Chapter 1129 1129. Companions
"I would have no chances against her in normal conditions," Noah thought after reviewing the battle with Great Elder Diana in his mind.
The group had resumed their flight toward the stars in the distance, but Noah couldn"t shake off the sensation of impotence felt in front of such a powerful expert.
Great Elder Diana had been barely conscious, and part of her mind had held her real power back during the battle. She couldn"t even rely on her individuality, but she had been a threatening opponent anyway.
The injuries on Noah"s back were proof of how distant he was from the liquid stage in terms of prowess. Great Elder Diana"s raw display of power was able to wound him deeply, even when he deployed his best protections.
The lack of a rank 6 dantian held back the power that Noah could express. Gaining access to rank 6 darkness would bring his overall prowess to the next level.
Moreover, the new darkness would make his dark matter evolve, unlocking many creations that Noah had chosen not to approach while his higher energy was unstable.
There was so much to improve when it came to his creations. Yet, his dantian appeared unable to leap in the next rank. Noah could only stuff it with raw laws for the time being.
The group of five encountered other lumps of white laws along their way. Noah took them without any opposition nor complaints, and his injuries healed in a couple of months with their energy.
Great Elder Diana had promised that she would leave every raw law to Noah, and she didn"t want to risk falling prey to the addiction again. The same went for Elder Regina since she had come close to going mad too.
The Royals couldn"t even begin to start a negotiation. Noah was stronger than them, and he had the backing of the most potent powerhouses of the Council now. There was nothing First Prince and First Princess could do.
Noah didn"t even glance at his companions whenever light entered in the range of his mind. He directly seized them knowing that they were rightfully his.
It took another year for the group to find a change in the environment.
The number of raw laws on their path had increased, which hinted that they were nearing the center of that separate reality. Noah had eaten more than fifteen lumps of light when he sensed the traces of a battle.
The group found True Speed and Elder Paul fighting over a fist-sized sphere of light. That was the largest ma.s.s of raw laws that Noah had ever seen, and the two experts from the Council had to rely on their sedatives to fend off its captivating aura.
The two cultivators fighting to seize it appeared lost in their anger. Their expressions were a mixture of rage and anxiety as they launched attack after attack at their opponent.
Their auras didn"t reveal any trace of confusion. They appeared utterly lost in their addiction. Still, their cultivation level had increased.
Noah inspected the battle for an instant before glancing at Great Elder Diana, who nodded in response. She then stepped forward and used a minute speck of her liquid "Breath" to create a few lightning bolts.
The duo had understood each other with a simple exchange of gazes. Great Elder Diana would capture their addicted companions since it was far easier for her to do it.
The lightning bolts shot toward Elder Paul and True Speed, and prison-like structures formed around them. The two insane cultivators tried to launch themselves at the crackling bars, but they fainted as soon as they touched them.
They were lucky that Great Elder Diana"s individuality focused on precision. She managed to hold back her power so much that her lightning bolts didn"t hurt the two experts.
Noah seized the raw laws while Elder Regina and the Matriarch neared the trapped experts and poured sedatives in their mouths. An intense sensation of power filled Noah as the two woke up.
Great Elder Diana left the experts in Elder Regina"s hands. She would handle explaining their situation and what had happened while they were prey to their addiction.
Elder Paul and True Speed shot incredulous gazes toward Noah when they learnt of how he had saved them all from Great Elder Diana. Still, they had already given up on the raw laws.
Going mad had taught them about the dangers connected with that resource. They would have remained without any "Breath" in the middle of the void if Noah"s group didn"t appear to stop them.
The group resumed their flight once again, and it didn"t take much before they encountered another lost companion. G.o.d"s Left Hand appeared in their vision, and she didn"t show any sign of addiction even if her power had increased.
"Oh," G.o.d"s Left Hand conveyed while revealing a surprised expression at the sight of the group, "You are all fine."
She was surprised that the journey through the void didn"t result in any casualty, especially when it came to the weaker experts.
G.o.d"s Left Hand guessed that Great Elder Diana had found them all and kept them away from the raw laws, but the surprises weren"t over for her.
Noah stepped forward, and Great Elder Diana followed him. Elder Regina went too, and the trio reached G.o.d"s Left Hand to hold a meeting away from unwanted ears.
"I"ll leave the biggest share of raw laws to you," G.o.d"s Left Hand began without hiding her surprise when she saw that the Royals didn"t join the negotiations.
She let the matter go since they didn"t complain, but the Council"s Matriarch left her speechless.
"All my shares will go to the Demon Prince of the Hive," Great Elder Diana said, and Elder Regina continued on the same line. "Mine will go to Noah Balvan as well."
G.o.d"s Left Hand"s eyes widened, and they went on Noah, who replied with a cold smile.
The expert from the Shandal Empire couldn"t even begin to guess what had happened in the past years. Noah had a rank 5 dantian, but every powerhouse was stepping back to leave all the resources to him!
G.o.d"s left Hand eventually calmed down, and she expressed her position with clear words. "I don"t know what you did to gain their favor, but I won"t sacrifice my share to you. I"ll take the second biggest part of raw laws out of respect for Great Elder Diana."
"I"ll take the biggest share then," Noah replied, "But True Speed also joins the Hive. He owes me his life. You can ask him if you want."
Elder Regina avoided to meet G.o.d"s Left Hand"s questioning gaze, but Great Elder Diana nodded at her without showing any ripple in her stern expression.
The Matriarch of the Council knew that Noah was fearless during negotiations. He had also dealt and tricked King Elbas!
Seeing him replying so fiercely at the offers of a cultivator far stronger than him made her sure that Divine Demon had chosen his heir well. Noah was a Demon to his very core.
True Speed couldn"t vouch for him since he was still back in the group, but Noah turned to glance at him. The expert of the Empire lowered his head at the sight of the reptilian eyes. Still, there was only respect in that gesture.
G.o.d"s Left Hand didn"t wholly believe Noah, but she didn"t mind giving up part of his share to keep the whole group happy. After all, she represented the weakest organization in that team.
Moreover, she had already absorbed many raw laws during her solitary travel in the void. She had come prepared for the addicting properties of that resource, but her mind was reaching its limits.
Giving Noah and the Council some face couldn"t hurt her. The Demon Prince was even doing her a favor in handling so many raw laws by himself.
"You have a deal," G.o.d"s Left Hand concluded, and Great Elder Diana gestured to the others to join them. They would resume their flight immediately.