Birth of the Demonic Sword

Hearing that name made Noah's mind go back in time, to when he was only a human cultivator inside the Chasing Demon sect.

Obtaining Divine Demon's inheritance had brought Noah immense benefits. The Divine Deduction technique had been a core aspect of his entire journey, and the Copying Technique had allowed the Hive to seize political relevance.

Divine Demon was also the creator of the Demon Sects. He was a complete monster who could excel both in the inscription field and on the battlefield.

According to the stories told by the other Demons, Divine Demon was ruthless and overbearing. He would even throw his disciples into packs of dragons to test their potential.

Noah didn't feel surprised that the expert had made a few enemies. He had done the same right after his ascension in the end. Yet, he didn't expect to hear his name in that situation.

Chief Ash noticed the changes in Noah's expression when he heard that name. Noah rarely failed to mask his reactions, but he couldn't help himself there.

Divine Demon's name was too valuable for him. Noah was his heir and the leader who had brought the Demon Sects back to the peak of the lower plane. Saying that he had a connection with that expert couldn't explain the entirety of that relationship.

"Do you know where he is now?" Chief Ash asked.

She had confirmed that Noah knew Divine Demon, and that changed her situation. Noah had suddenly become the key to obtain an advantageous position inside the secret organization. Roping him in had become her priority.

Noah shook his head while wearing a cold expression. He had no reason to lie, but he felt that he could exploit that situation to his advantage.

The drawbacks of his ambition would eventually arrive, so he had to find a solution to that stall. The vagueness of his current power made him unwilling to fight again. Still, he didn't want to let go of that chance.

"Are you allies?" Chief Ash asked with a tinge of annoyance.

She could understand what Noah was doing, but she had no way to stop it. Chief Ash also wanted to avoid a fight after witnessing Noah's recklessness. She didn't know how far he was willing to go to remain alive.

"I only heard legends about him in the lower plane," Noah replied. "We don't have any relationship. His name had survived after his ascension, and I've heard it a few times."

"Why do you share the name Demon then?" Chief Ash continued.

"He started this tradition," Noah replied. "It's nothing more than a name used to label troublesome cultivators."

Chief Ash felt disappointed when she heard that. She didn't have great hopes, but she expected to gain something from a cultivator who had ascended from the same plane.

Noah was now useless in her eyes when it came to the search for Divine Demon. He was only a cultivator with a bounty on his head that she wanted to recruit in her force.

Silence fell in the area after that last exchange of lines. Both sides didn't know what to do. They only knew that they wanted to avoid a battle.

"Don't you want one million Soul Stones?" Noah taunted Chief Ash at some point.

He wanted to hurry her to decide, but his words did not affect the expert. Chief Ash didn't let Noah distract her.

'I'm only wasting time here,' Noah thought before turning toward the tallest mountain on the Rumbling Region and setting off.

"Where are you going?" Chief Ash quickly asked.

"I don't have time to waste," Noah said as he glanced at the group still on the ground. "Contact me when you decide what you want."

A small amount of mental energy flowed inside his inscribed notebook and shot toward Chief Ash. She could now contact him even if he couldn't.

"Do you want to hunt him down together?" Chief Ash asked before Noah could turn again.

"Does he have anything valuable?" Noah asked while doing his best to hide his true intentions.

An unsightly expression appeared on her face, and her underlings reacted in the same way. They would feel surges of anger whenever they thought about that arrogant expert.

"Divine Demon has become famous quickly," Chief Ash began to explain. "He has shown immense talent in the inscription halls, he has seized multiple inheritances, and his growth speed has shocked many organizations. He is like you, an expert that any force wishes to have."

Noah didn't feel surprised about that, but he remained interested in her speech. After all, he wanted to know how Divine Demon had managed to become an enemy of the secret organization.

"The secret organization has invited him twice," Chief Ash continued. "Divine Demon has refused the first invitation and killed the messenger on the second one. He has survived multiple assassinations afterward and even destroyed some of the hidden bases of this hidden force. Our team isn't the first one sent to take care of him."

'We ended up doing the same things,' Noah thought as he laughed internally.

Divine Demon thought like him. They were both experts who suited that label, and their talent made them experience the same struggles.

"It's safe to say that his wealth is considerable," Chief Ash concluded. "We even suspect that some forces use him to solve some of their problems. The rumors say that he can optimize any inscription and improve every technique."

'The original Divine Deduction technique!' Noah exclaimed in his mind.

He was the only one in the world to know how Divine Demon could be so valuable even among talents. Noah also carried the Divine Deduction technique, but he had yet to obtain the power to modify it.

The same wouldn't be true for that mighty expert. Noah felt sure that Divine Demon had improved his iconic technique and had brought it to a superior level.

If Noah had to be completely honest, he wanted to meet Divine Demon. Interacting with powerful experts usually benefitted his individuality, and he felt deep gratitude toward that expert.

However, cultivators could change during their lives, especially after the ascension. The new environment gave everyone the chance to start again, and Noah didn't know if Divine Demon had seized it.

Noah didn't want to meet Divine Demon and find that he didn't care about his heir. That would only put Noah in danger. The unknown made everything connected to that expert quite foggy.

"Do you know where he is now?" Noah asked after a few seconds of silence.

"We have hints and traces," Chief Ash answered.

Noah thought for a while before giving a conclusive answer. "I can join you in the search for Divine Demon, but I want some rewards upfront. Moreover, I want to explore the Hellish Landscape properly before leaving the Land of the Fallen."

Chief Ash understood that she couldn't obtain a better deal in that situation. She couldn't force Noah, and she needed manpower for the task anyway. As for the rewards, she would come up with something later.

"Deal," Chief Ash said. "We will leave the Land of the Fallen and wait for you in Silkpost city. We will set off to find and hunt Divine Demon after you leave this place."