Chapter 1314: Chapter 1314. The Chase.
After she escaped, the red-haired woman still had lingering fear in her heart. ’That dragon woman would’ve attacked me if I stayed there for a single extra second.’
She quickly took out a communication talisman and spoke through it. "Seniors! I need help! There is someone who wants to kill me!"
A man’s deep voice came from the other side of the communication device. "Who dares attack you? Have you told them your identity?"
The woman was going to answer when a chilling wave of spiritual sense swept her hiding area. Her heart thumped, and she quickly began to flee. "Seniors! She is a Dragon woman! Do you think someone with dragon genes will leave me alone because I said it after I got what she wanted? Please send help quickly; she is chasing after me!"
"Got it. Wait for three minutes."
"T-Three minutes!?" The red-haired woman’s face turned pale. "Faster! Come faster!"
"We can’t. We are currently fighting with another group for a vital treasure, and I can’t send anyone soon. We’ll deal with them within three minutes, so hold on until then."
The woman cursed the nine heavens when the communication device cut out. She was a Transcendence Realm cultivator. However, since she had focused on alchemy all her life, her combat strength was mediocre, to say the least. A single look at that dragon woman told her that she was an experienced fighter.
"What do I do? I have a few life-saving treasures, but wasting them here feels like I am losing out."
Behind her, a profound presence approached at a ridiculously high speed. Looking back with her spiritual sense, she noticed that it was not a humanoid following her, but an actual dragon. While the size was not large, the wobbling air around it spoke volumes of her strength.
"D-Dragon!? She wasn’t a beastkin but an actual dragon!?" Her already worried face crumpled even more. "If I knew she was a true dragon, I wouldn’t have touched her treasure..."
Dragons were known for being actually crazy about the treasures they possessed. Unless you were ready to fight to the death, few people dared to snatch the treasures they found first. Moreover, while they loved treasures, they weren’t creatures that would steal something unless it was vital for them. So, as long as you let them be, they would also let you be if you took a treasure.
However, once you robbed them, things got complicated.
"Which dragon lets its tail out during their human transformation!? Is she trying to confuse people? Ugh... Why did I have to be greedy...?"
Regret filled her heart, but she couldn’t recover spilled milk. Nevertheless, she gave it a try. "Dragon! I don’t want to be at odds with you! Let’s speak about compensation. This plant is important to me. I swear that I will give you something of equal or superior value!"
An ethereal voice full of pressure descended on her. "Give me back my treasure, and I’ll let you be. I don’t want to get involved in a fight right at this moment. I have other things to do."
The woman scratched her arm in nervousness. "B-But I really need this flower. I have to create the [Purification Blazepowder] to save someone!"
Yasenia continued pursuing from the back, shrinking the distance further. She would catch up in less than a minute at their current speed. ’She is quite fast. Is it the treasures she is wearing? I can feel a powerful energy coming from the sword below her feet.’
She knew that the other side had called for reinforcements. Moreover, since she communicated about a dragonkin, her identity would also be easily discovered if they investigated a little bit. ’Killing her will bring endless trouble.’
Even then, she didn’t want to give up the flower. With that flower and a Moon Attributed one, she could permanently increase her cultivation speed by 2%. The benefit was too significant to ignore.
’Still...’ Yasenia felt troubled. ’I am too weak to face a behemoth like the [Thousand Pills Verdant Pavilion].’
If she were at the fourth or fifth level of Transcendence, Yasenia wouldn’t have hesitated and would have fought for her treasure. ’But outside this realm, I am just a little level one dragon. Even with the energy I’ve accumulated, I can barely reach 20% of the second level once I am outside.’
Unless she found a terrifyingly influential fortuitous encounter, her future would be sealed once outside. ’Seven years is too little to reach that level of strength.’
Her mouth felt bitter, but she understood that it was too late to recover the treasure. ’I didn’t expect her to ask for help so quickly. Sigh... Let’s try to have a discussion then.’
While the red-haired woman was feeling troubled and anxious, she suddenly heard the ethereal and gorgeous voice of the dragon behind her. "Stop. We can talk about it. I won’t blame you."
The red-haired woman looked back, surprised. The dragon was still following, but instead of shortening the distance, she was keeping up with her. Nevertheless, she still felt doubt. "I... I understand. However, you have to promise that you will not attack me stealthily to steal my treasures!"
Yasenia sighed. "Alright. I promise I won’t harm you unjustly."
With that, the red-haired woman sighed in relief. No one in their right mind wanted to provoke a Dragon by stealing their treasures. She cautiously slowed down while standing on her sword. Then, she waited a second, and Yasenia appeared before her.
The dragon that appeared in front of her left her breathless. The human form was easy to distinguish as beautiful, but her dragon form was equally exceptional. The sleek form, large wings, celestial imagery, and blend of colors created an enchanting creature.
