Page 1202 of Heaven, Earth, Me

When Yasenia returned, she flopped on one of the couches in her personal room and sighed deeply. "Finally... Everything is on track. I can't do much more, since my personal strength is barely anything in the grand scheme of things."

After dealing with everything, Yasenia could understand why all the previous participants failed. Regardless of whether they had Mortal or Transcendental strength, the Empire's top forces will be extremely powerful in comparison. Therefore, it was impossible to brute force this trial. By the time those people understood that their strength was useless, the [True Abyss] might've manifested. Then, they would need to do everything Yasenia did during those many months to gain the top power's trust to explain the threat of the [True Abyss] and make everyone take it seriously.

Sadly, by that time, Yasenia could see how the [True Abyss] might've consumed a large amount of resources from half-assed attempts at destroying them.

Yasenia, being a mortal, understood that her influence must manifest not in terms of raw power, but political power. Hence, she climbed the social ladder as high as she could and used that identity as a shield to push everyone to move as she pleased. Even then, she almost failed at the very last instant. If she had not been able to suppress everyone through her personal auras, things could've turned for the worse very quickly.

"Now, though, everyone has finally realized the threat of the [True Abyss]. I am glad... I just hope not many people fall victim to it."

As she glanced at the ceiling in a daze, she felt someone sitting by her side on the sofa. Then, a pair of gentle hands moved her head and placed it on a pair of comfortable and soft thighs. Yasenia's golden eyes shifted past the voluminous mountains blocking most of her sight. "Mother...? Is everything okay?"

Empress Long caressed Yasenia's scalp and smiled softly. She didn't answer straight away, glancing at Yasenia for a few moments. After a while, she asked. "Yasenia... Did you come to our country because you knew that this calamity would befall all of us?"

Yasenia looked at her with a smile. "Perhaps." She didn't answer with a lie. Instead, she let it be ambiguous. Then, she chuckled. "Still, I've done many things I wasn't planning to do."

Empress Long's violet eyes shone with mischievousness and joy. "Oh~? For example?"

Yasenia chuckled. "What else? Do you need me to say it outright?"

Empress Long didn't speak. Instead, she slowly leaned down and kissed her forehead. Then, she asked softly. "... Are you going to leave?"

This time, Yasenia didn't answer straight away, her gaze thoughtful. "I... won't leave. I will stay here with Mother and the rest. Once the [True Abyss] problem is solved, I will become a free-loading concubine, so please don't hate me~."

Empress Long sighed secretly in relief and then laughed. "I won't hate you. Don't worry."

Yasenia heard her sigh of relief and blinked thoughtfully. 'She has truly fallen for me... Such a strange thing. Empress Long doesn't come off to me as a loose woman.' She didn't dwell on that much, though. Whatever happened after she left was not of her concern. She just needed to keep up an act until the very end.

'I wonder, will I ever hear the voice of the Long Ancestor in this trial? What if the [True Abyss] is not the true objective? Other than the Abyss, becoming the Queen and leading the Empire to eternal benefits can also be an objective. Defeating all surrounding empires might be another one, and the [True Abyss] nothing but a tool for it. There are so many possibilities and results that can be linked with my current situation that it's starting to hurt my head a bit.'

As she rambled in her head, a finger gently poked her cheek, taking back her attention. The woman spoke slowly while caressing her scalp with her nails and soft fingertips and patting her belly with the other hand. "If you are confused as to why I betrayed the King, there is no reason at all. At first, I just wanted to tease you and see if your reactions were good enough to be with my Son. As I interacted with you, my feelings changed from curiosity to possessiveness. Each time I see you smile at him, I feel a pang of jealousy. To be honest, Yasenia, I've imagined both of us in bed, rolling and hugging together while sharing everything."

Yasenia looked at her with a smile. "But you have not done it."

Empress Long nodded with a smile. "Yes. Because my Husband doesn't deserve a betrayal to that extent. Since he has a harem, playing a bit with you wouldn't bother him even if he discovers it. However, that last step..."

"I know." Yasenia interrupted her. Her face showed kindness. "I understand. There is no need to explain yourself. I am glad to be by Mother's side. I just hope that Mother will continue to love me for the rest of my life. Nothing more, nothing less."

Empress Long looked at Yasenia and used her hands to hold her up. Then, she lowered her head and kissed Yasenia's lips. Her violet eyes were misty as she exchanged a deep kiss with Yasenia. After that, she smiled softly. "I am glad you understand. Sorry for not being able to satisfy you properly. But my love for the Emperor has not disappeared. I am... a greedy woman."

"If you weren't a greedy woman, would you be the Empress of the strongest Empire?"

Empress Long burst into laughter. "I guess you are right." Then, she traced Yasenia's soft lips with her finger. "I guess I am just greedy for you. If I could, I would make you my concubine~."

Yasenia laughed with her. "Such an honor~. Sadly, Your Majesty, I am your son's concubine. It seems that I can't be claimed by your esteemed self~."

"Lies~." Empress Long licked her neck and nibbled it. "You are already mine~."

