2197 2197. Critical

The light amassed around the broken world and created something similar to a transparent chrysalis. Meanwhile, the gory structure continued to shatter and allowed the sky to send more light.

Steven, June, Maribel, and the odd dragon remained safe from the light. Heaven and Earth didn't wake up, and their light wasn't targeting them. Still, the scene revealed a peculiar behavior that no one dared to miss.

Noah initially thought about a resurrection, but the idea didn't make much sense. Heaven and Earth didn't understand the privileged cultivator's worlds, so any attempt to turn them back to life would cause a failed product. The flaws would even be significant when it came to experts in the solid stage.

However, something was definitely happening, but the broken world's energy remained still. Moreover, the process was automatic since Heaven and Earth had yet to wake up, which meant that they had expected something like that to happen.

Tendrils eventually came out of the transparent chrysalis and stretched toward the remaining patches of the gory structure. The whiteness enveloped them before dragging everything toward the central sphere.

The transparent chrysalis expanded as more pieces of the old woman's world fused with it. Eventually, only one pillar that connected the distant sky to the spherical structure remained.

Then, the energy inside the chrysalis began to shatter and flow through the pillar. Heaven and Earth were absorbing it for unknown reasons, but Noah couldn't miss that chance to hinder their plans.

Noah and Divine Demon teleported above a random spot of the pillar almost at the same time. Noah's swords descended, and Divine Demon's blood-red energy transformed into a pointy hammer that fell downward.

Both attacks slammed on the pillar and generated explosions that made the fabric of space twist and shatter. Cracks connected to the void appeared around Noah and Divine Demon, but the white tunnel remained intact.

Noah raised his swords, but he didn't swing them again. His instincts had made him aware of a sad truth. His mind had studied the previous offensive, and it had realized that his power wasn't enough to destroy the pillar.

'This is a quasi-rank 10 item,' Noah thought as his arms returned to his sides without launching any attack. 'A fake quasi-rank 10 item.'

Heaven and Earth's light wasn't a proper item, but they could condense it until it transformed into something stable enough to enter that category. The pillar was nothing more than a pure expression of their power that had taken the form of a tunnel.

"Divine Demon?" Noah called, even if he knew the answer he would receive.

"I am amazing and everything," Divine Demon sighed, "But this is cheating. I would need to suck the entire higher plane dry to launch an attack able to pierce this light, but the process would have already ended by then."

"Can you even endure all the energy of the higher plane?" Noah wondered.

<br/>"Why would I endure it?" Divine Demon snorted. "Let the world carry it. I'd just use it."

Noah wasn't in the mood to argue with Divine Demon. His previous question had been nothing more than a joke meant to disperse some tension, but it was clear that the event was inevitable now.

Divine Demon and Noah limited themselves to watch as the broken world flowed through the tunnel and ended up inside the sky. Those laws belonged to Heaven and Earth now, and the experts didn't know what they would do with them.

Noah tried to come up with hypotheses as he reviewed everything he had uncovered about Heaven and Earth's arsenal. The improved cultivators were a safe bet, but he believed that there was something else at work there. After all, that energy belonged to one of the best assets in the entire world.

June hovered toward Noah's position, and he crossed his legs to welcome her on his lap. She was a mess, but the healing process had already started, and Noah did what he could to help with the dark matter.

Steven, Maribel, and the odd dragon also reached Noah's position and began to take care of their injuries. Heaven and Earth's actions had added a bitter taste to their victory, but it didn't change its nature. A privileged cultivator in the solid stage had died.

The group waited for Heaven and Earth to retract the pillar before moving their gazes on the last battlefield. Little had changed since Noah's previous inspection, but it was clear that something would happen soon.

King Elbas, Supreme Thief, and the Foolery had yet to take their opponent seriously, and Sepunia had also given up on doing her best. She hid behind King Elbas as she created illusions in front of the many beams to get better at them.

However, the interactions among the team explained that everything was getting close to the critical point. In particular, King Elbas' desire to leave that group was getting stronger than his curiosity.

"Why are you hiding behind me?!" King Elbas scolded.

"Don't be so stingy," Sepunia giggled. "Being close is nice, isn't it?"

"You won't get your spot in the final battle if you don't improve," King Elbas declared.

"But I'm training," Sepunia corrected. "Can't you see? I have my defenses all over the battlefield."

King Elbas' irritation grew, but arguing with Sepunia was pointless. Luckily for him, he didn't lack targets for that feeling.

"Why haven't you stolen her world already?" King Elbas shouted. "Rob her, and let's put an end to this mission."

"Your lack of understanding is dismaying," Supreme Thief sighed. "Do you think such an awful world could propel my magnific existence toward the solid stage?"

"You lack understanding!" King Elbas rebuked. "This world is quite incredible. It can constantly adapt to the attack it receives to increase the effectiveness of its beams. She has yet to launch the same type of energy twice."

"Xavier is right!" The Foolery squealed as it flew toward another beam. "I have yet to experience the same taste twice."

"I don't want you to agree with me," King Elbas complained.

"Give me more, woman!" The Foolery ordered while ignoring the chance to tease King Elbas. "I challenge you to fill my stomach before your run out of different meals."

"These aren't meals," The middle-aged woman declared. "Do not worry. I'll soon find something that can put a few holes in your body."

"Challenge accepted!" The Foolery squealed.

"But I didn't-," The middle-aged woman said before being interrupted by louder words.

"Don't answer the pig!" King Elbas warned. "It will only make it say more nonsense."

"Are you helping the enemy now?" Sepunia teased.

"She isn't the one who will have to hear the stories about this battle from a pig," King Elbas explained. "I'd rather avoid adding a challenge to them. That word is a taboo among our organization."

"It's not a taboo," The Foolery contradicted. "It's the highest expression of a world."

"No, it isn't," King Elbas responded. "Do you even know what you said?"

"Blue!" The Foolery squealed while flying toward the new beam released by one of the mirrors. King Elbas didn't like being ignored, especially in such an idiotic way, but he decided to remain silent anyway.

"You made Heaven and Earth intervene," The middle-aged woman commented after the pillar disappeared back inside the sky. "Those two have slacked off in these years. That's what happens when they focus too much on the rulers instead of preparing for surprising threats."

"Are you talking to yourself now?" Supreme Thief asked before voicing an offer. "Look, I might find a place for your world in the future. Why don't you let me seize it without complaining?"

"I've had enough of your words," The middle-aged woman stated as her mirrors converged toward her figure and created multiple rotating rings. "It's time to show you what a real privileged cultivator can do."