NOVPUBThe night was still early, and Ely returned to the Sacred Mountain without her little group.
Gabriella couldn’t come with her, and the other disciples couldn’t return anytime soon because they were still busy handling various matters, including preparations to face God-tier villains.
Before leaving, she reminded her disciples to return to the Sacred Mountain before the New Year’s event.
No one wanted to miss such a precious family event, and of course, all disciples would try their best to complete their tasks as soon as possible.
Ely, Yuuki, and Sylvia had just returned to the Sacred Mountain using teleportation. The first place they visited was an empty cave abode on a mountainside.
"This place is pretty good for her." Ely looked around and felt it was suitable for the Spider Queen’s new residence.
"Coo-coo..." A snowy white owl landed on a nearby tree branch. It looked at the shrine priestess with a curious gaze.
"Oh, it’s you, Ms. Snowy Owl. We just recruited a new friend. She is a pitiful spider demon who needs shelter. Please take care of her in the future." Ely waved at the snowy owl.
"???" The snowy owl couldn’t see the spider demon in question anywhere. However, she responded with a tactical nod.
"Then, I shall take her out." Yuuki opened a storage pouch and then pulled the Spider Queen out.
"Um?" Ranee was shivering slightly because of the sudden temperature change. She opened her eyes and looked in a daze at the starry night sky.
She was already half recovered, thanks to the spirit stones the nine-tailed fox gave. However, she was confused because of the current unknown environment.
This forest was definitely not the Ancient Night Secret Realm. Regardless, the spiritual energy in the air was so rich and abundant. It was like a paradise, the heavenly spot to cultivate!
Ranee immediately stood up because the ground was cold. She noticed the presence of several people around her and greeted them. "Hm? Oh, hi. Uh, have I arrived at the Sacred Mountain?"
"Yes, welcome to the Sacred Mountain, Ms. Arachne Spider. I am Miko, the shrine priestess of the Sacred Mountain. We look forward to our future cooperation." Ely held out her hand.
She was relieved because the spider lady’s favorability was pretty good, and this demoness was dressed. It was a pretty white dress made of spider silk.
"Ah, well. Nice to meet you. My name is Ranee. Please don’t call me by my spider family name." Ranee shook the shrine priestess’ hand with respect.
She couldn’t measure the shrine priestess’ cultivation base, and this human girl looked harmless. However, her instincts screamed and warned her to keep her attitude in check.
Not to mention, the nine-tailed fox and the dark-winged devil were also there.
"This cave abode will be your new residence. We have already prepared the furniture and other necessities here. Ms. Snowy Owl will guide you for the time being. It is getting late, and you should get some rest. We will visit you tomorrow morning." Ely handed a storage pouch to Ranee.
"Um, thank you." Ranee received the pouch and hugged it. She lost all her possessions because of the previous incident. This gift was her first belongings.
Ely ushered the spider lady to the empty cave abode. It was pretty warm and dark but humid... a perfect place for a spider demon to live in.
"Wow. This place is so nice. This Sacred Mountain is also like a dragon’s vein cultivation spot. I love it." Ranee nodded, satisfied with her new nest.
Her decision to accept the offer was her life’s best choice. Her old territory couldn’t even hold a candle compared to this place.
If she could cultivate here for a few years, she would reach the pinnacle by being a hermit. Her only complaint was about the dark knight demon and the scam contract, but she could ignore him for now.
"Then, it’s perfect. Have a wonderful rest." Ely waved her hand, then turned around.
"You have understood the common rules, and remember what I have said. See you again, spider." Sylvia raised her hand in farewell, then immediately took Ely flying to the mountaintop.
"Guide her about the Sacred Mountain rules." Yuuki glanced at the snowy owl.
"Coo-coo." The snowy owl nodded in understanding.
Yuuki immediately flew away to catch up with Sylvia and Ely.
Ranee looked up at the night sky until she couldn’t see the shrine priestess and the two terrifying demonesses. She then entered the dark cave abode and checked the gift given by the shrine priestess. "Hmm, let’s see what I got here~ She is so nice and hospitable, unlike that bad guy."
The snowy owl flew into the cave abode and landed on a rock. "Hey, newcomer."
"Wha- Hey, you can talk? I thought you were just an ordinary bird." Ranee gasped a bit.
"The shrine priestess considers us lively animals, the forest dwellers. We need to behave according to her wishes. Before anything else, I must inform you about the Sacred Mountain rules. Don’t think your 8th Rank cultivation can keep you safe in this mountain. You won’t survive for long if you don’t follow the rules here." The snowy owl warned the spider demon in a solemn tone.
