Noah felt strange. The light didn't trigger any pain. Instead, it forced his existence to change, as if it wanted to bring him back inside Heaven and Earth's system.
His ambition surged to fight that influence. The light tried to seep inside Noah's fabric, but his centers of power released their energy to fend it off.
It was a strange sensation. The black hole, the dantian, the mental sphere, and the body fought while Noah was in a trance. They expressed their value while Heaven and Earth evaluated them.
Part of Noah's hair began to melt. His existence didn't seem able to fight the light properly, but his consciousness suddenly awakened at that point.
'What is this feeling?' Noah thought while he bathed in the light.
Noah felt as if his existence wanted to become part of the light. His cultivation level and all his experiences seemed to belong to that influence. Melting was a blessing.
'Is this what Heaven and Earth fell all the time?' Noah wondered.
The light didn't manage to take over his mind. Noah recalled everything and could focus on fighting the Tribulation.
His hair stopped melting. Noah's existence burst forward as memories of his achievements surged in his mind.
Noah reviewed his whole life, from his abusive father to his latest achievements. Heaven and Earth's influence wanted him to focus on his flaws and mistakes, but they couldn't force him to regret anything.
Noah had never betrayed himself. He had followed his instincts and obtained far more power than any other existence in the world. He felt completely at peace with his current level and past experiences.
'Is this everything you can do?' Noah shouted in his mind. 'Are the mighty Heaven and Earth so caught up in their system that they can't even take care of a single rank 8 existence?'
Noah had felt similar emotions in the past. Heaven and Earth were overlords, but they also were incredibly powerless. They could only enforce trials and punishments, but they couldn't use their real might to take care of their problems.
"Don't worry," Noah spoke while the light crossed him. "I'll take care of the world."
The strange feeling suddenly vanished, and Noah found himself in the outside world. The light was still moving behind him, but he had successfully crossed the Tribulation.
A small group had managed to survive the light. Noah could see his companions, Pearl, and a few rank 7 cultivators. Saul was among them, and his expression showed pure pride.
"Let's move!" Noah roared before stepping forward.
His companions didn't hesitate to follow him, but Pearl and the others glanced behind them to inspect the light. They hoped that the rest of their team would cross the Tribulation, but no one appeared in their vision.
"Move, or I throw you back into the Tribulation," Noah threatened as growls fused with his human voice.
"The others might still come out!" Pearl complained, but she quickly understood how hopeless her statement was.
"They are all dead," Noah explained. "We better start flying. The dangerous sensation has yet to vanish."
Pearl suddenly noticed that her mind continued to sense some danger. It seemed that her problems had yet to end.
King Elbas promptly took out one of his inscribed items. A metal sphere landed on his hand and began to glow with golden shades. A blueprint that depicted the nearby regions quickly formed among that light.
"We have a powerful army coming in our way," King Elbas exclaimed once a few red spots appeared among the golden blueprint. "We were right. They knew that the Tribulation was going to fall in this area."
"Let's hurry toward the teleport," Noah ordered, and the group shot forward.
Noah and the others used their domain to force the rank 7 cultivators to move faster. The group reached the teleport in no time, but unsightly expressions appeared on their face at the sight of the leveled ground.
King Elbas quickly shot toward the ground and inspected the area. His prediction had been on point. The light had destroyed the traps, but it had left part of the teleport intact. However, it needed some work before it could activate and transport the entire group.
"How much do you need?" Noah asked when he saw King Elbas deploying countless formations with a wave of his hands.
"Not much," King Elbas replied without moving his eyes from the ground. "Hold them back until I complete everything."
Noah exchanged a glance with Wilfred, Jordan, and Pearl. The rank 8 existences limited themselves to nod. They were ready to give their everything to fend off the incoming threat.
Jordan transformed into a dragon, Noah deployed the dark world, Wilfred's muscles bulged, and Pearl took out an inscribed metal stick from her space-ring. Even King Elbas joined that show of power by deploying a series of fiery golden puppets.
The rank 7 cultivators could only imitate their leaders. They had yet to accept the whole situation, but they didn't show any hesitation in front of a threat.
The light had ended up helping them. The rank 7 assets had steeled their determination during the Tribulation. Their path appeared clearer than ever, and they even comprehended their existence far more than before.
"Let's give Elbas enough time to work his magic!" Noah shouted. "You have all proven yourself worthy in front of Heaven and Earth. You are strong enough to be enemies of the world. Don't you dare to die against these cowards!"
Noah's ambition spread through the group during his motivational speech. His existence even managed to affect the rank 8 beings. King Elbas also noticed that he was laying inscriptions faster than ever.
An army eventually appeared in the distance. Noah and the others could quickly sense the presence of multiple rank 8 existences, and two of them were in the liquid stage.
Noah recognized Gloria Sailbrird among the army. Her injuries had healed. She appeared at the peak of her power, and an angry expression also filled her face.
"I'll hold her back," Noah ordered. "You take care of the others and retreat as soon as Elbas completes the teleport. He won't hesitate to leave you behind."
"Defying Demon!" Gloria shouted as her pressure spread through the region. "I will take care of what Heaven and Earth can't do. Your life ends today!"
Noah memorized those lines, but he pushed them in the back of his mind. That wasn't the time to study her words.
The enemy army shot forward. Those cultivators didn't let Noah and the others gain the upper hand at that time. They even seemed to eye King Elbas with fervor.
'They know that he is our way out of here,' Noah concluded before shooting forward.
His companions followed him while Snore, Night, and Duanlong flew into the outside world. Roots also came out of his palm and covered his body as a layer of dark matter created the fiendish armor.
Gloria quickly waved her hand, and a flare shot out of her figure. The space twisted in a straight line between her and Noah, but he promptly drew the cursed sword.
A singularity clashed with the flare and cut through its energy. The attack didn't manage to reach Gloria, but her anger intensified at that sight. The other cultivators in her army even trembled when they understood that Noah could face existences in the liquid stage.