Choices (2)

Elevora tried her best to explain what she saw, well more like what she felt. She felt his negative Energy, but she said it made her feel like she saw a towering tree that was blacker than black. It weirdly resembled something demonic and saintly simultaneously, but seemed to embody all things negative. 

Horo went on to explain it as a characteristic of his physique and showed her the tattoo like tree on his back, she didn't see it when she saved him because his back was mangled flesh then. He didn't really explain his negative energy though, that's something no one would know about other than Himora. 

She said "Well what a weird physique you have, it seems it's a perfect counter for our palace's entire ideology. Even our famous technique is centered around kindness, gentleness, and pure intentions. Your physique made me feel fear, disgust and many other negative emotions that never existed in me before. My technique even lurched within my body for a second."

She paused for a second before continuing "Did you have any particular plans, or were you traveling aimlessly?"

"No, I plan to go to Ceres city and enter the New Torch Academy with a recommendation of someone close to me. He's the reason I was able to safely leave Crimson city", Horo said. 

He continued "I'm aware on my talents, and I plan to enter an organization or place that can help groom me to reach the peak possible potential of my talent."

She replied "Oh Ceres city you say, well it seems we have taken you far off of your original course. The closest city near the palace is Nimbus City which is back on the surface. To top it off nimbus city is tens of thousands of kilometers away from Ceres city. I don't think you could travel alone all over again without being seriously injured or killed."

Horo was dumbfounded, for many reasons. He responded "Wowww. I was nearly there when I passed out I only had a couple hundred kilometers left. How did we get here so fast? And what do you mean the surface?"

She gave him answers "Well we had specially mutated horses pulling our carriage, they travel extremely fast, and rarely do they get tired. Also, you were out for a week plus, so we had more than enough time to make it back to the palace. As for your other question, our palace is located in the clouds, considering the intimate relationship between our palace and the clouds have."

Horo was so astonished that he couldn't help but face palm, he thought "I guess the world of cultivation isn't the only place with floating palaces, haha."

Elevora continued "I know what you're thinking, but it's pretty simple maintaining an entire organization like our Pure Cloud Palace above in the clouds, we weren't always in the clouds."

"All of our ancestors and members who die leave their [True Clouds] and [Pure Clouds] nurtured from their technique behind. They are then placed in a special treasure that act as the foundation of our stability in the clouds. It has many functions like mirage casting, solidification, purification, condensation and many more."

"The entire organization is much more larger than you think but from below we look like ordinary clouds." 

Back to the main topic, since we inconvenienced your traveling plans, you can stay at our palace for a couple of days while I prepare an escort, or… 

She paused for a very long time, causing Horo to squint his eyes.

Then said something that baffled Horo "Or you can join the palace." She let out a beaming smile after saying that.

Horo replied with a look of shock, "I don't know much about your organization, but in certain from what I do know is that your palace only accepts women."

"Yeah that's true, but I'm pretty sure I can get my grandmother to make an exception." She said

"I'll convince her to make you an honorary disciple, using your talent, physique and an important upcoming tournament as reasons to accept you, but it'll mostly be my pouting and her soft spot that's get her to agree." She giggled in her sleeve after saying that. 

Horo thought for a moment then said, "Your my benefactor you've already done enough for me I can't accept this priceless offer from you, I'll have to stick to my original plan."

Elevora shrugged her shoulders and said "Well the choice is yours, but I do have to say you'll benefit much more becoming an honorary disciple here."

"How so", Horo said. 

She explained "Well for one out of all the major powers in this kingdom we are the only one with two main techniques, secondly we have much more and better resources than some academy that has to focus on so many students yearly, and most importantly the benefits of entering that "tournament" is ridiculous."

"You keep mentioning this tournament, and it's not my first time hearing about it what's it about?" Horo asked.