Birth of the Demonic Sword

Noah sensed an immense force landing on his arms, and his innate ability activated on its own to boost his physical strength. Dark matter filled his black vein as he studied the two figures that had attacked him.

Two hybrids in the liquid stage, a man and a woman, wore a surprised expression as their gazes darted between Noah's hands and his face.

Their cultivation level was similar to Noah's, and their bodies also stood at the same tier. However, Noah had been able to stop their attacks at the same time and was even managing to restrain them.

Noah had agreed with Divine Demon to approach the Legion peacefully, but he wouldn't hold back during a surprise attack. His fingers stabbed his opponents' tough skin and dug through their knuckles as his aura spread in the environment.

Divine Demon felt slightly annoyed that the hybrids had completely ignored him. He was about to unfold his aura when a powerful consciousness covered the area and forced him to divert his attention from Noah's battle.

He could understand the level of that expert from the consciousness. Divine Demon knew that an existence in the solid stage was somewhere in that barren region.

More auras unfolded as Noah waved the experts in his grasp whenever they tried to counterattack. Two more consciousnesses belonging to solid stage hybrids filled the region and converged toward Divine Demon.

Multiple weaker auras drew closer until Noah began to see shadows flying in his vision. A series of blows landed on his back before he could even understand what had hit him. He had to focus to sense that two more hybrids had appeared behind him.

'Do they have cloaking devices?' Noah wondered as blood climbed through his throat.

His insides shook after the last attack, but Noah didn't let go of the hybrids in his grasp. They had brought the fight to him, so he wouldn't hold back.

Noah waved the two restrained hybrids toward the existences behind him. The duo had to dodge for fear of hurting their companions, but they didn't expect a massive reptilian head to come out of Noah's body and launch a dark beam toward them.

The escaping hybrids could only dodge again, and Noah used those precious seconds to slam his enemies on the ground and kick them until they lost consciousness.

Multiple injuries appeared on the hybrids' bodies. Noah could hurt him with his physical might, so he didn't need the Demonic Sword and Night to come out just yet.

The hybrids that had escaped dived back toward Noah, but the world suddenly went dark and forced them to stop their advance. When the light returned, they found black flames covered in a silver radiance around their bodies and in that entire chunk of sky.

"Enough!" A loud voice spread through one of the consciousnesses belonging to a solid stage hybrid.

The black flames vanished as the shockwaves radiated by that voice spread through the environment, and the two hybrids under Noah began to float away under the effects of the expert's mental waves.

The hybrids above Noah also left the area and regrouped on top of one of the short mountains nearby. Noah and Divine Demon could finally see the entirety of the team that had attacked them by looking in that direction.

'Eight hybrids in the liquid stage and three in the solid stage,' Noah counted in his mind when he saw that small platoon.

The situation wouldn't have been dangerous if it wasn't for the three solid stage hybrids. With them on the scene, Noah couldn't do anything too overbearing since they could intervene.

Noah took out a piece of wood from his separate space and showed the claw marks on its surface to the group. The hybrids exchanged a few glances at that sight, but their expressions didn't lose their seriousness.

"Are you from the Legion?" Noah asked without waiting for them to speak. "Grace has given me this token. We just want to talk."

Noah's words didn't seem to cause any evident reaction, but he waited anyway. Those experts were his only lead in the search for arts that only hybrids could use freely. He didn't want to turn them into enemies so soon.

"You have to pass a trial to talk with us," One of the solid stage cultivators said.

"What kind of trial?" Noah asked with no hesitation.

"You have to fight our strongest warriors," The hybrid said. "If you win, I will personally answer your questions."

Noah felt slightly concerned that. He didn't even come close to a solid stage cultivator in terms of power, let alone a hybrid with a body in the upper tier. Yet, the solid stage hybrid soon reassured him about the rules.

"You have to overcome foes at your cultivation level," The hybrid said. "You will fight five of them in total and earn your place among us. We will talk then."

Noah thought for a few seconds before agreeing to those conditions. He would fight and prove his strength if necessary. He didn't fear anyone at his level anyway.

Noah took a few steps forward while Divine Demon retreated. That was a matter that only hybrids could handle, so the Demon didn't even dare to join the battle. He would let Noah take care of that situation.

"Go get them, my heir," Divine Demon cheered for him as he landed on the barren ground and took a jug of wine from his space-ring. He had decided that Noah was enough in the matter.

"Clement!" The hybrid announced, and a man with long curly hair shot in his direction without holding anything back.

The man was tall and brawny. Thick hair covered his exposed chest and arms, and a long black bear grew from his chin. His eyebrows were also thick. It would have been easy to mistake him for a gorilla that wore a robe.

Clement reached Noah in an instant, and he joined his hands to swing his arms upward. Still, Noah nimbly dodged that attack and rotated on himself to throw a kick to the hybrid's abdomen.

The sound of bones shattering and internal organs condensing filled the air. Clement spat a mouthful of blood and opened his hands to grab his opponent, but Noah punched the hybrid right in the middle of his forehead.

The attack flung Clement on the ground, and Noah promptly followed him. The hybrid didn't seem to have any desire to use his "Breath" and activate spells or technique, so Noah did the same.

"Enough!" The solid stage hybrid in the distance shouted before Noah could reach Clement with his descending blow.

Clement quickly stood up and glanced at Noah before flying back to his group. The two hybrids that Noah had injured before then shot forward even if the leader had yet to call them. They were too angry at Noah.

"Can I use my weapons and innate abilities?" Noah asked before those experts could reach him, and the team leader in the distance shook his head to answer.

'Why would they even test themselves like this?' Noah thought as annoyance filled his mind.

The woman opened her hands and straightened her fingers to form claws while the man kept one of his legs bent to accumulate power. Yet, Noah didn't let them have the initiative.

Noah was faster than them. He only needed to wrap his hands around their faces and slam them on the ground before they could release their attacks.