2330.Boulder

The battle against Heaven and Earth had continued while the Eternal Snake kept Marcella busy, but things didn't improve too much.

The arrival of the Foolery had added a new set of troublesome attacks to the team's offensive. Having a solid stage hybrid fueled with intense anger toward Heaven and Earth also deepened the group's advantage, but it failed to bring them on the winning side.

A break happened after a few exchanges went by. Noah found himself among the void, far away from his companions and with his mental waves struggling to expand. He was losing control over his centers of power, and his condition was to blame for that.

Holes that stretched deep into Noah's insides filled his body, and many cracks joined the picture, turning his figure into a gory mess. His resilience was keeping him strong and ready to fight, but his overall prowess was dwindling.

The fiendish armor hid those injuries, but Noah knew he was approaching his limits. His world had also stopped growing due to his past failures. He had unleashed stronger attacks during the previous exchanges, but Heaven and Earth had gotten used to them and had prevented him from generating more potential.

Noah was actively running low on energy, but his condition was far from the worse among his team. His companions had suffered a lot, and Wilfred expressed that trend better than the others.

Wilfred also stood alone in the void. The right side of his torso was a bloody mess, and his arm was missing. He had lost it during one of the past exchanges, but his life wasn't in danger. Yet, his physical prowess had greatly diminished due to the injury.

Alexander was only slightly better off. His identity as the best hybrid in the world and his understanding of his responsibilities had pushed him to face more dangers than his companions.

Whenever Heaven and Earth revealed an opening, Alexander was there. Whenever Heaven and Earth launched a seemingly endurable attack, Alexander was there. Whenever June and the others decided to retreat, Alexander was there to slow down Heaven and Earth.

That reckless approach had been sustainable only because Noah had helped as much as possible. He had even taken care of replacing Alexander multiple times. It was his role as one of the sturdiest beings in the world to face the most dangerous situations.

Supreme Thief and Sword Saint had suffered similar injuries but for different reasons. Their condition was terrible, but they appeared able to endure those wounds better than some of their companions.

Sword Saint had moved to the frontlines as the exchanges continued. His maniacal need to find a blade that could cut Heaven and Earth had pushed him into dangerous positions, but his behavior carried much more than that.

Sword Saint knew that his world was unique. He could endure deeper injuries without putting his potential in danger. The sword path would refill those missing parts during the breaks, so he happily relied on harmful attacks hoping to achieve some results.

Nevertheless, Heaven and Earth's knowledge was immense. They quickly found a way to deal with Sword Saint's peculiar world. His existence was partially outside their reach, but the same didn't apply to his body.

Sword Saint had worm-like lightning bolts running under his skin. That technique hindered his ability to move freely, which affected the execution of his arts. He couldn't perform perfect slashes if his body didn't move accordingly.

Heaven and Earth had used the same method to reduce Supreme Thief's power. Supreme Thief was the expert with the highest chance of hurting the crystals since he drew energy directly from his opponents, but that process required a connection. Heaven and Earth could easily use that against him.

Divine Demon, the Foolery, and June were the very opposite of Wilfred and Alexander. The three didn't appear affected by the exchanges, even if their condition didn't always hint at that.

The Foolery was a mess of charred skin and fuming flesh, especially near its mouth. It had suffered as many injuries as Alexander and Noah, but its world was keeping it at its peak. Its idiocy was the greatest fuel in the world in that battle.

Divine Demon was perfectly fine, but Noah had been with the expert long enough to understand that he was only pretending. Divine Demon's figure didn't show any injury, but his world had greatly suffered. His energy reserves were still okay, but he couldn't come up with techniques worthy of that battle.

As for June, it seemed that the battle didn't affect her at all. Her body carried many injuries, but they were nothing more than superficial dents that couldn't reach her world.

June's condition made sense due to her innate advantage in the battle. Heaven and Earth tried to diversify their offensive, but June could always sense when their attacks carried something she could negate.

Moreover, June's body had finally become immune to her own power. That didn't make her immortal, but it significantly increased her resistance. She could let her Perfect Circuit go wild without worrying about her condition.

The situation wasn't as bad as it looked. The group's sheer prowess had multiplied with the Foolery, and they were also turning themselves into a real threat to Heaven and Earth. The problem was that they weren't the only ones doing that.

June, Noah, Divine Demon, Supreme Thief, and Alexander were starting to achieve some results, but Heaven and Earth were also coming up with better attacks and counters. Moreover, the team had yet to pierce the crystals, while the rulers were inflicting damage during every exchange.

'We will really die at this pace,' Noah thought as he glanced at the many cracks on his swords. 'Oh, well.'

Noah shot forward, and his action started another joint assault. Divine Demon and the others didn't hesitate to fly toward Heaven and Earth, but a barrage of piercing beams welcomed them.

The group flew through the barrage, uncaring of the beams that pierced their bodies. Some teleported, other activated techniques, and the outcome ended up resembling the previous exchanges. All the experts landed on Heaven and Earth to unleash their best attacks.

"You stole the wrong one this time," Heaven and Earth mocked when Supreme Thief pulled his hand away from their head.

Unstable energy raged in Supreme Thief's palm. He tried to launch it downward, but an explosion happened and filled the whole area with toxic gas.

The explosion carried enough power to push the other experts away, but Heaven and Earth didn't let them go so easily. The crystal figure trembled before teleporting next to Wilfred. The hybrid punched Heaven and Earth to push himself away, but his left arm exploded as soon as his knuckles touched his opponent.

Heaven and Earth stretched an arm through the gory mess generated by the explosion, but a threat suddenly appeared above them. The crystal figure raised its free hand, and the immense landmass fell on its palm.

Shafu and the landmass cried in unison while putting everything they had in the thrust. The attack carried enough power to push Heaven and Earth away from the battlefield and slam them on the sky, but the slash stopped at that point.

The landmass and Shafu had every intention to squash Heaven and Earth on the sky, but the presence of a foothold allowed the latter to stop the offensive. The rulers could match the thrust's strength with their sheer physical might, and rumbling noises resounded as soon as they closed the hand pressed on the black surface.

The gesture launched five piercing rivers that dug through the landmass and reached its damaged spots. Giant cracks opened on the creature, and chunks fell out of it.

The overall stability of the landmass' structure eventually gave in. The previous damage caused by Heaven and Earth's stop expanded until it reached the other side of the creature, splitting it in half and sending that immense boulder into the void.