Heaven, Earth, Me Chapter 1561. Bitter Heart.

A maid, adorned in a simple dress and sporting hair that resembled growing vines, maintained a silent vigil at the edge of a densely wooded mountain range. Her skin, a shade of soft green, seemed to absorb the ambient moisture, and her beauty radiated a natural grace that made her appear an intrinsic part of the landscape.

With a soft sigh, she gazed up at the canopy, through which only sparse shafts of sunlight managed to penetrate. "Madam Kali... I can only hope the Young Miss can comprehend."

Flora, one of Yasenia’s attendants, harbored concerns for Kali. While her primary loyalty lay with Yasenia, years of service alongside Kali had fostered a sense of attachment. She felt it would be a true misfortune if a misunderstanding were to arise, and had even contemplated discreetly eliminating the source of annoyance on numerous occasions.

Ultimately, recalling Yasenia’s explicit command to never disobey Kali, she refrained from acting.

Lost in thought, her communication device suddenly illuminated, causing her to blink. "Hello?"

Anna’s clear voice responded. "Flora, we've reached Skyria. What is your location, and Kali’s? Can you provide coordinates?"

Flora was initially taken aback, then elated. This joy, however, was swiftly tinged with apprehension. "Head Maid, I am within the [Cralure Mountain Forest]. Reaching this location, however, is no simple feat."

"Do not fret. Now that we know your whereabouts, we will find a way to reach you."

Flora offered only an affirmative hum, nothing further. After disengaging the communication device, she glanced behind her. The surrounding mountains and terrain were part of a powerful sealing formation, arguably the most formidable of its kind in this world.

Naturally, Flora felt no concern for herself. She simply wondered if her Young Miss would resort to forceful means to breach the barrier.

Meanwhile, by Yasenia's side, Anna addressed her with a smile. "Young Miss, we are finally close enough to establish a connection despite the formation’s interference around Flora. It was indeed an excellent strategy to follow the [Endless Death Poison Sect]."

Yasenia hummed, her legs crossed and swinging pensively. In the distance, she observed a black-haired woman and a blonde woman engaged in a fierce battle, their arsenals filled with poisons and healing arts.

"Leral! Reveal Kali’s confinement location!"

"Du Yanyu. I’ve already stated that she went there willingly. Even Young Lord Xa Tian requested her release. However, it is Kali herself who refuses to end her self-imposed seclusion!"

"Fiction! Leral, do you truly believe I am unaware of your insidious machinations? And who does Xa Tian imagine himself to be? A mere peasant aspiring to the impossible!"

Leral’s expression hardened. "Lord Xa Tian represents the aspirations of our righteous sects. He is an unparalleled talent, a prodigy unseen for millennia. The Young Lord's interest in that peculiar woman is her good fortune."

Du Yanyu scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your words are so laden with bitterness, I can practically taste it. No wonder you are reluctant to let her go."

Listening to their exchange, Yasenia’s eyes grew shadowed. She had been in Skyria for approximately three weeks, a relatively short period, yet sufficient to grasp the broader dynamics of this realm.

Kali, entangled in the nexus of numerous conflicts due to her parasitic cultivation, proved relatively easy to investigate. Employing her maid's methods, she had mostly ascertained the unfolding events.

"Soulmate..."

Yasenia mulled over this term, a bitter taste mingling with a distinct sense of unease.

Their dragoness, seldom one to rush to judgment, still found her heart unsettled, even as she strove to maintain a rational perspective and await Kali’s account. The reason for this disquiet was simple: with Valeria’s assistance, Kali should have been more than capable of handling any pursuers. Yet, the established facts indicated that a man named Xa Tian, the Young Lord and heir of the most powerful Beast Clan in this world, remained alive despite publicly declaring himself Kali’s soulmate over two decades prior.

"Twenty years..."

Yasenia’s golden, slit pupils darkened, her impassive facade causing those nearby to hold their breath. She rose slowly, and the others followed suit, like soldiers anticipating imminent battle.

She then advanced, closing the distance to the ongoing confrontation. The moment she entered the fray, her aura erupted with formidable intensity. "Stop."

Her voice, imbued with the power of her lineage, her strength, and her Dragon Force, resonated in their minds like a thunderous pronouncement, despite her measured tone.

Du Yanyu and Leral, mid-exchange of their techniques, felt an overwhelming pressure, as if ensnared by countless constricting serpents. Upon perceiving the newcomer, both were struck by a simultaneous wave of enchantment and dread. "W-Who is this stunning woman?"

Yasenia surveyed them both before speaking. "You two must be Leral and Du Yanyu. One, a former member of Kali’s Sect, and the other, an associate."

A cold sweat drenched Leral’s back. Her initial thought of striking out vanished, replaced by a profound sense of powerlessness and fear in the face of the dragon woman’s impassive demeanor. "T-That’s right. And who might you be?" she stammered.

Yasenia’s gaze shifted. "Were either of you present when Xa Tian… awakened as Kali’s potential… soulmate?"

Du Yanyu and Leral were unfamiliar with this person, yet they began to piece things together. Leral, assuming Yasenia was a rival suitor for Xa Tian and hoping to cause trouble for Kali, quickly nodded. "I was there."

Aware of Leral’s intentions, Du Yanyu shot her a glare but dared not interject. Her instincts screamed that any wrong move could result in her head being severed from her shoulders.

Leral took a discreet, calming breath. Before she could elaborate further, Yasenia spoke, "I require objective facts—actions and dialogues. Should you dare to fabricate anything to incriminate either party… your sect will face eradication."

Leral’s impulse was to question Yasenia’s audacious confidence, but a single glance into her aloof, chilling golden eyes silenced her. *In this woman’s presence, I am nothing.*

Who would have imagined that she, a formidable figure on the world stage, would be reduced to fear by another’s stare?

