Chapter 1205: 1205. Puppets

The invasion resumed a few months after the three organizations settled in their new homes. They only built a few habitations and created many protections before venturing to the regions more inland.

The Elbas family showed that it still had many defenses worthy of its fame. The Royals revealed most of their arsenal in the battles that followed the first invasion.

King Elbas had created many defenses during the five hundred years of undisturbed rule. The number of resources available in the world had diminished after his mindless destruction of the new continent. Still, he had managed to put together a few protections that made the invaders struggle.

The inscribed items in the middle tier weren't a problem for the powerhouses of the three organizations. However, Third Prince and Second Princess used them together with battle formations performed by their weaker assets.

Moreover, they even revealed rank 6 inscribed weapons in the upper tier. The invaders didn't even reach the new continent's center when five massive puppets surged from the regions and began to face the invaders.

An Eight-armed Titan, a massive Snake, a Nine-headed Hydra, a Phoenix, and a Three-headed dog appeared on the second line of defense of the Elbas family.

The puppets represented the Princes and Princesses' iconic spells. Golden flames came out of their red bodies, and they consumed the Royals' blood to work.

The five puppets expressed power that only solid stage powerhouses could wield, but that didn't mean that they were unbeatable. They were still inscribed weapons, and the invaders could find countermeasures to their prowess.

The appearance of the puppets slowed down the invasion. The troops from the three organizations had to study those weapons before approaching them. They couldn't just charge at defenses stronger than them.

Noah kept his promise and stayed away from the battlefields for an entire year. It didn't matter that his underlings suffered defeats. That process was necessary for their growth.

Even weaker heroic cultivators had joined the fray in that period. Large battles happened in the air every time the invaders attempted a new tactic against the puppets.

During that year, the invaders focused their efforts on the Three-headed Dog since it appeared to be the weakest puppet. It was on the same level of power as the other upper tier items, but its attacks were slightly easier to predict and avoid.

Still, the Three-headed Dog managed to defeat its opponents even if they tried to exploit its weaknesses. The difference in their power was too great, even if the three organizations worked together to beat it.

The invaders didn't lose their morale because of those defeats. Wars among heroic assets could last for decades, and they only needed to defeat the puppet once to eradicate it.

The Royals had even avoided using the healing light during the last battles. It seemed that their reserves of energy had already reached a critical condition in that year, so they could only rely on their defenses' intrinsic power.

There was another reason behind the invaders' unyielding battle intent. They had only relied on God's Left Hand and Great Elder Diana during that year when it came to opponents that they couldn't face.

Yet, the strongest cultivator in history could finally step on the battlefield now that one year had passed. The Matriarchs wouldn't have to be the main offensive force in their attack anymore. Noah could join them.

The appearance of the puppets had ignited Noah's battle intent since he had finally found worthy opponents. He couldn't help but consider them as a gift left to make his boredom vanish.

One year after the three organizations left the separate dimension, Noah set off from his training area and flew toward the territories that featured the fiery puppets.

Those areas had been nothing more than destroyed rocky environments before the battle against King Elbas, but they featured tall mountains that showed some trace of vegetation now.

The invaders' previous attacks had destroyed most of the fauna there, but some lifeforms still survived in a few protected zones. It seemed that even the Elbas family wanted to preserve part of the life on the new continent.

Noah's arrival on the battlefield was a signal that awakened the weaker troops from the three organizations. They had kept track of the passage of time during the past attacks, so they had prepared themselves for the moment when he would join the fray.

The Demons, the Matriarchs, and the other powerhouses rose in the sky and reached Noah, who kept on flying toward the central regions. None of them said a word as more troops gathered behind them.

The rank 4 and 5 cultivators of the three organizations would typically fight the Elbas family's experts on areas far away from the existences in the sixth rank. Yet, none of them intended to join the battlefield on that day.

They all wanted to witness Noah's power. None of them wanted to miss that scene.

Noah felt eager too. He had studied the reports regarding the puppets, and he had observed the fights of the other powerhouses.

The invaders couldn't gather many details about the Three-headed Dog's abilities since they had faced it only four times, but that was enough to identify its most threatening attacks.

The puppet's flames were annoying. They had peak middle tier power since the inscriptions around the creature enhanced the Royals' cultivation level.

Still, its most troublesome quality was its exceptionally strong body.

King Elbas had created the puppets by using some of the best materials in those Mortal Lands. The red metal that made its bodies could absorb most impacts and was virtually immune to any form of fire.

Moreover, the golden flames that ran over its surface fixed the dents that the Matriarchs managed to inflict.

The puppets were perfect guardians, and their level made them threatening opponents since the three organizations didn't have a solid stage powerhouse at hand.

The Dog's power wasn't enough to scare Noah away. The Matriarchs had already confirmed that liquid stage powerhouses could injure the puppets, so they only had to inflict enough damages in a single attack to defeat it.

A tremor filled the central regions when Noah reached his target. A massive Three-headed Dog came out from the mountain chain in the land right in front of him, and a wave of golden fire filled the sky as soon as it appeared.

The heads of the puppet spewed more fire as the creature roared toward Noah. Yet, it didn't attack but remained inside the borders of its region.

Noah knew that any attempt to bring the puppet outside of its region had failed. The Royal had programmed it so that it would only attack anyone trying to invade its territory.

Those were the real defenses of the Elbas family. They were on a different level than the formations of the western coast.

Noah didn't need to review his strategy with the Matriarchs. The three of them would be the only ones nearing the Dog, while the other weaker powerhouses would only provide long-range support with their abilities.

Only the leaders of the organizations could endure the shockwaves released by the puppets.

However, right before Noah could charge ahead and trigger the puppet's offensive, a golden rune appeared next to him, and a massive fireball teleported in that spot.

The fireball exploded and engulfed the entire area in a wave of golden flames. The powerhouses could retreat to escape from the fire since they weren't close to Noah, but the Matriarchs had to activate defensive spells to protect themselves.

The power of the flames surprised the Matriarchs since their defensive spells burned under their assault. The two liquid stage powerhouses had to rely on talismans to stop the fire completely and escape from its range.

Noah's figure became visible among the flames before his underlings could even begin to worry about his well-being. His robes were intact, and no burn had appeared on his body after that surprise attack.

The powerhouses turned toward him when they saw him wearing a wide smile. He appeared happy that someone had tried to kill him off with a sneak attack.

"You were indeed alive," Noah shouted once all the flames dispersed. His eyes went on a distant spot in the sky where a crowned figure had become visible.