The Carnation Goddess

When Nangong Shu told Shen Lie that it was time for her leave now as she still got an important matter to report to her Saintess Sheng Feiyan, he was actually quite sad.

It was because the naked Nangong Shu was really too coquettish and he was reluctant to let go of her.

"This is your abode, I know. And I will look for you whenever I'm free." Nangong Shu also had a most reluctant look as she said shyly to him. "We still have many days ahead of us. I will guide you with your cultivation so that the two of us will be together forever."

Upon seeing the still reluctant look in Shen Lie's eyes, Nangong Shu smiled. "Don't worry, I will be back. I'm not a loose maiden that will abandon you…"

Just as Shen Lie was trying to protest that he had never thought of her as a loose maiden, she was gone.

After Nangong Shu was gone, Shen Lie was feeling quite lonely.

But he soon brightened up at the outlook that it was going to be nightfall soon.

It was because Shen Lie knew that his Saintess Sheng Feiyan would be visiting him soon when it was dark and that was the solo purpose why she had arranged for him to be alone so that she would be his depraved slave.

Just like Saintess Sheng Feiyan knows him inside out, he also knows her inside out; she was just cold from the outside and inside, she was always so warm and accommodating to him.

All of a sudden he was sighing heavily as he muttered softly, "Well, not so accommodating this time. Feiyan has actually give up her chance to become my Carnation Goddess. Of all the 7 saintesses, why her?"

For more than once, he had imagined his Feiyue to be his Carnation Goddess and never his depraved slave. But she actually wanted to be his depraved slave this time?

Women are strange!

No, women are all weird!

He patiently waited for Saintess Sheng Feiyan to arrive, knowing very well that she would definitely come as she did not want to break off with him.

Night turned into dawn now.

And Saintess Sheng Feiyan did not even come…

There was a deep sorrow in his heart now when he realized that she would not come...

He realized now, how wrong he was in knowing Saintess Sheng Feiyan and she had indeed changed from 100 years ago…

Shen Lie was now doubly woeful as he reported for duty in the outer court at dawn.

Many of the protégé brothers and sisters were grinning at this new protégé brother for he had almost got himself expulsed less than 1 week into the Holy Maiden Sanctuary.

Elder Li Hong had gathered Shen Li and 199 of his protégé brothers and sisters into the training ground. Then she said to them, "Now why you are all here? That is because you are all in the same cohort this year and you are horribly weak."

Shen Lie turned to look silently at his other 199 protégé brothers and sisters: Just because you all sucks, doesn't mean I suck. I shall ace this cohort and be the greatest cultivator in the Holy Maiden Sanctuary.

Elder Li Hong was now lecturing them, "You are all at the Qi Condensation staging and that is your current cultivation realm level. You are not at the Foundation stage so I won't be polite to you. All of you are actually cultivators in the Qi Condensation cultivation level and I will be expecting much more from all of you…"

All of a sudden she had frozen and so did all the 200 protégés.

It was because the peerless loveliness of the Saintess Sheng Feiyue were now lighting the training ground with her sudden grace and she was accompanied by another breathtaking Nangong Shu next to her.

A protégé could not resist muttering and there was shock in his eyes, "Isn't that our Saintess? And also her Right Protector Nangong Shu…"

"This Nangong Shu is not only beautiful but is also a Revolving Core Cultivator…"

"She is in the top 12 extraordinary beautiful great beauty list along with Fairy Yue Yuwen…"

"Why is our Saintess here?"

"This is so unexpected…"

"She is paying attention to insignificant ants like us…"

Elder Li Hong quickly greeted her Saintess and she was followed by the 200 protégés.

"My Saintess, what brings you here today?"

Saintess Sheng Feiyue smiled but her meaningful glances were looking at Shen Lie instead.

Shen Lie was actually delighted to see both Sheng Feiyue and Nangong Shu.

He thought: Are they here to see my performance? If so, I won't disappoint them…

Saintess Sheng Feiyue smiled playfully, "I am here to see how our new protégés are doing and also the trainings that they will be receiving."

