The months went by quickly, and when the Opening Ceremony neared its moment, one day, without warning, the whole province went dark around the Teardrop Isnd. Then, the next moment, before anyone could ask what was happening, the Tear appeared above the sky for everyone to see, striking down with thick lightning multiple times in quick succession. It was clear to cultivators that someone was advancing into the Harmony Realm, yet when it was finished, happening nine times in a row... it didn't go away. It suddenly gathered for another round, striking down once again, but this time, with a deep red color... three times in a row. Inside the Sect, everyone was gathered around the focus point of the lightning bolts as Isha and Zern took their tribution simultaneously. Luckily, both of them advanced without fail, stepping into Harmony.

  "Hehe, advancing at the same time! You are something~!" Ren chuckled, walking up to them and hugging both of her companions. "Congratutions! How does it feel?"

  "Awesome!" Isha giggled, winking at Zern. "Now we are also Elders; if I remember correctly, there is a half-armed idiot to whom we owe a beating?"

  "Now that you mention it…." Zern scratched his cheeks, looking at the man in question.

  "Ugh…" Poli flinched, trying to slowly get away while Emi, standing beside him, raised her eyebrows, curious.

  "What did you do?" She asked.

  "N-nothing… they are just petty… that's all!" He answered with a wry smile before running, but they chased him all around the Sect for the next few hours, Isha striking out with full power, getting used to her new strength.

  "Let them have some fun; She just advanced and needs to let off some steam." Ren chuckled while Aerthus looked on with a smile. "Are the preparations ready?" Ren then turned towards her Master, ignoring the cacophony of chaos echoing behind her.

  "Everything." He nodded, "We are only waiting for the people to arrive. I do hope that there will be around a thousand disciples joining... if my estimation is correct."

  "How many do you expect to join in as Inner Disciples?" Leinor raised the question, standing with his wife.

  "A dozen or so." Artheus hummed, scratching his chin, "But it could be less. I won't lower my expectations just because I want people to join. I'm more on the side of having a tiny but elite force than a bunch of mediocre meatshields. We need average cultivators, yes, but not at the start. I will pick out the best of the best and let the rest slowly develop from the rank of Outer Disciples. I get it, there are te bloomers; those will shine eventually, but for now, I want to build up the backbone of the Sect as soon as possible."

  "I am a bit excited about having disciples!" Anya chuckled, leaning on Xendars's shoulder.

  "You will need to be careful~!" her husband whispered, pcing his hand on her growing stomach.

  "Ahaha, don't worry, I am taking care of myself!"

  "What do you feel, Mom? Is it a boy or a girl?" Ren hopped towards her, hearing her parents talk about her soon-to-be-born sibling.

  "A boy." She smiled radiantly. "I am sure of it~!"

  "The first child born into the Sect, huh?" Aerthus asked with a healthy ugh. "Lucky one~! The air here will ensure he will reach great heights!"

  "I just want him to be happy."

  "Don't worry, Mom," Ren winked at her, "He will be; I'll make sure of it!" She cpped with a happy smile.

  "Then can you make sure of my happiness too?" Shaman cut in suddenly, with a grumbling voice.

  "Ugh… um… sorry, I have a husband already!" Ren turned towards him with an apologetic smile.

  "He means your pet!" Rem giggled, nding on her head, wearing a miniaturized uniform of the Sect with the badge of the Pill Hall, as she was now in charge of taking care of the Sect's garden. "You really need to help us out, Big Sis! Kyu causes a big mess every night..."

  "Okay, okay. I'll do something about it!" She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Where is she now?"

  "Still there, sleeping like a log. If she would just sleep in the garden, that wouldn't be a problem..." Even Rem compined now, who was usually friendly to everyone. "Her sleeping aura while digesting helps the growth of the pnts, but when she eats... She does not leave behind anything! Not even the roots!"

  "I got it; rex, I'll deal with her!" Ren grabbed the little fairy, patting her head. "Ugh... I have to, before she eats me into a generational debt."

  …….…..

  While in the Sect, everyone was getting ready for the Opening Ceremony. On both sides of the Shert River, people were gathering, preparing to join this mysterious Sect that had appeared from nowhere and announced its acceptance of disciples, especially on the Empire's side, where people had been preparing for the past year.