Yasenia chuckled at the tickling feeling. "You really don't leave your son a little bit of face, eh?"

Empress Long blushed and stopped her actions. "I am a bad mother."

Yasenia looked at her, amused. Internally, she was thinking about whether this woman was like this whenever she existed. 'Are the people that appear in this trial real? Or are they imaginary people invented by the creator of the trials? They feel too real to be invented beings, though. He probably used a trace of their true selves to rebuild their souls enough so that a trial could create such a world.'

"Only now do you realize? It's too late, my Empress. You should be a bit more perceptive."

Empress Long grabbed Yasenia's breast tightly. "You dare tease this Empress~? I guess I should punish you."

Her face suddenly changed, and she let Yasenia go, tidying both of them up in less than a second. Yasenia blinked twice and then saw the door opening widely. "Wife, Mother, you were here?"

Empress Long, seated opposite Yasenia, took a sip from a cup of tea that had appeared at some point. "Visiting Yasenia at this hour... Son, you weren't thinking of going against Mother's wishes, right? I told you that you can't touch my daughter-in-law until she becomes a Mythical Core Beast Realm dragon!"

The Crown Prince sat by Yasenia's side and rolled his eyes. "I know. If Yasenia keeps her body pure beyond that realm, the benefits for both of us will be high when we do it for the first time." He continued. "Still, I wasn't here for that. I come with good news!"

Yasenia leaned on his shoulder and asked, curious. "Good news? Which ones?"

The handsome man smiled. "You've been granted the honor to enter the [Blood Pond] until you break through. It seems that the war with the [True Abyss] will last for a while, so Father Emperor wanted to help you reach the sixth realm so that you can participate actively in the war efforts."

Seeing Empress Long's surprised expression, Yasenia blinked and asked, confused. "What is the [Blood Pond]?"

However, as she was asking, a voice that she had been wanting to hear suddenly appeared in her ears.

"All objectives completed! Reward: Bathe in the [Blood Pond] for an unlimited amount of time, or until you break through."

"You've dealt with the threat perfectly, and the [True Abyss] will be subjugated without heavy casualties. Additional Reward: [Blood Pond]."

Yasenia looked at it confused. 'Huh? Dealing with the [True Abyss] is the additional reward? Then, what was the main objective?'

"Main objective: Be acknowledged by Emperor Long before the [True Abyss] consumed the world."

"Additional Objective: Deal with the [True Abyss]."

Yasenia's face started twitching a lot. 'Wow...'

"Yasenia? Have you listened to what I said?"

The dragoness heard the Crown Prince calling her and blinked, confused. 'Does the trial not end until I receive the main reward? Then, I should keep up the act for a little while longer.'

The dragoness shook her head, embarrassed. "Sorry, Husband. I was distracted. Can you explain once more about the [Blood Pond]?"

The Crown Prince chuckled and patted Yasenia's head. "Silly girl. I can explain it again, of course. However, I need some motivation~."

Yasenia blinked and leaned forward, kissing his cheek. She smiled mischievously and asked. "Is that enough, Husband?"

"...Yes." Clearing his throat, he commented. "The [Blood Pond] was created millennia ago by one of our ancestors. That ancestor was a very powerful being, a creature beyond the Mythical Core Beast Realm. Feeling that we, his descendants, were somewhat lacking in terms of bloodline compared to him, he chose to sacrifice for the future of his children. He created a ritual and transformed his dragon body into a pond. This pond, using his entire existence as a source, is extremely nourishing to all dragons. Of course, being a limited resource, whoever bathes in it must be selected and acknowledged by the leader of our clan, in our case, my father."

Yasenia was surprised. 'That's a choice I didn't expect from a creature of such strength. Did he feel that he was reaching his peak strength and therefore use himself to boost the potential of his own lineage? It is a choice I am not sure I can replicate...'

For a being that decided on such a way, Yasenia had a great deal of respect. 'Sadly for him, the Blood Pond was trapped here instead of being with his descendants. And because there were no dragons nourished by it, the nine-clawed trails became an impossible thing to complete. Perhaps Ancestor Long lied to me when he told me that there were no people who overcame the trial.'

Yasenia thought deeply and understood. 'Ancestor Long knew that completing the trial only gave one person a chance to bathe in the [Blood Pond]. Therefore, he didn't tell me the method, hoping that the way I solved this trial would give a different reward. That bet of his has been successful, though. Now... Should I give him such a precious treasure?'

Honestly, Yasenia was very tempted to keep the [Blood Pond]. It was a resource that she could use for her dears, children, and maids. More often than not, a Seventh-Tier resource of this type was the foundation of many clans. 'Ugh... I shouldn't be too greedy. While it is a powerful treasure, at the pace I am growing, I'll probably be able to create something similar without sacrificing myself in the future.'

Yasenia pondered. 'Right, but that will be many thousands of years in the future... Until then, I could rely on the [Blood Pond].' She blinked and smirked. 'How about borrowing it? The Long family can wait a few thousand years more, no?'

Yasenia scratched her head. 'Ah... Let's think while bathing in that pond. The good quality "water" will help me clear my mind.'