Chapter 1505. Starlit Molting Pool Core.

After coming to terms with the fact that the dragon that had appeared was someone out of the norm, the dragon sighed and decided to stop being surprised. Instead, he looked at Yasenia with a thoughtful gaze and nodded. “Alright, I will give you a hint on how to improve your Spiritual Sense to the [Big Improvement] level. However, before that, let’s continue going down. We are almost there.”

Yasenia nodded, and after two more sessions of 7 months, she had adapted her body enough to reach the “true core” area that Old Dragon Ao was speaking about. It had been almost 2 years since she first entered the Starlit Molting Pool, and the change in her scales and constitution had been massive.

‘Even when my realm has not increased, my strength has made another incredible jump this time around.’ Looking at the dragon by her side, her golden eyes shone with curiosity. ‘Moreover, it seems that this improvement is far from done.’

As she was now, her claws could barely scratch her own scales. Compared to when she first arrived, the change was startling, to say the least. ‘My scales are probably as durable as a Two Star Supreme Ranked shield.’

“Alright, you are now ready.” Old Dragon Ao spoke. Then, looking down, he spoke firmly. “The following area is the very core of the Starlit Molting Pool. There, you will encounter the source of the water you are currently bathing in and something else.”

“Something… else?” Yasenia blinked, confused.

“Yes. Before you go, though, let me help you improve your Spiritual Sense. You are already there and need nothing but a bit of guidance.”

Having said that, Old Dragon Ao closed his amber eyes for a moment. After a moment that felt both extremely long yet incredibly short, he opened them and threw a powerful energy wave at Yasenia’s soul.

Yasenia was surprised by the sudden attack and naturally reacted to defend herself. With Tatyana and the others, she would not put up resistance. However, she didn’t know this dragon enough to just allow him to strike her soul.

BANG!

The soul wave made Yasenia’s brain buzz, her vision turning black as she lost most of her senses. Even with her gargantuan soul and incredible will, that single strike had sent her entire mind and body into dreamland, unable to extricate herself from it.

‘Where is this?’

Yasenia, utterly confused after a terrifying hit to her soul, looked around and saw nothing but darkness. ‘Where am I? Where… was I?’

As she frowned deeply, trying to find some recollections, memories began surging back slowly. ‘Right… I entered the Starlit Molting Pool. Then… I encountered that Old Dragon… Then… Then… What happened then?’

Her mind ached terribly. “Ugh… I can’t remember. I need to leave this place first. However, I can’t see anything.’

Looking around, she tried to push out her Spiritual Sense, but was unable to. ‘Without Spiritual Sense and sight, how can I leave?’

She tried touching around, but her entire body was floating in the Starlit Molting Pool. Therefore, wherever she touched, it was as if she were just floating in nothingness. “Ugh… I should use my other senses.”

Her nose twitched, breathing in the liquid around her. It didn’t matter, though. As she breathed the liquid in and out, there was a sense of smell. ‘This scent… the Old Dragon?’

Her ears twitched, trying to hear something, and a very faint thumping sound entered her ears. ‘Heartbeat.’

Her mouth opened next, and she could feel that the uniform taste changed in a certain direction. ‘This is probably that Old Dragon’s taste…’

So, as she tried to find her way, weeks passed, but she moved nowhere. Frustrated with having been isolated for that long, Yasenia’s thoughts began to change. ‘I can’t rely on sight and Spiritual Sense… But… who said that Spiritual Sense could only rely on vision?’

Unwilling to remain trapped wherever she was, Yasenia began manipulating her Spiritual Sense in a different direction. During the first month, she felt nothing. However, as she slowly changed its nature, her spiritual sense started capturing things different than “sight.”

She started to see “taste,” “smell,” and even “sound.” When this small change happened, Yasenia caught the essence of it and began developing it with all her strength.

As she did so, a profound change occurred in the nature of her Spiritual Sense. Yasenia didn’t know, but she had achieved the Low Level of the [Big Improvement] realm.

Right by her side, the Old Dragon Ao saw the change clearly, and his amber eyes flashed with both awe and satisfaction. “As expected of this little monster. Just four months, and she made a breakthrough. I should let her go, however…” As he squinted, he could feel Yasenia entering a state of enlightenment. “Ridiculous little thing. Haha.”

With a chuckle, he saw in real time as Yasenia’s Spiritual Sense transformed, developed, evolved, and ultimately was reborn.

Low Level… Mid Level… High Level…

Just one month later, Yasenia suddenly opened her closed eyes and her Spiritual Sense surged outward, capturing everything around her. Yasenia not only regained her sight, but even gained the ability to feel any other quality, like smell and sound, through it!

Old Dragon Ao stopped pressuring Yasenia’s soul, and the dragoness regained her suppressed memories. Her gaze recovered, she turned to look at the dragon. The Old Dragon expected to be scolded, but he saw Yasenia bow toward him gratefully. “Thank you. It seems that I’ve managed to breach into the [Big Improvement] realm thanks to you.”

