Far away from Lan City, a few ancient beings were gathered. They came from different backgrounds, but their eyes were fixed on the distance.
"Do you think those juniors are enough?"
"Most likely. Unless that otherworldly expert interferes, which would give others a reason to intervene."
"Her strength is unfathomable. I can't see through her cultivation level."
"While we can't see through, she can't face all forces if she offends them."
"From the information we got, that dragon is her daughter, though. Do you really think she will do nothing?"
"That's why this plan works. I want to see if she dares to be so arrogant when her child is on the line."
The few people in the room had different opinions, but they didn't stop the actions of those few, interested to see how this probing would go.
***
Meanwhile, back at the front door of the Lan Family, a group of a few dozen people was standing arrogantly. Their faces were cold, while the elders accompanying them in the open stood tall behind them, a deep and profound aura enveloping their bodies.
"If she is not here by tomorrow, we will break down this door and search for her. Does she think she has the right to make us wait?"
The guards at the entrance frowned. "Sir, I already said that we've informed the family. If she can't come out, there must be certain important matters that need to be attended to."
The man's lips arched coldly. "Important matters? What can be more important than heeding my words?"
A woman by the side snorted. "Senior Brother, just kill this guard. How dare he speak so arrogantly in your presence?"
Another woman added with a cold and indifferent tone. "They are in front of the most talented Dragon Hunter of our generation and Lord Mo from the Crimson Lotus Hall. Such arrogance should be rewarded."
With those words, her hand moved lightly, and the guard's eyes changed, his face becoming terrified. Being a Level 1 Transcendence Realm cultivator, he was unable to resist before a sharp sword-light pierced his chest, bursting his soul and body.
The other guard was less courageous. When she saw his companion die, her face blanched and her body started trembling. The man at the lead glanced over with cold eyes. "Will you make us wait more, or do you want to follow your companion's steps?"
The female guard kneeled on the ground. "P-Please have mercy, Lord. I do not have the authority to do anything about your words. My only duty is to keep the doors closed! I can't do anything else other than send messages back!"
The man squinted, glancing at her up and down. Then, he waved his hand, acting generous. "I am not one to bully others. You have no fault in this."
The female guard kowtowed a few times, her body full of fear. "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"
As she was bowing down, a cold voice full of anger came from behind the door. "What is the meaning of this?"
The doors opened, and the group of people saw four women walk over. The one leading the group was a peerless beauty with red hair so long that it dragged on the ground lightly. Her deep blue eyes were piercingly cold, her features showing cold anger.
However, even when he was of a junior generation, the man at the lead was not impacted. Instead, his eyes were stuck on Yasenia's figure. Not to mention the impactful breasts, which gently jiggled with each step. Just the swaying of her hips and swinging of her tail made the hearts of onlookers thump at the rhythm of her movements.
Even when her face was elegant by nature, her eyebrows and lips had a touch of a smile, adding a natural seductiveness that aroused all those who looked. A single glance of her eyes could charm the souls of mortals, stealing their reasoning and forcing them to their knees.
The man at the lead could finally understand. 'No wonder that mortal boy from the Crimson Hall was so obsessed. Still…' Greed arose in his heart. '…If he really thinks he can have her, he is gravely mistaken. That dragon is only worth being my mount.'
"Greetings, Lady Lan. I am greatly pleased to see that your illness is showing signs of improvement."
He smiled politely, bowing lightly at Lan Shuyao. Even when he didn't really respect the Lan Family, showing some courtesy never hurt anyone.
Lan Shuyao, to his surprise, didn't return the bow and glanced at the blood puddle at the side. "You killed one of our guards at the entrance, and now you smile and expect me to ignore it? Even if your Dragon Hunting clan has a profound background and foundation, do not think that my Lan Clan can be bullied at will."
The man frowned lightly, a hint of dissatisfaction crossing his eyes. However, he wanted to put on a good front in front of the tall and seductive dragon, so he smiled apologetically. "Excuse me for that, Senior. My junior sister Selene is just a bit too attached to me, so when I get insulted, she reacts violently. I will compensate appropriately for this loss."
Lan Shuyao glanced over at Selene's cold face, and seeing not a hint of apology, her blue eyes flashed with danger. Still, she was cunning, so she showed nothing in her expression. "Then, I'll be eager to wait for the so-called compensation. The resources needed to raise a Transcendence Realm Cultivator with a solid foundation are not negligible, after all."
Her eyes glanced at the puddle of blood once more, and she showed pain in her eyes. "He was one of our most talented, with the potential to reach the peak of the Transcendence Realm in the future. I hope that Sir Aeron understands."
Whether it was the truth or not, nobody would be able to confirm. So, with this sentence, the so-called compensation would need to be at least triple what the man initially planned.
Aeron's lips twitched, but he smiled naturally, his handsome face showing a charming smile. "That's for sure, Lady Lan. We are not unreasonable people."