Elder Li Hong smiled spiritedly and she was thinking: Maybe I will soon be promoted to the inner court now? Farewell good-for-nothing protégés of the outer court!"

Saintess Sheng Feiyue smiled along with Nangong Shu, "Please continue. Pretend that we are not around."

Shen Lie saw that Saintess Sheng Feiyue and Nangong Shu were both looking at him with meaningful glances and his heart was pounding hard: They are both looking at me? This is bad. I can't handle both of them in bed together…

"Shen Lie! Shen Lie!" Li Hong had suddenly startled him. "Did you hear my question? What is the cultivation realm after the Qi Condensation?"

The answer was the Bronze Core and this cultivation realm was the dream of all the new protégés so it was an answer that everyone knows by heart.

Elder Li Hong naturally knew that it was an easy question for everyone to answer and she was very sure that Shen Lie would know the answer as well. And she would also score points in front of her Saintess Sheng Feiyan.

Shen Lie blinked for a while before he answered slowly, "Um, Yuan Yin?"

Elder Li Hong: …

All the proteges: …

Saintess Sheng Feiyue, Nangong Shu: …

Every one was held speechless by Shen Lie's reply.

When Saintess Sheng Feiyue had heard him, she felt like banging her head on a pillar and die on the spot.

Nangong Shu was feeling so awkward for Shen Lie: He is really weak in cultivation…

Elder Li Hong awkwardly rebuked Shen Lie, "The cultivation stage after the Qi Condensation is the Bronze Core."

Shen Lie was feeling awkward too as though someone had just slapped him; he can't remember the lower cultivation realms too well because he had actually started off at a much higher cultivation realm in the past…

Elder Li Hong could feel her back burning with great embarrassment because she knew that her Saintess Sheng Feiyan was watching her from behind…

She could only mutter weakly, "Let's go for the next cultivation lesson. Every one, I want you to summon your Qi to hit the puppet from 10m away. Once you are able to do so with accuracy, this will be considered a pass for you."

All 200 protégés were now mustering their Qi cultivation profound energy to their swords as they tried to hit the puppet in front of them.

Elder Li Hong said, "For today lesson, I need all of you to hit the puppets 3 times. In the future, it will be gradually increased to 10 times, and then 10 times in a row without a miss."

This was not easy to do especially when the more times the new protégés were mustering their Qi, the more exhausted that they would be.

But hitting 3 times were easy for the 199 protégés for they did not need to hit their targets continuously.

Moreover most of them had been practicing mustering their Qi to hit a target from 10m away even before they had joined the Holy Maiden Sanctuary.

10m was their absolute limits; it was because most of them would not become a sword energy cultivator and become master of the profound energy called Qi.

But it was not important for them to become a sword energy cultivator; they were stronger at the lower levels but much weaker at the higher levels as their sword energy would no longer be useful to penetrate the profound aura of their foes, unless they could lay their hands on a divine sword of considerable power.

After a while, all 199 protégés had all passed the Qi cultivation lesson, save for one protégé and he was Shen Lie.

Shen Lie had raised his sword repeatedly and whoosh, his sword energy would flash left or right and missed his target.

He was stunned, "This is impossible… is my sword playing punk with me?"

And he felt like raising his cultivation realm to blow up this stupid puppet in front of him…

Elder Li Hong could only watch Shen Lie with a most awkward expression…

Even Nangong Shu was covering her face shamefully: Is this the man of my heart?

But Saintess Sheng Feiyue was laughing silently; it was because she knew that Shen Lie was just a bookworm and he truly sucked in his martial training.

She could still remember vividly how the 7 sister saintesses had ganged up on Shen Lie on that fateful day…

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Author Note:

1. Shen Lie is the most unusual MC.

2. One more day and the story will be 7 days old. Readers will be able to see the chapters per week. Not bad for we have 19 chapters in 6 days =)