Noah's inscribed notebook rang to no end after Dreaming Demon received that message, but he didn't care.
The other powerhouses wanted to evacuate the world because it had become too dangerous, but Noah found the new environment perfect for his needs.
There were forty-nine new rank 6 creatures in the world, and all of them could help Noah's body reach the peak of the heroic ranks. He couldn't give up on that chance to skip years of boring absorption of energy from the environment.
Noah had gained one corpse, but he needed three to four more to feel confident in his project. Now he had weaker specimens at hand, but the hunts had become far more difficult according to the reports of his underlings.
The Eternal Snakes always moved in groups. Finding one alone was impossible, and they didn't even fight themselves for the ownership of certain regions.
The beasts appeared utterly dedicated to their mission. They searched the landmasses and the sea without stopping at the hindrances that they found on their path.
The Snakes even explored the underground world of both continents. The beasts excavated large tunnels and destroyed entire regions to inspect every inch of the lower plane.
Some groups had also moved to the seabed. Their great power wasn't enough to dig tunnels that reached the red sea in a short time, but they didn't mind putting effort into that task every day.
Noah wondered if the creatures would go as far as enter the separate reality if they couldn't find the egg. He didn't know if they could reach the yellow sea without any help, but he didn't linger on that thought for too long.
The scariest aspect of that invasion was that Shandal would never let those creatures obtain the egg. The Snakes would never find the separate dimension unless he desired otherwise.
That was the greatest issue in the matter. The powerhouses didn't know what the divine beings would do to the lower plane if their underlings were to fail.
Noah found it pointless to spend time thinking about those possibilities. Matters that involved divine beings were outside of his reach, so he could only prepare for the worst while making the best out of that situation.
It was precisely for that reason that he didn't want to wait for Shandal to act. Gods were too different from heroic cultivators, so he wouldn't rely on Shandal's whims when it came to that crisis.
His goal was to kill and seize as many Eternal Snakes as he could now. He didn't care if the divine beings in the Immortal Lands destroyed the world because of his actions. He would escape through the dimensional portal if the situation reached that point.
That was the expression of his determination. He was willing to sacrifice the world to reach the Immortal Lands. Only his power mattered, while almost everything else was expendable.
Noah had already isolated the organ that produced the silver liquid during his time inside the cave. Those creatures had large glands in the bottom side of their mouths, so he could limit himself to sever that part if he met specimens that he couldn't kill.
Of course, Noah would rather take the whole beast and use it as a nutrient for his body, but he had to prepare for the worst, and his new ability had the priority.
Noah came out of his cave and flew high in the sky to inspect the two continents with his eyes. The reports couldn't give him the details that only an expert in the magical beasts' field could notice.
He had to see those beasts for himself and decide if he had to resort to unique baits to isolate them. Also, he wanted to test how thorough the control of the divine beings was.
His first prey had abandoned its mission to fight him. The event showed that the Snakes could ignore their orders and follow their instincts in certain situations.
'Anger is fine,' Noah thought as he decided to inspect the old continent first. 'I wonder if I can use something safer to obtain similar results.'
The old continent had less Eternal Snakes, and those creatures had even lost interest in exploring it. Most of its regions had crumbled during their inspection. In their minds, such a frail land couldn't possibly hide their target.
They couldn't even begin to imagine that Shandal's dimension had been there all along. Still, it wasn't their fault. Their limits as magical beasts in the heroic ranks prevented them from sensing that place.
Noah flew at high speed through the sky, but two existences soon appeared inside the range of his consciousness.
God's Left Hand and Great Elder Diana appeared in front of Noah, and he stopped to greet them. Yet, a cold smile broke on his face. The two leaders couldn't hide the reason behind their visit from him.
"Defying Demon," God's Left Hand greeted Noah, "May I know where are you headed?"
Noah's smile widened, but his reptilian eyes radiated only coldness. An emotionless voice also came out of his mouth when he replied to the leader. "There are many valuable creatures in the world. I plan to take a few of them."
The leaders' expressions darkened when they heard those words. Noah didn't even try to hide his intentions. His behavior made the powerhouses aware that he didn't consider them capable of stopping him.
"You must put this hunger of yours on hold," Great Elder Diana said with the politest words that she could find. "The very fate of the world is at stake. Why would you hunt now? You can wait for the god of the Shandal Empire to ensure our safety first."
Noah scoffed and shook his head. He didn't want to ruin his relationship with Great Elder Diana either, but he wouldn't slow down his growth to preserve alliances.
Everyone was aware that Noah was the strongest heroic cultivator in the lower plane, and he knew the benefits that came with that title. The fact that no one could defeat him meant that he could do as he wished in every situation.
"I misjudged you, Great Elder Diana," Noah said as his smile vanished. "I never thought that you would place your safety in the hands of a god who has abandoned his organization countless times."
Great Elder Diana lowered her head at that point. Noah was right. The historical record had already proven that Shandal wasn't reliable. The invasion of the Empire had been a success for that exact reason.
God's Left Hand opened her mouth to complain, but Noah spoke before she could say anything.
"I do not doubt that Shandal will close the crack," Noah said. "Still, that can happen tomorrow or a thousand years from now. Gods are whimsical, and I won't live my life according to their plans."
"We know your weakness," God's Left Hand said after she wore an ugly expression. "You need time to prepare your individuality. You are at our level now."
Battle intent began to fill God's Left Hand's aura after she spoke. Her intentions were clear. She would stop Noah even if she had to fight him.
"Your level?" Noah replied as he waved his hand.
The sheer physical strength contained in his arm allowed him to open cracks in the sky with that gesture. Five slashes also came out of his fingers and flew in the distance while opening fissures too.
God's Left Hand could only remain silent at that display of power. She knew that Noah was strong, but she wasn't alone.
Noah didn't feel like discussing any further. He had a goal, and he wanted to reach it before something forced him to leave that world.
His aura surged, but his cultivation level remained the same. Noah didn't rely on his ambition at that time. He planned to face the powerhouses with his real power.
"I have something better than your dantians at stake," Noah said as the Demonic Sword came out of his space-ring and landed on his hand, "But I'll take them if you try to stop me."