The world usually forgot about the names of cultivators that had earned titles through their lives, and only the organizations behind them kept track of them.
It couldn't be helped. Most cultivators gained a title after they reached the fifth rank or above, and the world would acknowledge their existence only at that point. Beings like Noah were rare since most human cultivators usually couldn't affect the political situation outside of their nation.
For example, the world had forgotten real names of the Demons long before the defeat of the demon sects, and there weren't many cultivators that knew them even inside the Hive. That phenomenon appeared more often in the Empire since the god would bestow a title to every heroic cultivator.
However, Noah and the others didn't have any doubt when they heard the words of the will. The only existence that could carry the name "Shandal" was the god of the Empire himself.
'He shouldn't be able to read my mind,' Noah thought as he inspected the will.
That ethereal figure shone with a soft white light that didn't reveal any other color. Noah and the others could notice his long hair and beard that were both combed into thick braids held together by a series of rings.
Noah was an expert when it came to wills, and he had already met one of them at that level. Back then, Divine Demon's will had been able to learn almost everything about him with a simple glance.
The difference between a human cultivator and a divine entity was too great, even if the latter was only a will. Yet, Divine Demon didn't mention his transmigration, which meant that there were limits to how much he could learn without hurting the mind of his target.
Now, instead, Noah was a rank 5 mage with unique mental energy capable of devouring wills. The innate defenses of his sea of consciousness were too tight for anyone to probe its insides without alerting him.
He felt quite sure that Shandal couldn't read his mind.
Still, Noah was confident that the will didn't refer to his hybrid status with his previous words either since the two Ghostly Snakes were right next to him. That left Noah quite confused. He couldn't understand how Shandal had learnt about his transmigration without interacting directly with his mind.
His companions had yet to notice the strangeness of the will's words. Their focus was on the white figure who wore an emotionless smile as he stared at them.
All of them had a lot of questions in their minds, and Noah wasn't an exception. Yet, they decided to wait for Shandal's explanation after they learnt his name.
Flying Demon's gaze inevitably went on one of the pawns as that stalemate continued. That gesture took less than an instant, but the will didn't miss it and decided to address that topic.
"Don't worry about this," The will said in his ancient voice. "They aren't connected to the divine beings now living in the Immortal Lands. I replicate their auras to keep track of the achievements of this world."
"What is all of this?" Noah asked at that point. "Why does Shandal surround himself with these pieces of the divine? Why does he try to recreate the Immortal Lands? What's the purpose of the Odrea nation?"
Noah felt utterly lost. He knew that the god of the Empire was the weakest existence among the divine beings. After all, that information came from Divine Demon, and he trusted his judgment.
Nevertheless, he was in a castle filled with items that were either in the divine ranks or at the peak of the sixth rank. Also, there were the paintings and the pawns that radiated part of the individualities of other divine beings.
The so-called weakest god resembled some collector that amassed anything connected to the divine ranks. Noah felt safe to assume that no other god could ever match his accumulation of wealth, at least as long as they remained in the Mortal Lands.
Shandal's figure had become extremely mysterious in his mind, and he couldn't help but fill the will with questions once he understood that he didn't have bad intentions.
"A sharp mind," Shandal commented. "Heaven and Earth did a mess with you."
Noah's eyes sharpened at those words. The memories of his Earth Tribulation resurfaced as he thought at the plan that the world had for him.
He didn't believe that Shandal knew all the details behind his transmigration, but it seemed evident that he knew a lot about Heaven and Earth. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the will even to know his deepest secret.
"If it's the knowledge that you seek," Shandal said, "I have plenty of it. I can't be sure about some details, but there is a lot of truth in what I will say if you are willing to listen."
The others exchanged a glance, but Noah kept his eyes fixed on the white figure. He had already decided that he wanted to learn everything that the god of the Empire had discovered in his long life.
The Demons and June were the first to nod at the will when they realized how severe Noah was. They would have accepted to hear him out anyway, but Noah's attitude made them decide faster.
Faith imitated them since her curiosity eventually surpassed the dread that she felt toward that will. Daniel followed her after a few seconds of hesitation.
As for Joel, he lowered his massive head, hoping that Shandal didn't punish him for the mess that he had made in one of the corridors.
"Very well," Shandal said as he changed his position on the throne. "I discovered this later on, but it's better to state it first. There wasn't any Heaven and Earth in the past, nor Tribulations. There was no division between Mortal and Immortal lands either. The "Breath" of the world was for everyone to use, and anyone could strive for godhood without facing any suppression."
The cultivators on the scene began to show surprised expressions as soon as the explanation started.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even consider his words. However, they were in front of the will of the oldest divine entity of their world. He was also someone that had visited the Immortal Lands multiple times and had created various Empires throughout history.
"I know that this is a lot to take," Shandal said. "I was speechless too when They told me this. Still, this story fits with what I've discovered on my own through the millennia, so I've started to take it as true."
Shandal didn't explain who those "They" were but continued to tell his story. "A being eventually rose further than its peers and aimed to reach the tenth rank to surpass the limits of the divine. The legends say that it failed in the task, but it fused with the world and tainted it with its will to keep on living. That was the birth of Heaven and Earth."
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