The weaker world had successfully evolved. The materials inside the separate space had reached the seventh rank, and an intense aura spread from them.
The separate space was collapsing, but the experts in Noah's group deployed their auras to push those edges back. They couldn't stop the process completely, but slowing it down was possible with their power.
The Worldwide Heaven Tribulation suddenly found itself unable to damage the cracked surface that had survived after the recent events. The heroic and human beings hiding under that structure managed to survive the intense shockwaves generated by the lightning bolts since the ground absorbed the energy that dared to touch it.
Those cultivators, hybrids, magical beasts, and magical plants could barely understand what was happening in their world. Everything had turned upside-down in a matter of seconds. They had organizations, wars, politics, projects, and much more before, but everything had fallen apart in front of an apocalypse that they couldn't hope to defeat.
The arrival of Noah's group didn't improve their situation. Auras that could crush their centers of power with their sheer weight filled the separate space and vanquished the Worldwide Tribulation before avoiding the insides of the cracked surface.
The evolved world could barely endure the pressure of Noah's group. It was a mere rank 7 plane that had just stepped into the divine ranks, so those powerful auras enlarged the cracks and shattered the evolved ground.
The world seemed on the verge of a complete collapse, and the weaker living beings could only wait in front of the massive power radiated by Noah's group. They couldn't do anything in that situation. One of the rank 8 experts was enough to suppress them, and the team had more than twenty of them.
Noah didn't care about the shattering world. He only needed its overall structure to remain in place to preserve the entrance to the dimensional tunnel. Still, he didn't completely ignore the weaker beings hidden under the crumbling surface.
King Elbas activated a series of inscribed items as soon as the intense auras managed to bring some stability to the separate space. Golden light quickly filled the whole area, and a white passage eventually appeared near the cracked surface.
"It's already retreating," King Elbas explained. "We must go now."
The group shot toward the white entrance, but a pulling force suddenly spread from Noah's figure. The technique only affected the crumbling surface and its insides. It dragged the world closer to the group before completely disappearing once it entered Noah's range.
"How merciful of you," Robert commented when he saw that scene.
"The last thing we need is more existences on Heaven and Earth's side," Noah snorted.
Noah had already decided to save the beings inside the weaker world. His choice didn't involve mercy, and he didn't believe that those experts could become valuable members of his organization due to their low power. He had only desired to limit Heaven and Earth's assets as much as possible.
The group had to stop since King Elbas had to tinker with the tunnel's entrance to make it viable for those powerful experts and magical beasts. The process involved hundreds of different inscribed items that had various functions and various levels of intensity. Those objects created a dense array of intense influences that modified the structure of the dimensional passage and affected its nature.
It soon became clear that King Elbas wasn't trying to improve the dimensional tunnel. Most of his higher energy and items only flowed inside the structure and reinforced its edges to allow a thorough inspection.
The other items took care of building a tall portal that enveloped the white entrance. Golden light soon filled its insides and covered the dimensional tunnel, but the structure eventually fused with the path that cut through the void and invaded it with its influence.
The experts remained confused while they inspected that scene, but they didn't dare to give voice to their doubts. King Elbas wasn't improving the dimensional tunnel, but his goal was the same as his companions. He had to return to the other side of the sky to survive and continue his cultivation journey.
"The jump point is almost ready," King Elbas revealed. "It's far from perfect. You can expect it to be quite messy and flawed in certain spots, but I'll try to fix everything on the way. Also, don't lose track of the hole once you see it."
The instructions weren't clear, but the group accepted them anyway. King Elbas was basically asking them to trust him.
"Wasn't it easier to improve the entire dimensional tunnel?" The Foolery asked while wearing a rare curious face.
Its words could sound like a mockery among experts who didn't know each other, but King Elbas and the Foolery had spent millennia together, and they had often bickered. Still, there was some hidden respect between them, so the experts gave a polite explanation to the question.
"Improving it isn't the issue," King Elbas explained without moving his attention from the portal, "The problem is the length of the dimensional tunnel. I can probably reach its end with specific items, but I would have to spend centuries, if not more, on the task. This method is faster."
The experts didn't know what King Elbas was building. Noah had seen something similar in the lower world, but it was evident that the expert had changed the nature of his inscriptions in favor of other purposes.
"How do you plan on getting us to the hole without the dimensional tunnel?" Steven asked as a tinge of worry accumulated in his mind.
"I'm building a sling," King Elbas revealed. "Don't worry. It's almost completely safe. As I said already, you only have to keep track of the hole since my divinations can be slightly off."
Some among the group understood what King Elbas wanted to do. He was building a massive sling that would push the experts on the same path of the dimensional tunnel. Noah and the others wouldn't need to reinforce the structure at that point. The right push would lead them directly into the hole.
Of course, the dangerousness of the procedure worried them. The slight mistake in King Elbas' calculations could make the whole group land on the white sky and suffer uncountable damages.
Still, the experts couldn't ask much more since the expert was already doing his best. He had even warned everyone about the potential dangers of the task, but no one dared to retreat.
"It's ready!" King Elbas exclaimed before flying toward the golden halo that had appeared in the portal's insides.
Noah and the others quickly followed him and remained in their position in front of the golden light while they waited for King Elbas to give the order.
"Go in!" King Elbas eventually ordered. "The sling will do the rest!"
The group moved at the same time and stepped into the portal. A massive force landed on their backs and pushed them forward at high speed, but nothing appeared in their vision. The attack had been invisible, and it didn't leave any chance to dodge it.
Noah and the others only needed to sense that pushing force before finding themselves inside the dimensional tunnel. Their priorities immediately changed after that event. Their entire attention went toward the white sky in the distance.