Chapter 21: Induction Rings, Silver Day Sect

Iris was the one who woke first this time. There was a soft hand with a bit of bite from her bones that rested on her arm. Valentine slept with one arm clutched tight to her chest with the blankets and the other sprawled out against her own arm. Iris didn't have as much in the breast department, so she preferred to sleep on her back. Glancing at the hand that rested palm up, she let a goofy grin fill her face.

Girlfriend.

Iris Xin had officially graduated from being single. (Age 363)

Not only that her girlfriend was a world class babe! Tall, stunning long legs, elegant, refined eyes, exotic red curls. Noble bearing, dignified, classy. She may not have had the biggest boobs on the 15 continents, but she still had an amazing set, and her legs merged into a sharply soft set of curviness that made the sage drool now that she thought about her that way.

She was the most amazing women Iris had ever seen, and that didn't consider the soft strength she posed. Quiet and refined, whispering care and love from her heart. Sharp when needed yet resilient despite her pampered upbring.

Strong if Iris were to describe it in a word.

Taking a moment, she whispered up an array to tack on the door. It would keep the noise and servants out so that the sage could enjoy sleeping in the same bed as her girlfriend longer.

!@# !@# !@#

Far in the past, Iris wouldn't have guessed that she could enjoy such bliss. There was a remarkable undercurrent, word had spread that two women defended themselves in an aggressive manner.

Fall out for killing four potential disciples was miniscule. It did not hinder the sect, as the four proved to be a bad investment. The cultivation realm was dangerous. No one was unable to cultivate to immortality, yet only a few even made the ascension attempt. One stands in catacombs and mass graves each time they stand against the heavens.

Knowing that there was a pair of disciples that didn't hesitate to cut down the opposition made every exam taker nervous. If not for Lin's striking figure no one would have been able to identify them.

Song Lin unlike Iris had a reasonable sense of direction, making reasonable time to the sect entrance and up a hidden stair path to the first testing plateau. Unlike the over traffic field this space was clearly maintained. Several circular platforms of stone made up sparing rings, the grass was mowed, and there were signs that simi permeant structures were erected here.

Individual pairs were being called to do basic moves, both offense and defense, to get an idea where to send the pairs.

"This is a marketplace if I ever saw one." Iris muttered comparing the in and out traffic to the commerce centers she had been to before. Indeed, it was, the commodity was martial disciples rather than fruit or wax.

"No marketplace would be this small or poor." Song Lin had a voice like her namesake, melodic, it was a wonder why she was considered trash.

"You two, big tits and quills. Ring seven." One of the sect disciples barked where they needed to go. One look at small disciple could tell that the girl was jealously of Miss Lin to an unhealthy degree.

"After you milady," With a grand sweeping gesture, Iris urged Song Lin along. Stunned the girl didn't move before it occurred to her that it would be unseemly to not respond to the gesture.

Moving down the crowed path avoiding the various small groups as they talked and evaluated those testing, the pair arrived at a stone ring marked 6.

"Am I wrong or are we complete not in the right place?" Iris asked her new…person.

"Right." Lin responded.

"Oh, good it's not just me." Song rolled her eyes crossing her arms over her chest.

"Right." Shaking her head in the correct direction. Glancing right Iris could read the sign that said ring 7.

"Ah there it is." Completely attempting to ignore what just occurred, Song let it die, but added a second eye roll.

The two waited as another pair took the ring.

"Why is this all so basic?" One of the men in the crowd who waited for their turn, his friend answered for them.

"This is more a viability study than a test of prowess. Bone structure, meridian flaws, age, spirt bases and the like." Iris nodded to herself as she heard this. All the movements would not have been that useful to fight with. In terms of identification however it would be a different story.

"How simple." Iris muttered; the Silver Sect was a step up from a two-bit group of sects like Beast Alliance. She had expected life or death matches, insane feats of strength, giant stones to toss at each other.

"This is fairly standard for most sects…" Lin butt in, unaware of Iris history.

"The last sect I was in, required you survive against a ten year spirt beast for an hour." Iris mentioned, leaving out that it had been a very amorous porcupine and not intentional whatsoever.

