The prayer room that Priestess Kaya led me to occupied the top of the tower, the highest point of the Temple of Tempest, which I found appropriate since Master Tempest was the God of Storms.
We had to leave Leroy behind, since only a select few were allowed this high up the temple: Grand Priest Darius, his aide, and Master Tempest’s high priests. As his Chosen, I was one of the exceptions.
After leading me to the prayer room, Priestess Kaya left me alone so that I could pray and make my offerings to Master Tempest in solitude. Before I did, I took a moment to study the prayer room with both my mundane senses and my divine sense.
It was a simple space. Other than the symbols of Master Tempest carved into the white stone, there was little in the way of decoration. Like the rest of the temple, it was carved from Mt. Suntouched. Half of the prayer room resembled a cave, while the other half was left open to the elements. In the center stood a simple stone altar.
In fact, now that I thought about it, calling it a prayer room was a bit of a misnomer. It was more like an open air altar. To be fair, it wasn’t like worshipers had to worry about rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation, since the skies above Mt. Suntouched always remained clear. It was windy at times, and it might get cold during autumn and winter, but there were ways to mitigate that.
I walked over to the edge of the room, and looked out. I saw a good portion of Mt. Suntouched, as well as the shrines and temples that made it their home. Down below, I saw the lands surrounding Mt. Suntouched, including Templeton. The rain storm continued to rage in the distance
I closed my eyes and breathed in. The air here smelled clean and clear. Pure. With my divine sense, I saw that there was a great abundance of Lightning and Air mana in this place. Not only that, but I also caught hints of divine energy. This place was perfect for me to practice my cultivation, both spiritual and body. It was even better than the meditation chambers in Sturm Hill.
Honestly, I wanted to make this place my immortal cave. I couldn’t, since it belonged to the Temple of Tempest, but perhaps I could set up a schedule and visit. As Master Tempest’s Chosen, I figured that his priests would be more than willing to let me borrow this place for my personal use. If I moved into the temple, I could use this place more often, but that required moving away from my family and my disciples. I had duties and responsibilities that I wasn’t willing to abandon, even for the sake of my cultivation.
Aurora emerged from my dantian and flew about the prayer room.
“This place is amazing,” she said, purring like a cat. “I feel so energized here. The air itself is nourishing me.”
“It would be weird if it didn’t, since you’re a storm dragon spirit,” I pointed out. “It is a holy space for the followers of the God of Storms, after all.”
Aurora nodded.
“Yes, but it’s not just that.” She flew over to the cave half of the prayer room. “Come over here and touch the stone.”
I followed Aurora’s command and placed my hand upon the stone. With my divine sense, I noticed the barest hint of Earth mana. If I hadn’t been touching the stone, I wouldn’t have noticed it at all.
“Even in this place,” Aurora said, her voice suffused with warmth. “I feel Mother’s presence.”
“Master Tempest and Terra are married after all,” I said.
Aurora nodded.
After studying the prayer room for a few more seconds, I headed to the altar and opened the box containing my offering. It was some loose incense I made, and infused with my own mana, using herbs sacred to Master Tempest. It wasn’t my best work, since I made it in a hurry, but it was still better than bought incense.
I also brought a censer, some charcoal, and a fire starter.
I placed the censer on the altar, filled it with the charcoal, and ignited the charcoal. When it grew hot enough, I threw some incense atop the ignited charcoal. The herbs burned, letting out a thick cloud of smoke that smelled bitter and spicy. The smoke contained the mana that I had infused into the herbs. After making sure the incense would burn steadily for the next little while, I kowtowed to the altar.
“Master Tempest,” I said, speaking in Spirit Tongue. “Thank you for the knowledge you shared with me. I offer you this incense as a token of my gratitude.”
I held that position for several seconds. When I started to rise, I felt the environment around me shift. I looked up and watched as the world around me changed.
The sky darkened, replaced by an infinite cosmos. Countless celestial bodies shone against the backdrop of a cold void, the darkness between worlds. Entire galaxies, filled with planets and stars, glittered. Colorful nebulae stretched on for forever. Burning comets streaked across the boundless sky.
