After Ling Suya's exclamation, everyone looked over with many thoughts in their heads. There was no one stupid gathered in the room, so such an accusation was really not something that would shake anyone.
Moreover, when they looked over at the accused person and saw her sipping the beverage in her cup nonchalantly, they all felt their lips twitching. Still, since it was rare to be witness to such a spectacle, no one came forward and waited for the people with authority to talk.
Seeing that everyone looked over, Yasenia internally sighed. There were a thousand words she could say to shake off the hat that Ling Suya forced on top of her head. However, actions spoke louder than any speech she could formulate. This time, though, it wasn't her actions that spoke.
"Impressive, Ling Suya. You, as a mortal disciple, managed to go to the treasury, see a robbery of a Transcendence Realm individual, and then sneak around the security around the banquet to enter right at the perfect moment." Leaving her glass floating to her side, Yasenia clapped her hands slowly with a mocking expression. "A mortal bypassing the security of several high-level Transcendents. You are a talent that only appears once in history."
Internally, Yasenia was honestly baffled. Was this woman's brain broken or something? Did she think that she could just accuse anyone and everyone would follow her lead like brainless chickens?
Ling Suya, ignoring Yasenia's sarcastic remarks, snorted and extended her hand. "I wouldn't have come here if I weren't entirely sure of your crimes, Yasenia! You can deceive others, but you can't deceive me! The guards understood the situation and allowed me to step inside. Otherwise, why would I be able to stand here even after making a commotion?"
The people eating snacks at the spectacle nodded, their eyes shining. It was as if they were saying. "Even if it is ridiculous, she has a point, you know?"
The dragoness sighed and looked at Xing Jimie. The Death Saintess was not showing any emotion on her face. Still, Yasenia could tell that she was baffled about Ling Suya's attitude. Not only she, but also many of the elders who had taken care of this talented child were looking at her and wondering if someone had switched the person they had known the last few years.
Yasenia sighed and stepped forward, her speed not too fast for those gathered but impossible to follow for Ling Suya. Before the mortal girl could even react, Yasenia was standing at arm's length, her black-silver dress glittering with starlight as it fluttered with her movement. The girl jumped, not expecting Yasenia to move forward.
"Ling Suya, I am nothing but a passerby in your life. If you had ignored me and gone on with your life, you would've forgotten me in just a few decades. Are you sure you want to continue with this farce?"
Ling Suya was overwhelmed. Yasenia was not only much taller than her, but her body, beauty, presence, and aura all utterly suppressed her. Looking up at the cold and piercing silver eyes, the woman's body trembled involuntarily.
Sadly, inside her head, voices echoed, compelling her to push forward. So, with a slightly crooked smile, Ling Suya laughed. "You are just scared, aren't you? After betraying Lady Death Saintess's pride, you are now trying to silence me!"
But it was a shame for Ling Suya. Yasenia didn't really like following predictable behaviors.
Extending her hand and grasping Ling Suya's neck, Yasenia lifted her above her and looked up indifferently. "What if I silence you?"
Ling Suya's eyes widened, her face turning slightly redder as Yasenia choked her. Her legs kicked around, and her arms tried to open the steel vice clutching her neck. "Even if I kill you here and now, what can you do? At most, I will be heavily punished by Lady Death Saintess. But no one here is stupid, so the punishment will just be something superficial that everyone will reluctantly agree to."
"AHG—Release…me…!"
Everyone around was stunned. They had thought that Yasenia would at least follow some formality. Yet, on the contrary, she looked as if she was going to kill the mortal woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
Yasenia ignored the woman's attacks, her skin not even gaining a single blemish from Ling Suya's struggles. "You want me to release you? You want to live?"
Ling Suya felt her vision darkening. Cultivators with her strength could hold their breath indefinitely, but when their entire existence was being squeezed by an immortal, that stopped being the case. Even being someone attuned to Death Energy, the sensation of life leaving the body was not reassuring.
The entire hall was silent as Ling Suya lost any semblance of calm, and her saliva and tears began pouring while she gasped for air, scratched, kicked, and flailed around in Yasenia's grasp. Everyone who was eager to eat melon seeds from the sidelines couldn't help but feel strangely heavy.
Even the demons were looking at the situation with a frown. Liraxa spoke out, her tone cold. "Aren't you teaching your juniors to be too ruthless, Xing Jimie? That girl looks like she is about to die."
It wasn't Xing Jimie, but Yasenia who turned her head towards her. Her hand relaxed, dropping Ling Suya to the ground. The woman fell down helplessly, hitting the floor hard as she gasped for air while her white neck was red from being squeezed.
"So, it was you, Demons. Tell me, what is your objective? Why play these third-rate games with me?"
Liraxa looked at Yasenia coldly. "Junior, you are being disrespectful."
Yasenia smiled, her expression lacking any warmth. "Am I? Did you expect me to go along with Ling Suya to see where things were going, eventually falling into whatever trap you set up? Not only have you, demons, touched our treasury, but you even dared to try to get away with it by placing that burden on my back." Her silver-slit eyes narrowed. "The ones being disrespectful here are you and your little friends."
Ling Suya looked up at Yasenia through her teary, bloodshot eyes. 'Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?'
Unlike herself, who was groveling at Yasenia's feet, the dragon woman was standing and shining with confidence while facing someone with absolute strength. The two situations could be called similar, but the weaker party's attitude was so different that it ripped Ling Suya's heart.
