'Bloodfiend Sect! One of the Four Great Sects. Goddamnit.'
John was dismayed to hear that the sect helping the Crimson Valley Sect was the Bloodfiend Sect. They were on par with the Heavenly Lightning Sect, which meant their power was something he was unable to even approach in the near term.
Not only that, but it seemed as if the Bloodfiend Sect was strong enough to deter the other three Great Sects from acting against them, so it would not be easy to enlist the help of the Heavenly Lightning Sect, even if he joined them. If it was a first tier sect or below, John was sure he would be able to use his future status as a Heavenly Lightning Sect disciple to dissuade them, but the Bloodfiend Sect was a Great Sect instead.
'This is going to be a massive problem. The only way I can solve this is either get strong enough myself to change the situation, or become important enough to the Heavenly Lightning Sect that they would be willing to offend the Bloodfiend Sect for me.'
John was sure that the first one was impossible. By the time he got strong enough to achieve such a result, the Crimson Valley Sect would most likely have destroyed his Clan already. The only other option was to become invaluable to the Heavenly Lightning Sect to the point that they would help him despite the consequences of doing so.
John thought about potentially joining the Bloodfiend Sect and persuading them to alter their course, but he quickly dismissed that as impossible.
'From the sounds of the sect, and my dealings with Jason and Dylan, the Bloodfiend Sect is a brutal sect that places their own interest above all else. Even if I joined the sect and became important enough, I doubt they would alter their plans. Not only that, but a sect that greedy and evil would most likely target me as soon as they realized I had some secrets worth uncovering. Although I would be able to openly train my Immortal Asura Body's blood cultivation, the risks are not worth it.'
Obtaining human blood essence to cultivate the Immortal Asura Body would most likely be much easier in such a place, but John was sure that he would not thrive in such a place. Although he had good excuses for many of his secrets, such a place might not care about the explanations and dig into the truth themselves. If they were to discover any of his secrets, John was sure that he would die a miserable death.
'I can't believe those Crimson Valley Assholes sold themselves to the Bloodfiend Sect. They should be more than aware that they'll just be swallowed whole once this whole thing is over and done. Idiots.'
The two of them continued to travel on the back of the drake in silence. Elder Ragur could tell that John was deep in thought and seemed quite serious, but he didn't ask for an explanation. If John wanted to confide in him, he could, but he wasn't going to force it.
The journey continued for several more hours, before the drake slowly began to descend. John looked down to the ground below, and saw an expansive mountain range covered in thick vegetation. The dense thicket of trees stretched hundreds of yards into the sky, and loud roars of various beasts echoed throughout the forest, giving it a vibrant but dangerous feeling.
"There are many Qi Condensation Beasts in this forest, but do you don't have to worry about any Core Formation beasts. The Elders remove any beasts that reach that level of strength, as this is a training ground for our Qi Condensation disciples. It's currently not in use, so you shouldn't expect to run into anyone at the moment."
John nodded his head and peered into the forest as the drake began to descend. After some time, it hovered above the forest canopy, several hundred yards up in the sky.
"Do you remember how we got here from the Sect?" Elder Ragur asked.
John nodded his head in confirmation. Although the journey had taken many hours on the back of the drake, it was a relatively straight route back to the sect.
"Yep."
"Good, because here's your stop."
John frowned at the Elder's words.
"Surely you don't mean for me to jump off at this height, do you?"
"That's exactly what I mean. This forest is too thick for the drake to land in, so you'll have to jump to the trees below. Besides, you have a strong body, so I'm sure you'll be mostly alright" Elder Ragur confirmed, causing John's expression to become complicated.
John peered off the edge of the drake and to the ground several hundred yards below, before turning back to the Elder.
"This is my punishment for attempting to fight Roy, isn't it?" John asked, and the Elder's slight smile at his words confirmed his suspicions.
"Isn't that a little too harsh? I wasn't even the one who started it."
John tried to make his case, but it fell on deaf ears. He looked down to the ground below once more.
'If I land on one of the tree canopies below, I should be alright.'
John walked to the edge of the drakes back, and prepared to leap off.
"Remember, the sects entrance exam starts in exactly ninety four days. Make sure you arrive at the sect's front gates before then," Elder Ragur reminded John, causing him to frown once more. It seemed as if the Elder was making him walk all the way back on his own as well.
"You're being too harsh," John rebuked, but his response once again fell on deaf ears.
"Well, I suppose that will be training itself, so I can't complain. I'll be back by then," John confirmed to the Elder.
Just before jumping, John spoke up once more.
"Thank you for your help so far, Elder Ragur."
John took a deep breath and leaped off the edge of the drake. His figure plummeted rapidly towards the trees below.