"Excuse this old dragon, but we followed these young talents because of their bloodline level. Lady Laurina is the future of our dragon race. And I don't want to be disrespectful, but could you show us your qualifications?"

After the old dragon asked this question, the five heirs frowned and looked at him with cold eyes. 

Yasenia's lips arched as she approached, energy gathering around her. 

"Sure, let me show you."

Of the five heirs, Laurina was the one who took it the worst. These words were similar to an insult for a dragon who took sincerity very seriously. 

It was known throughout the universe that dragons rarely lied too blatantly. Naturally, cunningness was a trait, but most of the time, a dragon was proud enough to consider lying a sign of weakness. 

Not to mention, promises were only made by dragons when they were serious. 

Even Yasenia, an exception in her race regarding many traits, took her promises seriously. 

When Laurina was about to lash out, Yasenia's hand landed on her shoulder. The Nature Dragoness turned her head and saw Yasenia smiling. "Don't worry. It's understandable for them to ask."

Laurina snorted, but she obediently walked behind Yasenia. "Do not show them mercy. If they have problems because of your aura, they do not deserve to follow you." 

The old dragon clearly heard Laurina and became a bit nervous. He communicated with the other older beasts that agreed to test Yasenia. 'Let's actively block her aura, just in case.'

An old brown female phoenix frowned. 'She looks quite young. Even little Sirae can't affect the young beasts that much with her aura.'

A senior tiger kin commented. 'If even that Razar followed her, she must be exceptional. Let's defend, just in case.'

The others agreed, and this small conversation is what saved their 12,000 number from shrinking a bit.

As energy gathered toward our Celestial Dragoness, Yasenia flew in front of the army of beasts. Although she didn't mind them asking, doing so in front of her sect instead of in a secret location was not something Yasenia appreciated.

Of course, it might have been that these beasts didn't take it into account, but if it weren't because the maids were beside her, this would be a complicated situation for herself.

If she agreed, she would've revealed her cultivation and her bloodline strength to the public.

If she disagreed, this would mean she had something to hide, and other powers might become curious. 

'I'm probably overthinking it, but I don't like it. It's been a while since I let loose without limits, right?'

Yasenia's lips arched in a cold smile. "Since you insist, I don't mind showing off a little bit." 

Yasenia looked around, her voice booming to every living being in a radius of tens of kilometers. "You all in hiding should also realize that the only reason you are not dead yet when moving around like filthy rats to investigate me is because I don't feel like killing you. However, that has changed today."

Yasenia's cold voice carried a wave of heavy killing intent, making everyone feel a shiver up their spine. "I don't want to have trash trying to look into my business, so you can start to run now, or you can stay here forever."

Yasenia looked at the beasts, and the energy around her ballooned, twisting the air and making the density of her surroundings increase.

"Now I ask all beasts to kneel before my blood." 

Her voice shook the air around her, and behind her, the energy slowly took shape.

"[Empyrean Regal Dragon Aura]."

A wave of aura swallowed the 12,000 beasts, making them hold their breath.

"[Monarch Intent Level Two]."

All the beasts that became agitated felt like a hammer hit their brain, making them feel dizzy and release all their rebelling thoughts. 

"[War Intent Level One]."

The presence of the Celestial Dragoness was filled with an ocean of murderous intentions, making the seniors resisting the heavy presence feel their hearts trembling. 

"[Celestial Intent Level One]."

Above Yasenia, the image of a small galactic blue star appeared, and everyone except those protected by the maids, Tatyana, Valeria, and Mirrory, and those in the Epoch Core Body realm felt their upper bodies being pressed down by a mountain-like aura, slamming them downwards with a resonant bang.

The beast seniors looked at the beasts kissing the ground with wide eyes. 

But Yasenia wasn't done yet. 

"[Bloodline: Progenitor Queen, Empyrean Cosmos Dragon]."

The image behind Yasenia took shape into her dragon form and silently roared to the heavens while spreading its majestic wings as her soul and bloodline pressure mixed with every other aura, increasing them another notch.

By now, the seniors were barely maintaining the defenses they deployed, and their eyes were filled with soul-deep fear. 

The weakest Epoch Core seniors even felt their shoulders slump under the overwhelming pressure. 

"[Constitution: Yin and Yang Celestial Body]."

