Birth of the Demonic Sword
chapter-1658

Noah had owned a spy before. Fergie had turned out to be the first member of his nameless force, but he had to go through centuries as a mole inside the secret organization before that.

Noah's methods had improved since then. He had obtained the entirety of Great Builder's inheritance, and the level of his dark matter had also bordered the liquid stage in terms of power.

Subduing Harold turned out to be easy. Noah filled his body with swords ready to destroy his centers of power and forced him to eat a fake core meant to keep the technique active for millennia.

Harold couldn't refuse those terms. He had already forced Noah to spare his life in exchange for information. Noah complied with that request, but he had done that on his conditions.

"What's the plan now, Master?" Harold asked in a mocking tone after Noah completed the procedures.

"You will tell me everything you know," Noah explained. "I'll think about the rest after gaining a complete understanding of what's waiting for me on the other side of the Immortal Lands."

Harold didn't hold anything back. He told Noah about the periodic meetings among the various leaders of many human organizations, and he even disclosed the location of the mines in control of his family.

Then, he told Noah where the various experts belonging to Heaven and Earth's system went to talk with their Masters. It seemed that the Rotway family had deep roots inside the human political environment, so he was aware of secrets that other experts ignored.

The conversation left Noah pleasantly surprised. He now had new targets on the other side of the Immortal Lands. The various mines could provide him with a lot of wealth, and the location featuring Heaven and Earth's will could become one of his first destinations.

"I never went there," Harold explained, "But I know where it is. I've accompanied the leaders of my family multiple times. It is an initiation for those who reach the eighth rank in my organization."

"What a stupid tradition," Noah commented before going silent.

Harold's revelations gave Noah plans that he could deploy only after returning to the other side of the Immortal Lands. His problems lay elsewhere for now. He didn't know if the dimensional tunnel was still open, but he guessed that the mission had to end before he could go back to his domain.

'What should I do now?' Noah wondered while Harold studied him.

The other experts from his organization were still trying to complete Heaven and Earth's mission. Convincing them to abandon the task wasn't a problem, but they would have to deal with the other cultivators in that case.

Noah didn't mind an open battle against those experts, but he feared what Heaven and Earth could do about the matter. At the very least, he expected them to close the dimensional tunnel as soon as their betrayal became clear.

'The environment of the dimensional tunnel was dangerous already,' Noah thought. 'I don't even want to consider how it would be to dig through the whole plane on our own. We aren't strong enough to survive the journey.'

That conclusion was quite obvious, but Noah still felt disappointed about it. His lack of power affected his freedom, and that led to another obvious conclusion.

'I have many projects at hand,' Noah thought. 'Completing them will take years, and the other side of the Immortal Lands can only slow down my improvements. This is the perfect place where to improve.'

Noah didn't know if he could return to the dimensional tunnel, but the other side of the Immortal Lands held the chaotic laws. Living there would quicken one of his projects. It was even possible that only an environment filled with Devils could help him in the matter.

'Should I just stay here and cultivate?' Noah eventually asked himself. 'This isn't bad. I have many resources at hand and an endless source of chaotic laws. This is the only place where I can think about evolving my existence.'

Leaving would do Noah no good. He would simply return to his safe domain and live happily ever after. That wouldn't do for him. He needed constant growth to soothe the drives that filled his mind.

"Guard my training area," Noah ordered while turning toward one of the rocky walls.

"What training area?" Harold asked, but Noah promptly punched the law and dug a deep hole inside it.

His dark matter then filled the entire hole. Snore and the other companions came out of the higher energy and expanded the cave until it became a large underground structure.

Harold could only shut up at that sight. He sat on the ground and began to cultivate while his consciousness expanded through the region. His mental waves even ignored the insides of Noah's cave out of respect for his power.

Noah nodded at that sight before entering the training area. The entrance crumbled after he punched one of the rocky walls, and the dark matter covered the surfaces of the whole structure.

Noah soon found himself separated from the outside world. He could still sense it, but he prevented everyone from inspecting him. Even Harold wouldn't be able to spy anything right away.

'What should I do first?' Noah wondered before starting one of his usual training sessions.

Noah had yet to absorb the energy gathered during the battle completely. He also had to inspect the insides of Fay's space-ring, even if he didn't expect much to come out of it.

Yet, he had his many projects in line. They were the very reason why he had decided to seclude himself rather than going back to his companions.

'Completing the study of space must have the priority,' Noah concluded in his mind. 'The other projects will consume far more time. I can do them after I finish my dark space.'

Noah's decision was simply logical. His companions and the other cultivators knew where he had gone, so they would eventually search for him after completing their missions.

Pursuing projects that could give immediate power had the priority. Noah even felt close to some initial success in the study of the Space Hounds' black marks. It was only a matter of time before he discovered something that would change his entire understanding of those laws.

'I guess it's also time to test the new realm of the singularities,' Noah thought while he immersed himself in his training. 'I can finally handle the drawbacks of the cursed sword. I should be able to create something stronger.'

His meeting with Sword Saint had enhanced his desire to surpass the expert's arts. His offensive was becoming predictable since he continued to rely on the same slashes. Noah had to develop something stronger to keep his battle style fresh and his greed satisfied.

'It's time to hide for a few centuries then,' Noah sighed in his mind. 'I didn't expect this moment to arrive so soon. Maybe I'll even send Harold to hunt Devils after I complete these projects.'

A faint laugh escaped from his mouth while Noah closed his eyes to focus on his training. His body and mind were progressing smoothly, but his dantian was doing far better. The organ was doing its best to catch up with the other centers of power, and it felt desperate to reach the liquid stage even if its level was still far away from the breakthrough.