Chapter 1166: 1166. Gesture

Noah changed clothes after he exited from the separate dimension that contained the horned head. His new control of the Hive's oaths took place in the back of his mind and became an instinctive ability on its own.

He didn't need the training to enforce those oaths, and a simple thought was enough to modify some of them. Noah had gained complete control of the Hive in a few minutes.

Skully and Elder Julia left to prepare the new continent for Noah's arrival, but the Demons remained with him. Dreaming Demon continued to reveal her warm smile, and Flying Demon appeared more relaxed after the transfer of the leadership.

"Master wasn't the type to waste time on ceremonies," Flying Demon said after heaving a sigh. "Well, there wasn't anyone capable of making him change his mind either. I'm surprised you have accepted this role without complaints."

Noah was about to reply, but Dreaming Demon interrupted because she felt the need to explain her lover's words. "He is saying that you are quite similar to our Master. We were both afraid you would refuse to become a Patriarch because it might limit your freedom."

The Demons knew how Noah thought, and that was the exact reason behind their doubts. Yet, Noah saw his new role differently.

"I won't organize any event," Noah said. "I won't handle any political issue. I only need to step in when the Hive is in danger. I might end up doing less than what I already do."

Noah spoke earnestly, but the Demons exploded in a loud laugh when they heard his words. They could finally understand why Noah didn't even try to avoid that role.

"Do you plan to be a Patriarch that remains hidden in his quarters and comes out only when the situation can benefit him?" Flying Demon asked, and Noah shrugged his shoulders to reply.

His gesture caused another wave of laughs, but the Demons knew that Noah's attitude didn't come from laziness.

The world was at peace, and the Hive was the strongest organization in the entire plane. The Council and the Empire had leaders with a better cultivation level, but that didn't matter too much when Noah was part of the picture.

Noah's obligations wouldn't change after he became a Patriarch. The other powerhouses already managed all the aspects of the Hive, so he didn't need to do anything else for his organization.

"I can accept that!" Flying Demon eventually stopped laughing to speak. "Protect the Hive when everything else fails. Do it for the organization that has given you a home, and for Chasing Demon."

"Master has never liked organizations either," Dreaming Demon continued. "He has always considered them a trap for weak-willed cultivators. He used the Demon Sects only to gather resources that he needed."

Flying Demon and Dreaming Demon continued to describe how Divine Demon was as a leader. He sounded like an absent Patriarch who appeared only when a situation involved precious resources.

Divine Demon was quite strict in his idea of the cultivation journey. He acknowledged the utility of organizations, but he loathed that they could take time from his training.

He was also a ruthless teacher. He often fought to obtain whatever he wanted, and he never gave too much importance to appearances.

Noah felt that he would be the same type of leader. He would use the Hive only when he needed resources that he didn't have the time to collect.

As for the political borders, the alliance only had the Elbas family left as an enemy. Noah wouldn't need to join meetings or negotiations unless a new threat appeared.

The trio resumed their flight again, but their destination was the forest of White Woods on the western coast of the new continent at that time. The Demons wanted to escort Noah from Chasing Demon's old quarters to the new ones.

Noah wore a neat robe that appeared less luxurious than those of the Demons. The higher-ups didn't want to make him go out of his character, so they prepared tight clothes that gave off an important aura.

The octopus and the islands were still there, but Noah's robe didn't have loose sleeves or special symbols on his shoulders and legs. His were simple battle clothes of exceptional fabric.

Noah's underlings wouldn't see him as an unreachable existence if he appeared in public with those clothes. They would see an ordinary cultivator who had reached the top through struggles and battles.

That was the exact image that the powerhouses wanted Noah to have. There was no need for him to pretend to be someone else. He only had to be himself, and the story of his life would do the rest.

Noah and the Demons crossed the entire new continent to reach the western coast. The journey took a while, but everyone could see him getting his earned throne in that way.

The forest of White Woods had remained the same, but there was a throne floating above it now. The seat was nothing special. It was a simple tall armchair made of rocks.

The Demons left Noah at that point and flew toward the sides of the throne. Elder Julia and Skully appeared from different teleportation matrices and imitated the Demons.

The four powerhouses waited for him to take his seat, and countless teleportation matrices lit up as Noah began to fly toward the throne.

Many experts reached the region to witness the birth of their new Patriarch. Even human cultivators managed to attend the event through special channels that shielded them from the new continent's pressure.

Noah didn't look behind him. He flew until he reached the throne. Then, he turned to sit on it.

The powerhouses didn't make any speech nor announcement, but everyone on the scene knew that the Hive now had a new Patriarch.

Noah stared at the crowd watching him while wearing a stern expression. June and other old friends were among the audience, and traces of his surprise almost appeared on his face when he saw all of them bowing in his direction.

Thousands of cultivators amassed near the teleportation matrices and on the edges of the domes nearby, but all of them bowed to greet their new Patriarch.

Memories resurfaced inside Noah's mind. He had already seen a similar scene. It was the same view experienced during the attitude test at the Royal Academy.

Countless powerful existences bowed toward him, but Noah didn't feel anything special at that sight. It had been the same during the attitude test. He had never desired to rule, and his mindset didn't change after almost a millennium.

Noah recalled how that dream continued. His eyes instinctively went to the sky, and the Demons couldn't help but smile at that sight.

Some of the best experts on the entire plane were expressing their loyalty toward him, but Noah's only interest was in the world above.

The Demons knew that. Noah's gesture had only confirmed their idea of him, and they felt glad that they were right.

Some of the experts inside the audience noticed his gesture too. Noah's first act as a Patriarch made him appear uncaring, but a few promising cultivators caught a glimpse of his drive.

Even becoming the Patriarch of the strongest organization in the world couldn't distract him from his real goal. Noah's drive was pure, and the audience could see that from his gesture.

That casual move expressed who Noah was as a cultivator. Some of those in the region felt their ambition surge and fill their minds.