Then, his gaze moved beyond Lan Shuyao and landed on Yasenia's tall and voluptuous figure. Because Yasenia was hiding her stomach with her innate blue dress, her figure looked perfectly balanced, even with her curves.
"This beautiful dragon over here is the reason we made the trip this time around. We have some connections around the area that informed us of a rare and unique dragon. Therefore, we were interested in seeing her. May we speak together, Miss Dragon?"
Yasenia glanced over, and her soft and moist red lips opened gently. "I am unaware why the group that calls itself Dragon Hunters would have any intent of relation with a dragon."
A voice so mellow and charming that it softened the bones gently spread around them, leaving some in a daze. Aeron was also slightly dazed for a moment before he recovered. Of course, he faltered for less than a second, so almost no one noticed.
Aeron explained. "While we do hunt dragons, we are not ruthless murderers. Many of our family members have dragon mounts and beast companions. We hunt but also bond with dragons."
"Bond?" Yasenia showed a faint smile. "Is that the term you are going to use for chaining down my kind? I see absolutely no reason for a dragon to follow and help those that hunt us for sport."
"Dragon, you should feel grateful that Senior Brother Aeron wants to take you in. If you do not accept his gracious suggestion, I don't mind crafting a coat out of your hide and scales."
Selene at the back spoke up, her face cold and with a trace of jealousy. She was a proud woman whose talent and beauty have been praised for thousands of years. Just at 2,000 years of age, her cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Transcendence Realm, and even her Intent Domain had achieved a breakthrough into the fourth level.
So, among the talents of the world, she was among the top.
Yet, even with all of that, the second she saw Yasenia, she felt inferior. It was as if she were a lamp at the side while the woman in front of her shone like the sun, suppressing her in both ambits where she was the most confident.
Yasenia looked over, and her smile widened slightly. This made her already good facial features light up, dimming the colors of the surroundings. "It's quite ugly when someone shows unrestrained jealousy. Refrain from speaking again, since, even if you don't feel embarrassed, I feel ashamed on your behalf."
Some people choked, not expecting Yasenia to ignore social rules and point everything out in the open, straight up. Selene's cold expression cracked, anger appearing on her face. "Just a lizard that failed to grow in size. I can slice you down with a single sword, pathetic excuse of a dragon."
Lan Shuyao frowned. She naturally knew that Yasenia's dragon form was quite petite in comparison to others at her level. Still, Lan Shuyao also knew that Yasenia was incredibly young. So, in her mind, Yasenia had yet to have her growth sprout. 'While I really want to smack her down, there is probably someone who wants to do so much more than me.'
And as she expected, an elegant and cold voice took hold of the entire place. "Child, you are going overboard. Do you think that you are untouchable because you are from the Dragon Hunting family?"
Before Selene knew what was happening, she saw two bloody suns as the surroundings darkened for a second. Then, her body was weighted down by the skies, forcing her down to her knees.
BANG!
The tiles below cracked open, Selene's face turning white from fear.
If it were back in Distancia, Tatyana would've stayed back and let Yasenia take charge of the situation. After all, back then it was the time for her to grow, experience things, and learn how to deal with others.
Now though, things were quite different. Her main body was here, and there was absolutely no reason to let her precious Little Treasure be insulted by anyone. Whoever dared to insult Yasenia was defying her authority.
Aeron noticed that things were getting a bit out of hand and spoke up hastily. "Senior, please stop! Selene is just someone from a younger generation. Shouldn't things be resolved between us?"
Tatyana looked over at Aeron, her eyes showing no hint of emotion. Aeron felt as if he had fallen into the underworld in that single instant. "She dares disrespect this venerable's daughter, ignoring my presence. Does she think that she can do as she pleases because of her background? I can overlook arguments, but insults won't go unanswered."
Her eyes returned to the kneeling woman. "And actions that insult me have consequences."
Then, Tatyana uttered one word. It was not spoken, but declared, bending the world around it.
"Perish."
The world obeyed. The laws then twisted violently, Death manifesting from the void and swallowing Selene's figure. A single moment later, her body wilted away and turned into ash, scattering with the next breeze that touched her.
She couldn't scream; she couldn't even feel. For Selene, her vision just turned black, never to receive light again.
The action was so sudden that no one could react, and no one could prevent it. Everything happened as if it were natural. As if it was destined by existence for Selene to die in that singular moment. Such was the power of a [Law].
Yasenia tried her best to keep a nonchalant expression, but the tail behind her was wagging fast enough to stir up the wind. 'Ah! Mommy is so cool! I want to snuggle in her arms and lick her face and rain kisses on her cold and beautiful face!'
Meanwhile, the so-called protectors who accompanied the juniors were frozen. From beginning to end, they were unable to step up and do anything.
Aeron's body stiffened, not expecting any of them to die on this journey. His heart trembled, fear enveloping his limbs and chilling his blood. 'This strength… it feels more ancient and powerful than even that of the grand elders…'