Heaven, Earth, Me

Similar to Cecile, everyone else took different items that were displayed and armed themselves with them. As Tatyana warned, Yasenia held back her greed and only chose a set of robes. Draconic Heart was a Transcendent Ranked sword, and its durability was well beyond that. Since Yasenia took it, she had never felt like Draheart was about to break.

Even then, Yasenia could still feel the sword's dissatisfaction with Yasenia, even comparing it to other greatswords in the room. Holding the giant broadsword, the dragoness coaxed it. "Okay, okay. I understand. I am sorry, Draheart. I just wanted to make sure that I found the strongest weapon. I can't joke around with what we are about to face, okay?"

Soluna giggled as she actually heard Draheart's words. "She is saying that she doesn't blame you but still feels uncomfortable." 

Yasenia looked at the Sun and Moon spirit and asked. "Say, Soluna. How is the pipa doing?" 

Soluna shrugged. "Your Celestial Energy Star swallowed it at some point. So… I don't know… digested?"

"Digested…" Yasenia's lips twitched. "I hope not. I really need it for my new technique…" 

Looking around the place, Yasenia saw how everyone had changed basically the entirety of their equipment for the new items. Only Evelyn and Angel still kept their shield and spear, which were of a similar rank to the treasures shown around here. "Is Sweetheart done, too?"

Looking upward, the dragoness had noticed that one of the robes in that corner had disappeared, probably taken by Cecile. "Ho~? So the items that Cecile takes also disappear for us."

"It looks like so. The bow over there has disappeared as well." 

Looking at where Evelyn pointed, the dragoness noticed the vacancy. "Well…" Yasenia asked aloud while checking on everyone. "Has everyone chosen their items?"

Everyone nodded at her, wearing new shiny and luxurious robes and weapons. Thanks to these items, their strength had gone to a completely new level. Treasures below Heaven-ranked gave an advantage, but it wasn't that large. That changed once you entered the immortal ranks.

A Transcendent Ranked Sword had enough strength in it to split worlds. Its power was enough that if a mortal realm cultivator could bring out all of its strength, facing a Transcendent Realm cultivator was not impossible. Defeating them was another matter, of course. 

Items on the Transcendent Treasure Rank and above were so difficult to find and create that most Sixth Realm cultivators wore peak-level Heaven-ranked items. Only people with connections to high-level masters could afford to get items of this level.

Andrea smiled, wearing a gorgeous piece of orange and black armor. "I feel as if I can take a hit from a meteor and feel nothing with this thing on me. It's incredible."

Ebirah, by her side, used her knuckles to hit it twice and muttered. "It honestly looks quite yummy, Andrea." The pink haired girl with her gorgeous lobster tail looked up and asked. "Can I eat it when I break through?"

Andrea's eyebrow trembled. She patted the girl's soft hair and smiled. "I'll find you a very powerful raw mineral somewhere, okay? This armor… Leave it for me to wear."

Yasenia looked at Ebirah's clothes and saw that she had changed as well. "Little Ebirah." 

Ebirah looked over and smiled. "Yes, Yasenia?"

Yasenia approached and pinched her cheeks with a smile. "You look very pretty. Also, remember that you shouldn't transform into your beast form, okay? You'll become the main target of the beast if you do so."

Ebirah looked at Yasenia with a gentle smile and laughed, her eyes curving into pretty crescents. "You always treat me like a child~. I've grown up, Yasenia!"

The dragoness raised her eyebrow. "Oh? I should treat you as if you are more mature from now on, then."

Ebirah almost bit her tongue as she answered. "N-No need." Ebirah nodded twice, crossing her arms. "I think that going that far is a bit too much! I was just making a comment! Yes, yes. It was just a comment; there is no need to change anything!"

Yasenia laughed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "That's great to hear." Then, looking sideways, she told Sierra. "The same goes for you. Even if you see me transform, don't try to follow and act heroic. I am very resilient in my dragon form, so I might have a chance."

Sierra crossed her arms and asked. "What if I feel that the beast is slow enough for me to dodge?" 

The dragoness pointed at the pristine white robes with fur on the neck, which Sierra was wearing. "Take into account the power boost you've received from wearing those. After that… Well, I still recommend you keep your human form, but I won't stop you."

Zephyrith, at the side, pinched Sierra's arm and said. "Don't transform. Yasenia is telling you because she knows that this fight will be close."

