The apocalyptic event was impossible to miss. More than one-quarter of the higher plane had turned into a battlefield as the monster and Heaven and Earth's armies fought each other.

It was only normal for other powerhouses of the Immortal Lands to show up, and Noah didn't feel surprised to see the dragons first. Individual worlds were too weak to jump into that battle, while the old rulers would probably try to gather information for a bit before deciding to join the mess. The four upper tier creatures and their army were the only force that didn't need preparations.

"I won't give up on this chance to gather energy," Noah exclaimed before the four dragons could say anything.

"We won't have a better chance to damage Heaven and Earth," The time dragon replied.

"I won't have a better chance to improve," Noah announced. "You can always put your hopes on me."

"I thought that you were no fated warrior," The green dragon teased.

"I'm not," Noah chuckled, "But I have put Heaven and Earth in this situation before stepping into the ninth rank completely. I bet you can understand what I'm saying."

"Your ability to damage Heaven and Earth is definitely greater than ours," The time dragon responded, "But the magical beasts have their battle to fight. We can't be sure we'll last until you are ready to join the final battlefield."

"The monster isn't on your side," Noah tried to scare away the dragons.

"The same goes for you, but you are still here," The green dragon declared.

Noah knew that he couldn't outwit the green dragon. The creature had seen Heaven and Earth's world come to life and had preserved its species until now. Its goals were clear, and tricks wouldn't work.

Noah wanted to avoid risking the dragons in that battle. They were a potent source that he hoped to improve or use once the final fight against Heaven and Earth actually happened.

The monster was threatening and gigantic, but Heaven and Earth had the power to devise a solution. The temporary weakness that would follow the battle would give Noah enough time to evolve into a complete rank 9 existence. It would also give him enough freedom to improve his techniques and step on the path that would lead him toward the true peak of the cultivation journey.

His plan was simple but effective. Still, he would like to have all Heaven and Earth's enemies ready to fight the rulers when he became strong enough to affect the final battle. The process would probably take many millennia, but the temporary weakness caused by the monster was bound to give more time to the dragons, the orange city, and his old companions.

However, Noah also understood the dragons' perspective. Those creatures had waited for countless millennia for a similar chance. The rulers were finally showing signs of struggle. Heaven and Earth seemed in the right condition to suffer a significant blow or even lose completely if the magical beasts' army played its cards correctly.

"I hope you'll limit yourselves to hinder Heaven and Earth's troops," Noah quickly gave in.

"Of course," The green dragon reassured. "None of us wants to see what the sky hides. We'll let it slowly crumble until the tenth rank transforms into an impossible dream."

The wisdom of the dragon made Noah nod. The green leader didn't let the countless millennia spent watching its species losing ground get to its head. It knew that Heaven and Earth's current form was unbeatable for the magical beasts, so it had to aim for a different path to victory, which involved preventing the breakthrough to the tenth rank.

The death of its army wouldn't matter as long as the rulers couldn't complete the breakthrough. More magical beasts would appear if Heaven and Earth couldn't fulfill their path. Even a major loss could lead to a victory as long as the sky suffered too much.

"Bring your fight to the edges of my pulling force," Noah ordered while trying to suppress his pride in front of creatures that might be sensitive to that aspect of his law.

"We had always planned to do that," The time dragon explained. "Try not to eat any of my underlings."

Noah scoffed, but he didn't add anything else. The time dragon roared, and its three upper tier companions echoed its orders before the creatures in the distance voiced similar battle cries.

The army of dragons dispersed into four groups. The four leaders stood in charge of them as they advanced toward different directions to take control of specific areas right under the white layer.

Heaven and Earth never stopped sending reinforcements, but they ended up finding dragons on their path now. Many avatars were in the upper tier, so violent battles immediately unfolded in different areas near the sky.

Noah only had to pick one of the new battlefields before resuming his absorption of energy. The affected areas were far smaller now, so he didn't need to rely on his ambition again. Still, they also were denser with fights, so he could recreate a weaker version of the constant currents converging toward his figure.

The dragons seemed not to care that someone was stealing energy from their surroundings. They focused on fighting against Heaven and Earth's assets to slow down their arrival toward the real threat in that situation. The monster had become free to unleash its destructive power in mere seconds after the magical beasts stepped into the battlefield, and the higher plane inevitably suffered.

The monster advanced, leaving immense cracks into the fabric of space on its path. Without hindrances, the empty creature managed to create a fissure connected to the void almost as big as half of the higher plane in no time.

Everything inside the sky would turn into nothing more than a hole if Heaven and Earth didn't act quickly. Yet, every reinforcement would have to face the dragons before reaching the actual threat, so specific counters couldn't work.

Heaven and Earth inevitably decided to play their strongest cards. Four privileged cultivators in the solid stage appeared in front of each dragon group, and immense flocks of winged cockroaches followed them. The rulers had decided to disregard the monster for a bit to focus on those annoying magical beasts.

Noah felt tempted to interrupt his absorption when he saw Caesar appearing in front of the time dragon. Part of him wanted to focus the entirety of his attention on that battle, but he didn't let that thought distract him. He still watched the two powerful existences, but he didn't dare to miss the opportunity to gain upper tier energy.

Sadly, Caesar and the time dragon didn't really fight, not in the usual sense at least. The two of them stared at each other as energy flared and returned inside their figures. They seemed immersed in a mental battle, and very few laws ended up spreading in the environment.

Noah could disregard the laws released by the green dragon since he had already gained access to its understanding. Instead, Caesar's power felt deep, dense, and complicated. Noah couldn't understand its superficial meanings even as he absorbed it.

The underlings didn't share the leaders' relatively calm clash. The flying cockroaches and the dragons fought each other in a ruthless and reckless face-off that showed no care for their survival. Both sides only cared about their goals.

The flying cockroaches slowly gained the upper hand since they were counters for the dragons, but another sudden event changed the situation on the various battlefields. A series of orange portals materialized near the four groups of dragons, and multiple magical beasts came out of them before attacking Heaven and Earth's assets.

****

Author's notes: The chapters will obviously be late.

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