≪ Xiare's POV ≫

I look at Yura who was being consoled by the sect master. Sigh, thank god the sect master is a caring person.

Unlike that certain shameless goddess who just drops a bomb out of nowhere.

"Sigh…" I hear the goddess sigh. She was unable to retaliate the sect master's words.

Well, considering that your words are so direct to the point that you can hurt someone just by talking to them, its very obvious that the goddess had no choice but to shut her mouth.

Though the sect master calling the goddess stupid is kinda overboard.

But still, thank you sect master for resolving the mess the goddess made.

Silently, I give a thumbs-up to the sect master. Cool and nice.

Looking at the others who were just minding their own business like they don't know anything, I think they don't want to interfere in the scene.

Are you all really that lax? Hmm…

"Let's heal you now, stupid disciple of mine." The goddess says as she performs some strange weird spell by placing her hands on my head and abdomen.

Errmm.... Okay, I guess?

"Stupid disciple, you really pushed yourself to the brink of death, aren't you?" The goddess looks at me while saying that I pushed myself to near death.

Eh? Well, I'm already dead you know? That's why I'm in heaven right now.

Don't tell me that you also don't know that you too are in heaven?

Sigh… this master of mine, so foolis— argh!

*Pluck!*

Once again, a sound of something flicking resounded across the hall. It was my forehead being flicked again by the shameless goddess.

"Even if I was called as a stupid person by your sect master, I am still a goddess and most importantly, a master of a certain stupid disciple." The goddess smiles at me after saying those words.

Too scary. Too scary.

I'm sorry. I will never call you a foolish goddess.

Please forgive this little lady.

"And also…" The goddess sighs as if she had too many problems before continuing, "You're not in heaven, stupid disciple of mine. You are in the Cloud Gathering Palace." She said as she pats my head.

Yaa~ Stop it. I'm not a child anymore.

I am a perfect, mature lady.

But still, Cloud Gathering Palace? What is that? Are we inside of some treasure?

Looking at the endless clouds outside, it looks like we are inside a trea— wait…

If I am inside of a treasure…

Then that means.

Oh! Argh!

Suddenly, my head aches once again.

I shouldn't have shouted oh earlier.

Ehem...

Then that means that I'm not dead right? I see.

Everything makes sense now.

"You're not in a treasure, stupid disciple of mine." The goddess giggles before continuing, "We are just high above the clouds, surrounded by the seemingly endless clouds with no sign of disappearing."

Eeh? How come? Aren't we inside a treasure?

Well, considering that this place is so grand that it's like a heavenly palace, it looks like we are inside a treasure you know? How come we are just located above the clouds?

That's what I had read on some novels though. Stuff like this should be within some treasure or artifact rather than being on a real world.

"You really are a stupid disciple of mine." The goddess said, giggling.

Sigh… I really could not understand everyone's minds.

"Ehem." The goddess, who was casually giggling, coughs out with she pinches her neck with her hand. "This should be our new home so make yourself comfortable, okay?" The godess said to me before smiling at me like a saint.

Our new home? This?

I look around, doubting the goddess. This looks more of a castle rather than a home you know?

With halls like these, heck, even the greatest empire would be jealous just by seeing the statues holding the ceiling above.

And what's even grand is that there are some paintings of a… wait…

I narrowly focus my vision at the painting that was painted on the ceiling.

It was a large edifice with two gigantic guardians protecting the entrance to the edifice which was located at the bottom of a mountain covered with clouds.

It wasn't the edifice that I saw on the forbidden mountains. This edifice that was painted on the ceiling was somewhat different, having a magnificent layout and most notably, clouds covering the mountains below.

Only the top floors of the edifice could be only seen as they are above the clouds. As for the middle and lower part of the edifice, they couldn't be seen as the clouds cover them like an endless mist.

"That painting on the ceiling is the place that we are currently located at— Cloud Gathering Palace." The goddess, who noticed me looking above, said to me.

Eh? That's the Cloud Gathering Palace?

The goddess, who had read my mind, nods in return.

"Now now, let me heal you, my stupid disciple." The goddess said as she continues healing me.

Silently, I nod back. Since there's nothing for me to do, might as well be healed by the goddess.

Looking at Yura and the sect master talking earlier, I look at the goddess. Is the goddess a contracted spirit? Is she somehow bound to some true-wielder?

"No." Immediately, the goddess shut my thoughts by saying no. Err… what am I supposed to think now? Elephants? Ants? Or maybe weird stuff?

Nah, I shouldn't be saying weird stuff.

"Even the old masters of the Moonlight Sword Sect can't beat me." The goddess said to me while smiling. Somehow, she was proud of it.

I forgot that the goddess was a narcissistic person. Sigh…

"However, because of some foolish person, I was sealed up in some remote place with my sister, Bloom." The goddess sighs. Err...

"But even so." The goddess, who was sighing, immediately smiled before continuing, "Such weak seals like that did not make me sealed entirely and thus, nothing happened except that I could not create any portals to this world anymore."

I see. Well, considering the fact that you are too shameless, I wouldn't be surprised if someone locked you up to a remote place, master.

Sigh… you should really stop reading everyone's minds.

"Fellow cultivator Yura, can you stand up?" I head the sect master talking. He was talking with Yura.