The dragoness smiled and looked at the maids. "You fifty will be our central defense. I want you to use your battle formations to keep the beast's primary attacks at bay. If you see an opportunity to attack, take it. However, remember that if you all fail to contain the beast, the rest of us have little to no chance of doing so. Even Mirrory, Valeria, and Tatyana together are not as strong as the fifty of you working together as we are right now."

The three seniors were strong. However, the gap had closed a lot now that everyone had unlocked their ninth-level intents. In terms of strength, Tatyana, Valeria, and Mirrory could probably face around ten of the strongest maids each. More than that, things would start getting complicated. Now that everyone was armed to the teeth with Sixth Realm equipment, those numbers had been gutted. 

The sounds of Yasenia's steps approaching the main gates were crisp and clear in the silent room. Everyone had prepared their weapons just in case the Beast would appear the second she opened the doors.

Cecile observed as Yasenia approached the door, and she similarly followed. Once there, both women placed their hands on each door and pushed them open, jumping backward simultaneously. 

Everyone tensed and looked toward the wide open doors, their eyes unblinking. As seconds and minutes passed, no one moved or made a sound.

Both Cecile and Yasenia constantly checked on the other person to see if they made any abrupt movements. Yasenia spoke quietly. "I feel nothing."

Everyone nodded once at her words, acknowledging her words and simultaneously telling her that they were all in the same situation. Two hours had passed since they opened the gates, so Yasenia started ordering everyone to move. 

Their group walked forward in formation. The fifty maids were at the front in an arc, with five of them at the back. Those at the back were specialized in healing arts. Meanwhile, the girls were between them, ready to strike at whatever came at them.

Once they reached the open doors, a spiky, grey tail suddenly lashed from the door at Selena. The lamia maid's slit pupils shrunk as she placed her shield in front of her.

BOOM!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Selena, the most powerful defensive maid, felt as if a carriage had run over her body, and her entire body flew backward like a meteor. Yasenia quickly shouted. "Back! Defend! Selena, status!"

As she shouted, a creature entered the room through the door at a terrifying speed. Everyone instantly made the link between the Spirit Beast's first form they found and this beast. 'Was it imitating it, or is the Spirit Beast the creature we have to defeat?'

The creature was an eight-legged, spider-like creature with ten eyes. Its body was deep black, and its eyes glowed with a menacing green light. Behind it, the beast had ten long, muscular, spiky tails. 

Alaia and another three maids stepped forward as it charged, activating their most powerful skills. Their bodies exploded with energy as they attacked it. However, the beast's tails swung at them, clashing in the middle.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Like bombs exploding, the four maids were sent sliding backward, their arms hurting terribly from the clash.

"GRAAHHH!"

The beast's aura exploded together with its cultivation realm. The creature's profound strength made everyone feel their hearts tensing. 'This will be complicated…'

It was a Sixth Realm creature. 

Sensing its strength, even the three seniors were serious this time around. 'Let's hope it doesn't have an Intent Domain. If it does…' 

Tatyana shouted. "Yasenia, prepare the talisman! If this beast has an Intent Domain, we can't defeat it!"

Yasenia took it out and placed it between her breasts. There, she could activate the talisman with just a thought by sending a pulse of energy to the location.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dimensions, Cecile was seeing the same beast. And, in her eyes, the beast was slightly different. 

While the shape was the same, its body was semi-transparent and had a core in the middle. This large core was pulsating with powerful energy and strength, intimidating Cecile. 

"It is attacking those on the other side. However, its aim is not them. It is me."

She could feel with extreme clarity that the beast's eyes were locked on her. Cecile readied her bow and charged her energy.

As she did so, the beast throatily roared at her and rushed forward. "RAHHH!"

Cecile was tense. However, she felt the presence of her dragoness move and basically reappear by the beast's side, attacking its side and making its body take a few steps to the side.

Yasenia had used her speed and one of her most potent techniques, [Celestial Dragon Breath], to try and injure it. However, in Yasenia's eyes, other than moving it, there were no signs of deep injury. Her face crumpled slightly. "How can it be so tough!?"

Cecile shot her arrows at that instant, and they flashed with spatial energies, crossing the distance between them and the core in barely an instant. Not expecting their spatial nature, the beast couldn't dodge and was struck right away.

"RAHHH!"

A low and reverberating scream of pain followed as the spiritual figure of the creature wiggled. Yasenia and the others were startled by the beast's delayed reaction to pain. Mirrory spoke at this time. "Cecile is the only one that can hurt the beast! Focus on keeping it tied down!"

Everyone had a look of understanding as they got to work. 

After being injured, the beast's body exploded with energy as it looked at everyone murderously with its ten glowing green eyes.