Finally, the extremely high-quality constitution appeared, reinforcing every event while creating an ethereal cosmic balance between all forces.

Yasenia's long black hair fluttered wildly with her elegant dress, and her draconic eyes shone with golden radiance while she looked down at the 12,000 kneeling beasts with an indifferent expression. 

She asked. "Is this enough to acknowledge me?"

Her ethereal voice imitated the voice when she was in her dragon form, ethereal and having an echo and otherworldly sound that appeared to permeate into the surroundings. 

Even our girls were wide-eyed, not expecting that all of Yasenia's auras combined into one could create such an effect.

The dragon that was scared of Epoch Core people didn't exist anymore, and the people watching felt that the only people who could rival this dragon were the top forces of the continent. 

The old dragon felt his heart thumping with fear, thinking that he had offended the being that felt like a primordial beast, and even if he was in the middle levels of the fifth realm, he slammed his head onto the ground and hastily answered. "Yes! This old man was foolish! Our Queen, this old man will receive your wrath without complaints! With you at the helm, my dragon race will finally flourish again, so if my life is enough to appease your eminence's anger, I have no complaints!"

Yasenia stopped the pressure, and everything melted within heaven and earth as if it didn't happen. 

She smiled as she stated, her voice devoid of indifference and flowing like a mellow and soothing alluring melody. "No need, elder. All of you stand up. It is normal to ask for confirmation when you are about to follow someone you don't know. However, next time, ask it in a private setting. I'm not fond of revealing myself like I just did. Either way, welcome to the Astral Sky Sect."

The elderly dragon lifted his head. "I'm honored, Lady Yasenia! This old one is named Ignirean and will follow Lady Yasenia until he breathes his last." 

Yasenia nodded. "Then, Ignirean, guide your beasts inside to be tested. Those who pass will be able to enter our sect. Those who don't will have to live on the outskirts or go elsewhere. I do accept all kinds of races in my sect, but there must be a minimum requirement even if you come from a power made by my friends-"

"HA!?"

Yasenia blinked and turned around, confused at the male shout of utter disbelief. 

Razar was looking at one place with a flabbergasted expression, and when the other four beast heirs followed his gaze, they all froze as their eyes widened.

Right after, everyone saw the five kneel down and state. "We salute the Death Empress!" 

Confused looks were thrown in their direction, not understanding to whom they were kneeling. 

Yasenia's lips twitched. 'I thought they already saw her and was wondering about their lack of reaction.'

Tatyana smiled and waved her hand, pushing them straight with her aura. "No need for that, children. Welcome to my little treasure's power. Let's continue speaking inside. We've delayed it enough."

Yasenia agreed, and they walked toward the sect through the large forest.

The wild beasts didn't approach because of the aura of the large group, so there weren't any problems.

Remember that the gathering place where the tests were conducted happened a few hundred kilometers away from the sect, in a town Yasenia built specially for it.

Basic infrastructures and a basic layout to expand it were in place, with Hanna, the harpy who managed the auction house connections, and Carbira maintaining it with other Astral Sky Clan members. 

Hanna acted as the mayor and Carbira as the treasurer. 

Carbira eventually let go of the death and destruction of her power and asked Yasenia to get back to work. So, Yasenia gave her the treasurer position of the Astral Sky City.

A few of Yasenia's acquaintances moved their headquarters to Astral Sky City, like Jorey and a few others she had met during the last four years. 

About a tenth of the Astral Sky Clan was deployed there to manage the most essential parts.

After the tests, these were the numbers that joined. First, 1,000 mortal beasts, then 2,000 outer disciples, 650 outer sect elders, 450 inner sect disciples, 150 inner sect elders, 50 Core disciples, 20 core elders, 10 Sky elders, and 3 Astral Elders. 

For those curious, this made a total of 1,700 mortals, 10,000 outer disciples, 1,350 outer sect elders, 4,000 inner disciples, 900 inner sect elders, 1,100 core disciples, 350 core sect elders, 60 Sky Elders, 22 Astral Elders, and 7 Supreme Elders.

There were 19,500 people in Yasenia's sect now after adding 4,300 beasts and without counting the 1,500 humans. 

The other 8,000 beasts were eventually moved to the mountain range Yasenia recommended. 

Meanwhile, the spies outside that didn't run when Yasenia asked to couldn't help it and sighed in relief after the dragoness didn't hunt them down.

