After learning about the proficiency realms, Yasenia knew why her progress had stalled. When she first fought with the bronze copy, she felt her mastery skyrocket. The ease with which she used them, the strength of the abilities, and the efficiency gained a touch of profundity she never knew existed before.
At that time, she probably had already reached either the peak of mortal perfection or the initial stage of [Initial Achievement].
Thinking even deeper, she realized that when she brought out the true nature of the skills, she might've broken past [Mortal Perfection]. Back then, Shattering The Heavens was a slashing skill, but now it is closer to its name, since it creates impact on landing, mixing it with its cutting nature.
Looking at her silver copy, Yasenia asked. "So, are you using the skill at the [Big Improvement] proficiency realm?"
The copy shrugged. "Perhaps. You will have to learn to know."
Yasenia squinted. "Why are you being vague about it? It doesn't really make sense not to be upfront now, does it?"
The copy chuckled. "This is how we learn best. Are you saying that if I don't clearly set boundaries, you won't be able to cross them? In truth, everything is simple. You just need to become stronger than whatever I'm doing. Haven't we always done things that way?"
Yesenia was silent. As the copy said, Yasenia has never cared about these things. She just used her best to crush others' best. Age, experience, realm, bloodline… nothing ever truly fazed her. Even if she couldn't win, she would try her best. She wasn't suicidal either. So when she couldn't win or the opponent was too strong, she would scheme or straight-up avoid fighting.
"Alright, enough talking then. Let's fight."
Both the copy and Yasenia gathered energy, the air around them trembling under their pressure. Then, without a single moment of hesitation, both sides shot at each other.
The copy brought up strength from the flag, and her body surged with power. When they clashed, Yasenia was pushed back, but she didn't lose control like the first time. Instead, she decided to go for a defensive battle style.
First, she took a more relaxed posture and prepared to block and dodge. "[Grand Cosmos Martial Art, Fourth Form: Cosmic Air]."
Her agility and reflexes were boosted to the limit, and her body was bound with the principle of air. Celestial energy rotated through Yasenia's meridians while she spun the flag and was pushed back by the constant barrage of her copy.
Yasenia blocked constantly, both sides moving back each time the copy struck. After all, Yasenia was not trying to stand her ground, so both sides exchanged hundreds of moves, dashing throughout the terrain.
Since it was within their reach, Yasenia and the copy used their environment to their advantage. Sometimes, the dragoness would use a tree for a foothold; other times, she would jump through the canopy and block the spiritual sense of the copy with her own.
While her control over the spiritual sense was still improving, her ability increased after cultivating for a while. Compared with Yasenia a year ago, she was clearly stronger and more proficient.
Yasenia and the copy used the Grand Cosmos Martial Arts the most during their exchange. Both sides had [Heavenly Firmament Sanctuary] activated, so their energy consumption was equally increased.
The sanctuary was strong, not only because it eroded a cultivator's energy reserves over time, but also because any skill considered harmful would be similarly affected by it.
Therefore, even with Yasenia's absolute stamina, which the copy naturally shared, both sides were showing signs of fatigue after 15 hours of continuous fighting.
Tatyana crossed her arms, her gaze following Yasenia's movements. "She is improving."
Sui Xing nodded. "She is. It seems that she is properly looking at the copy and learning her methods."
Tatyana hummed, unsure. "Are you sure?"
Sui Xing blinked and looked closely. "I… don't see anything wrong?"
Tatayna agreed, but she just wasn't sure. "You haven't known that girl for a long time, Sui Xing. But you must know that, at one point, Yasenia cultivated crazily and got accustomed to that."
"How crazy?"
"That girl doesn't even trust her constitution." Tatyana revealed with a wry smile. Sui Xing was silent, but his face showed the absurdity of what Tatyana just said.
"At one point, Yasenia was so doubtful of what those two gods wanted to do that she decided not to be dependent on anything. While she didn't train for too long, only a few decades, she learned how to fight without her constitution or bloodline effects and even tried doing crazy things like fighting with her energy restricted."
Sui Xing was speechless for a few moments. Then, he asked tentatively. "Did she… succeed?"
"Huh? Of course not." Tatyana glanced at Sui Xing strangely. "You must know that using environmental energy to fight is not something that can be done as a mortal."
"Mortal…" The man was even more stumped. "Do you mean that everything you said happened when Yasenia had not even achieved Transcendence?"
Tatyana shrugged. "That's the case. Not to mention her overwhelming talent with soul and spiritual control. I still remember how shocked I was when, at the Mental Nourishing Realm, Yasenia actually managed to enter Cecile's soul and deal with something there. Mind you, back then, Yasenia's entire bloodline and energy were sealed."
Sui Xing now understood why Tatyana was so doubtful of Yasenia's current attitude. "...You are trying to say that this crazy dragon woman is too tame and accepting of the path the bead is showing?"
"Yes."
Tatyana readily agreed. "While she is eager to learn, and she will absorb any teaching you provide to her as a sponge does with water, there is always something… more. In that peculiar mind of hers, she tries to make everything she learns her own."
Sui Xing sighed. "I don't know whether to praise her or slap her a few times."
Tatyana chuckled. "Sometimes I share that sentiment, but then I see her face and any annoyance turns into fluffy love~."
