Birth of the Demonic Sword

"I didn't expect this," Fergie said when he saw the two hybrids behind Noah.

The trio had met with Fergie to gain a better understanding of the situation in Silkpost city. Noah even had to refill the oval-shaped core inside his spy to keep the Shadow Swords active.

Fergie didn't complain while Noah poured energy inside him. He had accepted his status as a spy, and his cultivation level had also grown in that period.

He was still in the gaseous stage, but he was about to approach the breakthrough. Seeing Noah's ambition had allowed his power to grow far quicker than usual.

"Can we enter the auctions without alerting the Crystal City of our arrival?" Noah asked, ignoring the surprised expression of his spy.

"That's impossible," Fergie said as he shook his head. "Still, nothing major should happen as long as you play by the rules. In theory, these events are illegal. The rules of Silkpost city are turning a blind eye because of the invasion, but they will intervene if you cause some trouble."

Noah glanced at the duo behind him when he heard those words. A helpless sigh escaped his mouth as he considered how poorly everything could go. Still, he knew how pointless it was to ask them to leave.

"Many famous figures will appear in the auctions," Fergie continued. "I suggest you keep a low profile and focus on your bids. It might be worth investing in isolated rooms if you want to avoid any trouble."

Noah let Fergie explain everything he knew about the auctions. The event would occur in a secret area under Silkpost city, and only the major organizations could grant access to experts without any affiliation.

Obtaining that authorization wasn't hard. Paying a hefty price to one of the various organizations was enough to enter the secret area, but that alone wouldn't grant access to the best auctions.

The organizations wanted to keep the best resources for themselves. The best way to do it was to limit the access to the auctions that featured valuable materials and techniques.

Experts without any affiliation could still enter those auctions, but they couldn't pay their authorization with simple Soul Stones. They had to offer something equally valuable, and Noah wasn't willing to separate himself from resources when he intended to purchase them.

'I need to use my relationship with the Balrow family,' Noah concluded in his mind after he learnt everything Fergie knew.

"I won't join the auctions," Fergie said when it was time to separate. "The secret organization wants me to keep track of the invasion, so you will be on your own there."

"It's fine," Noah replied. "I only want to buy items. Nothing bad should happen."

Both Noah and Fergie didn't believe in those words. Events of that caliber often involved many political interactions that the duo ignored. Non-affiliated experts would usually suffer from the suppression of large organizations since they didn't have enough wealth or power to purchase and defend their gains.

Noah was an exception due to his success in the various inheritances explored in the past years. His wealth amounted to ninety thousand Soul Stones, which was an outrageous number for a single expert.

His robe in the middle tier had cost two thousand Soul Stones. That had been a lucky price due to Thea Monneay's mistake, but it was enough to describe how much resources at his level could cost.

The items in the auctions would generally be more expensive, but Noah had enough Soul Stones to overpay anything that he wanted. He could also trade some of the dark-blue metal if the situation required it.

His wealth made him sure that he could win some of the auctions. That would inevitably lead to problems if one of the organizations involved in the event wanted his same items.

'I can only deal with the problems when they appear,' Noah thought as he put those worries in the back of his mind. 'No point hesitating now that I am here.'

Fergie left, and the trio traveled toward the closest wild region to wait for the beginning of the auctions. The official event would start in a few years since some of the most famous experts had yet to arrive. The invasion had been too sudden, so some organizations had to reorganize before they could send bidding teams.

Those years went by quickly for Noah, Don, and Jordan. They limited themselves to cultivate and hunt in separate areas as they had done during their travel. Their hybrid status gave them an innate understanding of how much space their companions needed, and they had even gained experience in that field in the last period.

When the time for the auctions arrived, the trio regrouped and moved toward Silkpost city while wearing clothes that hid their appearance. Jordan and Don would be fine even without them, but Noah didn't want to face any risk during the event.

Crowds of experts filled the streets of Silkpost city. A heavy aura coming from the border with the magical beasts covered every building, but those cultivators didn't seem to care about it.

The population of the city had also gone through a complete transformation during the last years. Silkpost city was usually the home of warriors that wanted to test their abilities in the Land of the Fallen, but they had become the minority after the invasion.

The crowds mostly had experts wearing expensive and luxurious clothes who spent most of their time having peaceful conversations with members of other organizations. No one visited the shops either. Only the inscription halls and the restaurants continued to have their normal stream of clients.

Noah and the others ignored everything around them and moved directly to a building situated near the city center. A green banner hanging from one of the windows of the structure confirmed the identity of its owners, and the group didn't hesitate to approach it.

A line of experts had formed in front of the structure belonging to the Balrow family. Guards with various strengths protected its entrance and surveyed the area to ensure that no one could cause any trouble.

Noah and the others waited for their turn, and the guard in the liquid stage revealed a broad smile when she saw the green card held by Noah's hand. Yet, her expression froze when she heard his request.

"I want complete access to the auctions," Noah said as he waved the green card in front of the guard's eyes. "You should call your superiors to confirm my identity. I'm sure we can find an agreement when it comes to the price to pay for the authorization."

The guard didn't know what to say in front of such confidence. Non-affiliated experts would usually try to use a humble approach to gain access to those events, but Noah saw his entrance as a certainty.

"I will contact my superior," The guard said. "She will know what to do."

"There is no need for that," A familiar voice resounded from inside the structure, and a bald cultivator in the solid stage appeared in the open to greet Noah.

"Saul," Noah said as he performed a polite bow.

"Let them pass," Saul Balrow said as he gestured to Noah to raise. "We have a lot to talk about. I'm quite sure Defying Demon also wants to know about the pyramid."