Dantians appeared to be a privilege linked to certain bloodlines or nutrients in that world. Also, only a smaller percentage of the living beings had access to it.
According to the slave, the humans with a dantian were rarer than the beasts with that feature. Yet, they were generally protected by the rest of the society since only they could lead the endless battle against those powerful creatures.
The questions then moved to another interesting topic, which concerned the unusual features of his centers of power.
Noah had labeled the slave as a rank 2 cultivator, but that evaluation came from the combined power radiated by his mind and body, which were both in the second rank. Also, they were quite strange, especially his mental sphere.
The slave's mental waves seemed to affect the "Breath" around him, but the effects were too faint for the heroic cultivators to study them. On the other hand, his body appeared extremely strong and was far above the standards seen in Noah's world.
The slave didn't hold anything back and began to explain how his training methods worked and which effects they had on his centers of power.
The leaders had to stop him often during his explanation because there were details that they couldn't understand due to the differences between their worlds. There were even issues linked to his poor knowledge, which was to be expected due to his low level.
Yet, the cultivators on the scene managed to learn a lot anyway.
First of all, his body-nourishing method was similar to those used in Noah's world, but its effects were different since he lacked a dantian.
The slave's body only needed to contain his mind, so it could divert most of its power to his physical prowess. Also, it seemed that the humans in those Mortal Lands had stronger bodies in general, but the chained man couldn't give much information about that.
There was a limit to how much he could know, especially when specific topics concerned the differences between the two worlds.
After all, he had always considered his strength normal since everyone around him was the same. Only the cultivators from another world could notice the difference in power and investigate what kind of evolution process they had experienced.
Another interesting detail was that the humans with three centers of power there didn't suffer from a weaker body, but his knowledge in the field wasn't reliable since he had never met one of them.
His mind was quite different instead.
The cultivators of that world used the Kesier runes too, but they added something similar to an inscription method along with their regular training. The inscription method seemed to follow some of the teachings of the Attunement method, but it also expressed part of their will.
They basically learnt how to become one with the "Breath" around them to control it through their minds.
It was needless to say that the part that concerned his mind surprised all the heroic assets that listened to his explanation.
Using the "Breath" in the environment was something that the cultivators in Noah's world didn't know how to do, except for peculiar cases like Dreaming Demon. That ability allowed them to make up for the lack of their dantians, even if the strain on their minds was extremely high.
Also, that skill resembled the innate ability carried by their individualities since it required one's will to control the energy in the environment.
"Let me see." Gray Fury ordered in the foreign language when the slave's explanation reached that point.
The chained man immediately stood up and performed some simple gestures with his body. Those movements resembled the forms of a martial art, and they appeared to be a requirement for the spell that he was casting.
The slave's mental energy followed his gestures and spread in the environment according to the forms executed. The "Breath" in the area began to follow the orders carried by his mental waves and gathered to form a fiery snake that encircled his body.
'A bit weak for a spell in the second rank.' Noah thought when he sensed the power of that ability, and the cultivators around him had a similar evaluation.
'You can't match the power of a dantian with just the energy around you.' Noah concluded, but he suddenly realized something troublesome.
If a cultivator without a dantian could create spells on that level with only his mind, how powerful would those with three centers of power be?
The leaders and other quick-witted cultivators had similar doubts, and they exchanged silent glances between each other to convey their worry.
The cultivators of that world had stronger bodies and minds that could bend the "Breath" around them according to their will. They could be considered inferior with two centers of power, but they would be far more potent than an average cultivator with three of them!
'We are more numerous, and they should have less rank 6 cultivators.' Noah thought as he evaluated the worst possible outcome. 'Yet, all our troops are on the other side of the portal, and the powerhouses still can't reach these lands.'
Asking the slave about the heroic assets of his world was pointless since he knew almost nothing about the higher existences. So, Noah and the others were left in the dark about the actual power of that world.
"There shouldn't be many of them," Gray Fury said, "The humans are on the losing side on this world."
He was speaking about the rank 6 cultivators with three centers of power, but his words didn't lift the morale of the other assets.
'The balance of Heaven and Earth.' Noah thought as his mind began to wander.
His world could be considered linear for what concerned the power level of humans and beasts. The cultivators just happened to be more powerful due to their innate qualities. However, those Mortal Lands had extremes that went from powerful magical beasts and humans to weaker cultivators.
The balance remained. Heaven and Earth had simply applied it differently.
"What's our next move?" Elder Estelle asked.
The way she saw it, the recent discoveries would force them to retreat or wait for more assets to reach that world. The situation was simply too dangerous, and even the mutated beasts were enough to make her reconsider their preparations.
"I believe we should send an envoy," Cecil said. "They are on the losing side. I don't see them refusing external help."
The leaders agreed with his proposal, but another problem appeared at that point.
Who would be willing to fly toward the closest big country and speak with those unknown forces?
They were still foreigners, and they didn't know what kind of reaction the rulers of the human society would have at their sight.
Nevertheless, there was someone particularly interested in their techniques, especially in their ability to bend the "Breath" around them to their will.
"I'll go," Noah said. "But I won't go alone, and I would need some sort of protection."