Chapter 1051: 1051. Last rebels

Noah's dantian had reached its limit, and even his incredible body had begun to feel tired. His mind wasn't better off since Noah had jumped in the battle right after his long travel.

Pieces of the corpses in his ring came out and ended up in his mouth while he stared at the departing creature. He couldn't do anything about the last Steeled Octopus.

He had suffered too much during the battle and due to the after-effects of his new techniques. Moreover, fueling the dark star only helped his body, so his other centers of power needed rest and traditional training to recover.

However, Noah had managed to stop the rebellion and save the dimensional portal, other than gathering a total of eight corpses belonging to hybrids in the sixth rank. He could only feel satisfied with that outcome.

Snore's layers of protection eventually shattered, and it reformed around him. The Blood Companion had managed to remain in defense of the tunnel while Noah fought the leaders, but it couldn't resist anymore after the dark matter in its structure lost its power.

The solid form taken using the water and earth element was the only reason it didn't shatter immediately. Those abilities had to break before it felt forced to return in its master's range.

Noah descended toward the city as cheers welcomed him back among the loyal forces. Those ecstatic cries faded a bit when the weaker assets saw his cold expression and dirty figure, but the Elders of the Hive continued their cheerful hymn.

Noah didn't have the grand and pure aura of a hero. His clothes weren't flashy nor clean. His appearance was that of a fiend that scanned the environment with cold eyes.

Blood and pieces of internal organs covered his entire figure, and his black robe had become nothing more than a pile of rags that barely remained on his body.

Everyone understood his true nature at that sight and accepted the truth. No hero had risen to save them, but a Demon did, and his performance had been spectacular.

Noah gazed at those cheerful troops feeling nothing but coldness. Creating his first technique had made him happy, but he still couldn't shake off the bitter taste caused by Luke's betrayal.

'Killing the past to take another step into the future,' Noah thought as the loyal forces opened a path for him, 'What a bitter way to improve.'

His mind became calmer as he accepted that outcome. Every cultivator had a personal path, and they often clashed with each other. Luke's decisions had happened to go against Noah's agenda, and he had died because of that.

That had happened many times already, and Noah knew that he would face it again in the future. His path had always been about cutting every hindrance that appeared in his way. The nature of his journey didn't change since his childhood, and he didn't regret it in the slightest.

Noah walked until he reached a group of cornered rebels arrayed in a defensive formation around a cultivator at the peak of the solid stage. The man at the center wore golden armor and had similar facial features to Angela's, with the only difference being his short golden hair.

"You should have helped us!" The man shouted when he saw Noah approaching the group. "You have become one of them!"

Noah didn't want to waste time with those rebels. The man in the solid stage appeared to be the leader of a faction, but he was nothing more than an ant cursing his life after his plans had failed.

Noah's consciousness expanded, ready to kill the rebels in one blow. Yet, chains appeared on their bodies and space-ring when they sensed a threat approaching.

"I have the best findings of our studies on my possession," The man shouted, lifting his palm to show the space-ring inside it. "Not even a powerhouse can stop me from destroying them."

Noah recognized those tattoos. They were the same inscriptions that he and the Demons had been unable to stop when they captured Angela.

The man showed a satisfied smile when he saw Noah's consciousness halting its advance and began to state his conditions. "My name is Ebano Elbas, last leader of the rebels. I want a safe passage toward the end of the continent and an oath that no one will hunt us for the next one thousand years."

"In exchange for those studies, I bet," Noah said as his aura became calm.

Ebano was right. Noah had long since lost his status as a lone cultivator, and he had even accepted other people in his life. He had become a core part of the organizations that had once suppressed him too.

However, that change had made him stronger. He would express only destruction if he didn't become able to make his individuality accept life too. He wouldn't have higher energy nor most of his creations.

Power couldn't come only from destruction. Ravaging Demon had walked on that path and failed miserably.

"No," Ebano said, "We are better than the research teams in the main world. We will slowly trade our studies for resources once established the oaths."

The loyal troops' faces twisted, revealing angry but helpless expressions. They had already pillaged the other rebels, and they had confirmed that Ebano's group owned the most valuable studies.

A peak rank 4 Elder of the Hive informed Noah about that fact, and Ebano couldn't help but announce the contents of his rings happily. "Do you want to know how to trigger the transformation? Are you interested in the brainwashing method? Do you desire an item capable of deactivating any formation? I have far more in my rings!"

Worried gazes landed on Noah's back as the negotiation continued. The loyal assets knew that Ebano's threat was real since Noah had yet to end that situation.

Noah had to admit that the other world's research teams had achieved incredible successes during the centuries spent there. He felt interested in what they had found, but he didn't see any way out of that situation.

His mouth opened, and black flames surrounded the group, reducing the weaker cultivators into ashes in less than an instant. Ebano lasted a full second before his entire body burned.

The tattoos had activated as soon as the flames touched their bodies. The space-rings of the group shattered, and no items came out of them. A starry sky had taken the place of the last rebels.

Many buildings crumbled as Noah's attack spread through the city, but the defensive formations eventually stopped it. Yet, the loyal forces stared at him in shock.

Noah had just destroyed the studies that had almost taken control of a world. No amount of Credits would have been enough to buy them. Years of progress vanished in his merciless fire.

No one dared to contradict him. His aura was so sharp that they feared to get close to him. After all, his flames had barely avoided hurting anyone.