Page 1095 of Heaven, Earth, Me

"Here we are."

Yasenia looked up and saw the deep mist separating the mountain's middle part from the top. There were two mist or cloud ceilings when climbing the Moon Swallowing Mountain. The first one is where Fylia roamed previously and where the Moon Goddess' trial was located. The second one was much higher at a point where finding peak-strength mortal beasts was basically the norm.

Thanks to their techniques and treasures, climbing up this mountain unseen until this point was easy. Their problems would start beyond this point. The girls slowly advanced and crossed the mist, reaching beyond it in a few minutes.

Once they did so, what they saw was stunning. Above them, there was a cloudless sky. However, even without visible clouds, there was constant snow falling around them. The temperature was as you would expect, freezing enough that even Cecile felt a touch of cold.

Vairon spoke with a frown. "This place is so… annoying."

Andrea glanced at the tall and muscular man with a raised eyebrow. "Are you scared?"

Vairon rolled his deep green reptilian eyes. "Master, do you have hearing problems? If you do, this Vairon can speak by writing in the air with energy."

Andrea chuckled and shook her head. "No need to." Then, she asked curiously. "Being serious. What do you find annoying?"

Vairon hummed and rubbed his beardless chin. "This entire place has unnaturally low amounts of Yang energy. I understand that this place is an Extreme Yin environment. However, even those environments have a certain layer of Yang energy. Still, here there is such thick Yin energy that even air is turning into snow."

The girls paused and looked around them, extending their hands to catch a few of the snowflakes. Looking at them, they realized that their shapes were not the usual water-derived snowflakes. Evelyn took a deep breath, and her face crumpled. "Ugh… The air is so thin. Breathing deeply feels like trying to breathe underwater."

"Isn't the landscape interesting?"

Hearing Cecile's words, the girls followed her gaze and noticed the chain of peaks in front of them. Unlike a single-peak mountain, the Moon Swallowing Mountain had five peaks. The tallest one was in the middle, but those around them could not be considered short.

Yasenia sniffed the air and muttered. "The scent of that treasure I discovered is too faint… I can't really tell in which of those peaks it is. What do we… do… Wow."

Yasenia stopped speaking when a massive creature flew from one of the peaks. It was a white-feathered owl-like bird. The size of the beast was gargantuan, and even from such a faraway distance, the girls could feel the sheer pressure of the being.

Angel muttered. "Sixth Realm… That's a Mythical Core Beast."

Mirrory added, her tone cautious. "From its aura, I am sure that owl has an Intent Domain."

While the girls looked at the beast, Yasenia suddenly exclaimed. "Ah… I know where the scent is coming from."

The girls felt their stomach's flipping and expected the worst. Confirming their fears, their dragoness pointed at the peak that the owl flew out of. "There. The wind carried by that owl has traces of the treasure."

Evelyn smiled and patted Yasenai's shoulder. "Such a shame, eh? Well, there are times when one can't get everything! Ah, yes. Such a shame. Let's return!"

Evelyn confidently turned around. However, her dragoness latched her tail around her waist and lifted her, planting her feet right by her side. Evelyn blinked twice and looked at Yasenia's face. The dragoness was smiling. "My Dear is not giving up without trying, right?"

Evelyn's face spasmed. "Love…" She looked in the direction that owl disappeared and spoke. "...didn't you see that monster? That thing can probably sneeze and kill half of us." She stared deeply into Yasenia's eyes and begged. "Please, reconsider!"

Yasenia crossed her arms and hummed, looking toward the second-tallest peak. "Hm… Didn't that owl just leave? We should be able to go up and take the treasures before the owl returns, right?"

Evelyn looked at the rest of the girls and pointed at Yasenia. "Please, help me make her see reason! We can return here once we achieve the sixth realm, but now, we are just dead if that owl wants to have a snack!"

Kali laughed softly. "First time I see you react this way, Evelyn. What's wrong? Are you really afraid?"

"I am!" Evelyn blurted, her tone serious. "The Moon Goddess had us looking like harmless puppies as a Soul Strand with an Intent Domain! That thing is a Mythical Core Realm Beast!" Ｒ?Ν?????

The girls understood Evelyn's concerns. If that beast discovered them and they really had nowhere to run, they would be truly dead. However, their stealth was very high-level when they used their treasures and techniques. Valeria's summon, [Ethereal Blossom], was especially powerful stealth-wise.

Vairon looked at Evelyn and commented, his tone reassuring. "Evelyn. My strength is at the Sixth Realm. While I have no Intent Domain, I can trade blows with that owl for a while if I want to."

Fylia also reassured Evelyn. "I can as well. My strength is similar to Vairon's. Together, we can hold it back for several minutes."

Evelyn rubbed her forehead and looked at Tatyana and the other seniors. She wanted to make sure that these three were agreeable before she continued to protest. Valeria chuckled and answered softly. "We should be able to do it."

Tatyana nodded. "If not, we have many life-saving treasures. Use a few and escape with our lives. I think that treasure is worth it."

Mirrory similarly agreed. "Your worries are completely normal, don't worry. It's just that the people you are with have a few screws loose."

Evelyn sighed, giving up on convincing the girls otherwise. Her face was suddenly surrounded by two warm and large soft mountains. Then, she felt a hand gently caressing her back, easing her increasing nerves. "Don't worry, Dear. The second I feel that things get too dangerous, we turn around and flee. One chance, and if we screw it up, we leave. How about it?"

