The rank 9 membrane shattered and discharged its power. The white layer was quite weak compared to other rank 9 items since Heaven and Earth only wanted it to isolate the worlds in its insides, but it still contained enough energy to cause a lot of damage.
An implosion followed the destruction. The energy in the membrane created currents of power that shot toward the insides of the separate dimension and crashed on themselves. The impacts generated even stronger white waves that spread their raging might everywhere in the area.
Noah, Divine Demon, Wilfred, and the giant jellyfish ended up facing the first wave of raging currents. Still, the white gales bounced back into the area when they hit the creature's body.
The same didn't happen for the three experts. They were small, so they didn't have to endure the entirety of the power contained in the membrane. However, they couldn't avoid all the current either, which hit them while they were trying to regroup with their companions.
The three experts instinctively activated defensive technique as their instincts warned them about the imminent danger.
Divine Demon's influence transformed part of that raging whiteness into azure energy that fought to protect him. That power copied the currents but acted against them as if challenging them to overcome their alternative version.
The muscles on Wilfred's back bulged and released faint shockwaves that exploded right above his skin to deplete part of the currents' power. Still, the whiteness hit him anyway, but his body had already reached its peak defensive stance by then.
Layers of dark matter covered by black roots created a shield behind Noah while he deployed the unstable substance. Snore and Shafu even exposed part of their body to provide as much protection as possible. Duanlong also tried to divert that raging energy, but it didn't have enough time to deploy its innate ability.
The many defensive abilities of the experts managed to shield them from the deadly features of the white currents, but they suffered severe damages anyway.
Noah and Wilfred saw the muscles on their backs vanishing under the threatening properties of the gales before they managed to escape their range.
Part of Divine Demon's body disappeared once the whiteness engulfed his figure. Half of his torso, an arm, and the side of his face vanished, but he also managed to leave the implosion's range.
The rest of the experts in the group couldn't help their friends during their struggle since they also had to retreat to safety. Still, they didn't hesitate to support them once they escaped the most dangerous area.
Raging currents tried to chase after the trio, but massive attacks exploded on their path. A storm of slashes, a huge purple mass of toxic power, and a wall made of dense matter fell on the flying whiteness and stopped their charge.
The attacks didn't actually stop the currents. The whiteness' purpose was to absorb energy, so it depleted its power to devour the power contained in the experts' techniques.
The outcome was still positive, but the experts inevitably showed annoyed faces at that scene. The membranes were easy to pierce for such a well-prepared group, but the experts would struggle to face them if the whiteness could completely redirect their energy toward destructive purposes.
Heaven and Earth continued to appear too powerful for them. Some of them were on their way toward the ninth rank, but they felt too weak to deal with what the rulers had amassed throughout countless eras. The final opponent was still far away from their grasp.
King Elbas threw a few items toward the injured experts once they regrouped. He launched two pills that contained an immense amount of energy toward the two hybrids, while Divine Demon received a plain-looking potion.
Noah spat a fireball toward the pill and absorbed its energy through his innate ability. His back healed quickly, but many spots remained uncovered. Some even reached as deep as his bones.
Wilfred ate the pill, and the bleeding on his back immediately stopped. Flesh even began to grow from those missing spots, but it was clear that he required a few training sessions to fix his condition.
Divine Demon's eyebrow arched at the sight of the bottle containing a dark-yellow liquid, but his influence acted before he could decide what to do with the item. The container shattered, and the potion transformed into an azure substance that fused with his injuries and began to restore some flesh.
Divine Demon ended up being the only one who experienced a full recovery in mere minutes. Wilfred and Noah's bodies required too much energy to heal in that short period, but their innate resilience made them express their full power even in that condition.
"Heaven and Earth must have taken a gamble with that thing," Robert explained once everyone turned toward the jellyfish. "I bet they have trapped it without alerting its senses."
"I've never seen a magical beast like that," Noah honestly revealed. "It's not as powerful as other rank 9 creatures, but it contains an immense amount of energy in its body!"
Noah had the time to listen to his instincts after surviving the gales. He had managed to inspect the jellyfish and study its body through his superior awareness.
The creature appeared quite dumb. Noah couldn't hear any emotion or cry spreading from its figure. It seemed a mere mass of power that had taken a peculiar shape and faint survival instincts.
Its power seemed to belong to the lower end of the ninth rank. The jellyfish didn't feel as strong as the rank 9 dragon met in the Outer Lands or the armadillo in Sword Saint's memories. Yet, its body radiated far more power than all the worlds captured during their mission.
"Let's go!" King Elbas shouted. "This separate space will collapse when the light depletes its power!"
"No!" Noah promptly contradicted him, and all the experts turned in his direction.
"Do you want to fight it?" King Elbas asked. "I understand that this creature can help us rebuilding the world quickly, but it's not worth the risk."
"Fuck the world," Noah snorted. "I want to eat it!"
Noah's statement left everyone speechless for a second, but they soon understood what was going on in his mind. He had just found a weak rank 9 magical beast, and the best experts in his organization were with him. Wasting such an exciting chance felt like a waste.
However, the experts didn't want to risk their lives to feed Noah. He was their leader, but they had chosen to follow him because he didn't give such unreasonable orders.
"Everyone gets a piece," Noah explained. "We have the best army in the world, and our opponent is a creature that Heaven and Earth have weakened for who knows how long. How can we even think of retreating?"
The experts went over the matter in their minds, but the growls that had accompanied Noah's voice ended up triggering the hunger of the magical beasts behind the group.
Those creatures gave voice to loud battle cries that expressed their desire to join Noah in the attack. The sole thought of getting their hands on rank 9 materials was too tempting for them.
The experts threw away their thoughts after understanding that all the magical beasts were ready to charge ahead. Reason didn't matter anymore in that situation. It was time to give in to their greed.