The dragoness slowly flapped her wings and spoke first. "Tell your people that I don’t have any intention of hurting you first. I don’t want to be attacked while we are discussing things."
The red-haired woman snapped out of her daze and nodded quickly. "Alright, alright." She picked up the communication device and spoke through it. "Senior. No need to come! I am striking a deal with the dragon. She is much more reasonable than those crazy ones living on our continent."
Yasenia’s scaly eyebrow twitched, but she didn’t say anything. The man’s voice from the other side of the device came in quickly. "I understand. Even then, we will be there in a minute. Wait for the discussion until then. If that dragon is not agreeable, tell her to leave."
The red-haired woman carefully looked at Yasenia. The empyrean dragon nodded once, telling her that it was okay.
"She is okay with it. We’ll wait for you, senior."
Yasenia looked around and spoke calmly. "Let’s go to the coast of that island. There are quite a few dangerous fish in the ocean, and floating here might end up in tragedy."
The woman didn’t have anything against it, so she followed behind on her flying sword. As they flew, she spoke up. "Um... I am Lan Qingsu. One of the most famous geniuses of the [Thousand Pills Verdant Pavilion]! What is your name, Senior?"
"Senior?" Yasenia blinked after landing and turned to look at the woman. Her body was slightly larger than a tall horse, so she needed to look down with her dragon head to properly gaze at Lan Qingsu. "I am probably younger than you, so no need to call me ’Senior’. My name is Yasenia Dravory. I am an [Empyrean Cosmos Dragon], and I am currently a guest in a remote sect."
Hearing the dragon species, doubt flashed in Lan Qingsu’s eyes. "I’ve never heard of that dragon species. Is it a new one?"
"Perhaps." Yasenia’s lips arched faintly, her draconic facial features looking strangely beautiful. Lan Qingsu almost slapped herself. ’S-Since when did I feel that dragon faces were beautiful? Ugh.’
Right after their presentation, a group of five cultivators appeared in the distance, quickly crossing thousands of kilometers and arriving at their position. The leading person was a middle-aged man with sleek black hair and a robust build. His temperament was praiseworthy, and one couldn’t find a single fault in it.
The four people accompanying him didn’t lose out in temperament, but it was easy to tell that the middle-aged man was in charge of the group. Yasenia carefully observed their eyes. ’The second I see a flash of greed in their gaze, I will leave as fast as I can. I can fight them, but winning might be difficult with so many powerful people.’
While they were restrained, all five cultivators were probably able to unleash Level 3 Intent Domains. She was confident in her own strength, but she was not arrogant.
"I heard that you have business with my grandniece, Dragon. Let’s hear it."
The red-haired woman was a bit flustered at her granduncle’s attitude. "Granduncle, in the end, I was the one in the wrong. I had discovered this flower first, but Yasenia didn’t know. Moreover, she didn’t know that I needed it for my grandaunt’s poison."
Yasenia’s eyes flashed, while the man’s face dropped slightly. "Lan Qingsu, stop talking. You are speaking too much."
"Ah." The woman blocked her mouth with her hands, looking a bit embarrassed.
Feeling a tinge of hostility from the five people, Yasenia took the initiative. "I promise that I won’t reveal anything about what I heard. So, please don’t look at me like that."
The five people landed on the beach after a brief moment of silence. Then, the man in the lead spoke. "A Dragon’s promise is trustworthy. I will take it into account. It is something we’ve kept hidden with difficulty, so please follow through with your promise."
Yasenia nodded once, her face calm. "I have never broken a single promise I’ve made. You can rest your heart at ease. Still, may I hear about the affliction that your esteemed elder is suffering from? If I know a way of curing her without using the Profound Blazeflower, I would like to make an exchange."
Lan Qingsu’s eyes flashed, and she nodded to the middle-aged man. "Granduncle! We should tell her. While the Blazeflower can ease the symptoms for another 50 years, it won’t cure the root of the problem."
The man crossed his muscular arms and pondered for a little bit. "Alright. We’ll tell you about it. However, a promise won’t make it this time around. I’ll need a Heavenly Oath."
Yasenia’s eyebrows scrunched and her gaze became cold. "Are you mocking me, elder? I told you that I’ve never broken a single promise. I am not stupid enough to make an enemy out of your powerful sect because of a single flower."
The five people raised their auras, not happy with Yasenia’s words. However, Yasenia was not one to be intimidated. Her presence ballooned and then exploded outward like a wave of pure pressure, enveloping everyone present. "Don’t misunderstand my willingness to cooperate with weakness, elders. If it comes to a fight, who will win between us is not certain."
The six people opposing Yasenia widened their eyes, feeling as if a primordial predator had locked onto them.
The granduncle became serious. ’She is not simple...’
"Alright. Let’s talk."