Yasenia and her group followed the Mermaid Queen upward through a set of stairs that protruded from the side of the cliff.
The stairs were very wide and spacious. Moreover, each step was long. Walking at a normal speed, Yasenia needed to take ten strides before approaching the next stair.
While walking leisurely and observing the astonishing architecture, Yasenia pondered. "Mermaid Queen, I'm curious. Why have you decided that the limit to the World Summit should be the middle-level Epoch Core? Wouldn't it give more advantage to the top powers to compete with high or even peak-level cultivators?"
The Mermaid Queen explained. "Well, first of all, it's the attack power of people at each level." The Mermaid Queen paused and approached the cliff. The dragoness's eye shot upward when she saw her punch at the wall with what seemed all her strength.
Yasenia's pupils shrunk as the air was forcefully compressed so strongly by the Mermaid Queen's fist that it created a flash of light before impacting the mountain.
BOOM!
The shockwave pushed Yasenia two steps back. The dragoness was sure that a small mountain could've been flattened with that strength. However, when she looked over, she saw a large crack on the uneven stone wall. "Ho?"
The Mermaid Queen smiled when she saw Yasenia showing a look of understanding. "You expected a hole, right?"
Yasenia nodded as she looked at the cracked wall. "Hm?"
The Mermaid Queen looked at the gradually closing fissure and commented. "This mountain is extremely durable. However, it isn't solid enough to bear the weight of powerful high-level Epoch Cores fighting. That was my full-strength punch but without using any powerful buffing skills or energy."
The Mermaid Queen continued guiding them and continued speaking. "If we, the top powers, fought inside here, the chances of the mountain crumbling would become increasingly high. However, we can rest assured if mid-level Epoch Cores fight. Even those geniuses would have to intentionally attack the mountain walls to make it crumble or destabilize the formations adhered throughout the walls."
Yasenia nodded. "I see. No wonder you've placed a cultivation limit. But what happens if a sect with strong mid-level cultivators but no high-level cultivators wins?"
The Mermaid Queen shrugged. "They would naturally be the winners and receive whatever rewards there are." Then, she added. "However, gaining a powerful treasure and keeping it is another thing. If the winner is strong enough to protect whatever they won, perfect. If not, it's natural that other people will prey on them. In most of these cases, a top power approaches those people and offers to be swallowed by them. 99% agree."
Yasenia asked, more or less knowing the answer. "What happens to that last percent?"
The Mermaid Queen chuckled. "Well… At a later time, when the dust settles, the winnings are reorganized."
Yasenia continued asking questions. "This is a World Summit, so I presume there will be some kind of conversation between the top winners after the event, right?"
The Mermaid Queen affirmed her guess, which pushed the dragoness to ask. "Are there unofficial matches at that time to reorganize the rewards?"
The Mermaid Queen nodded one more time. "Naturally. The thing we never interrupt is the actual competition. What happens afterward is up to the heavens to decide."
Yasenia titled her head. "What stops someone from attacking everyone after the summit?"
The Mermaid Queen explained. "If they didn't manage to get a good position, then the chances of them being strong enough to rob those ranked above are very slim. Remember that the people participating today are the top powers, Yasenia. There are no 'stronger' people or backers to fall into. Whoever wins all is usually the strongest. During all the summits I've been part of, my mermaid race managed to rank second in the Thirty-Three Clans group. However, this year, we are aiming for the first spot. After all, this mountain is the closest to the sea, which makes the ambient mana very rich in water energies and similar."
Yasenia didn't continue that line of questions and instead steered toward a more important conversation. "Can I know what kind of event we will need to go through? As a newbie, I've received very limited information."
The Mermaid Queen laughed. "That's against the rules, little Yasenia. You'll know in a few hours. For now, come to the place reserved for the Astral Sky Sect."
Yasenia sighed with a smile but didn't insist.
Meanwhile, seeing the fidgeting Soluna, Embera spoke. "Mermaid Queen, we will station together with the Astral Sky Sect."
The beautiful mermaid looked at the spirits for a few moments and then nodded. "Sure. As long as Yasenia is okay with it, I don't mind."
She was a cautious woman, and she felt that offending the spirit group was not a good move. The threat coming from every single one of them made her body feel cold.
Yasenia nodded. "There are no problems."
Soluna exclaimed. "Yay!"
Yasenia chuckled. "Are you that excited?"
Soluna blushed and nodded, shyly hugging Yasenia's arm. "Yes. I really like being with you."
Their group traveled through a set of stairs that led upward and reached a place with 550 hexagonal floating platforms separated by nearly 100 meters. They were all layered, one on top of the other like a vertical beehive. What surprised Yasenia, however, was the ceiling, or, well, lack of.
Yasenia never realized that the mountain was actually open because clouds covered the top. She could clearly see the evening sky through the gap between platforms. The dragoness heard Angel at the side exclaiming, "Woah…"
The Mermaid Queen laughed. "Welcome to the top of the [Mountain Of The Coast]."
Looking around, Evelyn commented. "There are names on top of each platform."
Yasenia nodded and looked around, trying to spot theirs.
"You can't see it from here. We are all the way at the top."
