"You. What did you say your leader is called?"
Shen Baihu frowned when Yasenia asked that question. Looking at her pair of intense golden slit eyes, he knew that the title resonated with the dragon girl. Still, Shen Baihu, who adored Tatyana like an untouchable goddess, didn't like her tone. "You'd better be respectful, dragon. While our Sect Leader, who is one of the branch masters personally selected by Lady Death Empress, asked us to search for someone with your traits, that doesn't mean that you are worthy!"
Yasenia's intense gaze cooled down. That gaze was so piercingly cold that those looking felt a prickle in their eyes. "I didn't really confirm my doubts until now because you all didn't really act how Tatyana's subordinates usually would. However, it seems that the rotten apple managed to become the leader this time around, making things overly complicated!"
After hearing Shen Baihu's answer, Yasenia quickly discerned everything that had happened until that point. She understood why she fell unwillingly into the [Star Breaker Realm Bead]; she also understood why she was so easily found when she hid rather perfectly, and she finally knew that her current situation was due to this man adding some ridiculous personal feelings in his quest.
Shen Baihu's face turned extremely angry at Yasenia's comments, and he palmed forward. "You dare speak her name!? Who gave you the authority!? [Blood Death Palm]!"
Being the only Level 9 Transcendence Cultivator around, his strength was also the most extraordinary. When his palm moved, the Death Energy in the surroundings manifested, twisted, evolved, multiplied, and finally formed into a black palm that blotted the sky.
This single attack was the strongest attack Yasenia had ever received. Fu Weiyang, Yu Xiaolian, and the others opened their eyes widely. "Shen Baihu! STOP!"
Nobody had expected that he would suddenly attack—no one but Yasenia. While she was young in comparison to these old monsters, she dealt with overly zealous people far too many times.
Even before Baihu completed his palm strike, Yasenia used 10 barrier talismans at once to block the attack.
The gargantuan palm strike instantly struck the ten-layered barrier, the barriers breaking one after another and showing just how ridiculously strong Shen Baihu was. Thankfully, the attack only pierced nine of the barriers before stopping, leaving Yasenia relatively uninjured.
Of course, since Yasenia was maintaining them with her energy, she received backlash each time a barrier was destroyed with too much force. Her inner organs ruptured, forcing out a mouthful of blood. "Cough!"
With a serious expression, Yasenia quickly used a healing talisman, recovering from her internal injuries. 'If I blocked one of his attacks, this man will probably use another two or three of them before he is satisfied. All of them are ridiculous like that.'
She only had five barrier talismans left. So, she couldn't use the same tactic again.
As she was preparing to use other life-saving treasures, Fu Weiyang, slightly weaker than Shen Baihu, stepped forward and tightly grabbed his colleague's wrist. His eyes were burning with anger as he shouted. "How dare you attack the person that Sect Master told us to protect!!? While I didn't agree, I allowed you to make those little tests because stepping in at the right moment and saving her was more than possible! Moreover, if she overcame them, you would have nothing to say, and things would go smoothly later. But you've gone too far!"
Shen Baihu glared at Fu Weiyang. "No one is allowed to speak Lady Death Empress's name! Even if she is to become her direct disciple, only after Lady Death Empress gives the verbal permission will she be able to speak it!"
Before anyone answered, Yasenia interrupted with a sneer. "And how do you know that I haven't received it already?"
'Don't joke. I can call my own mother's name whenever I want to. I just didn't refer to her as "Mom" because things will get too complicated otherwise.'
Shen Baihu laughed and looked at Yasenia disdainfully. "Wishful thinking! Not even our Death Saintess has earned that privilege. What can a little dragon like you achieve compared to Lady Death Saintess?"
Yasenia frowned for a second and asked. "And who is this Death Saintess that you so highly speak of?"
Everyone looked at Yasenia strangely. As if she just asked the most absurd thing in the world. Yu Xiaolian, the woman at the side, coughed once and spoke. "Lady Death Saintess is the person closest to the Death Empress. She will inherit her throne in the future. She is the closest being to Lady Death Empress in the entire world."
Yasenia's lips twitched as she felt a light, uncomfortable feeling in her heart. It was like a small squeeze, showing as a flinch in her gestures.
Still, she soon discarded it. 'As always, don't misunderstand anything. Once you encounter Mom, she will explain everything. This might be an exaggerated and unreliable rumor that has been blown out of proportion. Knowing Mom, she would never bother with these small things that don't affect her.'
Shen Baihu noticed Yasenia's flinch and sneered. "Now you know how to be fearful? You even dare to lie about having such a privileged position; you deserve ten thousand deaths!"
Yasenia wanted to continue arguing, but soon, she blinked as an idea popped into her mind. "You are right."
Everyone paused, their minds tangling after Yasenia's unexpected answer. The dragoness spoke seriously. "I deserve death, so bring me in front of the Death Empress so that she can administer it herself. Such a deep offense—who else other than Lady Death Empress can resolve it? Otherwise, this stain will remain forever in Lady Death Empress's mind. Solving things personally and through subordinates is different, after all."
