2281 2281. Taun

"My, my," Caesar chuckled when Noah stopped right in front of him. "Your organization is really going all-out."

"You aren't as secretive as you think," Noah responded as dark matter leaked out of the swords in his hands. "Besides, we can understand the state of the sky even without being part of it."

Caesar glanced at the white layer behind him before showing his smile to Noah again. Wilfred's guess had been on point. Heaven and Earth were about to break free of the old rulers' net, which meant that the final battle was about to enter its last phase.

"Why did you decide to face me then?" Caesar wondered. "You know that Heaven and Earth are about to step forward. Does the current state of the battlefield give you any confidence?"

Noah's army had the advantage now, but everything would change once Heaven and Earth appeared. The balance would shift again, creating a gap in the overall power that Noah's allies couldn't fill.

"Why are you even complaining?" Noah mocked. "I thought you wanted me here."

"I expected some of your smart plans," Caesar revealed. "The way I see it, my side still has too many assets. Heaven and Earth's arrival will be your end if nothing changes."

"Why do you want to lose so badly?" Noah sneered.

"I don't want to lose," Caesar stated. "You know that. I only want you to struggle as much as you can."

"Heaven and Earth must be desperate to need so much help," Noah joked.

"This is my plan, not theirs," Caesar calmly replied. "Also, we are talking about the tenth rank. You would do anything in your power too."

"I would have never put myself in a similar situation," Noah sighed. "How can a breakthrough have value when I have to trust my enemies to complete it?"

"Your tongue is as sharp as ever," Caesar commented. "It's a pity that I know what you are thinking."

"Which is?" Noah asked.

"Opinions are worthless," Caesar replied. "The winners are right."

Noah couldn't help but wear his cold smile. Caesar had spoken the whole truth. The final battle was more than a struggle between two organizations. It was the clash between two almost opposite paths.

Noah's organization expressed pure individuality. Its experts strived to ignore limits and labels through sheer will and countless feats. Meanwhile, Heaven and Earth had reached their current power by fusing paths and creating a safe environment for their followers.

Truth be told, Noah believed that both paths could work. Power had multiple aspects, and Heaven and Earth had seized as many of them as possible.

Still, Heaven and Earth's overwhelming power had forced the world to create worthy enemies. That trend didn't specifically involve living beings, but experts like Noah and his companions had benefitted from it.

That had created two incredibly powerful fronts that had no option but to clash. Their very survival depended on their victory, and part of Noah saw it as a pity.

<br/>'Maybe we are both worthy of achieving the tenth rank,' Noah thought while comparing the two organizations. 'Maybe the universe can't accept both of us to reach that power due to how strong we have become.'

Random thoughts about the average strength of the rank 10 existences crossed Noah's mind. That level of power had never been so close, so Noah couldn't help but develop hypotheses.

'Will I end up at the bottom of the food chain?' Noah wondered. 'Will I be stronger than the stars?'

Noah obviously couldn't find real answers, but it made sense to believe that his basic level would be far higher than his peers after reaching the tenth rank.

After all, Noah would have to defeat Heaven and Earth to advance. The rulers were an existence that had fused two immense paths to create a superior power, so destroying them would place him in a greater realm.

'I might be able to hunt down the stars right away,' Noah thought as bloodlust seeped out of his figure.

"I'm flattered," Caesar stated when he sensed Noah's bloodlust.

"You aren't worthy of so much attention," Noah snorted as he pointed his swords toward Caesar. "As for my companions, they will be fine. I know that your fate has seen that."

Caesar's smile widened while his eyes fell on the massive dragon trying to find an agreement with the landmass. The fact that Noah and his stronger companions had joined the major battles wouldn't matter anymore once Shafu learnt how to use that giant sword. No one under the ninth rank would be able to remain in the higher plane at that point.

"I guess this is our best chance to destroy your forces," Caesar declared.

"Why do you even bother to taunt me when you know what's about to happen?" Noah sighed, and three intense auras promptly filled a distant spot of the higher plane.

Emperor, Queen, and Vesuva released part of their energy before transforming it into waves that flew toward the many rank 9 cultivators that still filled the battlefield. Those attacks weren't too powerful, but the three experts had never intended to use them to kill their opponents. They were only warning them.

"Are you sure that this is the best approach?" Queen wondered. "Some of those battles might need our power."

"You can go," Vesuvia giggled. "I'll stay with Emperor."

"As if," Queen snorted.

"You have seen how strong Divine Demon and Sword Saint have become after their breakthroughs," Emperor stated. "We can help with the enemy leaders, but we can't face Heaven and Earth in our current state."

"So, we are putting our lives in their hands," Queen commented.

"They have overcome the Cursed Labyrinth," Emperor replied. "They have created a force that gained the upper hand against Heaven and Earth's army. That's more than we ever did."

"I like this wise side of you," Vesuvia teased.

"Why don't you stop it already?" Queen scolded before taking a deep breath to calm down.

Queen, Emperor, Vesuvia, and Cursed Reality had already reached their peak. They were monsters, but they couldn't get any stronger. Instead, many of their new companions had yet to show their true power.

Queen became aware of an annoying truth after a quick inspection. She had already accepted that Noah and the others could surpass her level, but she had never thought the gap to be so vast.

A mere glance in Divine Demon or Sword Saint's direction told Queen that those two could now match her power. They might even surpass it in an actual battle.

That wasn't the end of it. The organization still had Noah, Alexander, and King Elbas among the major experts who had yet to face their breakthroughs. June, the pig, and Wilfred were also promising, and Supreme Thief seemed up to something too.

It was impossible to predict how strong those experts could become after their breakthroughs. Yet, they needed significant feats to reach that point in their cultivation journeys, and they involved powerful opponents.

Handling a seemingly simpler role felt demeaning for an expert at the peak of the ninth rank. However, Queen felt forced to accept it. The overall power of her organization would multiply if even a fraction of her companions could improve.

"Just do it already," Queen eventually ordered.

"Very well," Vesuvia laughed before closing her eyes.

Faint dark energy came out from the void and expanded throughout the higher plane. Tremors ran through that fuel before echoing Vesuvia's voice. "Every rank 9 cultivator is now our opponent. If you interfere with other battles, we'll come for you."