Thus, under the dragon’s intimidating presence, Leral found herself unable to embellish the truth.

***

Approximately two decades ago, a council was convened by several dozen influential factions. This assembly was proposed as a means to de-escalate the growing animosity between traditional medical practitioners, such as Leral’s [Ancient Forest Sect], and newer schools, like Kali’s [Endless Death Poison Sect].

The core of their conflict lay in the traditional sects’ prohibition against disciples openly employing poison or parasite-based techniques. Their curriculum was strictly focused on healing, with only basic lessons on poisons for understanding antidotes and similar countermeasures.

In contrast, Kali’s sect, although primarily engaged in righteous alchemy, did not forbid its disciples from exploring less conventional alchemical practices. They even trained poison masters, with Kali herself serving as an instructor in parasitology.

Admittedly, Kali’s instruction centered on the beneficial applications of parasites for treating certain cultivation-related ailments, omitting any details on the creation of harmful variants.

Nevertheless, the nuances were largely disregarded by both sides; the primary concern was determining which practices were deemed righteous and which were classified as demonic.

To ensure impartiality, the most powerful Beast Clan, along with numerous other elite clans, participated in overseeing the proceedings. The strongest Beast Clan, however, seized this opportunity to introduce their heir to the wider world and foster connections with premier forces.

Leral, Kali, and many others arrived at the designated location. Upon his arrival, Xa Tian’s attention was involuntarily drawn to the veiled fox sect leader. He was, by all accounts, a person of impeccable character—a top-tier prodigy with a virtuous disposition, natural leadership skills, and strong moral principles.

Consequently, after a brief glance, he averted his gaze.

Leral, Kali, and the other leaders then approached to exchange customary greetings. As the Sect Leaders presented themselves sequentially, Leral observed a peculiar occurrence.

When Kali and Xa Tian performed the ritualistic fist-and-palm clasp, Leral noticed both momentarily freeze. Then, inexplicably, Kali abruptly stepped back, her voice turning frigid. "I trust Young Master Xa Tian will not take offense. I am already betrothed."

Her statement was so bewildering that it immediately captured the attention of nearly everyone in the assembly hall. Leral then witnessed Xa Tian pause before sighing. "Miss Kali, you understand that certain connections are predestined. While I have no intention of forcing matters, the fact that we resonated cannot be—"

"Silence," Kali’s voice, colder than Leral had ever heard it, cut through the air sharply. Her eyes, concealed beneath her veil, gleamed with frost. "I warn you, Xa Tian. Do not harbor any ambitions. If you speak of this matter, you will face my eternal unforgiveness."

Xa Tian shook his head, his tone gentle yet firm. "Miss Kali, you cannot escape a soulmate bond."

The instant these words were uttered, Xa Tian’s father felt his every hair stand on end as he rapidly materialized before his son. In the following second, Kali appeared before him and unleashed a punch with power enough to shatter worlds.

BOOM!!

The father grunted, the force of the impact gouging two deep furrows into the ground as he slid backward. *Such monstrous physical prowess.*

He could feel micro-fractures forming in the bones of both his forearms. He quickly uttered, "Lady Kali, I implore you to restrain your instincts. We can discuss this matter in greater detail later. Surely, you do not wish to precipitate an irreversible situation?"

Kali's cold, emerald gaze lingered on him for a few moments from behind her veil before she turned to resume her seat. Xa Tian's father released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and turned back to his stunned son, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "Do you not understand that females who are not receptive become incredibly aggressive if you attempt to force things!? If you desire her, you must court her patiently, but do not pressure her, or she will literally tear your throat out to ensure this connection never materializes."

While a soulmate connection symbolized profound compatibility and destiny, if one party was unwilling, the outcome would inevitably be a terrifying backlash. What's more, because Kali belonged to Yasenia and still bore Yasenia’s aura, this connection was akin to a direct insult to her.

The fact that she refrained from killing him on the spot, despite her turbulent emotions, was due solely to the necessity of protecting the individuals arrayed behind her during this crucial meeting.

***

Leral gazed at Yasenia, her lips quieting her thirst. "T-That is precisely what transpired. Following that incident, Kali deliberately ignored Xa Tian, ensuring they had no further encounters. Then, several years later, she opted to trade her freedom for the safe passage of her people, as circumstances had begun to turn against them."

Yasenia's expression remained impassive, betraying no outward emotion. "Did they have any contact during those intervening years before her confinement?"

Leral shifted her gaze to Du Yanyu, assuming she would possess more detailed knowledge.

Du Yanyu, finding herself the focus of the inquiry, felt an urge to yank Leral's blonde tresses from her scalp. However, in order to preserve her own hair from Yasenia's potential wrath, she had no choice but to speak.

"Mistress Kali and that insignificant frog did meet once. At that time, Xa Tian, oblivious to his proper place, attempted to engage Mistress Kali in conversation. As a consequence, Mistress Kali sent him flying with a single kick before returning to the Sect." Du Yanyu added with a hint of lingering resentment, "It wasn't long after that encounter that Mistress Kali decided upon the foolish sealing strategy."

Yasenia's eyes remained unchanged as she looked downwards. 'A kick? Merely a kick?'

After inhaling deeply, she inquired with a chilling tone, "Where is Kali's seal located?"

This time, both women faltered in their response. Yasenia, her emotions tightening like a coiled spring, raised her hand and unleashed a potent blast of Celestial Energy, felling over twenty individuals indiscriminately from both Sects. The sheer force of the Celestial Energy rent the very fabric of space, carving out a colossal black rift that stretched for thousands of kilometers.

"Hesitate again, and I will execute every last one of you."

Leral exchanged a look with Du Yanyu, and finally, both pointed in the same direction. "Straight ahead in that direction."