Chapter 1969 1969. Comparison

Divine Architect was a monster who had studied countless inscription methods and every material that Heaven and Earth had to offer. She was a unique existence inside the rulers' system due to her expertise, so King Elbas' words didn't take her by surprise.

Divine Architect could immediately compare the four forms of energy to the different types of existences. She could even start crafting a vague theory, but she felt that something was off.

"I can see how you connect magical beasts to the primary energy and cultivators to the "Breath"," Divine Architect said through the puppet, "But how can you fill the other spots. Do you think hybrids stand next to the higher energy in your theory?"

"I wouldn't think anything so inaccurate," King Elbas shook his head as disappointment seeped into his voice. "Most magical beasts do stand at the same level of the primary energy, but some of them can go past that. I've actually known one that I would put next to the higher energy in this comparison."

King Elbas wanted to apply the same division of the types of energy to the existences. The former followed the path of the world, the same journey that had led to Heaven and Earth's initial defeat. Instead, the other wanted to focus on the laws that entities had to develop and nurture to reach the ninth rank and above.

Two paths existed, so they had to feature the same divisions. The path of the world had primary energy, "Breath", higher energy, and final energy as its fuels, but no labels existed for the laws. Cultivators and hybrids vaguely classified them by their broadness, but that wasn't an accurate description of their innate power. That label was barely enough to explain their potential.

King Elbas believed that similar differences existed among the laws, but they didn't depend on the species of a living being. A magical beast could match the weaker spot in the world's path, the primary energy, or stand on the second strongest, the higher energy.

"How can you even differentiate them?" Divine Architect asked. "You call me inaccurate, but your evaluations are fundamentally personal. You can't act as the sole judge of this classification that only you seem to see."

"You asked me to explain it," King Elbas replied as his arrogant smirk remained on his face. "I can destroy your puppet, take its materials, seize the rewards of our bet, and be on my way. Everything else is pure amusement."

Divine Architect fell silent. She didn't believe that King Elbas had found a system that every other expert in the world, she included, had overlooked. Yet, the mighty expert couldn't deny what was happening. Her opponent had managed to fend off an attack that perfectly countered him, and she didn't understand how something like that could happen.

The connections to the sky closed, but an item appeared in the sky and fell toward King Elbas during the event. A giant white cube radiating middle tier power descended among the whiteness and stopped right in front of the expert.

"I'll pay you for your answers," Divine Architect announced, and King Elbas happily stored the cube inside his body.

"Answers you say," King Elbas chuckled. "Everything is so simple that I'm surprised you couldn't even get the third level right."

King Elbas finished adjusting his crown, and the item released an intense golden light after the process. It remained at the peak of the eighth rank, but it appeared purer than every other material in the world.

"Normal magical beasts stand at the bottom, with the primary energy," King Elbas explained. "Cultivators are at the same level as the "Breath", obviously. Heaven and Earth have made sure to assign them that role, so only a few can move forward. Even fewer can understand that there is a path forward."

"Are you talking about those with the potential to reach the peak?" Divine Architect asked.

"Don't interrupt me with your awful assumptions," King Elbas scoffed. "Heaven and Earth have made the ninth rank a mere choice. How can you even use that goal to evaluate existence when the sky has countless worthless cultivators who are nothing more than an insult to the journey?"

"Beware of your words," Divine Architect threatened.

"Why?" King Elbas laughed. "You paid for them."

"Then make them stick to the topic," Divine Architect responded.

"Heaven and Earth's path is flawed," King Elbas continued as his expression turned serious. "Everyone knows that, and the same applies to you. Only delusional existences can believe that the rulers will keep them around in their current form if they ever end up reaching the tenth rank."

Divine Architect didn't answer, but her silence partially confirmed her agreement to those words. Her countermeasures and preparations against Heaven and Earth proved how little she trusted the rulers.

"Those who oppose Heaven and Earth and break from their system start to approach the third level, the higher energy," King Elbas explained. "The rebellious act generates powers that go past the rules of the world. My companions are a clear expression of this superior state. It would have been impossible for them to overcome cultivators wielding power many levels above theirs otherwise."

"I can accept this," Divine Architect announced, "But the world still has another form of energy, even if unreachable. Are you implying that you can step on that stage?"

"Oh, no," King Elbas corrected. "I've already reached it. Can't you see? My existence stands at the same level as the final energy. I'm simply following the cultivation journey instead of the world's path."

King Elbas spread his arms as if his gesture could explain his words, but Divine Architect couldn't see anything unique inside him through the puppet's senses. Her opponent appeared a regular rank 8 cultivator slightly stronger than his peers.

"I guess living with Noah Balvan and those who take pride in the title of Demons has changed your priorities," Divine Architect sighed after she failed to find anything that could prove King Elbas' words. "I don't know how you stopped the previous attack, but I won't let you steal my time any longer."

The puppet closed its mouth and charged forward. Divine Architect had understood that King Elbas had developed something capable of stopping her counters, so she would rely on the physical superiority of her creation to win.

That approach was brutish and straightforward, but it would also make it easier for Divine Architect to see what countermeasures King Elbas had invented to defend from the previous exchanges.

King Elbas sighed as the puppet crossed the sky and arrived on top of him in less than a second. Its claws descended toward his bright figure, but they released a clanging noise when they hit the shield generated by the golden runes on his skin.

"That was quite pitiful," King Elbas uttered. "I used to admire your fame as an inscription master. Part of me even hoped to find you in the Immortal Lands. Imagine my disappointment in discovering that you are no different from the brutes in my group."

King Elbas raised his hand and sealed his grasp on the puppet's wrist. The creature's fabric wasn't completely solid, but cracks appeared on its surface nonetheless.

"The existence is the very foundation of our power," King Elbas announced. "I have the best possible version of my law, so I can express far more power without wasting much fuel. Look how energy in the eighth rank overcomes what should be the best item in the middle tier of the ninth rank."

King Elbas tightened his grasp, and the wrist shattered. The puppet's hand transformed into a cloud of final energy that flowed inside its opponent.

****

Author's notes: I want to warn you beforehand. I will be a good boy and go straight to bed tonight, meaning that I won't be up until midday writing. I will sleep, write Demonic Sword as soon as I wake up, and do my best to have the chapters ready for the long-forgotten old release time the next day.

In short, chapters will arrive late tomorrow, but I hope to put an end to the delays tomorrow (this should be attempt number 4 or 5 I think).