Birth of the Demonic Sword

'How can he fly so easily?' Noah wondered when he saw Zach floating above him.

Zach didn't seem bothered about his position, and Noah found that feature quite strange since the cultivator was in the gaseous stage. Noah guessed that Zach had an item or a technique that allowed him to ignore the white light.

Noah and Zach's minds slowly touched after they made sure that they had no evil intentions. The two consciousnesses took care of selecting the language to use for the incoming conversation, and they separated immediately after that.

"I must say," Zach began to speak, "I'm quite impressed by your battle prowess. It's a pity that your kind can't join us."

Noah didn't answer, and his face didn't reveal any emotion at those words. Yet, his mind grew colder when he understood that Zach knew about his hybrid status.

'He must have observed my battle,' Noah concluded in his mind, and that thought made him quite worried.

If his hypothesis was on point, then everyone knew that the area was a landing zone. Zach would surely see that he had just ascended from a lower plane, and that would reveal that Noah's centers of power were only at the beginning of the seventh rank.

Of course, that wasn't exactly correct when it came to Noah. His mind and dantian were basically at the beginning of the seventh rank, but his body had begun to improve. Also, he had the black hole, which could be his trump card in that situation.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," Zach continued as he took a white tablet from his space-ring. "My name is Zach Foredall. I'm part of the Crystal City, and it's my job to make sure that newly ascended existences won't become a threat to the human army. I need you to swear that you won't cause any damage to our side."

Noah remained silent as he continued to inspect the cultivator. He continued to suppress his emotions, but the coldness that seeped out of his figure became more intense when he heard those words.

Zach didn't speak anymore either. He had said his piece, so everything was up to Noah now. Zach wouldn't spend other words for an existence that couldn't join his side.

"Or?" Noah eventually asked, and Zach immediately understood what he meant with his question.

"I can't let a potential threat roam freely," Zach answered as traces of killing intent began to seep out of his figure.

"I guess this Crystal City must be nearby for you to be so thorough," Noah said as he tried to focus on the horizon.

Noah couldn't see any structure nearby, but Zach's eyes had sharpened for an instant when he heard those words. That was enough to reveal that Noah's guess was close to the truth.

"There is no need to fight over such a small matter," Zach resumed his speech after he exchanged glances with Noah for a while. "This oath is harmless. It won't affect your journey. I will even share a report concerning the last known location of some hybrids with you if you swear it."

Noah memorized his words, but he didn't give him any answer. His attention had shifted during Zach's speech. Noah had begun to sense a peculiar aura coming out of him when his killing intent spread in the environment.

That aura wasn't strange enough to arouse Noah's suspicion, but he felt that something was off when he sensed that it came from multiple directions.

One source of that aura came from Zach, while the other flowed out of a seemingly random spot in the sky.

Noah turned toward that spot, and Zach's expression paled when he understood where Noah was looking. Miss Canson was in that area, but it seemed that Noah couldn't see her.

"How can you fend off the pressure of the sky?" Noah asked without moving his gaze from that seemingly random spot.

Zach felt slightly threatened when he observed Noah's actions. His power was enough to match that newly ascended monster, but he couldn't risk Miss Canson's life during the mission.

Moreover, Zach was unaware of Noah's assets and mindset. He didn't know if Noah would abruptly attack that spot out of curiosity or if he would ignore it.

"We use special items," Zach replied in an attempt to bring Noah's attention back on him. "They are quite common among humans. You can't miss them if you even reach a market."

"Weren't those of my kind unwelcomed by humans?" Noah asked.

"The Crystal City is the most radical about this issue," Zach answered. "Other societies don't care about your species as long as you don't cause any trouble."

Zach knew what was happening. He wasn't revealing those pieces of information because Noah had managed to trick him. That was a pure show of goodwill that he hoped would lead to Noah swearing the oath.

However, Zach had failed to understand Noah's mindset. He couldn't possibly know that Noah had spent a long part of his life cursing the restrictions applied by his world's political system.

Noah saw the Immortal Lands as a place where divine existences could ignore any form of organization and strive to touch the sky with their power. He wouldn't let anyone put limits on his freedom as soon as he reached the higher plane.

"You aren't alone, are you?" Noah asked, and Zach's eyes widened when he heard those words.

An intense killing intent began to flow out of his figure at that point. Zach couldn't hold back anymore when he understood that Miss Canson could be in danger. He had to show Noah that he would kill him if he didn't swear the oath.

The scenery in Noah's eyes slowly changed as his superior senses became used to that peculiar aura. Dark matter flowed out of his black hole and entered his eyes to enhance his view.

Black vessels appeared on his sclera as his reptilian pupils sharpened. Miss Canson's enchanting figure slowly appeared in his vision, and Noah couldn't help but wear a cold smile when he saw the worried expression on her face.

"I can kill her before your attack reaches me," Noah said at some point. "You know that you can't stop me. You have seen my battle."

Zach had no words to express how he felt about Noah. Not even a day had passed since his landing, but Noah had already succeeded in two almost impossible feats.

Noah had defeated the tide of beasts waiting in the landing zone and had managed to look past the technique developed in the Crystal City!

Part of Zach wanted to kill Noah on the spot, but he had to prioritize Miss Canson's well-being, so he couldn't attack. Yet, Noah soon proposed something that he couldn't ignore.

"It's too soon to make enemies," Noah announced. "Let's forget about this discussion. You two let me go, and I'll leave without causing a mess. It seems pretty fair to me."

"You have no idea who you are threatening," Zach said, but his killing intent lost some intensity when he heard Noah's offer.

"I don't really care," Noah said as he shrugged his shoulders. "We have a deal, right?"

Zach hesitated for a second before nodding, and Noah waved his hand before turning to leave.

Noah had been honest. He had no intention of making enemies without learning more about the Immortal Lands. After all, the higher plane was an environment that could contain rank 8 and 9 existences.

Yet, he wasn't delusional. He knew how extremist organizations worked. Zach had let him go, but Noah was aware that the cultivator would report his arrival to the Crystal City.