1983: 1983. Tree

1983. Tree

Noah wouldn't go back on his word. That wasn't a matter of honor or similar things that had no meaning in his mind. He wanted to help King Elbas, and he wished to perform his first exploration of the sky with him.0

Truth be told, King Elbas was the perfect companion for such an insane mission. He was ready for every situation, and his current unstable state wouldn't change that. Noah couldn't even imagine his friend getting desperate in front of death.

Still, the issue remained. Noah would probably fail to complete his preparations before his friend reached a critical state and forced him to start the mission.

King Elbas didn't necessarily have to enter the sky, but he didn't need to explain how the insides of the white layer would have more value. Nothing could compare to a chunk that had never touched the outside world. Its level of purity would be on a superior league.

The two had to enter the sky, avoid ending up in one of the many traps that that environment would probably contain, and leave in one piece, at least ideally. Simple holes wouldn't work in that situation. They would have to create a proper passage through formations and inscriptions, and King Elbas' expertise alone wasn't enough for the task.

King Elbas wouldn't be able to create a formation capable of surpassing Heaven and Earth's natural defenses even if he relied on his final existence. The expert needed Noah's ability to find flaws in the rulers' system, and the two might even require the orange city's help at some point.

Noah and King Elbas had yet to talk about the topic, but they shared similar mindsets. They knew that the old rulers could help a lot in such a dangerous mission, but they also understood that leaving them in the dark was better.

"Do you think we can defeat solid stage cultivators if we fight together?" Noah asked in a vague tone.

"I don't think we can fight together," King Elbas laughed as he pointed his palm on the floor to summon a golden screen that depicted the many functions of the habitation.

"I think we'll just die," Noah stated. "Neither of us has attacks able to damage such strong worlds. We can't pick them as targets."

"You do realize that we should avoid dying before approaching the sky, don't you?" King Elbas mocked.

"We'll probably have to face hordes of cultivators in the ninth rank if we enter the sky," Noah sighed. "That even is the best-case scenario since it doesn't involve solid stage experts and those improved versions that we have found in the separate dimension. We are basically relying on Heaven and Earth's fairness here."

"Failing to get stronger might help us then," King Elbas explained.

"I don't want to rely on something created by Heaven and Earth," Noah responded. "I'd rather bet everything on my personal power."

"I think we should try to be flexible when it comes to this mission," King Elbas suggested.

"You should have asked that before the divine ranks," Noah grinned. "We are stuck with ourselves now, and I can't say no to power."

"We can at least try not to create loopholes for Heaven and Earth," King Elbas argued.

"Can you even calculate how their fairness will change depending on our growth?" Noah asked.

"I tried once, but I find the topic quite boring," King Elbas replied. "Calculating the full extent of Heaven and Earth's fairness wouldn't be a problem if I had a clear understanding of the entirety of their power and a list of every living being in their world."

"They should be easy to get before you fall apart," Noah joked.

"It's not like I can deploy this plan with such a brute as a companion," King Elbas scoffed.

"You can always leave me behind," Noah teased.

"I actually need your existence more than my immense expertise," King Elbas revealed in a disappointed tone.

"You can try not to brag next time," Noah laughed. "You might end up complimenting me like that."

The conversation continued with a few jokes, but it eventually ended. The two experts were almost ready to leave, and their next target would depend on the old rulers' intel.

Noah and King Elbas spent a few more years cultivating in their respective training areas or talking in their occasional meetings, but they eventually decided to leave the region. They had discussed their next targets after contacting the old rulers, and their decision had been obvious due to the nature of their situation.

The old rulers had never stopped sending their improved magical beasts into the stormy regions. The orange city's influence had continued to expand while Noah and King Elbas rested and prepared for their next mission. The old Heaven and Earth had slowly become a proper parasite that was taking over the higher plane, and their new version appeared unable to stop them.

The old rulers never lost anything during the expansion. The stormy regions had countless magical beasts, with many of them in the ninth rank. Moreover, the breeding grounds in the orange city had reached levels of efficiency that left even King Elbas stunned. The old Heaven and Earth didn't lack troops, and they always managed to succeed in their goals.

The old Heaven and Earth had it relatively easy. Their victories didn't only come from the conquest of areas inside the stormy regions. They were happy as long as the rulers wasted energy to stop their improved magical beasts, which was impossible to avoid.

The old rulers were doing what Noah had planned from time to time. Damaging Heaven and Earth was easy with the sheer number of resources and methods that the orange city could deploy, and Noah only rejoiced reading the many reports that arrived in the special device.

Heaven and Earth appeared on the losing side of that battle. The old rulers knew them too well, but worry inevitably started to form inside Noah's mind as he realized that those powerful allies were slowly developing a proper personality.

The old rulers were regaining what they had lost during the severing from the sky. They weren't going back to their previous form, but Noah didn't like seeing them growing at such a fast pace.

Still, his worries didn't stop him from using their reports. King Elbas and Noah had picked a suitable target as soon as they decided to inspect the intel. It consisted of another area guarded by liquid stage cultivators. The experts there were defending a massive tree that could surpass most mountains in terms of size.

The old rulers didn't know whether the tree hid a separate dimension, but the presence of liquid stage cultivators described how important the area was for Heaven and Earth.

Noah and King Elbas had stopped caring about hurting Heaven and Earth for now. They had far bigger problems to deal with. The area only had two liquid stage cultivators, which made it perfect for their needs.

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"Excuse me?" An old-looking cultivator asked in his rough voice as he stared at Noah and King Elbas.

"I'm not sure I heard you correctly either," The enchanting middle-aged woman at the cultivator side exclaimed.

"It's not that hard," Noah repeated himself while heaving a helpless sigh. "You both know that we will win, so let me cut the tree first. It seems tougher than you anyway."

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