"These... Lines... Bad... Inscriptions!"
Thirty-seven struggled to complain even under Chasing Demon's suppression.
However, the three Demons didn't mind his words.
They didn't see each other since the exile of the demon sects, and they weren't even sure about their survival.
Chasing Demon had lived hidden in the exoskeleton of the Purple corals, afflicted by anger and vengeful thoughts.
The Chasing demon sect had thrived in the islands of the archipelago, but it didn't have the power to peek at the lands ruled by the three big nations in those years.
The Patriarch of the Hive couldn't look for the remains of his companions even when the Coral archipelago became independent.
The Hive was simply too weak.
Years spent in regret and sorrow had honed his individuality, leading him to create a cultivation technique and reach the sixth rank even if part of his potential had been wasted.
Instead, the other two elders had stayed in the separate dimension for the whole time.
Dreaming Demon had it easy because of her sleep, but Flying Demon had to live in solitude, feeding his body to commoners with the hope of awakening his lover.
Yet, those Demons were now standing under the same forest, and simple words couldn't describe the emotions that filled their minds at that moment.
The automaton continued to struggle under Chasing Demon's pressure.
He didn't seem to care that his very form was in danger, he only wanted to point out the mistakes in the formations around him.
On the other hand, Elder Julia couldn't understand the actions of the Patriarch.
Chasing Demon left his underground training area when he needed to deploy the copying technique, but he spent the rest of the time cultivating.
He was the powerhouse of the Hive after all, and his eyes gazed for the lands above the sky.
However, he was currently out in the open, and he wore an incredulous expression that radiated traces of warmth and happiness.
Elder Julia instinctively turned toward Noah at that point.
She wanted to understand what was happening, but she stopped creating her mental message when she noticed that Noah had reached the liquid stage.
There didn't seem to be a limit to how much a simple scene could surprise her.
"Arthur, Tisha, how is this possible?"
Chasing Demon said as he landed on top of the shining lines right in front of Noah's group.
Dreaming Demon limited herself to smile while Flying Demon released a laugh before adding a few words.
"Haha, we were just taking a break when your Demon Prince arrived and begged us to join the Hive."
Noah snorted when he heard the elder and replied with a few mocking lines of his own.
"I was just passing by and decided to bring these fossils with me."
Chasing Demon was able to notice Noah's new cultivation level only after he spoke, but his focus didn't leave the two rank 5 elders even at that point.
He had tasked Noah to look for the demon sects, but he was expecting him to return with a few human cultivators and a couple of forgotten techniques.
Finding the Charming demon sect and the slave carrying the bloodline of the Enduring demon sect was already a massive achievement in his mind.
However, returning with two rank 5 Demons couldn't possibly have a fixed value.
After all, the Hive only had five rank 5 cultivators, but that number had instantly increased to seven!
Generally speaking, an organization would have to wait centuries to see the birth of just one of those powerful individuals.
The path toward the higher ranks became longer in the heroic ranks, and it wasn't strange for rank 4 cultivators to remain stuck on their level for centuries.
Also, that stagnation would affect their potential.
Rank 4 cultivators who had remained on the same stage for centuries had little hope to reach the higher ranks.
Their dantians would become unsuitable for the absorption of laws due to the stagnation.
Only a constant improvement could make full use of the potential of a cultivator.
It must be said that the two Demons weren't even newly advanced rank 5 cultivators.
They were experienced warriors who had once been in charge of the unorthodox sects of the Papral nation.
Their battle prowess and knowledge were on par, if not superior, to the strongest rank 5 elders of the Hive.
They were elites among beings in the fifth rank.
"Never… Pile… Formations… Always… Harmony!"
Thirty-seven continued to complain, and his words were finally able to ruin the joyous reunion.
Chasing Demon shot an angry gaze toward the automaton who didn't even seem to notice it.
The ethereal man was set on pointing out mistakes, it was as if his programming ordered that behavior.
"Is he useful?"
Chasing Demon asked while pointing at the automaton, and the trio slowly nodded.
"Yes, sadly."
Flying Demon even added that line as he began to stare at the suppressed automaton that was crouched on the terrain.
Thirty-seven was slowly crawling along the shining lines to inspect their forms better and find other complaints.
Nothing else seemed to interest him.
However, he revealed a curious when Chasing Demon directed his words to him.
"Spirit, do you want to see the formations of our Master?"
Thirty-seven stooped complaining at that point and repeatedly nodded toward the Patriarch of the Hive.
He could see how Chasing Demon was a rank 6 entity, so he could quickly deduce that his master had to be even stronger than him.
Thirty-seven shot a glance at the pendant on Dreaming Demon's neck, and she threw it toward Chasing Demon without the slightest hesitation.
The automaton was simply too annoying, and she couldn't wait to give it to someone else.
"Follow me."
Chasing Demon said as he grabbed the pendant and flew toward a spot inside the forest of White woods.
The automaton was forced to follow him due to the distancing pendant, and the trio didn't hesitate to fly after him.
Elder Julia was still a bit confused about the whole situation, but she decided to follow the Patriarch nonetheless.
She was the elder in charge of the southwestern coast when Chasing Demon was busy cultivating, so it was in her duty to be always informed about everything.
Chasing Demon flew past the western coast and dived toward the layer of ice under the new continent.
His presence triggered some reactions in the azure rocks right above the layer of ice, and a path opened when he neared them.
The group followed Chasing Demon through the passage at the bottom of the piece of Immortal Lands, and sped through the azure tunnel filled by inscriptions.
The growls of magical beasts began to resound in the area, and that made Noah understand where they were going.
Chasing Demon stopped when he reached a large underground room filled with shining lines that spread toward many tunnels.
The spirit automaton had been silent for the whole duration of the flight.
Still, he couldn't help but give voice to a word when the array appeared in his view.
"Masterpiece."