Chapter 132: Life 66, Age 20, Martial Disciple Peak
Our class went to apply for Master-level courses together and were greeted by the same woman who initially tested me for entry into the Academy.
“As your entire class has reached Peak Master, the school will permit you to continue to take courses for elite students.” I could hear a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but she tried not to let it show. “However, while it is permitted, to become elite Master-level students, you must also be selected by a Grandmaster and join their cohort. Your… choices of how to complete the final assessment may affect their decisions.”
This was slightly worrying, but Zhuge Yan spoke up to calm everyone.
“We understand. If a Grandmaster is unhappy with the way we completed the assignment, it wouldn’t have been a good fit for us anyway.”
The woman nodded in appreciation of this attitude.
“Very well. There are options for how you may proceed from here. Master and Grandmaster courses are divided into two five-year terms. You may attempt to enroll either as a group or as individuals. If you choose to enroll individually, your instructors will be core disciples of the Nine Rivers Sect near the end of their first term or at the beginning of their second term as Grandmasters of the Academy. They are experienced teachers with a proven track record.”
I looked at the others and spoke in the direction we were all thinking. “We would like to keep our class together.”
“If you enroll as a group, you may still be placed with an experienced core disciple, assuming there is one that wants your entire class as his cohort for the year. However, it is more likely that you will be placed under an inner sect disciple who is close to advancing to core. If you have a preference in this matter, it can be taken into consideration, but the choice is ultimately up to the Grandmasters themselves.”
We deferred to Zhuge Yan for this decision. “Other than the experience of the teacher, how do these two options differ?”