The Divine Martial Continents Heavenly Lightning Sect, also known as the True Heavenly Lightning Sect, was a sprawling paradise beyond the imaginations of anyone who had never seen it before. Especially those from the remote lands far removed from the Divine Martial Continent. To them, the Heavenly Lightning Sect was the grandest place they had ever seen before.
In the very center of the Heavenly Lightning Sect was a massive brick courtyard, several miles wide and long rested. Before the courtyard was an enormous building, quite similar in design to the Heavenly Lightning Palace. This too was known as the Heavenly Lightning Palace, and was one of the most important buildings in the entire sect.
In the area behind the Heavenly Lightning Palace was the floating landmass on top which rested the grand palace. Despite the palace being smaller than the Heavenly Lightning Palace, it was no less grand.
Opposite the Heavenly Lightning Palace on the other side of the courtyard, wide roads stretched off into the distance, each lined completely with buildings. The buildings were made from incredible materials, and each gave off a grand aura themselves. The sect sprawled for dozens of miles in each direction around the Heavenly Lightning Palace and the floating landmass, and was filled with hundreds of thousands of cultivators.
Currently, the courtyard was buzzing with activity as thousands of cultivators moved about in all directions to complete their daily duties. The Heavenly Lightning Palace was the administrative hub for the sect, and it alone had thousands entering and exiting every hour.
Standing in the courtyard before the Heavenly Lightning Sect was a group of six cultivators who had all just arrived here around the same time. In this group, Lilian stared at the two palaces for a moment, taking in the sight, as this was her first time visiting the True Heavenly Lightning Sect as well.
The branch sect leaders, who were the other five members of the group, all noticed Lilian's gaze at the magnificent buildings. A small, almost mocking smile appeared on the face of Branch Leader Whisperwind, who couldn't help but speak up.
"I suppose this is your first time visiting this sect," Whisperwind said to Lilian. "You look just like a newborn fawn, experiencing the world for the first time."
While her words could be insinuated as youthful innocence, all could tell that they were mocking the lack of experience Lilian had. Lilian's gaze shifted from the Heavenly Lightning Palace to Branch Sect Leader Whisperwind. Her gaze was the epitome of calmness, as if she considered words from Whisperwind to be beneath her notice.
Whisperwind's face quickly turned into a scowl at Lilian's reaction and was just about to reply when another spoke up.
"I believe it's about time that they arrive," the branch leader with the scar on his face said to the group, which squashed any further discussion on the previous topic.
At the same time, around a dozen Elders of the sect landed in the courtyard and stood together in a group nearby the group of branch leaders. The two groups glanced at each other, and gave each other nods of greeting, before their gazes shifted forward as thousands of flashes of light caught their attention.
'Time to see if that brat lived up to his words, or I'm going to give him a severe beating for losing me all that money,' Lilian mused internally while she stared at the flashes of light.
…
In the valley where the incredible battles had taken place between John, Aaron, and Iris, roughly one hundred cultivators stood in a group.
The group consisted almost entirely of the disciples from the Yuan Continent branch, which had gathered around John after the completion of his fights.
Standing in the center of the group, John's divine sense continued to shift through the two bags on his waist, both of which were filled to the brim with Identification badges. His divine sense locked onto one badge, and he reached in to pull it out.
His gaze shifted to a certain part of the group of youths before him, and he tossed out the badge to one of the youths. The youth, a girl who had been an Inner Disciple of the Yuan Continent branch sect, caught the badge with an elated smile on her face.
"Thank you, John!" the girl called out happily.
John nodded his head, before his attention locked onto the bags once more.
For the last fifteen minutes, John had been going through his bags and returning the lost badges to those of his branch sect. Most badges in the entrance exam had been taken by Aaron or Iris, and so John was able to return the badges of those from his branch sect without impacting his number one position in the trial.
"That's all the badges belonging to our branch sect," John said to the group as his divine sense faded away.
His words caused around twenty youths to become downcast, as they had not retrieved their badges yet. They had them taken by different youths, but were hoping that Aaron or Iris had then taken them from those youths.
"Unfortunately, everyone else has scattered far away from here after my battle with Aaron and Iris, and we don't have enough time to retrieve them," John said to the badgeless group.
"Its okay John, we can't blame anyone other than ourselves for having our badges stolen," one of the youths spoke up. They couldn't fault John for their shortfalls in this trial.
John nodded his head in approval at the youths words, before replying to him and the group.
"Hmm, good. That is the attitude a cultivator should have. Amit your weakness and learn from it. If you remain steadfast in your cultivation, and keep this resolve in your hearts, I have no doubts you'll all become powerhouses of the Yuan Continent Branch Sect," John replied.
His reply elevated the moods of those who did not have their badges, who all nodded their head at John. Although their journey to enter the Divine Martial Continents sect was over, their cultivation journey was not.
With their strength and talent, perhaps it was better to return to the Yuan Continent. In that place, they could thrive and become powerful Elders, which was more than many of them could ever have dreamed of.
"We'll do exactly as you say," one of the youths replied to John, his mood quickly recovering.
"Right. When you one day return to the Yuan Continent, we'll show you just how far our resolve will carry us," another replied, their hearts set.
"Good," John nodded his head in approval at their attitudes.
Standing behind John was Iris, who stood there silently. After having been kicked violently by John down the mountain, she had quickly returned to John's side. John had tried to shoo her away, but regardless of his words, Iris only said that John was now her master that she was to follow.
Despite repeated attempts from John to stop her from calling him master, Iris ignored each one, which led John to eventually give up out of frustration.
Her gaze swayed over the group before John as she watched him inspire all of them, even those who seemed like they would be lost in their despair of failing the trial. She nodded her head in silent approval at John's actions, as they were the actions of a leader, not a ruler.
If Aaron had been the one in this situation, he would have told everyone to piss off, keeping everything to himself.
Upon seeing this, Iris's decision to follow John became even more firm.
Suddenly, everyone who held their own identification badge felt the same spatial energy that had appeared at the start of the trial wrap around them. John's face turned firm, as well as slightly excited, as he let the energy wrap him up and take him away.
'The trial has finally ended. Well then, let's see what the True Heavenly Lightning Sect is all about.'
