Birth of the Demonic Sword

"We failed the mission because of me," Miss Canson said once Noah disappeared from her sight. "I will make sure that my Mother understands this. You would have taken care of him if you didn't have to protect me."

Miss Canson appeared quite broken about that outcome. She cared about Zach, and she didn't want to see him punished due to her weakness. Moreover, meeting Noah had shown her the difference between an ascended and a divine existence that didn't overcome similar trials.

"I wouldn't be sure so sure about that," Zach replied without moving his gaze from the direction where Noah had left. "Hybrids are hard to deal with, and this one has been ready to fight during the entire conversation. He didn't want a battle, but he didn't fear it either."

"Do you think he had a chance against you?" Miss Canson asked as surprise appeared on her face.

Her Mother had chosen Zach as her protector because he was strong and had a lot of experience dealing with ascended. However, his words conveyed his hesitation about the whole matter.

"I can't be sure of that," Zach replied. "He shouldn't have much experience in battles in the divine ranks, but he managed to defeat the tide without relying on his individuality. That alone speaks for his power."

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Noah left the area as fast as he could. He didn't try to use his movement technique in his current condition, but his physical strength made him capable of great speed anyway.

The magical beasts in the area didn't attack him. Noah could sense them, but he also saw that they ignored him for no apparent reason.

'Did I get approved or something?' Noah wondered as he ran past that crowded land.

The creatures in the area hadn't hesitated to attack him when he landed in the Immortal Lands, but they were ignoring him now. It was as if they had no interest in fighting someone that had survived the tide.

Moreover, they also ignored each other. That area featured multiple lairs, but those powerful magical beasts didn't bother to fight for the ownership of that region.

It was as if they had agreed to attack only the newly ascended existences, and Noah couldn't even begin to understand how they had decided that. His extensive knowledge in the magical beasts' field didn't cover that behavior.

Noah didn't stop to inspect the environment, but he still memorized the lands he crossed as he tried to leave the landing zone.

The area was full of life and had an uneven layout. Short mountains filled with magical plants covered that azure land. Various magical beasts had created lairs in that environment, but their influence didn't manage to affect the laws in the matter around them.

Noah could sense divine auras filling the entire area. The magical beasts, some plants, and the terrain radiated their influence in the environment and covered it with a thick halo.

The pressure radiated by the white sky fused with that halo and created a shining environment. Noah couldn't linger in the area for too long, but that sight left him mesmerized.

He didn't need to unfold his consciousness to sense the difference with the lower plane. Every brim of matter in the Immortal Lands carried an intense vitality and appeared as the most valuable material in the entire world.

The piece of Immortal Lands that had fallen in the lower plane was no match for the actual higher world. The amount of energy in that environment was on a superior league, and Noah couldn't wait to feed on it.

Anxiety that only a dangerous environment could cause filled Noah's mind. His arrival in the Immortal Lands had been quite messy, but he had learnt a lot about the higher plane during those events.

The Immortal Lands didn't have a shortage of living beings. Countless magical plants filled every inch of the landing zone, and many divine creatures inhabited those areas.

Moreover, he had confirmed the presence of cultivators. The two gods had also disclosed the existence of organizations and societies that had different beliefs.

'I wonder if the Crystal City has a cultivator in the eighth rank,' Noah thought as he ran through the uneven terrain.

Noah crossed countless mountains and ran for entire weeks before the scenery in his eyes started to change. A large river appeared on his path and marked the entrance to a different environment.

The uneven terrain filled with short mountains and chaotic vegetation stopped before the river. Noah could see a tall forest on the other side of that large stream, and the aura that surrounded that zone triggered his survival instincts.

Trees more than four hundred meters tall filled his view. They had large azure leaves, and their thick brown trucks hid the insides of that region. Also, a dense aura covered the entire area and made Noah's instincts rage in fear.

Something powerful had taken the forest as its lair. Noah felt glad that his knowledge of the magical beasts' field revealed itself useful in that situation, but he couldn't be happy about what he understood.

'Maybe the landing zone is one of the exceptions of the Immortal Lands,' Noah thought as he stopped before reaching the river. 'This region follows the same patterns that I've learnt to recognize in the lower plane.'

Hypotheses amassed in Noah's mind. The arrival in the Immortal Lands had filled him with questions that he couldn't answer due to his poor knowledge about that environment.

Noah turned to look behind him. He believed that cultivators from the Crystal City would eventually come for him, so he couldn't remain in the landing zone.

It was better to hide among magical beasts that would defend their territory rather than among uncaring creatures. Noah would be able to use his expertise in the forest, and the leader of that area could work as a deterrent against eventual pursuers.

'I should hide here until I understand how the Immortal Lands work,' Noah concluded as he jumped the river to land among the tall trees. 'I'm quite curious to see if they will follow me in this environment.'

Noah ventured inside the forest, but he didn't dare to run toward its central areas. He remained in its peripheral parts and changed direction whenever the danger felt by his instincts became more intense.

The forest seemed endless, and it was thick enough to cover part of the white light radiated by the sky. The pressure on Noah's mind weakened in that region, so he didn't mind running for a few more weeks before deciding to settle.

Noah used the Demonic Sword to dig a cave in the tough azure terrain and sealed it to hide inside that dangerous environment. He had to test a few things before he could resume his exploration of the higher plane.

The battle against the tide had brought a few benefits. Noah had managed to test his battle prowess properly and had confirmed that he was quite powerful for a newly ascended existence.

Even Zach Foredall had remained wary of him during their conversation. That proved that his power was worthy of respect.

Noah had seized the corpses of five divine beasts after the battle against the tide, so he could feed himself for a while. He expected his body to improve quickly in the Immortal Lands, and he didn't mind using it as the foundation of his power.

His spherical rune required primary energy, and Noah only needed to unfold his aura to create it. However, he preferred to prioritize another aspect of his power before approaching that matter. He had to see if he could enlarge his dantian.