Chapter 1978 - 1978. Shining

The white lake floated among the sky. A tall mountain stood by its side, and a waterfall descended from its peak. The marvelous environment absorbed and released chaotic laws, and it contained enough energy to make Noah drool.

Great Builder, Noah, and King Elbas thoroughly inspected the area and confirmed that the lake acted as a defensive structure. There seemed to be a separate dimension hidden beneath the shining water, and the experts didn't hesitate to remove it.

The lake was massive, and its energy incredible, but it lasted only a few seconds in front of the experts. Five rank 9 existences, Noah, and King Elbas could seize that power in no time, and even the mountain crumbled after the process was over.

Noah didn't even bother to remain disappointed about his growth. His body improved, but the lake was nothing more than a good meal after dividing its energy with his companions.

The world appeared seamless after removing the lake, waterfall, and mountain. Whiteness unfolded in the group's eyes together with stable space and no trace of portals that could lead to a separate dimension..

"Let me handle this," King Elbas stated at that sight.

Golen light came out of King Elbas' figure and seeped into the world. Noah couldn't understand what the expert was doing, but he could inspect the changes in the fabric of space to study the event.

The world of lines appeared in Noah's eyes and allowed him to see how King Elbas was forcing the arrays depicting the laws of space trembling to no end. The expert was affecting the stability of the area on a deep level.

"I'll help," Noah exclaimed as his dark world expanded and joined King Elbas' intense energy without affecting its power.

The golden final energy and Noah's higher energy worked together to make the world shake. A small shining opening eventually materialized in the fabric of space and started expanding, but Divine Demon snorted when the process took too long.

A torrent of blood-red energy fell from the storms above the experts after Divine Demon waved his hand. The river tainted the whiteness and pierced the passage that Noah and King Elbas were slowly expanding.

A spiderweb of cracks spread from that spot and shattered space in multiple points. The fissures that opened after that destruction didn't lead to the void. They connected the white area to a shining environment that tried to hinder the experts' inspection with its blinding light.

"What are you even doing?!" King Elbas complained while Noah limited himself to sigh.

"You were too slow," Divine Demon explained as a proud smirk appeared on his face.

"How many defenses do you think this place has?" King Elbas shouted.

"What can we even fear at our leve-?" Divine Demon gave an arrogant remark, but the world started to shake violently and cut off his voice.

The tremors generated by King Elbas and Noah had been soft and in line with the laws of space. They were forcing the portal to open naturally to prevent triggering eventual defenses placed in the shining environment.

Divine Demon ruined that process and triggered all the defenses that the entrance contained at the same time. Multiple middle tier auras seeped out of the cracks before a series of crackling avatars climbed out of the shining dimension to appear in the outside world.

The avatars appeared denser than those usually fought by the group of experts. The crackling energy that made their bodies was brighter. It seemed to aim to the state of higher energy, but it fell slightly short.

The experts could immediately guess that the shining dimension was unique in its purpose. It wouldn't make sense for Heaven and Earth to store stronger avatars there instead of using them during the Tribulations.

'Is this a proper research ground that Heaven and Earth couldn't have in the sky?' Noah wondered before sending a message through the mental connection.

Everyone had gotten ready to fight as soon as the avatars appeared. Still, no one attacked out of fear of damaging the shining separate dimension or triggering even more defenses.

The experts were waiting for the avatars to climb out of the cracks completely, but a shadow suddenly flew past them and divided their bodies in half. Those crackling giants lost the connection with their lower bodies, which fell inside the brighter light.

The shadow flew over the avatars again before they could understand what had happened, and their heads separated from their maimed bodies. Another attack eventually arrived, and those giants completely shattered into storms of sparks.

Night landed on Noah's head while the experts remained stunned. They turned their gazes toward the giant Pterodactyl standing on top of their companion before performing simple nods.

Night nodded back at the experts, and no one said anything about its cultivation level. Still, everyone felt stunned in front of the overwhelming power that the Pterodactyl had unleashed in a matter of seconds.

The area fell silent after the sparks transformed into primary energy that flowed toward Noah. He rejoiced at that decent meal, but no emotion appeared on his face. His eyes remained on the shining cracks, and Night's attention also converged there.

The shining dimension appeared still. It didn't make any sound nor send more defenses. Night even went back inside Noah's body after confirming that the path was clear.

The group began to descend toward the cracks after Night disappeared. The blinding whiteness filled their vision, but their mental waves managed to pierce that light and explore the initial areas of the separate dimension.

An ample area contained in a crystal-like material that resembled the sky's fabric unfolded in the experts' senses. The environment was as large as a region, and it stretched far in the distance. Noah even sensed the same tinkering of the laws of space seen in the orange city.

Noah and the others exchanged a glance before turning toward King Elbas and Great Builder. The two inscription masters had started to set formations on the edges of the cracks. They were obviously creating escape paths before entering the shining dimension, and their companions let them finish the process quietly.

The group stepped inside the separate dimension after King Elbas and Great Builder confirmed that they were done. The blinding whiteness soon enveloped the experts in its heavy radiance, but their laws and worlds fended it off easily.

Their mental waves could finally expand without obstructions after crossing the cracks. Noah and the others could inspect the walls, and peculiar cavities soon appeared in their vision. Still, all of them had a defensive layer that even their powerful minds couldn't pierce.

The group instinctively flew toward the nearest cavity, where they found a brighter crystal-like structure hidden near its bottom. Noah and King Elbas exchanged a glance before glaring at Divine Demon and waiting for the expert to nod in approval.

The duo started using their energies to inspect that white barrier and slowly uncover its insides. A crack opened before spreading to reveal a three-meters-tall humanoid figure who seemed in a dormant state.

That sight left the group confused. They had initially thought that male figure to be a puppet, but the organic fabric and his three centers of power were impossible to miss since no energy filled his insides.

Nevertheless, everything appeared improved. The cultivator inside the cavity seemed an enhanced version of Heaven and Earth's followers. Moreover, his centers of power were at the bottom of the ninth rank even if they were currently empty.