Malice overflowing from her eyes, Ling Suya poured energy into her spatial ring and threw something towards the middle of the room.
Yasenia had not stopped paying attention, so she noticed instantly. She moved even before Ling Suya took out the item, trying to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Sadly, like the dragoness, Liraxa reacted even faster than herself. As the dragoness intended to move, her body froze when the overwhelming aura of the Seventh Realm cultivator locked her in place for half a second.
Half a second was neither too long nor too short, but it was sufficient for the item to crash and activate.
The crystal crashed in the middle, and an illusory image appeared in the middle of the hall. In that image, a perfect replica of Yasenia could be seen moving around and avoiding security. The area that it showed was the treasury of the Astral Death Sect.
Liraxa chuckled as she took a sip. "It seems that things are not that simple."
Yasenia glanced over coldly. "If this is everything you have as proof, you are dreaming of placing this on my back. That thing that's trying to look like me has so many faults that I don't even know where to start from."
Liraxa answered calmly. "That's only natural. These spatial recording devices have accuracy mistakes. Even the surroundings are deformed, not to mention you."
While they spoke, "Yasenia" had already made her way through security and opened the treasury's lowest level. Then, she stored everything in her spatial ring and escaped through a secret passage.
One guard could be seen following Yasenia in the recording, who eventually caught up. Both sides then fought for a moment, but Yasenia used talismans to kill them and disappear into the night.
After the illusory scene disappeared, the only sound that could be heard in the room was Ling Suya's choking laughter. "You did it… Hahaha. You now have nowhere to go and will die here! Hahaha!"
Everyone became doubtful. After all, these items were very unique, and the knowledge on whether or not they could be falsified was ambiguous at best.
Liraxa stealthily looked at the elders from the Astral Death Sect, and as if on cue, an old man slammed his cane on the ground. "Egregious! I thought that Little Suya had gone mad, but things proved to be different. Yasenia, you'd better explain yourself, or else you will be sentenced to having all your treasures confiscated!"
Hei Lin wanted to interrupt, but Xing Jimie stopped him. Liraxa noticed those gestures, and her hidden smile widened. Serathel also jumped forward, raising her voice at the red-winged male Divine. "See!? That dragon is not someone we can leave alive! A greedy cultivator like her would slaughter innocents just to steal their treasures!"
Some demons at the side laughed. "Are you sure you don't have our blood in your veins? You are not much better than us."
Yasenia looked around calmly, her face not even showing a hint of impatience. "Are you done?"
Everyone turned silent, looking at the calm dragon woman. The dragoness, treating them as if they were deaf, spoke more slowly and clearly. "I asked, Seniors, is the staged scene done? Or, is this the time when I need to say something? Sorry, I never got my script, so I am a bit lost."
Serathel shrilly screamed. "Insolent dragon! Someone detain her!"
Yasenia noticed several auras surging, ready to capture her. At that moment, Xing Jimie finally took a step forward. "Enough."
BOOM!
Her presence swept the entire place, her [Death Law] enveloping everything just for a second before it disappeared. Liraxa frowned and saw Xing Jimie point at a few elders from the Astral Death Sect. "Capture all these people."
Anyone with two eyes could see that those she pointed at were all the elders who jumped to attack Yasenia, guards included.
In the Astral Death Sect, the Death Saintess's words were law. So, Hei Lin included, everyone else moved and instantly subdued the thirteen elders and six guards who jumped. The elder who spoke at first was stunned, and he glared at Xing Jimie. "What is the meaning of this, Lady Death Saintess!?"
Xing Jimie smiled coldly. "The rats hiding in my sect finally choose to stretch their necks so happily. How could I lose the chance to lower my butcher knife and sever them?"
Yasenia was not surprised in the slightest. While she knew that Xing Jimie had some kind of beef with her for unknown reasons, she also understood her personality. Xing Jimie was someone who put her personal feelings and duties in two very different places.
Would she take this slanderous chance to deal with her? Absolutely not. Xing Jimie clearly had some order to protect her, so she would place her very life on the line to do so. Therefore, from beginning to end, Yasenia never felt that she was at a disadvantage.
Still, she was not careless. And, as she expected, she noticed a presence approaching from behind at a breakneck speed.
Behind her, Ling Suya's chest had at some point burst in a gory shower. From the hole, a small being flashed quickly and dove at Yasenia's back. Only, when the small creature thought it would succeed, it slammed face-first against some kind of barrier.
BANG!
SQUEAK!
The high-pitched scream of pain echoed around, catching the attention of many in the room. Yasenia looked at the floor behind her with a mocking smile. "A little parasite without a host thinks it can pierce my [Defensive Death Crystal Array]?"
In her hand, a disk with intricate formations shone beautifully, creating a protective layer around her body.
"As my Honey once said, parasites are only scary once they make contact with their host. Outside, and individually, they are nothing but bugs you can easily squish."
Yasenia's tail then lashed down, Celestial Energy enveloping her gorgeous night-sky-colored blue scales. Liraxa's face changed for the first time, wanting to interrupt.
"Stop!"
Would Xing Jimie allow something similar to happen a second time? The answer was clear. Liraxa's suppression aura, rushing at Yasenia, could not reach its objective as Xing Jimie blasted it into pieces, forcing Liraxa to grunt from the backlash.
Without any more interruptions, Yasenia's tail struck down with enough strength to split continents, killing the bug.
BOOM!