Between the appearance of the new still and the temporary battle arena that Luna had made for them, the Crushing Mountain Sect was in high spirits that afternoon when a distinguished visitor from the coastal region showed up to bring them their new batch of trial attendees.
The Sects had an agreement. Every four years, each of them would have an acceptance test, with hopeful applicants spending an entire season at the Sect they hoped to join, going through trials and assessments. The tests were staggered two years apart, so students who failed one due to lack of compatibility with either earth or water could try the other during their next intake, and the Elders would bring them over with a Portal.