Noah shook his head when he looked at the two space-rings in his grasp. The number of resources inside them was decent, but his thoughts were on the two liquid stage cultivators that had died under his attacks.
They had relied on a battle formation that they couldn't operate fully to improve their chances of survival, but the variety of their attacks had diminished due to that decision.
Noah would have had a harder time dealing with multiple spells of various natures. Yet, the two experts would have died far sooner without the protection of the golden scales.
Battle formations, inscribed items, and similar methods were helpful to cultivators. Still, there wasn't much that they could do if the existences using them were weak or had evident flaws in their individuality.
'Power comes from within,' Noah gave to the matter one last thought before moving his attention elsewhere.
The Demons had ended their battle before Noah. It had taken them some time to get past all the protections and weapons of their opponents, but they were too experienced not to win that fight.
Noah turned toward them only to see Flying Demon throwing two frozen human figures in his direction. He winked at him before focusing on the protected area in the middle of the city.
Flying Demon's ice had sealed the "Breath" inside the dantians of the two experts, preventing it from dispersing in the environment. Noah immediately ate them to obtain their nutrients.
Noah's focus went on the underground structure too. The golden shields prevented the eerie aura from leaking on the surface, but a strange sensation still lingered around the area.
The human cultivators and experts' battles in the fourth rank continued even if the fight was virtually over. The trio from the Hive could use that moment to focus on the caves before someone from the Council intervened.
After all, that territory was the target of the army led by Noah and the Demons. The Council couldn't claim the entirety of its resources if the trio were to seize them in that situation.
The defenses in place to defend the underground structure were powerful. Their level lingered in the space between the fifth and quasi-sixth ranks, which showed how important those caves' contents were.
Noah and the Demons took their time to destroy the defenses without wasting too much energy or endangering themselves. Dreaming Demon hindered those formations' responsiveness, creating opportunities that her companions exploited to destroy those inscriptions.
The armored puppets fell apart without even being able to attack once, and the golden shields eventually followed that trend. The eerie aura resumed to spread in the city when the protections vanished, and the trio began their descent toward the caves.
There weren't many things that could surprise Noah and the Demons. They had dealt with gods rising into the starry sky and explored the researches of experts capable of probing other Mortal Lands with their creations.
However, being immersed in a divine aura gave birth to mysterious and deep sensations even in such seasoned cultivators.
Noah and the Demons could sense the trace of divine once they touched the eerie aura. Their minds began to wander in the world of the laws on their own. It was as if they had entered a realm close to those profound rules.
Nutrients filled Noah's body, but he couldn't pay attention to them in that situation. His mind was lost as understanding dawned upon him. The feeling was similar to when he touched the winds in Shandal's dimension, even if it was far softer and gentler.
A general idea about the caves' nature was already forming in Noah's mind, but Dreaming Demon solved any doubt when the trio touched the ground.
"Divine Elder Tabitha," Dreaming Demon said in a soft tone. Flying Demon nodded at her words, while Noah inspected that aura with a newfound interest.
Even if the Demons had lived in that nation more than a thousand years ago, they didn't know where Divine Elder Tabitha had placed her inheritance.
It wasn't a surprise that the forces of the Council didn't want to give a clear answer. That place was the foundation of their power, as well as the reason behind Ravaging Demon's betrayal.
Noah could see how the cold expressions of the Demons softened as memories resurfaced in their minds. It wasn't easy for them to suppress their emotions in that situation.
Still, they had endured a lot already. Falling prey to their emotion would only threaten the stability of the alliance and endanger the position of the Hive in the world.
"Let's steal from a god," Flying Demon eventually said as he steeled his resolve. His lover caressed his shoulder before walking in front of him, toward the cave where the eerie aura was more intense.
Noah didn't speak and left the Demons handle their mental state. He was their friend, but only they could know the full extent of the scars that still burdened their minds.
It wasn't his place to say anything. The best he could do was to cover for their lack of focus.
The trio advanced through the cave, paying the utmost attention to their surroundings. Those tunnels had a rectangular shape and sharp corners. Also, it seemed that they underwent constant maintenance since there wasn't even a slight crack or trace of dust inside them.
The aura intensified as the trio moved forward. They soon reached a large underground area where a series of columns surrounded a tall statue built at its center.
"It's her," Dreaming Demon said as the statue appeared in their vision. It depicted a woman dressed in a long robe that covered even her hands. Her eyes were closed, and she had long hair that reached her waist.
Her face expressed a peaceful feeling, capable of calming down even the most violent of the beasts. Even Noah's hunger dispersed in front of the aura radiated by the statue.
Noah couldn't help but think about Faith for a second. She didn't resemble Divine Elder Tabitha, but their auras were similar.
That could have been the reason why the Council wanted to keep her on its side even after her unruly behavior had come out. Her organization probably saw her as the rightful successor of its Divine Matriarch.
"You came," A voice suddenly spread in the underground hall, and the trio quickly prepared themselves to fight. That voice belonged to Ravaging Demon, but the three of them couldn't sense his presence anywhere in the area.
"Can't you see it?" Ravaging Demon said as he walked from behind the stature. He appeared as an average human in that situation. There wasn't any sign of his mighty cultivation level.
"I thought that my flames would be able to burn too after I reached the sixth rank," Ravaging Demon said as helplessness appeared on his expression. "I failed."
Ravaging Demon sighed and gestured to the trio to follow him as he flew toward the ceiling of the hall. Noah and the others didn't even bother to look at him before contacting the alliance's powerhouses.