It was finally Yang's turn.

  He stepped forward to the table. The old woman's eyes settled on him immediately. Taking in everything about him in a single glance. His posture. His clothes. The way he held himself.

  Yang bowed politely. "Greetings, Elder. I would like to join your esteemed sect."

  The elder hummed. A sound that could have meant anything. Her eyes didn't leave his face. "And what brings you here instead of one of the other sects? The Azure Sword Sect has a stronger reputation. The Heavenly Pill Sect promises wealth. The Beast Master Sect offers companionship. Many paths to choose from."

  Yang thought for a second. Something about the elder's presence made him want to answer truthfully. An urge he couldn't quite explain but felt compelled to follow. Like his instincts were gently pushing him toward honesty.

  "Because I felt this is the sect I am most suited to," Yang said simply.

  "Do you?" the elder asked. Her expression unchanging.

  "Yes," Yang replied. The word came out with more certainty than he expected.

  The elder looked at him for a long moment. Then she simply turned to the male disciple sitting beside her. "Write his name down."

  That was it. No tools. No tests. No agonizing trial on a mountain or lengthy examination with crystals and arrays. Just a question and an answer.

  The male disciple nodded and dipped his brush into ink. Yang moved from the center, letting the person behind him take his place at the table. He made his way toward the male disciple who was already waiting with the scroll laid out before him.

  The young man smiled as Yang approached. He was perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three. Pleasant features with kind eyes. His white robes were immaculate despite the outdoor setting.

  "I'm Shen Yu," he said warmly. "You can call me Senior Brother Shen."

  He lifted his brush, poised over the scroll. "Your full name?"

  "Chen Yang," Yang said.

  Shen Yu wrote the characters with practiced strokes. Yang could follow most of them now thanks to his three months of tutoring. He watched the brush move and recognized the characters for his name being committed to the sect's record.

  "Are you from here?" Shen Yu asked. Making conversation as he wrote.

  "No. I came here from Tianlu City."

  Shen Yu's eyebrows rose slightly at that. Tianlu City was apparently notable enough to warrant surprise. But he said nothing about it. Just finished writing and rolled the scroll slightly.

  "Then welcome, Chen Yang. Please join the others over there." He gestured toward a group gathering near the edge of the plaza.

  Yang made his way over. His mind spinning.

  That was it? One question? One answer? And he was in?

  He looked around the plaza as he walked. At the other sects still conducting their recruitment. Azure Sword Sect's line still stretched long. Disciples there were using arrays and tools that made candidates wince and stagger. Some came out looking shell-shocked. Others devastated. The testing here was clearly just as rigorous as on their own mountain.

  The Heavenly Pill Sect was even slower. Their examination process was so thorough and painstaking that by the time they finished testing three candidates, Azure Sword Sect had already processed an entire group. Cauldrons and crystals and vials of various liquids were being used in sequence, each test building on the last.

  Meanwhile, White Cloud Sect had moved through their line with remarkable speed. Candidates either got in or didn't. Quick. Clean. Almost casual.

  The contrast was jarring. Yang couldn't wrap his head around it.

  He reached the gathering area where other newly selected White Cloud Sect disciples were standing. About twenty of them in total. Waiting for the selection process to finish.

  Yang turned to a fellow disciple and asked, "How does White Cloud's selection criteria work? Why were we chosen and others rejected?"

  He gestured toward those walking away after being turned down.

  The fellow disciple was a girl. Perhaps two years older than Yang. She was dressed in well-made clothes of fine fabric and subtle embroidery. The kind of clothing that spoke of wealth and social standing. A minor noble, probably. Yang realized this a beat too late and immediately regretted asking.

  But the girl just turned to him with a calm expression.

  "Those who were rejected are not fated with the sect," she said simply. "And we are."

  Yang felt frustration build in his chest. "But how are they testing for it? The other sects are utilizing tools to find disciples suitable for their paths. Crystal arrays. Testing equipment. Why not White Cloud Sect as well?"

  The girl studied him for a moment. Something thoughtful in her expression.

  "How do you know they aren't using something to determine suitability?" she asked gently.

  Yang opened his mouth. Then closed it.

  He didn't know. Hadn't seen anything. But that didn't mean nothing was happening. Cultivation was vast and mysterious. Yang had no knowledge of any cultivation techniques. What's to say that there aren’t ways to test people that are beyond his perception.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The girl could be right. White Cloud Sect could be using something so refined that it was invisible to someone like Yang. An ordinary person with no cultivation and limited understanding of how the world truly worked.

  He nodded slowly. "You're right. I apologize for the assumption."

  The girl waved off his apology with a graceful hand. "No need."

  Yang decided to keep his ignorance hidden from here on. Not wanting to arouse questions about why he seemed to lack what appeared to be general knowledge about cultivation practices. He was from another continent, after all. If people found out, it could complicate things. Better to appear merely uninformed than fundamentally foreign.

  He thanked her quietly and stepped back, letting her return to her own thoughts.

  Yang crossed his arms and observed the other selected disciples. They all looked friendly. Approachable. Some were already talking to each other. Introductions being made. Small laughs here and there. The atmosphere was warm. Social.

  It made him even more paranoid.

  Because the newly selected disciples of other sects were standing in quiet. Disciplined. Anxious. Watching their elders with nervous deference. Afraid to move too much or speak too loudly.

  Here, in the White Cloud Sect's gathering area, it looked like a social event was being held. People chatting freely. Smiling. Relaxed despite having just been selected for a sect that would shape their lives.

  And Yang stood among them with an uncomfortable expression that was clearly making him stand out even more.