The words soothed Evelyn. So, she separated her face and looked up, asking an important question. "How are your tits still warm in this weather?"

Yasenia burst into laughter, squeezing her Dear in her arms with a tight hug. "Ah~. You are so cute! I love you." Looking down at the crown of Evelyn's head, Yasenia chuckled. "Also, don't feel bad for what you said. You are the one that's right. If I didn't want this treasure quite badly for Cecile, I would not risk it."

Cecile blinked twice. "For me?"

The dragoness nodded twice. "Indeed. Now that we are closer, I can feel a sensation similar to a Natural Treasure coming from it. This one is probably also related to Moon, one of the rarest types of Natural Treasures."

This time, even the seniors became interested. Tatyana asked, curious. "How can you feel it that surely? You sound confident."

A petite and adorable spirit with golden and silver hair appeared by Yasenia's side. Her gorgeous deep blue eyes were adorned by two exotic pupils in the form of a Moon and Sun. "I told her!"

Soluna's reverberating voice spread, making the others realize why Yasenia was so eager and determined. Cecile was the only one between them who lacked a Natural Treasure. Well, Angel lacked one as well. However, Mirrory was such a powerful treasure by itself that they doubted a Natural Treasure would help that much.

Of course, they might be wrong.

The path toward the second-highest peak was not straightforward. There were several hills, mountain ravines, and even zones full of tall, snowy rocks as if they were a stone forest. Climbing what was left of the mountain to reach the second-highest peak would not be easy, less so with the constant threat of Sixth Realm monsters.

With that in mind, Yasenia and the others wore long hooded cloaks. Evelyn had created these cloaks in the past, and they helped hide their presence and meld it with the surroundings. They were a gorgeous white and golden color, but they could change depending on the surroundings, improving the camouflage.

Evelyn grabbed the cape and looked at it. "I hope they work as I intended…"

Tatyana patted her head and smiled. "Be confident. The [Chameleon Cloaks] are excellent treasures."

Their group started the climb, their bodies quickly gliding over the snow to avoid leaving marks. While freely flying was almost impossible due to the aura of the mountain, the low-height flight was perfectly possible. Soon, they reached a ravine and entered it. It was interesting that there was a lack of snow in this ravine, and around them, the girls could see the occasional trails left by large and small creatures.

Their spiritual sense, while constricted by the aura of the mountain, could at least help checking their nearby surroundings. Andrea sighed, impressed. "These extreme areas suppress a cultivator's strength to levels that I find impressive. It's really remarkable. Which area is the most dangerous in this regard that you have encountered in the past, Tatyana?"

Tatyana answered without letting her guard down. "Probably the place where I got my inheritance. That place had only Death energy. So, even as someone with Death Energy affinity, each day I was there shaved off around a month of my lifespan."

Yasenia asked, curious. "How many years of lifespan did you lose at that time?"

"Hm…" Tatyana tilted her head. "Around five thousand years? I was at the Dantian Spiritualization Realm, so I didn't feel it as much. However, I remember seeing a few white hairs on my temples when I left that place."

Yasenia's mind spun, and she asked, surprised. "You were inside that place for one hundred and sixty years?"

Tatyana chuckled. "Indeed. Somewhere around there. Earning my inheritance was really difficult." She smirked. "It was worth it in the end, though."

Angel muttered. "Divine Lich Empress… Who was that person?"

"The strongest Death Law user of her era," Mirrory spoke and added. "She was basically the God of all Death Gods when she was alive. Eventually, though, she was killed by someone. Who, How, and Why is unknown."

Andrea clicked her tongue. "God of Gods… That sounds badass. Would that make her a God Queen?"

"Empress." Tatyana smiled. "She was the Divine Lich Empress."

Suddenly, Vairon, Fylia, Tatyana, Valeria, Mirrory, and Yasenia spoke up. "Wait. Danger."

Those two words instantly turned everyone serious as their perceptions stretched to the limits. The ravine they were in was very tall, with walls of rocks going up in an arch that left a small slit above them where the light shone through, and some snowflakes gently floated down.

However, the temperature inside the ravine was slightly higher than outside, melting the snowflakes. That was the reason there was no snow here.

As the group looked around, they suddenly felt the ground tremble. Then, a shadow hid the light above them. Looking up, a massive beast could be seen gazing down through the ravine, its reptilian eye looking straight at them.

Yasenia and the group didn't move, their hearts tensing under the pressure of the beast's gaze. They were covered in the [Chameleon Cloaks], which had changed to a brown color similar to their surroundings. Hence, they were hoping that the beast didn't see them.

The massive creature above them sniffed around, the sound of its breathing clear to the girl's ears. The girls tensed, feeling that they would be busted. However, the dragoness was quick and took out one of the scent-absorbing pearls, using it under her body.

The air in the surroundings gently flowed toward the activating pearl, avoiding any of their scents from going up. Everyone else couldn't help but internally praise her. Evelyn especially. 'I am going to give your pillar so much love later!'

Five minutes later, the beast stopped looking into the ravine and moved on, its steps making the ground gently tremble until it was far away. Evelyn cursed under her breath, her forehead dripping with sweat. "Fuck this place."