Now Isshin had the Strike of Jupiter. As he went to receive it, he was suddenly stopped by the faction that had been bidding against him.
A very tall and bulky man stepped forward. He had a thick beard, a heavy presence, and a large sword resting on his back. Several people stood behind him, all looking serious. The man stopped right in front of Isshin, blocking his path.
Isshin immediately felt the tension. He was ready for a fight if things went wrong.
"Congratulations on getting the Strike of Jupiter," the man said.
Isshin was caught off guard. He had expected anger, maybe even an attack. "T-thanks," he replied, still watching carefully.
The man gave a small nod. "I hope you put it to good use. We'll meet again."
Before Isshin could say anything else, the man bowed slightly and turned around, leaving with his group.
Isshin stood there for a moment, confused. That wasn't what he expected at all. He thought they might try something later instead, maybe when he was alone. Still, he didn't think too much about it right now.
He continued forward and went to collect the Strike of Jupiter. Once he received it, he stored it in his inventory. The payment wasn't an issue since Felix had already handled it.
After some time, Felix came over. "We're leaving," he said.
Isshin followed him without question. They stepped outside, and Isshin was already thinking about how long the journey would take. Even with his flashstep, it would take at least a day or two to reach the Divine Sword Sect from here.
But Felix suddenly raised his hand and pulled out a giant sword out of thin air.
Isshin paused, confused. "Does he have an inventory too?" he thought.
"No," Raijin said calmly. "He compressed that sword into his body. He can bring it out whenever he wants."
Isshin looked at the sword again, a bit more carefully this time.
Felix stepped onto it as it hovered horizontally in the air. "Get on," he said.
The sword was large enough for both of them. Isshin stepped on it, still unsure about what was about to happen.
"Use your qi on your legs. Hold yourself in place," Felix said.
Isshin nodded and focused his qi into his legs, stabilizing himself on the blade.
The next moment, Felix poured his qi into the sword.
In an instant, they shot forward.
Isshin's body tensed. The sudden speed nearly threw him off, but he focused harder, keeping his balance with his qi. The wind rushed past him, and everything below turned into a blur.
They were moving far faster than anything Isshin had experienced before.
In just around thirty minutes, they arrived at the Divine Sword Sect.
As Isshin stepped off the sword, he took a moment to process what just happened. That level of speed made the difference between them very clear.
In front of him stood a massive building. He could tell immediately that it was the main hall of the sect, where the sect leader resided.
Felix walked forward, and Isshin followed.
As they entered, disciples stood on both sides of the entrance, bowing as Felix passed. Their eyes shifted toward Isshin, clearly curious about who he was. Some whispered quietly, but no one spoke out loud.
They continued walking until they reached the main hall. At the center was a large throne.
Felix sat down.
Isshin stood beside him, unsure of where exactly he should position himself, but staying close felt like the safest choice.
Felix looked around briefly. He could tell everyone had questions. After a short pause, he spoke.
"Today, I have brought in my first disciple."
The room went silent for a second before reactions started to show. Shock spread across the faces of many disciples.
One young man stepped forward slightly, looking like he was about to say something, his expression clearly angry. But an elder beside him quickly stopped him, placing a hand in front of him.
Isshin noticed the exchange. From that alone, he could tell that the man was probably someone aiming to become Felix's disciple, and now he felt like that chance was taken away.
Another voice caught Isshin's attention.
"Why is he mad? He wasn't going to become a disciple anyway," a young man said quietly.
A female disciple beside him covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
An elder cleared his throat, bringing the room back to order.
"That is all. You may leave. I have matters to attend to. First-grade disciples will show Isshin around the sect."
People began to disperse.
Isshin turned slightly. "Alright, I'll take my leave then, uhh… ma—"
"You can just call me Felix. It's fine," Felix said.
That one line changed the atmosphere instantly.
The same angry disciple from before released a burst of qi, unable to hold it back. Not only had Isshin become Felix's disciple, but he was also allowed to speak to him casually.
The room tensed for a moment.
Felix glanced at him once.
That was enough. The disciple immediately stopped.
Isshin understood something from that. Felix knew about Raijin, or at least knew that some kind of being was backing him. That was probably why he didn't want Isshin to call him "master."
Raijin didn't say much, but he acknowledged Felix's awareness.
Soon after, two first-grade disciples approached Isshin.
It was the same guy who made the earlier comment and the girl who laughed. The angry disciple didn't come forward, which wasn't surprising.
"Looks like we're showing you around," the guy said casually.
Isshin nodded.
As they walked out, Isshin glanced around the sect, taking everything in.
At the same time, far away, the lower-grade elders and disciples still believed Isshin had disappeared somewhere after running off from the forest.
They had no idea where he really was