Two days after the contract was finalized, the newly established Celestial Sect grounds buzzed with activity as over a thousand prospective students gathered for the first day of training.
Grim stood on the steps of the main training hall, watching as the final groups of candidates completed their initial assessments.
The response to his recruitment announcement had been overwhelming—young men and women from across the Empire had traveled to seek admission to what was already being called the revival of the sects in the Empire.
"The final count, my lord," Chen Xing reported, approaching with a leather portfolio filled with documentation. "One thousand and forty-three accepted candidates, all confirmed to possess either fire or water affinities."
"How many were rejected?" Grim asked, noting the organized chaos of new students attempting to find their assigned quarters in the dormitory buildings.
