Page 678 of Heaven, Earth, Me

After stepping through the portal toward the event, Yasenia entered an arena by herself.

It was different from the previous one. Instead of being circled by a dome, it was wide open. There were no stands, and the walls were very far away. The size of this place was enough for people at her level to fight comfortably and even go all out without fearing limited space.

The floor was smooth and brown, and the edges of the enormous field were bright red. 'Does something happen if I step outside those borders?'

The man's low and attractive voice reached her ears from everywhere. "Welcome to the third event. This is an event to give a chance to those who fell behind. People who are ranked 50 paces below can challenge those above. For example, someone ranked 120th can rank those ranked 70th and above, or someone ranked 550th can challenge anybody ranked 500th and above."

Yasenia pondered. 'So, if you are ranked in the top fifty, you can't challenge anybody? Well, it makes sense since the top fifty are all "winners" by the rules.'

"All the cultivators have three tickets of challenge. They can use it anytime and present an unavoidable challenge."

The dragoness nodded. 'The top will now be clawed by those below, trying to bring them down so they can rise above them.' Her lips arched. 'Interesting~.'

Then, what happened if they won or lost was explained.

"If the challenger wins, they will steal 10% of the points they win. Instead, if the challenger overcomes more than 200 ranks of difference, they will receive thirty percent of the points from those they defeated. This thirty percent won't affect the person who lost the battle. Extra points will be generated and added to them."

Yasenia blinked and muttered. "So, if someone defeats me by more than 200 ranks, instead of stealing 10% of my points, they will receive thirty percent of what I win. But I will continue earning my points normally. Is this a chance for those who are good against cultivators but are not as strong against hordes of beasts?"

With amusement in her eyes, the dragoness muttered. "Defeating someone close to you will pull down that person while you climb higher, but defeating someone much above is like grabbing a flying creature and being elevated with them. Once close enough to snipe those at a higher place, they can use other chances to steal points and pull others down in order to rank even higher and reach the top fifty."

The dragoness smirked. "Moreover, since it is about points won and not earned, using them as soon as possible is the best. Therefore, most challenges will be solved now. I remember the list, and those in the ranks between 200 and 300 had about 40% fewer points than me.

"

The man's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Moreover..."

Yasenia blinked. 'Oh, he wasn't done yet?'

"... If you use the challenge tickets on the final round, you can bet points with the person you challenged forcefully. You can challenge anyone above your rank. There is a maximum betting points allowed."

The dragoness titled her head. 'Why...? Ah! This is for us, the leading cultivators. A person might overcome us after challenging three people below and winning, making their points soar, so us who had no chance will be able to fight those people that overcome us in the end, regaining our position.'

Yasenia's heart thumped, and her lips arched while a laugh escaped her mouth. 'This has become interesting. Now, I can lose against people weaker than me if I don't use these tickets cleverly.'

"Finally, [Challenge Tickets] can only be used when all cultivators have overcome the ten waves. Once challenged, a cultivator has an hour to rest where they can't be challenged again."

The dragoness nodded. 'So, they can challenge on the round we are at, and the future waves 40 and 50.'

"Challenges start now. There is a new function added to the [Ranking List]."

Then, Yasenia was transported back to her room. First, the dragoness listed the conditions in her head.

1.- Win against someone 200 ranks or more above you, gain 30% of their gains.

2.- Win against someone between 199 and 50 who ranks above you and steal 10% of their gains.

3.- If you challenge in round 50, betting is possible with limits. Moreover, you can challenge anyone as long as the person you challenge is above you.

4.- You only have three [Challenge Tickets].

The dragoness titled her head. 'He didn't say what happened if they lost. Are they risk-free?'

Looking around the room, Yasenia realized the Beast Wave Portals were missing. 'I see, there is a time frame created so that we can't rush to a wave and avoid being challenged.'

Knowing that, her eyes moved toward the list, and there was an added text on the side of the list.

1.- Tatyana Dravory, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (High-level Ethereal Soul)

2.- Yasenia Dravory, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (High-level Ethereal Soul)

3.- Yu Lei, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (Low-level Epoch Core)

4.- Sarah, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (High-level Ethereal Soul)

5.- Cecile Dravory, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (High-level Ethereal Soul)

6.- Qiao Mei Lan, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (Low-level Epoch Core)

7.- Liu Jian, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (Low-level Epoch Core)

8.- Chen Yanli, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (Low-level Epoch Core)

9.- Lin Wuying, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (Low-level Epoch Core)

...

The dragoness's eyebrows rose with surprise, and then she laughed. "Doesn't this create a big target on my back? Hahaha."

Yasenia was curious about something. 'It can't tell that I practice Spiritual Cultivation. This is interesting. Did the person who created this not know about Spiritual Cultivation?'

Other than the cultivation levels added, you could see a timer above with a text at the side that said. "Time left until [Beast Portals] reappear. 17,987."

With a quick calculation, the dragoness knew that there were about five hours left.

Then, a message appeared beside Tatyana's name.

1.- Tatyana Dravory, 185,200 points. 30th wave. (High-level Ethereal Soul) [Dueling against Rank 879].

The dragoness moved the list to look at who was at that rank and saw an unexpected person with a Low-level Epoch Core cultivation. 'Speaking of which... Is Feathra, that annoying harpy, still around?'

