Chapter 849. The muddy waters begin to stir.

When Kali opened her eyes, a wave of life energy filled the surroundings as her presence became much more profound and mysterious. The fourth tail increased her affinity toward Life, Nature, and Wood energies while strengthening all her skills.

Moreover, she unveiled the innate skill of her fourth tail, known as [Nature Fox Fourth Tail: Transforming Life]. This skill revolutionized her summoning process. For those who don't remember, it went from Nascent Life to Blooming Life, then to Developing Life, and finally to Transforming Life.

The effects of the skill were profound, giving Kali the ability to continue developing her summons and give them specific qualities. For example, she could give a plant creature the ability to resist a particular element or the ability to throw projectiles. She could ingrain knowledge of how to swing weapons or even cut offensive power to create an ultra-defensive plant creature.

The catch was that she couldn't just add because the creatures needed a certain balance. However, if before her 100 Dryads were relatively more powerful than the group summoned by her innate skills, now they both had become similar. Plus, thanks to her fourth tail and her breakthrough, the Dryads were also strengthened since all her skills were enhanced.

Kali had yet to test her skills, so only she would know how they would evolve now that she was finally in the fifth realm.

Meanwhile, around the sect, people were curious about what was happening in the Tribulation Plaza. While there were formations in place to avoid prying eyes, everyone knew that if a place as important as that one was closed for so long, it was probably related to the Sect Master's family.

Rumors went around the sect, and people spoke about the event with curiosity and intrigue.

"Who do you think is breaking through?"

"It might be the Sect Master, wasn't she very close to it?"

"I think it's not possible. Sect Master was at the high level of the Ethereal Soul realm a while ago, right? No matter how monstrous she is, she should need more time."

A person asked, "But… They should be over there. What happens if we get attacked now? I heard that tensions are escalating, and we are on the verge of a major war."

An inner sect elder that was nearby answered calmly. "Don't worry. While our sect doesn't have numbers like other top powers, our top fighters don't lose to theirs in any way whatsoever. Remember the few million that came to attack with the Garuda Patriarch? What happened then?"

A woman who joined recenty and lived in quite a remote play asked with curiosity. "What happened? We were attacked the Garudas? Weren't they one of the top races?"

A senior brother smiled and said proudly. "You didn't know? Let me tell you. Those people thought that our Sect Master was a pushover because of her low cultivation base."

The woman blinked and asked. "Low? Is Sect Master middle-level Epoch Core?"

The senior brother burst into laughter. "Not at all, she is at the peak of the Ethereal Soul Realm!"

"Ehhh!?" The woman was surprised.

"Right, I'm not lying. Moreover, she is less than 60 years of age!"

The woman's eyes widened in stupefaction, and she listened to the tale of Yasenia going to battle. "Of course, all of this was possible because Sect Master was accompanied by other leaders and the Fifty Astral Fairies!"

"The Fifty Astral Fairies?"

The senior brother nodded. "They are Sect Master's direct subordinates, and all of them have incredible strength. They fought off 20,000 Epoch Cores by themselves and killed many!"

"T-Twenty Thousand!?"

Meanwhile, a man sitting at the side listened from the sidelines with a thoughtful look. 'I managed to get into the Astral Sky Sect by never having contact with anyone from my true faction, but…' The man sighed. 'How do I even deliver this information? I'm a new sect member, and my strength is nothing but at the Mortal Transformation Body Realm.'

He scratched his head, and a woman at the side asked. "Junior Brother, is there a problem?"

He looked sideways toward the beautiful dog-kin woman and scratched his cheek. "Nothing, nothing. Don't worry, I'm just a bit frustrated."

The dogkin woman's ears straightened as she cheered him up. "Don't worry, junior brother. You are talented, so a single failure shouldn't stop you."

The man laughed and nodded. "Thank you, senior sister."

However, internally, he was struggling. 'The sect is good, the resources are the best, the people, because they are carefully selected, are also generally friendly…' He looked around at the energy density and lively atmosphere. 'And this was built in less than ten years? Ridiculous.' 

The benefits he had felt since he entered the Astral Sky Sect were nothing but eye-opening. He had gone outside a few times. However, the energy outside felt like mud water after drinking clear spring water. 'Do I really need to betray this sect?'

He hadn't really had any contact other than one letter that told him that his family would not be safe if he didn't report a single worthwhile news in five years. Of course, the man didn't want to endanger his family, so he needed to do it even if he didn't know who the people behind the letter were. 'If I manage to inform them about the Sect Master undergoing tribulation, will it be enough?'

He scratched his head again, feeling helpless. After being looked at by his gentle senior sister, he asked. "I need to go outside to send a letter to my family. Do you mind coming with me?"

The woman blinked. "We have a letter system in the sect. Do you want me to guide you?"

