Chapter 11: Chapter 11: White Lotus Sanctuary
Afterwards, Vahn went to his old house to pick his belongings. There was nothing significant. Just some rag tug clothes and his grandfather’s remaining memories.
Once outside, he saw Seraphina was waiting patiently with her arms crossed over her chest. She gazed back at Vahn, noticing he had only a smal cloth bag as his belongings.
"Is that all you have?" she asked softly.
"Yes, that’s all I have," Vahn replied. His tone was flat, yet the sorrow beneath it was unmistakable.
Seraphina already knew much about his past, so she said nothing more. Instead, her eyes expressed quiet understanding.
"Then let us depart. To White Lotus Sanctuary."
Without further ceremony, she extended her jade-like hand, as if offering him the very key to ascension.
Vahn hesitated for a moment before taking it.
As soon as he touched it an electric sensation spread throughout his palm, as if he had touched something forbidden.
Her hand was far softer than he expected. It was probably only the second time in his life he had held a woman’s hand, and that too with such intimacy.
[ Your physical connection with Seraphina Dawnlight increased by 0.1%]
[ Reward gained: Light Affinity Increased ]
Just as the notifications flashed, Seraphina’s voice rang out, gentle and kind:
"Do not be nervous, Vahn. Just hold tight."
"O-Okay..." he murmured, his eyes meeting the gentle warmth in hers.
He relaxed his stiff posture, but the next instant, a powerful pull surged through him. His vision blurred, then fell into complete darkness.
In the blink of an eye, the both of them vanished from the village squire.
The night deepened in Green Willow village, but somewhere very far far away it was already dawn.
When Vahn regained his vision, the darkness faded away, replaced by brilliance that nearly stole his breath away.
They stood on a vast marble floor, floating high above the clouds. Across its surface pure white lotuses bloomed, their petals releasing gentle motes of light that drifted like falling stars. Each petal carried a faint hymn, as if the flowers themselves were whispering prayers to the heavens.
As his gaze looked at his surroundings, disciples in white robes could be seen practicing with diligence.
Around the platform, towering building structures, like rows and rows of white, spanned endlessly. He couldn’t even see the end from here.
But in the distance he could see a towering sacred temple so big that it stood like the heart of the world.
And at the very horizon, all he could see were towering mountain peaks that surrounded the Sanctuary like a protective wall.
This wasn’t just any sect; it was almost like a divine kingdom itself.
He had heard of this kind of mystical places in stories and legends, but seeing it with his very own eyes had almost blown his mind.
Compared to the quiet village he had just left behind, this realm was like stepping into a world of gods.
"Is this... the White Lotus Sanctuary?" He whispered in awe.
Seraphina smiled as her presence blended seamlessly with the surrounding.
"Yes, Vahn. This is the holy land where fate has led you. From this moment forward, your path will no longer be ordinary."
Vahn was weighing the gravity behind Seraphina’s words, but then movement stirred around them. The inner court disciples had already noticed their arrival.
At the very first sight of Seraphina, silence swept across the marble floor. Every eye was drawn to her, and then came the whispers, like waves breaking upon the shore:
"Look... it’s the Saintess."
"By the heavens... she is more beautiful than the stories. Her aura alone feels like it cleansed the dust from my soul."
"Fool, don’t stare at her for too long," an elder snapped, his voice sharp like a blade. "A sinner’s heart cannot withstand gazing into divine light for too long, lest it be burned away."
Yet despite the warning, admiration and reverence still lingered in their gazes.
Then their attention shifted to her side. Whispers grew louder as they noticed the young man walking beside her, quiet yet unshaken under her radiance.
"But.. elder who is that boy?" one disciple muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Why is he not being purified by her presence?"
Another disciple sneered. "Perhaps just a servant? But no, his expression was too calm. Too steady."
The elder’s eyes narrowed as he followed Vahn’s leaving figure, but his words remained dismissive.
"Who knows? Perhaps someone important to her. In any case, return to your drills. Do not let your minds wander."
Still, though the disciples obeyed, their curious and envious gazes lingered on Vahn until he vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, Vahn nervously followed Seraphina toward an unknown destination. Along the way, the disciples and elders glanced at him with intrigue and curiosity.
He couldn’t understand why they acted so surprised to see him. Surely this wasn’t her first time interacting with the opposite gender, right?
What he didn’t know was that his suspicion was correct. Aside from her rare interactions with Patriarch Dimidium, Seraphina usually avoided men altogether.
This wasn’t out of arrogance or pride. For a Saintess as her stature, it was only natural.
So their surprise was justified.
Within minutes of walking, they arrived at a much larger temple-like building. Its structure was crafted from deep red mahogany wood, carrying an ancient presence that radiated authority. It stood there like an indestructible fortress, unshaken by the flow of time.
Even as he stood at the threshold, Vahn could feel multiple auras pressing down on him like invisible mountains.
The massive doors creaked open on their own, revealing a vast hall that stretched beyond his sight.
Vahn took his first step inside. Instantly, the weight of those unseen presences grew heavier, pressing against his body, testing his resolve.
He understood at once. This was no ordinary pressure; it was a trial.
Step by step, he endured, but with each movement the force multiplied, threatening to crush him. His knees trembled, his bones groaned, yet he refused to yield. He would not kneel. Not when he had vowed to seize destiny with his own hands.
"Enough!" Seraphina’s voice rang out, sharp as thunder, yet soothing as spring rain.
Her divine aura was also unleashed, wrapping around Vahn in a gentle cocoon that shielded him from their crushing force.
Only then did he raise his head.
Before him stretched rows of regal thrones carved of radiant white stone, each one emanating an ancient authority. Upon those thrones sat figures that were no mere mortals. Their very presence burned into his soul and their silent gazes expressed as if he was nothing but an ant.
It wasn’t show of intimidation, they were reminding him his insignificance in this Holy Land.
These were beings whose existence alone spoke volumes of unfathomable power.