Xing Jimie ignored the small altercation between Ao Yuelan and Liraxa, guiding Yasenia to Hei Lin's side. After they arrived, Yasenia turned and scanned the entire room. The number of participants was many, reaching over 500 people. Among all those who gathered, Yasenia knew she was the weakest. The reason was simple. The auras of everyone present were those of high-level Transcendents and above.
Xing Jimie waved her hand, summoning an elegant glass cup and handing it to Yasenia. The dragoness sniffed the liquid and knew it was some sort of alcohol. She picked up the glass formally and nodded lightly, taking a sip after. 'Oh… This alcohol is far from normal. Even I can feel a strange heat as the liquid goes down my throat.'
Ignoring the sensation, Yasenia answered with a calm face. "Thank you, Lady Death Saintess."
"Hm."
Xing Jimie just nodded faintly, glancing around at the group of people who had come. After seeing that everyone was looking in her direction, her voice spread throughout the entire room.
"Since everyone important is gathered, I will formally declare the start of the banquet."
Everyone moved and raised their drinks, taking a sip. Yasenia followed everyone else, doing the same. With a wave of Xing Jimie's hand, a group of people at the corner began playing some music, while people wearing formal clothes entered the room with beverages and snacks.
Yasenia curiously looked around. She had been in other formal events, but this one felt refreshing and particular. Still, since she had no idea what to do, she chose to stand silently by Xing Jimie's side.
Wherever the Death Saintess moved, Yasenia followed like a little tail. The first few hours of the banquet were, in Yasenia's opinion, a bit of a waste of time.
Everyone was speaking in circles about who knows what, trying to show off some treasures they got recently while also boasting about the talented disciples in their powers.
While they were speaking, Liraxa finally moved her gaze towards Yasenia and smiled. "This child is also quite talented. Your flesh and bones appear to be those of a young Dragon. However, I can't really tell how young. Should I try to guess?"
'Flesh and bones? Is this some kind of wordplay? Or does she have an ability to tell by sight?'
Yasenia looked over and bowed respectfully. "This little one doesn't dare reveal her own age. Please, excuse my rudeness for not being able to comply with Lady Liraxa."
Liraxa's red lips arched faintly, her eyes cold. In terms of appearance, this demon was probably the most human-like she had ever seen. Although looking at the details of her black fleshy wings, thin tail, and curved horns, Yasenia could tell that she was a lust demon of some kind.
"Don't worry about small details. You just need to say higher or lower. If I get it right within three guesses, I will ask you for something, and you can't deny it. In case I fail, I will be the one accepting the order. How about it?"
Yasenia looked at her without a single fluctuation in her emotions. "I don't dare accept those conditions. They are too against Lady Liraxa."
Then, she threw a glance at Xing Jimie, asking her to stop whatever this demon woman was planning with her eyes. Xing Jimie took a sip from her almost empty cup and finally opened her mouth. "Liraxa, stop teasing the child. Still, since you've moved the conversation to Yasenia, I want to ask the reason for your visit. While I do not mind speaking about the state of our Blue Pearl World, it is strange that all three of your factions got suddenly interested in visiting us."
In the room, there were a total of 6 Seventh Realm cultivators: 2 from the Astral Death Sect and Dragons, and one each from the Divines and Demons. The six of them were standing in a circle, with three to six people behind each of them.
Ao Yuelan chuckled, her wine-colored slit eyes showing amusement as she swirled the transparent liquid in her glass. "As direct as ever, Xing Jimie. Still, it is fine. I will tell you." Her gaze moved toward Yasenia, showing a hint of gentleness, and she smiled. "Child, come with us. You are a talented Dragon, and naturally belong among those of your kind. Staying here will not benefit you in any manner."
Xing Jimie's eyes dangerously narrowed. "Ao Yuelan, poaching our disciples is not something we appreciate."
Hei Lin at the side also laughed hoarsely. "Indeed. Our sect already struggles to get new disciples. So, don't think that you can come and snatch them away at will."
The silent male dragon by Ao Jiuyao's side finally reacted, his aura as profound as Ao Yuelan's. "Hei Lin, while I can detect a profound Yin aura in Yasenia Dravory, I can tell that it is not one of death. Her attribute affinity should be Moon or something similar, am I right? Staying here will only hurt her growth."
Xing Jimie glanced over. "That doesn't concern you, Long Tianxu. We know how to raise our own."
"But can you compare to us?" Long Tianxu snorted. "Where else is better for a dragon to grow than among her own kind?"
Ao Yuelan added. "Not to mention, if the child wants to go with us, can you really stop her? You should understand that children have freedom of choice, right?"
Xing Jimie looked at them calmly, making the two powerful dragons show a hint of confusion behind their eyes. 'Should she be agitated by now? She wouldn't force that child to stay, knowing that they might offend us…'
"Before any of this, our Divine group also has something to say." His gaze moved towards Yasenia, and he asked, his gaze putting faint pressure on Yasenia. "Young Dragon, do you recall a red-winged Divine you've killed?"
Yasenia's body felt heavy, but she didn't show any difficulty resisting. In terms of raw presence, she had always been far above her realm. So, the pressure that would make an average Level 2 Transcendence Realm struggle was nothing more than an uncomfortable weight on her shoulder.
"Lord Elyndor, while I do not mean disrespect, the number of red-winged Divines I've killed is not few. So, if you ask me if I recall or not, the answer is ambiguous unless you specify more."
