John closed the door to Lilian's cultivation chamber and stood there in silence for a moment. He replayed everything that had just happened and took a second to process it all, before he shivered slightly.
Based on Lilians words and tone at the end, his training in a month's time was going to be absolutely hellish. A deep sigh escaped John's lips as he set out and left Lilian's palace.
He stood atop the mountain peering over the beautiful sect below, and contemplated what to do next.
'I only have a month's time to get what I need, so I need to be quick about it. I should ask around about the nearest trading hub, and head there immediately.'
John set out for the sect, and decided to visit the sects Trade Hall. While most of the things that were for purchase were only purchasable with contribution points, John went there for their information instead. It was quite likely that the sects Trade Hall would know the best nearby trading cities, and after asking around for a short while, he got the answer he was looking for.
"The nearest trade city would be Mystic City," an Elder replied to John's question. "It's a few thousand miles north of here. Here, take this map, it will guide you to the city."
The Elder handed John a map of the local region, and John quickly spotted Mystic City to the north of the Heavenly Lightning Sect.
'A few thousand miles should take a day or two to traverse, so that's actually quite close. This is just what I need.'
"Are there any dangers between here and Mystic City that I should be aware of?" John asked the Elder.
"Not that I know of," the Elder replied quickly. "The area between us and Mystic City is an incredibly popular trade route, and so both powers ensure it is safe for travel. As long as you stick to the main roads between the cities, you should be fine."
John thanked the Elder for his aid and map, and set off immediately for Mystic City, wasting no time at all. After leaving the northern exit of the Heavenly Lightning Sect, John followed the massive road extending outwards.
It was over a hundred yards wide, and allowed for an absolutely incredible amount of travel and trade to take place between the two powers. The paved road was brimming with activity as traders, disciples, and others streamed in and out of the sect every minute.
Deciding that walking would be too slow, John took to the skies and flew to the side of the road, but kept it in sight as he rapidly sped forward. Quite a few other cultivators were doing the same, making the sky near the Heavenly Lightning Sect busy as well.
…
Two days later, a massive sprawling city came into John's view. He had been flying for two days straight without taking a break, and was starting to feel the fatigue of it all. However, the massive city filled him with a burst of renewed energy as he finally arrived at his destination.
The city was situated at the convergence of two massive rivers, each over a mile wide. The city sprawled for dozens of miles, and contained absolutely incredible buildings within. In fact, the buildings on average seemed to be even more gaudy and luxurious than the Heavenly Lightning Sect's buildings, surprising John slightly. Most of the buildings were marble white, with gold and silver trim designs all over it.
'I guess Mystic City truly does live up to its name as a massive trade city. There seems to be plenty of money here,' John mused as he flew towards the city's entrance. Even more surprising was the amount of people trying to enter the city, as well as leave it.
While the Heavenly Lightning Sect was quite busy, it paled in comparison to the amount of traffic entering Mystic City. A line several miles long stretched out from the front gate as the guards inspected those entering the city. The line was also ten rows wide, utterly shocking John with the amount of people trying to enter.
'I suppose it makes sense though. A trade city would attract more people than a sect.'
John landed on the ground and quickly fell into line. The line was mostly made up of other traders, who were looking to sell their wares within the massive city. Contrary to what he had expected, the line was moving rather quickly. The city made its money off trade, and so restricting the amount of people who could enter would hinder its ability to make money. With this in mind, the city put great effort into making sure as many people as possible could enter the city, while still filtering out any criminals or illicit activity.
An hour later, John found himself at the front of the line. The guards briefly inspected him and asked him some questions, and let him in shortly after. After entering through the massive front arched gate, which was over a hundred yards tall and wide, John found himself within the city's walls.
Massive buildings lined the sprawling streets, which branched in every direction. The streets were covered with traders and passerby's, and an incredibly lively atmosphere filled the city as traders hawked their wares, while buyers haggled with prices.
John meandered around the city for a short while, taking in the boisterous atmosphere, before he finally stopped to ask for directions.
"Excuse me sir," John said to a trader at his stall. The man looked at John for a moment, clearly inspecting the robe he was wearing. A smile appeared on his face as he instantly recognized the power John was from.
"What can I do for the young Heavenly Lightning Sect disciple?" the man asked warmly.
"I'm looking for weapons and pills," John cut to the chase. "Where would I find the highest quality items for those two categories?"
The man's smile faded away as he realized John was not looking to do business with him, but remained mostly kind and warm as he didn't dare offend a Heavenly Lightning Sect member. The Heavenly Lightning Sect was the strongest sect within ten thousand miles, and so mere traders dared not to offend members of the sect.
"That would be at the city center…a grand building, white and black in color," the man replied.
John thanked the man and gave him some spirit crystals for his help, making the man smile once more. He quickly made his way to the city center, pushing through the incredibly packed streets, before he arrived in the city center some time later.
The massive building, white and black in color appeared in his vision. It was a pagoda, and it pierced high into the sky. In fact, it was the tallest building in the city, and dwarfed the others in both size and luxuriousness.
Thousands of cultivators and traders were entering and exiting the building every minute, making it an incredibly boisterous place as well. The massive signboard, placed above the front entrance, revealed the name of the building, which John quickly recognized.
"Mystic Trade Hall."