A pavilion replaced the prayer room and Mt. Suntouched. It was a work of art, exquisite and beautiful to behold, built from materials unheard of in the mortal realm. Six pillars, each carved with images of legendary creatures, held up the roof. A jade table, engraved with lotuses, occupied the center of the pavilion. It had two chairs next to it.
An endless expanse of water surrounded the pavilion. It stretched for as far as the eye could see, as calm and still as a mirror. However, the water was dark and unfathomable. It reflected nothing. I got the impression that terrible things lurked beneath the surface of this water.
I had been here before. This was where I first met Master Tempest. When I died fighting the Black Wolf Gang, he pulled my soul into this place so that we could chat. It was also when I accepted his offer and became his disciple, a decision that had proved fruitful so far.
This time around, I was here in body, mind, and soul. It was a far different experience than just being here as a disembodied soul. The air felt cool, and smelt of water, something I hadn’t noticed the first time around. I also noticed how quiet it was. The only sounds I heard were the ones coming from me and Aurora.
Unlike the first time, I could also use my divine sense. This place was filled to the brim with immortal mana, so much so that I should have been dead from just breathing it in. My body would have exploded from the overwhelming power. Master Tempest was protecting me somehow.
The only living things in this place were me and my familiar. There was no sign of Master Tempest.
Aurora, who hovered in the air beside me, growled.
“Where is that smug asshole?” she snarled. “Who does he think he is? Dragging us to this place?”
I reached over and patted her on the head.
“Ease up, Aurora,” I said. “We were in his temple, after all. No need to start things off on the wrong foot.”
Aurora snorted.
“Yeah, but why did he drag us to this place again without warning? What does he want?”
“Well, it’s been a while,” a familiar voice said. “I figured now was as good a time as any for us to have a chat.”
Aurora and I whirled around to find a man in black and silver robes walking across the water towards us. Master Tempest. Like the last time I saw him, he wore his long black hair in a simple knot. A featureless white mask hid the upper half of his face, leaving his mouth exposed.
I hadn’t noticed him with my divine sense, but maybe that was for the best. Given my current cultivation level, a divine being’s presence would have been too much for me. I might have damaged my mind again, or outright broken it.
Master Tempest reached the pavilion and stood before me. Even without my divine sense, I could feel his divinity pressing against me. It was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation. It felt like standing right next to the sun.
“Master,” I said, giving him a deep bow. “It is good to see you again.”
Master Tempest snorted.
“I’d believe that,” he said. “Except I know that you were about to curse at me for having Darius go into seclusion just as you were about to make your way to my temple.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. He was right, but he didn’t need to call me out like that.
“It was a dick move, Master.”
Master Tempest shrugged.
“Darius needed it,” he said. “He has been on the cusp of a breakthrough for years now, but he kept putting it off for one reason or another. I just gave him a push when it was most advantageous to my plans for the future.”
“And what plans are those, hmm?” Aurora asked, flying right up to Master Tempest’s face.
Rather than get offended, he just chuckled.
“Come,” he said, gesturing to the jade table. “Let’s sit down and enjoy some tea while we talk.”
A tea pot and three tea cups appeared on the table, as if conjured from thin air. I sat in one of the chairs, while Aurora landed on the table itself. Master Tempest poured tea for all three of us, before sitting down himself.
Aurora and I sipped our tea. It was a black tea this time, a rose blend to be exact. It contained a bit of mortal mana, and nourished me in body, mind, and soul. It was also one of the most delicious teas I have ever had in my entire existence.
I sighed with satisfaction, while Aurora let out a sound of appreciation.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had proper tea,” I said. “Thank you, Master.”
“Yeah,” Aurora said. “You may be a bit of a jerk, but this tastes delicious.”
Master Tempest smiled and nodded, before sipping his own tea. We spent the next few minutes in silence as we enjoyed our drinks.
After I finished with mine, I put my elbow on the table and supported my chin with my hand.
“So,” I said. “Why did you have Grand Priest Darius go into seclusion? Rather, what does it have to do with me? If he had been ready to go through a breakthrough for a while now, why not have him do it earlier?”
Master Tempest poured himself another cup of tea and sipped it before answering.
“To push you into making a choice you didn’t want to make,” he said.
