The assault came to an end after Divine Demon won his battle. Don and the other hybrids quickly killed the other cultivators, and Adele remained the only survivor of Boss Edna's guild.
A small team from the Legion had wiped out the largest guild hired by the invading organizations. The power wielded by the hybrids and Noah's powerful companions had overwhelmed that force.
The aftermath of the battle was quite harsh. Divine Demon had suffered severe injuries, and he couldn't rely on King Elbas' healing habitations like the rest of the hybrids. Cultivators had shorter lifespans, and Divine Demon would never give up on his precious years to benefit the Legion.
Still, with the strongest guild out of the scene, Noah's plan became far more feasible, even if Divine Demon had to remain behind to heal. The other minor forces didn't have so many solid stage assets, so the hybrids could handle them on their own.
Of course, Noah wouldn't miss the chance to fight, and the same went for King Elbas. Noah had just started creating his new set of attacks, and the Royal couldn't allow himself to fall behind his companions.
"We need to wipe out as many large guilds as possible before they understand what is happening," Noah said as the group gathered near the base of the destroyed mountain. "It's important to make them fear us enough to ignore the offers of the large organizations."
"When can we attack the organizations?" Ian asked. "You have seen our power. We are above humans. I'm certain Theodora would agree to send more troops on this mission after we notify her of our success."
Noah shook his head. He knew what kind of power organizations that had ruled for countless millennia could unleash. The Legion didn't have the manpower to take them out. It had to wait for them to commit a mistake.
Moreover, the cultivators inside the large organizations were generally stronger than the average experts. The four solid stage cultivators in Boss Edna's guild were already powerful enough to injure most of them. Noah couldn't even begin to guess how hard a battle in their homes would be.
"It's too soon for that," Noah eventually replied. "Killing all their mercenaries will already force them to come out of their homes. Once outside, we can exploit every region's wild areas to our advantage and take better fights. If possible, I would completely avoid a direct attack on their habitations."
The main reason behind Noah's worry in that approach was the possible presence of rank 8 cultivators. The plan would immediately be over if his team attacked one of the large forces and found out that it hid an expert in the eighth rank.
Noah didn't forget his status. He was a simple liquid stage cultivator with battle prowess that made him able to fight experts in the solid stage. That power could make him a celebrity among those in the seventh rank, but it would still put him under rank 8 cultivators.
The Immortal Lands had many organizations, and most of them had multiple rank 8 experts. It would be idiotic to attack them directly when they couldn't confirm those powerful assets' absence.
"Won't they simply hire other guilds?" Don asked. "The higher plane has many small forces. Replacing those who retreat won't be a problem."
"Those who feed on crumbs are smarter than they look," Divine Demon said. "The guilds won't join if it makes them become the targets of an organization capable of wiping them out. Surviving is always the main priority of those forces."
Divine Demon's complexion was pale, and blood continued to flow from his mouth. The injuries on his arms had stopped bleeding, and some flesh had started to regrow. Yet, his wounds were still too severe. Noah didn't even know why he was in the meeting instead of healing in some cave.
"Divine Demon is right," Noah continued. "The guilds are willing to take risks, but they won't walk toward certain death. The key is to make them fear us more than the large organizations. You can even question our guest if you have any doubt on the matter."
Ian turned toward Adele, who was standing among them. The woman nodded when the hybrid's eyes landed on her. She didn't dare to lie when her life depended on how much she could help the guild.
Noah and the others weren't even holding back their thoughts, so Adele was sure that they were probably planning to kill her. Her only hope to survive was to become a valuable asset in that mission.
"Why do you even know so much about small forces?" Ian said before heaving a helpless sigh.
"I had many small forces under my rule in my lower plane," Divine Demon replied.
"I brought those small forces to the peak of the world," Noah added.
The two exchanged a smirk, and Ian rolled his eyes. Instead, King Elbas ignored them to focus on the map among them.
"Who do we choose as our next target?" King Elbas asked. "There are two guilds with three solid stage cultivators. We need to pick one."
"We will let our guest pick for us," Noah replied as he turned to show a cold expression toward Adele. "I believe she won't even mind adding explanations to her choice."
A chill ran down Adele's spine when she met Noah's cold gaze. His reptilian eyes expressed his ruthlessness. She immediately understood that Noah wouldn't hesitate to kill her at the slightest misstep.
"Boss Burton's guild is large, larger than ours," Adele explained. "Yet, the quality of his underlings is far too poor. He allows anyone to join, without even checking if those experts have proper abilities."
"Boss April's guild is quite famous," Adele continued. "Her force fewer troops, but they are well-organized. She even trains them in battle formations. They might be a tough opponent in your condition."
"Well, you heard her," Noah said. "We will attack Boss April's guild once everyone is ready. Boss Burton's force is next. The others will follow once we take down most of the mercenaries hired by the large organizations."
Everyone left after his words, and Ian escorted Adele toward a cell build recently. King Elbas had laid most of the inscriptions there, so the expert didn't have any chance of escaping.
Noah only suffered light injuries during the battle, so he could focus on exploring the mountain's ruins as he waited for Jordan to recover. He didn't find much, but the various corpses contained a few decent objects that he didn't dare to leave there.
Those cultivators only had materials and Soul Stones, and Noah didn't hesitate to take all of that away. The solid stage experts had notes that involved their individualities, and Noah seized them too.
During the months that Jordan spent inside King Elbas' habitation, Noah focused on his cultivation. His potential had increased again after his victory against Victor. His dantian could improve faster.
His body still grew faster than the other centers of power. Noah had absorbed most of Victor's energy, so his tissues had received many nutrients.
His mind was starting to lag behind the other centers of power in terms of improvement. Still, it continued to enlarge at a decent speed. It seemed that his walls were growing used to the pressure released by the dark matter, so it didn't affect them as much as it did before.