Chapter 1167 1167. Oval

The ceremony ended with a large celebration that saw most of the higher-ups of the Hive joining in. The weaker cultivators had parties and events in their respective domes since their status didn't allow them to be with the other Elders.

Large tables filled with strong wine and delicacies filled the various domes. Noah and the other powerhouses moved to the azure plain, where they enjoyed a well-deserved break from the tension that had followed Chasing Demon's death.

The main theme of the celebration was Noah's life. Experts told stories about him or tales that had spread among the weaker troops.

Those who had interacted with Noah during their lives recalled those moments loudly and laughs filled the Elders whenever they described how aloof he had always been.

Noah's character had never been a secret, but many were still amazed that he had reached his current position. They didn't feel surprised that he had become the new Patriarch. Instead, they wondered how he had survived through his many adventures.

"Dreaming Demon and I were using our best spells to fend off the lightning bolts," Flying Demon shouted while waving his cup, "But he took them directly on his shoulders! I swear, I've never seen someone overcoming a Heaven Tribulation in that way!"

Laughs followed his story, and Noah shook his head as he refilled his cup. Flying Demon was twisting the events in Divine Architect's separate dimension, but Noah had no intention to correct him.

The Council's higher-ups joined the celebration at some point, and more tables appeared in the area. Faith, Elder Regina, and Great Elder Diana sat near Noah, but the others didn't have the right to join him.

More experts told stories, and they became vaguer as the celebrations continued. Some founded their tales on rumors that everyone found it hard to believe.

Noah let them have fun and commented when the Elders asked for more details. Many also wanted to learn about his mindset when he went through specific struggles, and he didn't mind explaining his reasons.

Toasts happened often. Everyone wanted to announce their loyalty toward the new Patriarch, and some of Noah's old titles came up through the various speeches in his honor.

Noah heard titles that he had left behind by many years. Some called him Hooded Devil, or Patriarch of the Balvan family, or bane of the Elbas family.

Still, all of them ended up with the same line. "I drink to honor Defying Demon, the second Patriarch of the Hive!"

God's Left Hand joined the celebrations too, but she had come only to express her acknowledgment of Noah's new position. She would deal with him for the upcoming political issues, so she intended to start with the right foot.

Noah's wasn't famous for his mild temperament. God's Left Hand wanted to make sure that their past experiences didn't endanger the relationship between their organizations.

The celebrations continued happily for almost three days, but a sudden event forced them to a stop.

The Elders and other guests had begun to discuss individualities at that point. They had taken the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding of the heroic ranks, and the powerhouses would give their opinion whenever they felt like it.

Yet, the sky above them began to flicker during those discussions. The tremors were faint and almost unnoticeable. They had to appear a few times before the powerhouses noticed that something was off.

Noah raised his eyes to the sky, and the other powerhouses imitated him when they sensed the same disturbances in the fabric of the sky. The rank 5 Elders didn't immediately understand what was happening, but they followed the higher-ups' gazes when they saw their stern expressions.

The sky trembled, and its fabric bent from time to time. It was as if something or someone was trying to tear it open from a place that no one could see.

Noah suddenly stood up, and the other powerhouses did the same. Great Elder Diana, Elder Regina, and God's Left Hand neared the Hive's experts and prepared themselves to fight.

That group could think of only one explanation for that phenomenon, and they didn't like it. Only the joint forces of their three organizations could give them hope to fend off that dreadful outcome, but even that didn't make victory sure.

The sky continued to tremble, and an oval shape formed. Yet, its edges were too faint to affect the sky, and no crack appeared on its fabric.

Something opened inside that oval shape. A line formed and tried to spread, but nothing managed to reach the sky. That seemed to happen in a separate dimension that the experts could see because it was quite close to theirs.

"I-." A voice came out of that shape, and the powerhouses' auras became tense when they heard that.

They recognized that voice. It belonged to the expert that they had banished during their mission in the plane's center!

"Will-," The voice echoed again. It seemed that King Elbas was struggling to convey that message.

It wasn't clear if he could pierce the fabric of the sky and return to that world. His aura didn't reach Noah and the others in the end. Only his voice seeped through the barriers among dimensions and turned the celebrations into a grim event.

"Return!" A small tongue of golden flames came out of in the world, and King Elbas' aura spread in the environment before vanishing.

The fire dispersed in the sky, revealing that the oval shape had disappeared. The world had returned to its previous peace, and no more tremors spread from that spot.

Noah and the others sent a series of mental messages toward the cultivators in charge of the observation points through the continents. They wanted to know if that phenomenon had appeared somewhere else in the world.

The cultivators' answer was positive. The phenomenon had happened at the same time in eight different spots of the sky. Still, it seemed to be over now since they didn't report anything else.

The powerhouses remained silent as the weaker Elders watched them. There was something far more important to plan, and they couldn't relax anymore.

King Elbas had announced his return, and his message had reached multiple areas of the world. Those who knew about his banishment could only remain speechless and respect the Royal even more.

Noah and the others couldn't stop that. King Elbas was bound to become stronger after what had happened, and his complete return would push that improvement further.

Not even the barriers among the dimensions could keep the Royal away from that plane, and the powerhouses could only accept that the peace was about to end.

Noah knew that their time was short. The organizations had to develop a plan to defeat the strongest cultivator in the world, and they had to do it quickly.

The celebrations had yet to end in theory, but Noah decided to cut the matter short by giving his very first order as Patriarch of the Hive.

"Prepare for war," Noah said as he turned toward the weaker Elders.

The seriousness that he exuded made his sharpness surge. Cuts appeared under his feet as his aura became tense due to the imminent threat.

The cultivators remained speechless, but Noah left right after he gave his order. His first instinct was to fly toward the desert to find Thirty-seven. The automaton was the only one who could know a method to stop King Elbas.