Chapter 1421: 1421. Short laugh

King Elbas and Noah went silent after that brief exchange of words. They didn't know how to behave in front of each other.

They had been sworn enemies for a while. King Elbas had killed Chasing Demon, and Noah had banished him in the separate reality with the help of the other powerhouses. The Royals' leader had then come back and defeated the whole world before ascending to the Immortal Lands.

King Elbas could have killed Noah in the lower plane, but he had chosen to let him live alongside the forces of the other organization. The past grudges meant nothing in his mind after he became a god.

The same went for Noah. The lower plane's political situation had made them enemies, but he respected the Royal as a cultivator. Noah couldn't hate him. They both had damaged each other's organizations multiple times across the millennia spent in the same world.

Everything resurfaced now that they were in front of each other again. Countless thoughts and memories filled their minds as they wondered how they had to act after going through so much together.

'He reached the liquid stage in a few millennia,' Noah stated in his mind.

That was King Elbas' most striking feature. Noah had basically cheated to reach the liquid stage, but the Royal was at his same level. That confirmed once again how King Elbas was a true talent.

"You are in the same situation, am I right?" King Elbas asked. "Your companions over there are hybrids, and you are in the magical beasts' domain during an invasion. It's not hard to guess that you have made powerful enemies already."

"How did you handle the oath from the Crystal City?" Noah asked. "I'm not sure you are the type to accept it silently."

"It must be the Legion," King Elbas continued. "It's not surprising that you joined them. Still, I didn't expect you to become part of an organization so soon."

"I imagine you had many offers from the various organizations," Noah continued. "The fact that you are here can only mean that you are in trouble."

Neither of them replied, but they both understood part of their opponent's life without needing answers. They knew each other well enough to know how they would behave in the political environment of the Immortal Lands.

"Shall we drop the façade?" King Elbas asked.

"Are you worried that I might call the others?" Noah asked. "I'm not under you anymore. Your only advantage was your age,"

"The whole area is my research lab," King Elbas replied. "I can handle ten of you here."

"Shall we try?" Noah asked as a cold smile appeared on his face.

A tinge of bloodlust leaked into his aura and gave it violent properties. The memories of Chasing Demon's death also resurfaced in his mind as a desire to kill King Elbas began to fill his thoughts.

"Why not?" King Elbas replied as small tongues of golden flames began to flicker on his hands. "This might be the right time to put an end to our battle."

A minute of silence followed that exchange of questions. Neither of them was willing to take a step back and talk without leaving a battle as a possibility.

Their personalities were too strong to step down from that stalemate. They didn't want to make the move that could lead to their submission.

Jordan and Don began to fly toward Noah at that point. He had been alone for too long with that powerful cultivator, and they wanted to see what was happening.

King Elbas didn't miss that event, but he didn't dare to move with Noah's reptilian eyes studying his every move. Something told him that he would die if he turned his back toward Noah. No number of defenses would protect him at that point.

"I have turned down every offer from the various large forces," King Elbas eventually said. "It's depressing seeing the level of their expertise. I almost didn't believe that I was in the higher plane at first."

"The refusals led you here?" Noah asked before telling the hybrids to back off.

"No," King Elbas replied. "Every force would like to have me in their ranks."

"How so?" Noah asked.

"Because I'm the best, of course." King Elbas replied without even blinking.

Noah wanted to retort, but King Elbas was right. The Royal was a genius when it came to the inscription field. Only a few experts through history had managed to match his talent.

"I'm here because I want to," King Elbas continued. "The Crystal City didn't like that I broke their oath, and every organization is hunting me to make me join their ranks."

"What are you doing here then? Escaping?" Noah asked.

"No, I'm only gathering the resources for the auction. Helping at least," King Elbas revealed.

Noah couldn't help but connect everything at that point. King Elbas was near the Void Zone, so one of the resources he mentioned was the black shards that carried "Breath" of the darkness element.

King Elbas could know how to seize more of that mineral if Noah's guess was on point. That would ease his search and bring him closer to uncovering the secrets behind Shandal's diagram.

"I'm looking for a special mineral found in the Void Zone," Noah said. "Do you know anything about it?"

"I know a bit of everything, especially that you shouldn't enter the Void Zone unprepared." King Elbas replied.

"What about your preparations?" Noah asked, and King Elbas snapped his fingers.

The entire area lit up at that point. Countless golden lines appeared on the region and released their light on the sky. Their golden halo almost suppressed the whiteness of the Immortal Lands.

Noah could sense the pressure radiated by those inscriptions. King Elbas didn't lie when he said that the whole region was his research lab. Noah was right in the middle of his defenses.

"I also need that mineral," King Elbas said. "My finances are running short. There is too much to build in this vast world. I can never have enough of using these materials."

"So, do we kill each other, or do we cooperate?" Noah asked without showing the slightest fear even after the golden halo enveloped his figure.

His bloodlust was slowly growing. His existence was getting ready for a battle, and part of him desired it. That was the influence of the cursed sword and part of his greed's effects since he also wanted to seize King Elbas' dantian.

"Seventy percent to me," King Elbas said after considering the situation for a few seconds.

"Don't joke around," Noah replied. "The auction only had one shard, so it's clear that you need my help. Fifty-fifty."

"Fifty-fifty it is," King Elbas said after hearing those words.

The Royal snapped his fingers again, and the inscriptions went dark. The golden flames under his cauldron also stopped burning as he stood up and tidied his robe.

Noah landed near him. The two experts glanced at each other before turning toward the part of the sky that showed signs of instability. They both knew where their target was. They were only waiting to regroup with the two hybrids.

"How did you even break the oath of the Crystal City?" Noah asked without moving his gaze from the sky.

"Because I'm the best," King Elbas replied. "It took me an entire millennium, but I found myself in the liquid stage afterward. How did you break yours?"

"I didn't. They never had a chance to place it on me," Noah replied, and King Elbas gave voice to a short laugh that he quickly suppressed.

Even if he didn't want to admit it, King Elbas felt proud that an expert from his same lower world was showing his superiority to the cultivators of the Immortal Lands.