Chapter 1653 - 1653. True

'They don't like experts outside of Heaven and Earth's system,' Noah thought, 'But they would still accept their help. Desperation might explain this behavior, but it doesn't ensure my safety after the mission is over.'

Noah had dealt with a group of maniacs already. He could imagine the natives loyal to Heaven and Earth turning on his team once the mission was over.

His d.e.s.i.r.e to remain on the other side of the Immortal Lands dwindled as he learnt more about that political environment. Noah didn't mind fighting mutated magical beasts and Devils, but the situation was different when it came to cultivators.

Organizations made of zealots and fanatics could become dangerous in an instant. Those experts would easily give up on their life to take care of their enemies.

Noah didn't believe that he could hide his position toward Heaven and Earth, and part of him didn't even want to pretend. Still, he didn't have many options in front of three solid stage experts.

'How can I turn this situation to my advantage?' Noah wondered, but the trio gave him a chance before he could find a solution.

"We can't trust you so easily," One of the women said, "But we have issues that we can't solve for now. We have a map that marks the position of other possible settlements, but we can't risk the safety of our people to look for survivors."

"Do you want to reunite the organizations of this side before the final battle?" Althea asked.

"There won't be a final battle," The woman replied. "The Immortal Lands are almost stable. I can feel that the other world will soon exhaust its will. We only have to clear the plane to get rid of the mutated abominations."

"The mutated magical beasts that we met have developed a resistance to Heaven and Earth's laws," Harold commented. "Your help won't do much even after the Devils are no more."

"We can still fight like normal cultivators," The second woman snorted. "We avoid doing that out of respect for Heaven and Earth, but survival comes first in this situation."

'How does it even work?' Noah wondered. 'Do they have multiple laws at hand?'

His doubts didn't make him ignore that conversation. Noah had already formulated a basic plan, but he needed to know more to deploy it.

"What do we gain from helping you gathering your companions?" Wilfred asked.

"Do you think that you can clear the whole plane with this small group?" The woman continued. "You need our help, and we can give you access to our resources while we are allies."

The cooperation immediately felt more appealing, and the group quickly accepted those conditions. They couldn't do much in the end. The three solid stage experts had no intention to share resources until Noah and the others proved their worth.

The trio provided the group with detailed maps and inscribed items that could grant them the chance to keep track of their position even in that transformed environment.

Those items were quite amazing, and King Elbas found himself giving voice to nice comments about them.

The group could leave right away, but the experts had to divide themselves before approaching that task.

Noah tried to end up with his friends, but Althea and many others opposed him. The experts didn't trust him enough to leave him alone with existences that wouldn't stop him from creating a mess.

Harold and Fay Sinnell ended up in his team. His friends received a similar treatment, and the Foolery wasn't an exception. Althea decided to take care of the creature and keep an eye on it.

The various teams separated and flew toward different destinations. The maps covered most of the old human domain on that side of the Immortal Lands, so their journey would take a while.

The only positive aspect of that task was the lack of hindrances on the path. That side of the Immortal Lands was quite desolate due to the recent crisis. Only a few sharks and rare Devils occupied those areas. There could be other mutated magical beasts, but the group had yet to meet them.

Noah, Harold, and Fay flew across the regions for years before reaching their destinations. The team could sense that they had succeeded in finding the right place when a large floating lake appeared in their vision.

White lines materialized around the lake as soon as the team neared it. The same protections that defended the other settlement covered the massive structure.

Noah and the others could try to unlock the defenses, but they didn't want to go through that process again. Moreover, only Fay was an inscription master with some experience with those inscriptions, and she would need years to remove a few lines.

"Castor, Rebecca, and Melissa sent us," Noah shouted from behind the white lines. "We want to gather the forces left on the higher plane and launch a massive clearing operation."

The three names referred to the three solid stage cultivators met in the previous lake. Noah had decided to take a calm approach rather than wasting years working on those inscriptions.

His words seemed to have some effect since the white lines disappeared, and a tunnel formed among the raging waters. A few experts came out of that passage, but none of them was in the solid stage.

The experts mainly were in the gaseous stage, with only the two leaders in the liquid stage. Those cultivators even appeared rather friendly compared to the stern aloofness of the three solid stage from the first floating lake.

"We were waiting for a similar call," One of the two leaders announced. "Please, come inside. We need time gathering everyone, and you can definitely help."

Noah and the others remained still. They wouldn't go inside a foreign structure, especially when it belonged to organizations they couldn't trust.

The two leaders seemed to understand that mindset, and they quickly clapped their hands. The water of the lake began to evaporate and disperse the energy contained in its structure.

The various palaces and other buildings soon became completely visible. The lake contained a small city that featured countless weak auras. An entire army of rank 7 cultivators was living there, and some even came out of those structures to welcome those guests.

Noah and the others had no chance but to accept the invitation now. They could sense that the various structures had lost their hiding properties. No expert could escape from their mental waves now.

"We have waited for this call for a long time," The leader explained as he led Noah's team inside the structures. "We even performed sacrifices to Heaven and Earth to quicken their work."

"Do you all venerate Heaven and Earth here?" Noah asked as his consciousness spread to cover all the buildings.

"Of course," The leader replied. "Many of us weren't true followers before, but the crisis has changed our minds. Heaven and Earth have saved those who gave up on their laws and must say that I'm not disappointed with my new existence."

"How can you give up on a law that you have built for thousands of years?" Noah asked.

"It's better than death, isn't it?" The leader continued. "The white light of Heaven and Earth has saved me when a horde of Devils was about to transform my existence. I would have lost my law anyway."

"What it is to be a follower of Heaven and Earth?" Noah continued with his questions.

"It's not bad at all," The leader replied. "Your previous law will join the system, and Heaven and Earth will give you something in line with your power. You won't exactly change. You'll simply become part of a greater world."

"Which makes you a dog for unreasonable leaders," Noah commented.

"Dogs won't reach the peak of the cultivation journey," The leader whispered. "I imagine you won't either."

"Let's try to remain polite," Fay said. "We have different beliefs, and only time will tell who has chosen the right path. We can only be ourselves in the journey."

"You are right," Noah sighed. "I hope you can forgive my rudeness."

Noah stretched both his hands toward the two leaders, and the duo didn't hesitate to reach for them. However, Noah's fingers suddenly arched, and the experts' heads shattered as countless cuts opened on their surface.