I raised a single eyebrow at him.
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“Huh,” I said. “I didn’t expect you to blatantly admit to manipulating me. Or trying to, at least.”
Master Tempest shrugged.
“I thought it would save us a bit of time,” he said, before smiling at me.
I scowled and thought unkind things about him.
“Jerk,” Aurora said, as if voicing my thoughts.
“And what choice do you want me to make?” I asked.
“To reveal yourself as my Chosen.”
I deepened my scowl.
“Why would you want me to do that?” I asked in an irritated voice “That’s just going to cause me a lot of headache that I don’t need right now. Why not wait until later, when I’m more powerful?”
Master Tempest’s demeanor changed. He became less playful and more serious. The air around us became charged with tension.
“If I had it my way, I would allow you to grow and develop at your own pace,” he said in a somber voice. “However, we don’t have time for that.”
At his tone, I sat up straighter.
“What do you mean?”
He nodded towards me.
“You’ve noticed them, haven’t you?” he asked. “The signs that there is something wrong going on in the Solarian Empire?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“You mean the necromancer attack and the Dark wizard who cursed me?” I asked.
“Yes, among other things. They’re just the beginning. Think of them as ripples signaling the arrival of a much greater danger. Things are only going to get worse from here.”
A chill ran down my spine when I heard that.
“What greater danger is that?” I asked, though I had a clue of what he meant.
Master Tempest looked me straight in the eyes, and I felt the weight of eternity in his gaze. For the first time since we met, I realized what it meant to be in the presence of divinity as a mortal. I knew it, in my head, but this was the first time I felt it in my heart what it meant to face a god. Thanks to my previous existence as an Immortal myself, I had diminished it in my mind and lessened it. However, Master Tempest reminded me of what I had forgotten with a single look.
I lowered my head, unable to meet his eyes.
“You must have heard the stories growing up,” Master Tempest said. “Of the great demons and dark gods who once conquered the heavens, before Sol and the rest of us drove them back?”
I nodded, unable to speak.
“We killed many of them, but we were only able to seal away the mightiest among them. Those seals are weakening. It won’t be long before they’re free once more. We have a century before it happens; two at most.”
That wasn’t a long time, by the reckoning of Immortals and other long-lived beings. Two centuries was nothing.
“And you wish for me to become an Immortal within that time frame to help deal with them?” I asked, before frowning. “No, that doesn’t seem right. Even if I become an Immortal before they break free, I would be too weak to make much of a difference.”
Just like with cultivation in the mortal realm, there were different ranks of immortality. After an Immortal Ascension cultivator passed their tribulation and achieved immortality, they became an Earth Immortal, which was the lowest rank. Above that was Celestial Immortal, High Immortal, Primordial Spirit, and World God.
Just before I died as Celestial Thunder, I had been a High Immortal.
“Correct,” Master Tempest said. He shook his head. “No. Leave the upcoming battle in the heavens above to us. Concern yourself with the enemy’s mortal servants. The lesser demons and Dark wizards who will do their best to sow the seeds of chaos and destruction. They seek to spread darkness across the mortal realm. Those are the ones you need to deal with.”
I frowned.
“What about the Sun Emperor and the Moon Queen?” I asked. “According to the stories, they drove back the darkness once before. Why can’t they do so once again?”
Master Tempest paused before answering.
“They won’t be enough,” he said. “Not against what’s coming.” He held up a hand just as I opened my mouth to ask why not. “I can’t tell you why. Just know that the threat is greater this time around.”
Aurora snorted.
“Well, that’s convenient,” she said. “You give us vague warnings of an upcoming threat, but won’t tell us anything actually useful.”
Master Tempest sighed.
“I’m laboring under certain restrictions,” he said. “In fact, just telling you this much is bending the rules. The only reason I’m doing so is because of who you are, and who you were in your previous lives.”
“What restrictions?” I asked.
Master Tempest tapped his index finger against his chin, before shrugging.
“I might as well tell you,” he said, almost speaking to himself. “I’ve already told you this much, so a little more wouldn’t hurt.”
