Chapter 4: Humble Abode

This planet was known as Quadtria, the extremely vast world that was destroyed and reformed twice throughout recorded ancient history. Quad represented the four worlds, and tria described the three world's laws.

The last world's destruction occurred ten thousand years ago. No one could tell what happened before the world's destruction based solely on existing historical relics.

However, many immortals and godly beings perished in that era to eliminate the so-called Heavenly Demon. It was recorded in the ancient Bible. They were known as the world's heroes, and it was a common folktale among the people.

This world was known as Terra World, a part of the four worlds. The continents were separated by seas, and each of them was divided into several different realms. Only the mighty powerhouse with abundant resources could cross the world and pass through the extremely vast ocean.

'I've read the ancient Bible before, and I know the blood of heroes flows in my body. Those who survived the great destruction suffered a curse. And their bloodline was also cursed by the Heavenly Demon.'

'That makes sense, and it all becomes clear now. The heroes didn't die from their lifespan running out but from a curse! If so, how about my savior? She lifted the curse easily and even knew so much about historical mysteries. She might be the true hero who is still alive from that era? Or, perhaps, she was the deity herself, an omnipotent Goddess!?'

Gabriella was lost in thought as she stared at her savior's back. Her savior's long midnight-black hair swayed to the right and left as they walked up the mountain, but a shadowy thing suddenly came closer from behind.

"!?" Gabriella was alarmed and put up a defensive stance. She widened her eyes upon the sight of a ghost covered in a malevolent yellow aura.

The ghost was a floating dreadful demonic head. Gabriella turned pale and trembled due to evil energy in close proximity. She knew she was no match against a 5th Rank evil ghost, but she would protect her savior in an emergency.

*Slap*

Ely smacked the ghost into smithereens with her wooden wand. The ghost perished under the moonlight and disappeared into energy particles.

"There are still brazen ghosts who dare to challenge the shrine priestess? Are you already tired of living?" Ely took out a purification talisman and glared at the surrounding wisps.

"!?" Gabriella and the ghosts were stunned to see how the shrine priestess eliminated a 5th Rank ghost with no effort.

The surrounding ghosts were still formless, but they immediately fled in fear. They had come here because of a mysterious, alluring evil energy. Yet, a terrifying human-like figure was there to await their arrival.

'Oh, they flew away at my petty intimidation. Even though I've purified and eliminated ghosts many times, it's still scary if they take on a hideous form. Not to mention, they numbered in the dozens. What's with their arrival just now? Do they want to take over this Sacred Mountain?' Ely breathed a sigh of relief. She was the one who would have fled if the ghost invaders chose to gang up on her at once.

"It's getting darker. Let's go straight home." Ely grasped her young subordinate's hand, then whispered softly to the wind spirit for help.

The wind spirit received the command. It immediately carried the shrine priestess and the young elf through the dark forest and flew straight to the top of the Sacred Mountain.

"!?" Gabriella clutched her saving arm. She thought she might fall.

She once again looked at her savior's face. Her savior possessed no cultivation base, and she couldn't even see any aura color. For a glance, she thought her savior was just an ordinary mortal. Regardless, her qualifications seemed just too low to assess her savior's strength.

"Is this your first time experiencing the sensation of flying? Don't be afraid, you won't fall. The wind spirit is really considerate." Ely was amused. She was also afraid the first time she experienced being carried by the wind spirit flying into the sky.

"..." Gabriella couldn't see the spirit in question. Therefore, she could only look at her savior's angelic face in a trance as if she wished to burn it to her memory.

Her savior's gentle expression under the moonlight fascinated her, but she immediately averted her gaze in embarrassment. They were so close right now, and her savior's pleasant scent truly soothed one's soul.

They arrived at a fortified humble abode at Sacred Mountain's peak a while later. Ely was preparing dinner, but Gabriella was gaping in amazement at what lay in the courtyard.

Those fruits and vegetables in the garden gave off an aura she had never seen before. Yet, she was sure they were top-tier materials. The flowers and herbs looked beautiful and eye-catching, but they were the highest-grade elixirs, and she was sure of it.

Not to mention the shining crystals scattered around the courtyard. Those orbs were obviously high-quality treasures, yet they were only used for garden lamps.

