Yasenia and her group flew through the sky, continuously advancing toward the secret realm entrance.
While traveling through the sky was faster, it was also more dangerous, as flying creatures would attack in groups.
Of course, that was from an ordinary cultivator's perspective.
This secret realm's low-level Epoch Core limit meant that beasts were not as strong, and Yasenia's, Cecile's, Ebirah's, Sierra's, and Kali's combined beast auras were enough not only to avoid but in case they met with a group, force that group of flying beasts to take a detour around them.
Evelyn smiled refreshingly. "Having a beast lover is such a good perk, hahaha. If we were all humans, we would need to kill our way through the sky instead, knowing how aggressive and territorial flying beasts usually are."
Andrea looked into the distance and added. "We are reaching the limits of the secret realm. What's our plan?"
Yasenia commented. "We'll wait until Alaia informs us that they are ready and the disciples arrive. Taking into account what we saw on the first day here, top-level people can't cross a certain boundary. We just need to wait beyond that boundary and then leave together."
Angel asked, tilting her head. "Won't the maids be easily discovered with their dress code?"
The dragoness chuckled. "It's not like those dresses are stuck to their bodies, no?"
Angel exclaimed and blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Oh! Right…"
After reaching the boundary, Yasenia and the girls stopped in a place with an open space and took out chairs and such to rest.
Without a second of delay, Angel climbed onto Yasenia's lap and planted her little butt while leaning backward to have her back squished by Yasenia's breasts.
Yasenia smiled and hugged her, placing her chin on the side of her head and giving her little kisses from time to time.
Then, Yasenia used the Sect's insignia to see if there were any people from her sect in the surroundings.
To Yasenia's surprise, she spotted two of them beyond the "safe" boundary, just in the secret realm.
After listening to Yasenia's words, Tatyana took out a formation pen and created a formation.
"[Land Observing Formation]."
Angel blinked twice, and then her eyes opened. "T-This formation! Wow~, as expected of Mommy Tatyana."
Evelyn knew very little of formations, so she asked. "What's wrong with it?"
Angel said, eyes filled with worship. "This is a peak-level Heaven-ranked formation that allows us to see anything in an area of 1.000. However, it is one of the most complicated mortal formations to create. Mommy Tatyana made it in just two seconds!"
Kali asked, curious. "How long would you take?"
Angel looked at the formation Tatyana was using and said. "With Mommy Tatyana's perfection level, I would need a month. But, if I made it with my own standards… About twelve hours should be enough."
Tatyana smiled. "Don't underestimate yourself, little Angel. You should be able to create it in five hours if you focus."
Angel smiled bashfully. "Really? Do you think so?"
Telling a formation master they could do it so much quicker was the same as telling an average person they looked much better than they thought, so Angel felt shy and happy.
Tatyana nodded. She gave an objective evaluation of it.
Angel made a silly laugh and hugged Yasenia to hide her reddish face. Yasenia laughed aloud, hugging Angel tightly and raining kisses on her cute, reddish face. "You are so cute, baby."
Tatyana finally controlled the formation to spot the two sect members.
Unlike what they expected, they were seated in comfortable chairs, looking healthy and uninjured.
They were a man and a woman from a feline-related race.
The woman sighed, and the man asked. "What's wrong?"
The cat woman shook her head, her ears flat on her face as if she was feeling sadness. "I just… Do you think we did the correct thing?"
The man opened his mouth and then shut it. Finally, he said. "I mean, you can't really compare the powers. Even if I have confidence in her, she can't really face the current first-ranked powers."
The cat woman looked at him and muttered. "But, shouldn't we have avoided betraying Sect Master? We even lent them the communication devices."
The cat man shook his head. "As I said, she is doomed. It doesn't really matter. Moreover, if we hadn't cooperated, Qiao Mei Lan and Huang Tao might have done something terrible to us. Couldn't you remember their murderous face when looking at us?"
The woman frowned and then leaned back on her chair and sighed. "Well, you are right. I just wish she didn't provoke so many people. She was too arrogant this time."
The man lifted an eyebrow. "What, you've finally stopped calling her Sect Master?
The cat woman nodded. "Regardless of the outcome, I doubt we will be able to go back to the sect."
The man agreed.
Meanwhile, our girls understood most of it, and they were angry.
Evelyn spat. "If you feed a house cat, they would at least be loyal. These two are worse than pet animals."
Yasenia looked at Evelyn and used her tail to gather her in her arms together with Angel. "Don't be too angry, dear. They just made a decision depending on their situation."
