John quickly left the Fenix n grounds as he flew towards his desired destination. The Skycleave Forest rushed by below him, filling him with another wave of nostalgia. This very forest was where he first set out on his cultivation journey. It was where everything had started.


    After a moment of thought, John diverted his route slightly as he veered to the right. After flying forward for several hours, he finally arrived at his first destination. He hovered high in the sky as he looked down at the deste stretch of forest below him.


    In this deste stretch of forest was arge clearing, with arge vige built in this clearing. This was the vige that shunned cultivation, and fled from the Dreadel Kingdom''s protection. This was the vige where John had killed his first human, and where he was yelled out of the city he interfered with the bandits acting as guards.


    The vige, which had once been brimming with human activity waspletely empty. Dried blood was sttered all over, while w marks from powerful beasts were visible. Clearly the vige was attacked by powerful beasts, and the vige was no longer able to protect themselves, resulting in their destruction.


    John sighed slightly as he saw all of this, as its destruction was rted to his interfering actions. However, his heart remained steady.


    "This vige was destroyed because I interfered, but the me cannot be put on me alone. Despite having no strength at all, they shunned the cultivation world and lived amongst beasts. Sooner orter, those bandits would have abandoned them, and their destruction would have happened regardless. They only have themselves to me for their na?ve thinking. The only assurance in this world is strength. Shunning that assurance is tantamount to suicide."


    John gazed at the vige below for a moment longer before his body sped forward once more, leaving the vige behind for nature to eventually reim, its existence eventually forgotten for all time.


    ...


    In the very center of arge city, a grand castle towered over the rest of the city. The white walls of the castle gleaned in the sunlight, while the blue-tipped spires caught the attention of all. This castle belonged to the king of the Dreadel Kingdom.


    Within this castle, a meeting between all the important members of the kingdom was taking ce. Seated on the throne before all the members was the king, who nced down at his subjects who were reporting on the matter at hand.


    "Reporting to your excellency. Our scouts have just returned from the Fenix n," one of the men said as he stepped forward.


    "Oh?" the king replied as he nced at the man. "What is the oue of the battle? Has the Fenix n been wiped out as expected? If so, we will need to give our tribute to the Crimson Valley Sect with utmost haste. While we will fall a bit in power over thesends, this will ensure our survival as a kingdom."


    The man who had stepped forward paused for a moment after hearing his kings words. "Actually your excellency...it was the Fenix n who was victorious. The Crimson Valley Sect has been fully eradicated, sect and all."


    "WHAT?"


    The man''s report caused amotion in the council chambers, as no one could believe what they were hearing. The king too was beyond surprised, and asked his man to rify.


    "Are you sure that''s what happened. Could your scouts be wrong?" the king asked.


    "They are not wrong, your excellency," the man replied. "Simr reports havee from other sources, adding to the veracity of the im."


    "Silence," the kingmanded as the room became loud at the news once again. He nced at the man once more. "How did such a thinge to pass?"


    "Well…" the man was unsure of how to report the message without sounding incredulous. After a brief moment of silence, he decided to just tell the truth.


    "The Fenix n was on the verge of annihtion, when...they were saved by one of their Young Master''s, as well as a mysterious woman."


    "Saved by one of their Young Masters? How could the youth of their n make a difference?" the king asked, not believing the story.


    "We are unsure of how such a thing happened," the man replied.


    The king remained silent for a moment before he addressed the man and the group before him once more.


    "If that truly is the case, then we must find out more about this. Perhaps the youth discovered some amazing secret that elevated his power quickly. If we can obtain that secret, it could raise our kingdom as well," the king instructed.


    Boom!


    A sudden boom shook the castle, surprising everyone within the council chamber. A small part of the ceiling of the castle exploded, showering the council below with debris. Guards quickly flooded into the room at the sound, ready to fight against any intruder.


    "Who dares interrupt my council meeting and destroy my castle!" the king yelled out furiously as he noticed a new person had arrived.


    The person stood at the center of the room, instantly drawing the attention of everyone, including the guards. However, the guards didn''t dare move as they noticed the power and cultivation of the person before them.


    John''s eyes swept over the council, looking for a particr person. He had arrived at that person''s mansion earlier, and his questioning had revealed that person to be in this very council.


    John immediately spotted the person, who looked at him as if he had seen a ghost.


    "You…" the man called out with absolute shock in his voice.


    "Duke Trommel, we meet again," John replied with a smile as he approached the Duke.


    John had no ill-will towards the Duke, despite the fact that he had hired the Stalking Mantis Assassin Guild. The Duke was only doing what he could to take back his spear, and did not know John was part of the group that had stolen it. It was the assassins themselves that dealt the finishing blow, when they were only tasked with retrieving the spear.


    However, the Duke had information that John needed, and so he decided toe here directly.


    John ignored everyone else in the room, including the king, as he walked over to the Duke. "Where can I find the Stalking Mantis Assassin Guild?" John asked, getting directly to the point.


    "What?" the Duke replied. He had expected John toe find vengeance for his son''s actions a year ago.


    "Answer me," Johnmanded. "Where can I find them?"


    His aura pressed down on the Duke, sending a shiver of fear up his spine.


    "At the Shrake Mountains. They''re located in a cave at the base of Shrake Mountain," the Duke replied hastily.


    John inspected the Duke for a moment to make sure he wasn''t lying, before he suddenly flew up out of the hole in the castle ceiling he had created. Just as fast as he had arrived, he had left, filling the council with a sense of confusion as to what had just happened.


    "What just happened? Who was that boy?" the king cried out for answers. "How dare he invade my kingdom!"


    His gaze locked onto the Duke, who was still shivering from John''s aura. "Duke Trommel, who was that boy!" the kingmanded answers once more.


    "Your excellency," the man who had addressed the council first stepped forward once more. "I believe that was the Fenix n youth I was talking about!"


    His words sent a wave of shock through the council, while the king felt the color drain from his face. He had nearly shouted out and ordered his guards to attack John, but John had left before he could do so.


    The king slumped on his throne as he sighed out deeply, realizing he had barely dodged death today.


    …


    John quickly arrived before a medium sized mountain, which was rtively un-eye catching. His divine sense swept out over the mountain, and he quickly spotted what he was looking for.


    "It seems as though Duke Trommel was wise enough to not lie to me. There truly is a well-hidden hideout at the base of this mountain.. Time to pay some old acquaintances a visit once again."