Chapter 1174: 1174. Bridge

The whole world moved as soon as King Elbas reappeared. The Council, the Hive, and the Shandal Empire had prepared for that event, so every asset knew their role.

Cultivators from the three organizations entered the separate dimension and waited for Flying Demon to give them orders. The Hive had disclosed one of its most useful and secretive assets to the world to face King Elbas.

The hybrids moved too. They followed Skully as they took place in different spots of the separate dimension. The world appeared empty after everyone was in position.

Shining lines flickered on the surface of the various regions, but King Elbas didn't seem interested in them. He glanced at the ground for only a second before he resumed to inspect the sky around him.

The Royal appeared lost in his curiosity, but the organizations' leaders didn't dare to underestimate him. They knew that his interest could become a fatal flaw in certain situations, but they weren't willing to strike first.

King Elbas eventually focused on the new continent again. His eyes went on a neutral building where Noah, Great Elder Diana, and God's Left Hand had teleported to handle the battlefield.

Those leaders were in the same danger. They had no reason to act separately.

King Elbas smiled as he kept on staring at that building. His hand rose and gestured to those inside the structure to join him.

Noah, Great Elder Diana, and God's Left Hand exchanged a glance before the three of them exited the building to fly toward King Elbas. They didn't know what the Royal wanted, but he wasn't the type to use tricks in battle.

The trio reached the Royals' leader, but they remained at some distance from him. They trusted him, but they wouldn't risk their lives only to accommodate the whims of their enemy.

"Careful as always," King Elbas commented, but he didn't appear angered by that behavior. Instead, he seemed glad that the trio had behaved in that way.

"I'm the strongest cultivator in the world," King Elbas announced when he saw that the three powerhouses didn't say anything. "I deserve the largest piece of these Mortal Lands."

"Humans rarely get what they deserve," Noah replied before the Matriarchs could intervene. "Your family taught me that."

His words didn't seem to affect King Elbas since he continued to smile. Still, he focused on Noah, and a comment came out of his mouth.

"You have become stronger again," King Elbas said. "Even I pale in front of your impressive growth. It's a pity that you live in the same era as me. You would have been unbeatable otherwise."

King Elbas tried to taunt Noah, but he limited himself to show his usual smile. The Matriarchs' gazes moved between the two powerhouses as that exchange of words unfolded, and they both felt outsiders in that discussion.

Noah and King Elbas appeared to have a peculiar understanding with the other. They said certain words only for them to carry a completely different meaning.

The Matriarchs didn't know if they were probing each other or complimenting themselves.

King Elbas' comment had been honest. He noticed Noah's new aura, and his curiosity spiked when he realized that he couldn't understand it with a glance.

Noah's ambition wasn't as simple as it sounded. King Elbas had seen it during the journey at the center of the plane, but he didn't comprehend it there either.

That was the reason why King Elbas accepted Noah as a true genius. He respected Noah even if he felt superior in far too many aspects of the cultivation journey.

"Why don't you give up on everything and focus on your ascension?" Noah asked after he and King Elbas had exchanged smiles for a while. "You have proven your power to the world already. Not even the barriers among dimensions can stop you. Go, plan your journey to the divine ranks. Leave these regions to us."

"Are you suggesting that I let you go?" King Elbas asked in a surprised tone. He didn't expect Noah to propose something like that.

"You know that we will fight as long as energy fills our centers of power," Noah replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "We can't know who will win, but we are both aware that the world will become nothing more than a wasteland if we fight."

"I know who will win," King Elbas said as his smile widened.

"No one will win," Noah continued. "Both sides will lose the world."

Noah's words made sense. King Elbas' last assault on the new continent had destroyed the snowy plain and had turned it into a charred region. It took the Royal's expertise in multiple inscription fields to restore the ground to its previous state.

King Elbas had improved since his last assault, but the other organizations had done the same. They would also fight together at that time, so the new continent would see more power unleashed on its surface.

The three organizations' experts had already estimated the damages that the new continent would suffer in a full-on battle against King Elbas.

At least half of the new continent would burn. The organizations would try their best to restrict that destruction to the still-recovering central areas, but they knew that two coasts would become wastelands in the process.

Noah and the Matriarchs were willing to make the trade if that led to King Elbas' defeat. However, they would rather find a peaceful solution. It would be perfect if they could even maintain control over their domains.

King Elbas didn't even consider Noah's offer. He continued to smile as slow words came out of his mouth. "Let's lose the world then."

King Elbas wasn't the type to place traps or trick his opponents, but Noah wasn't like him. He was a demon, and he would resort to any method to defeat his opponent.

The Royal's last line announced the beginning of the battle, so Noah didn't hesitate to act. Dark matter came out of his chest, and the dark world unfolded in less than an instant.

God's Left Hand and Great Elder Diana revealed surprised expressions at Noah's sudden gesture. They didn't plan to attack King Elbas directly, so they didn't understand Noah's plan.

Yet, a heavy pressure soon filled the entirety of the dark world. Noah's ambition spread through the dark matter, and that gas became even denser than it already was.

"I have already seen this technique," King Elbas announced as the dark matter suppressed his individuality. "It's more polished than before, and I can sense some true meaning. However, it's still the attack of a liquid stage powerhouse."

Golden flames came out of King Elbas' figure, and part of the dark world burned under their power. The Royal appeared as a sun capable of shining even in the deepest darkness.

Noah wasn't so delusional to think that the dark world alone could work against King Elbas. His real offensive was far more silent.

Noah slashed with his fingers, and portals opened at the edges of the golden flames' area. Dark matter, black lines, and corrosive smoke came out of them, but those attacks burned as soon as they touched the fire.

Snore's head appeared too. It launched a series of elemental attacks that barely crossed a few hundred meters inside the sea of flame before disappearing.

It seemed that Noah's sudden attack had failed, but his trump card had yet to make its appearance.

The Demonic Sword rose above his head, and Noah wielded it as dark matter flowed inside its form. A massive slash came out of the weapon when it descended, and the attack crashed on the sea of flames surrounding King Elbas.

Even that attack burned after a few seconds, but Noah's massive slash had managed to create a bridge of darkness through the golden flames. A shadow flew through it and disappeared before reaching King Elbas.