Chapter 616 616. Awareness
The magical beasts and cultivators near that area couldn't possibly miss that event.
Noah's flames pierced the ground and shot toward the sky, creating a white pillar that tried to reach for the clouds above.
That act was instinctive, Noah was basically announcing to the creatures near him that he had succeeded in reaching the fifth rank!
His overwhelming anger vanished at some point, and Noah dispersed his flames to focus on his new status.
The first change that he noticed concerned his mindset.
The water inside his sea of consciousness had become brownish after the breakthrough and the absorption of the intense emotions contained inside the bloodline of the Cursed dragons.
The nature of his thoughts had been thoroughly modified, they weren't azure like those of the humans nor red like those contained in a Bloodline Inheritance.
His whole existence had changed during his period of hibernation, and even his other centers of power couldn't escape the modifications that his status as a hybrid brought.
He belonged to a different species, it was evident that his centers of power would differ from both humans and magical beasts.
However, his fusion had happened only some years ago, and his transformations in that period weren't as radical as his last one.
Yet, now that his body had reached the fifth rank, his existence could fully step on the path that only a hybrid could tread.
'What happened to my dantian?'
Noah thought when his focus went on his other center of power.
The structure of his dantian had become denser after the breakthrough, it resembled a shiny metallic sphere that couldn't be compared to the frail human's organs.
Nevertheless, Noah's surprise didn't originate from the new sturdiness of his dantian, but from its size!
The Black hole cultivation technique had never stopped absorbing \"Breath\" during his hibernation, and Noah couldn't restrain it in that period since his mind was often wandering in the memories of the Cursed dragons.
So, his cultivation technique had worked at full speed while he was inside the chrysalis.
Noah had gained a lot of insights in his years on the new continent, and his dantian had absorbed many laws contained in the \"Breath\" of the darkness element as he deepened his understanding of his individuality.
That increased the speed at which his dantian enlarged, it was as if that organ improved on its own whenever a law fused with its structure.
However, his dantian seemed at least three times bigger than before.
'How much time did I spend inside the chrysalis?'
Noah thought at that point.
He could somewhat calculate the length of his hibernation using the absorption speed of his cultivation technique as a base, but he could already guess that it wasn't a matter of months!
That realization didn't bother him too much though, the concept of time inside his mind had long detached itself from the human's standards.
Then, Noah analyzed his figure as a whole.
His appearance didn't change that much, his muscles were more defined, but he wasn't burly, his body still exuded a certain harmony even if the physical strength contained inside it shouldn't make it possible.
His skin appeared firmer, it was as if it had obtained certain metallic proprieties.
His hair went through some changes too, his straight black hair had become wilder and a bit messy.
'June would surely make fun of it once she sees me.'
Noah smiled when he thought about his lover, but his expression instinctively turned cold when he sensed that a powerful figure was using its senses to analyze the area above him.
Noah relaxed when he recognized that presence, but the responsiveness of his new body still amazed him.
The mental waves that were analyzing the area belonged to Elder Austin, and Noah knew that he shouldn't be able to sense them unless the elder wanted.
However, his body sensed them before they even reached him, it was as if his natural awareness of any potential danger had increased exponentially!
Noah used his mental energy to remove the dirt from his body, but he didn't change robe.
There were still traces of blood on it from his meals inside the mansion, but Noah wasn't in a hurry to change into new clothes since he knew that he would destroy them soon.
Elder Austin saw Noah's figure rising in the air from the hole created by the pillar of white flames and was about to greet him, but his powerful mind was immediately able to notice that something was off.
The elder could see that Noah's body had reached the fifth rank, but the amount of danger that his figure exuded was utterly off the scale.
Noah seemed more similar to a rank 5 cultivator in his eyes rather than to someone who had simply obtained a rank 5 body.
\"Elder Austin, I can see that the lava lake has benefitted you greatly.\"
Noah said as he greeted the elder.
The latter was surprised once again, Noah had been able to recognize the improvements of a rank 5 cultivator after all!
\"Prince, your body is indeed peculiar.\"
Elder Austin commented, but there wasn't any malice in his voice.
Noah's body-nourishing technique seemed to hide wonders, but no one could fathom the price that he had to pay for that power.
Of course, Noah's body didn't really have drawbacks, he simply belonged to a different species.
Also, the fusion had been possible only due to his peculiar inscription method and the Divine deduction technique, and it had still taken a large number of human lives to be perfected.
The only aspects that could be considered drawbacks were his hunger, the unstable mindset, and the higher requirements in terms of \"Breath\" to improve.
\"Is it four years or five? I lost track of time when I was in seclusion.\"
Noah asked, and Elder Austin answered after requesting something through his inscribed notebook.
\"Three years and seven months to be precise. The territories under our control have changed a lot with the presence of the Patriarch. I'm asking for a complete report right now.\"
Elder Austin said and handed Noah a small scroll after a few seconds.
\"Elder Jason would be eager to host a banquet to honor your return, and I believe that even the other elders would benefit from seeing how much the Demon Prince is growing.\"
Noah shrugged his shoulders at Elder Austin's offer.
He didn't mind showing his new status to the other elders if that helped them in their cultivation, but there were more pressing matters in his mind right now.
\"Give me a month, and I'll return to the dome. I need some time alone.\"
Noah answered and left after exchanging a few more words with the elder.
His body was brimming with power, and he had been conscious for only a few minutes, he needed to experience his new strength to attune those improvements with himself.
Luckily for him, the piece of Immortal Lands had many rank 5 creatures that could help him with that.