"Is this Sacred Mountain so dangerous?" Ranee took it for granted, but she considered her safety could be in danger if she was ignorant about this sacred domain.
The snowy owl invited Ranee for a little tour while explaining the Sacred Mountain rules. The most important thing was they should behave well, or the shrine priestess might be angry and punish them.
Also, there was no hunting or bloodshed in the Sacred Mountain. The predators living on that mountain had to hunt in the outer regions at the foot of the mountain or elsewhere.
After hearing the rules, Ranee felt everything was still reasonable. She could fulfill all the rules. She just had to behave like a good demon, and she should be fine.
However, she was still curious about something. "I understand the rules. But why is the shrine priestess so important here? Is she a bigshot or something?"
"Shh... You, stupid spider. You’ve met her in person and still haven’t realized it?" The snowy owl covered Ranee’s mouth with her wings.
"Mhm, she looks like an ordinary human girl, but my hunch warned me not to mess around with her. If I fight her... I don’t know what will happen." Ranee raised her eyebrows.
"Never mind fighting her. You won’t be able to survive even one of her moves. If you dare to challenge her with bad intentions, it will be an instant kill. She isn’t an ordinary shrine priestess, but an Immortal Shrine Priestess." The snowy owl whispered near Ranee’s ear.
"Immortal? Woah, no wonder, then. Is she stronger than that dark knight demon?" Ranee dropped her fist onto her open palm.
"Dark knight demon? Yeah, that demon is just a baby in front of her." The snowy owl knew nothing about the dark knight demon, but the shrine priestess was always superior to any monster. No evil demon could stand up straight and act arrogantly before the shrine priestess.
"Heehee~" Ranee rubbed her hands and chuckled. She suddenly had an idea to curry favor with the shrine priestess for protection.
That way, the dark knight demon could never bully or take advantage of her. If she could get under the shrine priestess’ banner, nobody could intimidate her here. She might be able to revoke the scam contract with the shrine priestess’ help!
"Along with hardship comes ease. My future is so bright~" Ranee looked up at the sky with a bright smile. She began to plan what she needed to do for the shrine priestess and the Sacred Mountain.
Meanwhile, Ely has just returned to her shrine abode. She found the Sacred Sakura Tree’s spirit, Sakura, was still awake. Zi Xuan was also there, sitting on the Sacred Sakura Tree’s branch.
They seemed to be relaxing while waiting for her to return, but she knew they were also observing two guests sitting on the garden bench.
Ely wondered. She knew Sakura would never let anyone in. Apart from her disciples and friends, there shouldn’t be anyone else who could enter this shrine abode without permission.
After Ely inspected them closely, they were actually Evelyn and Kirara. They were waiting for something in the falling snow by taking shelter under an umbrella.
The gate opened silently but made a slight noise when it closed automatically.
Sakura and Zi Xuan looked at the entrance and immediately flew over. The two people under the white umbrella also looked sideways.
"Evelyn, Kirara? Why did you visit at night without telling us beforehand? Uh, have you been waiting long? It’s cold here. Let’s go inside first." Ely was astonished. Even so, she immediately invited everyone to enter her humble abode.
"Yeah, they had been waiting outside the gate since this morning. They didn’t want to leave and said they would wait for you to return. Since they are your friends, Sakura let them in this evening." Zi Xuan flew around Ely with some curiosity. She could sense Ely exuding a faint breath of the upper realm.
"We tried to contact you, but we couldn’t reach you. You left without informing us..." Evelyn felt a little sad.
"That is because you are too busy with your personal affairs." Yuuki shook her head.
"You only have yourself to blame. Ely didn’t consider you because she didn’t want to bother you when you were so busy." Sylvia shrugged her shoulders.
"But, but... I must finish the troublesome paper works, problems, and kinds of stuff to be released from my previous responsibility. I need to do it to join with Ely like you guys." Evelyn explained why, though she felt a bit guilty.
"Mm, I wish to serve the Supreme Goddess on the Sacred Mountain as a new servant. Please forgive us for not being present when you awoke from your slumber, Saintess Ely. The Temple of Law is now officially Sacred Sakura’s vassal." Kirara explained respectfully.
"It’s fine. Let’s talk inside over a cup of hot cocoa." Ely went behind Evelyn and Kirara, then gently pushed them into her humble abode.
