John was in a great mood, as he had finally accomplished one of the goals he had set out to do.
His cultivation had always lagged behind those of his peers in this land, due to his lower starting point. In every fight he had, he would have to jump realms to fight those of the same age as him. Now however, he had finally caught up to those the same age as him, greatly pleasing him.
"The profundity of the Primordial Extermination Lightning Cultivation Technique is finally showing its merits. Not only does it provide me with a naturally potent and destructive lightning, as well as allow me to use lightning more efficiently, it also allows me to cultivate faster than my peers. It shouldn't be long until I leave them in the dust, and ascend far beyond their sights."
John's thought suddenly drifted to the girl he had met in the ancient city, and the words she had spoken. If what she said was true, then John was sure that the Divine Martial Continent was an incredible world for cultivation.
"Just looking at her cultivation, it was at the Middle Meridian Forging Realm, despite her being slightly younger than me. Just because I've caught up to the youths in this land doesn't mean I can slack off."
John continued to cultivate for a while longer, making sure to stabilize his foundation to eliminate any flaws. Only after solidifying his new cultivation base did John stand up, eager to accomplish the various tasks he still needed to do.
"I need to get a new scythe, a new battle axe art, beast blood essence, and much much more. Oh, and I need to talk to the Sect Leader. I suppose I'll do that first to get it out of the way."
John looked to his side, and noticed Kirii sleeping peacefully there. A smile appeared on his face as he gave Kirii a few good pats, before withdrawing him into his soul space.
John stretched his aching legs, before walking out into the battle area of the basement. A thought crossed his mind, and he pointed his finger out towards the wall.
Lightning began to flicker on his finger for a moment before…
Lightning Ruin!
An incredible beam of lightning, many times more powerful than his previous Lightning Ruin, exploded out of his finger and slammed into the basement wall.
Boom!
The lightning pierced into the wall, completely destroying the defenses of the wall's formation. The entire house began to shake, as rubble crumbled off from the wall to the floor below. A large hole, several yards wide and deep, now lingered in the basement wall.
"Oops. I guess I'm even stronger than I expected. I suppose I forgot this house was meant for a Qi Condensation youth."
John smiled wryly as he stared at the damage. He now had a new goal...obtain a new testing area. John shook his head at himself, and walked upstairs. He spotted Reya and Francel running to him with great worry, but their worry subsided as they saw John emerge from the basement unharmed.
"Don't worry, I was just testing out my new strength," John reassured them.
"Did you have a good cultivation session?" Reya asked with a smile on her face. She had been in an incredibly good mood ever since John had gifted her all those spirit crystals.
"A very good one," John replied with a smile on his face. He exchanged a few more words with the two of them, before leaving his house.
As he strode out of his house, John was greeted with the view he had come to love. His mountain abode towered over the land below, allowing him to see much of the sect below. Hundreds of grand buildings lined the valleys below, while towering waterfalls coated the valley with an ethereal mist, in which the morning sun shone through brilliantly. Lush vegetation, from blooming flowers to towering trees, lined the valleys and covered the mountains, making the entire sect feel incredibly alive.
Dozens of flying mounts were seen soaring through the sky, carrying various members of the sect to their desired location. John took in the scenery for some time, becoming completely relaxed.
"I wonder...if one day I will have my own sect like this, looking over all that I have created."
A new goal of John's sprung into his mind, as he looked up to the distant Heavenly Lightning Palace. Despite him standing on a tall mountain, the palace still towered over him in the distance.
"I've never tested my full ability of flight. Let's see just how fast I can go."
Boom!
The ground shattered beneath John's feet as he leaped up into the sky. Utilizing his Qi as a propellant, John suddenly raced through the sky, piercing through the clouds with incredible speed. The ground below him whirled past in a blur, and a large smile appeared on John's face.
"Incredible. This feels incredible. And I must be going at least several hundred miles per hour!"
John's body rocketed through the air of the sect, appearing like a blur as he sped towards the Heavenly Lightning Tower. Most cultivators did not fly in the sect air, as it was a luxury reserved for only Elders, but John did not care for such rules.
He rapidly approached the Heavenly Lightning Palace, at which point two Elder's suddenly appeared before him. They both had Late Meridian Forging Cultivations.
"What are you doing flyin-"
Their words trailed off as they noticed who it was. Ever since his fight with Hunter, John had assumed the status of the number one first year in the sect. Not only that, but everyone could tell that he had the highest talent of all the youths in the sect, and thus his status was cemented. It wouldn't be long until the sect took an official stance regarding his status in the sect.
The Elder who had spoken up cleared his throat before speaking out once more.
"This is restricted space. Where are you going?"
"The Sect Leader himself sent me a sound transmission earlier to see him when I was available. I'm going to see him now," John replied, getting straight to the point.
The Elder's had suspected such a thing, and thought about it for a moment before replying to John.
"You still need to go through the official process to see the Sect leader. You cannot just fly up to his-"
"Let him pass," the Sect Leader's voice suddenly sounded out in the ears of the Elders.
"You may proceed. The Sect Leader is waiting for you on his balcony," the Elder said to John.
John nodded his head and proceeded upwards through the air, flying quickly towards the balcony that sat high in the clouds above.
The Elders watching him sighed. "The youths of today are something else. It won't be long until he makes his way to the main branch," one Elder sighed.
"The young are destined to surpass the old, such is the way of the world," the other Elder replied. "However, this boy is special. Even in the main branch, he should soar to incredible heights."
The other Elder nodded his head in agreement. "He should bring great pride to our branch that has lingered in mediocrity for so long."
The Elder's stared at John's figure for a short moment before returning to the ground below and once again assuming their duties.
John landed on the highest balcony of the Heavenly Lightning Palace, which rested thousands of yards above the sect grounds below. A majestic view sprawled before him, but he ignored it as he stared at the man before him.
Sect Leader Thunderzen was leisurely sitting on his chair by the table, sipping tea. His face lit up each time he sipped the tea, showing his love for it.
"Good stuff," Thunderzen muttered to himself, as if he had not noticed John's arrival.
John shook his head and slightly bowed to the Sect Leader. "Disciple greets Sect Leader," John spoke up, announcing his presence.
Thunderzen glanced over to John, and a smile appeared on his face. "Not a bad greeting. Come, sit down."
Thunderzen gestured to a seat next to him, beckoning John to sit down. John obliged, and quickly seated himself. He stared in silence at the Sect Leader, who continued to calmly sip his tea for some time.
"Good stuff, good stuff," Thunderzen occasionally muttered to himself, as if John was not present.
Only after the tea was finished did Thunderzen put the cup down and look back at John. An approving smile appeared on his face as he inspected John.
"Your power continues to grow at a shocking rate. Quite impressive. And your battle with Hunter was equally so. I noticed you have already started to incorporate several Dao's into your attacks. The mysterious lands must have been quite amazing." Thunderzen nodded his head in approval.
His piercing eyes locked onto John's as he slightly leaned forward. "So, do tell me of everything that happened within those lands. And before you do that, settle this matter I've been curious about. How many dantian compressions did you achieve?"