Otto didn't know how to stop Night. His senses couldn't keep track of the Pterodactyl's movements, and even Heaven and Earth's enhancements failed to make him understand where the creature was.
It wasn't only a matter of speed. Night never stopped destroying light. It severed laws even as it flew from one spot to another.
Heaven and Earth didn't manage to pinpoint its position because the creature destroyed the light before it could gather information. Night seemed able to counter the whiteness perfectly, and the world couldn't do anything to stop it.
"This is for all the years that you have forced me to spend underground!" Night roared while blackness opened behind it.
Heaven and Earth tried to send more light and rebuild Otto, but Night was too fast. It attacked every radiant sphere that tried to gather in the sky before resuming its relentless destruction.
Noah didn't need to do anything in that situation. He had unleashed the perfect creature for the job, so he could relax and focus on his recovery while he bathed in the darkness that spread through the area.
The sky crackled in anger, but it didn't resort to the Heaven Tribulation. The world was already spending an immense amount of energy to rebuild Otto, and it had learnt by now how useless that punishment was with Noah.
Otto didn't know what to think. He had sacrificed his existence to become part of Heaven and Earth's system. He had achieved immortality, and his power could go beyond the limits of liquid stage cultivators.
However, Night lived to destroy light. Its entire existence was a source of darkness. It even generated blackness whenever it severed laws.
Noah's ambition and his violent thoughts improved Night's innate ability. The Pterodactyl could use Noah's bloodl.u.s.t to strengthen its ability to destroy the light.
The result of that empowerment was an overwhelming performance. Night had filled the sky with large black cuts that covered entire regions. Whiteness still spread for most of the area, but Night wouldn't let even a tiny brim of light go.
Noah let Night's emotions flow inside his mind, but he didn't forget his position. Heaven and Earth had managed to suppress him. He would have been forced to flee if it weren't for his companion.
'This was only a case,' Noah thought as black spots spread in the immense whiteness. 'I've casually met an opponent who could counter my abilities due to Heaven and Earth's help. It wasn't a punishment made for me.'
Great Builder's words were still vivid in his mind. Noah knew that Heaven and Earth would eventually create a punishment meant for his existence. His very law could become his enemy on that occasion, and it was clear that he wasn't ready to face that.
Moreover, normal projects wouldn't work against Heaven and Earth. Everything would be pointless if those existences created something able to counter his law. After all, they had managed to kill monsters like Great Builder and Supreme Thief through those punishments.
Noah needed something more. He couldn't allow himself to die like those rank 9 experts, but the only path that could solve his issue involved the experiments with the Devils.
His law would become able to counter Heaven and Earth's suppression if he managed to obtain the Devils' power. Yet, the procedure could be the very end of his existence.
'What's the best path?' Noah wondered without moving his eyes from the sky.
Noah had already decided to experiment with the Devils, but he didn't feel any pressure toward that procedure. However, Otto had shown him how Heaven and Earth could exploit his flaws, and that forced him to consider approaching the transformation sooner.
'I need to speed up the testing phase,' Noah sighed. 'I need to get reckless again.'
King Elbas' pellets helped Noah with the experiments, but they were also a safe approach. They could only absorb and express Noah's law, but there was a limit to how close it was to the original.
'Right,' Noah suddenly recalled before turning toward the ground. 'I forgot about Harold.'
Noah glanced at the sky one last time before shooting downward. Countless cracks had opened on the uneven ground of the other side of the Immortal Lands due to Otto's offensive. The environment had transformed, but Harold's presence was still strong in Noah's mind.
Noah moved away boulders and large pieces of shattered ground before finding a tunnel that led deeper into the terrain. His connection with the spell that restrained Harold led him deeper into that path, and a sorry human figure soon appeared in his view.
"Curse you!" Harold shouted as tremors ran through his body. "You could have lifted my restraints at least!"
"I honestly forgot about you," Noah shrugged his shoulders before lifting the suppression.
Power finally flowed back into Harold's tissues. His centers of power resumed their usual functioning, and the tremors quickly stopped. Noah had made him too weak for that battlefield, but the expert could calm down now.
"Is this how you treat your underlings?!" Harold complained. "How did your organization even survive until now?"
"You are fine," Noah laughed. "I don't see the problem. Just get stronger before this happens again."
Harold's complexion paled. He had seen part of Otto's power, so he could understand how dangerous experts who had a connection with Heaven and Earth were.
The sole thought of facing another immortal expert made Harold shudder. Those were matters that involved the rulers of the world. Any cultivator would hesitate before fighting them.
Still, Noah seemed at ease with the whole situation. It didn't matter how powerful his opponents were. He wouldn't retreat as long as he had a chance to win.
"Do you think that there are others of them?" Harold asked as he calmed himself down.
"There must be," Noah sighed. "Heaven and Earth have maintained control over the Immortal Lands even after many experts reached the ninth rank. I expect them to have a few immortal armies."
Noah's thoughts went on the cities inside the sky, but he didn't reveal their existence to Harold. It was better to keep a few secrets, especially when it came to an expert he couldn't trust.
Harold went silent. He lowered his eyes as countless thoughts ran through his mind.
The expert had to admit that joining Heaven and Earth's faction sounded like the only reasonable option. They could grant immortality. That alone would be enough to make many organizations lose their will to fight.
His force knew a lot about Heaven and Earth, but Harold had consistently failed to understand how powerful they were. Otto's battle had made him realize how influential they could be, and the situation appeared doomed for those who wanted to oppose them.
"Thinking about switching sides?" Noah asked while giving voice to a laugh.
Harold quickly raised his eyes, but a tinge of surprise appeared on his face when he noticed that Noah wasn't mad. He seemed pretty relaxed, as if he didn't care about that topic at all.
"How can you be so at ease?" Harold asked. "Heaven and Earth can resurrect cultivators, and we are walking inside their world! No one can win this fight. The cultivation journey has always been rigged!"
"Every system has flaws," Noah said while digging his way back to the surface. "Perfection doesn't exist in this world. There is always something that you can exploit, a path that can lead you to victory. It's only about how hard it is to walk through it."
"Did you find the path to defeat Heaven and Earth?" Harold asked while following Noah.
Harold wanted to ask more questions, but the sight of the outside world left him speechless. He couldn't find the light of the sky anywhere. The entire area was dark, and only the azure light of the ground illuminated the environment.
The expert found himself unable to move his eyes from the black sky. It was theoretically impossible to obtain such a strange scenery in the Immortal Lands, but Harold couldn't reject his senses. Noah had defeated Heaven and Earth's light, even if only in a small area.
"Maybe," Noah answered while glancing at the sky, and a huge figure soon landed next to him.
Night had come back as the winner of the fight.