As they got closer to the gate, one could feel a slight buzzing in their head. You could hear the voices of hundreds of people either training, or the voices of people just talking.
As Will and Cecily walked over several more rocks, they finally stepped onto a well worn path that led directly to the gate.
"Why did we take a detour?"
"I am used to returning like this, I used to sneak out a lot when I was little"
"Aren't you little now?"
"Shut up! I just look younger!"
When they started walking on the path, Will was curious and couldn't help but to ask Cecily why they didn't just get on the path in the first place.
Which ended up with him poking at Cecily's sensitive issue of looking younger than she is, without knowing.
Resulting in her having a small outburst as she gave him a fierce glare, which caused her cheeks to puff out in a cute manner as she pouted.
The walk to the gate became more and more relaxed as the greenery around them started to have a literal glow of vitality.
"Such a strong vitality, they must be good for making medicinal pellets to strengthen or repair the body?"
"I could say yes, but sadly these plants are very poisonous. They can't even be used in an antidote, this weird mutation of common plants is so deadly that even someone at the sacred level has to be wary of them"
Noticing how the plants that had a very similar appearance to common plants, had such a strong vitality, Will decided to see if he can get any information about them from Cecily.
You could say that what she said made him a little upset, but he was more excited than upset. He realized that with his ability to make potions, he could control how much or the strength of an attribute of an ingredient he's using. This would allow him to easily make something good out of even the worst ingredients, which is better than just relying on his mental power and the mana in the surroundings only.
"I can use them"
"Really!?"
"Yes, and they wouldn't be a poison when I am done with them, unless that's what I am after"
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to tell Cecily that he can use these plants. She already knows so much about him since the time she figured out he was a rejected, that it wouldn't even matter if he told her or not.
To an extent, you could say that the main reason he was following her in the first place, besides trying to get a good source of resources, is because she knows he is a rejected.
Although he wouldn't admit it, it all started with a possible blackmailing.
They continued to chat quietly as they finally reached the last few meters of distance from the gate. While walking, Will was slightly startled as he felt a slight tingling sensation run down his spine after passing through a layer of air that actually had a cloud like feeling to it.
"There is no need to be that startled, this is a barrier, it alerts the guards if someone or something is approaching, when the guards come I'll handle it"
Cecily laughed slightly as she noticed Will's startled expression, she explained to him that it was just a barrier he walked through and stepped in front of him in preparation for when the guards show up. Although Will doesn't get embarrassed easily, the fact that he has been startled so much after coming to this world is making him feel greatly embarrassed.
After they passed through the barrier, the buzzing sound cleared up and one could clearly hear the sound of disciples either training or chatting on the other side of the gate. A strong flood of mana slammed into Will as he stepped on the other side of the barrier.
"That's from the mana gathering formation that we have in the sect, it increases the density of mana throughout the sect"
Without even turning around, Cecily seemed to know Will was encountering something new to him and decided to explain.
This made Will realize that Cecily pays more attention to him than he initially thought...
They walked for a few more minutes as the sound of Cecily's robes quietly sliding through the grass and sand could be heard alongside Will's heavy footsteps as they walked on the trail.
The trees around them were the same kind of trees that he would see all the time back when he and Cecily were in the cave. They were all very ancient and so large that even a dozen fully grown people couldn't wrap their arms around them.
He was a little surprised, the soil, the plants, and the trees were in such a great health. He was thinking that a demonic sect would be surrounded by death, but apparently he found out that is not the case. At least for this demonic sect.
They both stopped as several guards with fierce auras came flooding out of smaller doors on the side of the gate while in formation.
Their eyes let off a fierce light as if they were ready for battle at any moment, the atmosphere in front of their eyes even rippled because of the intensity of their stare.
"I'm back~ How is father doing?"
"Y young miss!?"
Stepping forward, Cecily gave each of the guards a glance as she realized that all of the guards besides one happen to be new. This confused her slightly, but nevertheless, as the young miss she didn't have any fear of anyone attacking her on sect grounds.
As she spoke, the only guard that happened to not be new nervously responded as he stepped forward, causing the other guards who, now confused, glared at the guard.
"You you could be an impostor! There are techniques that can allow one to adjust the muscles and skin on their face, what sect's young miss are you!?"
"Idiot! Although I am not supposed to return at this time, what sect is bored enough to make one of their young misses disguise as me? let alone one of their maids!"
Irritated at the site of the guard not acknowledging that she was her, she pulled a token out of her storage ring and tossed it over as she glared at the guards, who started to brandish their weapons in a flurry.
"If you can't even recognize that, I'll have my father deal with you!"
The nervous guard picked up the token as he started to have a doubtful and fearful expression appear gradually on his face.
