Finnegan looked at Andrea with a surprised expression and asked with an unbelieving tone. "What do you mean? How can someone enter another person's soul?"
Yasenia was calm when she faced the stunned looks of everyone there.
Even Ghana didn't know about this.
"As I said, Princess Ebirah is inside Andrea's soul. Humans don't only have the ability to make contracts with them, but if the connection and trust between both parties are close enough, the human can use their soul to hide their contracted beast partner."
Ghana suddenly remembered what she had investigated from the ambush and what others knew. Between all the reports, there was one where Sierra was suddenly summoned by a lightning bolt at Evelyn's call.
'Does Sierra have a contract with Evelyn?'
Finnegan was again doubtful. Everything sounded too mystical, even for them as a cultivator.
Finnegan asked. "Then, why isn't the human calling her out? Does she have the ability to imprison Ebirah in her soul?"
Yasenia nodded. "I understand that all of this sounds foreign and strange. However, you must realize we all love and care about the princess. Ebirah has the ability to leave whenever she wants, but right now, she is not awake."
Finnegan crossed his arms and leaned on the chair, becoming thoughtful. "Can't Andrea wake her up?"
Andrea interjected. "Third Elder. Princess Ebirah is attacking the bottleneck now. If everything goes well, she will advance in about an hour."
Yasenia lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? That girl is already there?"
Andrea nodded. "Yes."
Yasenia stood up and spoke. "Didn't I tell you to warn me about it? Follow me."
Andrea stood up and smiled. "I'm sorry, I had no chance at doing so until now. I wanted to prove that I'm not someone that wants harm to befall her."
Yasenia nodded and walked outside past the giant lobster.
She looked at it and spoke. "Senior, please try not to approach. Ebirah is going to attack the Heavenly Tribulation."
That giant lobster spoke with a soft and breathy feminine voice. "I understand. I would never do anything to hurt her. Thank you for the warning, Lady Yasenia."
Yasenia paused and looked at the enormous creature.
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
Yasenia squinted and smiled. "Nothing wrong."
Then, she kept walking forward. 'That tone had much affection in it. She should be a close relative… Maybe the mother? Most possibly, she is Finnegan's partner.'
The group followed Yasenia and reached a separate clearing with intricate stone slabs and pillars.
The area they covered was circular, and the circle's radius was about three hundred meters.
Finnegan asked. "What is this place, Lady Yasenia?"
Yasenia answered. "It is a sparring place that can resist even attacks from Epoch Core Body cultivators. Moreover, it has an energy-gathering function and defensive formations. In case of an emergency, they can be used to make a slight resistance against Heavenly lightning."
Finnegan nodded and looked at Andrea, who was walking toward the middle and finally sitting cross-legged in the middle.
Then, Yasenia connected with the formation and activated it.
The energy in the surroundings quickly gathered and rushed toward Andrea.
Inside Andrea's soul, the lobster carrying a brilliant and powerful Transcendent Realm mineral on her back woke up from her slumber. Her black pearly eyes gained a beautiful shine as the lobster's body began to absorb energy madly.
Andrea felt that it was time, so she summoned Ebirah before herself.
Once Ebirah appeared, the surrounding energy became much denser because of the presence of the powerful mineral and Ebirah's aura that had reached the Divine Beast realm.
Finnegan and everyone else present were stunned.
"What kind of mineral does that girl have on her back?"
"Wait, that's Princess Ebirah? She is more than double her previous size!"
The giant lobster looking at Ebirah smiled softly. "Yes, she is little Ebirah. Even if her aura is much more profound, I can still feel her pure and beautiful soul."
Yasenia spoke. "Andrea, come back. Everything from now depends on her strength."
A person from the lobster clan complained. "Lady Yasenia, even if that human needs to be sacrificed, Princess Ebirah must live!"
Yasenia disappeared and appeared before that man, punching with all her body strength.
*BANG!*
The draconic strength sent that person flying. "I told you that my patience is limited. One more word and the only lobster alive by the end of Ebirah's tribulation will be her."
Finnegan spoke. "All of you, close your mouths before I'm forced to vanish all of you."
Tatyana and Angel had been watching from afar all the time, so the moment Yasenia moved, they used the formation to make perceiving her movements much harder. Hence, the evaluation in Finnegan's heart has risen a few levels. 'This dragoness looks more than she appears on the outside.'
Yasenia didn't take another action, received Andrea into a hug, and kissed her lips, stunning the lobster kin.
"Thank you for your hard work, darling."
