Chapter 1976 1976. Sky

Noah flew back toward the floating lake after his battle was over. Many thoughts filled his mind as he inspected the nature of his power.

Night had advanced into the ninth rank, but his existence contained far more. Snore, Shafu, Duanlong, the parasite, the cursed sword, the Demonic Sword, his body, and his dantian were still in the eighth rank, and he feared that all of them would require a different feat to advance.

The sole thought that a single existence would have to go through so many breakthroughs only to reach the ninth rank would make many experts despair. However, Noah had long since accepted that his requirements were insane, and his recent project with the ethereal darkness had only stretched them further.

Noah wanted to overcome Heaven and Earth, but their power was immense. They were beings on the verge of fusing two separate paths in the journey toward the tenth rank. They wanted to advance as existences and worlds at the same time, and the power they would obtain in the eventuality of their success would be immense.

That knowledge only made Noah's requirements harder to meet, but he didn't fear that issue. Still, the process to achieve his goals grew harder every time he took a step toward the ninth rank.

The path didn't actually become harder, but each success taught Noah how much he had yet to achieve before completing his breakthrough. The farther he went, the more he understood how long the path was, and most of that was his fault.

'Duanlong and Shafu shouldn't be too troublesome,' Noah studied as he flew back to the lake. 'Their existences are simpler, so they should only need energy unless my ambition messes things up.'

Noah didn't completely believe in those thoughts. Night had required a special process to advance. Its existence was unique, but the other companions didn't fall too short, especially since they had been under the effects of his ambition for a long time.

Noah didn't hate the idea of his companions going through special breakthroughs since that would lead to stronger existences. Still, he felt overwhelmed by the massive amount of energy that each process would require. Snore and the others even had it easier since they weren't actual parts of his ethereal darkness, but that wouldn't save them from the same struggle that Night had to face.

'Don't tell me that I have to invade the sky before reaching the ninth rank,' Noah thought as the storms around him transformed into primary energy that flowed into his body.

The stormy regions were full of energy, but his requirements had already made him disregard fuel under the liquid stage. His centers of power desired more than what the world could offer, so his thoughts inevitably went to the only place that could satisfy his needs.

Nevertheless, the sole idea of entering the sky was insane. Noah couldn't consider it unless all his other options vanished. He wasn't ready for that journey. He would probably be too weak for that invasion even after reaching the ninth rank.

The floating lake eventually unfolded in his vision, but two powerful presences diverted his attention from that marvelous environment. King Elbas and Divine Demon were already on the scene, and a broad smile appeared on his face when he sensed that one of them had reached the ninth rank.

"My heir!" Divine Demon shouted when he sensed Noah's arrival. "Help me out here. Tell this idiot how I'm better than him at everything."

"How can you even call me an idiot after spending the entirety of your divine journey as a forgetful brute?" King Elbas snorted before turning toward Noah. "We need to talk. I have a favor to ask."

Noah was ready to tease King Elbas, but his words left him speechless. Divine Demon also fell silent in front of that surprising announcement. The proud and arrogant King Elbas was openly asking Noah a favor, and his face didn't even carry any trace of shame.

Noah forced himself to inspect King Elbas thoroughly. Divine Demon's breakthrough had initially claimed the entirety of his attention, but a second study of King Elbas' figure revealed that he had gone through faint changes.

King Elbas had always been stronger than his actual level, but there was something else now. Noah couldn't completely understand what had changed, especially since his cultivation level was lower than before. Still, he could sense the new overwhelming might that filled his figure.

That understanding came from Noah's destruction. He naturally thought of ways to destroy everything that entered the range of his consciousness, so he felt how hard it would be to kill King Elbas now.

Moreover, the new confidence showed by the expert hinted at a sharp change in his mindset. King Elbas would have never asked for a favor so openly, and he would have definitely felt awkward about the issue. Still, he could voice that request easily and without revealing any shame now.

"What has happened to you?" Noah asked as his reptilian eyes sharpened due to the increased intensity of his inspection.

"I've evolved past you brutes," King Elbas explained shortly before lowering his gaze, "But I have something to fix before claiming the ninth rank, and I need your crazy mind to come up with a viable plan."

"I'm all ears," Noah uttered while continuing his inspection.

Noah was truly speechless. He had rank 9 mind, but he struggled to understand what King Elbas had become. Those words didn't sound too arrogant in front of fabric that even he couldn't study properly.

"The stormy regions might have decent sources of energy," King Elbas explained, "But I need something more for me. I need you to help me seize a piece of the sky."

Noah had to close his eyes to suppress his greed. It almost sounded fateful for King Elbas to mention the sky right after his reasoning. His mind immediately started to build a plan that could make the journey feasible, but the situation appeared grim.

The sky had multiple issues. Noah wasn't sure whether his group could even touch that white material due to the corrosive influence that it radiated.

Heaven and Earth's devouring power filled the entirety of that white layer. The sky also contained cities filled with cultivators in the ninth rank. Thinking about getting there was beyond crazy, but Noah couldn't stop thinking about that plan.

Noah and King Elbas had already dealt with the sky during the exploration of the void. They had only opened a small hole on its surface, but that feat alone showed that the plan wasn't completely impossible. Still, it required far more planning than they had ever done before.

"How long can you wait before that?" Noah eventually asked.

"I believe I can wait a few millennia," King Elbas replied, and Noah nodded to acknowledge that idea.

Noah wasn't willing to go in the sky in his current state, but everything would change if he managed to bring his companions into the ninth rank. He would have a shot at surviving and seizing important resources at that level, and a few millennia sounded good enough to succeed in those preparations.

Four powerful presences entered the range of the trio's mental waves during their conversation. Divine Demon, King Elbas, and Noah turned to look in the distance, where they saw Supreme Thief and Great Builder carrying Wilfred and Steven. The latter had fainted, but their rank 9 cultivation level was impossible to overlook.

****

Author's notes: Guys, you can all see that I'm struggling to write lately. Each chapter takes far longer than it used to be, and the issue doesn't come from the sheer number of words that I churn every day. I'm kinda off, but I'm taking it easy and focusing on Demonic Sword while leaving Chaos the time that I have left. I'm sorry I can't be as stable as I used to be. Still, I'll do my best to give you the usual amount of content.