Chapter 1802 - 1802. Hole

The experts conversed about their possibilities during their return.

Noah had enough energy to rebuild the world, but he couldn't fill the entirety of the area inside the sky with that. Still, he could build something capable of lasting for a long time, even with many powerful existences feeding off its nutrients.

In his mind, Noah wanted to complete multiple raids to the void, but he had to accept that every mission required long preparations and training sessions.

The experts couldn't spend their entire lives gathering energy. They had to put it into use, so the only viable solution seemed to involve the stormy regions.

A new plan slowly formed in Noah's mind as the experts threw ideas at him. His organization had many solid stage experts and upper tier creatures by then, so the storms didn't appear as dangerous as before. Those lands could offer energy easier to gather and transport back into the black regions, making them the perfect target for the imminent future.

No one wanted to explore the void a second time. The experts would do it if the situation required it, but that mission sounded pointless when they had a closer source of energy at hand.

The group had to decide between the dangers of the void and the threatening rank 9 creatures living inside the stormy regions. The latter appeared more dangerous, but the experts already knew about them. Instead, the blackness past the sky could hide creatures that the group couldn't even begin to approach.

The issue didn't concern the power level. The stormy regions probably were more dangerous than the void, but they didn't have problems connected to the lack of energy and the peculiar location.

Of course, Noah would change his mind as soon as one approach became more appealing, but he agreed that the entire group needed to spend some time resting after that travel. The period spent inside the mansion had allowed the experts to cultivate. However, the journey through the void had prevented them from training for most of its duration.

The travel back to the hole was uneventful. The group didn't encounter any significant danger since they didn't open paths toward the separate spaces anymore. The various cultivators, hybrids, and magical beasts focused on crossing the blackness, but excitement inevitably spread among them as their destination grew near.

The fights against the strange rank 9 existences contained in some separate space had been exciting, but nothing could compare to the nature of their mission. After all, the experts had successfully stolen entire lands and planes from Heaven and Earth. No one in the history of the Immortal Lands could claim to have succeeded in that task.

Even Noah felt quite proud about his group and himself. The journey didn't only make him gather the energy necessary to rebuild the Immortal Lands. It had also tightened the relationships among his group and had given him a general idea of their mindset.

The entire group hurried toward the hole to seize the glory that would accompany their return. King Elbas couldn't lose his way with the many inscribed items deployed to keep track of their position, so he led his companions in the initial location in no time.

"I was thinking," King Elbas exclaimed while the group descended toward the white layer. "I could try to create fake centers of power that generate energy on their own now that my path has to approach the ninth rank."

"That's an arrogant way to ask my help," Noah laughed as whiteness filled his vision.

"I can count the fields in which you are superior with one hand," King Elbas snorted. "Fake centers of power are one of them."

"We still need the key to generate proper energy," Noah sighed. "The cultivation journey should bring us closer to Heaven and Earth's level, in theory. We would have to invent a new form of energy completely detached from the "Breath" to step into that realm."

"That's why we need experiments!" King Elbas scoffed.

"You are just too curious to calm down," Noah continued to laugh.

"What can I say?" King Elbas shook his head. "Maybe you'll get these flaws too if I feed you with my energy."

"As if I didn't have enough already," Noah added before something strange caught his attention.

It was hard to see the hole in the sky from the void due to the whiteness flowing outside. That was one of the main issues with the void, but King Elbas had solved it with his quasi-rank 9 flags.

The hole usually became visible after nearing the sky, but Noah didn't manage to see anything. The group was already on top of the white layer, but no passage for the higher plane appeared.

"Tell me that you've made a mistake," Noah whispered, but King Elbas' silence was an answer that he didn't want to hear.

King Elbas separated from the group and hurried toward the sky. Noah followed him closely, and the duo soon arrived on top of the white layer. There was no hole there, but a desperate scene unfolded in their vision and made them lose every hope once they looked past the whiteness.

Noah and King Elbas saw the flag with the horned head among the white material that made the sky. It was inside it, even if the experts had planted it on the surface.

The other experts started to gather around Noah and King Elbas before revealing similar shocked expressions. The location of the passage was correct, but the hole had disappeared. They didn't have a way back into the Immortal Lands.

"The most dangerous enemy isn't necessarily the creature with the sharpest fangs," A youthful voice resounded near the group, and a man slowly seeped past the whiteness.

"A mere patch is enough to spread desperation sometimes," Caesar concluded before exploding into his odd laugh.

"I thought the holes were necessary for the Mortal Lands," Noah announced without turning toward the expert. "Did Heaven and Earth create a new path? I thought they wanted to preserve energy."

"They would never do something like that," Caesar laughed. "They simply absorbed the Mortal Lands connected to this passage. The sky can't have holes with no purpose, so the tunnel closed."

Elsie and the other experts from the human organizations trembled when their minds touched Caesar's rank 9 aura. The same went for the magical beasts. There was a proper monster at the peak of the cultivation journey in front of them. It didn't matter if Noah and King Elbas had told them about him. Caesar remained a scary existence to have so close.

Instead, Noah's core teammates remained relatively calm. The rank 9 aura was still scary, but they knew that Caesar didn't want to kill them.

"Why are you even here?" King Elbas asked. "Do you want to laugh at our fate?"

"I only want what's best for Heaven and Earth," Caesar exclaimed. "Your role is to overcome this struggle and grow more powerful before losing against the rulers."

"Hearing that once was already too much," Noah sighed. "You can go. You can come to visit my lands once we reach the other side of the sky if you have something to share. Don't bother coming otherwise."

Countless glances slowly moved toward Noah. He was ordering a rank 9 cultivator around without showing the slightest shame, and Caesar couldn't help but explode into a laugh at that sight.

"You are right," Caesar laughed. "I shouldn't waste your precious time. I bet your reserves of energy are running low already."

Caesar laughed again before seeping into the sky again and disappearing from everyone's gaze. Even probing with their minds didn't reveal anything.

Noah roared toward the blackness before a series of complaints could reach his ears. Everyone fell silent when they sensed his cold eyes moving among the group.

"I already know how to return inside the sky," Noah explained. "Let's skip the part when you sound like Heaven and Earth's allies."

"What plan?" Viola asked in a helpless voice. "We can't locate the holes from here. Do you know for how long we would have to explore the sky with all its whiteness?"

"We won't go closer to the sky." Noah continued. "We'll take the long route. We'll use one of the passages connected to the Mortal Lands."