Old Dragon Ao smiled faintly. ‘What a good child.’

“You are wrong.” He said.

Yasenia blinked, and Old Dragon Ao chuckled. “You are at the peak of the [Big Improvement] Realm.”

Those words made our dragoness blink a few times. Then, she asked, confused. “Is it that easy?”

A tail smacked her head. “Easy your sister! You are just abnormal!”

Yasenia wanted to say that she didn’t have a sister. However, her face became strange. ‘In a way, Estrella can be considered my sister…’

Shaking her head, she sighed. “How long did it take?”

“Half a year total.”

“Hm… 27 months have passed since I arrived.”

Hearing her say that, Old Dragon Ao asked, confused. “Are you in a hurry?”

Our dragoness pondered. “More or less… I am pregnant, so I can’t really stay here for more than 20 years. Not to mention, I want to go to the other resource locations.”

Hearing her say that, Old Dragon Ao looked at Yasenia and nodded. “While the treasures in those places don’t suit you, they are not bad. You can go take them later.”

“Treasures?” Yasenia’s ears perked up, her golden eyes glittering. “I can take treasures out of here?”

Amused, the Old Dragon chuckled. “Why do you think I accompanied you down here? Come. There is also another thing that I have to tell you.”

Both of them began swimming downwards into the true central area. Once there, Yasenia expanded her Spiritual Sense and finally saw the bottommost part.

With her new ability, spreading her spiritual sense for thousands of kilometers was not a problem at all. Even then, she could not see the end of what lay at the end of the Starlit Molting Pool!

Ao spoke with a smile. “What you are seeing is the [Molting Chrysalis Formation]. It draws the energy from heaven and earth and creates the water we are swimming in. Naturally, this area is where it's the most concentrated. Even you should be feeling pressure, right?”

Yasenia, barely able to move a single muscle, nodded stiffly. “It feels as if someone is squeezing me and trying to make dragon juice.”

“Good.” Ao laughed. Then, he pointed down at the very center and smiled somewhat evilly. “There is your treasure. Take it, and it’s yours. It is a Nine Star Ancient Ranked Treasure named [Starheart Molting Pearl]. It is on the verge of becoming an Immortal Treasure, and just needs a little push for it. I wonder if you can get it or not.”

Yasenia’s golden slit eyes zeroed in on the pearl. It was a blue sphere filled with starlight. Once she saw it, her desire for it skyrocketed. She knew, felt it deep within her, that whatever that was would help her gain incredible strength.

However, as she tried to swim down, the pressure increased further, and her incredibly durable scales began to crack. Yasenia stopped, her face anxious for a second.

It was as if the most delicious food was laid in front of her, yet her body was chained just outside the range of it!

Of course, our dragoness was not someone impulsive… most of the time. Therefore, after taking a deep breath and calming her excitement, Yasenia turned to look at the amused dragon. “Senior Ao, can you take it for me?”

The senior would’ve slipped and fallen down if he were not floating in the Starlit Molting Pool’s water. His tail moved, slapping Yasenia’s head down again. “Take your mother!”

Yasenia blinked. “Already did.”

“...” Ao didn’t know how to answer for a moment, looking at Yasenia strangely. Then, he sighed and shook his head. “That thing will bind with whoever touches it first. Are you sure you want me to get it for you?”

“Please, stay far away from it. You are going to scare the poor treasure away!”

“...”

Having fooled around enough, Yasenia felt much more relaxed. Then, she closed her eyes and focused on adapting to her current environment. She even used her strengthening skills, accelerating the pace at which she consumed energy and advanced.

The distance to the pearl was 1000 kilometers. With Yasenia’s size, that was not more than 100 “steps.” Therefore, Yasenia decided to count down as such.

“99 steps… 98 steps… 97 steps…” Yasenia slowly advanced, time slipping by quickly.

At first, she advanced one step each day. However, as she got closer, that changed. When she reached the 60th step, Yasenia would advance one step every 3 days. By the 40th, it was one every 5 days.

4 years passed by in a flash, exceeding the initially planned 5 years. However, her body was only 20 kilometers away from the pearl! It was basically at her fingertips!

Of course, Yasenia didn’t dare snatch it without reaching it “properly.” It was not because she was not greedy for it, but because the sheer amount of power it emitted was making her slightly nervous.

‘If I absorb it without properly acclimating to the strongest pressure point of the Starlit Molting Pool, I might suffer a backlash.”

With that in mind, she practiced patience and made sure not to rush things. It wasn’t until the seventh year since she first arrived at the Starlit Molting Pool that Yasenia’s claw tip finally touched the Pearl.

The second she did, brilliant light exploded out, illuminating the dark depths of the always gloomy water.