  If Isvar didn't know about it, he might have even thought the Empire wanted to completely annex them, having this many cultivators stationed here... Even though most of them were somewhere between the 2nd and 5th stages of body refinement, it was a considerable force, as most armies also possessed strength around this level. In comparison, his kingdom's troops were sadly even outmatched by the sheer number of people at the 3rd stage or higher, coming from their giant neighbor. There wouldn't be even a fight...

  As for Yanda, he was walking around the bustling city, watching multiple groups of people arrive and excitedly traversing the streets as most waited for the day they could take the mysterious test they had been told about.

  "Yet every one of them looks so confident in themselves." He murmured under his breath as he stopped at one of the kiosks next to the market square, buying some snacks to munch on.

  "Whoa, Mister, that looks tasty; what is it?" came a young voice next to him suddenly, and as he looked down, a young boy stood beside him, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the chocote-covered snack bites in his hand.

  "Excuse me, Mister!" Another man arrived, pulling the boy backward. "My little brother never traveled out from the Capital, and he is too excited! Don't trouble people you don't know, Frenir!" Saynur scolded the boy lightly.

  "Oh, no problem, he did not do anything wrong." Yanda smiled as he leaned forward and gave it to him. "Here, take it. It's truly delicious."

  "Whoa! Thanks, you are the best!" He ughed, took it away, and started munching on it immediately, no hesitation.

  "Thanks... Um... How much was it?" Saynur asked, ready to pay for it.

  "Don't worry about it!" Yanda ughed, waving him away. "It's nothing expensive. Are you here to take part in the upcoming Ceremony?"

  "No, not me, but my brother." Saynur held Frenir's shoulders, clearly proud of him.

  "Him?" Yanda asked, taken aback, looking down at the young boy. "How old are you?"

  "11!" He answered with a mouth full of chocote.

  "And already a cultivator?"

  "No, not yet! But I will be!" Frenir grinned with smudges all over his face by now.

  "We were invited." Saynur expined, "Lady Anya and her family invited my little brother to come and take part in it, and if it doesn't work out, still be a guest for a few days."

  "Oh?" Yanda's eyes lit up suddenly, "You know the esteemed elders in the Sect?"

  “No… not really…” Saynur murmured, a bit embarrassed, "It's a long story…."

  "Come, come. I know a nice pce close to the river; let's go there! I invite you two to lunch, and you can tell me everything." Yanda ughed, looking genuinely excited.

  "Yey! Let's go, big brother! I want to eat more yummy things!"

  "We…"

  "I insist… please," Yanda repeated as he cupped his hands, and in the end, Saynur did cave in. Only ten minutes ter, they were inside a busy restaurant, sitting on the second level, next to a big window with a perfect view of Teardrop Isnd.

  "You shouldn't spend this much; we are just-"

  "Rex, I can afford it. No worries here." Yanda smiled at him, "I also have a debt towards the Sect; if you know them, this is the least I can do."

  "Debt?"

  "They saved my life! Let me tell you about it briefly." He smiled softly, telling them what happened to him, leaving out minor details, like him being a hybrid or the son of Isvar, the local king himself. "Well... That is my story. I was stupid and got myself into trouble, and then they pulled me out of it."

  "So awesome! Lady Ren is stronger than before!" Frenir cpped happily, totally captivated by it.

  "She is, but rex, Frenir, you are spilling your tea everywhere!" Saynur sighed, wiping his face. "Our story is much duller..." He smiled back at Yanda in the meantime and told him their own.

  Listening to them, Yanda was filled with wonder, mainly when Saynur produced a smaller, postcard-sized copy of the painting he had done when Ren was marrying Leinor.

  "Huh? She must have been in disguise." Yanda murmured to himself, recalling her red hair, "She is even more beautiful like this."

  "Isn't she?" Frenir giggled.

  "You are a lucky pair of brothers!" he gave it back with a sigh.

  "I just hope my little brother will have a better aptitude than I. If… if you happen to be joining the Sect… and he also gets in… can you look after him? Please?"

  "Ahaha, who knows?" Yanda grinned, nodding. "Maybe he will be someone who takes care of me?" he said, smiling at the boy, taking a sip from his own tea.

  "No problem!" Frenir puffed out his chest proudly, making both of them ugh. "Leave it to me!"

