Searching for a treasure usually requires luck. After all, treasures didn't reveal their existence in the true sense of the word. Naturally, there were some that could be felt from a distance. Others even announced their arrival with heavenly visions, energy fluctuations, etc.
Regardless, the point is that treasures that had been hidden for a while could only be found with luck.
Here is where Dragons differed from most other species. If a treasure was nearby, a dragon with a high-level bloodline would be able to sniff it out. This ability varied a lot between individuals. Still, in Yasenia's case, she could be considered somewhat sensitive to treasures even among her own.
So, as Yasenia approached the actual treasure location, she noticed that reaching it wouldn't be simple. There were scents of less valuable treasures on the way to the treasure. This usually meant one of two things.
On one side, the treasure was purposely hidden behind a set of obstacles or treasures so that people couldn't find it. On the other side, it could mean that this treasure was placed here so long ago that natural treasures spawned around it thanks to the leaking energy and influence of the treasure.
Either way, Yasenia knew that the treasure she was hunting was much more valuable than she had thought at first. Traversing the inner side of the island was not easy. After all, there were many Sixth Realm creatures. Thankfully, the deterrence when she used [Dragon Strength] and bloodline pressure kept most of them at bay.
Wherever she moved through their territory, beasts would scatter out like scared rodents seeing their predator. The exceptions that came to face her were few and far between.
"GRAH!"
Yasenia stopped as a giant red-furred monkey landed in front of her while showing its massive fangs. Yasenia could tell that its body was terribly tense and full of wariness when it looked at her.
The dragoness looked on coldly. "Step away. You are not my objective."
Her voice carried her pressure and intent. For the red monkey, it felt as if a giant phantom had appeared and grabbed the top of its head, intending to slam it against the ground.
Yasenia flapped her wings, flying forward as if the twenty-meter-tall monkey wasn't there. The monkey tensed so much that its muscles started to cramp. Each second felt like an eternity, and its heart pounded faster and faster, as if it were about to burst.
Nevertheless, the dragoness didn't even look at him once and flew by his head, her face indifferent the whole time.
From beginning to end, the Sixth Realm beast didn't dare move. Even if it wanted to, it stood still as if moving a single finger would signify its death.
Only after Yasenia flew past him, leaving a floral scent in her path, did the monkey dare to look back with trepidation. Thankfully, Yasenia was not in the mood to fight, so it was spared from death.
"Hm…" Yasenia hummed while looking down at a large cave entrance. "It's here. I can sense it alongside the other treasures." Squinting her eyes, she muttered. "I can also feel a hint of danger. Are there traps inside?"
After pondering for a moment, Yasenia decided to dive inside while smiling. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
With a single flap of her wings, the dragoness dove straight into the cave. The cave was almost two hundred meters wide. There was not that much space for cultivators at her level to fight. 'Thankfully, the surroundings are durable. So, even if I go all out, the chances of the rock collapsing are low.'
Being buried wouldn't kill her or hurt her. Still, digging back to the surface would be an annoyance after making it all the way here.
"This cave is so deep…"
The dragoness was stunned. She had been flying for almost ten minutes, following paths that drove her lower and lower. For someone with her movement speed, ten minutes was enough to travel several thousand kilometers!
Her senses suddenly tingled as a slight fluctuation entered her spiritual sensing range. "Hm? Are there other people here?"
Yasenia held her breath and slowed down, merging with the environment around her.
Soon enough, she heard people talk in the distance.
"Are you sure it is this way? We've been traveling for over a month with no results."
Answering the man with a clear voice, another person spoke sternly. "Are you saying that the sect elders have given us the wrong map? One of the [Seven Star Fragments] must be in this zone."
Yasenia's eyes flashed with curiosity. 'Seven Star Fragments?'
"Hey! Don't speak of it aloud. What if there is someone listening?"
"Right, you wish. Do you think that someone can hide from my [Shadow Sea Intent Domain]? If there was anyone nearby, I would sense them straight away."
Yasenia, hiding nearby, blinked twice innocently before smirking. 'Sorry, it seems that the effects of my Celestial Intent Domain are a bit better than your Shadow whatever Domain~. Hehe.'
Our dragoness slowly approached them and analyzed this group. It was made up of seven people, two women and five men. Surprisingly, two of them, one female and one male, were demons. 'Oh? I heard that there are demons and divines in the Blue Pearl World. Never did I expect to meet them here. After all, they usually avoid Secret Realms that human forces frequent.'
Unlike in lower Heavenly Layers, where Demons and Divines have the racial advantage, Humans and beastkin played on a much more balanced field. After all, starting from the Sublime Heavenly Layer, the Transcendence Realm was much easier to reach. For there to be Seventh Realm people, the number of Sixth Realm people who were stuck needed to be quite numerous.
