Birth of the Demonic Sword Chapter 2355. Maybe

Noah quickly devised other options. Heaven and Earth appeared unbreakable in their present state, yet routes existed that could reach the universe.

His eyes turned toward the void as his figure shifted into a piercing blast of energy that plunged into the deep blackness. Space functioned across various dimensions, allowing potential paths beyond Heaven and Earth's control within that darkness, but Noah soon faced a recognizable barrier.

The trip through the void lasted only mere seconds. Noah hadn't even left the detection range of his allies when a white barrier appeared before him.

Heaven and Earth had shoved all areas under their influence into the sky, making travel through the void a possible way to the universe. The journey would prove harsh, survivable only by rank 9 beings, yet the rulers had anticipated that route.

The sky looked somewhat altered there, but its immense power remained unchanged. Noah's mastery of space let him grasp that the odd traits stemmed solely from the unique space-time setup of the region.

Further probes into the void's other sections proved pointless then. Noah realized Heaven and Earth hadn't confined defenses to one spot. The sky enveloped the entire higher plane and all distinct dimensions. The rulers had sealed every access to the universe.

A wave of defeat surged through Noah's mind. He felt directionless and idea-less. His instincts and urges to destroy shared that helplessness. His group had triumphed, but true success eluded them.

'Victory isn't victory,' Noah mused, remembering Alabatia's words.

Suddenly, it all clicked. The final pieces linked up, unveiling the full truth to Noah. Countless privileged cultivators had cautioned him along his path, but only now did their warnings ring clear.

Noah couldn't fault himself. Heaven and Earth had dangled the tenth rank right in his face. No strategy or readiness, no matter how flawless, could counter that.

Heaven and Earth had essentially cheated. The ultimate clash was doomed from the start. Noah's allies could have battled tenfold fiercer, but the result stayed inevitable. The sky would have unveiled its rank 10 nature eventually.

Noah had no choice but to regroup with his companions. He scanned their faces, finding only the same defeat that gripped his thoughts mirrored there.

Even the haughty Eternal Snake lacked the will to utter a word. The beast had reemerged after weathering Heaven and Earth's final strike, but the rank 10 sky's appearance had crushed its bravado.

The Eternal Snake suffered even more deeply. As a pure magical beast, it sensed innate submission to the transformed sky. Its very nature screamed defeat.

"Don't be too hard on yourselves," Caesar declared, moving away from his followers. "You have exceeded Heaven and Earth's expectations. You have pushed your power farther than any other rebel. Take pride in your achievement and wither in peace."

"What's your endgame?" Noah questioned. "How do you fit in Heaven and Earth's grand scheme?"

Caesar chuckled and flung his arms wide. Crystals emerged from his body before sinking back beneath his skin. A subtle hint of Heaven and Earth's power coursed through him, only to fade swiftly.

"An avatar," Noah remarked.

"Indeed," Caesar proclaimed. "Heaven and Earth will emerge as the mightiest rank 10 entity in the universe, and I'll serve as their avatar. Once they claim the paths, my fate will blanket the universe. I'll become infinite and eternal."

"I bet Heaven and Earth had plans for the others too," Noah declared.

"Not everyone," Caesar clarified, ignoring his allies. "Only a few loyal experts grasped the full picture."

"And Heaven and Earth are asking them to decide now," Noah pressed on. "I guess the offer stands for my organization too."

"Correct," Caesar affirmed. "You can join the sky if you wish, but not as part of Heaven and Earth. Your worlds aren't necessary anymore. You'll turn into partially mindless avatars, but you'll be alive."

The Eternal Snake snorted at those words but held back from striking. The beast veered toward a prime landmass, claiming it as its own. It refused Heaven and Earth, yet its zeal for the rebellion had evaporated.

That moment deepened the defeat weighing on the experts' minds. Several retreated to the inscriptions to rest or seclude themselves. Their thoughts churned chaotically, as either choice spelled their end.

Noah eyed the privileged cultivators trailing Caesar. Marcella radiated assurance, but her allies seemed torn. Decumia hung her head while the lesser experts eyed one another, seeking clues in their peers' expressions.

Caesar hadn't detailed the privileged cultivators' fates, but their faces betrayed much. Heaven and Earth likely stood ready to discard them unless they accepted servitude. Apparently, only Marcella earned a worthwhile deal.

"What's the matter with you?" Marcella probed, spotting Decumia's demeanor. "You knew what this goal involved."

"Yes," Decumia replied, raising her gaze at last. "I thought I could be happy as long as I could spread my chaos through the universe."

"You can still get that chance," Marcella urged. "Hurry up before it's too late."

Marcella wasn't urging about Heaven and Earth. She feared Noah and the rest might unleash their rage on her allies. Decumia faced death without accepting the rulers' terms.

"I have doubts," Decumia confessed.

"We won as planned," Marcella scoffed.

"Divine Architect should have survived," Decumia countered. "That was part of the plan."

"Our opponents surpassed our expectations," Marcella asserted. "That doesn't change the outcome."

"They have surpassed them once," Decumia murmured before facing her followers.

The surviving privileged cultivators reeled in confusion. Just a handful knew Heaven and Earth's scheme, but Noah's drive sparked valid uncertainties and yearnings.

The privileged cultivators no longer knew what to believe. They had glimpsed the journey's heart, yet the vista proclaimed its failure. Noah nearly seemed like a kindred spirit with his resolve, but Heaven and Earth had bested him.

Noah tuned out Caesar and the privileged cultivators amid that exchange. He grasped the scenario fully now, yet solutions escaped him. The teeming lifeforms across the higher plane's fresh lands drew his focus, leading him to examine them as his thoughts drifted.

Gazing at vibrant, life-filled realms stirred nostalgia. Noah's landmass mimicked that vibrancy, but he recognized its contrived nature. Conversely, the Mortal Lands and planes packed into the sky delivered genuine, balanced vistas that evoked cherished recollections.

Millennia had flown by since the Mortal Lands saga. Noah couldn't tally them, but they belonged to another era, one free from the white sky's shadow.

The creatures wandering those territories mostly ignored Heaven and Earth's triumph. Many lacked the smarts or cultivation to sense the rank 10 structure encircling them. Their naivety warmed the heart and drew a sigh from Noah.

'The sky must suppress its pressure or omit it entirely,' Noah pondered, refocusing on the sky. 'Otherwise, none of those lands could endure its weight.'

Noah neared the sky to probe it once more. His senses rang true. He lacked the might to breach that substance. Every rank 9 existence in the higher plane combined couldn't scratch it.

A subtle, barely noticeable notion flickered in Noah's mind. It vanished instantly, but Noah caught it. His attention snapped back to the myriad lands, sparking endless computations.

'Maybe,' Noah considered, as energy surged through his form, birthing a colossal slash that slammed into the sky.