The three presences were faint, Noah couldn't pinpoint their exact location.
Yet, he knew that they were observing him.
His new body was extremely sensitive to any potential threat and any source of nourishment.
Also, that feature was coupled with the powerful mind of a rank 4 mage.
His ability to perceive the lifeforms around him was something that a simple cultivator couldn't have, it was part of his hybrid's instincts.
However, he had to admit that he had been able to notice them so soon because he was familiar with the aura that was masking those cultivators.
"What is it, Elder Julia?"
Noah said without opening his eyes.
His mind was still immersed in the images of the clash with the rank 5 Giant sandworm.
He was trying to put into words the level of existence that he had reached so that he could apply those feelings to his individuality.
'Battle intent, pride, ambition, recklessness, these emotions are quite obvious. I need to go deeper.'
Noah thought, but there weren't human words that could explain his new status.
Magical beasts were rather simple beings, they were driven by instincts and few intense feelings that their bloodline carried.
The same went for him.
His hybrid status didn't give him any advantage on that matter since only his body had reached that level, it was as if his mind couldn't wholly understand the fifth rank.
'I feel I have become a king among exceptional soldiers.'
Those were the best words that Noah could find at that moment.
Human cultivators were nothing more than ants or pawns for someone in the heroic ranks.
A creature in the fourth rank would be an exceptional soldier, a hero among heroes.
Yet, an existence in the fifth rank expressed more than pure power.
There was some sort of authority hidden inside his new rank, it was as if he had just reached a state where he could begin to influence the world around him.
'I wonder if I can use this feeling in the Elemental forging method or when I create wills. Maybe, I can bend the laws of the darkness element to my will if I manage to wield this feeling.'
Noah thought, uncaring of the three figures that had appeared in the air next to him.
"My apologies, I believed you had gone crazy when you went after a rank 5 beast."
Elder Julia answered Noah's question, but a surprised expression lingered on her face.
She had used her methods to hide herself and the other rank 5 elders next to her, but Noah had been able to notice their presence.
She wasn't using her full power, of course, but no one in the fourth rank should have been able to spot them.
That lead to a simple conclusion: Noah's awareness had crossed the limits of the fourth rank!
"I told you that the Prince was fine. You should have learnt by now that he has a peculiar way of testing himself."
Elder Austin commented on the situation and released a laugh when he understood that Noah had improved far more than he imagined.
"You could block the attacks of a rank 4 cultivator in the solid stage four years ago. Now, you can survive a frontal clash against a rank 5 beast. It's an honor to finally meet you, Demon Prince."
The third rank 5 cultivator in the area spoke, and Noah interrupted his mental processes to inspect him.
"This is Elder Justin, he has just reached the southwestern coast and wanted to meet you."
Elder Julia announced the newly arrived elder, and Noah stood up to perform a polite bow.
Elder Justin was a burly middle-aged man with long black hair and dark eyes.
His eyebrows were thick, and a well-kept black beard could be seen on his chin.
"No need to be so polite, you don't need to behave in that way with the higher-ups. Manners are meant to inspire respect in the troops, but a captain should act according to his nature when he is among other captains."
Elder Justin spoke profound words, and Noah couldn't help but reevaluate the newly arrived elder.
His individuality reflected a peculiar firmness, Noah felt that he was staring at an immovable mountain rather than at a human.
"The Hive needs more assets here due to the recent expansion of our influence on the southwestern coast. There will be a rank 5 cultivator stationed under each invisible dome from now on, and the Patriarch will manage everything from under the forest of White woods. The Coral archipelago and the territory in the old continent under our control will be treated recruitment areas as we keep on expanding here."
Elder Julia explained the situation to Noah.
She was aware that Elder Austin had provided him a summary of the events that happened in the previous years, but Noah's status required a more in-depth understanding.
Noah nodded at that explanation.
He completely agreed with the Hive's decision to move its headquarters on the new continent.
It was impossible to expand in the old landmass, the three big nations simply wouldn't allow it.
Yet, the piece of Immortal Lands was equally divided between the four countries, and there were too many sources of income hidden in its territories.
"One month is too short, I need more time to stabilize my centers of power. I'll contact you when I'm ready."
Noah spoke at that point.
He had promised Elder Austin that he would have returned to one of the invisible domes in one month, but it was clear that he needed more time.
His new body was giving him insights that concerned the higher ranks, and his instincts were all over the place.
He needed time to tune his abilities to his new power and to understand what he had become.
"There is no hurry, Prince. Anyway, we took the liberty to begin the research of the demon sects. We found many clues about some of them, but you would need to investigate personally to confirm their reliability."
Elder Julia spoke again and handed a small shining orb to Noah.
The latter simply stored it, he didn't want to focus on his next task before he stabilized his situation.
The three elders disappeared from his sight at that point and left Noah alone in the rocky wasteland.
Noah sat again on the ground to resume his evaluations.
He could feel that the bones and muscles on his right arm had a few injuries, but they would take less than a month to heal.
'My real problem is that I can't use my hybrid's advantage to exploit the power of my new body. One usage of the full power of the Shadow sprint martial art has almost halved the "Breath" inside my dantian. I'm simply too strong.'
Noah thought as he activated the Divine deduction technique.
He had the faint feeling that his martial arts needed more than a few modifications to be used with his new body.