Of course, no one was stupid among those gathered. Who in their right mind would court death in this manner? Yasenia had defended herself so fiercely that she almost killed a Level Eight Transcendence Realm cultivator and killed a Fifth Level one.
So, what did her words mean? Yasenia was 100% sure that once the Death Empress saw her, she would be forgiven.
Still, unlike what they were thinking, Yasenia was not that sure. 'If this Death Empress turns out to be a random person who took Mom's title… I will be in a dangerous position. Still, Death Empress as a title and Tatyana as a name… If this person is someone other than Mom, I might as well smash my head against tofu until I kill myself.'
Shen Baihu frowned deeply, and his eyes flashed coldly. "You are too overconfident and disrespectful!"
Yasenia rolled her eyes. "Are you done? Or do you want to vent a little bit more? Now, take me with you and protect me from this bunch. If the Death Empress you speak about is the one I know, I am indeed someone who belongs to the [Astral Death Sect]."
Yasenia's words left the other groups somewhat wary. They didn't want to offend a power as strong as the Astral Death Sect for Yasenia's treasures. While the [Star Breaker Realm Bead] was powerful, sacrificing their lives was not something they'd like to do after so many thousands of years living.
So, with Yasenia's words, the Astral Death Sect stepped forward and surrounded Yasenia. Shen Baihu looked at Yasenia and spoke solemnly. "You'd better prepare to meet Lady Death Saintess. Only after her agreement will you be able to meet with Lady Death Empress."
Yasenia was about to nod when several auras surged from the distance, engulfing the entire place in a suffocating pressure.
Those gathered frowned deeply.
"Where do you think you are going, Yasenia Dravory!"
Looking around, Yasenia noticed Astarea, Meng Lihua, and many other powerhouses. The number of Transcendence Realm cultivators suddenly shot up from around fifty to over 400.
Yasenia looked around with a deep frown. "What is the meaning of this? I already said that I belong to the Astral Death Sect."
"Lies!" The person who spoke was a middle-aged man with a heroic complexion. His blue robes and short black hair gave him a free and unrestrained look. "You are someone from the Star Immortal Sect. A weak sect of a remote island. Don't think that the Astral Death Sect are good people."
Yasenia blinked, confused. 'What is this guy talking about? And how did they discover it so quickly?'
Although thinking about it, it wasn't that complicated. Just asking around the Seven Star Cities was enough to find out about her. The man looked at Shen Baihu and the others and condemned them. "These people belong to a Demonic Sect. While the Astral Death sect looks righteous on the outside, there are plenty who desecrate graveyards and other sites of rest just to get corpses to reanimate. That goes against the heavens!"
Yasenia nodded and smiled. "Right. So?"
The man paused. "So… you wouldn't like to join a Demonic sect, right? They are people who have fallen into an unfit path. Someone with a bright future, as you will only be twisted if you follow them! Instead, join my Azure Cloud Pavilion. You won't regret it."
"Huh? You old man! How dare you sneak in an invitation! We spoke clearly together that Yasenia will choose a major sect by herself."
Yasenia saw that many other people were about to jump, so she interrupted. "If that's the case…"
Everyone looked over and heard Yasenia speak in a solemn tone. "I choose the [Astral Death Sect]. Now that we are done, can you all leave?"
Everyone looked at her speechlessly. 'Can you not think about it? Do you not want to be in a sect with a good reputation? What's so good about playing with corpses!? Aren't your tastes somewhat crooked!?'
Astarea spoke at this moment; her cold and clear voice reached Yasenia. "If you choose them, we will have no other option but to forcefully strip you of your treasure." Astarea sighed softly. "Come with me, child. Lataria is also hoping for you to come with us. I promise that you won't get treated wrongly."
Yasenia's expression turned cold as she looked at Astarea. "I don't want to hear anything from someone like you. After what you did, you are lucky that I am not seeking vengeance!"
Astarea's expression became complicated, but she just shook her head. "If you don't accept one of us, you will die here. This time, you bit off more than you could swallow."
Lataria, by Astarea's side, opened her eyes. "What do you mean, Grandma? We must save her!"
Ao Jiuyao was in the mix as well, so he spoke out. "Yasenia. The choice is actually quite easy. Come with me, and no one will be able to bully you. You belong with those of your same species."
Yasenia looked at him and sighed. "Indeed. The choice is quite clear."
Her energy surged, and as she looked at the over 400 people surrounding her, she warned aloud. "I don't have any resentment against any of you. However, I won't allow myself to be killed obediently. Even mortal rabbits bite when they are cornered, not to mention a Dragon. Activate, [Divine Lich Avatar Descent Talisman]."
As Yasenia's words echoed, a whirlpool of energies twisted the fabric of space, surging to the sky as Death and Fate energies swallowed the world.