Everyone in the hall stopped for a moment, turning to look at Yasenia with slightly widened eyes. Xing Jimie's lips almost arched up, but she quickly forced herself to hold back from laughing.
Behind Elyndor, Lataria looked speechless, while Astarea frowned unkindly. Meanwhile, the dragon and demon groups were not as restrained. The weaker ones didn't laugh aloud, but those high-level ones had a few chuckles escape them.
"Junior, do I look like someone you can insult with words?"
Hei Lin coughed, speaking lightly right after. "Don't get agitated. She is probably speaking the truth… Although the wording could be better, she was honest in her answer. How about you describe the divine in a bit more detail?"
Elyndor glared at Hei Lin for a second before he calmed his face. "...A female divine. With picturesque eyebrows and a valiant attitude. Her strength is in the high levels of the sixth realm."
Yasenia pondered for a moment before a trace of memory flashed in her mind. She asked, confused. "I do recall one divine with those characteristics… What's the problem?"
Elyndor's eyes looked at Yasenia coldly. "If you do, then you must recall that you killed her."
Yasenia looked at him for a moment before speaking with a sigh. "The young get beaten, so the old come to take revenge? Lord Elyndor, I really hope that someone at your level of strength and wisdom is not finding fault with me for defending myself when seniors surrounded me several hundred to one."
Elyndor's eyes shone coldly. "That was my daughter. Do you think I don't have a right to search for justice for her?"
Yasenia answered back, her gaze unflinching. "Justice? The fact that Astarea and Lataria are still alive behind you is part of my mercy. What more justice do you want?" Those two flinched slightly. They still felt their bodies shuddering when recalling the power behind Yasenia's attack talisman.
The dragoness looked at the demons, and her lips flattened. "Are you all here to abuse a junior in order to take revenge for those demons who died at my hands? If that's the case, the reasons for your visits are more boring than I expected."
Liraxa snorted coldly. "I am not that bored. Those demons were weak and died in your hands. That's their fault. I am here to ask for a marriage proposal between you and a junior of ours."
"I refuse." Yasenia spoke without a second of hesitation. Then, she turned to look at the dragons.
"You were here to recruit me, right? Sorry, I refuse. I am comfortable in the Astral Death Sect."
While everyone looked at her, dumbfounded, Yasenia turned toward Xing Jimie. "Lady Death Saintess can continue to entertain the guests."
Then, she took a step back and lowered her presence, leaving way for the big shots to speak again. The reason she was so blunt was that she was not going to win a battle of words. Currently, these big shots were focused on suppressing her with their strength. Therefore, the best thing was to plant her feet where she wanted to be and let her seniors protect her interests. If they couldn't, Yasenia had no reason to trust anyone here.
"Bold child!" A divine woman behind Elyndor exploded, her face full of anger. "Do you think that you can kill my child and remain unpunished!? Think again, then!"
Yasenia didn't even look at her, standing behind Xing Jimie silently. When the Death Saintess glanced over, Elyndor reacted. He extended his wing, stopping the woman. "Serathel, don't interrupt."
The woman snapped. "Why shouldn't I interrupt!? You are clearly thinking of not finding justice for our child! If you don't do it yourself, I will do it myself!"
"Serathel!" Elyndor glared at the woman. "You promised that you wouldn't speak out of turn with the condition of carrying you over. Are you going back on your words?"
"Useless man!" The woman screamed. "You have the killer of your daughter in front of you, and you are not trying to kill her!? Why are you even hesitating when a little sect like the Astral Death Sect can be stomped with half a foot of us!?"
Xing Jimie's lips arched coldly, and Elyndor, who saw it, felt a strange sense of danger spreading down his back. With a steeled resolve, he turned and slapped the woman.
PA!
"Silence! Ignorant woman, you don't even know the true background of the Astral Death Sect, and you dare run your mouth!? If you dare open your mouth again, I will have to forcefully send you back!"
Lataria's mouth opened, while Astarea's eyebrows twitched. Yasenia looked from the side and internally sympathized. While she wouldn't have reacted as they had, she knew that the grief they were both feeling was not small.
Nevertheless, if it were her and she knew that she couldn't touch her child's killer, she wouldn't act as emotionally. Biding her time until she could carry out her revenge would be the best.
Similar to these two, she couldn't care less why her children were killed. Whoever put a hand on them, unless the children did something utterly atrocious, would have to pay.
Hei Lin coughed again, internally sighing. 'These people can be so tiresome that they make me want to accept true death…'
Ignoring the minor yet exciting altercation, Hei Lin spoke aloud. "Little Yasenia already gave her answers. I hope you can all respect this young child's words as elders with countless years of experience. If you have a problem, you can come back a year later. Perhaps Yasenia might've changed her thoughts by then."
Internally, he was thinking otherwise. 'Once Lady Death Empress arrives, I want to see how you people continue to be so arrogant.'
At that moment, the doors of the banquet opened wide, and a woman entered through the door. Liraxa looked over, and her lips stealthily raised as she took a sip of her cup.
The woman screamed, her face full of anger. "Yasenia Dravory! How dare you rob our Astral Death Sect's treasury!? You must be punished!"
Yasenia looked sideways at the woman and instantly knew that she was being targeted by someone's scheme. 'I didn't expect this Ling Suya to become such an annoyance…'