Noah returned in the territory of the Utra nation with the portal and went in seclusion as he waited for the higher-ups to form exploration teams.
His body was still a few dozens of rank 5 magical beasts away from reaching the middle tier, but his other centers of power were improving on their own.
The Black hole cultivation technique kept on absorbing "Breath", and the many runes filled with primary energy inside his sea of consciousness pressed on its walls. There was also the Blood companion now, which brought the expansion of his mind to a decent speed.
The absence of the sixth Kesier rune had forced him to train his mental sphere with alternative methods, and they were bound to have drawbacks when compared to the runes. His mind felt the constant pressure radiated by the ethereal whale and spherical runes while also enlarging at a lower speed.
It couldn't be helped. The absence of resources was a curse that afflicted every cultivator once reached higher ranks.
Yet, there was something that Noah gained from that unorthodox training.
The constant pain that afflicted his mind helped in hardening his walls and making them suitable for the intrinsic properties of his mental energy. Noah had to spend only some years in that state before his sea of consciousness allowed him to devour magical beasts' wills again.
In the meantime, he could only meditate, study, and perform tests.
The Divine deduction technique aided all those processes, and Noah's knowledge and expertise quickly rose as he wholeheartedly focused on his researches.
His battle prowess couldn't be improved further unless he widened the creation of his individuality. Yet, he lacked a method that matched the standards of his ambition.
Being with June would probably help him in gaining insights in that field since she was an expression of life in his mind, but the politics of the Mortal Lands didn't allow him to be with her.
So, he could only focus on his researches while he waited for his journey on the other side of the portal to begin.
Thirty-seven had given him the teachings of old and new schools that studied the Kesier runes and tried to replicate their miraculous effects. Of course, Noah had requested for studies in line with his inscription methods.
He was an expert when it came to wills and intense meanings, and that was a feature that he had to exploit if he wanted to obtain some sort of success. However, he also knew that he needed a better inscription method to achieve something so difficult.
His weeks spent in the solitude of his cave saw him meditating on his individuality for most of the time. Still, he forged and tried to find better ways to fuse his inscription methods too.
The rest of his time went on the reports sent by the automaton that he simply studied and analyzed with the help of the Divine deduction technique.
His power was slowly increasing, but such a low rate of improvement was something that Noah had never felt in his life.
He had entered in one of the most tedious parts of the cultivation journey where he could only keep on studying and testing until some understanding appeared in his mind and allowed him to advance.
Many cultivators could lose their path in the endless years spent in the solitude of their training areas, and their will to progress in the cultivation journey might falter after seeing no improvements. The anxiety originated from the fear of the stagnation of their centers of power, coupled with the impossibility to advance without enlightenment, broke many weak mindsets.
Noah had it a bit easier compared to other cultivators since he had created his cultivation technique. His dantian would eventually reach the fifth rank, but its training speed depended on the understanding of his individuality.
'My destruction opens the path for my creation.' Noah thought as he reviewed his life. 'Each of my steps has created a path that Heaven and Earth couldn't see.'
Understanding his destruction had been relatively easy, but his creation was utterly lacking in that aspect.
After all, Noah had lived as a lone cultivator for a large part of his life. He had destroyed everything on his path, and his effects only widened as his power increased.
The destruction of his mansion and his family had completed that aspect of his individuality. Still, that wasn't enough to express the entirety of his life.
'I have forged my path toward this rank. My creations accompany most of my accomplishments.' Noah thought as images appeared in his mind.
His Demonic swords had accompanied him since he learnt the Elemental forging method, and they were a core aspect of his battle prowess. Yet, the creation could be tracked back to Assea, his first Blood companion.
'I've turned dead beasts in puppets that have saved my life countless times.' Noah seemed to understand something when he thought that.
His memories then led him in the Odrea nation, where his expertise in the Elemental forging method spiked and allowed him to spread his creations to other cultivators.
'A crucial mistake that feeds on Heaven and Earth's world, but that needs it to obtain materials. I need to forge my darkness before I can hope to match their creation, and that can only happen if I have better methods.' Noah concluded his meditation at those thoughts.
His reasoning always led him to the same conclusion: He lacked a core material that was only his!
The primary energy was perfect for that task, but his pride only allowed him to contain it. He couldn't bend it to his will, nor use it in his experiments unless he created a better inscription method.
Noah was about to focus on his experiments when his inscribed notebook transmitted a message sent by Elder Julia. She was warning him that the higher-ups had finally concluded the division of the exploration teams.
Noah's eagerness exploded when he heard those words, and he quickly wore one of his good robes before flying out of his cave.
The massive portal appeared in his view as soon as he resurfaced, but his eyes went on Elder Julia's figure waiting for him with other cultivators of the Hive.
Their expressions were stern, but Noah didn't fail to notice the eagerness hidden behind their eyes.
They were about to venture into different Mortal Lands! How could they not be excited about it? Even Noah could barely contain himself at that thought.
A new world doubled the number of powerful beasts that he could hunt, other than giving him access to a completely different environment.
His excitement though turned into coldness when he saw the cultivators gathered by the other three forces.
Noah didn't recognize the heroic assets of the Empire, but he was able to spot Faith's enchanting figure among the elders of the Council. Also, when he turned his gaze toward the forces of the Elbas family, he could see both Thaddeus and June stepping forward.