Heaven, Earth, Me

Estrella looked skyward as a grey cloud gathered. The Tribulation Cloud was slightly different from the ones that she saw attack her sisters. 'Hm… Is it bigger? Or is it just me?'

When she tried to look into it closely, she couldn't help but be doubtful. 'Regardless, I need to prepare.' 

Looking at her hands, she could see droplets of sweat. 'I am nervous.' While her body was clearly going through a tense moment, her mind felt clearer than ever. 

It was a strange moment as her mind and body seemed two different entities. 'To hit the first lightning without receiving extra damage, I might need to let go of my weapon…'

RUMBLE!

The loud thunder reverberated in her body, making her soul tremble. In a quick final decision, she stored the large scythe she held and exchanged it for her dual long swords.

'Sister Dawn's tail got really hurt while defending against the second bolt. Therefore, I might be okay defending against the first one…'

Seeing that the cloud was gathering the Tribulation Lightning, she realized that there was no more time to think and decided to defend the first one with her tail.

RUMBLE!

With a thunderous sound, the first bolt descended quickly. Estrella's pupils thinned into lines, focusing on the bolt that was approaching her in erratic pathways across the atmosphere. 

Then, using the basics of the [Grand Cosmos Martial Art], her body moved, and her long tail lashed against it. 

BANG!

The strength of the bolt hitting her white-scaled tail was terrifying and blasted her entire body flying, forcing her to roll on the ground. The pain of the electric currents rushing across her body made her veins bulge. She gritted her teeth and roared skyward. "RAHH!"

The beautiful and pristine white tail was now full of scorch marks, while the smooth hair at the top had been burnt. 

Heaven didn't seem satisfied with the damage they did, and more powerful lightning bolts began gathering. Estrella's blue and golden eyes were locked in the grey cloud above her. Still, she hadn't forgotten what Tatyana told her, and she focused on that strange void in her body.

'Huh?'

The Tribulation Lightning had streaked around her body, gathering toward that place and being absorbed by it. 

If it wasn't because of that, her internal muscles would've been much more damaged. 

RUMBLE!

Hearing the roaring sky, Estrella didn't really have time to think about it and faced the sky just as the Tribulation Lightning Bolt descended.

Matching it perfectly, Estrella jumped and slashed with her two swords, but instead of having a tight grip, her hands were somewhat loose. 

BANG!

The collision sent Estrella flying down, hurting her legs due to the brusque landing. Moreover, her swords had been blown flying, landing too far away from her to recover them. 

The remnants of the Tribulation Lightning that she received with her body created heavy damage around her body before rushing toward the void in her stomach. 

Still standing and with a lot of strength left, Estrella smiled happily. 'I managed to overcome it better than my sisters. I should go to Mama and-'

"ESTRELLA! IT IS NOT OVER!"

Estrella's eyes widened and she looked skyward after she heard Tatyana's warning. 

'What…?'

The gray cloud had darkened slightly, and then…

RUMBLE!

A deafening sound boomed outward, making Estrella's body flinch. For a second, she was truly afraid. However, when her fear appeared around her, a much more oppressive darkness descended around her, grabbing her attention.  R̃�

With the descent of absolute darkness, Estrella heard another thundering sound that almost left her deaf.

RUMBLE!!!!

'W-What is happening!?'

Looking over, Estrella's eyes widened in disbelief. There, like a goddess standing below infinite darkness, she saw her Dragon Mother floating and looking down at her with a beautiful smile. 

Even when a terrifyingly black Tribulation Cloud was looming above her with dragons made out of pure Tribulation Lightning, she was like an immortal fairy that could not be touched. "Mommy?"

Yasenia smiled gently and spoke, her loving and ethereally beautiful voice reaching her daughter clearly. "Estrella, you can do it. Mommy is watching, okay?"

Before Estrella could answer, she saw one of the dragons in the sky disappear and reappear behind Yasenia, its kilometric claw descending like a mountain of pure lightning. However, her mother turned around leisurely, summoning [Draconic Heart], and then slashed at it.

BOOOM!

The Tribulation Lightning Dragon was blasted flying, leaving Estrella stunned for a moment. Then, Yasenia and the dragon in the sky disappeared from her gaze, followed by thousands of clashes mid-air created by their collisions. Their speed was just too fast for Estrella to follow, but she knew that Yasenia was fighting that terrifying large Tribulation Lightning Dragon. 

'Mommy has come down even when she knows that she will suffer! How can I, her daughter, look any weaker!?'

"ROAAR!"

A booming dragon roar exploded from Estrella's throat as she summoned her scythe and looked skyward with a fearless gaze. Beyond determination, there was also anger. "It's your fault that my mother needs to come down… HOW DARE YOU PUT MY MOTHER IN DANGER!?"

Crack~.

A sound was heard in Estrella's void, so faint that no one heard it. However, there was a change ongoing. 

RUMBLE!

Estrella's Tribulation Cloud roared one more time and sent down the third Tribulation Lightning Bolt.

Estrella's body suddenly exploded with attributeless energy, surging all around her body while her body changed for a brief moment that no senior missed. Instead of being human-like with a dragon tail, Estrella's body grew pristine white scales all around and managed to dragonify! 

