Elder Austin's battle against Elder Doyle of the Papral nation for the ownership of the azure plain began a few hours after Noah returned to the desert.

Both rank 5 cultivators didn't hesitate to launch attacks as soon as they entered the battlefield.

Elder Austin shot toward his enemy with flames surrounding his figures, his opponent used a similar tactic and covered his body with an armor made of water before pouncing the incoming elder.

The result of that clash was an explosion that dispersed the clouds in the sky above them.

Both cultivators were flung away in the distance after the impact only to resume their offensive with long-range attacks.

Elder Austin created tens of flaming snakes that flew toward the contender while Elder Doyle summoned hundreds of blue carps which shot water bullets.

The fire snakes' bodies were pierced by the bullets and exploded before they could reach the barrage of carps, the blast destroyed part of Elder Doyle's spell, but many carps managed to remain intact and pressed on with their offensive.

Elder Austin cast more flames that fused with those still lingering in the air to form a massive burning figure, a nine-headed hydra appeared in front of the elder from the Coral archipelago and blocked the incoming bullets.

The reptilian heads then spread their mouths and aimed for Elder Doyle's figure hidden behind the barrage of carps, they launched nine flaming pillars that pierced his spell and crashed on the seemingly defenseless elder.

At that point, a blinding light dispersed the smoke created by the pillars of flames only to reveal a blue sphere that surrounded an unharmed Elder Doyle.

Then, the elder from the Papral nation flew toward the remaining carps and absorbed the water that made them in his defensive sphere.

The sphere began to grow as more carps were absorbed, and its shape also morphed until it became a colossal dragon whose size matched the flaming hydra.

The two creatures began to fight, they released shockwaves that made the azure ground under them tremble after every clash.

The spells were equally matched, they continued to fight until they depleted all the energies that fueled them without managing to win over their opponent.

As the spell dispersed, Elder Austin and Elder Doyle resumed their offensive through other methods.

Spears, columns, arrows, bullets, and magical beasts of both elements appeared and clashed between each other, the elders seemed equally matched both in raw power and in the proficiency in their spells.

Yet, the battle couldn't continue endlessly.

Elder Doyle decided to use one of his strongest spells when he felt that the time was right.

A massive whirlpool appeared in front of him and began to rotate, pulling everything toward its center.

The spell affected even the environment of the plain, magical beasts and plants rose in the air unable to counter the suction force of the massive blue whirlpool.

Even Elder Austin felt himself being pulled by the spell, the flames that made his attacks and those around him escaped his control and reached for the center of the whirlpool as he tried to retreat.

However, nothing seemed able to escape such suction force.

Elder Austin felt forced to use the same attack that had defeated Lady Edna to destroy the enemy's spell, and he raised his hands to the sky to cast his trump card.

The sky turned red after his mental energy and "Breath" fused with it, and red clouds gathered under Elder Austin command.

Then, flames began to rain down from the clouds.

Countless drops made of flames fell on the battlefield, the whirlpool was initially able to absorb them, but its surface started to shatter after a while.

Also, Elder Austin controlled those flaming drops and turned them into some of his attacks.

The whirlpool was soon assaulted by a series of flaming snakes and fire spears, and it ultimately broke under Elder Austin's endless offensive.

Elder Doyle showed a surprised expression as he raised his gaze to the sky.

The red clouds were still releasing flames that fueled his opponent's attacks, it was as if Elder Austin had created an unending source of fire for his spells.

"I surrender."

Only Elder Austin heard those words, but everyone spectating the battle understood the outcome of the fight when the red clouds vanished, and the sky returned to its natural color.

Elder Austin had dispersed his spell, meaning that he had no reason to keep it active anymore!

The Hive had claimed another territory!

Noah had watched the entirety of the battle from a crystal that the Hive had bought explicitly in the old continent.

The other elders were there too, their amazement could be clearly understood by their expressions.

Noah felt astonished too, the battle between those two rank 5 cultivators was simply on another level, rank 4 cultivators could die if even one of those shockwaves hit them after all!

'They didn't use martial arts, it seems that cultivators tend to abandon attacks that rely on their bodies as they grow.'

That was Noah's first thoughts when the fight ended.

Martial arts relied on body and dantian to activate their effects, and the body of a human simply couldn't express that much power.

The main role of the body as a center of power was to contain the dantian and the sea of consciousness, that was true for cultivators at least.

Spells would have a far superior effect since they relied on the dantian and the mental sphere, their power would just leave martial arts far behind as a cultivator grew stronger.

'I guess I will be an exception in this aspect, my martial art can match spells when I use the secret art, my body can match my other centers of power when I push it to its limits.'

Noah thought as he reviewed the rest of the battle in his mind.

Cheers resounded in the sky over the desert inhabited by sandworms, the elders of the Hive felt as if they had won already.

After all, the richest areas had already fallen in their hands, the rest of the territories of the southwestern coast required a lot of work and resources to be fully explored and turned in sources of income.

A day passed by, and another battle followed.

The Utra nation fought for the area with the snowy mountain right after the plain filled with Primordial ice.

The Hive sent Elder Mona in battle, she was one of the elders that had reached the new continent after the pact was sealed, and she was a rank 4 cultivator in the liquid stage with a water aptitude.

Yet, Elder Mona lost, the Utra nation had decided to deploy Amos Lochster once again, who overwhelmed her and secured the territory.

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