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Chapter 1165 1165. Horned head

Noah had to attend an important event before he could resume his regular training schedule. It was something that the Hive had patiently waited for years, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the entire alliance had been in the same situation.

Chasing Demon’s death had left an empty spot in the Hive’s leadership. Dreaming Demon, Flying Demon, Elder Julia, and Skully took care of that part by managing different matters, but it wasn’t the same without a proper leader.

The problem wasn’t in the management of the Hive. The Demons and various other higher-ups were self-sufficient. Every dome could keep working without orders coming from above.

However, the Hive lacked an identity without a leader. Rebels and lone cultivators would appear in an organization that showed that kind of weakness, and the morale of the troops would plummet without someone to look up to.

It was the same with the Shandal Empire. Its warriors could engage in long wars without fear for their lives because they knew they had a god watching over them.

Such flaws in an organization would never affect cultivators like Noah and the Demons, but they were the minority of the Hive’s assets. Most human experts and cultivators in the fourth rank wanted to put a face on their organization.

"It’s time," Flying Demon’s voice resounded inside Noah’s underground mansion.

Noah interrupted his training and stood up to leave his quarters. June shot a smile in his direction as she watched him go through the main door.

Flying Demon and Dreaming Demon appeared in Noah’s vision when he left his quarters. They wore black robes that had a purple octopus draped on their back.

The octopus had long tentacles that enveloped a series of purple spots in a protective embrace. They represented the islands of the Coral Archipelago, the ancestral home, and the symbol of the birth of the Hive.

"Do I need to wear these too?" Noah asked while inspecting his clothes. He didn’t prepare for the occasion. He was wearing an old robe that had borne the weight of his training sessions.

"Yes," Dreaming Demon replied while revealing a warm smile, "But that will come later. Now there is something that you must see before the ceremony."

Noah noticed how Flying Demon wore a stern expression that conflicted with his usual joking mood. It seemed that the event was quite important to him, so Noah decided to respect his feelings.

The Demons led Noah in the sky, where they began to fly in the direction of the Coral Archipelago. The trio didn’t use any teleportation matrix, and their pace made them reach their destination in a few weeks.

Some tension surrounded the trio. Noah didn’t receive any explanation, but he understood the reason behind the duo’s silence.

The ceremony had already begun. The travel itself was part of it, and the silence was a gift for Noah. He could use that time to enjoy his last moments without the weight of an organization on his back.

Of course, Noah could use that time to go away. Taking charge of the Hive wasn’t mandatory, but he could see how there wasn’t anyone more suitable than him inside the Hive.

He had understood what it was to be a leader by then. He had always ignored those obligations because of the issues that they would bring, but the situation was different now.

Leaders didn’t need to be the smartest asset in their organization. They didn’t need to be the canniest, nor the most empathic.

Their only requirement was to be able to inspire the other members of their organization. Cultivators had to take pride in their leaders, and they had to strive to become like them.

Noah had always thought that his battle prowess was the only thing he could offer to an organization. Yet, he had often failed to consider how his life had inspired others.

From being the bastard of a medium-size noble family, Noah had reached the peak of the lower plane. Also, he was now about to take charge of the same organization that he had helped become independent.

Any human cultivator would feel waves of ambition surging inside them when hearing that story. Noah’s journey was a tale that they could describe in legends even if they didn’t include all his incredible achievements.

That was the role of a leader. Noah had to become the embodiment of all the dreams and hopes of the weaker cultivators in his organization. His figure would become proof that anyone could reach that level of power.

Noah couldn’t help but reveal a surprised expression when he and the Demons reached the Coral Archipelago. The place didn’t change much, but a tall structure had appeared on the central island that had once been Chasing Demon’s home.

A statue stood at the center of the Archipelago. The structure depicted a man with sharp features, and a pair of shining red crystals illuminated the area from its eye sockets.

The figure depicted Chasing Demon in his prime. It represented him with an arm raised toward the new continent. It had a stern face, and a heavy aura surrounded the structure.

Noah didn’t recognize the materials used to build the statue, but he knew that the structure wasn’t only decorative. Faint traces of inscriptions hovered around it, and the density of "Breath" on the entire island surpassed that in the rest of the Archipelago.

"You’ll also have a statue one day," Dreaming Demon commented when she saw that Noah had remained speechless. "As long as the Hive exists, your name will survive the passage of time."

The trio moved toward the base of the statue where the other powerhouses of the Hive were waiting. Noah saw Skully and Elder Julia bowing toward him as they landed on the island.

Dreaming Demon touched the statue, and a formation began to shine on the polished gray material. She then gestured to the others to follow her, and all of them place a hand on those lines.

The scene in Noah’s vision changed, and he found himself in a room surrounded by complete darkness. He and the four powerhouses stood around a table placed on the small patch of brown ground under them.

An inscribed item stood at the center of the table. It was a fist-sized horned face similar to that used by the Hive to bind new cultivators to its rules.

Noah guessed that the item was the core of the network binding all the Hive’s members, and Dreaming Demon confirmed his hypothesis.

"This the item that manages all the oaths sworn by the members of the Hive," Dreaming Demon said. "You have received the privileges of the Demon Prince already. You will obtain complete control over the network now."

Noah didn’t back away and revealed his palm to the group. The tattoo of the horned head rose from inside his body to appear on his skin.

The powerhouses did the same. Even Skully had a similar tattoo, and she showed it without any hesitation.

The item began to shine as if resonating with that gesture. Dreaming Demon then hinted to Noah to touch the horned head, and he didn’t shy away.

Pieces of information flowed inside Noah’s mind when he placed his palm on the inscribed item. They covered every aspect of the Hive, from the number of recruits to the domes’ power.

There were a series of reports too. They were yearly reviews of every formation deployed on the Hive’s domain. They considered their current condition and the amount of energy that they depleted.

Then, Noah felt a connection with all the other cultivators inside the Hive. It was a faint sensation that didn’t weigh on his mind. Still, he knew that he could control their oaths from now on.

"You have formally become the Patriarch of the Hive," Dreaming Demon announced. "Now it’s time for the celebration. We have already prepared suitable clothes."