Quickly scanning the name list, the dragoness didn't see her. 'Well, I crippled her, so she probably surrendered or was killed by beasts.'

A few seconds later, that name changed colors from white to red, with an extra message at the side.

879.- Li Luan, 125,800 Points. 30th wave. (Low-Level Epoch Core] [Killed by Tatyana Dravory].

Yasenia's mouth opened, and then she burst into laughter. 'So, we can kill each other~. So fun!'

She scrolled to the bottom and saw something she couldn't see before; all the people eliminated were there with red names.

For example:

2154.- Oralia, 59,588 Points. 24th Wave. (High-level Spiritual King) [Killed By Beast Wave].

Searching through the names, Yasenia found what she wanted.

2935.- Feathra, 11,000 Points. 10h Wave. [Surrender].

'I see. She escaped alive, even with those heavy injuries. Did the healing fountain help her? Well, whatever. It's not my problem. If someone like that can create waves strong enough to affect me under Tengliu's supervision, it would be quite a disappointment.'

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and her body appeared in the arena where she stood previously.

The dragoness blinked and saw a message appear in front of her eyes.

[You've been challenged by rank 76, Xiang Yinnu.]

She looked up and saw a petite woman as beautiful as a doll. Her face had a bright smile, and her big, deep black eyes and dark hair complimented the beautiful blue scales going around her neck.

The dragoness's lips arched a bit. 'So cute~. I want to pet her.'

Xiang Yinnu spoke with a clear and beautiful voice. "Hello, Yasenia. I'm sorry, but I'll have to do some damage to you. It's a shame because you have such a pretty body."

The dragoness squinted, feeling the gaze of the woman a bit strange. "It's a shame because I'm pretty?"

The woman laughed innocently. "Yes! After all, when you become my puppet, I'll have to repair you like this~."

Something appeared besides that woman.

At first glance, the woman who appeared looked like an ordinary dog beast human. However, the lifeless eyes and strange sutures around the articulations told Yasenia a different story.

Something clicked in Yasenia's head. "Oh. You are the Devil's Doll? One of the most talented Puppet Cultivators from the [Nine Devil Puppet Sect]."

The woman smiled widely, but even with a beautiful and bright face, there was an underlying darkness. "I'm so glad my next puppet knows me! We'll play a lot later, okay? Since I first saw you, I couldn't help but want you. You are the prettiest materials I've ever seen! I bet that sleeping while hugging you will be the best."

Yasenia smiled. "You like to speak quite a bit."

Xiang Yinnu nodded. "Yes, can you surrender, pretty please? I really don't want to damage you."

The dragoness was curious. "You've seen my strength, and you still think I'm not your match? From your points, I can see that you didn't manage to reach the top 50 in the previous event."

Xiang Yinnu titled her head. "Of course, I didn't want to damage my beautiful toys."

With a nod, the dragoness spoke. "You are completely crazy. That's very nice. You remind me of Mom a little bit. Because of that, I'll give you a chance to surrender before I kill you, even though I know you won't take it."

Xiang Yinnu was confused. "Kill me? Silly Yasenia, I'm by far the strongest person participating. My dolls can recreate the strengths from when they were alive, and look here!"

She summoned a tall female dragon human with a deep aura around her.

Yasenia muttered. "Middle-level Epoch Core."

Yinnu laughed. "That's right! You can't win~. So, come here and surrender quickly. I promise I'll make you the best puppet ever."

'Now, she will probably feel fear and come obediently, right? So nice!'

But Xiang Yinnu's smile became filled with bewilderment because instead of the despair she had expected, she could see Yasenia's lips uncontrollably arching upward.

Her sharp senses could also feel the heart rate of the dragon woman increasing, not because of fear, and those two golden orbs slowly gaining a beautiful glow as energy swirled around the dragoness's figure.

A question Xiang Yinnu didn't understand came from the alluring and seductive dragon woman. "How many of those do you have?"

"Huh?"

The incomprehensible woman asked again, confusing her more. "How many middle-level Epoch Core Puppets do you have?"

Xiang Yinnu frowned. "Do you really think you can win if I only have one?"

With a wave of her hand, four extra puppets, all in the low-level Epoch Core, appeared around Xiang Yinnu.

With this, there were five low-level Epoch Core Puppets, one Middle-level Epoch Core Puppet, and Xiang Yinnu herself standing in front of Yasenia.

"See this? You can't win, so surrender quickly!"

However, the only response she received was the dragoness's licking her lips seductively and laughing while extending her arm and summoning a bluish, scaly giant broadsword with a beautiful red core near the hilt that was as tall as Yasenia.

"Xiang Yinnu, I hope you don't disappoint me..."

Then, the entire arena darkened as a phantom night sky swallowed the open roof, and a giant Sun, Moon, and countless stars in a galaxy-like spiral illuminated the world around them.

It was her innate skill, [Empyrean Galaxy Domain], unfolding.

Xiang Yinnu's smiling expression froze when the aura of her opponent suddenly ballooned to the point that she looked like a different creature. 'W-What?'

Those glowing golden eyes with thinned vertical pupils looked like a predator looking at succulent prey.

"... Because I'm starving~."

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