Birth of the Demonic Sword

The slash destroyed everything left of the pack of eels. Only puddles of poisonous water remained after the attack dispersed, but they also shattered once Noah's influence spread forward.

The environment in Noah's eyes quickly changed. Shafu spat him out of its body to make him return in the separate dimension of the eighth floor. The area was empty now that the dragon had taken care of the swamp, but the Labyrinth still found the energy to trigger a massive event.

The sky grew clearer. Its dark color turned grey before becoming almost white. The area's ceiling, walls, and floor released energy during the process, and that fuel gathered at the center of the empty environment to give birth to a green shard.

Noah only needed to stretch his arm to call the shard. The item flew directly into his palm and allowed him to sense the same properties that enveloped his group during the teleports. However, it was easy to understand that the device wasn't complete. It lacked power and part of the coordinates of the ninth floor.

'I can't fill these gaps with my dark matter or understanding of the space-time array,' Noah sighed before inspecting the green shard a second time.

Noah couldn't find anything special about the item. It clearly carried the aura of an incomplete dimensional portal, which proved Vesuvia's words right. He needed to find another shard to unlock the path to the next floor, and he had only one area left to explore.

'June should be okay among the lightning bolts,' Noah thought as he threw the shard in his separate space. 'She must be okay, or she won't be able to follow me.'

A sense of weakness filled Noah's mind and flesh. The drawbacks of his ambition had started to descend, and he also had to deal with his infections. Dark-green patches filled his skin due to the poison that had landed on him, and his body would need time to heal them.

'Not yet,' Noah sighed as his ethereal blackness expanded due to the violent desire inside his mind. 'I'm almost there, but I still need another step. I can feel it. I'll become able to match solid stage cultivators once I reach the liquid stage.'

Those thoughts carried no arrogance. They were the result of a calm analysis of Noah's power and past achievements. He knew that he was strong, incredibly strong. He would reach insane levels once he advanced, and he was almost there. He could practically feel that his breakthrough would arrive once he got out of the Cursed Labyrinth.

The insatiable drive wasn't enough to keep Noah combat-ready. The battle had left him wounded and dried up. He needed to rest and let his potential refill his world.

The dark matter came out of his body on its own. It felt Noah's needs and created a spherical chrysalis where he could rest properly. The higher energy even began to affect his infected flesh by removing the poison or replacing spots that were too far gone.

Noah let the black crystal handle his centers of power while he let his mind wander into the unique environment that the Cursed Labyrinth had created. His focus wasn't on his surroundings. His consciousness and eyes dived deeper into the fabric of the separate reality to admire the different space-time array built by the creators.

The Labyrinth as a whole and the idea behind it were incredible. Some floors were easier than others to overcome, but Noah could appreciate their individual magnificence. Each different environment could be an expression of an aspect of the creators' worlds, and that made them incredible.

His marvel only intensified when he considered that the structure was far older than him. Cultivators belonging to different eras had been trapped inside it for ages. Some magical beasts had even built entire packs due to the favorable environments. However, the Cursed Labyrinth was as strong as ever.

Even King Elbas couldn't make something so durable and resilient. The weight of the countless years spent hidden from Heaven and Earth's gaze could break almost everything in the world, but some structures were made to last. Supreme Thief's inheritance was nothing compared to the Labyrinth, and that made Noah's blood boil.

Noah could sense his desire to add the creators to his arsenal increase every time he found an interesting floor. He still recalled when he refused his position as a leader, but everything was different now. He didn't care what others thought. He didn't care what they wanted. Noah would build an army worthy of stepping into the final battlefields.

Of course, Noah didn't forget the most important aspect of his position as a leader. He had to be stronger than his underlings, which meant surpassing solid stage cultivators.

Only power could unite those eccentric and mighty figures under a single banner. Only power could make them decide to join the final battle against Heaven and Earth, and Noah had to seize it.

Noah's consciousness wasn't entirely stable during the healing process. He was trying to use the Cursed Labyrinth's magnificence to expand his understanding of the superior ranks, and the path ahead appeared strangely clear. He was complete. He only had to push his current journey at the last level to achieve what no other existence in the world could.

'I wonder how many powers like the Cursed Labyrinth exist in the higher plane,' Noah thought as his consciousness focused on his surroundings.

Strength and firmness returned in his mind and flesh. The chrysalis transformed into trails of dark gas that flew back inside his figure. Noah awakened entirely now that he felt to have returned at his peak. He had almost reached the last floor. His next level was waiting for him.

Noah left the area and reappeared in the region with the four tornados. He couldn't find any sign of June, and the same went for his companions. He had spent a long time inside the separate dimension, but Fiery Mountain and the others had yet to return from the fourth portal.

The event was rather interesting. Old Tyrant, Fiery Mountain, and Gabrielle were weak compared to Noah, but their prowess wasn't bad. They were still growing and evolving through Noah's ambition, but they could hold their ground against stronger opponents.

Moreover, the three cultivators had the pack of turtles on their side. The upper tier specimens usually acted rashly, but it wasn't weak. Its physical strength and resilience were incredible, and its underlings could work together to eliminate eventual weaknesses.

In theory, even an upper tier threat shouldn't be able to stop the group. They were strong enough to deal with almost everything, but they were still away, and that ignited Noah's interest.

The reason behind that interesting event became clear as soon as Noah crossed the fourth dimensional passage. An immense and bright environment unfolded in his eyes. The grey sky and green plain seemed to radiate their own light, but the detail that claimed the entirety of Noah's attention was a giant table that appeared to expand endlessly.

Moreover, the creatures at the table weren't easy to ignore either.. Noah saw the turtles, Old Tyrant, the rest of his group, and a series of winged pigs that made him smile and sigh at the same time.