  As they were having fun, on the other side of the river, in the Qun kingdom, in another restaurant, Lulu was sitting on a balcony, watching the port and the ships bobbing on the river. People were coming and going endlessly as she sat there with a bottle of wine in her hands, slowly swirling it. In front of her, at the other side of the table, sat three young, skinny boys, between the ages of 14 and 17, in strange clothes that did not fit them at all. They all had bck hair and brown-colored, almond-shaped eyes with determined gazes.

  "Is it true what you said?" Lulu asked, sipping on the wine, not looking at them but towards the isnd in the middle of the river.

  "Yes. If we had lied, you would have executed us anyway," the oldest of the trio snorted.

  "Rex. I won't sell you off once again or kill you, nothing like that!" She chortled, taking another small sip, "The rest of your group? Gone elsewhere?"

  "Everyone went their own way. We are here because we have no home to return to."

  "So you are trying to join, huh? I never got your names." Lulu turned towards them for the first time.

  It was earlier, not so long ago, when she saw them on the streets, trying to blend in, but their clothes were already so haphazardly chosen that they stood out like a sore thumb from everyone else around them. Her instincts immediately told her they must have been either escaped sves, oblivious to how strange their appearance was, or people arriving from the Empire's side. When she spoke with them a little and invited them over for a drink with the persuasion of her personal guards, it was clear it was the former.

  Then, it didn't take long for her to get the information she was looking for... Indeed, they were part of the group rescued by Ren and her company. Being brothers, they always stuck together and used the money they got to get here as fast as they could, so they wouldn't miss the Opening Ceremony, trying their best to join their rescuers.

  "I am Botan," the oldest answered. "He is my second brother, Jiro. The smallest is Shin."

  "Good to meet you; I am Lulu." She nodded at the trio, "I have the same goal as you, so you don't need to be on edge; I won't turn you over to anybody or anything like that."

  Her words somewhat eased the brothers, yet they were still cautious, as the same kind of easy trust led them to be sold into svery once when they lowered their guards.

  "Rex and think about it... The Sect originates from the Empire. Even if they say they are independent, the people there are native to the Empire. There will be a flood of people from their side, but so little from here." Lulu leaned a bit forward, expining it to them, "We should work together to get in."

  "She is right…." Jiro whispered to his brother, "We don't even know what kind of trials we will receive."

  "Your brother speaks well." She giggled, "We should work together, whatever test they-" she tried to say, but suddenly everything started to shake, making them stand up and look towards the river.

  …….…..

  "I think it's time." Aerthus smiled, taking a deep breath.

  "So, what kind of test is it going to be?" Ren asked with a curious gaze, trying to discover what would happen, but she honestly had no idea.

  "Ahaha, come!" Aerthus raised his hand as he rose up to the sky, bringing Ren with him.

  High above, he sat down with crossed legs, and after he formed a seal with his fingers, the isnd itself lit up at different parts, at the cornerstones of the Sect. Suddenly, the air was thick with energy, emanating from below as transparent, gss-like bridges began to rise from the water, connecting both riverbanks. In the end, they numbered twenty, ten to each side, as they slowly materialized, yet remained see-through, sparkling in otherworldly light as the water began churning below them.

  "Awesome…" Ren murmured, "They are made purely from your energies, Master… anyone who steps on them will reveal everything about themselves to you..."

  "Oh, you can tell?" Aerthus chuckled, opening his eyes.

  "I can feel it. No wonder you said only you can do this; others wouldn't be able to keep up with their vitality, maintaining this many bridges..."

  "Sharp. Also, anyone who steps on it and is below me in cultivation will be affected by its powers. They will see a vision of their desires, and I can see what kind of people they are. Plus, I can draw out their potential if I see some interesting fellow!"

  "Great~! Can I watch it too?" Ren asked, her eyes sparkling.

  "Sure. Just stand behind me and pce your hand on my back, and you will be connected to it. Now… let's start; I am excited to see what kind of talent we will find!"

  At the river banks, everyone was fbbergasted by the scene of giant bridges suddenly appearing, leading to Teardrop Isnd. Some people tried to step on it, but an invisible force rejected their bodies... They weren't strong enough. Then, as everyone watched, Aerthus's colossal figure appeared in the sky, like a God from the tales, as his voice reverberated around the region.

  "I am the Sect Head of the Immortal Wonders Sect, the master of Teardrop Isnd! I welcome all who have arrived to join my Sect. Please, youngsters, step on the bridge and travel to us... It will be a journey you will never forget!" he ughed before disappearing, and soon people rushed to be the first to step on the magical bridges leading to their new life.