"Who is that?"
"I have no recollection of him as well."
"He is clearly from the Divine species. His aura is also at the Throne Cleansing Realm, but I can't really pinpoint how strong he is."
"That's normal, since he has an aura blocking treasure. Do you see those accessories at the tip of his wings? They are quite common."
People discussed together, while the man's face was indifferent, and he walked away from the testing point. One nearby spectator asked aloud. "Hey! How old are you?"
The man didn't stop walking, ignoring everyone as he made his way toward the tournament area. This made some people feel indignant.
Someone jumped in front of him, his large frame, blackish skin, red ram horns, and fleshy wings clearly showing this individual's race and strength. "Hey, little pigeon, we are asking a question. How about answering?"
The Divine looked up, his golden eyes showing a hint of disdain. "Move, Demon. I know that having your feelings hurt by being unable to pass is harsh. However, that doesn't give you the right to look down on me."
The Demon was not angered. Instead, he grinned widely and walked toward the altar, pushing whoever was next. "Hey! What are you doing?"
"Ant, move."
He punched the Level 3 Transcendent, creating a massive shockwave and sending him flying. Then, he placed his hand on the pillar and looked down at the tester. "Spit it out."
The woman frowned, thinking that he would be embarrassed by the result, but to her surprise, the pillar lit up. She was surprised for a moment, but she did her job. "You passed."
The Demon grinned and glanced at the Divine again. "How does it feel, little chick? Does your face burn? Don't worry if it doesn't, though. My flames will probably give you that feeling later."
Yasenia glanced at everything from a distance, her face placid. She was trying to pierce through their concealment auras, but it was too difficult for her. Ao Xianlan noticed Yasenia's face and smiled.
"They are both at the fourth level. They are probably part of the hidden geniuses from their clans."
"Hidden geniuses?" Yasenia tilted her head and looked up.
Ao Xianlan patted Yasenia's head and nodded. "Yes. Top powers won't ever reveal their most talented individuals to the world without a good reason. That makes them a target for their enemies. If a genius dies before they mature, they will be nothing more than a waste of resources."
Yasenia hummed and glanced at Yan Huang. "What are their ages?"
Yan Huang chuckled and checked the formation. "The divine child is 1046 years old. The demon child is 986 years old. They are both extremely talented to reach their current level at their age."
Yasenia nodded, but Tatyana was not convinced. "They have high realms, that's true. However, I wonder how their understanding has developed? They probably used a drop of blood from a powerful ancestor to give them a comparable bloodline to an Immortal Bloodline beast. The amount of resources poured on those two must be… astronomical."
Ao Xianlan blinked and looked at Yasenia. "What level is your Intent Domain at, child?"
Yasenia answered calmly. "Level 2 and Level 3, Aunt Xianlan."
"Huh?"
It was not only Ao Xianlan, but other dragons also looked at Yasenia with confusion. "What do you mean by two and three? A quasi-Third Level one?"
Our Dragoness answered, her eyes innocent. "I mean, I have one at Level 2 and another at Level 3."
"..."
Some of the younger generation dragons looked ahead with dead eyes, almost giving up on life. 'What is this? Where am I? Who am I? Did I really waste my life that much?'
Even Ao Xianlan was speechless this time. "You are quite a monster, aren't you, child?"
Yasenia pondered and nodded. "After seeing the world, that seems to be the case. I am still far from my objective, though. So, I need to become even more monstrous."
Ao Xianlan deadpanned for a second before sighing and laughing. "You, child, are too cute."
Yasenia felt her feet leave the ground as the woman hugged her. Yasenia didn't really resist. The embrace of a dragon of Ao Xianlan's size was like resting on soft clouds. Moreover, with their age difference, Yasenia was basically a baby for Ao Xianlan.
Ao Xianlan picked a spot to sit and placed Yasenia on her lap, hugging her closely. The others followed and sat around them as well.
Meanwhile, the encounter between the golden-haired Divine and the Demon finally reached the boiling point. The Divine looked at the Demon coldly and spoke with a sneer. "You are arrogant. However, when you meet my junior sister, I wonder if your arrogance will remain."
The Demon barked a laugh. "Typical pigeon, when you can't deal with it yourself, you rely on others."
The Divine raised his lips mockingly. "That's what differentiates us from simple beasts, Demon. Not that you will ever understand. It is, after all, too complex for you to understand."
The Demon and Divine looked at each other with a squint, but before they could attack, another voice sounded from another corner.
"You passed!"
The Divine and Demon looked over, their senses expanding toward that location. A human woman was slowly taking her hand from the pillar, her face nonchalant as she turned to leave.
Someone frowned for a second before they had a flash of inspiration. "That crest on her white robes feels familiar. Ah… She is a core disciple from the [Moon-Piercing Glaze Sect]. They are on various continents, but I heard that their main sect is located on the 3rd continent as one of the top powerhouses there."
"No way! Someone from the third continent is here?"
"This tournament is starting to achieve legendary status. Where were all these super geniuses hiding?"
These three were like the gates of a floodgate opening. All around, the sounds of "You passed!" started echoing once every few minutes. Even then, together with each person who passed, there would be tens of thousands who would fail spectacularly.
There were some people who passed at the mortal level as well, just to gauge Yasenia's true age. After around 10 hours, people finally had the approximation, and the results left everyone shellshocked.
