Did Star Forge want to beat Yasenia up? Probably, quite a lot. She really wanted to bend over the dragon woman and spank her fleshy butt until it turned red. 'Didn't I tell Yasenia not to take treasures that she couldn't afford to hold?'
As she battled the person in front of her, her heart was somewhat stifled. Of course, she couldn't do anything about it now. So, with a heavy sigh, she spoke aloud. "Everyone, retreat. We are leaving!"
The sect battling them was baffled. After all, Star Forge and the others were winning the confrontation. Honestly, those fighting them were about to retreat. They were only holding on because of pure stubbornness.
Star Forge didn't care about them and gathered all the disciples, turning around to leave the area together.
Tai Qingzhe looked at Star Forge with a frown and asked, confused. "Why are we retreating? We were about to defeat them."
Star Forge hesitated before she sighed and spoke. "Yas… Our big reptile queen has attracted trouble. So, we must leave the Secret Realm and go to the Star Immortal Sect straight away. Once there, I will speak in detail."
"Reptile queen, pfft. Why did you call Ya—"
"Don't." Star Forge's face became stern as she glared at Mo Yun. "Don't say it. I will explain everything, but you must ensure you don't show any connection to that woman. Am I clear?"
Everyone was bewildered. They knew that Star Forge had a great relationship with Yasenia, so hearing her words made them all feel ominous.
Star Forge sighed to herself. 'This is probably the calamity that was predicted… Let's hope that we can overcome it.'
Meanwhile, Yasenia was fleeing towards the Secret Realm entrance at her top speed. 'Hold on, you two. I know you want to battle it out, but please listen to the powerful star in the middle and hold back for a little while!!'
Complaining in her mind, Yasenia took only two months to arrive at the entrance of the Secret Realm. While it sounded long, she moved very stealthily, and the Secret Realm was also ridiculously large. So, even while moving without rest, walking back the distance she covered was not that easy.
Once she arrived near the entrance, Yasenia hid and frowned. "Trouble…"
There were many more people than she expected gathered here. Moreover, these people were not just standing still, but warily looking around. "While I don't want to put on airs… Aren't all these cultivators waiting for me?"
The dimensional gate behind them was tightly guarded, and Yasenia was sure that spatial movement would get caught in some kind of trap if she were to try. 'Thankfully, during my confrontations, I always managed to keep Soluna hidden. This is my last card to get out safely.'
Soluna appeared by her side and tilted her head. "What do you want me to do, Yasenia?"
The dragon looked down at Soluna and spoke rather ridiculously. "Eat me."
Soluna instantly blushed deeply and squirmed. "H-Here? Although you are delicious, I don't think that doing it in the open like this is proper! What if we get discovered?"
Yasenia, Sui Xing, and the others deadpanned, looking at the squirming and shy spirit with astonished looks. The dragoness pinched Soluna's soft cheek and smiled menacingly. "Is now the time for jokes, dear Soluna? Quadruple your height, put on the mantle, and keep me within you as you pass the gate."
"Oh, you meant it in that direction!"
Sui Xing sighed. "It seems that you've completely corrupted the pure spirit. I must admit, your prowess in that regard is almost superior to your martial prowess."
The dragoness felt her teeth itching. 'I am going to throw these two inside the Celestial Black Hole Star for a little while; let's see if they dare disrespect their master later!'
Both Sui Xing and Soluna felt chills and started pleading for forgiveness.
After a little scene, Soluna put on Yasenia's mantle and instantly grew in size to a ten-meter-tall woman. Then, without further ado, she picked Yasenia and opened her mouth wide.
"Nom~."
The dragoness's eyebrow twitched. After sliding down Solana's throat, she curled into a ball inside her. "Did you have to make an eating sound?"
Soluna giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll also do the same sound later~, hehehe."
Yasenia smiled and chuckled. "Sure, sure. Now, go."
The ten-meter-tall Soluna walked forward confidently, her entire body covered with the mantle. When she landed in front of the dimensional gate, many people looked over with frowns.
A man swept down and looked at Soluna up and down. "Take off your mantle."
"Ha?" Soluna showed a bewildered expression. "Why should I?"
The man squinted. "Didn't you hear the communication?"
Soluna snorted. "What communication? I am not part of any sect, so what can I listen to? Now get out of my way."
She then walked forward. However, as she did so, the man actually slapped his palm forward, gathering incredible force behind it.
Not deterred, Soluna also extended her own hand and gathered her spirit energy.
BOOM!
Soluna took a step back, but the other side was blasted backward, burns and ice covering his body. Soluna spoke coldly. "Are you done?"
Yasenia listened to everything outside, but she didn't know what was happening. After all, she didn't even dare use her spiritual sense. 'Is everything alright, Soluna?'
'Yes, don't worry, Yasenia.'