The dragoness blinked. "Us as well? Aren't we considered a new power?"
The Mermaid Queen snorted. "So what? You've proven yourself time and time again. Whoever doesn't agree that a junior of your age who has achieved as much is not worth it to be so high up is just a jealous and delusional fool!"
Yasenia stifled her laughter. During these last years of interaction, almost all the leaders had started treating Yasenia as their junior. She was actually very well-received by them.
This giant floating structure had ten floors. The first floor had 100 platforms, the second floor 90, and so on.
The top place had ten platforms.
Yasenia's Astral Sky Clan was located on the 9th floor, the place where there were 20 platforms.
As their group climbed and overcame many powers, they received many nasty gazes. Yasenia saw that a few of the elders had started shrinking in shame and frowned.
"Stick your chest out! What are you afraid of!? Is this how the elders of my Astral Sky Clan act!?"
Her shout echoed like a thunderclap, startling everyone.
One sect on the sixth level sneered. "Little girl, you are too arrogant."
Yasenia looked over, and her lips arched coldly. "[Flame Horse Beast Sect]. Do you think you have the qualifications to open your mouth with your second-rated strength? If you don't want a peak-level Epoch Core knocking on your doorsteps after the event…" Yasenia unleashed her dragon aura and spat coldly. "Shut up."
The cultivation world was a place where people feared the strong and bullied the weak. Acting arrogant in this situation could certainly create some enemies. However, that was if Yasenia was alone.
The Mermaid Queen followed her words. "They've been invited by me and many other leaders. If you have complaints, I'll hear them."
Her tone was much less imposing or impactful than Yasenia's, but the effect was ten times better.
Yasenia could shut up those weaker than her, but the authority of the Mermaid Queen could silence 99% of the people here.
Tengliu, Coraline, and all the other leaders allied with Yasenia also flew down and looked around once.
That one look made all powers look away in fear.
Tengliu snorted and then dove into Yasenia's arms. "Little Yasenia~!"
The dragoness knew that dodging here would hurt Tengliu's face too much, so with a twitching eyebrow. She didn't dodge.
The silver bird fell face first into her bosom, laughing perversely as she rubbed her face in her breasts. "Little Yasenia~, you are so soft~."
The girls internally cursed at the perverted bird. Still, none of them stopped her as they knew that Tengliu actually didn't mean any harm. During all these years, they've come to understand how Tengliu worked.
Her hug and kiss on the cheek were similar to a handshake for other people. Of course, that didn't mean they would allow it, but in situations like this, those thoughts made them relaxed.
'Harpies are too perverted.'
Tatyana said at the side with a smiling voice. "Tengliu~, that's enough."
Tengliu jumped like a scared bird and straightened her back. "Yes, ma'am."
The rest of the leaders rolled their eyes, and everyone moved to the top of the hovering platforms.
Once they arrived, the dragoness was quick to find hers, and she also realized that she was surrounded by the Harpies, Lamias, Phoenix, Lobsters, and other allies.
The Mermaid Queen sighed. "Sadly, I can't be here with you. I need to be on the top floor."
Yasenia couldn't help but chuckle. "Such a… cozy spot you prepared for me. Don't worry about not being able to accompany me. We are not that far away either way."
The Mermaid Queen laughed softly. "While we don't want to underestimate you, you are still our junior. So, let these seniors take care of you in this situation."
Yasenia could feel the goodwill behind the gesture, so she nodded with a smile. "Well, then we will take advantage of it."
After her group of 400+ flew and landed on their platform, a few leaders who hadn't come down before, like Wuria, the Glass Lamia Matriarch, or Gireila, the Ember Phoenix Matriarch, came to say hello.
A magnetic and deep male voice interrupted their talk. "Oh? Look at who is here. Are you here as a spectator? With your pitiful strength, other than that, anything else is impossible."
Tengliu rolled her eyes and looked to the side. "Fu Lang Zu, has your temper shortened after losing your limbs? If you are not careful, you will end up like the Garuda Patriarch."
Yasenia looked over and saw the black-furred wolf man accompanied by the silver-furred Zephyrith and another ten wolf people, all in the high-level Epoch Core.
Between them, there was even an elderly one with unfathomable strength. Yasenia could feel extreme danger coming from that elderly wolf. Her pupils shrunk when she finally realized his level. 'This… Peak-level Epoch Core?'
Alaia whispered, confirming her guess: "That wolf beast human is a peak-level Epoch Core. Moreover, he is at the limit of the realm. Cultivation-wise, he is considered prepared to break through if Distancia Heavens weren't limiting his cultivation. His overall strength is higher than mine, but my Intents and skills are probably more developed. The fight would be a 40-60 in his favor."
Yasenia nodded and looked at the elderly wolf with a deeper gaze. '40-60 with Alaia? He is really strong.'
The ability to fight her maids at the same cultivation level was something that needed to be praised regardless of the opponent's affiliation.
Of course, the last level of the fifth realm was extremely vast. After all, the next breakthrough was the step to exit the mortal realms. So, the distance in strength between a cultivator who recently entered the peak level and one that had reached its maximum potential was as wide as a low-level fifth realm compared to a high-level fifth realm.