'What? I didn't even notice him moving at all, and he suddenly appeared in front of me!'
The man moved so fast that to John, it seemed as if he had teleported. The slight sound of parting air was the only indicator that it wasn't teleportation, and that the man had actually moved so fast as to be unseen.
The man, who was addressed as the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Lightning Sect, inspected John closely for quite some time. John stood there in silence staring back, unconcerned of such an inspection.
'If that old ghost Celestial Soulrend couldn't figure out my secrets, I highly doubt this man can.'
After a while, a warm smile appeared on the man's face.
"Not bad, even under my close inspection, you can keep yourself calm. Most junior's your age are scared stiff when this happens."
"I've just had some...experiences that put me ahead of my peers when it comes to nerves," John responded casually.
"John, show some respect," Elder Ragur called out in a slight panic. He had told John not to speak unless asked a question or prompted to speak.
"Haha, it's alright Elder Ragur, he can speak freely here," the Sect Leader responded.
His warm and friendly tone surprised John. He had expected a big shot sect leader of such a powerful sect to be intimidating and frightening, but this man reminded him of his grandfather instead.
"Not only do you have a lightning attribute body, it's quite an astonishing one. You also seem to be a body cultivator, based on the strength of your body...but I don't sense a conflicting clash of essence and body Qi usually found in dual Qi cultivators...why is this?"
John was slightly surprised at this description of himself.
'What a frightening perception. Everything is one hundred percent correct.'
John was silent for a moment while he formulated his response. His father had guided him on what to say if his dual Qi cultivation was ever brought up.
"I have an Innate Variant Body as well, according to my father."
John gave a quick response without much explanation. The less he said, the less information people could use to figure out he was lying.
The sect leaders' eyes lit up slightly at John's explanation, but quickly returned to normal before John could notice anything.
"An innate variant body, and a lightning attribute body! Quite a profound combination you have. Tell me, if you are this gifted naturally, then why is your cultivation so low. I can tell you are fifteen. Based on the talent you have shown, you should be peak Qi Condensation at the worst."
John reddened slightly in embarrassment at the man's appraisal. He truly was weak compared to those in this land, but it was outside of his control unfortunately.
"I came from the...well not around here. I come from the coastal areas if I was to describe it accurately."
"Hmm? Then if you're from there, how did you get to be here?" the Sect Leader asked curiously. A warm smile still hung on his face, making John feel somewhat at ease.
"Sect Leader, I found the boy in the restricted area, just outside of the Qi whirlpool. He said he was kidnapped and woke up there. I found no other persons in the area," Elder Ragur spoke up.
"Kidnapped huh? And you just happened to be dropped off in the restricted area around the whirlpool where no one should be able to reach, at least not without my notice?"
The Sect Leaders tone was a mixture of questioning and sarcasm. Clearly he didn't believe John's story. John steeled his nerves the best he could and remained as calm as possible, feigning ignorance and doubling down on his story.
The sect leader looked closely at John for a moment before waving his hands in a dismissive manner and walking back to his seat.
"No matter, I sense no Ill will from you, so how you came to be there isn't of a particular concern of mine. Besides, your strength is far from whats needed to cause any disruptions to our sect or the whirlpool."
The Sect Leader sat down, and lightning once again started to snake out from the throne and around his body. He sat there as if it didn't affect him at all.
"Sect Leader, what shall we do with this boy? Can he be permitted entry to the sect?" Elder Ragur asked, looking for a final answer. Although he wasn't particularly concerned about John's fate, John's talent was worth noting.
If he personally brought a powerful talent to the sect, the Elder would be rewarded handsomely as well.
"Elder, you know the rules and why they exist. No one can be permitted entry to our sect without going through the entrance exams, no exceptions. He'll have to wait three months until the entrance exams begin, at which point he can test his luck."
The sect leader picked up his documents and started looking at them once more, paying no more attention to the Elder and John.
Elder Ragur looked at John somewhat helplessly, but couldn't argue with the Sect Leader. He too knew why only those who passed the entrance exam were permitted to the sect, and had no grounds to argue that.
"John, I'm afraid you'll have to leave this sect for three months before the entrance exams start."
John nodded his head but was secretly disappointed. Joining this sect would have changed his fate.
The two of them turned around and began to leave, but a voice from behind them stopped them in their tracks.
"Elder, I said he can't formally join the sect, but I never said anything about joining as a worker. Doesn't your Enforcement Hall need some additional help these days?" The voice came from the Sect Leader, who was still casually reading the documents in his hands.
Elder Ragur's eyes lit up, and he bowed his head slightly towards the Sect Leader. He knew that while the Sect Leader mentioned being a worker, he would still be able to treat John as a quasi-disciple. This way, no one could argue the rules had been broken, while he could start to guide John himself.
"You are correct. An excellent suggestion."
Elder Ragur turned to John.
"John, you may join my Enforcement Hall as a worker until the exams start if you so wish. What's your decision."
John's face lit up slightly at the offer. Although a worker wasn't nearly as good as a disciple of the sect, he would still be able to build connections within the sect in the next few months, which would greatly help in getting back home.
"I accept!"