Reports about the situation in the Papral nation accumulated while the Hive and the Council were busy negotiating the terms of their alliance. The whole world was going through a period when all the organizations reestablished pacts to define their political sides.
Noah went back to his mansion inside the separate dimension after parting ways with the Demons. He knew that Elder Julia would try to keep him away from the imminent attacks at the Ravaging Demon sect since he was a high-value target. Yet, he wanted to fight, which meant that he had to prepare for the eventual fight against a powerhouse.
His tests with his new school of attacks proceeded steadily. His mind frequently touched upon the laws as he studied forms that he could pair with some of his spells.
Noah perfected the technique that made use of the Merging spell and moved his research forward. He soon learnt how to diversify his creations. After all, each martial art could use multiple spells, which increased their power according to how harmonized they were with the basic form.
The Demonic Form spell and the Black Mark spell could virtually suit any martial art since they added general enhancements to every ability. The consumption for each technique increased when Noah activated both spells, but power output reached insane levels.
Noah felt that he wouldn't have any problem fighting a solid stage cultivator in the fifth rank if he became experienced with his current project. His offensive was slowly entering a realm that liquid stage experts shouldn't even begin to consider!
Also, Noah felt that he was finally obtaining tools suitable for his species. He could feel all his strength being put to use when he performed the techniques from his new school.
The new techniques allowed him to express the entirety of his existence, without holding back any of his unique features to suit the human standards.
Years passed as all the organizations in those Mortal Lands reorganized and established new alliances. Their main priority was to recover from the losses suffered during the war, but that didn't stop them from planning the next battles.
The Council and the Hive managed to abandon their past grudges and seal a lasting alliance that saw them cooperating for the next three thousand years.
That alliance was different from the pacts signed whenever a significant crisis or opportunity appeared. It was an agreement that featured detailed laws connected to a series of punishments for any transgressor. The Hive and the Council even created teams of powerful cultivators with the sole task of overseeing and enforcing those rules.
Such teams had cultivators from both organizations and featured leaders who had authority over both forces' assets. They couldn't order rank 5 cultivators around, but their influence in the alliance wasn't little.
The alliance even saw the possibility of both organizations to fuse in the future. That outcome was unlikely, but it improved the relationships among the sects and the invisible domes, creating a more friendly environment.
Only time would tell if those pacts would lead to a genuine friendship between the two organizations. All they could do for now was focusing on the destruction of their common enemy.
Once the Hive and the Council finished handling the matters connected to their alliance, it was time to attack the Ravaging Demon sect.
The rebellious sects had taken control of most of the Papral nation during the years after Ravaging Demon's appearance. Their Patriarch didn't show himself since the battle near the blue dome, but they had continued to expand their domain even without him.
The Council had suffered too much to deploy troops to defend those poor territories. The war and the rebellion had taken away almost half of its assets, which prevented it from starting long battles right away.
However, it could start pressuring the Ravaging Demon sect to draw out its Patriarch now that the Hive was on its side.
The higher-ups of both organizations held long meetings meant to prepare a solid battle plan. Still, it soon became evident that a massive mobilization of troops could only trigger the Elbas family's reaction.
Another all-out war would hurt everyone, both attackers and defenders. Claiming vengeance was necessary, but resorting to expensive plans that would hurt their growth wasn't worth it.
The meetings went in a different direction after that realization. Both organizations would rather use small groups made of powerful experts rather than risking their already suffering foundation.
The idea came from the Council, but it had taken inspiration from the Hive's attacks on the Utra nation. The guerrilla-style battles seemed the best tactic to use against their enemy.
That approach would make it hard for the Elbas family to send reinforcements, and it would force the sects under Ravaging Demon's banner to assemble. The alliance could launch a massive attack at that point and end the Ravaging Demon sect once and for all.
The plan worked perfectly in theory. The rank 5 cultivators chosen for the attacks could always destroy the regions if they didn't manage to win against the enemy forces.
Any outcome would lead to a victory since they would be fighting over the enemy's territory. It was enough to create chaos, kill a few Elders, and run away to complete the attacks.
There was a problem with that plan though. The guerrilla-style attacks had worked for the Hive because it owned Divine Architect's separate dimension.
Boundaries and defenses were powerless against that tool. The Hive could take any force by surprise, ignoring any protection in place. Almost no one was safe against the separate dimension.
Still, that meant revealing the existence of the separate dimension to the Council or giving some clues about it, at least.
It had been different with the Udye family and Faith. The nobles couldn't break the pact with the Hive, and Faith was Noah's friend. There was no risk of exposing the separate dimension.
However, the situation was different when taken into consideration the Council as a whole. Great Elder Diana alone would manage to get that information from any Elder involved in the attacks.
The Hive had to give up something to proceed with its plans. It didn't reveal the separate dimension, but it took upon itself the task to create items capable of suppressing their allies' consciousnesses.
In that way, the Elders of the Council could make use of the separate dimension without being able to learn anything about it, even if it forced the assets of the Hive to accompany them.
It didn't take much to ideate the item required for their cooperation. Thirty-seven and his disciples came up with a blueprint in a few months and perfected the product in little more than a year.
The inscribed item came out as a helmet capable of cutting off any external input once worn. It worked as an oath though, meaning that the cultivators had to accept its effects for them to activate.
After the Council and the Hive surpassed that last hurdle, they could finally divide their most potent assets into teams and start their raids on the Papral nation. As for Noah, he chose to attack alone.