After flying for a few minutes, Yasenia broke the silence and asked. "We are going very slow. Is there any reason in particular?"
Their lips twitched, and they looked back at the calmly flapping beasts behind them. Their leisure pace didn't match the speed at which they moved. However, each flap of their enormous wings moved so much air that the wind pressure blew away the clouds they crossed.
However, the ones that had it worse weren't the cultivators but the flying beasts some were riding.
The giant blue eagle below Elder Mao from the Golden Body Sect was trembling each time it felt the powerful presence flying behind it.
Jorey was curious and approached her flying sword at Yasenia's side, flying beside her head. "Lady Yasenia, my sword can still go much faster. Do you want to have a harmless race? A one-minute race and then we stop to wait for the others, what do you say? Anyone that wants to participate can also do so."
Yasenia's giant golden eyes moved and focused on Jorey. "Hmm, sure, it seems fun. Do we put any stakes for the race?"
Jorey smirked and lifted her eyebrow. "How about you tell me the items you will auction in detail? That way, I can prepare funds for them easily."
Carbira flew to their side and interrupted. "That's against our Brilliant Auction contract, Lady Yasenia. You can't do that."
Jorey rolled her eyes, and her fox ears flickered. "Come on, Carbira! You know everyone here already has the item list for most items. The ones I'm lacking are just Lady Yasenia's. You've been keeping them hidden with quite a good leash. Speaking of which, I must praise you for that. Most managers double with a bit of a bribe, and I haven't seen you doing so yet."
Carbira snorted, her protruding eyes moving from side to side, thoughtful. "The leader told us not to say anything until the day before the auction. Moreover, I would never betray Lady Yasenia's trust in me. Thanks to her, I've been promoted from a high-level manager to a Brilliant Manager, the highest rank."
Elder Mao lifted his eyebrow and chuckled. "Well, that's quite the hint, Lady Carbira."
Elder Mu also chuckled. "I can guess that a few heaven items are involved. Else, they wouldn't increase your rank so much."
Carbira's face blushed, and she wanted nothing more than to hide in the shell on her back. Yasenia laughed. "Well, there are indeed a few heaven-ranked items."
The powers present exclaimed with excitement. Elder Hao stroked his sword handle and commented. "I should ask our sect to send more funds, then. I need to get the swords that appear for our Earthly Sword Sect!"
Fu Yu, otherwise called Young Master Fu, snorted and commented. "A few low-level items are not worth the senior's attention. Moreover, I doubt there are alchemy-related tools."
Elder Mu frowned and glared at him. Yasenia looked at him and squinted. "Is your ego that big, child? Can't you accept that you can't buy my human slaves?"
His Master wanted to slap him across the face again, but the Fu family were not pushovers. Doing so once was not enough for them to move. Moreover, he was at fault at that time.
Now, they are just discussing, and acting up would mean they look down on the Fu family more than the Astral Sky Clan. Although they have a good impression, in their eyes, Astral Sky Clan is still too small to be compared with one of the most powerful families inside the Wolf Clan, which, by the way, was ranked ninth among the thirty-three clans.
Young Master Fu snorted. "What if I can? What if I can't? Can you even do something to me? As long as I ask my father to call the main family in the central part of the continent, you are nothing and will be crushed easily."
Yasenia flapped her wings and arrived beside him before he could react. None of them expected such a giant dragon to be so agile.
Looking at the golden eye before his face, he was almost frozen in fright and barely maintained control of his flying sword. "Listen here, child. I'm a senior, which limits me from acting up against you. However, that doesn't mean I won't act against your seniors. Do you want to call them? Go ahead. Let's see if they bother me too much, and instead, I decide to make a short journey and find them myself."
A senior from the Fu family stepped between Yasenia and Elder Fu, his body stiff because of Yasenia's pressure. "Senior, please forgive him. He is young and rebellious and doesn't know better."
Yasenia was silent for a few seconds and then asked. "Do you know the fastest way for a clan or a sect to disappear?"
The elder was confused at the sudden random question.
Yasenia answered it herself. "When the top positions are taken by useless and pampered juniors who don't know any better and end up offending individuals whom they couldn't afford to, or in a much simpler way when they are unable to bear the responsibility and management of a leader and get devoured by other competent powers. Corruption begins appearing, holes in the structure of once a powerful clan, and they fall before they can even react."
Then, Yasenia glided away and kept flying straight, no longer bothering them.
Many seniors nodded in accordance, while some juniors couldn't help but become thoughtful. However, Fu Yu was not like that. "Ha! What a load of stupid nonsense! A powerful clan will always remain powerful. So what if the leaders want to be arrogant? People they can't afford to offend? Do they even exist? You are laughable, leader of the Astral Sky Clan."
The seniors from the Fu clan suddenly gained ugly expressions, and their eyes toward Fu Yu changed to gain a bit of disgust.
Jorey's cousin whispered. "Isn't that what senior Yasenia just talked about?"
Jorey almost couldn't hold her laughter. "She didn't only hit the nail on the head. She even sunk it down to the bottom in the same strike. Also, don't point too much because you were becoming like him."
The cousin blushed and acted coy. "I know my mistakes thanks to senior Yasenia, don't be mean, big sister."