Evelyn pouted. "But they betrayed you."
Yasenia couldn't help it and kissed her. "I know. That's why we will kill them if we have the chance. However, don't be too fixated on that. It's not worth getting angry for."
Evelyn's bad mood dissipated after Yasenia's sweet kiss, and she relaxed in her arms.
Kali asked Yasenia. "What do we do now?"
Yasenia smiled. "Since we know how they are getting the information, we will just use it against them."
She took out her communication device and commented. "I'm in the southwest area of the exit. We are being targeted, so I thought of using the stealth qualities of a treasure I got with my recent exploits. Remember that we can't really get aid from the outside, so if we want to leave, we need to take advantage of the realm being open. I'll wait for 20 hours. We will leave without you if you aren't here after that."
Then, she cut the communication and called Alaia. "You told me you arrive 2 hours later, right?"
Alaia answered. "Sooner than that. Since it is an emergency, I've gathered 49 of the 50 maids, leaving behind Flora to take care of the Sect and Little Young Miss. We are all fully equipped and ready to battle at your command, Young Miss. Doriel has gone ahead to ensure your safety; she should communicate- Oh. She is already there."
Yasenia and the others used the formation to look at the Secret Realm's entrance and saw an inconspicuous woman appearing wearing tight black robes.
Her black hair, completely black eyes, and two pitch-black daggers that shone with silver edges complimented an extremely ominous yet attractive gear.
Even while standing beside people, nobody looked at her as if she didn't exist.
Doriel quickly spotted Yasenia, and her body disappeared like a shadow, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.
Yasenia used her device to speak to her. "Doriel, there is a boundary that stops high-level people from-."
However, before she could continue to speak, Doriel melded with the shadows again, and she phased through and appeared beside her body not long after.
"I'm here, Young Miss."
Yasenia's mouth hung open. "H-How?"
Doriel titled her head. "Is there something wrong?"
The girls could only look speechlessly at the person who had just broken the rules of the secret realm.
Tatyana laughed and explained. "The rules of the secret realm are created with heaven's help and the cultivator's strength. It's like making an extremely powerful formation. The difference is that the power doesn't decrease with time as long as the heavens that aided to make them continue to exist."
Tatyana added. "Since Distancia's heavens are relatively weak and the cultivator that created this secret realm probably didn't go beyond the second realm of the Transcendence Realm, there are plenty of methods to break the rules as long as you don't do something out of pocket, like killing."
Yasenia and the girls looked at Tatyana, and Evelyn asked. "T-Then, why didn't they do so since the beginning?"
Doriel explained. "Young Miss, I can only stay by your side without attacking anything. If I attack or take one treasure, the heavens will discover me. No matter how immature, going against Heavenly Rules is very dangerous. Only someone with Lady Tatyana's strength can be confident when facing Heavenly Wrath."
Thinking about it, they found that answer more reasonable than it should be. Tatyana shrugged after receiving their strange gazes. "One eventually gets used to it after experiencing it so often."
'Don't speak as if receiving Heavenly Punishment is some ordinary task that anybody could do! Is your life mission angering the Heavens or something!?'
They all wanted to shout that, indignation filling their bodies, but they knew better and swallowed their complaints.
Yasenia shook her head and explained the situation and her plans to Doriel in detail.
Doriel stayed silent and nodded. "I'll be right back."
The girls were confused but suddenly saw movement in the formation that observed the two people who betrayed Yasenia.
A black blur appeared behind each of them and disappeared.
Doriel reappeared beside Yasenia a fraction of a second later.
Looking at the woman and the two people who were still chatting with each other, they were confused.
Andrea asked. "What did you do?"
Doriel blinked her eerie but beautiful obsidian-like eyes. "Kill them."
They looked at the two perfectly alive and chatting people, confused.
Andrea asked. "Didn't you say that you couldn't attack?"
Doriel blinked. "They are outside the place where the Secret Realm applies the rules. So I can kill them without repercussions."
Kali looked at the two people that still looked healthy to her eyes, and asked, confused. "Why are they talking, then?"
Doriel titled her head and looked over. "Oh... They still don't know they are dead."
The incomprehensible sentence struck them like lightning, and they did not know what to say.
The girls looked at the two very alive people and gulped. Evelyn asked, cautious. "A-And when will they know?"
Doriel looked at them and shrugged. "Intelligent people usually realize sooner and die. They must be quite stupid."
The illogical words made our girls confused.
Mirrory and Valeria materialized and looked very interested.
