He leaned closer to Chen Yuxuan and whispered, "Why are they following us?"
"I told you—they're joining the sect!" Chen Yuxuan snapped, clearly losing his patience.
Elder Xu's eyes widened. His eyebrows furrowed, as wrinkles appeared on his forehead, "What? But the disciple selection isn't until next year! You can't just skip the rules!"
Chen Yuxuan pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. "I can, and I will."
"That's against the law!" Elder Xu protested, slamming his cane into the ground for emphasis.
"Well I am the sect leader! And I make the laws!"
"Ahem." Li Xue cleared her throat loudly, crossing her arms. "We're standing right here, you know."
Elder Xu turned to her, frowning. "I don't care if you're standing here or on the moon. Rules are rules! If you want to join the sect, you'll have to take the entrance test like everyone else—next year!"
"Next year?" Li Xue exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief. "That's ridiculous!" They could not wait for a year! The demon kind would become too powerful! By then it would be impossible to stop him!
Chen Yuxuan sighed, waving his fan. "Fine. They'll take the test."
"What!?" Li Xue barked.
Elder Xu raised an eyebrow and a grin spread across his face. "Good. Then they'll wait until next year like everyone else."
"You old-" Before Li Xue could say anything, Chen YuXuan cut her off.
"No, no," Chen Yuxuan interrupted, shaking his head. "They'll take the test right after we reach the sect. I'm not waiting a whole year for this nonsense."
"You can't—" Elder Xu began, but Chen Yuxuan cut him off.
"I'm the Sect Leader. I can," Chen Yuxuan said firmly, giving Elder Xu a pointed look.
Elder Xu grumbled under his breath but said nothing more.
Li Xue smirked, nudging Hua Rong. "I like how he pulls the 'Sect Leader' card whenever it suits him, quite handsome, eh?."
Hua Rong didn't reply but a pink hue spread across her cheek, as she nudged Li Xue back in annoyance.
Chen Yi, walking beside them, chimed in, "At least we don't have to wait a year. I wouldn't survive that long with these two arguing."
"Who's arguing?" Li Xue shot back.
"You are. Right now," Chen Yi replied, his tone deadpan.
"With who!?"
"Enough!" Chen Yuxuan barked, spinning around to face them. "Just follow me, stay quiet, and try not to embarrass me in front of the elders!"
They finally reached the Golden Hill sect. The gates slowly opened as they approached, revealing a beautiful landscape. Tall golden towers rose in the middle of the sect, shining brightly in the sun. The place was peaceful and grand, and the air seemed full of energy.
Elder Xu walked ahead, while Chen Yuxuan followed, looking impatient. Li Xue, Hua Rong, Chen Yi, and Jinora followed closely behind, amazed by the beauty of the sect.
To the right, there was an elder who was smiling and teaching spells to the kids, the kids around him were all happy. Meanwhile, to the left an elder was holding a stick and teaching young children to read and write, making a poker face.
"This is the Golden Hill Sect," Elder Xu said, glancing back at them. "Don't mind those two, there just normal teachers, not worthy of a second glance." He continued, "The test to join the sect is tough. You'll need to show your strength, intelligence, and loyalty."
"Strength?" Li Xue asked, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of strength?"
Elder Xu nodded. "You'll have to spar and show your physical strength. But it's not just about fighting. You also need to be smart and handle tricky problems."
"Hello? We have never fought before! Hell we have never even went out for a jog!" Hua Rong exclaimed.
Chen Yi gave a light cough, "You mean YOU have never went out for a jog."
"Where so tiny and weak!" Li Xue cried out, "Elder Xue, you really have no sympathy for us!"
"The test won't harm you," Elder Xu replied, his tone serious. "It's all about proving you're ready to be a disciple here. You'll face challenges that test your patience, your thinking, and your teamwork."
Hua Rong looked at the others. "How long does the test take?"
"Maybe a few days," Elder Xu said. "It depends on the person. You only become a disciple if you pass."
Hua Rong scoffed, "No shit sherlock."
Li Xue crossed her arms. "When do we start?"
Elder Xu paused, looking at them. "You'll start after we finish the formalities, but remember—you'll have to take the test next year. That's the rule."
Chen Yuxuan shook his head. "No, they'll take the test now, just like I said."
Elder Xu's face turned red with anger. "That's not how it works! You can't skip the rules!"
Chen Yuxuan just waved his fan, not caring. "They'll take the test right now. They're ready."
They can literally DIE! Elder Xue wanted to scream this sentence but stayed quiet.
Elder Xu sighed, realizing he couldn't stop Chen Yuxuan. "Fine."
"Wait, how will we even do this? Without weapons? Without basic training? At least train us for a month!" Li Xue exclaimed, "I am not a fan of death."
Elder Xu shook his head but said nothing. He only looked at Chen Yuxuan, aware of the fact that the final decision is always Chen Yuxuan's.
"Very well." Chen Yu Xuan said, "Elder Xue shall train you."
Elder Xue eye's opened so wide that his eye's practically fell out of it's socket. "ME!?" He exclaimed, and then pointed at Li Xue, "HER!" He took in a deep breath, "ME TEACH HER? THEM!?"
Chen Yi's poker face remained stable, while Li Xue's reaction was the same as Elder Xue, "Sect leader, no! You said you'd train us!"
"I did indeed, but your not worthy of receiving training from me, until you join my sect." Chen Yuxuan spoke, while aggressively fanning himself."
This little......Li Xue thought as her eyes twitched.
Elder Xue finally got bit of discomfort as he spoke, "Why, am I not good enough to teach you!?"
Hua Rong, being a people pleaser hurried to speak, "No it's not that-"
"Then it's settled! I will be your master and train you for your examination test!" Elder Xue declared, and then with a 'hmph' he turned his heel and went away using his cane.
"How I wish his cane would break in the middle of the road." Li Xue cursed.