Andrea smiled and caressed Yasenia's cheek. "Let's look at Ebirah. I'm worried."
Yasenia nodded and stepped out from her arms.
They didn't ask because Ebirah's transformation was the most important.
Meanwhile, Ebirah felt waves of energy coming from all around her as the mineral on her back slowly melted and entered her body.
[Sun Engulfing Ore Lobsters] use minerals during their tribulations, and depending on the strength of the mineral, they become much stronger as they grow. That's why Ebirah had a mid-level heaven-ranked item on her back when she met Andrea.
Ebirah spoke about this to Andrea, and our tall and heroic woman didn't even blink when giving her the most high-level material she had on her ring. Not only that, she used the [Earth Refining Cauldron], the cauldron used for transmutation, to increase the purity and quality.
In short, the thing on Ebirah's back was a mid-level Transcendent-Ranked mineral. Finding one of these in the Distancia Continent would take nothing less than a miracle.
The other lobsters also understood the quality of the mineral at first glance because of their bloodline, which relaxed all those that were worried. The ones who couldn't feel it were the weaker ones who, because of level difference, couldn't perceive the profound aura of that mineral.
The giant lobster shrunk and transformed back into her human form.
Yasenia looked over and saw an absolutely stunning woman with a gleaming violet color as hair and eyes.
Her glamorous body and dress spoke volumes of the status of this woman, as her aura was as vast and deep as the ocean.
Tatyana sent a message to Yasenia's head. 'Little treasure, that woman is stronger than Finnegan.'
Yasenia's lips twitched. 'Finnegan is already strong enough to slap me to death. Now this woman appears.'
However, she understood what did it mean for her to change into her human form.
"Senior, thank you for trusting us."
The woman's smile was soft as she landed before Yasenia and patted her head. "Child, thank you so much for giving my daughter that kind of precious treasure. Not even my treasury has such a strong mineral."
Yasenia blinked twice, but she didn't dodge. This woman's strength commanded respect, and even as a clan leader, her words told her that this woman was the wife of the clan Patriarch.
In short, she was the Queen of the [Sun Engulfing Ore Lobsters], Ebirah's mother.
"It's not a problem at all. Little Ebirah is a bundle of joy that always makes us smile. I'm glad Andrea could pick her up before something happened to her."
The Queen nodded and smiled. "My name is Coraline Clawthorne. As you've guessed, I am the first wife of the Patriarch leading the clan. I've come this time to look at my daughter's well-being. Now that I see how much she has grown and how much care your Astral Sky Clan has placed on her, I can only thank you as her mother."
Coraline expressed her gratitude and smiled. "From today onward, no matter what happens in the Tribulation, the Astral Sky Clan will always be our friends."
Yasenia bowed her head deeply even when her bloodline shouted to her not to do so. However, ignoring the discomfort, she said. "We'll always be grateful. Let's hope our friendship lasts through generations."
They looked at each other and nodded.
Then, both their gazes returned toward the center and saw that the mineral was mostly absorbed.
At that time, the process of becoming a giant [Sun Engulfing Ore Lobster] began.
The body of a youngling from that race was not like a lobster but more like a hermit crab without a shell.
Ebirah's body colors were similar to the purplish golden of the mineral on her back. However, the natural color of her shell would slowly come out when reaching adulthood.
The little lobster's height slowly increased as more and more energy entered her through the ambient and mineral.
'So comfy~, it feels like the warm ocean back at home~.'
Ebirah became relaxed as her body slowly changed colors and form.
The soft tissue around her body hardened as a sleek and solid-looking exoskeleton grew quickly.
Her size increased from two meters in height to four and then twelve in length.
Ebirah's body was long and graceful, with beautiful shading of pink and swirling patterns across her body.
The edges were smooth, and the shape was aesthetically pleasing, showing agility and elegance.
As the exoskeleton hardened, a mesmerizing iridescent color emanated from her, giving the pinkish-white body an ethereal feeling of beauty.
The black pearly eyes accompanied the rest of the body to become a darker pinkish shade.
The previously large and bulky claws became longer and thinner as if they were masterfully crafted works of art. The sleek and streamlined claws of the lobster princess blended utility and form in a perfectly deadly yet beautiful claw.
The lobster's pink tail was long and flexible, ending in a rounded tail fan that glimmered iridescently with the reflection of the midday Sun.
The awe-inspiring creature embodied a grace and elegance that did not lose to dragons and phoenixes.
Then, the aura of the low-level Divine creature became deeper and purer, reaching the mid-level of the same realm.
"Wow."
