Of the four rank 5 cultivators who had watched Noah's battle, one of them was in the solid stage, two were in the liquid, while the last was in the gaseous.
Noah's words surprised them, especially since he didn't show the slightest amount of respect for their power. It was as if he had already decided that he was their superior.
One of the liquid stage experts, a middle-aged woman with short black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin, stepped forward while giving voice to a reply. "And who would you be? I never thought tribes would have the time to experiment with clothes."
Noah's robe came from the Hive, and it was quite luxurious for its kind. It was black with an icy-blue octopus draped on its back. On the other hand, the secret world's inhabitants had shabby and torn clothes, which had endured the passage of time.
"I come from the surface," Noah said while pointing at the black sky. "I am the most talented cultivator in history."
The four experts wanted to laugh, but they couldn't. The pride carried by his words and the battle that they had just witnessed made them wonder whether he was speaking the truth.
Noah had defeated seven beasts in the fifth rank in a few minutes. That accomplishment was something that belonged to the realm of the solid stage cultivators!
Still, the four of them didn't feel like focusing on his ego since he had disclosed something more critical. Someone from the surface had managed to reach that hidden world after countless years!
"Let's get out of here!" The woman said while her companions shot forward to gather the rescued cultivators. "The God knows that its underlings have died. An army will be here soon."
Noah didn't fear the arrival of the army. He would take that as a chance to hunt more beasts. However, his priority was to establish a relationship with the rebels, so he flew after the departing woman.
"Noah Balvan," Noah said when the two of them started to fly in the distance.
"Ana," The woman said as she led the way. "Are you an important figure on the surface?"
"Yes," Noah replied without showing the slightest shame, "But I can't contact them. The sea of magma is too thick, and this metallic layer stops most mental messages."
"It's not surprising once you know its origin," Ana said as she revealed a sly smile. "The Ape God created this metal when it isolated this world. The bastard made a paradise for its monkeys."
Noah didn't manage to hide his surprise at that revelation. His cold expression broke as disbelief filled his face.
He had seen the might of the divine beings once, and he knew that they were able to affect entire continents with their spells. Yet, that place was immense. Noah wouldn't be surprised if it covered half of the surface.
"Are you already trusting me?" Noah asked. Those pieces of information were something that cultivators would usually value a lot. He couldn't understand why Ana gave them away so quickly.
"There are no sides here," Ana said. "You are a human, so you are my ally."
Noah didn't bother to correct her. He only took the chance to question her about the secrets of that world since she didn't intend to hide anything.
"Back when humans discovered the miraculous qualities of the Kesier runes," Ana began her explanation, "All the forces of the surface were busy in a worldwide hunt of the Kesier species. These monkeys couldn't do anything against the world's cultivators' effort and tried to escape in the sea, but humans followed them there too.
"The hunt lasted for years and continued even when they found a path for the core of this world. Yet, no one could predict that the Kesier Apes could sacrifice themselves to boost their leaders' power. The Ape God appeared that day over than one hundred thousand years ago when the humans suffered their first defeat against that species."
The members of the tribes followed closely behind Noah and Ana. No one seemed to mind that he had killed some of their companions during the attack. Their eyes only showed gratitude when they looked at his back.
"The God killed most of our leaders and fused its mental energy with the magma, creating a safe area in the middle of the burning core of this world," Ana continued. "It molded the earth and created a suitable environment where life could thrive, sacrificing cultivators whenever it needed to nourish it. Humans have been slaves since then."
"How can I believe in any of this?" Noah asked. Ana's story was majestic, something that any organization would teach to instill modesty in their cultivators. However, Noah had never heard of it.
"Those on the surface saw it as a natural catastrophe," Ana explained. "The actual core of the world went through massive changes. I'm surprised there is even a surface left at all."
Noah remained doubtful, mostly since she had spoken about events dated more than one hundred thousand years in the past. Simple rank 5 cultivators couldn't live that long, even if they used unorthodox methods to prolong their lifespan.
Ana seemed able to understand his doubts and continued. "This story comes from a direct witness of the birth of the Ape God. We are on our way to meet her."
Noah's eyes widened at that point. Cultivators had long lifespans, but surviving for that long would require a divine power or countless unorthodox methods to preserve their lives.
Red waterfalls appeared more often as they proceeded onward. They soon began to fill the environment, creating long streaks of crimson lakes that illuminated the area.
The black sky had large cracks in those regions, and Noah even saw a large chunk of its metallic structure fall while the group proceeded through the heat.
Noah couldn't help but link that area to a possible weakening of the Ape God. It was even older than Shandal, and the lower plane wasn't a place where divine beings could improve.
Ana noticed his interest in the cracks in the sky and revealed an excited smile before speaking again. "We think that the God is losing power. This world is slowly falling apart since its mental waves can't reach these areas anymore. The time to strike back is close!"
Noah didn't share her excitement. No matter how weakened it was, a god was always a god. Also, he had another impelling doubt.
"Why didn't you leave?" Noah asked. "Why do you prefer to go against a god rather than escaping?"
Ana wore a pensive expression as she gazed upward. Cultivators soon appeared among the waterfalls. They used black drills to expand the sky's holes and increase the magma that poured into the world.
They stopped their work for an instant to wave at Noah's group, but they resumed their drilling immediately after.
Noah could vaguely guess why they were expanding the holes in the sky, but Ana replied before he could ask anything. "We are born as slaves. Don't pretend to understand what we want."