The man shook his head. "I live in a very remote area, so I need to place the letter in a particular place so that my family receives it."

The woman laughed. "Don't worry. The letters are branded with your energy signature, so sending them to family is actually the easiest. You just have to leave a strand of your energy, and the sect will place the letter in a spatial formation that can send small objects very far away." The dog woman's tail wagged as she said with awe. "They actually use spatial formations! I don't know how they work, though."

The man's lips twitched. 'Why is there such a convenient way of doing this? Do those people even know about this?'

"Ah, but I'm worried that it won't reach so…" The man scratched his head, looking awkward.

The dog woman blinked and pondered. "But it has never failed. Moreover, the letter will be accompanied by a blank letter that the other side can write and send back. Of course, the letter sent back will need a bit of time to be delivered back to you to make sure it is not dangerous, or so the person working there told me."

The man shook his head. "I just want to do it the other way. While it might take a few years to get the letter back, I feel more certain."

The woman was confused. "Why not do it-."

The man cut her off brusquely. "Enough. I'll do it the other way. If you don't want to come, I'll just find another person."

Surprised, the senior sister stopped speaking and nodded. "Hm. Sure. Good luck finding another person."

The man was again speechless. 'Weren't you eager to accompany me? What's with this change of attitude?'

He didn't realize that it was entirely his fault.

'Sigh. I just hope I can send the letter safely and have my family safe and sound back.'

He took around two months of travel to reach that place and send the letter. Sadly for him, what greeted him five months later were the corpses of his family and a black-robbed assassin. "Thanks for the information. Although it might be outdated now, consolidating the foundations of a new realm takes time. Now, die."

The man regretted it, but he couldn't do anything as the sword sliced his head off, sending him to the reincarnation cycle together with his family.

The assassin looked at the information in the letter they received around two months ago and sighed. 'The only successful spy, and the information we have is outdated and almost useless.'

He looked at the corpses of the people he just killed with cold eyes and thought. 'Why is it so difficult to get information about them?'

"Well, have you had fun?"

A chill run up the assassin's body as he didn't even botehr looking behind him and tried to escape by using his entire middle-level Ethereal Soul realm strength.

But, before he could take a step, a slim and elegant hand wrapped around his nape. "Trying to escape, young one?"

His face was turned around, and he saw a Harpy with black feathers smiling at him. "We left this little rat alive to see who was the stupid power trying to spy on us, and the answer is quite boring. Isn't it just the former Nine Sect, haha."

His face twisted with hatred as he shouted. "You are not going to have a good end! You have no idea what you are facing!"

The harpy laughed coldly. "Ignorant. Do you think your petty plans can escape our peerless Sect Master?" The harpy took out a pill and forced it down his throat with a cold face.

The man's body felt as if it weighed an entire mountain as he fell limp. The harpy muttered while looking at the corpses of the family of seven. "Hm… It's a shame that you choose to give your back to us instead of informing us. How would they know if you are working with us or not?"

The black-feathered harpy thought back on the first time she faced Yasenia with a wry smile. 'I tried to assassinate her back then, didn't I? Thankfully, I was intelligent and surrendered to Sect Master.' Her face gained a genuine smile. 'Although I'm still restricted by the oaths, it's the same as if they are not there as long as I'm loyal to the Astral Sky Sect and Sect Master.'

The harpy then looked down at her body, and a wide grin appeared on her face. She was currently wearing a black cloth around her body that suited her quite well. 'Lady Evelyn is awesome as well.'

She heard flapping wings behind her, and she turned around to see a dark blue feathered harpy wearing similar blue robes. "Florrie, are you admiring your clothes again?"

Florrie, the harpy assassin, laughed. "How can I not? It's my first time wearing comfortable clothes in centuries, hahaha."

The other harpy laughed as well. "We owe Lady Evelyn a lot, eh? After a lot of effort, she managed to create clothes that can fit us, harpies."

Florrie smiled. "She did so right after breaking through as well."

"Right? All of Sect Master's family has already broken through other than Sect Master."

Florrie sighed. "I heard that Sect Master is almost prepared to do so as well."

The blue-feathered harpy's smile faded, gaining a worried look. "I really hope everything goes well. I've heard that Sect Master's tribulations are terribly strong."

Florrie snorted. "It's just the heavens envying Sect Master's talent."

Amazed, the other harpy spoke. "You are really her fan, eh."

Florrie snorted. "I've even managed to join the S.L.U.T group!"

"Wow, you actually did it!? A group with such a name?"

Florrie lifted her eyebrow. "So what? It's the Super Lovable Ultimate Team! It's a cute name!"

The blue feathered harpy's lips twitched. "It feels like the name was created after deciding to be called S.L.U.Ts."

"And what's wrong with that!?" Florrie defended.

With a sigh, the woman shook her head. "Incorrigible."