Envious gazes stared at John from the disciples behind him, while surprised gazes stared at him from the small crowd that had gathered. It was the first time something like this had happened, and they knew something special was going on if the Grand Elder had decided to make such an exception.
He was a strict man who followed the laws of the sect closely, but for some reason he had decided to make an exception this time.
“Good,” the Grand Elder replied, his face still calm as if he had expected John to accept eventually. “In that case, I will proceed with the rest of the entrance ceremony.”
His gaze shifted upwards to look at the line of disciples behind John.
“Those who were identified as pseudo-disciples, you will follow Elder Illio,” the Grand Elder stated as an Elder stepped forward from behind him to identify himself.
Without pause, the Grand Elder continued the instructions, assigning each group an Elder to follow, most likely to get them acquainted with the sect, as well as set up with housing. As the ceremony, if it could be called that, came to an end, the small crowd that had gathered began to disperse.
John stood there patiently as he watched all the groups leave, as well as Lilian, who seemed to follow another Elder to a different part of the sect. The group of Inner Disciples, which consisted of Adam, Chase, Iris and more started leaving as well behind another Elder, leaving only John and the Grand Elder behind.
“Girl, you stay here,” the Grand Elder suddenly said, catching the attention of the group.
Iris looked in both directions, seeing if the Elder was speaking to anyone else, before she pointed to herself for confirmation.
“Me?” Iris asked, and the Grand Elder nodded his head in confirmation.
Iris walked over to John and the Grand Elder, while the rest of the newly designated Inner Disciples followed the Elder away from the courtyard.
Iris stood next to John as they both stared at the Grand Elder, curious as to why he had Iris stay behind. The Grand Elder stared intently at Iris for a short moment, before his eyes seemed to subtly change and his gaze became more profound.
A surprised look appeared on Iris’s face, as her eyes suddenly seemed to change slightly as well. The two of them stared at each other for a short while, while John stood there in silence, wondering what the hell was going on.
“You’re…you’re like me!” Iris suddenly said to the Grand Elder, who nodded his head in confirmation while a rare smile appeared on his face.
“Indeed,” the Grand Elder replied. “We are both blessed with innate eye abilities…however, I cannot discern what type of eyes you have, only that they are even more profound than mine.”
A contemplative look appeared on the Grand Elder’s face before he once again gazed at Iris.
“It’s been hundreds of years since I last ran into someone with such profound innate eye talents. How would you like to become a disciple under my tutelage? You wont have the status of a Direct Disciple just yet, as your strength is not quite there yet, but your rewards will be far greater than that of an Inner Disciple”
The Grand Elders words shocked both Iris and John, who had never expected him to extend another great opportunity.
“I accept!” Iris replied without any hesitation. An offer to learn under the Grand Elder was an opportunity all could only dream of, and Iris did not have any reservations for such an arrangement.
“Congratulations, Iris,” John said to Iris. Although he had not known her for long, she had pledged her loyalty to John, and he saw no reason to doubt her based on the visions she had shown him. As such, he felt it only right to congratulate her at this moment.
“Good,” the Grand Elder said as his smile lingered on his face. “It appears as though we gained two magnificent treasures today. Both of you, follow me.”
Without missing a beat, the Grand Elder turned on his heels and began walking through the courtyard of the sect at a leisurely pace, as if nothing could worry him. John and Iris both found it strange that someone so powerful would move so slowly, but they both kept their opinions to themselves as they followed the Grand Elder through the sect.
Their path took them through many different parts of the sect, which was quite similar to the layout of the Heavenly Lightning Sect on the Yuan Continent. The Sect contained the typical business districts, tradehall districts, housing districts, and more. However, the main differences between the two was that these sections were much more profound in quality, size and craftsmanship, and the cultivators roaming throughout were also much more powerful.
In the Yuan Continent, it was quite rare to see Heaven Tribulation Elders, and even more rare to see Dao Transformation Elders. However, just from his single trip, John had seen thousands of Heaven Tribulation cultivations, and many Dao Transformation experts as well.
The wide streets were buzzing with activity, as sect members and distant travelers walked about, while others rode on powerful beasts, some which John had never seen before. Dozens of crystal blue streams meandered throughout the sect, while ornate bridges climbed over them. Every inch of the sect was thriving with activity, which made it feel incredibly vibrant and alive.
As they walked, the sect members would all stop and give the Grand Elder a slight head bow of respect, as his status was incredibly lofty within the sect. Afterwards, their curious gazes would shift to John and Iris, who were clearly being escorted by the Grand Elder. For them to receive such a privilege, they must be quite special.
John and Iris followed behind the Elder for nearly an hour as they slowly meandered through the sect, their curious gazes drifting in all directions as they took in all the sights. Eventually, they arrived at a large gate, from which tall walls spread out in both directions.
A powerful formation seemed to cover everything beyond the wall, and the Grand Elder pressed his hand against a certain part of the gate, which caused it to part slowly. As the gates began to part, the Grand Elder glanced sideways at John.
“Your Direct Disciple trial lies just beyond these gates. All must take this trial to become a Direct Disciple. However, if you fail, your life may be at risk. Do you still accept it?” The Grand Elder asked.
“Of course,” John replied without hesitation.
The gates slowly parted, and what existed within the walled area came into John’s view. His eyes widened slightly at the sight, and he couldn’t help but exclaim out loud at what he saw.
“Thats…thats it?”