Chapter 135: Joining a Guild
"The formation guild," Elder Chen Yong began, "is far more than just a sect organization. It spans all Four Great Continents, maintaining branches in every major sect and city." He gestured broadly at the path ahead, which wound down from the main sect grounds toward a cluster of buildings outside of the sect which I'd always assumed were storage facilities.
"I thought those were warehouses," I admitted.
They were deceptively simple – plain stone buildings with slanted tile roofs, nothing like the grand architecture of the main sect.
"That's intentional," Elder Chen Yong replied. "The formation guild values substance over appearance. Though," he added with a slight smirk, "the formations layered into those walls could probably withstand a small army."
As we got closer, I began to notice subtle details I'd missed from afar. The stones weren't quite as plain as they appeared – each one was carved with microscopic runes that seemed to shift and change when viewed from different angles. The roof tiles formed patterns that were only visible when sunlight hit them just right, creating fleeting images of complex geometric designs.
"The guild system is one of the few things that transcends sect boundaries," Elder Chen Yong continued. "Formation masters, alchemists, blacksmiths – we all maintain our own networks. Politics between sects may come and go, but the guilds remain constant."
"Why here?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Why not in Three Rivers Town or somewhere more central?"
"Ah," Elder Chen Yong's eyes twinkled. "That's a story of convenience and necessity. Most neighboring sects are significantly smaller than Azure Peak. When they needed a regional guild branch, it made sense to place it near the largest concentration of potential members." He paused, then added with a touch of pride, "And of course, having an expert of my caliber nearby didn't hurt."
As we approached the entrance, I noticed something that made me do a double-take. The disciples moving in and out weren't wearing the familiar grey, blue, or purple robes of Azure Peak. Instead, they wore pure white robes with varying numbers of horizontal lines across the chest.