He gestured towards the jade table. The tea pot and tea cups disappeared, replaced by an image of a planet, one which looked similar to Earth and Spirit Earth. There were a few large continents, with water covering the rest of the planet. The image floated in the air above the table. It took me a moment to realize that the planet was Lumina. I recognized the Solarian Empire and the Moon Kingdom, each of which spanned an entire continent.
“Back in the old days,” Master Tempest continued. “The gods were more involved with humanity than they are now. They were far more active in the mortal realm, and humanity became reliant on them. Too reliant. When the heavens fell and the gods died, humanity became like driftwood, lost and at the mercy of forces far greater than themselves. Sol doesn’t wish to make the same mistake. He wants humanity to be self-reliant. The gods can aid them, but only in a limited fashion.”
“We must be able to deal with the threat on our own,” I muttered. “Including figuring what the threat actually is.”
Master Tempest nodded.
“Exactly,” he said. “That is why I can only give you vague answers, and why I must limit how much aid I can give you. If I had it my way, I would have given you enough resources to achieve immortality within a day.”
As far-fetched as it sounded, that was very much possible. Back on Spirit Earth, high level cultivators, including Immortals, often made contingency plans just in case they died. Back up bodies, clones, caches of ultimate-grade resources, etc. All so they didn’t have to go through as much effort to achieve their previous level of power.
I had done the same, back on Spirit Earth. However, because I died and reincarnated into another world, before dying once more and reincarnating into another world after that, all my preparations came to naught. Some lucky soul must have found them by now. If so, I hoped they made good use of them.
“Can’t you break the rules just this once?” I grumbled, not being serious.
“I could,” Master Tempest admitted, which surprised me. “Sol would punish me, but I could. However, would you rather stay in the mortal realm to protect your loved ones, or leave them behind to face the oncoming threat on their own?”
I froze at his words. The thought of my loved ones facing a great threat, one that not even the Sun Emperor and the Moon Queen could defeat on their own, filled me with terror.
“I would rather stay to protect them,” I said in a quiet voice.
“I thought as much,” Master Tempest said. “Humanity will need guardians to protect them from the darkness that is to come. You aren’t the only one we have appointed, but you are one of the more important ones. Losing you would make things more difficult for the rest.”
I nodded.
“What does this have to do with Gabe revealing himself as your Chosen?” Aurora asked, pointing a finger at Master Tempest.
My master raised an eyebrow at her, before glancing at me.
“I think I should let Celestial Thunder explain it himself,” he said.
“When it comes to cultivation, I go through exponential growth when faced with pressure,” I explained. “Attracting attention from the Temple of Aeros and the Temple of Aqua would help me grow more powerful, despite the headache it would cause me.”
“While I can’t give you all the resources you need,” Master Tempest said. “I can at least arrange for you to face challenges and go through fortuitous encounters.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Well, shit. I thought that I had all the time in the world to grow stronger and achieve immortality. Now I find out that this was not the case. Not only was there a great threat looming on the horizon, but I now had to deliberately pick the more difficult path so I would be strong enough to face said threat.
“Damn it,” I said. “I thought I had time to enjoy myself in this life.”
“At least things aren’t urgent yet,” Master Tempest said, as if to console me. “Like I said, we have a century or two before our enemies break the seals imprisoning them. You still have some time before things get dire. Not everything has to be doom and gloom. It’s okay to take a breather every now and again.”
“Still, I can’t afford to take this threat lightly.”
Making friends and forging alliances just became even more important, beyond raising my family up to greater heights. While I could build a powerbase from scratch, my time was better spent on cultivation and training. I was better off making connections with already established families and institutions. At least I had made some progress with several of the Great Houses, such as House Thorne and House Griffin, as well as House Icefall. It wasn’t going to be enough, but it was a start.
I thought about any other potential allies that I could align myself with. The first one that came to mind was the Inquisition. Despite their rather fearsome reputation, their purpose was to protect the Solarian Empire. Since it looked like the oncoming threat involved demons and Dark wizards, making friends with the people who specialized in hunting them down wasn’t a bad idea. Plus, the Inquisition had an extensive information network. That alone made allying with them invaluable.