But this relief was short-lived.

When Yasenia entered the Sect's formation and was safe, the fifty maids wearing elegant and flowy white dresses disappeared and returned to Astral Sky City.

Alaia, the personal maid's leader, spoke with a cold voice that resonated through the Astral Sky City and its surroundings. 

"Our Young Miss warned you, and you didn't listen to her threat. Now, you all filthy rats dwelling in my dearest young miss's streets shall perish. Hunt them all down and capture all of them alive unless there is a threat of escape; Miss Kali and Lady Tatyana might want a few extra people to do their experiments." 

The forty-nine maids answered at once. "Yes, Head Maid!"

Alaia took out a disc with an intricate formation and spoke as she channeled her energy. "[Space Sealing Formation]."

The disc glowed, and the sky above the Astral Sky City darkened as an aura that made Yasenia's previous display look feeble spread around.

Then, the massive spiritual senses of the maids swallowed the city and its surroundings. 

The spies were stunned, and a few of the quickest ones tried to use their spatial rings to summon life-saving treasures. However, the spatial rings didn't work. 

The [Space Sealing Formation] was a peak-level Heaven-ranked formation that stopped all space-related treasures from functioning. 

Alaia was a yellow-scaled [Thunderous Serpent Dragon] with deep blue slit eyes. Then, her affinities were water and lightning, and her primary weapon was a spear.

She was a speed fighter with extreme control over momentum, using her water-related abilities to make her lightning attacks flow with perfect synchrony and increasing strength. 

The moment she moved, she instantly arrived at the house of a "family" of three. The two seniors and children were all spies from one of the top powers.

However, Alaia didn't care as her spear spun three times, hitting the back of their necks and making them faint.

She didn't stop and moved to the other side of the Astral Sky City in less than a second, intercepting a low-level Epoch Core cultivator.

With Alaia's Level Nine Dantian Spiritualization Realm Cultivation, a low-level Epoch Core cultivator was nothing.

BANG!

She landed on his back, creating a small crater as her strength control permitted most of her strength to remain in the body of the person she hit. 

Blood sprouted like a fountain from his mouth as the pain from his broken bones and organs made him faint.

Alaia's deep blue slit eyes didn't even look at him as she moved across the city like a flash of yellow lightning. 

The other forty-nine maids were not much slower. 

With their combined efforts, the more than four hundred spies hiding in the Astral Sky City were subdued in less than forty seconds. 

Flora, the one supervising everything, spoke. "Alaia, there are no threats left."

Alaia nodded and spun her spear once, storing it back in her ring. "The spies were not low level. Three hundred and ninety-three Ethereal Soul Body Cultivators, seventeen low-level Epoch Core cultivators, and two middle-level Epoch Core cultivators. How was the fighting power of the middle-level ones?"

A human maid in the fifth level of the Dantian Spiritualization Realm spoke. "Stronger than expected, Body Cultivation seems to be perfected for fighting. However, I could subdue her in less than ten moves. The skills of these people are very lacking even if their bodies are incomparably strong." 

Alaia nodded with a smile. "That's good news. We will be able to protect our young miss with our strength."

Selena laughed gently. "I was a bit worried since we left 250 maids back home, but it seems our strength is enough to pamper our young miss~." 

The other maids nodded with smiles. 

Leila said softly. "I'm quite curious about that woman's strength~."

The maids' eyes flashed coldly. Flora snorted. "Tengliu, was it? Although I really want to kill her, it seems that Young Miss doesn't desire her death."

Alaia nodded and rationalized. "Well, even if there was an intention, nothing really happened. Moreover, the bird has been very good to our young miss during the last four years and sincerely repented. Of course, the situation would be very different if we were there the day it happened. Furthermore, it seems that Young Miss wants to punish her personally."

Flora sighed. "I know. That's why I didn't complain and accepted Young Miss's orders. Lucky bird."

The other maids nodded and agreed. 

After that day, news spread about the joining of the army of beasts, making people look at Yasenia's sect as one of the strongest second-rated powers. 

The maids' existence was still a mystery, so people could not imagine that, not to mention second-rate, the Astral Sky Sect was one of the strongest powers in the Continent. 

The minimum to become a first-rate power was to have a high-level Epoch Core cultivator and another fifty Epoch Core cultivators, something Yasenia surpassed by far.