Birth of the Demonic Sword

Noah soon understood that he couldn't go all-out during his tests. The cursed sword wasn't a weapon meant for daily use. It was a trump card that could force existences to unleash far more power than they wielded.

The foundation of the weapon's power was in its bloodlust. Its Master had to carry a similar feeling to wield the cursed sword, and their auras had to fuse during the attack to unleash blows that surpassed their level.

Noah had an enormous bloodlust. His life had been a constant battlefield, and he had never once held back from killing his opponents. His existence suited the weapon perfectly, but that was a disadvantage when he wanted to test its power.

"The bloodlust only enhances your power, but you pay the price with your energy and body," The cursed sword explained as Noah rested on a tree with the blade on his lap. "You can probably launch a few attacks with power in the upper tier before falling apart. Remember never to use me when your mind is unstable. You have absorbed the bloodlust of my previous Masters, but their influence can still drive you crazy."

Noah memorized those teachings as he studied the blade. The cursed sword had yet to understand how unusual his body was, so it was treating him as a common hybrid.

He guessed that he could survive at least five attacks before suffering too many injuries. That was a rough estimate that took into consideration his current level and the incredible properties of his black hole, so he could stretch his limits as long as he improved.

'I have the middle tier disposable puppet and the cursed sword as trump cards now,' Noah thought as he stored the blade without putting it back in its case. 'The bloodlust and Supreme Thief's true meaning are also inside my mind, but I can't take them out at will. I even have many life-saving drugs that should help me if I eat them at the same time. This aspect of my power should be decent at my current level.'

With the trump cards in place, Noah could return to focus on his foundation. His ambition required time and experiences to grow, so he could only work on his techniques for now.

The personal arts required countless tests and enlightenment. Noah had to try until he invented something that surpassed his current abilities. Yet, that process required time that he preferred to use on the "embodiment of power".

The addition of the cursed sword to his level made that technique even more appealing. Any improvement in his body would stretch the limits of his bloodlust and allow him to suffer more backlashes other than making his overall battle prowess grow.

Noah had begun to test the forms described in the "embodiment of power", but they didn't work on his body. That outcome didn't surprise him, but it still left him annoyed since he had no idea how to proceed. He could only continue his studies of the black book until he gained a sudden understanding.

The trio eventually resumed their travel, but Noah didn't pay much attention to the environment anymore. His thoughts moved from the cursed sword to his foundation and ended with his battle prowess. He didn't lack ways to become stronger now, but he had to invest a lot of time in those projects.

'I will conclude the trade with Saul and go into seclusion,' Noah eventually decided. 'It's pointless to amass projects that will become obsolete once my power grows. It's better to prepare for anything before facing dangers.'

Noah's arrival in the Immortal Lands had been quite messy, and his life there hadn't been peaceful either. He had gone from one inheritance to another and fought whenever he had the chance. The clash with the Crystal city had also made him improve, but he almost had to die beforehand.

That never left him time to go into seclusion. The world had too much to explore, and he couldn't give up on the many events that had happened near him.

After that decision, Noah felt in a hurry to reach the Void Zone and understand its connection with Shandal's strange diagram.

Succeeding in the task would put an end to one of his oldest projects and give him enough time o go into seclusion. He planned to accumulate as much as possible before adapting everything to his level.

A few traces of instability appeared on the world's structure as the trio neared the Void Zone. They were almost there, but the environment was already revealing how influential that dangerous area was.

Stronger magical beasts began to arrear around Noah and the others, and they didn't hesitate to hunt them. They would never give up on food at that level.

Dark patches even appeared in the sky in the distance at some point. Noah and Night could sense how the world was growing frail, but their main concern was toward a few presences felt by their senses.

Jordan had told Noah that the Void Zone was the home to a peculiar species of magical beasts, but he didn't expect the area to be so populated. He could already sense more than one hundred magical beasts there!

Still, Noah also sensed something that made his expression freeze. A single strong presence lived in the area right before the Void Zone, and Noah felt a familiar vibe coming from it.

'We meet at last,' Noah thought as he separated from Don and Jordan to fly in the direction of that familiar presence.

As he flew through the short forest surrounding the Void Zone, Noah saw that the area had obtained a peculiar color that he knew far too well. Golden shades had started to illuminated those magical plants, and a few charred marks filled their trucks and the azure ground.

Noah couldn't fail to recognize the owner of that power, and memories inevitably resurfaced in his mind. He recalled the whole world fighting against a powerhouse that was ready for any occasion.

The cultivator sensed Noah's presence, and similar memories appeared in his mind. The expert didn't even move. It seemed that he wanted to meet Noah.

When Noah crossed one of the largest trees in the forest, a golden radiance filled his vision. He quickly adjusted to that light, and a peculiar scene unfolded in his eyes once he gazed toward the source of that halo.

A cultivator with long silver hair and shining golden eyes sat next to a cauldron boiling under golden flames. The expert wore a golden crown and radiated an aura in the liquid stage. His power seemed even greater than Noah's.

The two didn't say anything at the beginning. They glanced at each other and let their memories fill their minds. They had come from the same lower plane, but they were here now, in the Immortal Lands. The issue was that they didn't know how to interact since they had always been enemies.

"You made it here," King Elbas said without moving his golden eyes away from Noah. "That's not surprising. Your cultivation level is."

"I didn't expect you to be deep in the magical beasts' domain," Noah replied. "Did you cause some trouble among the large forces?"

"Of course," King Elbas answered. "How could I not?"

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Author's notes: Give me no more than half an hour for the third chapter.