Chapter 2208 - 2208. Reunion
The sky transformed right after Noah retracted the dark world. King Elbas and the others suddenly found their targets retreating and taking the shape of a vast tunnel.
The surprising event obviously had Noah as its source, so all the eyes on the scene converged on him. Still, he preferred not to explain the deal right away since he had yet to make up his mind about the whole matter.
"Let's follow the path," Noah limited himself to announce. "It will lead us to Alexander and Wilfred."
King Elbas and the others could sense that there was more to the matter, but they didn't voice questions. Noah must have had his reasons to keep the explanation so short, and they respected his silence, especially while they were still inside the sky.
Everyone calmed down now that a clear target had appeared. The environment had yet to change significantly, but no one felt lost anymore. Something in their surroundings told their minds that they were getting somewhere.
Noah played the conversation with Caesar multiple times in his mind. He believed the privileged cultivator when he said that killing everyone now would be pointless. Still, that wouldn't prevent the deal from being a trap.
Of course, Noah never considered sacrificing Alexander and Wilfred, but some of his decisions might lead to their death. Actually, the plan he liked the most could kill everyone from his side currently in the sky. He had to think the matter thoroughly to be ready for when he saw his companions' condition.
The flight through the tunnel was silent and tense. Everyone could sense that they were heading toward a potential turning point in the history of the higher plane, but no one said anything.
The flight took a while, but a bright area eventually appeared in the distance. Noah and the others tried to send mental waves past those shining edges, but they crumbled before they could gather information.
The event forced the group to prepare their energy and step into the bright area. The change in environment destabilized their senses for an instant, but everyone soon became able to see the stunning scene clearly.
Heaven and Earth weren't to blame for that blinding radiance. The sky inside the area carried its usual light and delimited a spacious environment that had probably seen a few battles.
Still, a proper platoon of privileged cultivators that Noah and the others had never seen floated next to the areas' edges and intensified their radiance. Their figures acted as channels that turned the white light from bearable to blinding.
Instead, a multicolored sphere floated at the area's center, but its radiance didn't spread due to the white light. Moreover, two figures sat on top of it, but their auras suffered a similar fate.
'This is worse than I thought,' Noah commented in his mind as he inspected the scene. 'I guess trying to evaluate Heaven and Earth's power has always been impossible.'
All the privileged cultivators in the area were in the solid stage, and Noah could count more than thirty of them. According to his instincts, many of them were weaker than Albatia, but a few were far stronger.
Thirty solid stage cultivators were a scary number. Even the entirety of the black landmass didn't have so many powerful assets. Also, the sky could hide more experts, which only worsened any prediction about the final battle that Noah could come up with.
The two experts sitting on the multicolored sphere were the only reassuring aspect of that scene. Alexander and Wilfred wore cold and defying expressions in front of that show of power, and their liquid stage auras did their best to shine brightly among that suppression.
The multicolored sphere showed some peculiarities too. Its fabric carried various natures due to the different abilities used to create it, but faint traces of powerful auras also seeped out of it.
A deeper inspection hinted at the presence of three privileged cultivators inside the multicolored sphere. They were alive, but that didn't remove anything from Alexander and Wilfred's achievement.
"Your leader has finally arrived," One of the privileged cultivators hovering next to the sky's edges announced. "Defying Demon, explain the deal to your underlings."
"Watch your mouth," Noah growled. "That sounded like an order. I've killed for far less."
The privileged cultivator snorted and opened his mouth to reply, but one of the stronger members of the platoon glared at him. There would be a time for arrogance, but their plans involved something different now.
"Long time no see!" Wilfred shouted as Noah's group approached the multicolored sphere.
"I don't see the sword maniac," Alexander continued. "Have you yet to find him?"
"No, Sword Saint is in the new higher plane," Noah explained. "He is a key aspect of the preparations for the final battle."
"New higher plane?" Wilfred asked.
"I expected nothing less from you," Alexander laughed. "No wonder you are your leader."
King Elbas cleared his throat, and the Foolery lifted its head. It was clear that they wanted their share of praises, and Noah shook his head before explaining a bit more. "Everyone played their part. We also brought many new faces. It's pretty lively down there."
"Is there food?" Wilfred questioned.
"The pig and Elbas took care of it," Noah revealed before wearing a knowing smile. "They worked together for the greater good of our force."
Wilfred and Alexander shot surprised glances at King Elbas, and his dark expression revealed how things had really gone. The two couldn't help but start laughing, and the rest of the group quickly imitated them.
"We missed some good jokes," Wilfred exclaimed.
"There is always time to make new ones," Divine Demon winked.
"It's commendable that you have yet to betray us," Alexander commented.
"I've thought about it multiple times," King Elbas admitted, "But siding with Heaven and Earth would be too easy. There was no time to create a new organization either, so I've postponed my vengeance for when we reach the tenth rank."
"That will be fun," Alexander laughed. "I can't wait."
"So, this deal," Wilfred reminded.
"Right," Noah exclaimed as the dark world began to come out of his figure.
"Defying Demon, this wasn't part of the deal!" One of the privileged shouted. "You have to convey orders, not discuss them with your underlings."
"And what can you do about it?" Noah sneered as the dark world completely unfolded.
"Those bastards," Wilfred snorted once the entire group was inside the safety of the dark world. "They can't even accept an honorable defeat."
"We thought we could finally kill some strong asset," Alexander explained, "But this encirclement suddenly appeared and forced us into a stalemate."
"What did you even say to stop their offensive?" Steven wondered.
"I told them that I have one hundred self-destructive innate abilities," Alexander smirked. "No one moved afterward."
"What were you doing inside the sky?" Noah asked.
"I was hungry," Alexander stated.
"Same here," Wilfred added.
"We are in this mess because these two can't silence their stomachs," King Elbas cursed. "You are existences in the ninth rank. How can you even let your hunger make you do something so reckless?"
"Initially, we were doing fine," Wilfred revealed. "Then the sky changed, and we remained trapped inside."
"Oh," King Elbas gasped.
"Oh, what?" Wilfred asked.
"That's our fault," Noah replied. "We triggered the transformation."
"Oh," Wilfred and Alexander exclaimed at the same time, but a quick exchange of glances made the whole group explode into a loud laugh.