  He forced himself to relax. Uncrossed his arms. Took a breath.

  He was just watching and wondering what danger his inner instincts had gotten him into when he noticed movement at the White Cloud Sect's table.

  Senior Brother Shen and Senior Sister, the woman who'd been conducting tests alongside the elder, were packing up. The table and chairs disappeared with a wave of Senior Sister's hand. Vanishing like they'd never existed. The scroll, the ink, the brush, all gone.

  The elder stood from where she'd been seated. Straightened her white robes looking satisfied.

  White Cloud Sect was done recruiting. Faster than any other sect in the plaza.

  Yang looked back at the other sects. Azure Sword Sect still had hundreds of people in line. Heavenly Pill Sect was barely halfway through theirs. Other sects also had a steady stream of hopefuls approaching their tables.

  None of them were even close to finishing.

  The three White Cloud members approached their newly selected group. The elder in the front, Senior Brother Shen and Senior Sister falling in at the back.

  "I am Elder Zhou of the White Cloud Sect," the elder announced. Her voice carried easily despite not being raised. An effortless authority that made everyone fall silent and pay attention. "I will be leading you to your new home."

  She gestured for them to follow her.

  Elder Zhou began walking away from the plaza. The newly selected disciples fell into step behind her without hesitation. The atmosphere shifted subtly. Not into anxiety or rigid discipline. Just a gentle attentiveness. Everyone curious about where they were going.

  Yang joined the group. Walking among the others. Observing everything.

  Senior Brother Shen and Senior Sister joined at the very back of the procession. Keeping an eye on the new disciples as they walked. Occasionally one of them would smile or nod encouragingly at someone who looked uncertain.

  They walked for a while. Leaving the central plaza behind. The sounds of the recruitment fair fading gradually. The crowd thinning as they moved away from the main gathering.

  Then they reached the landing zone of Canglong City.

  Yang recognized it. The same place where he'd arrived three months ago after his journey from Azure Point City. Where ships landed and departed.

  The White Cloud Sect's ship was immediately obvious among the others.

  It was large. Beautifully crafted. White wood that seemed almost to glow in the sunlight. Intricate patterns carved into every surface. Patterns that seemed to shimmer and shift when Yang looked at them directly. Beautiful light blue sails that caught the wind with an almost living quality.

  The ship looked luxurious. The kind of vessel that royalty would own for leisure. Completely different from the utilitarian wooden ships Yang had traveled on before. Those had been functional and practical. Built to carry cargo and people efficiently.

  This ship was built to be admired. To impress.

  Yang stared at it for a moment, wondering again if he'd joined a sect or stepped into some kind of dream.

  They all climbed aboard the ship. The gangplank was smooth polished wood. The railings carved with elegant patterns. Everything about the vessel spoke of wealth and care.

  The elder said something as they boarded. "The ship will be moving very fast. Stay below deck. The speed would not be comfortable for those without cultivation."

  They were led inside. Down a corridor that felt more like a hallway in a wealthy manor than the interior of a flying vessel. Soft lighting. Smooth walls. The faint scent of something floral.

  They emerged into a large drawing room. Couches and chairs arranged in comfortable groupings. Soft cushions. Low tables. Silk curtains hung over windows that let in natural light.

  Yang's eyes widened. This was absurd. This was a drawing room. On a ship.

  The new disciples filed in. Looking around with various expressions of surprise and wonder. Some tried to hide their shock. Others didn't bother.

  Elder Zhou settled into a chair near the front of the room. Senior Brother Shen and Senior Sister found their own seats. Casual. Relaxed. Like this was the most normal thing in the world.

  Senior Sister raised her hand. A gentle wave. And suddenly, various plates appeared on the tables throughout the room. Fruits in colors Yang had never seen. Delicate pastries. Small portions of what looked like spirit meat, thinly sliced and arranged beautifully. Nuts and seeds that gleamed with spiritual energy.

  Just materialized. From nothing.

  "Please," Senior Sister said with a warm smile. "Eat your fill. Enjoy yourselves."

  The elder and both senior disciples settled with their own plates. Picking at food casually. Like they were hosting guests at a dinner party rather than transporting brand new disciples to their sect.

  Yang watched it all. Bewildered beyond words. His brain was still trying to catch up with the reality of what was happening.

  A gentle nudge from the boy sitting next to him broke him from his stunned silence.

  "Brother," the boy said. He was young. Perhaps Yang's age. With an easy grin and bright curious eyes. "Hurry up and eat. Once we reach the sect, we'll have to do hard work cultivating. We should enjoy this while we can."

  He laughed as he said it.

  Yang blinked. Then let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He looked at the plates of food. At the comfortable surroundings. At the elder and senior disciples eating and talking amongst themselves like this was perfectly ordinary.

  "Yes," Yang said quietly. A small smile forming despite his confusion and lingering wariness. "I suppose we should."

  He stood. Grabbed an empty plate from a nearby table. Made his way toward the spread of food. Picking up fruits and pastries. Trying a sliver of the spirit meat.

  It melted on his tongue. Rich and complex. Better than anything he'd tasted since the courtyard in Tianlu City.

  Yang returned to his seat. Ate quietly. Watched the other disciples relaxing and talking around him.

  His mind was still turning. Still processing. White Cloud Sect was one of the top ten sects with a mysterious reputation. They selected disciples in seconds with no visible testing. They traveled in luxury that rivaled wealthy noble families.

  Something was definitely different about this sect. Something that made people uncomfortable to discuss openly.

  He supposed he was about to find out exactly what that was.