John followed Elder Thame to the infirmary hall, which was quite large. The hall spread hundreds of yards wide and long, and contained thousands of infirmary stations, which treated the most gravely injured sect members.
Several hundred of the beds were occupied, each victim showing gruesome wounds, causing John to raise his eyebrows slightly.
"What happened here?" John asked curiously.
Elder Thame looked around the room for a moment before responding.
"Many of them were injured by trivial things, like fighting against strong beasts they couldn't handle. However, about half of them were injured by the taboo sects, namely the Bloodfiend Sect and its allies," Elder Thame explained.
"Bloodfiend Sect? Are we at war with them?" John asked. He had not heard of such a thing.
"No, we are not. But many of these members were scouts that attempted to gather intel inside the taboo sects territory. They were discovered, and hunted down. These are just the ones that made it out. The others…" Elder Thames' voice trailed off.
John stared at the wounded with some pity in his eyes. His thoughts trailed back to the taboo sect boy he had fought and killed when joining the War Hall.
'It seems like both sides show no mercy when discovering those of the opposite side in their territory.'
"While there is no war, that doesn't mean each side will allow their territory to be walked over. Just like the Bloodfiend Sect and its allies kill our sect members when discovered in their lands, we do the same to any taboo art cultivators we find in ours," Elder Thame continued.
John nodded his head in understanding, as he had already seen such things in action.
"Here," Elder Thame suddenly tossed John a round object, which he caught. It was a medicinal pill, and one of pretty decent quality.
"Your wounds aren't too bad, but this pill should take care of them."
John quickly swallowed the pill, and felt the medicinal properties swell throughout his body. Slowly but surely, the wounds on his body began to heal.
"It should be a few hours before you're healed up. Just stay here for a while to give credibility to your lie, before you make your way to the Vice-Sect Leader," Elder Thame said to John.
John hopped on an infirmary bed and laid down. He decided to rest for a few hours, as such a thing was a luxury to him.
Several hours later, Elder Thame returned, and instructed John to follow him. The two walked out of the infirmary hall and across the War Hall grounds, heading straight towards the massive War Hall Palace that towered over all the other buildings.
There were many guards stationed within the War Hall, and John could see hundreds of sparring sessions and other training going on in the grounds they crossed.
John quickly arrived before the War Hall Palace, and entered the large gate at the base of the palace. He followed Elder Thame to the staircase and up it, climbing nearly a thousand yards up before they finally arrived on the top floor.
The staircase led to a large, expansive hallway, and a large door, detailed with ominous designs. Two guards, both in the Late Meridian Forging Realm, were stationed outside, ensuring the Vice-Sect Leader was not disturbed without reason.
"Elder Thame, please proceed. The Vice-Sect Leader is expecting you," one of the guards spoke out upon noticing their arrival.
Elder Thame nodded his head and strode forward, through the large door that seemed to open on their own as they approached. John followed closely behind, taking in all the sights of the War Hall Palace.
Unlike the Heavenly Lightning Palace, which was grandiose and bright in its design, the War Hall Palace was much darker, and much more grim.
Upon passing through the doors, John found himself standing in a massive chamber, quite similar to the one in the Heavenly Lightning Palace.
There was a large open area, with a small wide staircase leading to an elevated throne. The throne was black and red in color, the colors of the War Hall. Hundreds of spikes jutted out of the back and sides of the throne, making it look quite ominous.
The Vice-Sect Leader sat on the throne, looking quite out of place on it. Her frame was relatively slim, and her face attractive, while her bright blue hair contrasted against the black and red throne she sat on.
However, her hawk-like eyes and cold demeanor gave her a powerful presence, which at the same time made it feel natural for her to sit on that throne.
"Vice-Sect Leader," Elder Thame spoke out and bowed his head slightly. "I have brought John."
"You may leave us," The Vice-Sect Leader spoke up.
Elder Thame turned to John and gave him a pat on his shoulders, as if to comfort him, before he strode out of the room. The large door closed after his departure, leaving only John and the Vice-Sect Leader alone in the chamber.
John stood there in silence while he stared at the Vice-Sect Leader, his face expressionless. However, while he did not want to admit it, he had developed an instinctual fear when he saw her, as every encounter he had with her had ended in his miserable and painful defeat.
The Vice-Sect Leader stared back at him, inspecting his body.
"I see your wounds have healed up quite nicely," she said to John. "Too nicely, almost as if you faked your injuries before," she continued.
John's face remained expressionless as he heard this, but internally he grumbled.
'Goddamnit, was this old wench watching me? Hopefully she doesn't start beating me like a maniac again.'
"Nonetheless," the Vice-Sect Leader spoke up once more. "That is not the reason you are here. You are here, because the Sect Leader has assigned me to train you, as if you were my disciple. However, do not think for a moment that you are truly my disciple, or that I am your master. You have not earned the privilege yet of calling me master."
John rolled his eyes as he heard this, an act that did not go unnoticed by the Vice-Sect Leader.
"Oh? Do you not find this arrangement to your liking?" The Vice-Sect Leader asked, her voice growing slightly frosty.
John narrowed his eyes as he stared back at her. "You're acting as if I'm nothing more than a nuisance to you. Since I did not ask for this arrangement, and you do not find it agreeable either, why don't we just ignore it," John replied, his voice equally frosty.
He was more than content to go back to Elder Ragur, and receive training from him.
The Vice-Sect Leader stared at John in silence for some time, her frigid aura chilling both the room and John.
"Unfortunately, this was a command from the Sect Leader himself, and so it must be carried out," the Vice-Sect Leader finally responded.
"Now," the Vice-Sect Leader suddenly stood up from her throne and began to walk down the stairs and towards John. "I'd like to get this arrangement over as soon as possible, so that I may go back to my own dealings, so I'll be training you with my utmost effort, until you reach a satisfactory level, or you die."