If she is the young miss and the fact that he accused her of being an impostor gets out…
He didn't want to think about it.
As he looked at the token, the guards stopped flourishing their weapons as they stared at the nervous guard who now had a pale face as he looked at Cecily.
"What are you doing!? The young miss is back and you are not letting her in!?"
Seeing the guard's reaction Cecily looked at Will with a smirk, as if to show off her influence, sadly, Will happened to be looking at the surrounding vegetation as if he was deep in thought planning which potions to make.
'Ignoring me?'
Cecily gave Will a disappointed look as she collected her token and quickly started walking through the path the now panicking guards made as Will started to quickly follow after with his face slightly red.
Initially, he was watching Cecily and could obviously feel the aura one would expect from a child of a powerful family radiating off of her. Shortly after though, he was drawn to the curves on her body that were slightly visible because of the robes sticking to her body from sweat.
Since he didn't want her to think he was some guy who was controlled by his second head, he distracted himself by thinking about potions.
What he didn't know though, was that his action of ignoring her (as far as she knows) actually made her upset.
Sadly, although they haven't really had any issues besides the time she froze him in the cave, he has been keeping a slight distance from her. He, in this world with the status of a rejected, has to worry about people not being honest and backstabbing him.
When Will walked through the guards, they all emitted a killing intent as if they wanted to wipe him from the face of the earth.
He shivered a little as he started to emit some killing intent.
From the battles he was in on the way here, it would be weird if he couldn't even emit a strand of killing intent.
The guards, being highly trained, remained unfazed when faced with Will's amount of killing intent. What they failed to realize though, was that the killing intent he emitted would require true life and death experiences, they being new to the world of cultivating, therefore the reason they are new guards, is the reason that they failed to realize the truth behind his killing intent.
Will continued to walk through without obstruction.
The guards, as cultivators already noticed that he is a rejected, the reason they were emitting killing intent is because he was a stranger.
They soon stopped and reluctantly let him pass when they remembered that he came with Cecily, completely ignoring the killing intent he released.
It might seem strange, that with Will being the fourth rejected, and there only being three that happened to be recorded in history, that everyone knows of the rejected.
It is because, when a rejected appears in the world they cause disasters left and right, even if they try not to. So because of the destruction they cause from just existing, stories are told about the rejected to children when they are young as a way to get them to behave.
If they don't behave the evil rejected will come and take them away.
Things like this are the reason that rejected are so well known, even if they happen rarely in this world.
Soon, they entered the sect, looking around you could see several pagodas towering above the smaller rooms and buildings scattered across the sect.
The sect was bustling with activity as disciples hurried in all directions, it was not crowded, but it was identical to a city.
There were stalls selling roasted meat, stalls selling junk, stalls selling heavenly treasures, and stalls ores.
There were even several shops scattered about just in front of the gate as well.
The whole sight left Will in awe as his mouth was close to gaping open.
Turning around to look at Will, the disappointment on her face disappeared quickly as she laughed at his expression.
"Our sect is like a city on it's own, actually a sect smaller than ours can fund a whole city. The only reason our sect is like this is because most of the disciples decide to live here their whole lives, so the sect sort of turned into a city of it's own. The families of disciples are allowed to live in the sect, so over time, a village formed, then a town, and now this city within our sect that you see"
Cecily explained to Will as he looked at her with a glow in his eyes.
'This is so cool, I am not usually a fan of kingdom building novels, but seeing this in front of my eyes makes me feel like I am seeing something extraordinary'
Will was excited, what was once just a normal sect that allowed disciples to bring their families with, turned into a city over time. It should be expected after all, when the disciple has children, their children will live in the sect, then their children etc. Over time it is to be expected that something like this would form in the sect.
As Will was lost in thought, a servant approached Cecily as she looked at Will in curiosity, she wore a green robe that hugged her body tightly, with dark eyes that sparkled with wisdom, dark hair, and flawless skin.
She was a beauty, definitely more to Will's tastes than the girl in front of him.
"Notify my father that I have arrived! While you are at it, bring me news about my brother!"
"Yes young miss!"
Receiving her orders she hurriedly left.
"She's attractive isn't she?"
Cecily looked at Will as she glared at him, causing him to feel a slight pressure that gave him no option to escape.
"No, she pales in comparison to your great beauty young miss"
Will responded with sarcasm, knowing that if he admitted to thinking the servant was attractive, he would have to deal with an irritated Cecily.
"Enough, let's go and see my father and get you a place to stay"
Changing the subject, Cecily quickly started to lead Will through the sect. Will smirked a little, even though he might have issues understanding girls, even he could tell that she was embarrassed.
As time passed, they got closer to the building Cecily's father resided in.