After clashing with that man, Soluna noticed a few people surrounding her. She looked around with squinted eyes and sighed. "Alright, is it enough if I reveal myself? I really don't have time for this."
A person sneered. "Why are you so hasty, eh?"
Soluna took off her mantle as she glared at that person. "I am in a hurry because I don't want stupid people like you holding me back."
After Soluna revealed herself, everyone was startled. The giant in front of them had the shape of an adorable beauty. Her proportions were slender, with gentle curves and a flawless face. Her golden and silver hair, divided by a celestial blue line right down the middle, gorgeously fluttered even without wind.
Her entire body seemed to be made out of pure energy, while her sapphire-colored eyes glowed lightly, showing her Moon and Sun pupils. Eclipsing the radiance of the sun and the beauty of the moon, Soluna stood tall and proud.
"...Spirit? Your aura is not that of a human cultivator."
"Why?" Soluna squinted at dangerous, elemental energies gathering around her as the world rumbled under her power. "Can't spirits participate in Secret Realms?"
Those who were sure that this woman was either the person who took the garden or Yasenia felt a bit awkward. It was clearly stated that both those people were a beast and a human-beast. So, it was impossible that this person was them.
"That… Excuse us."
Soluna harrumphed and draped her mantle over her body again. Then, she stepped into the Dimensional barrier.
After she exited the place, she sighed in relief inside her heart. Still, she was not assured. So, she stepped into the sky and shot into the distance with remarkable speed.
Yasenia would love to retrieve her flying ship, but her spatial ring was not responding to her.
After flying to a corner of the continent, Soluna communicated with Yasenia. "I think we are safe. Do you want to come out?"
Yasenia spoke to her. "Use the [Defensive Death Crystal Array]. It has isolating characteristics that will help us."
Soluna frowned. "Are you sure? This thing only has five uses, right?"
"Those five uses are there to be spent. Use it." Yasenia grumbled. "I've accumulated so many riches and resources, but now I am isolated from them. So, I must be sure to get access before something bad happens. There are only two months until the Secret Realm ends, after all. Once it ends, they will know that I am already outside. They might even link you to me, since your appearance is too timely and striking to forget."
Soluna nodded in agreement and threw the formation onto the ground. It quickly deployed, covering the cave Soluna entered and hiding the entrance. Then, Soluna opened her mouth. "Alright, crawl out~."
Yasenia rolled her eyes and waved her hand. Soluna felt a suction force and shouted exaggeratedly. "Oh nooo, I am being eaten from the insideeeeee. Heeeeelppp!!!"
And then, she was sucked into Yasenia's Dantian, revealing the dragoness's figure. The mantle fell down, and Yasenia quickly put it on. "Alright…" She glared at the garden and the ring. "You two already gave me too much trouble. You will now feel my wrath!"
Finally, the star stopped suppressing the treasures, and Yasenia's energy barreled into the two of them.
BOOM!
As Yasenia had expected, a massive energy ripple spread out. The formation Yasenia deployed wobbled dangerously, about to shatter from that first collision. "It seems that I must use all of them…"
So, with an aching heart, Yasenia deployed all remaining barriers, destroying the [Defensive Death Crystal Array] core in the process.
Meanwhile, in the dimensional entrance, time passed. People from major sects returned and gathered, looking around with confused expressions.
Lataria muttered, confused. "Yasenia wouldn't have decided to stay inside the Secret Realm, right…? This secret realm will close for a long time after losing a few of its core treasures."
Astarea spoke lightly by her side. "If she is clever, that would be her best path of action. While this Secret Realm will stunt her growth for five hundred years to one thousand years, she can accumulate a few treasures in the meantime and come out later."
Ao Jiuyao shook his head. "She is young and impatient. I am sure that she will come out… Only, she might've already exited the Secret Realm."
"Impossible."
The person who spoke was not any of them, but someone standing in the distance. Looking over, Ao Jiuyao snorted. "What will you know, people of the Astral Death Sect?"
The man was about to answer when his gaze changed. Looking at the artifact in his hands, his face was full of disbelief. Then, not saying anything, he turned around. "We are leaving."
"Huh?"
Everyone looked at them in confusion. These people were part of the group that suggested this idea. So, they thought they would stay behind until the very end.
Confusion and suspicion flashed in their eyes. So, some people sent a few to follow them secretly.
Meanwhile, in the remote mountain where Yasenia was staying, the dragoness was almost cursing at the heavens. Her aura was going berserk, her energies clashing against the multiple barriers around her and creating powerful waves.
This was not only because of the two treasures that were being merged, but because Yasenia herself was breaking through! These small cracks created wisps of energy that escaped from the formation, making her anxious. 'Quickly, quickly. I must complete the breakthrough and fuse these treasures quickly!'
With an anxious heart, Yasenia sat crossed-legged and cultivated.