Chapter 553 - 553. Changed

The human cultivators watching from the cities on the new continent couldn't hear the conversation between Noah and Amos.

They only saw them slowly diving toward the lava lake, exchanging words for many minutes, and ultimately clashing.

They clearly saw Noah being overwhelmed by Amos' attack, but they also saw both of them halting the battle after the first clash.

The crowds held their breath when they realized that both heroic cultivators were leaving the sky over the rocky wasteland, those human cultivators were unable to understand the outcome of the battle from those few exchanges.

Yet, an aged voice soon resounded in the cities, carrying a message that made those cultivators explode in loud shouts.

"The Hive has claimed the territory containing the lava lake!"

The masses soon understood the meaning behind that message: Noah Balvan had won against a rank 4 cultivator in the solid stage!

Of course, those cultivators weren't stupid, they had watched the battle after all.

They saw that Noah couldn't even hurt Amos, it was impossible for someone in the gaseous stage to hurt him.

It was clear that the Demon Prince of the Hive had outsmarted his opponent.

However, that was an incredible achievement already!

Noah had triumphed in a hopeless battle!

No one cared that Amos was stronger, what mattered was the loss of a territory containing traces left by divine beings!

"Miss, I don't know how you did that, but I'm a man of my word. Your wins are here."

An old man handed a space-ring to a young-looking girl that was quietly staring at the images radiated by the crystals.

June took the ring and continued to stare at the now empty lava lake, countless thoughts and emotions filled her while she reviewed the match in her mind.

"Miss, tomorrow's battle will see two rank 5 cultivators. I was wondering if you wanted to place another bet."

The old man asked, but June shook her head before adding a few words.

"I'll pass, I was only confident in this one."

Then, she turned to leave, she wanted to return to her habitation to calm herself down.

She didn't lie to the man, she was sure that Noah would have won.

Her confidence came from what she had understood about Noah in their short cohabitation.

She knew that Noah did everything for a reason, he was the most focused and driven man that she had ever met in her life.

The sole fact that he had joined the battle meant that he was confident of winning, the Noah she knew would never waste time in a hopeless fight, he would rather train than lose precious hours.

'He has changed.'

June couldn't help but have that thought.

She couldn't see that aloof attitude anymore when she watched his battle, she only saw a man brimming with cold confidence, an entity able to make a plan to beat someone far stronger than him.

'I guess you have finally obtained the power to reveal yourself.'

Her mind reviewed her life inside Noah's habitation in the academy.

She saw a young man continually avoiding the crowds even when he had the power to lead them, she saw a man hiding so much that even his breath had become part of his lies.

Then, she compared those images to the man reflected in the crystals.

'At least, your core is still the same, your ambition didn't change. You have just stopped hiding.'

Traces of a smile appeared on her face when she thought that, she felt somewhat glad to have learnt more about him.

June had only been able to see his true face when he threatened her after she received Eccentric Thunder's inheritance, and she felt happy to learn more about his real character.

'I expected you to reach for the sky before all of us, but that happened too soon… I spent a lot of time solidifying the position of my family inside the Utra nation and studying Master's formations, but now I'm ready, I can aim for the peak of the third rank and prepare for the Tribulations.'

Those thoughts filled June's mind while she made her way through the crowd, she felt finally ready to approach the last step of the human ranks.

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Meanwhile, Noah had quickly returned to the desert inhabited by sandworms.

His skin had almost completely healed since he didn't hesitate to eat pieces of magical beasts during his flight, and his clash with Amos didn't injure him gravely, he would be fine in a matter of hours.

The atmosphere in the group of the Hive was completely different from before, Noah saw broad smiles shooting in his direction as soon as he neared his companions, he could sense how happy the other elders were about the outcome of his battle.

"How did you even pull that off!"

Elder Jason shouted as he neared him with the other rank 4 cultivators.

He held another luxurious robe in his hands that he quickly handed to Noah, the latter had just changed into one of his old ones during his flight.

"Elder Austin had already given up on the lava lake! You must know that the Hive only has a cultivator in the liquid stage with a fire aptitude, all the others are either in the gaseous stage or have a rank 5 body! Luckily for us, the Demon Prince has taken care of it!"

Elder Jason couldn't contain his excitement, and the other fire cultivators were in a similar state.

Noah had saved the best training area available for the elders with a fire aptitude, their gratitude was somewhat expected.

'That's why he didn't contact me when he discovered that my opponent would have been in the solid stage, there was simply no point in replacing me.'

Noah thought when he heard Elder Jason's words.

Rank 4 cultivators in the solid stage would need a rank 5 body to contain all that power, Amos was an exception that the Utra nation had managed to find in its numerous assets.

The Hive though had around fifty heroic cultivators, and none of them could match Amos' power and also respect the terms of the pact.

"I've already notified Austin about your victory, he said that he will go all out to claim the azure plain since you are so attached to it."

Elder Julia spoke after appearing above Noah, a proud smile was on her usually stern face.

"When is he fighting?"

Noah asked Elder Julia, he didn't want to miss the chance to witness a battle between two rank 5 cultivators, which was one of the reasons why he hurried on his way back.

"In a few hours. We have prepared suitable stages to watch it, Elder Jason will escort you there when you want. Anyway, I wanted to say that the Hive won't forget your service."

Elder Julia answered before disappearing again in the air, she had to prepare for her battle too.