The arrival of a rank 6 existence in the new world turned the negotiations in favor of the four factions.
The six bloodlines couldn't ignore the other world at that point. There were eight rank 5 cultivators and an entity in the sixth rank right next to their borders now. That power couldn't defeat the entirety of the natives, but it could inflict heavy losses that they weren't willing to suffer.
God's Left Hand forced the Elite humans to disband the mating sessions and return the assets that had remained in the castle during those years.
Those rank 4 cultivators in the gaseous stage appeared extremely confused when they returned to the castle, and all of them seemed to have lost weight.
The forces from Noah's world didn't ask for compensation since the bloodlines had continued to stick to the previous agreements and send resources when the mating sessions were still in place. Yet, they increased the price in terms of resources and knowledge when the negotiations resumed.
Also, they made it clear that other lies would just force them to become hostile.
The Elite humans could only agree to the new terms, but they took any research and piece of history away from their deals. They openly stated that they wouldn't reveal anything about their past and their discoveries.
They would rather give away more resources than stop lying.
It was needless to say that the four factions didn't like their answer. Still, the value of those materials and techniques was high, so they didn't create problems for the behavior of the natives.
After all, they were bound to reach even better conclusions by researching through their methods. Also, Noah's group was taking care of the part concerning the history of the world.
Noah, June, and Faith had continued exploring in those years, and they had looked for more structures that hid drawings. They had ventured deeper into the beasts' territory, and they had even received the approval of their leaders since their mission was crucial in uncovering the essential secrets.
Of course, their advance was quite slow since Noah didn't want to neglect his training. Yet, they still managed to find other drawings even if they didn't move as fast as the leaders wanted.
There seemed to be the same kind of inscribed lines under every remain of a building in the wilderness. Another peculiar detail was that powerful creatures always occupied those areas.
Noah's group had to decide to avoid certain ruins because there were too many rank 5 beasts living in those areas. There were times where all they could do was flying above those destroyed structures and launch spells until the ground was empty enough to reveal the drawings.
That approach though wasn't always feasible since that world didn't lack flying magical beasts. Nevertheless, they still managed to find many remains and drawings, and all of them depicted those half-human half-beast creatures.
It was evident that those images were an important part of the natives' past, but both Noah and the forces on the volcano couldn't link them to the current status of the Elite humans.
There was too much that they didn't know, but they were doing their best to make up for that temporary ignorance.
Almost seven years had passed since the four factions stepped on the new world, and their understanding and knowledge had already improved far beyond what they imagined.
Just the training method for the mental spheres was worth the trip, but the cultivators from Noah's world had obtained far more than that.
They obtained countless spells created with different kinds of diagrams that suited the inscription method of that world. They amassed a huge pile of precious materials that they could redirect to all the cultivation fields. They learnt a more straightforward way to create cultivation techniques, even if the final product would ultimately be weaker if they used the methods of the Elite humans.
Their somewhat peaceful relationship with the natives had made them obtain all of that in only seven years and without losing anything. The four forces just had to send their weakest troops in the heroic ranks in the mating sessions.
Still, they had yet to discover a lot, especially for what concerned the bloodlines and the mutagen inside the Elite beasts.
"I need to go in seclusion," Noah said as he turned toward June, "I don't know how long it will take."
The three of them were in a swamp filled with an intense aroma that seemed to increase the natural aggression of the magical beasts.
They had found other ruins just a few days before, but that territory turned out to be a rank 5 danger zone that featured more than three creatures in the fifth rank. The group had to avoid that area since the beasts living there could fly, and there wasn't a safe way to explore it without enraging those creatures.
That led them to the swamp that they were currently exploring to look for other remains of the past civilizations.
"Why is that?" June asked, but she couldn't hide the tinge of happiness that she felt.
Cultivators would usually seclude themselves when they were nearing a breakthrough, and seeing her lover becoming stronger made her feel relieved. Also, her battle intent fed on the strength of her rivals. Noah's growth would incite her centers of power to improve faster.
"It's my body," Noah said, and June held back her curiosity at those words.
She understood that he couldn't reveal too many details about his body. The risk was too high, especially now that the four factions were trying to find the connection between the drawings and the power held by the Elite humans.
Noah had never stopped hunting and nourishing his body during the exploration, and he had even reached the peak of the lower tier a while ago. Yet, he needed to fill his center of power with enough energy to trigger the breakthrough, and that had happened right in that swamp.
"We should find a safer area though." Faith said, and both her companions nodded at her idea.
The swamp wasn't ideal, especially for Noah since he was affected by the scent in the air.
Noah quickly led the group to a plain that only had rank 4 magical beasts on its surface. Then, he dug a cave in the terrain and secluded himself after exchanging a quick kiss with June.
There was no chrysalis at that time. Noah simply abandoned himself at the drowsiness that had filled him since his body became ready to take a step forward.
Strange images appeared in his mind as he slept. He saw some of the memories of the Cursed dragon species again, but there was something else mixed with them.
He saw humans filling vials with their blood while a series of other humans kneeled in front of them. He saw half-human half-beast creatures roaring and screaming as chain prevented it from attacking the cheering crowd around them.
In the end, right before waking up, he heard an aged voice murmuring something. "Perfection is unknown to humans. Only beasts can be whole."