And from the Sixth Realm onwards, humans unlocked their bloodline potential, so any advantage demons and other species had practically disappeared. Only beasts were naturally stronger in the same cultivation level after Transcendence due to their specialness.
"Can we stop lingering? We don't know when others will find and explore this cave. The best-case scenario is we find the fragment and then leave."
One of the demons spoke with annoyance. She was a woman with large fleshy wings sprouting from her back, as well as purplish skin, a great figure, and a pair of black ram horns. She looked mostly human, except for the peculiar colors of her skin and other details.
Yasenia curiously looked at her. 'This woman… Is she a Charm Snake Demon?'
Demons were among the many subjects Yasenia had studied. There were not so many different species compared to the beasts, making it much more bearable to learn.
'Charm Snake Demons are part of the succubus lineage, mixed with a touch of dragon blood. Nevertheless, since the dragon blood never manifested within them, unlike their higher-strength variant, Charm Draconic Demons, they are called snake demons. The difference between these two is their horns.'
"Little sister, I know you are impatient. Nevertheless, they won't deny you later. Can't you see their gazes?"
Yasenia looked at the other demon. 'Oh, same species, but a male version…'
This one was surprisingly slender, his height not much taller than a human. The two fleshy wings and the humanoid body were also relatively standard. The specialness was the large and thick tail behind him. This tail looked like a giant snake, with a mouth at the end and eyes. 'That tail can devour creatures and do… quite a few nasty things with them. Both males and females can use aphrodisiac venom, so I have to be careful.'
She was naturally confident in her mental resilience. Nevertheless, if she could avoid being affected, that would be for the best. Overconfidence was a silent killer, and Yasenia refused to become its victim.
After hearing them speak for a while, Yasenia finally understood everything. 'So, to summarize, this is one of the hidden locations where the Seven Star Fragments are located. These fragments, once fused back together, can give birth to a very powerful treasure.'
Squinting her eyes, Yasenia pondered whether to get tangled in this or not. 'Hm… Let's follow them for now. If I find that I can't sneak past them or something, I'll just leave.'
The scent of that treasure was tempting, so she decided to give it a try. It wouldn't be too late to leave after being discovered. 'If I had not developed my Celestial Intent Domain, I would probably have given up.'
While following them, Yasenia took in all the details of their robes. 'Those two demons are part of the Thousand Serpent Cult… Color me surprised. The five humans come from different sects, though. The only human woman is from a righteous sect: [Shore Shift Sect].' This was a bit confusing. 'Has she been charmed by the demon? Her strength doesn't seem to be far behind the demon, though…'
Still, Yasenia had no way of knowing their strength outside of the Secret Realm. Therefore, the woman might've been charmed outside before they entered.
'Of the four males, two of them belong to the woman's sect. The other two seem to be rogue cultivators.'
"We've arrived, Lady Lian Ruxue."
The female spoke, pointing forward. "That's the place."
Yasenia and the others looked over and saw a giant pair of doors.
"Doors?"
Everyone tilted their head. Wasn't this place a natural-style secret realm? Why would there be any type of construction here?'
The woman nodded. "From the lost details I read, the seven fragments are one of the supreme treasures of the Secret Realm. Therefore, the owner didn't want to just throw them around. Inside these doors, there are trials, and depending on the results, you can get different treasures."
The female demon clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk. No wonder your sect has been on the rise for a few centuries. The treasures here must be anything but simple. So, even if you don't get the fragment, anything else still makes the journey worth it."
The male demon asked, his voice smooth and charming. "What do we do, little sister? Do we call others and have them try together?" Turning sideways, he asked the woman. "The more people, the more rewards, right?"
The human woman didn't speak, so the demon frowned and approached her.
Seeing that, the two males from the same sect as her flinched, wanting to step forward. Nevertheless, a single look from the female demon stopped them in their tracks.
Yasenia observed the situation and saw the male demon open his mouth and sink his fangs into the woman's neck. After a few seconds, he released her. Almost instantly, the woman spasmed and fell to the ground, her body writhing as she moaned.
Then, his tail moved and swallowed the woman in one gulp.
The dragoness's eyebrow twitched, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
After five minutes, he spat her back out and asked her with a smile. "Is it better to call more people? Or is it better not to call more? If you answer, I'll let you inside again."
"T-The more people, the worse the rewards. There are trials with people facing each other, so a small number is better."
The Charm Snake Demon smiled widely. "Good. That's why I like you." Then, he stood up and swallowed the woman back into his tail.
The dragoness could see a mix of expectation and despair on the poor woman's flushed face. Clearly, her mind and body were reacting very differently.
The dragoness sighed and looked at the interaction with some pity. Then, she decided to follow behind the group and through the large stone doors.
BANG!
Once Yasenia walked inside, the doors closed behind her. Her face changed, and she quickly used her Celestial Intent Domain to hide her presence and move to the side, holding her breath.