It rained blood for a while, and some reckless hybrid tried to open its mouth to drink that potent liquid. Their bodies started to convulse as they tried to absorb the insane amount of primary energy contained inside it.
The blood of a beast in the sixth rank was able to change an environment forever. Containing it inside a rank 4 or 5 body was merely impossible.
The hybrids either puked or fell on the ground, shaking as if they had ingested the most potent toxin in the world. Blood started to come out of their bodies, and their size began to increase in strange ways as their muscles tried to contain that energy.
Then, their tissues started to explode in an innate action of self-preservation to release the energy coming from the leaders of the natives back in the environment.
Noah shook his head at that sight, and the Elders around him began to look for cover to avoid being hit by the rain.
Noah had to join the Elders quite soon. The drops had started to hurt rather quickly to the point where some of them were about to pierce his sturdy skin. Yet, he still held on as much as he could.
It didn't happen to experience the might of a being in the last stage of the heroic ranks often, and Noah didn't want to miss that chance since his body could handle it.
The rain eventually stopped only to be replaced by the sight of a tall figure piercing the clouds and free-falling toward the ground at a few kilometers from their position.
Noah recognized the ape, but he didn't move to seize its corpse even if his hunger was screaming inside his mind. That wasn't his loot, nor something that he could handle without the help of a powerhouse.
The few remaining assets in the fourth rank cheered at that sight. One of the leaders of the natives was dead. Their victory was set in stone.
When another huge figure fell from the sky though, even some of the Elders in the fifth rank cheered.
Noah traced the fall of the turtle with his eyes. Seeing such mighty beings crashing lifelessly on the ground gave birth to an intense eagerness to join that realm. However, he tried to suppress his emotions when he saw three human figures slowly descending in the positions where the hybrids had fallen.
Even if the assets in Noah's group came from different organizations, they still decided to offer their respects to the powerhouses that had fought for the conquest of that world.
The three rank 6 cultivators seemed aware that the heroic assets were coming in their direction. They waited for them as they studied the corpses of the hybrids.
It was clear that the battle had been challenging. The three powerhouses were all sweating and had their robes partially torn apart. The two existences from the Shandal Empire were even injured, but the wounds were limited to small fractures and a few cuts.
Only King Elbas stood unscathed in the air. His robe was even the most intact of the three.
Noah couldn't help but reveal a cold gaze at that scene. He knew that King Elbas' individuality was connected to the pride in his bloodline. The intact robe, the lack of injuries, and his calm expression were all an act to create awe from Noah's point of view.
However, he had to admit that only an exceptional cultivator could pull that off when against two rank 6 hybrids. Even if he didn't want to, he began to respect him.
King Elbas' achievements were incredible. The dimensional portal was already something unheard of, but his display of power in the crucial battle added even more favor to his image. Also, the Elbas family had provided useful items to the other factions without complaining too much nor charging them.
"The Elbas bloodline is worthy of my respect." God's Right Hand said to break the silence.
King Elbas performed a slight bow toward the powerhouse, but his expression became serious as he replied. "Your title suits you. The previous one, not the submissive name that you are carrying."
Both God's Right Hand and God's Left Hand suppressed their anger when they heard his mocking words. King Elbas wasn't showing any respect for the God of the Empire. He wasn't even restraining his voice in front of the weaker assets.
He was openly announcing his disregard for the divine being in charge of the Empire.
Noah couldn't help but think about the book that described the past of the Shandal Empire retrieved from the Mortal Palace. He could sense the same defiance of the author in King Elbas' words.
'I wouldn't be surprised if he has even better historical records in his library.' Noah thought as he stared at the reactions of the powerhouses with interest.
King Elbas ruled the most advanced organization when it came to the arts connected to the cultivation field. That wasn't something achievable only through talented experts. There was a need for a broad foundation that encompassed many schools of the past.
Noah was sure that King Elbas knew about the strange habit of the God. The disappearance of a divine being wasn't something that could be kept hidden from the investigations of entities on that level. Yet, Noah wondered about the reason behind that behavior, and he couldn't help but think that King Elbas knew it.
"And yet," God's Left Hand said, "We are mere mortals in the Almighty's eyes."
King Elbas snorted, and he suddenly turned to leave after storing the ape in his space-ring. The two powerhouses of the Empire took the turtle and left too at that point, leaving the confused Elders on their own.
Elder Austin shrugged his shoulders when Noah glanced at him. The behavior of the existences at the peak of the heroic ranks was somewhat unpredictable since no one could restrain them. They answered to no one.
The group eventually left and reached the volcano after three uneventful weeks. The assets of the Empire and Royals were waiting for them there and raised cups full of intense wine in their honor.
Noah though wasn't in the mood to celebrate. The four factions were allies on that side of the portal. On the other, they were enemies ready to seize any chance as long as it gave them an advantage over the other organizations.
Now that they lacked a common enemy, the past grudges and complex political relationships would return. It was just a matter of time before they clashed again to divide the resources of the new world.
"Demon Prince, the Shandal Empire expresses its interest in your body-nourishing method." A rank 5 cultivator said as he neared Noah.
"Nothing you have interests me," Noah said and left to pick a cup of wine from a long table placed next to a river of magma.
However, he soon discovered that the envoy of the Empire was just the first of a long line of heroic assets eyeing him with eager expressions.