2225 2225. Signs

'Did we succeed?' Noah wondered as various shining figures came out of the sky and teleported in different areas of the higher plane.

Caesar appeared completely fine, but Noah knew that he had done his best. His group had relied on some of their best techniques to hurt Caesar's fate, but they couldn't confirm if their efforts had fulfilled their intentions.

Still, the time for tactics and strategies was over. The new privileged cultivators that came out of the sky filled the higher plane with their solid stage auras and announced how the final battle had moved to the next phase.

"Stop looking at me," Caesar laughed when the five experts inspected him. "I think you have far bigger problems to handle."

Destructive thoughts fused with anger inside Noah's mind. He wanted to kill Caesar right away, but he knew that fighting him was only a waste of time for now. His organization needed him to handle the new privileged cultivators, so he diverted his attention from Caesar was he looked for a suitable opponent.

The landmass didn't stay still either. Multicolored lights shone on its surface as the other leaders left their training areas and teleported in front of the reinforcements.

June, Emperor, Pellio, Vesuvia, Queen, and all the other powerful experts that had joined the landmass stepped on the battlefield to face the solid stage privileged cultivators. The Foolery, Great Builder, and Supreme Thief didn't stay still either. They knew that their time had come.

The landmass became empty for the first time since the beginning of the final battle. A few inscriptions continued to shine, while many items remained hidden, but every living being left to help on the battlefield.

Noah relied on his instincts to find the tougher opponents, but the privileged cultivators had already arranged those imminent battles. Their auras condensed until different names appeared above their figures. Their power acted as bright signs that invited specific enemies to fight them.

"I hope you won't mind this," Caesar spoke, and his voice spread throughout the higher plane. "We have handpicked suitable opponents for all of you. Win, and you'll improve. Lose, and this battle will end."

"Won't this affect your great plan?" Noah wondered. "Giving us specific opponents would affect our growth."

"Not if they counter your abilities," Caesar explained.

"So, that's how you want to play this," Noah stated. "Fine. We won't refuse the chance to obtain more power."

Everyone heard Noah's words, and a series of confident smiles filled the battlefield as various movement techniques expressed their power. Soon, all the new privileged cultivators saw their chosen opponents appearing before them.

"Who would you be?" Noah asked after teleporting in front of a tall, middle-aged man with bright red eyes and long scarlet hair.

"Did you forget about me already?" The man questioned in a coarse voice.

<br/>"I remember you from the sky," Noah admitted. "So, someone survived."

Noah was speaking about the deal sealed with Caesar when his group traded the captured privileged cultivators with an exit from the sky and worlds for Supreme Thief.

"You have hidden that trap well," The cultivator exclaimed. "Even the best of us couldn't notice it. Many died, even more suffered serious injuries, including me."

"You seem fine," Noah shrugged his shoulders as his swords materialized in his hands. "I'll fix that soon enough."

"Fine?" The cultivator cursed as a violent cough took control of his voice. "You have no idea what you brought upon yourself."

"I waged war against Heaven and Earth," Noah sneered. "You can't scare me."

"I probably wouldn't be enough on my own," The cultivator admitted as different auras flowed out of his figure and filled his surroundings with unstable power. "Yet, all of us might."

Noah's reptilian eyes darted left and right as he inspected that strange aura. It wasn't rare for cultivators to have different aspects. Some even carried conflicting powers. However, his opponent's power seemed to feature multiple worlds, and some of them felt familiar.

"Do you recognize them?" The privileged cultivator asked. "These are the worlds that your little trick injured. I ate those that couldn't survive Heaven and Earth's absorption for this sole battle."

In another area of the higher plane, King Elbas materialized in front of a strange cultivator. The latter had a humanoid figure, but its insides resembled the space dragon since they were nothing more than different shades of white light.

"Are Heaven and Earth underestimating me or something?" King Elbas questioned after a single glance at his strange opponent. "Why would they send an inscribed cultivator against me?"

"Nice to meet you, Xavier Elbas," A sizzling voice came out of the humanoid figure. "I expected you to recognize my nature right away. After all, you have also built inscribed cultivators in the past."

"Don't compare yourself to my creations," King Elbas announced as a tinge of arrogance seeped into his voice. "I don't build mere puppets without free will."

"I know," The inscribed cultivator exclaimed as its glowing arm rose to point at a spot in the distance. "That's Second Prince, right? He is quite peculiar. Though I'm afraid to say that he hates you."

"So, what?" King Elbas stated. "Hatred is a powerful fuel. It will force him to seek realms that I have yet to reach. I would have failed as an inscription master if my creations didn't have the potential to surpass me."

"Divine Architect has a far different view," The inscribed cultivator declared. "No wonder you have chosen such opposite paths."

"Where is Divine Architect?" King Elbas asked. "I don't want to waste time with Heaven and Earth's underlings. I'm ready to face her right away."

"Oh, but she isn't," The inscribed cultivator revealed. "Actually, I'm here due to her orders. As her first child, it's my job to prevent you from disturbing her."

In another area of the higher plane, Alexander materialized before a seemingly plain privileged cultivator. He didn't like how his name continued to shine above his opponent even after his arrival, so he took a deep breath to absorb that energy and remove that light.

"We are quite irritable," The woman giggled when she saw her light flowing inside Alexander's mouth.

"Let's not waste time," Alexander sighed as he scratched his golden hair. "I want to go back to punching Caesar."

"That's a pity," The privileged cultivator exclaimed as she tied her long black hair in a ponytail. "I wanted us to explore our respective limits. It's rare for me to face someone with a body as strong as mine."

"That's quite arrogant coming from a cultivator," Alexander pointed out. "Your kind stands below normal hybrids. How do you even hope to be on my level?"

"Worlds can stretch deeper than you think," The woman revealed. "You express superiority, but I carry the purest form of hard work. Heaven and Earth had to ask for my help to build the improved cultivators that have killed so many hybrids."

Divine Demon reached his opponent in an instant, but he didn't pay much attention to her after his teleport. He appeared more interested in the sky behind her and the other battles as he created his usual cup of wine and crossed his legs to relax.

"I expected to deserve a bit of attention," The woman sighed. "I guess you are as unreasonable as everyone expected."

"You are a stepping stone prepared by Caesar," Divine Demon stated. "Your sole role is to die to make me stronger. How do you expect me to have any interest in you?"

"Your words make sense," The woman declared. "However, I suggest you stop underestimating me. You might be the Breath's heir, but I'm its greatest enemy."