Kent woke up with a refreshed vigour and strength. Though his body was practically wrecked, the situation he woke up in was encouraging, so he didn’t scream in pain.
Saintess Selene was cleaning his body with a wet towel.
“Do you now understand what it takes to become a Saint or Saintess with the spear?” The first thing Selene said was to address what Kent was thinking about.
She is a Saintess, just like her sister, Saintess Neomi, but she wouldn’t even be able to win a duel against her. In fact, many Saints and Saintesses would lose to Neomi.
She is a monster…just like how many now describe Kent.
“She is strong, no doubt. But I will be able to defeat her in under a year,” Kent said, knowing a year on the outside is 24 years in the tower. He will become a monster by then.
“You might want to handle your internal injuries first,” Saintess Selene said as she finished cleaning him. Kent dressed and chose to go outside with his master.
“Where is your sister?” Kent asked as they sat down under a tree.
“She is in seclusion. After your battle, it seems she has gained some form of enlightenment, so she immediately entered seclusion. As for Ingrid, she has gone to listen to a teaching from one of her favorite instructors.”
“I see,” Kent nodded.
Gaia had already told him about enlightenment, so he knew that whatever the Saintess was going through would likely benefit her greatly.
“Then what are you doing here? I doubt you just came to clean my sweaty body,” Kent asked, looking straight into her eyes.
Saintess Selene simply smiled and stood up.
“Unity has a duel later today. He tried reaching you to tell you, but you were unconscious. So, when I heard from Ingrid that big sister had beaten you unconscious, I came to check up on you and inform you,” the Saintess laughed.
“She didn’t beat me up. We fought for four hours, and I lost. She didn’t beat me up, per se,” Kent replied, but the Saintess just smiled.
“If you say so,” she smirked, making Kent grit his teeth.
[She got you real good, master.] Gaia also fanned the flames.
‘Shut up, Gaia…Whose side are you on, anyway?’
[I am on your side, master…but sometimes, the truth hurts,] Gaia giggled, making Kent want to smack her silly. He closed his eyes and meditated by replaying the battle in his head.
The Saintess giggled and left. She was headed to the Archer Gate, where her sister was gearing up for a duel. Kent would go there, but only when it was almost time for the duel.
As for now…He needed to evaluate the battle and figure out his shortcomings.
_____________________
Meanwhile, in a certain room in the sect, the Sect Master, by the name of Gideon, could be seen sitting facing Gate Master Camilla and Gate Master Mara.
“You two already know why I called you here… so why don’t we get down to it,” Sect Master Gideon said to the two ladies.
“What can you tell me about that young man who had the duel with the Spear Saintess?”
The two ladies stared at each other for a few seconds before Gate Master Mara chose to speak up.
“His name is Kent Madson. He is the disciple of my previous disciple, the Sword Saintess. He arrived in the sect less than a week ago but has already caused too much trouble. I am afraid the other gate might be making a move on him soon.”
“But aside from his troubles, he is also a very talented swordsman with all three main aspects of a swordsman awakened.”
The Sect Master nodded.
He had witnessed the duel between Kent and the Spear Saintess, and he could tell from their clash that Kent indeed possessed all three aspects—the intent, qi, and body.
“Do you know anything about his background?” Sect Master Gideon asked.
“No. However, I am sure he is from a very influential background, considering he was able to purchase a platinum membership at the Tasty Home Pavilion,” Gate Master Mara answered.
Sect Master Gideon raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. The amount Kent spent was something that could be used to purchase a couple of cultivation resources, and there would still be some change to spare.
“Then it’s safe to assume he has a very rich background. However, he is also a disciple of this sect, so he falls under our jurisdiction. That said, what do you two ladies think of him?” the Sect Master asked.
He had seen the two Gate Masters watching the battle from afar, so he knew their interest in Kent was not something to dismiss. They were clearly interested in him, so they had been observing the duel to learn more about him.
“I just want to smack him silly for traumatizing two of my disciples,” Gate Master Mara said with a straight face.
“I just want to know him more and, if possible, form an alliance with him. That brat is quite capable, and having a good relationship with him will be much more beneficial than being his enemy,” Gate Master Camilla added.
‘Bunch of liars,’ the Sect Master smirked inwardly.
Who were they trying to fool? He could tell they were lying, but he didn’t care. At least there was no malicious intent from them, so he could only assume they wanted something more personal with him than they weren’t willing to share with him.
“Since that is the case, I won’t interfere in your affairs. However, this talent is rare and must be protected. It’s been a long time since such a monster appeared on this continent, and while we know nothing about him, it’s safe to say he is someone we can bet on.
“I happened to sense something profound from him, and if my assumptions are correct, this kid is someone who can help all of us greatly,” the Sect Master said, making the two Gate Masters look at him with an attentive gaze.
“What do you want us to do, Sect Master?” Gate Master Camilla asked.
“I want you two to protect him from the others. I have been in seclusion for almost a decade, but I can tell what has been going on inside the sect. A rot is spreading, and the others will try to pull him down.
So don’t let them succeed. I am close to a breakthrough, so for now, you two are to ensure he is always protected. You can use any means necessary to enforce this… but just make sure he is safe.
In a year’s time, I will be out, and then, hopefully, he will become someone strong enough to handle what I have in store for him,” the Sect Master said, and the two ladies could only nod.
They may be sitting and talking with the Sect Master now, but they know the kind of person he is and what he would do to get what he wants.
The two knew Kent had just entered serious trouble the moment this old dog had set his sights on him.
As such, the two ladies, who understood what this entailed, had made a vow never to let the Sect Master succeed. This meant all animosity against Kent was scrapped.
Though the Sword Gate Master wanted to torture Kent, she also wouldn’t want the only disciple of her most cherished disciple to fall into evil’s hands.
“_”
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