Birth of the Demonic Sword

Noah flew quickly. Tunnels and areas filled with flames went by until he reached his target.

A dark-red landmass soon appeared in his vision. It was as big as the piece of Immortal Lands fallen in the lower world, and a yellowish halo surrounded it as it floated among the sea of flames.

The landmass had plains, forests, and mountains. Countless magical beasts had taken it as its home. That region was one of the spectacles that only the Immortal Lands could offer. No material in the lower plane could survive a similar environment.

Lightning bolts fell from the tallest mountain situated at the eastern edge of the landmass. The inheritance of the rank 8 expert was at its summit, and it continuously generated sparks that ran through the entire region and transformed its matter.

The flames alone couldn't give birth to that place on their own. Only the clash between two elements with similar power could create something so spectacular.

Noah felt in awe of the resilience of the creatures living on the landmass. The various magical beasts had learnt to absorb the flames that made the sky and the lightning bolts running in the ground, and their power had benefitted from those elements.

The lightning bolts carried a strange individuality. It allowed the beings that fed on their power to alter their species. Noah had never seen anything like that. The sparks seemed able to force those beings to evolve.

The magical beasts had it a bit worse on the landmass. The rulers of the Hellish Landscape all had a fire aptitude, so the Rumbling Region weakened their innate abilities. Only the species that couldn't survive in the sea of flames lived there.

Noah's instincts sent warning messages to his mind. He could sense the presence of rank 8 magical beasts among the flames around the landmass. Still, the Rumbling Region didn't have such strong creatures.

As for cultivators, the Rumbling Region appeared temporarily devoid of them. The inheritance in that place was quite challenging and could be deadly, so it wasn't popular among the weaker experts.

'This is perfect!' Noah thought before diving toward the landmass.

A layer of darkness and dark matter covered his figure and helped his innate defenses fending off the dangerous flames that filled the environment.

A few fiery tongues with power in the upper tier swam among fires in the middle tier. The flame's might decreased as Noah neared the landmass, and he could soon lower his protection without feeling in danger.

A strange sensation filled him when he stepped on the dark-red ground. The lightning bolts had nourished that terrain for millennia. The whole landmass radiated the mighty rank 8 existence's aura.

'What is this feeling?' Noah thought as he closed his eyes to experience the influence contained in the ground.

His body naturally absorbed the energy in the environment, and Noah could feel which effect that aura tried to apply on his tissues. The expert's individuality wanted to alter his figure's fabric and reassemble it to improve its state!

Noah didn't sense any harm coming from that aura, so he let it affect a small part of his skin while he absorbed the energy in the environment. However, he soon witnessed something strange.

The black hole activated on its own and sent dark matter toward the piece of skin that the expert's aura was trying to modify. The higher energy fought against that individuality and fended it off, regaining complete control over Noah's body.

Even the absorption of that energy went differently. The black hole would normally purify any nutrients before sending it back to his tissues, but the center of power decided to keep some of that energy for itself at that time.

Noah felt as if his black hole was studying that expert's individuality. The fourth center of power wanted to learn from it and improve its functions!

'Cultivating here might not be a bad idea,' Noah thought as his gaze went on the distant tall mountains.

His interest in that inheritance had suddenly skyrocketed. The enhancements that the expert's individuality tried to apply matched the purification operated by his black hole. The mountain could teach him how to improve his fourth center of power.

Still, Noah didn't let his greed take control of his actions. He had far more important matters to handle. He even had to prepare for the imminent clash.

Noah avoided the territories under the control of upper tier creatures but chose to settle near the Rumbling Region's center. He wanted to remain in control of the whole area to decide how to ambush his pursuers.

The ground was too hard for him. Even his strongest attacks couldn't pierce it, so he had to settle for one of the magical plants in the area.

Noah dug a small room inside one of the thickest trees in the lower tier that he found. That magical plants didn't have offensive capabilities, so it didn't struggle when the Demonic Sword cut its insides.

The Divine Deduction technique activated when Noah began to cultivate inside the tree. His consciousness also expanded to inspect the area. He had decided to train while he waited for his pursuers to arrive.

Noah wouldn't usually waste mental energy before a battle, but completing his workshop would make his battle prowess skyrocket. His instincts had also begun to sense some danger, so his mental capabilities worked at full speed to solve the issue.

He was close to a solution. He only needed to complete one blueprint to activate that ability, and he intended to do it before his pursuers arrived.

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The hunting group flew through the tunnels and reached the area where the Rumbling Region was. The guards could only point them in that direction, so discerning where Noah had gone was in the expert's hands.

"There are too many interferences here," Gil said as howls spread from his figure. "I can sense that someone has recently flown through this area, but I can't pinpoint the exact location."

Some hierarchies had already formed among those experts. Those who belonged to assassin guilds and other smaller organizations didn't dare to oppose the Crystal City's orders. Only Chief Ash could join those conversations, but Lady Lena often took decisions on her own anyway.

They weren't a united group. They had the same target, and the Crystal City was willing to cooperate with all of them to ensure the success of the mission. The other teams wouldn't even be there otherwise.

"The Rumbling Region, the Fiery Lake, and the Three White Peaks," Chief Ash said at some point. "These are the only possible destinations in this area. We know that he has a darkness aptitude and a powerful body. He is also aware that someone is following him. I bet that he will use his advantages to set up an ambush."

"Hybrids rely too much on their bodies," Lady Lena said after sighing. "The Rumbling Region should suit him the most. He will probably try to use the flames to wear us down."

"Do you suggest exploring the Rumbling Region first?" Chief Ash asked.

"No," Lady Lena replied. "He will only escape again if our guess is wrong. We should split. The Crystal City will take the Rumbling Region. Your guild can handle the Three White Peaks. The others will go to the Fiery Lake."

A series of unsightly expressions appeared on the members of the weaker organizations. They had joined the hunt because of the bounty on Noah's head. Dividing the teams would only lower their chances of seizing it.

"Don't worry," Lady Lena added after she noticed their expressions. "You have already helped. The Crystal City will pay as long as the mission is successful. You can split the reward afterward."

Her words improved the overall mood of the group. The weaker members had no more objections at that point. The three teams split and flew toward their respective directions without saying anything else.