They didn't know who muttered that, but everyone agreed with the feeling.
Coraline was crying with joy as she muttered. "My daughter, you've become so beautiful."
No matter who looked at Ebirah, no one could deny her words.
The crustacean looked visually pleasing to the point that some people might relate her to the manifestation of beauty and gracefulness taking that form.
*RUMBLE!*
Everyone's eyes lifted as they looked at the grayish cloud on top.
Yasenia blinked. 'Whoa, so weak.'
A person spoke. "As expected of Princess Ebirah, her tribulation is mighty and imposing."
Yasenia almost couldn't control smacking that person with her tail. 'Mighty? The heavens are basically giving Ebirah a little slap on her wrist!'
Ebirah used her longer frontal legs to lift her upper body flexibly, allowing her to take an elegant and beautiful posture.
"Come."
Her voice was more profound than before, sounding mature without losing her cute undertone.
The first lightning bolt fell with a loud rumble.
Ebirah's claw flashed in a blur and smacked that lightning bolt.
*BANG!*
The beautiful claw's shell didn't even lose its iridescent luster as the lightning bolt was smacked into oblivion.
Yasenia lifted an eyebrow. 'Oh? That strength is not low.'
Coraline saw Yasenia's expression and smiled. "Thanks to your mineral and nurturing, Ebirah will be an absolute monster. We are ranked fifteenth because we don't have a good mine to feed our youngling powerful minerals. If not, our bloodline's quality is no weaker than the top races."
Yasenia asked. "Is there no limit for the mineral?"
Coraline. "There is. The mineral you gave was near the limit of what Ebirah can absorb. Either way, now her shell has a hardness similar to that mineral."
Yasenia's eyebrow twitched. 'You are telling me she has a Transcendent Level Body armor all around her body.'
Yasenia asked to confirm. "Identically strong?"
*BANG!*
Another lightning bolt was smacked by Ebirah's pink claw with golden tips.
Coraline shook her head. "Naturally not. If we were to compare it, Ebirah's shell should be similar to a very thick armor of the peak-level Heaven rank. But as time passes, it will continue to harden."
Yasenia nodded. 'That is still absurd. Creatures at the initial levels of the Unification Realm usually had peak-level Earth-ranked defense. My scales are harder than Ebirah's shell's strength, but the comparison is negligible. Even then, Ebirah's shell is much thicker. She has become a super-armored beast. Well, quite fitting to be Andrea's partner.'
The tribulation continued without any complications, and besides a few burn marks that disappeared in a few seconds, Ebirah suffered no damage.
********************************
Author: Uff, that was hard to write.
Angel: Why?
Author: I mean, imagining and describing a beautiful lobster is not easy. When her turn for an illustration arrives, I pray for the illustrator's patience to be deep enough.
Evelyn: Oh? Ebirah is here~.
Ebirah: Hello~.
Author: Yup. Very satisfied. You are beautiful, little Ebirah.
Ebirah: Hehehe~, thank you!
Andrea: I really love your pink eyes. They are so cute~.
Cecile: The tail is nice.
Angel: I like the iridescent glow!
Kali: The pink color reminds me of peach blossoms. So relaxing and calming.
Evelyn: I like the golden markings around her body the most. They are so gorgeous.
Tatyana: I didn't know a lobster could look so graceful and streamlined.
Author: Hm? Why is the pink becoming a bit darker?
Ebirah: Wawawa~.
Everyone: Oh… She is shy~.
Author: Well, without further ado. I summon you!
Lost_Universe: Hello! I'm here again… Whoa! Is that little Ebirah?
Ebirah: Um… Hello.
Lost_Universe: Very cute.
Ebirah: Wawawa~.
Lost_Universe: Well, Tatyana. I have a question for you.
Tatyana: Shoot.
Lost_Universe: What will happen to your new body once you reach the Sky continent, where your original body resides?
Tatayna: Hm? Nothing.
Lost_Universe: Eh?
Tatyana: Remember that although the other is the "main" body. I'm one soul controlling two bodies. Imagine you are walking and doing work while controlling a video game character.
Lost_Universe: So… Complicated.
Tatyana: Well, I must do that but with a full extra human body.
Lost_Universe: I see.
Tatyana: Yes.
Lost_Universe: Well, that's it.
Tatyana: Hm. By the way, using two bodies at night-
Author: Aaand we are done! Bye-bye~.
Lost_Universe: Tatyana, your mouth is too loose.
Tatyana: Heh, those who understand, understand.
The girls: Bye-bye~.