Lightning Is the Only Way

Stella and Gravis walked through the Purist Sect as Stella showed Gravis all the different buildings. Usually, she would have pulled Gravis along with her arms, but she didn't want to appear inappropriate in public. After all, the Purist Sect was now her home.

She also answered a lot of questions that Gravis had had about the Purist Sect.

For example, why was the Purist Sect so simple?

The reason was that the philosophy of the Purist Sect said that nothing but strength mattered. In their eyes, only strength could gain respect. Wasting resources to appear powerful and rich would only show the weakness of a person. After all, if they were powerful, they wouldn't need to appear powerful. Only people that couldn't rely on their own power needed to demonstrate their power.

The appearance of the Purist Sect reflected this mindset, reminding the disciples of it. The Sect demonstrated that, even though they were the most powerful power in the eastern continent, they didn't need to appear powerful. 

The thoughts of others wouldn't change their power.

Another question of Gravis had been why there were no Formation Arrays.

The answer was basically the same as the answer to the previous question.

The Purist Sect relied on their own power, and they didn't need Formation Arrays as a shield. If someone managed to create a Sect more powerful than the Purist Sect, it would be the fault of the Purist Sect if they were overtaken. After all, weakness was wrong, while strength was right.

That was at least how the Purist Sect viewed it.

The reason why there were no guards in the Purist Sect was also similar.

Everyone in the Purist Sect was powerful, and they didn't fear any invaders. There was no reason to employ guards if every single person on the street was one of the most powerful Cultivators on the continent.

Stella also pointed out that the Elder from earlier had said that only Immortal Emperors were allowed to fly and teleport. He didn't say that they had to be part of the Purist Sect.

Allowing any person with strength to teleport around in one's home showed how confident the Purist Sect was. 

Another interesting piece of information was the hierarchy of the Purist Sect and how it was decided.

Apparently, the hierarchy in the Purist Sect wasn't decided by Realm but by the power of one's Form Law. 

Everything in the Purist Sect revolved around the Form Law. All the Cultivation lessons concentrated on it. Power was decided on it. Money was decided on it.

'Interesting,' Gravis thought when he heard that. 'So, in essence, only Battle-Strength matters in the Purist Sect, not Realm. No wonder their average disciples are so powerful.'

There were multiple ways to join the Purist Sect. 

For example, even Body Tempering Cultivators could join.

The Purist Sect held a continent-wide tournament every single year, which sounded crazy in Gravis' ears. 

Every single year?

Only teenagers below 16 could join, and they were put through insane trials that tested their physical power, compatibility with Elements, and, most importantly, will. 

If someone managed to condense a Will-Aura, they would be immediately accepted.

However, this was insanely hard to accomplish. After all, Gravis himself also only managed to condense a Will-Aura barely before he became 16, and he had gone through an insane amount of tempering in the practical exams. 

Apparently, the will-trial of the Purist Sect was made to allow the participants to condense a Will-Aura. 

This meant that the death rate of participants was terrifyingly high, at over 30%!

If they managed to condense a Will-Aura, they could join. If they survived but didn't manage to condense one, they would still have a chance if their other talents were outstanding. 

Yet, the big question was, how was the tournament held? After all, even a hundred kilometers took Body Tempering Cultivators over a day to traverse. 

The continent was billions of kilometers long.

The solution was that the tournament wasn't held in the Purist Sect but in many cities at once. 

The subservient Sects of the Purist Sect were responsible for holding these tournaments.

Of course, these subservient Sects gave the task to their subservient Sects, which would give the task to their subservient Sects. 

In the end, Nascent Nourishing Cultivators would oversee the tournaments. This was the lowest the strength of the overseers could go. After all, testing the compatibility with Laws required someone that knew Laws.

Of course, this setup had a big chance of fostering corruption. The Sects could favor participants and could allow them to buy their way in. 

However, since even a mortal could see that danger, the Sects could obviously see it too, which was why they would thoroughly check all the survivors of the trials.

If a participant managed to survive, the lowest Sect would choose everyone that they wanted to have in their Sect. 

Then, the next higher Sect would look at the selected ones and take those they wanted.

Then, the High-Rank Sects would look at these chosen candidates and take the ones they wanted.

And lastly, it was the Purist Sect's turn.

This opportunity was gargantuan for mortals!

Mortals had the chance to immediately join the most powerful organization for billions of kilometers!

Mortals had the chance to join an organization with over a hundred Immortal Emperors!

This jump in status was insane beyond belief!

Put yourself in the shoes of a 15-year-old teenager that went through hell. Maybe your family was killed, and you lived the last couple of years in the wilderness, trying to become powerful.

Now, imagine you get picked to join a Sect, the thing every youngster wished for.

You saw the powerful Elder that could fly. Everyone was respectful to that Elder!

Then, all the Elders gathered, and even the Sect Master appeared.

Why?

Because someone even more powerful arrived that demanded the respect of the entire Sect.

Who was that? Who was so powerful!?

Then, you were chosen by this mysterious Elder, and you were the only one that was chosen.

Then, you would go to a different, even more powerful Sect, and other teenagers from somewhere else came to you. All of them were more powerful than everyone you had fought in the tournament.

Then, an even more powerful person appeared that chose you!

And lastly, an even more powerful person appeared!

For a mortal, this was a surreal experience akin to a dream.

These tournaments decided one's future!

Of course, this wasn't the only way to join the Purist Sect.

Another way to join the Purist Sect was to go to any city and demand to be tested. 

How could one win in this test?

Have a Will-Aura at least four levels above your Realm. 

Was this enough proof of one's power?

Yes!

Having a Will-Aura one level above one's Realm would allow the person to suppress any other, normal person on their level, meaning that they were one of the most powerful people in that Realm.

Having a Will-Aura two levels above oneself would allow one to fight an average Cultivator one level above themselves equally. Just having such a Will-Aura already proved that one had fought very powerful people. After all, if one had a Will-Aura one level above oneself, one couldn't temper oneself against normal Cultivators anymore. They needed to either fight very powerful Cultivators or fight above their level.

In short, having a Will-Aura four levels above oneself basically guaranteed that one was able to jump two levels, which was proof enough of one's power.

Of course, these tests only counted for people below the Unity Realm.

At the Unity Realm, the Form Laws became important.

Want to join the Purist Sect?

Have a Form Law that corresponds to your Realm!

This meant that Unity Realm Cultivators needed to condense a level one Form law, Nascent Nourishing Cultivators needed a level two Form Law, and so on.

Since every single Form Law required the comprehension of at least three other Laws of the same level, this meant that only Unity Realm Cultivators that knew four level one Laws were allowed to join.

If one thought back to the tournament Gravis had been part of to become Azure's mate in the middle world, one would realize how insanely hard that was.

The most powerful beasts in the tournament only knew two level one Laws.

Joining the Purist Sect required four!

Of course, the strictness of the selection criteria lessened in the Immortal and Immortal King Realm. 

After all, these Cultivators already counted as pretty powerful in the entire world.

At that point, the power of one's Form Laws was important. 

Immortals didn't need to have level four Form laws to join. However, their level three Form Law had to show outstanding power.

This was tested with a stone filled with Formation Arrays. 

When Gravis heard that, he became interested.

Stella noticed Gravis' interest and smiled.

"Want to try?"