Sui Xing looked over and saw Tatyana's red eyes shining with obsessive lights. Not wanting to flip this woman's switch, the man changed the subject. Last time that happened, Yasenia went into a "rest" for three days and nights.
"If everything is as you say, then it is indeed suspicious that Yasenia is just copying whatever she is seeing."
Tatyana hummed. "Well, we can ask her once she defeats this copy."
Cai Xue had been listening, and once she heard Tatyana, she was confused. "Isn't Young Miss losing? How can she overcome this level?"
"Hm?" Tatyana blinked and looked at Cai Xue. "Do you truly think that the twenty-sixth stair is Yasenia's current limit? The only reason she is being pushed around is that she isn't going all out. Have you not noticed that Yasenia has not been using two of her major buffs for a while already?"
"Two…?" Cai Xue squinted and suddenly realized. "Ah. She is using neither [Ursa's Grasp] nor [Firmament Soul Sword]."
"Indeed." Tatyana nodded. "While those two are not her top buffs, they are in no shape or form negligible. With them, the copy wouldn't have a chance, even while drawing out more strength from the flag than Yasenia does."
Yasenia's strength suddenly decreased again, and this time, Cai Xue could easily notice. "She stopped using [Celestial Cosmos Dress]..."
With the skill deactivated, the ethereal and gorgeous cosmic dress around Yasenia scattered like light, reverting to the form of [Crystalline Moon Dress].
The white garment was gorgeous, shining with lights and having a semi-transparent quality. The appearance of the bodice gave the impression of being able to see through it, yet ultimately being unable to, adding a sense of mysterious sensuality to Yasenia's already devastating beauty.
The copy didn't sit around. With swift movements, she took control of the situation and released a barrage of [Celestial Sunder], [Star Pierce], [Scorching Sword], and [Moon Ice Torment].
These four skills could be considered Yasenia's basic attacks, the quickest but also weakest in her arsenal. That was when one didn't count forms from [Grand Cosmos Martial Art].
The barrage was brutal, and Yasenia was injured almost right away. The copy snorted. "You are overconfident. Celestial Cosmos Dress is one of our strongest and most thorough skills."
Yasenia didn't answer. When she was fighting seriously, she was not one to talk. Her mind was focused on one thing only: defeating this copy while she was as weak as possible. The process was similar to what she did when fighting the bronze copy the first time.
She just powered up as much as possible, and then slowly powered down while getting accustomed to her own attacks.
Five more hours went by, and both Yasenia and the copy were sweating enough to have their long, black and white hair sticking to their skin. Each time Yasenia or the copy swung the flag, droplets of sweat would fall to the ground, along with some blood.
Even when Yasenia was trying to create a stalemate, both sides had injured each other enough to bleed.
Yasenia moved, her tail helping her deflect the flag, even when it hurt. The impact made the bones and muscles inside the tail scream in pain. Clearly, the impact was beyond whatever Yasenia could take.
Even then, she pushed forward and swung her own flag. "[Shattering The Heavens]!"
The copy noticed its own predicament, so it forcefully moved its energy to activate its defensive skills.
BOOM!
The copy slid back, its face full of fatigue. Still, the layers of defense bought enough time for it to complete a short dance. "[Aquarius Rain]."
Yasenia didn't care, as she swung her flag almost five simultaneous times against the defenses of the copy.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sounds were almost simultaneous, and the accumulated impact cracked it instantly. Knowing that the defense was weakened, Yasenia jumped and pointed her flag at the copy. This time, she used the combination skill she learned in the past.
"[Pegasus Gallop], [Star Pierce]...."
A line connected her and the copy. Yasenia's double became tense, preparing to receive the attack.
"...[Comet Descent]."
Even in the copy's eyes, Yasenia turned into a blur that quickly crossed the distance and pierced through her weakened defensive dome.
BOOM!
The impact created a massive explosion, throwing the copy tumbling backward. Before she could recover, she saw Yasenia reactivate [Pegasus Gallop], the dragoness's leg muscles swelling and straining.
WHOOSH!
It was a moment, and Yasenia closed the distance. "[Nebula Ripple]!"
The copy activated the fifth form, quickly creating a fog-like wall in front of her that would cushion the momentum, speed, and strength of any attack. It was like using a gentle motion to calm a charging bull.
However, as she deployed it, her mind quickly sensed danger. Yasenia's face gained a smile. "[Fairy Moon Steps]."
With five elegant and wide steps, each of them deviating enough momentum to flatten continents, Yasenia spun around the copy and swung the flag at her open back.
Naturally, the copy's tail moved, activating [Celestial Sunder]. Even then, Yasenia had heavily injured her leg muscles for this move. So, the copy's activation was incomplete.
"[Shattering…"
The copy's face relaxed, gaining a faint smile. She spoke softly. "Good job."
"...The Heavens]!"
While the copy smiled, Yasenia's flag accelerated and smashed through the copy's tail, landing squarely on her back.
BOOM!
The copy's body crumbled, most of her organs failing. Yasenia knew of her own durability, so she rushed forward and released a final barrage of [Celestial Sunder], killing it and leaving no chance for recovery.
Unable to hold back longer, she stumbled forward and fell down, rolling on the ground for a while. "Ha… Ha… Ha… I did it. Four buffs are my limit against this silver copy."
Feeling her trembling legs as her muscles spasmed from effort, Yasenia closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths. She needed to recover.