There was also the Adventurers Guild. While it didn’t have many strong people, what it lacked in quality it made up for in quantity. There were tens of thousands of adventurers across the whole of the Solarian Empire. If I could get even a fraction of them on my side, then that would help shore up my power.
“Are you the reason why so many things have been happening to us over the past few weeks?” Aurora asked, eyeing Master Tempest with suspicion. “The necromancer attack? The dream demons? House Shelton?”
“A little,” my master admitted. “Most of that was Celestial Thunder’s fate at work. He is a nexus of fortune, both good and bad. Events will happen to and around him, whether he wants them to or not. I just nudged a few things here and there.”
I snorted. That was an understatement. One of the reasons why I had gone as far as I had during my life as Celestial Thunder was because of my luck. Back on Earth, there was a saying that perfectly summarized my fate: May you live in interesting times. My life as Celestial Thunder embodied that saying. I lived through interesting times, both good and bad.
One time, I lost against a powerful opponent who locked me up in a pocket dimension that consisted of little more than a featureless white void. Before I managed to free myself, a pair of ancient dragons broke my prison while fighting each other. I almost died, but at least I managed to escape that place.
Master Tempest looked off to the side and clicked his tongue in displeasure.
“It looks like our time together is coming to an end,” he said. “Aeros is looking for me. No doubt to whine about something or another. Spoiled brat. I don’t want him seeing you. That’s a complication neither of us need.”
“Wait, before you go,” I said, my tone filled with urgency. “I have one last question. Who are you? How do you know so much about me? I know you said that you couldn’t reveal your identity to me the last time we spoke, but surely things are different now.”
Given how much he knew about me, it was clear that I used to be close with Master Tempest, and possibly Terra. Given all the clues I’ve gleaned so far, there was only one couple that I knew of who would go this far for me. Yet, I refrained from thinking they were Master Tempest and Terra because I didn’t want to give myself false hope. If I was wrong, then I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle the heartbreak.
“Haven’t you already figured it out, Celestial Thunder?” Master Tempest said, giving me a mysterious smile. “I’m disappointed in you. We’ve given you enough clues.”
The realm around us started to fade away, replaced by the prayer room atop the Temple of Tempest. My master started to fade away with it.
“Wait!” I said. “Just answer the question. Please!”
“I’ll give you a hint,” Master Tempest said, his visage and his voice fading away. “I was glad when you picked the sword as your weapon, though sad when you said you didn’t want to become a sword cultivator.”
Hope and fear blossomed in my heart in equal measure. Those were almost the exact words one of my first masters, Celestial Blade, said to me when I first became his disciple.
“Don’t go!” I said, reaching for Master Tempest. “Are you Celestial Blade? I need to know!”
My master gave me one last smile, before he disappeared completely from sight. My hand grasped the empty air.
“Tell me,” I whispered, falling to my knees. “Don’t toy with my heart like this.”
Tears pricked my eyes as a maelstrom of emotion battered against my self control, like flood waters surging against a dike. Fear, despair, hope, and longing. If Master Tempest was Celestial Blade, and Terra was Celestial Weaver, then two of the people I loved most in the entirety of creation were still alive and well.
If Master Tempest and Terra weren’t Celestial Blade and Celestial Weaver, then it would be like losing my first masters all over again. I fell into a deep melancholy when they disappeared, and I thought they had died a long time ago. Giving me hope and taking it away would be the height of cruelty.
However, this uncertainty was even worse. Right now, I hovered on the precipice between hope and despair. I stood on the knife’s edge, except the blade was digging into me. The longer it went on, the more pain I suffered. At least if I fell, the pain would end, one way or another.
“Please,” I said in a quiet voice. “Master, I beg you. Just…Just tell me.”
Silence answered my plea.
Aurora rubbed her cheek against mine, offering what little comfort she could.
A whistling sound reached my ears as something wrapped around my waist. I looked down in time to see that it was a thick silver thread, just before a great force yanked me backwards.
“Gabe!” Aurora shouted.
Before I could even react, I flew towards the solid stone wall of the prayer room. If I hit it at this speed, I’d die on impact. Panic filled me. It wasn’t my death itself that I feared, it was the helplessness of my situation. I could do nothing as I rushed towards my impending death, except wait for my end to come.