Settling in

The open blue sky lauded over the scenery with specs of white clouds scattered throughout.

Hartley could see miles in every direction, there were hundreds of houses built on the flat land a mile in from the main gate.

Lou Chingham pointed out that these buildings were where the outer disciples and servant disciples lived. Servant disciples did the everyday menial tasks of the clan while waiting to get a chance to be promoted to the ranks of outer disciples.

As they passed the many houses and approached a more secluded area, Lou Chingham mentioned that this was where the inner disciples stayed, here they had more luxurious houses built with private courtyards and training facilities. The surroundings were lush with greenery and the whole place had a peaceful serene vibe to it.

Lou Chingham kept pointing out the nuances of the way the clan operated, at the end of year competition the worst five inner disciples would be demoted and the best five outer disciples would be promoted. Keeping a constant 200 inner disciples at all times, inner disciples had access to more and bettter quality of medicinal dans for training and could go out on mission to gain clan points to attain martial scriptures.

Martial scriptures were techniques held by the clan and could be accessed by people who had enough clan points to buy them. Gold was literally useless when it came to buying medicinal dans and martial scriptures in the clan. Martial scriptures were graded from rank 1 to rank 5.

Rank 1 being the least powerful while rank 5 were the most powerful. As they made their way to the mountains in the distance, they passed disciples wearing different colored robes.

People wearing white robes were those who had not made it to the peak of the houtian realm before the age of 22, they would be kicked out of the clan unless they chose to stay on and work for clan as guards and the grunts of their small army.

The servant disciples wore brown robes, the outer disciples wore blue robes, the inner disciples wore yellow robes and the core disciples wore red robes.

They leisurely traveled while Hartley took in the scenery, he had lived in the clan for the first 6 years of his life but had no recollection of it at all. They approached a building at the base of a mountain, He was informed by elder Lou Chingham that this was called the Stellar mountain and 5 core disciples were based here throughout the mountain, but it was unlikely to meet them because they spent most year trying to gain enlightenment in closed practice.

There were 3 other mountains which housed 5 xiantian realm expert each, but Lou Chingham didn't go into details. All core disciples were already xiantian realm experts and they were the back bone of the clan. The building was 3 stories high built with bricks. Lou Chingham brought him inside the building to a room on the frst floor, where they were greeted by another slim white haired elder with white eyebrows crawling an inch or two down the side of his face.

Even though you could see his age from his outer appearance he still had youthful eyes.

"This is elder Lou Chang," Lou chingham introduced.

Hartley made a respectful bow towards Lou Chang and said

"this young one greets the elder."

Lou Chang smiled waved his hand casually and said

"no need to be polite in front me, please sit"

Lou Chang was in charge of all the arrangements in Stellar mountain and Lou Chingham was one of the elders of Stellar mountain. A yellow robed female inner disciple came forward and poured the tea while staring at Hartley, smiling he received the tea and gave his thanks..thinking (a week ago I was drinking out of a pond now I"m being served tea, how times have changed) the female inner disciple retreated from the room and closed the door.

Lou Chang looked at Hartley and asked

"do you want to become a core disciple on my stellar mountain."

Hartley replied humbly "yes" but thinking to himself didn't you guys recruit me?

After a while Lou Chang asked another question

"even after all you have gone through?"

Hartley was visibly taken aback by the comment and again replied "yes"

Lou Chang suddenly clapped his hands and said "then so it shall be, I will make you a provisional core disciple of my Stellar mountain, only the Patriarch can fully enroll you but he is in closed door practice right now and no one knows when he will be out"

Lou Chang give Hartley a token so he can get his robes, a spirit weapon, some dans and a martial scripture and welcomed him, before Hartley left Lou Chang had one more question.

"what layer of the xiantian realm are you right now"

Lou Chang could tell that Hartley was a xiantian expert but could not tell what layer because Hartley had no elemental affinity. Hartley himself had no clue, so he just guessed and blurted out "first" Lou Chang didn't answer and just shook his head in contemplation.

After they left the building Lou Chingham carried Hartley up the mountain towards a house about halfway up, it was very spacious and had a big courtyard with private training facilities and a spring off in the distance it was quiet and secluded with sounds of birds chirping every now and then, it was far cry from the cabin he had just left, but there was something missing, it didn't feel like home.

Hartley took the keys cupped his fist and asked Lou chingham about the layers in xiantian realm..

Hartley was informed that the xiantian realm had 9 layers and every layer one attained was more powerful than the layer before it. After the 9th layer of the xiantian realm then one would strive to enter the Saint realm which itself had 9 layers, after that was the God realm then the High God realm and after that no one was sure..

Lou Chingham taught Hartley how to recognize what layer xiantian someone was by sensing the residual aura that left there bodies based on the element that one was affiliated to.

It was a simple trick and soon Hartley had the hang of it and could now clearly see that Lou Chingham was a 4th layer xiantian, Hartley himself was a 2nd layer xiantian on the verge of entering the 3rd layer, but others couldn't recognize it because he had no residual elemental energy leaking.

Lou Chingham left and Hartley got settled in, he was under no delusion how he felt, he still had no feelings of camaraderie for the Lou clan this was just a shameless means to an end....