"Ye-yes," Yura responds with a cracked voice. She did really cry. I'm sorry for unable to do anything. Really.

Please forgive me for my shameless master.

I look at Yura who was gently being helped by the sect master to stand up. Her back was facing us so I did not see her face.

Obviously.

"Fellow cultivator Yura." The sect master summons three cards before continuing, "The three cards I am holding right now represents three different Orders. Please, pick one."

After talking, the sect master once again summons the couches that vanished earlier. Yes, those couches vanished as soon as Yura and the boy stood up earlier on.

Why are you looking at me like someone who's being doubtful of someone? Err… don't look at me like that okay? This lady is not the one who's at fault here. Ask the sect master, not me.

Yura and the sect master sits on the couches that were summoned earlier. Since I could not see her face, I did not see if she is shocked or not.

Ehem, let's go back to the main topic.

Indeed. At the hands of the sect master lies three different cards with different three different colors. At the top of each card lies a floating different symbol.

The first one was a green-colored card with a whirling ball of wind hovering above the card. If you ask me, then that would be some wind faction or Order.

Who knows?

The second card is a blue-violet colored card with a staff hovering above the card. The staff have two wings with both brightly glowing like a firefly. Also, at the top part of the staff lies a golden core with butterflies floating around.

What is this? Some voodoo Order? Hmm…

The third card is a silver card with four glowing swords hovering the card together. Above the four swords lies the symbol of the Moonlight Sword Sect.

Is this some hidden profession perhaps? Well, judging from the shady symbol of the Moonlight Sword Sect hovering above, I won't be surprised if the third cards is a hidden profession or not.

"I… want.." Yura, who was looking at the three cards, look at them before continuing, "Te..m..pest Or..de..r?"

Tempest Order? What is that? Is it the third card?

Oh right, I forgot to tell you that the three cards have some words written on them. However, because I am too far from them, I could not see the words written on the cards.

Well, judging from the name, I am pretty sure that the third card is the Tempest Order.

"Very well." The sect master, who have heard Yura's words, gives the second card to her before making the two other cards vanish to thin air.

Eh? The second card is the Tempest Order?

Ehem, I have bet earlier that the second card is the Tempest Order earlier. Heh, I won, right? Silly me haha…

Don't look at me like that.

"Foolish disciple of mine." The goddess softy giggles as she reads my mind. Too shameless.

"A member of the Tempest Order will soon arrive here, fellow cultivator Yura. Please wait." The sect master said to Yura.

After that, suddenly, without warning, Yura and the sect master suddenly appears sitting on a vacant couch.

Yura, who was listening to the sect master earlier, suddenly gawked as she was shocked to see that everything around her changed.

Err… if you ask me, I too would be shocked to see that everything around me changes without warning.

Anyways!

Finally, I could see Yura's face. Despite the fact that the sect master already wiped her face from tears, I could still see that her eyes were reddish as a result from crying earlier.

Not really surprising considering the fact that some shameless goddess decided to drop multiple bombs to someone who doesn't know a thing.

Shame on you, fo— ARGH!

"Argh!" I suddenly scream out of nowhere. It's too painful ugh…

I look at my waist which was being pinched by the scary goddess. I'm sorry.

"Are you alright?" Eumi, who was sitting on a couch, looks at me.

"Ye-ye..ah.." I said back, pretending to be okay. Nothing to worry about.

Right?

"Use my pattern." The goddess telepathically said to me. Err…

Nah, whatever. Might as well use it.

I nod back and slowly, I began using the breathing pattern.

Suddenly, the cold Qi gathers around me and my body. I am now using the breathing pattern of the goddess.

"Ack!" I suddenly let out a groan as I use the breathing pattern.

As I use the pattern, my body suddenly began acting as if they were being ripped apart. Ughh….

"Don't stop cultivating unless I told you so." The goddess seriously said. After that, she then touches certain parts of my body with her fingers.

One by one, each part that was touched by the goddess suddenly roars out in pain, making me grit my teeth.

It's too painful! Argh!!!!!

F*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck! Too painful! It's like being branded with a hot rod! F*ck!

"Please bear with it, stupid disciple of mine. I am cleansing the cold Qi that clogged your stupid meridians." The goddess said while poking certain parts of my body.

Just how could I f*cking handle this pain without any kind of painkiller? F*ck!

It's like telling me to stop using a godd*mn sword on a battlefield! Je*us!

"Ar—" Just as I was going to scream, cold winds left my body. It was cold Qi being released out of my body.

As the cold Qi leaves my body, the pain I felt became bearable for me to handle. Although they were still painful, it was bearable enough to the point where I can handle it without screaming nor shouting like an idiot.

"You have accumulated so many cold Qi around you that you can't even handle them anymore." The goddess said to me as she noticed that I exhaled cold Qi.

Err…

I'm fairly new so can you please tell me what you mean by that?

"You have unknowingly gathered so much cold Qi that the cold Qi clogged your meridians." The goddess said to me, explaining the reason why am in pain.

How? As far as I know, I did not gather cold Qi? Right?

"That's because you are too stupid." The goddess said as she continuously pokes my body.

Err…

Is that really the case? Or are you just kidding with me master?

Sigh…

Probably both.