Chapter 1778 - 1778. Nostalgia

"Who would have thought that knowing you could have led to these spectacles?" Daniel laughed when he sensed Noah nearing him.

The group had stopped at the edges of the stormy regions. It was time to turn back in a different direction and repeat the process. They had already done that multiple times, and they had to continue until they covered the entirety of the old magical beasts' domain.

Daniel was admiring the stark separation between the emptiness of the area illuminated by the sky and the thick currents of chaotic laws. The edges of the windy region were quite clear in that spot. It was as if two different worlds were meeting on a line that stretched for thousands of kilometers.

"You have arrived here with your own strength," Noah replied in a plain tone while floating next to him. "I can't generate talent. Not yet, at least."

"Did I?" Daniel asked as his voice gained a tinge of desperation. "I feel that I've spent the past millennia chasing you. My path should represent complete purity, but I keep seeing your darkness ahead. I don't know how June handles this."

"She doesn't handle it," Noah continued. "Her path requires an opponent. I'm her endless battle."

"And my undying curse apparently," Daniel scoffed. "I don't know how useful I'll be in the final battle, but you'll probably be fine anyway. You always are."

Noah couldn't help but feel sad seeing his old friend in that state. Daniel was near the peak of the gaseous stage, but he was failing to approach the breakthrough. His cultivation level was on point, but he required more time.

Daniel embodied one of the most tragic aspects of the cultivation journey in Noah's eyes. Every expert had a different training speed. It was only normal for some to grow faster than others, but that inevitably led to separations.

Daniel wasn't alone in his situation. Dreaming Demon, Flying Demon, and Faith were in the same condition. They were falling behind while Noah was pushing his power toward the end of the cultivation journey.

They were even among the experts who had performed better among Noah's old friends. Others like Elder Julia had never reached the Immortal Lands according to their knowledge, and June and the others rarely talked about her anymore. Too many millennia had passed. There was a chance that she had died in the lower plane.

"Comparing yourself to others blinds you," Noah sighed.

"I know my flaws," Daniel revealed. "I'm not a lost kid anymore, Noah. I'm just contemplating the inevitable consequences that my pace will create."

The situation wouldn't have been harsh on Daniel if the final battle against Heaven and Earth didn't feel so close. Everyone close to Noah knew that something massive was about to happen, but only a few chosen would have the chance to take part in it.

That slower growth speed had become a fixation after accepting that knowledge. Daniel knew that he would probably miss important events, which would increase the distance between Noah and him even further. Improvements usually took longer to arrive in the higher stages, but that feature didn't seem to apply to Noah.

"The cultivation journey is solitary," Noah sighed. "We have always known that. We are already lucky enough to have someone able to stand by our side and travel similar paths."

"A path that forces us to leave most of our long life behind," Daniel shook his head. "We are gods, but we struggle to keep friends. One step