There were almost 40 creatures that joined Yasenia from the surroundings. They were beasts in human form, some beast humans, and some students from the Academy.
Yasenia understood why would the academy students come out since she had worked her popularity and connections during the last months. Still, she didn't understand the motivation behind the Beasts and beast-humans. Yasenia's head spun rapidly. 'Empathy? Not possible, even if one or two would maybe join because of this, it is not enough to move almost forty people.'
Yasenia internally frowned, 'Do they want to support someone like them who has influence in a continent filled with humans? Also not logical to do that by joining a group that seems to be about to be destroyed... I can't understand.'
There was one detail that went over Yasenia's head, her dearest mother! Why would this happen except for that number one daughter-con demigoddess outside the secret realm? Tatyana wasn't someone that would send her most precious little treasure inside a dangerous place without backup plans.
Before entering the secret realm, Tatyana had ordered all the beast clans under her one thing. To tell their juniors to help Yasenia if they could when they met with her inside the secret realm. Of course, saying it literally like that could lead to some backlash because of indignation, so Tatyana approached it cleverly with her tactics.
Like promising treasures, status, cultivation methods, or even beast cores. The language she used was also careful and meticulous, leading the beasts to suggest protection for Yasenia from their own mouths. Tatyana knew that even if she could force them, it would eventually lead to instability and revels appearing.
Moreover, The beasts obeyed because the seniors of each clan knew Yasenia's bloodline level was practically unheard of in the Sky Continent and its surroundings. Not even their ancestors had such a high-level bloodline. Hence, they all hoped that the now young dragoness would one day grow into a ruler leading the beasts to a prosperous era. Nonetheless, even with all of these schemes, there were a lot of voices against the motions in the beginning.
Still, could they fight with Tatyana's serious effort in making this go through? Tatyana's invisible but all-powerful hand could reach everywhere in the Sky Continent!
During Yasenia's growing period, especially after she entered the Academy, the Death Empress continuously bent or crushed those opposing opinions as she willed them with numerous and different tactics. All so that her little treasure would have something to rely on if the path she chose had a dead end.
Conquer the continents? Gain influence to become a ruler? Go against the main powers to gain resources for herself?
Wrong.
Tatyana practically played the whole Sky Continent and the surroundings on the palm of her hand just so her little treasure always had a safe netting. Something to cushion her dearest's fall should she ever fail during the dangerous, difficult, and long path called Cultivation.
Meanwhile, after seeing so many people going out confidently behind Yasenia, the same effect that happened when the demon incited those people occurred, this time in Yasenia's favor. Other humans hiding in the surroundings also took a step forward, adding fifteen more people. This left Yasenia's side with ninety people, including the woman and her followers.
Although our dragoness was internally surprised and didn't understand why so many people suddenly joined her, she didn't miss the chance and acted confidently and smiled at the demon. "Look how badly you count. I have 90 people by my side, not three."
The demon sneered and said, "Even with that number, isn't your overall strength lacking against us? We still have thirty more people, enough to kill all of you easily."
However, there was one detail that every person ignored because of the movement of the surroundings. Yasenia's skin had already gained a beautiful golden color, and even her tail was becoming completely golden as increasingly more Sun energy accumulated.
Yasenia looked at the humans behind the demon again and said. Her voice now carried pressure way higher than her cultivation level. "Last chance. If you revolt and fight against the demons right now, some of you will survive, and we will jump right in to aid you-"
The demon knew where this was going, and he wouldn't let something like that happen. As Yasenia spoke, he punched a human woman beside him without holding back. The woman didn't even know what happened when the demon's fist smashed the side of her head with enormous strength.
*BANG!*
The sickening sound of bones shattering and her head exploding like a watermelon followed, splashing the people at that side. This terrified all the humans nearby. The demon snarled, "Those who dare go against me will have a similar fate to this woman! So you better fight seriously."
Yasenia internally smirked, 'Fool, although it seems like you gained control, you've actually let me gain more terrain like this. Now there will be resentment growing in every single person below that fear. Below that fear, there is an ember that I can fuel in an uncontrollable inferno!'
Yasenia didn't even flinch at that woman's death and kept looking at the humans and beast humans next to the demon as if her eyes were trying to tell them there was a chance. Pushed by this, they began doing small movements and gathering together. Yasenia didn't want the demon to realize, so she continued clashing with the demon, taking his attention toward herself. "You are so scary~. You've made it impossible for me to influence those people with that movement."
The demon looked at Yasenia coldly, "You are much chattier than I expected. I thought that dragons were straightforward creatures. But one that humans have domesticated is truly a disappointment. I'm getting doubtful about our seniors' claims that you will be able to breed excellent demons."
Angel and Kali almost shot forward to blow his head off, but Yasenia's arms stopped them and placed them behind herself. When she saw that they positioned, Yasenia smiled. By now, she had accumulated a ton of Sun energy, and now it was time to fuel that ember with her scorching Sun.