Each and every material in the courtyard was a treasure of the highest quality. The land was so fertile, and the air was as fresh as the breath of another world.

Gabriella once again wondered how magnificent her savior's life was. It could be considered a luxury life beyond mortal measure.

*Swoosh*

The gentle breeze caressed Gabriella's long blonde hair. The sakura petals fell onto the ground, attracting the young elf's attention.

She went pensive while staring at the sakura tree as if she had an epiphany. This humble abode was indeed a heaven on earth.

"Gab-chan? Are you fascinated by the Sacred Sakura? This tree was only half my height last year, but now it is taller than the wall." Ely came over with a tray full of food.

Gabriella snapped out of her reverie when the delicious aroma that roused her appetite assaulted her nostrils. She immediately helped her savior prepare cutlery on the table near the sakura tree.

"Please have a taste. This is an easy, creamy venison with cheese~ A kind tiger shared some with me this afternoon." Ely used chopsticks to put the meat into Gabriella's rice bowl.

Gabriella wiped her droll, then looked down at a pair of small, thin, tapered wood sticks in her hand. She tried to use this cutlery by copying her savior, but it wasn't easy to use.

"Please use a spoon." Ely took the nearby spoon and gave it to Gabriella.

Gabriella took a bit. The warm cheese seemed to melt in her mouth, and the creamy, juicy meat indulged her tongue in the richness of the spices.

A surge of pure qi energy flowed into her body like a wild wave, and she surfed through it under the warm summer sun. She was blown away and landed on a soft meat bed filled with creamy cheese. The sensation was spectacular, and she felt it was her life's best meal.

She had unknowingly devoured her food with gusto like a starving person.

Unfortunately, she could only eat one serving because her stomach couldn't digest more than that. She feared her body would explode because of the enormous energy in this single serving of high-quality food.

Gabriella immediately put her fingers together and placed her hands on her tummy for a quick meditation. She had to channel her qi to her meridians and stabilize the flow immediately. She broke through from 2nd Rank Late Stage to 3rd Rank Early Stage in one go.

"Do you have a stomachache, Gab-chan? You ate without saying a prayer and eating without table manners is not good. I'll let it pass now, but I'll teach you the proper etiquette later, okay? My disciple must be elegant." Ely put her cheeks on her palms. She smiled and advised her first disciple like a mother to her young daughter.

She thought Gabriella was pitiful and starving, but she could not tolerate behavior without manners.

"Yes, please teach me, Lady Miko." Gabriella bowed slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief when the energy flow within her body stabilized.

"What's with the formal language? Just for you to know. Miko is actually my stage name or nickname. You will also need one someday. Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Ely, the shrine priestess of the Sacred Mountain." Ely gracefully put her hand on her upper chest in her introduction.

Ely then taught Gabriella about table manners, and the latter attentively practiced it.

Sadly, Gabriella couldn't eat anymore, even though she wanted more. She also couldn't handle more energy surges unless she had a death wish.

She watched her beautiful savior eating dinner gracefully. She smiled involuntarily. However, she immediately averted her gaze when Ely glanced at her.

At that moment, she noticed a shrine building near the sakura tree. A statue of a six-winged female angel was standing inside, emitting a holy aura.

It was a human-sized gray jade meticulously sculpted to perfection and looked lifelike. However, for some inexplicable reason, she felt the six-winged Goddess statue had a similar appearance to Ely, her savior.

"That is a statue of a Divine Goddess, the protector of this place." Ely stared at the statue with a respectful gaze.

She honestly still didn't know the relationship between herself and the sealed Divine Goddess beneath this Sacred Mountain. He-Dao was also tight-lipped and didn't want to spill anything.

Therefore, she could only assume the sealed Goddess was her master, sister, or maybe, her mother. Their appearance and feature were similar, which was her assumption's basis.

She had to find a way to purify the evil energy that was sealed within the kaleidoscopic white crystal and free her mother. Although, she still couldn't complete her wish despite two years of hard work.

"..." Gabriella looked at the Goddess statue and Ely as if comparing something.

'Is milady talking about herself? She is a Divine Goddess, the world protector!?' Gabriella felt her miserable life was being compensated by fate at this moment.

She had the opportunity to follow such a significant figure in her life. She had already made her vow and would devote her life to Ely, her master and savior.