Some people even felt their Dao Hearts trembling, cracks appearing at the utter ridiculousness of the results. Yasenia's existence was like a gargantuan shadow that blotted out the sun.
"This can't be right…"
"It can't be right? It is straight up impossible! Does Lord Flame Sky Emperor really think he can deceive everyone and get away with it?"
"What lying? If this were a farce, do you think that the top powerhouses that have come wouldn't have stepped forward and called him out? This is a chance for his enemies to undermine his influence, and even those enemies have not stepped forward."
Someone snapped, their eyes red from the tight feelings in their chest. "But how is it possible for someone of her strength to be less than 130 years old!? It doesn't make sense!"
Everyone was equally flabbergasted. Even the super geniuses that had surfaced had solemn expressions. Their eyes were locked onto the dragon that was sitting on Ao Xianlan's lap. Seeing her like that gave her a trace of childishness, which somewhat highlighted her young age.
Someone asked, confused. "Don't dragons mature when they are around 500 years old…?"
Those who failed to remember that piece of information felt their faces crumple even more. They didn't even dare make the human-age comparison. The number was too terrifying.
Ao Xianlan looked around and smirked. "Look at them, trying to compare themselves to my Little Yasenia. Heh."
Tatyana looked at the woman strangely. Not because she was currently hogging Yasenia entirely for herself, but because Yasenia was strangely obedient, even leaning in her arms. '...I am jealous.'
Tatyana pouted after thinking that, and since she was shameless, she pointed at Ao Xianlan and condemned her. "Stop making my Little Treasure so comfortable! I am getting jealous!"
Everyone looked at the shameless woman in speechless shock. Even Yasenia's lips twitched.
Ao Xianlan raised her eyebrow and hugged Yasenia closer. Because of her body being so large, she could snuggle Yasenia in her arms comfortably. "Get jealous then. This girl might be your daughter, but I am tempted to adopt her myself. Look, isn't she the cutest?"
Ao Xianlan smooched Yasenia's cheek adoringly. Yasenia just closed one eye, and her tail gently wagged. She didn't know why, but this dragon's arms felt so secure and comfortable that she just wanted to rest here. There were no romantic or lustful feelings involved. It was… pure comfort.
Tatyana gawked at that. "You are probably the first being other than her close family who has managed to make her feel that comfortable. How did you do it?"
Ao Xianlan chuckled and gently caressed Yasenia's long black hair. "Tatyana, I am sure that Yasenia feels loved. Her feelings for you… I can sense them even now. However, have you thought of how many times she rested since she started her cultivation journey? I don't believe she has rested much. After all, to reach her current realm at her age…" Ao Xianlan sighed and looked at Yasenia with a pitying gaze. "You've gone through a lot, haven't you, little Yasenia?"
Yasenia looked up and smiled. "There is no need to feel bad. My current strength is a result of my efforts. Even if I were given another chance, I would change almost nothing. If anything, I might've worked even harder not to have so many close encounters with death."
The rest of the dragons, especially those who were feeling somewhat jealous of Yasenia's talent, became silent. Thinking about it deeply, Yasenia reaching her current stage couldn't be raw talent. The number of trials she must've gone through must be incomparable to others.
Tatyana looked at Ao Xianlan and snorted. "Do you think I don't know it? I've tried plenty of times to slow her down, but I can't." Tatyana approached, sitting by their side and picking Yasenia's tail to groom it with brushes and other comfortable tools.
As she cleaned Yasenia's gorgeous tail, she sighed and explained. "This stubborn girl is single-mindedly trying to catch up to my strength. Her feelings are pure and straightforward. How can I stop her ambition just to have her rest? As her mother, I will support her the best I can and be prepared to give her a place of comfort whenever she needs it."
Her red eyes darkened, her aura becoming dangerous. "Why do you think I allowed this tournament in the first place? I am going to make sure everyone knows not to mess with her stupidly. If they do, they will need to prepare to pay an exorbitant price."
Ao Xianlan was slightly taken aback. Honestly, she was a bit dissatisfied with Tatyana, thinking that she had pushed Yasenia too much. Her fondness for the dragon girl was increasing by each passing second, so her mind found fault with Tatyana's methods.
Only now did she understand that her view on their relationship was shallow and narrow. After understanding, she bowed slightly towards Tatyana while holding Yasenia. "Sorry, I jumped to conclusions."
Tatyana blinked, returning to normal, and smiled at her. "Don't worry. I am just glad that she feels comfortable in your arms. Please come visit often and spend time with Yasenia from now on."
Ao Xianlan smiled. "I will."
Yasenia felt happy when she heard that, her seductive face gaining an innocent yet happy smile. It was at very rare moments like this one that she could relax, drop her guard, and just act spoiled. Even as a "father" and a soon-to-be "mother", she still sought support and comfort from her elders.
Seeing her smile, the hearts of most dragons and a large part of the public observing her were instantly one-shotted. It was as if an arrow had pierced them with fluffy feelings.
Ao Xianlan squealed in delight at Yasenia's hidden cuteness and rained kisses on Yasenia's face. She had not planned to do it, but this girl was just too beautiful and adorable to resist!
"Alright, Little Yasenia, let me tell you about the powers you need to take care of during this tournament, alright?"
Yasenia nodded, showing an attentive expression.