'That was expected, to say the least,' Noah thought when he saw the teleportation matrix at the end of the corridor leading to the fourth layer of the Mausoleum.
Noah's sea of consciousness had been too weak to reach those depths during his stay in the Odrea nation. The shining lines that covered the entirety of that structure used to weigh too much on his mind.
He had never explored past the third layer, but his knowledge of the heroic ranks made him imagine a similar outcome. The deeper parts of the Mausoleum couldn't just rely on the "Breath" gathered in the country to provide a training area suitable for cultivators at that level.
"I'm beginning to think that my life is just a series of separate dimensions," Flying Demon cursed in a low voice, but Dreaming Demon quickly caressed his shoulder to comfort him.
Noah couldn't blame him for feeling dejected. Flying Demon had spent most of his life inside separate dimensions, and he kept on using one of them to move around the world.
The six of them were alone in that part of the Mausoleum. None of the other rank 3 cultivators in the country could reach that depth since they lacked the means to improve their minds to the limits of the human ranks.
The path ahead was theirs to handle.
Yet, they didn't activate the teleportation matrix immediately. The experts didn't know what they would find on the other side, and the bad experiences of the two Demons were enough to make Noah hesitant about that place.
Still, that didn't mean that they were giving up on their mission. They just needed to make a few preparations beforehand.
The six heroic cultivators didn't exit the Mausoleum. They contacted their organizations right in the corridor as they warned them that the mission could take a while.
Of course, Faith and June made public only a few details concerning the Mausoleum since they intended to leave most of the gains to Noah and the Hive.
The Council didn't mind that Faith might be forced to spend years in the Odrea nation. There wouldn't be battles any time soon, and the loss of a rank 5 cultivator in that period wouldn't affect its overall influence on the continents.
However, both the Hive and the Elbas family expressed their concerns.
The Royals didn't like that there wasn't an actual carrier of King Elbas' bloodline in the mission, but they had to give in to Elder Julia's demands since the Hive held the key to cross the defensive formation. Still, they began to question why the exploration of an isolated nation would require so much time.
The Hive had different complaints instead. With Noah, Daniel, and the two Demons deployed in that mission, most of its power would be gone for the duration of that exploration.
Four rank 5 cultivators weren't assets that it felt comfortable using for something so mysterious. After all, the Hive counted only ten experts at that level, and Danielle!
Continuing in the mission meant almost halving its most powerful assets, which was something that it couldn't decide lightly.
Nevertheless, the prospects of obtaining something connected with the god of the Empire was too appealing, and the fact that the Hive would gain the largest share of the profits wasn't something that it could overlook.
Also, with the Copying Formation active in its most important territories, it would take an army similar to that deployed against the Shandal Empire to take it down. The political situation was in its favor too since the three invading forces had a common enemy, and switching side would bring balance in an otherwise dire situation.
The Council and the Elbas family couldn't risk that in a period when they had to focus on their growth.
The unexpected happened in those days. Chasing Demon decided to intervene since it wasn't clear which path was better to pursue and sent a direct message to the experts of the Hive deployed in the Odrea nation. Even Daniel received it. "Organizations aren't meant to hold back talents, but to make them bloom. Press forward, fight, grow, and don't hesitate. The Hive has thrived in barren islands. It won't fall in a blessed land."
Elder Julia then sent them a detailed schedule of the projects of the Hive to reassure the experts.
It seemed that Chasing Demon would spend the following years spreading the Copying Formation in the barren territories obtained recently. His figure would be out in the open in that period, and his sole sight would scare away any force that intended to exploit that temporary weakness of the Hive to slow down its growth.
The Demons, Noah, and Daniel could wholeheartedly focus on their mission after they learnt about that.
With the Council and the Hive set on proceeding with the exploration, the Elbas family felt forced to give in to their demands and let go of the idea to send a carrier of King Elbas' bloodline there.
As for the citizens of the Odrea nation, they were living a rare period of peace. The Empire had interrupted its training after the defeat in the new continent. Those soldiers wouldn't mind waiting a bit more to obtain their freedom.
"Let me go first," Dreaming Demon said when the group had settled everything and was ready to activate the teleportation matrix.
"Us," Flying Demon added as he stood side by side with his lover in front of the formation.
Noah didn't object. They were the strongest members of the group, and they had a better chance to face what the separate dimension hid. Also, they had the special inscribed notebooks that Thirty-seven had ideated, so there was a chance that they could warn the others once they were on the other side.
The matrix didn't need external "Breath". The formation inside the Mausoleum provided it with all the required energy already. It activated as soon as the two Demons touched its lines.
The two of them vanished after the lines released a blinding light, and Noah and the others waited for them to update them on the situation on the other side. Yet, there seemed to be no need to use the notebooks since Flying Demon reappeared a few minutes later and urged them to join him.
"It's better if you see it with your eyes," Flying Demon said, and the group of five touched the shining lines that enveloped them with white light, before transporting them on the other side of the matrix.
The white light still shone in Noah's eyes when the effects of the teleportation vanished, but he quickly discovered that the sky was the cause of that phenomenon.
The sky was entirely white and radiated a constant light that shone on the azure terrain that seemed to spread endlessly in every direction.
Noah thought about something when he saw that scene, and the two Demons turned toward him when they understood that he was having ideas similar to theirs. The three of them couldn't help but think about the sculpture that they had seen in the Mortal Palace.