"That's rather extreme since almost all sect initiation are done prior to the high foundation realm, and most spirt beast are hunted as teams of mid tiered or higher. Normally a golden orb is required to fight monsters' solo, up to a hundred years…" If Iris had already done such, which she supposed would be a great help to her.

"Looks like it's the Lin trash found someone to save her."

"What a skank, clinging to someone else like that."

Song Lin's face darkened. This was the same group that had previously threatened Iris.

"If such a stunning person is trash, doesn't that make you four so ugly that you aren't good enough to be refuse." It was a stunning main character line, propping up the girl while insulting the rest. Even Song Lin who had heard her share of pompous smoke was impressed and a touch flustered.

"Didn't we warn you this trash isn't worth her name." They were scowling, qi pooling about in a light intent to harm.

"Who cares what papaya peels think." Unlike these city youths, Iris had been traveling and taking care of herself for some time. It also helped that she was older than the newly minted adults in opposition to her.

"Do you think that the true Lin family will allow such disrespect?"

"Pipe down pups." Unlike their weak hatred, Iris was willing and ready to end every one of them. These people hadn't made her feel like she should wipe them off the face of the earth, since it was just childish insults. Her intent was filled with her ferocity, and it had an immediate effect.

"You, this…"

"Don't think…"

"Enough, no one will so disgrace to the Silver Day Sect without paying the price." One of the older members, who held some authority or sway interjected. His robes indicated that he was an inner disciple.

"Even if you hold from a prominent family, they aren't here and I am, so remember that this is not your home." It looked like the younger ones wanted to retort but they had enough sense to retreat.

"It does appear that they are instigating things, but in this sect, we hold responsibility for our own strength. It takes two after all to fight." Iris relaxed and nodded. Pushing them ahead the were forced to spend their own time in the ring. It was simple really, a game of follow instructions. Neither of them had any problems and were quickly moved forward.

"Are you not going to ask why?" Song Lin had been pensive after they had been forced along. Clutching the token that they had been handed as they moved towards the next stairs.

"Ask why about what? What made your boobs so big? If you have a secret like that you wouldn't hold back on me, right?" Iris didn't see the big deal, nor could confirm what the girl was asking. If the girl held the answer to the mystery of large breast, Iris had even more need to suck up to the girl.

"That's not what I was…" She huffed and then sighed. "Well, if you don't see an issue, I suppose its ok." Walking ahead of Iris on the steps. Said Iris couldn't help but stare as her hips swayed up each step. Whoever Song Lin was, she certainly had a magnificent butt.

It finally occurred to Iris, who had been shamelessly ogling women for some time now, that this was not perhaps the most normal of things. She hadn't had the most stealer examples of men in her life but still wasn't this to far as one woman to the next.

"Sounds like a problem for future me" She decided. For now, there were things that looked amazing, and it was never wrong to look at amazing things.

!@# !@# !@#

Valentines' own exam had ended in failure, which meant another three grueling months of nightmarish exercise, the difference this time was that she had companions. Senior leader especially had been helpful in explaining things after the fact.

It turned out that Valentine was a freak of nature.

In actuality, her qi had come from a realm that had been purifying for billions of years. The noble realm in this case, had diverged in how it grew and advanced as a realm. The martial realm was a churning mess, as qi was refined by its people. Filtering and coalescing it into the local extrema were the noble realm's method. The result was qi that had already been completely refined, impurity free.

She couldn't absorb anything other than pure qi, which lead to her struggle. While her fellow brother and sister were making progress becoming stronger Valentine was stuck.

"I'm not sure but I think you can use filtration talismans." Senior leader said as they sipped afternoon tea. Some training was not required of her, having already completed it. It gave the girl a much-needed break.

"Rich families use them to make it easier for their kids to cultivate, since it takes a lot of their burden of purification off the body."

"I need it than." In a rare breach of decorum, the noble lady spit out her own tea when she was told the price.

"Yea I said the same thing. Look don't worry about it; just survive the next nine weeks and we can get you through the cloth test for sure this time. I'm going to work extra hard to make sure we pass as a team."

For a moment the noble didn't know what to say, the only other person in her life that had consoled her was Iris. It seemed things in this new world weren't as bad as she thought.

"Thank you." Beaming at her, the noble couldn't help but notice that the smile wasn't as bright as her rainbow sages.