Yasenia began speaking while clenching the handle of her sword a little tighter. "You have a sharp mouth. It would be a good provocation if your claims were true. A shame, you will soon realize your—"
And without a word, while she was speaking, she suddenly raised her sword and pointed at the sky, holding it with two hands above her head. The demon instantly realized that something was wrong. "Prepare for combat!"
While the demon gave that order, Yasenia's aura ballooned and exploded with tremendous might, pushing everyone around her almost ten meters! Then, with a voice as imposing as the midday Sun, Yasenia roared! "Good! Since you've chosen to revolt, I will give you a chance!"
The demon and the others felt Yesenia's current aura release and opened their eyes with shock, hastily gathering energy, but it was too late. The demon cursed, 'Crap! I've still underestimated her strength!'
All the energy she gathered during the conversation gathered in [Draconic Heart] and magnified, exploding with blinding golden light. As if a second Sun manifested on the land. Then, Yasenia took a step forward and lowered her sword with both hands, shooting toward them an enormous Solar beam with a blurred draconic silhouette.
"[NOON]!"
*ROAR!*
With a dragon cry, the beam zoomed with excessive speed toward the group of demons!
The humans that wanted to revolt took the chance, and instead of creating barriers like the rest of the people, they backstabbed the demons and other humans, attacking right at this moment! Even if only 15 out of the 120 did this, the attacks beside them were extremely effective, making many barriers collapse because of a concentration lapse from the backstab!
The demon's eyes became bloodshot, 'They still played me!? Fucking humans!'
The worst thing was that even if they wanted to deal with those humans, the demons and others didn't have the chance because Yasenia's attack was already before them!
Yasenia's [Noon] attack collided with the numerous barriers like a hammer slamming on glass!
*BOOM!*
The blurred golden draconic attack broke most of the barriers but didn't manage to pierce through. However, this was the effect of only the draconic beam, and there wasn't only one beam! Thanks to [Noon] 's special effect, when used at noon hours, an enormous circular beam would fall from the sky with the same strength as the previous beam, impacting right after the draconic beam.
*BOOOM!!* *CRASHCRASHCRASHCRASH!*
The beam destroyed the remaining barriers and fell onto the group of demons with tremendous might. The attack was like Heavenly Judgment condemning Yasenia's enemies.
The backstabbing humans had already left the group while the demons and their followers defended, so the attack didn't even touch them!
The scorching Solar beam charred all living beings under the sixth level of the Mental Nourishing realm and heavily injured all those under the Half-step realm.
The aftermath of the attack was scary to look at.
The group of demons had at least 20 dead people and many more injured ones. The humans who retreated were now on Yasenia's side. This left 60+ people with the strength to fight on the demon's side facing off against 105 people on Yasenia's side.
A single attack had turned the tables!
Everyone was looking at this with wide eyes. 'What the hell was that attack!?'
Yasenia's voice woke them up from their stupor, "What are you standing there for!? Attack!"
The people snapped out of their daze and charged forward. The Demons weren't stupid, so they decided to disperse around, fleeing from the group of cultivators. Some of them even ran toward the town's gates to try their luck. The head of the Demons was one of them as he shot directly toward the Heaven Gate. He was injured, but nothing serious, so he was confident of entering the through the gate.
Yasenia followed behind him with Angel, Kali, and Sarah in tow. Even when she saw his direction, Yasenia didn't do anything to stop him, and she let him enter through the door. She was curious about the challenge in the door, so she wanted to use these injured demons to test their strength.
Yasenia saw that he had come to an abrupt stop when he was in the middle of the passage of the Heaven gate. Our dragoness could notice that he and the other demons suddenly stopping was intentional; something stopped them.
Yasenia also stopped and looked at him curiously. She was aiding the humans by shooting [Crescent Moon] and [Shooting Stars] with her tail toward other escaping demons. Angel had created the [Glass Golem Formation], and Kali had ordered the [Golden Crown] to rampage around together with them, summoning some dryads and treants to aid the golems and the [Golden Crown]. Like this, none of them moved from beside the others and still helped the rest of the cultivators.
Sarah was busy enough trying to ignore the absolute massacre going around to attack and holding back from collapsing. Even if she was strong, that was when fighting against non-human cultivators. In those fights, she could still argue that she was killing savage animals that would otherwise kill herself, just an escape mechanism. But it wasn't the same when fighting against humans.
It wasn't that Sarah was racist or anything, but being from a peaceful world where only humans live, she couldn't spontaneously develop empathy for the other races and creatures. Therefore, killing a human was much more difficult than killing a non-human. And even then, killing a non-human was still somewhat hard.
Yasenia ignored Sarah's plight and focused her interest on the demon. Suddenly, one blue lightning bolt struck the demon horizontally from the end of the gate. Yasenia observed closer and realized that the demon couldn't move even after the attack. She muttered, "So we can only receive the attacks passively."