Ravaging Demon had his eyes closed as his mind wandered in the forced enlightenment caused by the oily water of the pool. The laws of the fire element connected with his individuality became faint instincts that he learnt how to control as he remained immersed in that miraculous item.
He felt the intrusion of a foreign substance inside his dantian though. He did not doubt that he was sacrificing part of his potential to obtain the breakthrough that he had waited for years.
Still, that was what he wanted. After all, he had always considered himself a true demon. He would do anything to improve his power.
The entrance of the restricted area opened, and six powerful cultivators walked through it.
The cultivator in the lead of that group was one of the silver-haired members of the Elbas family, First Prince, who limited himself to point in a polite way toward Ravaging Demon.
The cultivators behind him performed quick bows toward the Royal before hurrying themselves in front of the pool to kowtow. The scene was quite peculiar since those five experts were cultivators in the fifth rank!
"Master!" The five cultivators shouted at the same time, and Ravaging Demon could only nod seeing that his disciples had arrived safely in the Royal Academy.
"I hope there were no issues during the transport," Ravaging Demon said as he glanced at the Royal still in the back of the restricted area.
"Of course," First Prince replied. "We have common borders right now. What can even go wrong?"
Ravaging Demon limited himself to nod at that answer and gestured to his disciples to rise. Then, he invited them inside the pool, and they didn't hesitate to undress to join him inside that murky water.
First Prince remained at the back of the area, but there was a pensive expression on his face. It was as if something was bothering him.
Ravaging Demon didn't fail to notice that expression, and he spoke to the Royal without turning. "Are you still worried about the plan?"
"It's not that," First Prince said while shaking his head. "We are sure to succeed. The Hive and the Council will never expect a betrayal right after the end of the war."
"But?" Ravaging Demon asked again, expecting that the Royal had something to say about their strategy.
"But there is a reason why cultivators in the sixth rank tend to avoid going after those on a lower level," First Price said as his expression turned grim. "If all the powerhouses start to act as they wish, there won't be any habitable land anymore."
First Prince's point was reasonable. The power held by rank 6 cultivators was too great, and unleashing it freely on the landmasses would give birth to barren territories.
It was enough to see what had happened in the central areas of the new continent to understand how destructive their power could be.
Also, there were always variables when "Breath" was involved. The joint front against the leader of the winged beasts had given birth to a harmless species of flowers at that time, but there could be far harsher outcomes if they were unlucky.
What if the next species of magical plants were carnivorous? What if unleashing so much power caused mutations in the creatures nearby? What if the lands involved never recovered from the battles?
Causing a war that would involve the powerhouses could only lead to more destruction.
That would render void the purpose of that battle. After all, there was no point in fighting if the winning forces couldn't seize suitable benefits.
There were more reasons behind First Prince's worries. The Royal was sure that King Elbas would be the next powerhouse to ascend, which meant that the Elbas family would face a period of weakness.
Creating grudges right before that could endanger the position of the Royals in the political environment of those Mortal Lands. There was even the chance that eventual enemy forces would aim to their destruction at that point.
So, breaking unwritten rules worried him, especially since the only allied organization of his family would have someone as untrustworthy as Ravaging Demon as its leader.
Of course, First Prince didn't mention those reasons. The way he saw it, Ravaging Demon was just a tool meant to benefit his family, so he had to keep him on his side.
"Mountains break, and skies fall," Ravaging Demon said after remaining silent for a while. "Do not worry about your resources. I'll compensate the Elbas family if I happen to destroy too many territories."
That answer didn't satisfy First Prince, but it was enough to ensure that the Royals would gain something from giving that cultivator access to the pool.
Still, he felt the need to remind him that his allies were a force that he couldn't ignore.
"I hope you will," First Prince said as he started to cross the entrance to exit that restricted area. "Otherwise, we will make sure that you understand how advanced our inscription masters are. Demons might be flashy and dangerous, but it's in the silent and dark labs that monsters are born."
After that reminder, First Prince exited the restricted area and sealed the entrance, leaving the six cultivators from the Papral nation alone.
A moment of silence followed the Royal's departure, but Ravaging Demon's disciples quickly broke it to express their disagreement.
"Hmph, what can a member of the Elbas family even know about monsters."
"Indeed, they can only hide behind the power of their Patriarch. Anyone can be strong with a pile of inscribed items."
Those complaints continued while the six of them remained immersed in the pool, but Ravaging Demon eventually silenced them.
"Enough!" Ravaging Demon shouted, and his disciples quickly shut their mouths. "The Elbas family is strong, stronger than us. That's the whole reason why I have to take the initiative in the betrayal. The hatred of the world will converge once again on the Ravaging Demon Sect."
The disciples gulped when they heard that. They knew about the plan but imagining both the Hive and the Council coming after them was a dreadful sight.
After all, that wouldn't be the same as the war against the Shandal Empire. The invading forces were far stronger than that organization once they created a united front, while the situation would be far different once they betrayed the alliance.
The Ravaging Demon Sect and the Elbas family would be on an equal ground with the Hive and the Council, which meant that the losses inflicted at the moment of the betrayal would determine their advantage.
Also, that was the reason why they were waiting for the end of the war to act. They wanted to establish pacts with the Empire so that it would be forced to remain outside of that conflict.
"Don't fret though," Ravaging Demon said when he saw that he the hesitation in the eyes of his disciples. "My fire will eventually envelop the entirety of these Mortal Lands and create a path toward the higher planes. Then, I'll destroy them too."