Mirrory commented. "Such an interesting and unique killing technique. I didn't know that a mortal could use curses, assassination arts, death intent, and poisons so peculiarly."
Valeria's eyes also shone with interest. "Sublime skill. How old are you, child? Your future achievements are limitless if you are younger than 3,000 years old."
Doriel looked at Yasenia. She only followed orders from Yasenia and Tatyana, so she wouldn't answer unless Yasenia had permission.
Yasenia was about to nod, but feeling mischievous, she smiled. "No need to tell them your age~. Since the seniors like hiding things so much, this time, I will also do so~."
Mirrory and Valeria looked at Yasenia and chuckled, finding the act quite cute. "Fair enough."
Valeria explained. "What this junior… no, assassin master used is a curse of knowledge and imprinted it in their hearts and soul core. The second their brain realizes it, they will die unconditionally, regardless of their strength. Those with good soul sense will discover it quickly, but at this pace, those two won't discover it until they reach the Ethereal Soul Body Realm."
Valeria added. "Of course, it is not omnipotent. The effect will only trigger if the curse is planted successfully. However, once planted inside them, unless Doriel wants to, they won't be able to escape."
Mirrory looked at Dorial and then Yasenia. "Yasenia, you have quite a powerful assassin as a subordinate. Be careful with what you order her in the future. Once she steps into Transcendence Realm, she will become quite a frightening weapon."
The dragoness nodded. "I know how powerful the maids are. I've been educated since I was young on how to use their power properly." Then, she added with a smile as she hugged Doriel and kissed her on her cheek. "Also, they are not my weapons. They are my family."
Mirrory paused for a second and then smiled. "Right. My bad."
Doriel smiled and hugged Yasenia back. Then, she said with rare pride in her usually emotionless voice. "All of us witnessed those lessons to be sure that Young Miss was worthy of us. Even before she unlocked her cultivation, we were sure that following Young Miss was the correct decision. If not for Lady Tatyana's wish for Young Miss to develop by herself, we would've followed her into the RITA Academy right after her enrollment."
While they discussed things, Yasenia felt a few presences approaching. 'They are finally here. Well, it's time for the show. Let's see if you can stop me from leaving, Distancia's top powers.'
A few moments later, outside the boundary, many groups spotted Yasenia and the rest of Yasenia's Sect Members coming out of the forest.
The two "dead" people also looked over and sighed, feeling pity for their previous sect master.
Without any delay, many presences appeared around Yasenia, exerting enormous pressure on the dragoness.
Doriel's black eyes darkened even further, her killing intent about to explode. 'How dare they aim their auras at my Young Miss!?'
A slender and soft hand grabbed Doriel's, and her anger dissipated, returning to her indifferent face.
Yasenia smiled softly, and then she turned toward the top powerhouses of the continent with a relaxed expression. Yasenia had a Formation Core inscribed on her hand with a pressure-negating array, so she couldn't really feel a thing.
The dragoness smiled and spoke aloud, imitating the arrogant tone of those Young Masters she had faced in the past. "Such a luxurious welcome for returning alive from the Secret Realm. The Astral Sky Sect will remember this gesture! I will be generous and give you a five percent discount on our products for the next year."
Many of them almost had their almighty facade broken.
***************************************************
Yasenia: *Proudly smiling and wagging her tail.* Aren't my maids awesome? They are the best in the world!
Evelyn: Hahaha, you really love them.
Yasenia: Yes, I do!
Andrea: Also, love, those words almost made me burst into laughter. It would help if you gave us a hint next time, or I won't be able to hold back my laughter.
Evelyn: *Imitating Yasenia's arrogant tone* Did I say five percent discount? My bad, my bad. I meant you need to pay me five percent extra. Arrogant? Wrong, you should be grateful that this Young Miss is asking you for your money!
The girls: Hahahahaha.
Author: Pfft, let's invite today's dear. I summon you!
Randomplant: Hello, girls.
Kali: Hello. How have you recently been?
Randomplant: Good. I have a question for you, Yasenia.
Yasenia: Yes?
Randomplant: knowing the large number of heart demons that Tatyana possesses. Will you keep trying to get rid of them?
Yasenia: Absolutely. I won't cease my efforts. Why would I? I have an eternity before me to devote to her, to love her unconditionally and relentlessly until she can smile free of worries.
Tatyana: …
Randomplant: That's… a beautiful answer. Thanks.
Yasenia: It's only natural.
Author: And that's all for today. Bye-bye!