The heroic assets of the Hive gathered in a vast underground area adorned with luxurious drapes that featured a giant octopus protecting a series of islands.
That area was part of Chasing Demon's quarters, but he gladly used it to hold the banquet to honor his long-lost companions.
Every rank 4 cultivator stationed on the new continent attended to that event, and all the rank 5 elders were compelled to join it due to the promise of Chasing Demon's pointers.
Individualities were a very personal matter, but countless mistakes and deviations could lead to a weaker expression of them.
The teachings of a rank 6 existence could broaden the vision of those beings that were already paving their paths and uncover eventual flaws in their enlightenments.
Discovering a misinterpretation of some insights while being in the fifth rank could be a vital factor in their journey.
After all, the dantians of the heroic cultivators absorbed laws according to their individualities.
Those in the fifth rank still had time to fix eventual flaws and deviate from their original path.
Yet, their road would be set once they advanced further in that rank.
Their dantians would progress only if they followed their previous path at that point, and their hope to reach the divine ranks would vanish if their understanding turned out to be flawed.
The path toward the divine was full of hindrances, and even one misstep could ruin your prospects.
Cultivators had to keep on improving if they wanted to avoid the stagnation of their centers of power, but they also needed to be sure that they were on the right road.
Noah joined the event on time, and he even dressed up for the occasion.
Elder Julia didn't hide her surprise when she saw that he wasn't wearing his usual ragged robes, but she understood that something about him had changed after the events in the separate dimension.
It wasn't only a matter of cultivation level.
There was a sort of acceptance inside him that had started to manifest since he brought June back to the Hive.
Noah was slowly turning into a leader.
Of course, she couldn't possibly know that everything had started after his body reached the fifth rank.
Ruling over weaker beings was an instinctive behavior in the magical beasts' world, even if those creatures mostly did that to expand their hunting area.
Those instincts became more human when they appeared in Noah due to his hybrid status, leading him to act as a leader even when he pursued his benefits.
Being part of an organization without affecting his individuality, that was one aspect of his cultivation journey that he was slowly exploring.
There was a long, rectangular table at the center of the underground hall, and many comfortable chairs had been laid around it.
The heroic cultivators of the Hive were seated according to their importance and power inside their organization.
The elders stuck in the gaseous stage of the fourth rank sat on the side farther away from Chasing Demon.
The rank 5 elders were near the Patriarch, and the two Demons sat on his sides since the banquet was in their honor.
Thirty-seven was nowhere to be seen, and Noah couldn't even find the pendant that contained him on the necks of the elders.
'I wonder how is Chasing Demon keeping him busy.'
Noah thought before noticing that Flying Demon was glancing at him while rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table.
The table was empty, no trace of food or wine could be seen on its surface.
Noah had initially believed that the elders would fill the table once everyone arrived, but Flying Demon's gesture hinted to something else.
Noah didn't fail to understand the meaning behind his glances and waved his hand while giving a few orders to the spirit automaton of his space-ring.
Part of the delicacies and wine retrieved inside the Mortal Palace came out of his storage device and softly landed on the long table in an orderly manner.
The elders showed smiles at that sight, and Elder Austin pointed at a seat next to him when Noah turned his gaze toward him.
Noah was still a rank 4 cultivator, and there a few were elders in the solid stage seated near those in the fifth rank.
Yet, the title of Demon Prince gave him a privileged position, which made him worthy of being right next to the most powerful assets of the Hive.
The banquet began as soon as Noah sat, and the elders started to converse while enjoying the contents of the plates peacefully.
Most of them didn't eat much and focused on the wine, but Flying Demon devoured everything in his grasp.
Heroic cultivators didn't need to eat that much, the "Breath" that they absorbed already provided some sort of nourishment.
However, Flying Demon ate as if his life depended on it.
The other rank 5 elders ignored his behavior, and Chasing Demon mostly laughed at that sight.
Yet, some of the weaker rank 4 cultivators began to imitate him, as if copying the actions of someone on a higher level could grant them some benefits.
Noah mostly listened to the conversations of the rank 5 elders during the banquet.
They discussed the current situation of the Hive, the available paths to improve its positive trend, and the benefits that the automaton could provide to both human and heroic cultivators.
Thirty-seven's knowledge was precious.
He could single-handedly groom a generation of inscription masters and further improve the foundation of the Hive.
His only issue was that most of his knowledge was dated and didn't cover the discoveries of the last six thousand years.
Nevertheless, only the Elbas family could claim to be the most advanced organization in that field, and the automaton's knowledge was more than enough for the current state of the Hive.
Also, the elders could still choose to purchase studies to improve the automaton.
Still, they had to test how effective he was first before deciding to invest in him.
Silence fell in the underground area at some point, and the eager gazes of the more than twenty rank 4 cultivators went on the powerful elders sitting on the other side of the table.
It was clear that they were waiting for them to discuss their individualities since they weren't even trying to hide their eagerness to hear them.
"I guess I'll start."
Elder Austin said and stood up when he saw that the situation was becoming too awkward.
"I'm a volcano ready to unleash my destructive force. I build power inside my sturdy foundation and release it in one huge burst of power. My fire is lava, and my mind is the trigger!"
Elder Austin announced while turning toward Chasing Demon.
His explanation wasn't detailed, but he purposely released his aura to give a taste of his individuality to the presents.
The expressions of the rank 4 cultivators became even more eager at that point, but Chasing Demon claimed their focus with one question.
"Can a volcano strive for divinity?"