Chapter 364: Real Character
Countless purple-colored clouds were circling a majestic cathedral, that stood at the central part of a very peculiar city. They were slowly dancing around it, as if they were attracted to something or someone who was inside.
At the outside, whoever passed by that place, made sure to bow towards a huge statue located at the entrance. That statue didn’t have clear facial features, but everyone knew who they were bowing to; their absolute deity, the Illusive Ethereal Goddess.
Inside that building, there was a man standing by the window, looking towards a very odd, but special place; a place that could only be seen at the spot where he was at now. Despite him being alone on that room, out of nowhere, he started talking to someone.
“Allow him to come upstairs.”
A few moments before that, the one called as Grand Elder Chuanli, had just entered that cathedral. He was one of the few people inside the whole Illusive Ethereal Sanctuary, that was allowed to enter that building, yet, he still had to wait by the first floor, until the Sanctuary Master called for him.
Suddenly, the Grand Elder noticed a person’s figure coming from the hallway, towards his direction. It was a female messenger that lived as one of the Sanctuary Master’s servants. She was responsible to attend to all of her Master’s needs and here she was, delivering a message from him.
The female servant bowed to the elder and said: “Grand Elder, Master wants to see you. Come, I’ll guide you to where he is.”
.....
The Grand Elder followed the servant through the cathedral, moving to the upper floors, where the Sanctuary Master stood. Actually, that man rarely left that place, since it was the only location in their whole territory, that allowed him to directly look towards the place where his goddess lived.
While moving through that huge and beautiful building, the Grand Elder had the chance to observe the multiple layers of formations that protected the whole place, but he wasn’t able to pay attention on anything, since his mind was already being occupied by the preoccupation and concerns about his son wellbeing.
Many days had already gone, since the last time the Sanctuary Master told him that his son was undergoing a strict secret training. Chuanli and Dongmei were already dying to see their son once again and clarify some things, especially after what had happened at the last time that they had seen each other. However, after the conflict against the Glazed Lake Sect, the Grand Elder and most of the other elders, started seeing the Sanctuary Master differently. The man simply wasn’t what they thought he was.
That man had mercilessly used their lives and faith as he wished, treating them as mere fodder; the soldiers that bought him a bit of time, exchanging their lives for it, on the process. And it was just natural, that from that moment onwards, people would see him in a new light; not like a perfect and bright Sancturary Master, as he used to be, but as an obscure Sect Master. However, due to his Mana Sovereign Realm of power, the elders could only secretly talk about it, doomed to never really do anything concrete.
The Grand Elder was one of them. He started doubting some things and speculating about other situations, but even so, he was still far away from reaching the truth. But even though he was limited by the so called “power”, the Grand Elder had to do something, since clearly, there was something off.
The servant led Chuanli to a restricted area, where there seemed to be nothing, but a small room. The door was already half open and before Chuanli could even say anything, he heard the Sanctuary’s Master distant voice.
“I didn’t think you had an easy job as the Grand Elder, a job that didn’t require your attention, nor did it require your time... Why are you wasting your time here, Chuanli? Especially at a time like this...” The Sanctuary Master calmly left the room and met with the Grand Elder at the outside.
Chuanli felt an unpleasant sensation after hearing those words. It was like the man standing right in front of him was another Sanctuary Master and not the one he and the other elders respected. That abrupt change happened right after that cruel battle, but it wasn’t the case of a change of character and more likely a change of mindset that Chuanli had.
After witnessing dozens of his disciples and colleagues dying, simply because they followed the Sanctuary Master’s orders, Chuanli couldn’t see him like before.
All of a sudden, he started to feel how menacing that man’s presence and words were. It was like he was being attacked.
“Sanctuary Master, I didn’t neglect my job, but after finishing my duties, I had a strong urge to see my son. Could you please tell me where is he? After talking with him for a bit, I will immediately leave.” Chuanli bowed and asked.
“Oh? Your son...? Heh, it isn’t possible.”
The Grand Elder felt a chill run down his spine and he stuttered as he asked why.
“Wh-Why?”
The Sanctuary Master looked at him and smiled.
“Didn’t I tell you before? He is undergoing an important phase of his training course. No one can bother him at a time like this, not even you; his father.”
“No... But I need to...”
“Enough. You don’t need to worry too much with that. I will personally instruct him through this difficult phase and I’m certain that he will appear before you in a week, at most.”
The Grand Elder couldn’t go against the Sanctuary Master after receiving the silent confirmation that he would reunite with his son in a week’s time.
“Thank you, Sanctuary Master.”
The Sanctuary Master nodded and allowed for the Grand Elder to take his leave. But just as he left that place, the mild smiled on the Sanctuary Master’s face vanished and a vicious light shone through his eyes.
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