John had come to this conclusion based on many things. When he first entered, him and adam unknowingly became isolated from everyone else, which caught his attention. Then just a few minutes later, he found himself separated from Adam, who was just mere yards from him as they walked.
This happened without his notice, and so there were only two explanations for this that he could come up with. The first was that an enemy, so powerful as to be unnoticed, swooped in and took all the other cultivators. However, this was a testing grounds, and such a thing would be worthless as a test. Also, why had he not been targeted yet?
The other explanation was that there was some sort of illusion formation in the city, obscuring his vision and altering his reality.
Illusion formations worked by tricking the mind into seeing and believing whatever the formation wanted them to. At a high enough level, illusion formations could be indistinguishable from reality, such as the one John experienced in the Lightning Trial World. In such formations, it was nearly impossible for a cultivator to see past the illusions, unless their cultivation was extremely high.
This formation, however, was not nearly as profound. If it was, it would have altered his perceptions on how he became separated from everyone else, making it so that he would never realize it was a formation. Not only that, but John had an odd feeling as soon as he stepped into the city, as if his soul was being slowly invaded by an outside force. It was so minuscule as to be ignored as his imagination, but the feeling was there nonetheless.
"I'm sure the Heavenly Lightning Sect could set up an illusion formation that is so powerful as to trick all those who enter, but that would defeat the purpose of it being a test. If I'm not mistaken, this is a trial to test the soul and willpower of all the youths.
The first trial tested essence Qi power and natural talent, while this trial is testing willpower and soul strength. Only those will have strong enough souls to see through the illusions, or strong enough wills to stick on the forward path despite all the obstacles and allures will pass. I'm sure everyone sees something different."
The first trial was the massive spider, whose power was a match for John's cultivation wise. Since beasts were normally stronger than cultivators in the same realm, this was a test for nerves and bravery. Only those willing to take the battle head on and move forward could advance, while the cowards who were too afraid to risk their lives in battle would be eliminated.
The next trial was with the alluring music and women. This was a test for his ability to resist temptation.
"I'm guessing I was able to see through this formation due to my encounter with the one in the Lightning World, as well as my strong soul strength. Most of the youths wont see through this formation, which will make it quite the challenge to pass. Only those with the strongest of wills can trudge through the obstacles to make it through to the end."
Now that John had seen through the formation, it had lost its potency. He could ignore all the future obstacles and walk directly to the end, knowing that it was only an illusion before him.
After concluding all this, John set out down the path once more, much less concerned about this trial. Although his guard was still raised in the chance that he was wrong about the test, he walked forward unflinchingly.
Several more illusions appeared before him, each with their own obstacle and allure. One mysterious and powerful cultivator appeared before him offering him immense wealth, should he become a member of their sect and spy on the Heavenly Lightning Sect.
John ignored the man and walked right through him, confirming his suspicions as fact. A little while later, profound treasures appeared down another alleyway. Their powerful fluctuations would affect most cultivators, but John ignored them and continued to walk.
Similar things continued to happen, until John finally saw the exit at the end of the road. The exit was framed by an archway similar to the one at the entrance, and John walked calmly towards its exit. Before long, he left the ancient city and breathed in a breath of fresh air.
"Being out of that formation feels nice," John mumbled out loud. He felt as if his breath was stifled in there, always being under the influence of the formation.
"I know right? That formation was a pain in the ass to see through, but it couldn't keep a brilliant man like me blind for too long," a voice behind him replied, causing John to turn around quickly.
Adam stood behind John, clearly having just left the ancient city just moments after him. John raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise at Adam's arrival, which had only been a hair later than him.
Adam noticed John's surprised look and puffed out his chest in pride. "I told you didn't I? I'm a formations expert. Such a measly formation couldn't obscure my eyes for too long."
John nodded his head at Adams' words, but still took some time to believe it. He had expected Adam to be a bumbling fool based on his actions in the first trial, but…
'Maybe he actually is a talented formations expert. With my powerful soul and strong will, I'm sure I have one of the fastest clearing times for this trial out of all the participants, but Adam finished just a hair later than me. It seems like having him as a follower might be worthwhile.'
John didn't dislike having people around him, but his desire for strength triumphed all other emotions. However, having strong followers would aid in his quest for strength, and John was not opposed to such an idea.
John walked forward and patted Adam on the shoulder in an approving manner. A smile appeared on his face as he spoke to him.
"Not bad, truly. It seems you do have talent as a formations expert. I've decided to accept your offer. You are my first official follower."
John felt somewhat awkward saying those words, as if he was doing Adam an immense favor by allowing Adam to follow him, but based on what he had seen so far from Adam's personality, John was sure that this was exactly the type of response he was looking for.
Adam's face quickly beamed into one of unbridled pride. His nose stuck high into the sky as he patted John on the shoulder in a similar manner.
"I knew my brilliance would be seen by you sooner than later. I'll humbly accept your offer."
John stared at Adam for a moment before turning around and continuing on the path to the third trial.
'Dealing with Adam is going to be a willpower test on its own, isn't it?'