The restrictions on the Empire declared that it couldn't attack any of the forces on the world. Those limitations applied even to the Ravaging Demon sect, even if it wasn't one of the invading forces.
With all the world's territories divided among the organizations and powerful packs of magical beasts, the Empire was bound to remain confined in the small area around the blue dome. However, the restrictions said nothing about ownerless regions.
God's Left Hand's request saw the Hive leaving some regions empty once the attack on the Ravaging Demon sect began. That would allow the Empire to expand and leave the territories in the old continent's central area.
Anyone could understand that it would take centuries for the territories around the blue dome to recover from the powerhouses' battle. The amount of damage that they had suffered went far beyond what conventional methods could fix.
The Empire would need to invest resources that it didn't have to accelerate the restoration of the ground. It would need to pour "Breath" and other nourishing substances before seeing something growing in those lands again.
Those expenses would slow down its already endangered growth. It was more reasonable to migrate somewhere else.
However, the southern side of the old continent had the dimensional portal turning the area into a wasteland, and its central regions were either destroyed or under the invaders' control. The negotiations for the Empire's surrender had even taken away its domains in the other Mortal Lands, leaving it only a few choices available.
The new continent was entirely under the control of the three invading forces. So, the Empire could only migrate in the other world and clear some danger zones, or exploit the imminent attack on the rebellious sects in the Papral nation to expand.
The group of the Hive had yet to discuss the number of regions needed to comply with the Empire's request, but they were hesitating already.
Accepting those conditions would help the Empire grow again, opening it to possibilities that the invaders had removed with the war. The Hive's group didn't know if their enmity with the Ravaging Demon sect was worth the risk of helping one of the biggest threats in the world recover.
That was a choice that could lead to awful consequences in the future. It might endanger the well-being of all the invading forces. After all, it concerned the return of powerful organization into the political environment.
Of course, the Empire would be restricted even if it was to expand. Yet, it was unclear for how long the restrictions applied on it could stick.
Noah and the Demons discussed through mental messages while they pondered over the situation. The advantages that the Hive would receive from that negotiation were immense, but they didn't know if they were worth the risk of saving the Empire.
Nevertheless, they agreed to that condition in the end. The group's decision didn't take into consideration the entirety of the world. It was a selfish act that saw only the benefits that the Hive would receive.
"Is this good for you too?" God's Left Hand asked the trio from the Odrea nation after the rank 5 cultivators accepted her terms.
They raised their heads to nod toward the powerhouse before diving back into the piece of glass. It was possible to understand from their expressions that their mental state had improved after taking a peek at that item. The only strange aspect was that they were crying, and their tears resumed to flow once their minds entered the glass again.
The group from the Hive remained in that hall for a few hours to review the details of their agreement and enjoy the delicacies offered by the powerhouse. They eventually had to abandon any claim over the Papral nation to force the Empire to agree to everything they had set before.
They didn't swear an oath when the negotiations ended. There was no need to waste a precious inscribed item to handle those matters. The Empire would give only half of what it had promised and slowly send the rest of the resources as it gained territories.
After the meeting ended, the group from the Hive returned on the fissure, where the entrance for the separate dimension was with only part of the promised goods. The Empire would send the rest after it organized the complex matters like preparing the Second Life formation for the new cultivators.
The Hive wasn't committing any crime by setting secret agreements with the Empire, but Noah and the others wanted to avoid claiming the attention of the other forces anyway. It was better for such pacts to remain concealed for as long as they could.
Noah initially had some reservations about using the formation. The powerhouse had explained that it needed a link to the cultivators' existence to bring them back. That would make them lose part of their individualities during the rebirth, which caused their loss in terms of cultivation level.
Also, the number of resources required to bring the cultivators back depended on the energy contained in their beings. Noah soon found out that hybrids weren't eligible for the formations, which made his hesitation vanish.
According to the powerhouse, reconstructing an entire hybrid body was something that the Second Life formation couldn't do. It worked for humans since it preserved their minds and most of their individualities with its connection, but it wasn't meant to do the same with the bodies.
It was as if the formation could work only when there were two significant variables. It couldn't function when the body became a major aspect too.
Noah took the piece of glass in his hands during the trip back to the new continent. A series of images and emotions filled his mind when his mental energy entered the inscribed item.
He felt hopeless, lost, and without any will to live left inside him. Yet, the Odrea nation entered in his vision at that point, and many images scrolled past his eyes. They had a chronological order and showed multiple battles fought by the inexperienced soldiers of the Empire.
The helpless struggles of the citizens of the Odrea nation seeped through him and made him feel as if something in the world could reflect his mental state. However, their determination to survive rekindled his will to defy Heaven and Earth and proceed on living through his cursed existence.
The emotions were so vivid that Noah had almost forgotten about himself. He felt and saw as Shandal when he looked at the glass, and the sensations of a god were enough to make even his cold existence struggle to remain calm.
Of course, Noah didn't care about those images. His only interest was in the point of view of a god since it could reveal hints concerning the world of the laws.
His decision turned out to be correct since he entered that peculiar mental state when he sensed the laws.