"ROAR!"

Then, Estrella's throat trembled as she swung her giant scythe against the descending lightning. 

BOOM!

A large dust cloud burst around Estrella, and Valeria instantly rushed forward. 

Yasenia's aura exploded like a supernova in the sky, and the giant Tribulation Lightning Dragon was sent crashing down like a meteor. Taking that instant, Yasenia flashed through the sky and landed in front of Estrella, blowing the dust away. 

Her golden eyes thinned when she saw Estrella's badly scorched body. However, her sharp ears could hear Estrella's heartbeat. Valeria looked at Yasenia and nodded. "She will survive. Now, go before that Tribulation Dragon comes!"

Yasenia didn't delay and used [Pegasus Gallop] to shoot skyward. Of course, she was aiming at Estrella's Tribulation Cloud. Her gaze became cold as she growled. "This is for what you did to her, Heaven. [Celestial Charge]."

WHOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

The sky burst open as space cracked open, creating a massive black void along Yasenia's path. Her figure rushed skyward like a massive spear that not only obliterated Estrella's Tribulation Cloud but also pierced beyond, opening the terrifying black tribulation.

The children were all spectating during this time, and seeing their mother pierce through the black sky and quite literally burst a hole, allowing daylight to pour down and illuminate the landscape, their admiration couldn't help but soar. 'Mommy is so cool!'

Tatyana followed Valeria to the medical area, and they both started analyzing her body together with Mirrory, who arrived a heartbeat later. 

Kali and Flora stood at the side, looking at Estrella without blinking. If Valeria asked for anything, they were more than prepared. 

After a few moments of mending the most terrifying injuries, Valeria began giving Flora and Kali orders. The three of them moved fluidly together, systematically healing Estrella until she was no longer at risk of permanent damage. 

Tatyana spoke. "Cecile, go to the space sect and tell Yasenia that there won't be any permanent damage." 

Cecile nodded and quickly left, knowing that her dragoness was extremely restless. 

Meanwhile, Mirrory looked at Estrella closely and smiled. "As expected, reward and risk come hand in hand. Tatyana, Estrella might be as strong as the rest of the children even without the Spiritual Path."

Tatyana looked at Mirrory and smiled. "I noticed it too. To think that the [Heaven Law] remnants that affected her would have such an effect…"

Evelyn was not someone known for her patience, so she asked. "Hey! Stop speaking in riddles and explain exactly what happened! Why did my cute Estrella receive three strikes!? Is Heaven asking for a spanking from you, Tatyana?"

Tatyana smiled and answered. "Estrella is similar to Yasenia in the sense that her normal Dantian is somewhat special. She is attributeless, and she can't practice the Spiritual Path. However, the void that the lower Dantian left has been filled with her [Beast Core]. Meaning, Estrella is a beast that can practice the Beast Path along with other different paths. Moreover, her [Beast Core] having been integrated and sealed in her Dantian area means that Estrella's real potential is actually sealed."

Andrea asked, utterly confused. "How can one thing and the other have any relation?"

Tatyana pointed at Estrella's lower Dantian area and smiled, her eyes clearly happy. "Estrella's [Beast Core] was actually refined by the [Heaven Law]'s remnants. However, in turn, because of the [Heaven Law]'s remnant's powerful strength, it has become sealed because, if her core was completely unsealed, she might've died. This tribulation has unsealed part of her [Beast Core]."

Evelyn got thoughtful, and then her eyes widened. "Wait, [Heaven Law]'s remnants is at least a Demigod-level thing, right? Doesn't this mean that Estrella's actual natural potential is that of a demigoddess!?"

Tatyana's lips arched widely. "That's right~. Her base potential is that of a Seventh Realm cultivator."

The girls around looked at the little child with baffled eyes. Her potential being that of a Seventh Realm cultivator meant that she would be able to cultivate until those heights with almost no bottlenecks. 

Tatyana's smile flattened, and she said. "I don't want anyone to tell Estrella about it. This is a bit of a white lie, but what I will explain to her is that she will be able to strengthen her core with each tribulation that she goes through, not that she is recovering her original potential. Understood? Arrogance is an insidious killer."

The girls and everyone else around her nodded. 

The children looked at them, and Aurelia asked. "Why are all your faces changing so much? Is it something that we can't hear?"

Tatyana had communicated via Spiritual Sense after Evelyn asked, so the children didn't hear the explanation. Only the maids and the girls did. Angel patted Aurelia's head and smiled. "Don't worry, love. We were talking about Estrella's health, and we didn't want to say anything worrying before we were sure."

Aurelia, acting somewhat childish, asked nervously. "Is Big Sister Estrella going to be well, Mama?"

Angel nodded. "She will fully recover. Moreover, your big sister Estrella might've unlocked her Beast Core! So, she might probably be able to gain her beast form soon."

All the children listening cheered. Dianna giggled and commented. "If she has wings, I'll teach her to fly!"

Katarina said, smiling. "I'll teach her how to walk if she is bipedal like me!"

Seeing the children so happy for their big sister, Kaleina joined and said. "Don't forget that I am the biggest sister! I will teach her first~, so get in line!"

"Che~."

"Big Sister Kaleina is abusing her authority!"

"Hahahaha."