Over the next few days, the Mystical Qilin Sect received more guests than they did in a hundred years. After some of the more important representatives returned to their sects, the best warriors for each sect showed up for the first combat collaboration initiative to test the effectiveness of the cross-training program.
Wei Jie remained behind as the best warrior. However, he summoned three other warriors from the White Tiger Sect who specialised in different weapons. They arrived two days after the meeting concluded and were almost captured upon arrival because the senior researcher in charge thought they were demonic cultivators because of their bloodthirsty auras. It was unsurprising. Even Bai Dajin had that savage, bloodthirsty aura and unruly appearance that made him look more evil than good.
After apologising for the mix-up, Anji’s next surprise was when her older sister and mother arrived. Gu Ying also participated as the combat force representing the Celestial Dragon Sect. According to Zhao Wanting, Lizi wanted to sneak in to see Anji but was not good enough to represent the sect as an esteemed warrior. Her father would have participated too. However, it would be unfair to others with someone of his skill level for a training trial. After all, Zhao Mingfeng was the hero who defeated the demon lord in the last murim war. Not to mention, someone had to oversee the sect.
Unlike the Celestial Dragon Sect, the other sects sent in their most promising disciples for the cross-training program. The Azure Dragon Sect sent Shao Yin, an elite disciple whom Anji had briefly seen at the Rainbow Alliance Meeting. Likewise, the Heavenly Phoenix Sect sent Hao Yizhen, who also participated in the martial exchange a few years ago. Back then, she seemed very inexperienced. However, Anji could see a different type of confidence and strength in her eyes. Not to mention, Yizhen was promoted from a mere inner disciple to a core disciple who reported directly to Liu Yanxia and acted as her disciplinarian.
Hosting the exchange program from different sects made Anji very busy. Although she wanted to spend more time catching up with her family, her duties as the successor came first.
"Welcome, esteemed representatives. Your travel must have been tiring. Although the Mystical Qilin Sect is humble, we have prepared only the best accommodation for you. Please follow me."
Unlike her usual bubbly behaviour, Anji smiled serenely like a small fairy, guiding the group of over twenty guests to the newly rebuilt mixed martial village for outside students to live in while they were here for training. It took a lot of effort to demolish the academic central and rebuild it into a facility capable of preserving the Mystical Qilin Sect’s prestige.
Leading the guests to a gate different from the one other inner disciples used, Anji gestured to the senior sisters and brothers to hand out the specially prepared entry tokens for the exchange martial artists.
"This entry and exit token is issued specially for guests allowed within the inner courtyard. It differs from the barrier entry access token registered using your qi signature. Unfortunately, our sect’s internal security is weaker than the outer security. Please refrain from losing the token or misusing it. Due to the short notice, this was the best we could do. It consists of many complicated spell talismans and is rather expensive to create. I hope everyone can treasure this token until it is time to return it. The token is carved from a qi-imbued stone slab with runes embedded. It would allow you access to all the places that are safe for guests to roam. However, if you accidentally venture into strictly forbidden zones, it would alert the security team. If you have no further questions, please step into this portal one by one. The senior researchers have checked the teleportation gateway multiple times. It is safe for use by a single person. Remember, a single person only. The Mystical Qilin Sect will not be responsible for any casualties caused by gate misuse and failure to adhere to safety regulations."
The last emphasis on safety regulations made everyone more curious and cautious about the teleportation portal. From its external appearance, it was a slab of stone with many carvings that included the rules of usage and step-by-step instructions about how to properly access the gate. Many cautionary advice and emergency protocols were written on it that Anji skipped over casually.
"I have a question!" Wei Jie yelled from the back. "Is it safe for us to carry weapons through the portal?"
Smiling serenely at the unruly advanced disciple from Bai Dajin’s sect, Anji promised that anything non-organic would pass through without a problem. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel⁂fire.net
"If it is connected to one body, there will not be any issues," she explained. "If you are worried, you may leave your belongings here. A senior disciple will bring it to your room later. The teleportation gateway is a more advanced version of the teleportation scroll. Its only limitations are the size of the gateway and the number of physical entities it can allow through it at once. We made this gateway using the biggest slab of stone we can imbue. Please be reassured!"
No matter how angelic Anji smiled, convincing everyone in the group was still difficult. It was exactly as Yan Ping feared. Unlike Anji, nobody else in the Mystical Qilin Sect had as much credibility, tact or cuteness to bamboozle and convince the wary outsiders. The newcomers must have already figured out how different the sect was from the rumours at the main entrance when they entered. They must have heard some things or picked up on the strange atmosphere if they spoke to regular civilians living in the boundary. It was only natural to feel caution against the unknown.
Thankfully, Anji had a very supportive family that was borderline a fanatic religious cult. When nobody else stepped up to the challenge, Zhao Mingshen snapped his fan shut and tossed his entry token up in the air once before catching it in one hand. With a smirk, he stuck an arm into the stone tablet.
Instead of touching the solid slab, his arm went right through it. The snarky teen turned back with a smirk and was about to give the loud, gasping crowd a mocking speech about cowardice when Zhao Ruiting kicked him through the portal without courtesy.
"Hurry up and get in! Stop blocking the way!" she yelled as Anji watched her scholarly brother fly through it with a rather undignified expression. He must be spewing expletives on the other side by now, not that anyone else could hear it.
Without hesitation, Zhao Ruiting followed after her younger brother. She did not spare a glance at those behind her. However, the message was clear. The portal worked, even if nobody knew what it was like on the other side.
Smiling with her eyes, Zhao Wanting praised Anji indirectly loud enough for those at the back to hear.
"Of course, the successor of the Mystical Qilin Sect would never introduce something so dangerous to harm us. I’m so proud of the advanced technology we get to use. Maybe I should tell Mingfeng to install this at the Celestial Dragon Sect so we can travel to see family in distant places in a flash."
Chucking uneasily, Anji shook her head and explained the difficulty in long-distance teleportation calculations, even with fixed coordinates. Unless that person were a half sage, it would drain too much internal energy and leave a cultivator dead from excess energy drain. Fortunately, a short-distance security gateway portal was considered safe for even Strengthened Core cultivators like herself.
Hearing this, Zhao Wanting pouted but passed through the portal easily. This gave everyone else more confidence as the cultivators made funny expressions when they cautiously tested the portal before hopping, sliding or even shuffling through it.
Anji dutifully regulated the traffic until it was only Gu Ying and her.
"After you," she smiled to her bodyguard, who nodded and patted Anji on the head. Her charge was doing well, growing up into a respectable young leader.
Once everyone was through, Anji took a deep breath and exhaled to compose herself. It was only the beginning, but she was already exhausted. She should have known that dealing with curious cultivators would be almost as tiring as dealing with the overly zealous sect elders.