Chapter 169: Perks of a Core Disciple

"This sect is amazing," John said out loud, causing Reya to chuckle once more.

"Not every abode is like this. In fact, yours is one of the most luxurious, thanks to your ranking as the top Core Disciple. Most disciples can only dream of the luxuries given to you here," Reya replied.

John nodded his head in understanding. This was truly extravagant, and he was sure that even the Heavenly Lightning Sect was unable to afford such extravagance for its tens of thousands of disciples.

Such rewards were given to the top disciples of the sect, and would serve as a motivation for others to improve and strive for.

"I'm sure you read about it in the scrolls earlier, but every six months, the other Core Disciples are allowed to challenge you for your ranking. If they win, you'll be required to leave this house and take over theirs. While they have great houses as well, they're not quite as luxurious as yours," Reya said to John.

John nodded his head, as he had read about that in one of the scrolls.

"No worries. I'll be keeping this house for quite some time," John responded in a confident tone.

If he were to battle the other Core Disciples now, John was unsure if he would be able to win. His essence cultivation was still only in the mid Qi Condensation Realm, while his body cultivation was stuck in the early Qi Condensation Realm, and becoming less of a strength he could rely on.

His opponents however, were at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, and battling them would be incredibly hard.

'Six months should be plenty to raise both of my cultivations. However, I need to figure out where to obtain more human blood essence.'

John had been unable to raise his body cultivation in the forest due to this, and was in desperate need of some more.

'I'll figure something out soon. Maybe there are some sect missions that can help with this.'

John knew the sect would never provide the blood to him directly, but if he was able to leave the sect on a sect mission, the opportunity to obtain human blood essence would be possible. He just had to find the right targets.

"Thanks for showing me around Reya. I'm going to cultivate now," John said to Reya. Reya bowed her head slightly, before leaving the basement.

John's new scythe appeared in his hands, and he gripped it tightly as he looked forward. His essence Qi began to build, and John raised his scythe high above his head. A profound and sharp aura began to emit from his scythe blade as it began to glow black and red.

Divine Reaping Scythe!

John's face paled slightly as he unleashed his strongest Divine Reaping Scythe attack. He wanted to test the power of the new weapon, and unleashing a Divine Reaping Scythe attack was the best way to do so.

The incredibly sharp scythe image sailed rapidly forward and collided with the basement wall. The formation lines on the wall lit up, and his attack was slowly but surely neutralized. Not a scratch was left behind, showing the power of the formation.

John's face lit up in happiness as he witnessed his attack fly out and collide with the wall.

"This weapon is truly amazing. That was much stronger than before!"

Battle art attacks such as the Divine Reaping Scythe were affected by many things. The main determinant of its power was comprehension levels and cultivation level, but things such as weapon quality also affected the strength and profundity of the attack.

Better materials were able to hold more Qi without breaking, and also allowed for a smoother transition of Qi flow from the body, to the weapon, to the air. John's new scythe was much more proficient at this, and could also handle more Qi during his attacks.

When he had unleashed his Divine Reaping Scythes before, he could tell his weapon was at its limits, and would begin to break with just a bit more Qi infused into it during his attacks. However, this new scythe of his was much better, and showed no signs of weakness or instability, allowing him to unleash his attacks at his full strength.

"Again!"

For the next several hours, John continued to train his battle arts, fully utilizing his new practice grounds. After fully exhausting his essence Qi, he walked into his meditation chamber and began to cultivate.

His cultivation lasted late into the night, and he focused on everything, from essence cultivation, to soul and will tempering in front of the gates. After a long night of cultivation, John walked to his new bedroom and collapsed on the bed, getting his first good night of rest in months.

…

Early morning sunlight shined through the trees, bathing John's new home with light. A light knock on his door woke John from his deep slumber.

He hopped off his bed and opened his door, and was greeted by Francel standing there with a smile on his face.

"Breakfast is ready for you in the kitchen. Wash up and meet us downstairs." Francel bowed his head slightly before turning and walking down the hallway, back towards the kitchen.

John returned to his washroom and washed up. He was about to put on his usual robes, when a thought crossed his mind. He walked to the nearby closet, and unsurprisingly found many robes waiting for him.

The robes were blue and white, and had the signature lightning bolts embroidered into the material. John donned one of the robes, and felt slightly out of place with its colors. He was used to wearing black and red, so the white and blue was quite the opposite.

"Oh well, I'm in this sect now, so I have to look the part."

After freshening up, John proceeded downstairs and had a hearty breakfast. After eating, John bid farewell to both Reya and Francel before leaving his new home. He took in the majestic scenery of the sect below him as he stepped outside. No matter how many times he viewed this scenery, John was sure he would never get tired of it.

The sect stretched out below him like an immortal paradise. The early morning sun shone through the light mist hanging over the sect, giving it an ethereal glow. Hundreds of grand buildings sprawled below, and profound beasts flew through the air, with powerful Elder's on their backs. After staring at the scene for some time, John finally snapped out of it.

"Today's the first day of classes. I can't be late."