Chapter 1178: 1178. Struggle

King Elbas had used his higher energy in a technique. His flames weren't only violent surges of energy anymore. They had taken an orderly form, and the sheer power they radiated brought the air to its structural limits.

His figure was blinding, and his power was unfathomable. King Elbas appeared unbeatable already when the golden flames surrounded him, but now he seemed even stronger than before!

God's Left Hand and Great Elder Diana glanced at Noah after witnessing that event. He was more knowledgeable about the higher energy, so they hoped he could evaluate King Elbas' new power.

However, Noah had no words for them. The robe, spear, and crown surpassed what his mind could study. Their level was too close to the divine ranks for him to understand their power.

'This might be too much,' Noah thought as he stared at the screens transmitting the battle on the surface.

Beating King Elbas had never been an easy feat. Even with all the forces of the world working together, Noah didn't feel sure that they could stop him.

That feeling had become more intense after the Royal unleashed his technique. Except for his stamina, King Elbas didn't seem to have any weakness.

That was an existence close to the divine ranks. King Elbas appeared to be at the very peak of the heroic path. His strength set the limit that a cultivator could reach while remaining a powerhouse.

He would still be inferior to the Ape God if he used normal "Breath". Yet, his higher energy pushed his power in the same realm of the creature, where he could use the humans' superiority to his advantage.

King Elbas pointed his spear toward the Ape God, and the sole movement of the weapon created a wave of flame that shot from the line traced by its tip.

It was as if the Royal had launched a slash. That casual movement was enough to create an attack that many experts would find it hard to block.

The Ape God felt a dangerous sensation filling its mind, but it didn't stay in one spot to evaluate the threat. The invisible force surrounded its body and made it shoot far away.

King Elbas titled its spear to keep its tip pointed at the beast. Those slow movements created more golden slashes, and the whole weapon began to vibrate after it locked its target.

The Royal bent before throwing the spear at the escaping magical beast. Golden light came out of the weapon and engulfed the entire region with its halo, making it impossible to see his attack's effects.

A cry eventually echoed among the blinding light. The world returned to its usual color only to show that the Ape God had lost its right arm and that most of its fur had burned in those short seconds.

King Elbas still wielded the spear. It wasn't clear if he had thrown it at all or if his previous movement had projected the weapon toward his target. Yet, the power that it could unleash was terrific.

Noah and the others didn't manage to analyze the attack with the investigative methods that filled the new continent. King Elbas' power was too intense for those sensors to study it.

The leaders couldn't rely on their senses either since the screens had gone crazy when the golden light had filled the region. They didn't manage to transmit most of the technique.

The Ape God roared in pain, but its invisible force moved to close the injury. Blood stopped flowing from the wound, but the creature didn't appear relieved about that fact.

Its eyes went on King Elbas, who was still showing his broad smile. His skin tone had paled a bit after that attack, but he seemed to be nowhere near his limit.

Noah and the others could see that too. King Elbas had just unleashed an attack capable of destroying a quasi-rank 7 beast's limb, but he didn't suffer any evident repercussion.

There was only one explanation for that outcome. That was King Elbas' base power, and that shocking attack was something that he could launch repeatedly.

Noah didn't believe that King Elbas could unleash so much power without suffering any repercussions. Strong techniques had drawbacks, especially if they could cross the limits of the ranks.

Yet, even if the drawbacks existed, King Elbas managed to hide them well. After all, the defenders could only use his skin tone to keep track of his exhaustion.

The Ape God was even more surprised than the leaders. It had fought against King Elbas when it was weakened and among the sea of magma, so the Royal's growth astonished it to no end.

King Elbas was only a newly advanced solid stage powerhouse when he reached the Ape God, but now he stood at the very peak of the heroic ranks.

The raw laws alone couldn't explain that extraordinary growth. King Elbas' individuality must have been ready to advance for a while already!

God's Left Hand's determination was the first to waver. She couldn't see a path toward victory when their opponent was that monster.

The Ape God was on the same level as the winged beasts' leader. Shandal had to intervene the last time to defeat the creature, but King Elbas appeared able to handle those types of threats on his own now.

He could accomplish what Shandal had done while remaining a powerhouse. King Elbas had already surpassed what God's Left Hand considered as beatable.

"Maybe we should-," God's Left hand began to speak, but Noah's sharp consciousness suddenly filled the room and interrupted her line.

Both Noah and Great Elder Diana had understood God's Left Hand's intentions from the changes in her expression, and he had decided to act before his ally.

"We will continue our offensive," Noah said. "You might be used to kneeling toward stronger beings, but I prefer to do everything in my power to prevent that outcome before even considering it."

"Don't compare King Elbas with the Almighty," God's Left Hand replied as her consciousness expanded and fought Noah's mental waves back.

"I didn't," Noah answered without moving his eyes from the screens. "A heroic cultivator has limits that divine entities can ignore. King Elbas isn't an exception. We only need to find them."

"And how do you suggest to do it?" Great Elder Diana asked. "I'm with you, Defying Demon, but we need to decide how to deal with his technique."

Noah inspected the three fiery items with the Divine Deduction technique before deactivating the ability and sighing. Nothing came to his mind. Even his mental skill couldn't lead him to a plan capable of stopping King Elbas.

"We don't deal with it," Noah eventually said. "Let him burn everything."

"You want to condemn our world!" God's Left Hand complained, but Noah and the other Matriarch ignored her.

The alliance's leaders had a different relationship, and they could force God's Left Hand to agree with everything they said. The Shandal Empire was too weak to have a say on matters that concerned the world's future.

"Are you willing to sacrifice the new continent to have a chance of stopping him?" Great Elder Diana asked.

"I'm willing to sacrifice much more than that," Noah replied as his cold smile vanished. His eyes went on the Matriarch's, and the two exchanged a long stare.

Great Elder Diana could only sigh and nod. The situation had changed after King Elbas revealed his technique. The organizations had initially fought to obtain a better future, but now they needed to struggle to prevent the worst possible outcome.