Jorey snorted, but her eyes had a bit of softness in them.
Their conversation stopped because the temperature around them lowered even when they were moving extremely quickly.
Their bodies stiffly turned toward the silver Phoenix, and then they gulped.
The Phoenix's otherworldly cold voice entered their ears like sharp icicles. "Who are you calling laughable?"
The seniors from the Fu clan quickly reacted and placed themselves between the angered silver phoenix and Fu Yu. "Senior, please reign your wrath. I can guarantee he won't bother you anymore."
Cecile took a deep breath and blew down.
A literal snowstorm filled the land below as she flew. Many of the inhabited rocky mountains changed to snow peaks in a single minute.
Then, Cecile stopped and didn't say anything more.
Yasenia smiled and asked. "Did you relax, love?"
Cecile nodded, still indifferent. However, the temperature around her had become warmer, well, less cold.
Elder Song spoke unhurriedly. "By the way, what about the race, Jorey? Weren't you going to challenge Lady Yasenia?"
Carbira frowned. "Those bets must be changed. I can't allow a breach in contract to happen in front of my eyes."
Jorey waved her hand. "Ah, don't worry. I know him enough for this to not make any trouble."
Yasenia interrupted with a mysterious smile. "I accept it."
Carbira exclaimed. "Lady Yasenia, this is not correct!"
Yasenia laughed. "Don't worry, Carbira. Her sword can't win against me. They won't win anyway."
Jorey was surprised. "So confident? I must warn you, my flying sword is a high-level Heaven-ranked flying sword. Famous for its travel speed."
Yasenia nodded. "What if I win?"
Jorey rubbed her chin, and Kali spoke. "How about telling us about any special items you get in advance for five years? Be it slaves, alchemy items, or cultivation methods."
Jorey laughed. "Five years? You want to take a huge bite. Is that worth what you can reveal?"
Yasenia smirked. "Kali said so, and I agree. Our items are valuable enough for an advantage like that. Ask Carbira if you don't believe me."
The seniors and juniors looked at the crab woman, and she nodded. "They even went a bit low on the counter bet. I would've asked for fifteen years."
Curiosity killed the cat. This time, the fox took the bait readily. "So mysterious, and I'm really itching to know. I accept!"
Elder Mao chuckled. "Lady Jorey, take this."
Jorey took it and lifted an eyebrow. "A speed talisman?"
Yasenia looked at it curiously. "Hmm, earth ranked? Is that powerful? I'm quite clueless about talismans besides a few I have."
Elder Song answered. "Quite precious. Elder Mao should not have more than five of those."
"Bringing out the big treasures? Are you that eager to see me lose, Elder Mao?" Yasenia burst into laughter.
Elder Mao chuckled. "I'm also curious. This time I must aid Lady Jorey."
Yasenia smirked. "This can make it more interesting. However, I change my initial condition to ten years. I have a chance to lose, after all."
Jorey nodded easily. "I'm using aid. Increasing your reward is natural."
Yasenia smiled and said aloud with a big smile. "Elder Song, give the go-ahead when you feel like it. We'll fly out at the same time for one minute straight. The person who reaches furthest away wins."
Jorey moved to Yasenia's side, and the others before them parted in the middle to let Yasenia's large frame fly unobstructed.
Elder Yu asked with a smile. "Who do you think it will win?"
Elder Hao rubbed his chin. "I think Lady Jorey."
Elder Mao shook his head. "Even after giving the talisman, I'm unsure if Lady Jorey will win."
The others lifted their eyebrow. "Is Lady Yasenia that powerful?"
Elder Mao made a wry smile. "Little Blue has been trembling for a while, and I'm confident in keeping up with Miss Jorey while mounting him. I gave the talisman to make it fair, or it would've been a complete win."
The others nodded and looked at Yasenia with great interest and expectations.
Elder Song began the countdown. "Ten, nine, eight, seven…"
Yasenia began circulating her energy across her body, increasing the shine around her body.
Yet, her activating skill was not [Lingering Star Steps].
"… Six, five…"
They all saw her blue body lit up with constellation patterns. The flapping wings slowed down, but Yasenia maintained her speed.
'I should be able to maintain the first step set for a short while.'
Jorey looked sideways, stunned at the softly glowing dragoness as the Moon and Sun on her wings shone brighter. 'So beautiful.'
"… Four, three…"
Yasenia's breath slowed down, and her body released an invisible pressure.
Tatyana, Valeria, and Mirrory hastily communicated. 'Use your energy to anchor to Yasenia!'
"Two…"
They all crouched and grabbed onto Yasenia, and Tatyana protected Kaleina.
"One…"
Yasenia extended her wings and lifted them.
"GO!"
"[Heavenly Constellation Steps]."
*BOOOM!*
Yasenia created a gigantic explosive sound as her enormous body blurred into the distance with a powerful shockwave.
Jorey also shot forward simultaneously, but after just an instant, Yasenia was already hundreds of meters ahead.
Jorey kept speeding but cursed reflexively. "Crap. I really didn't think I had to use the talisman!"
She took it out and ripped it right away. Then, she sped into the distance, hastily catching up with Yasenia.