The years spent in the Outer Lands benefited both Noah and his pack. He quickly learnt how to use his power better, and his underling improved under the constant influence of his aura.
The Demonic Sword and Night took a while to reach the eighth rank. They both had Noah's aura and methods at their disposal, but they still required a few decades to approach the breakthrough.
The Demonic Form didn't share the same difficulties. The parasite fed on Noah's power, so his breakthroughs had ended up accelerating its growth.
His underlings grew even faster than his abilities. Noah's ambition seeped into the ground and forced it to produce better nutrients. His aura also covered the surface and brought benefits to all the magical beasts that lived there.
The creatures that managed to evolve developed the ability to fly as their level increased. Also, most specimens in the lower and middle tier reached the upper tier and approached the peak of the seventh rank.
A few underlings even managed to reach the eighth rank. The Foolery gained another leader, and the three leaders under Fergie also advanced.
Fergie couldn't approach the breakthrough in those short years, but his level grew significantly. Still, the eighth rank remained far away.
Noah decided to move after his battle prowess stabilized. He had no reason to remain in those regions after his whole arsenal reached the eighth rank.
The path toward the Legion's headquarters was relatively safe. It featured nothing different from the journey across the magical beasts' domain. Humans rarely occupied those areas, so Noah only had to be wary of the powerful creatures that had settled there to benefit from the chaotic laws.
Of course, his definition of danger had changed after the breakthroughs. His underlings had also improved, making his force a power capable of scaring away most packs.
The only beings that could make Noah think twice about stepping into their domain were those in the middle tier or above. He had yet to test the full extent of his prowess, so he preferred to avoid those powerful creatures for the time being.
Noah didn't change his approach toward the packs that he could defeat. He let his group assault those creatures and submitted those that managed to survive or escape. Only the strongest could become part of his army.
The size of Noah's group grew. His force only counted a hundred specimens after the battle with the Crystal City, but it soon surpassed one thousand assets.
All those creatures benefitted from Noah's law and grew past the limits of their species. As a result, his group soon featured only specimens that wouldn't normally exist in the Immortal Lands.
The journey proceeded smoothly. Noah could focus on testing his new power from time to time without facing any danger. Part of him wanted to jump in front of creatures in the middle tier right away, but he decided to prioritize his return to the Legion over his reckless desire.
The travel eventually met a hindrance. Noah was overseeing his underlings fighting against a pack of tall turtles when his consciousness sensed a powerful aura approaching from the distance.
Noah immediately waved his hand to fill the area with his sharpness and kill all his opponents. Roars even came out of his mouth as he ordered his underlings around.
The aura's might surpassed the pressure radiated by Madame Canson. It was even stronger than the manifestation of the Heaven Tribulation faced after the assault on the Crystal City.
'A rank 8 existence in the liquid stage!' Noah shouted in his mind as he prepared his underlings for the imminent meeting.
Escaping wasn't a possibility. The existence moved far faster than Noah's top speed. He didn't even know if sacrificing all his underlings could give him a chance to run away from that situation.
His only real chance was to approach the matter peacefully. Then, if a battle were to unfold, he would simply unleash his full power and see how things went.
The existence neared his position in an instant, and Noah soon became able to identify that threat. His expression almost froze when he understood who that expert was.
The powerful aura came from a young-looking man with long white hair and beard. He even had long eyebrows that fell over his eyes and covered his vision.
Noah couldn't fail to recognize that existence. That expert had been his training partner in the Mortal Lands for a long time. He had finally met Sword Saint in the higher plane!
"Hide underground!" Noah roared. "I'll handle this."
Noah then drew the Demonic Sword from his separate space and waited. The weapon gave voice to a roar, but it soon fell silent when it sensed how tense Noah was.
Sword Saint had warned Noah about his habits. The expert challenged any existence he met on his path to sharpen his law. Noah didn't want to experience that clash, but he didn't know if he could avoid it.
"You are a swordsman," Sword Saint said before stopping near Noah. "Wonderful! Let's exchange an attack to see who has the sharpest blade."
'He is the maniac that I remember,' Noah sighed in his mind before performing a bow.
"I have been lucky enough to seize one of your inheritances," Noah said in a polite tone. "You might not know it, but I'm your disciple."
Noah then took a strand of mental energy from his mind and handed it to Sword Saint. The expert hesitated at the sight of that black substance, but he eventually absorbed it to watch Noah's memories.
The scenes of the intense training in the Divine Cut flowed inside Sword Saint's mind and made him aware of Noah's identity. His expression relaxed once he learnt about those events, but his drive didn't vanish.
"Even more wonderful!" Sword Saint exclaimed while raising his forefinger above his head. "Noah Balvan, let me see how strong you have become!"
Noah's actions ended up making Sword Saint even more excited. The expert couldn't hold himself back in that situation.
"I have just advanced to the eighth rank," Noah replied. "I'm not sure my power can be of any help to your existence."
"Nonsense!" Sword Saint promptly shouted. "I can sense the sharpness seeping out of your body. Your existence has used my teachings, and I want to see its shape."
Noah sighed while a wave of dark matter flowed out of his chest. Higher energy also seeped out of the Demonic Sword, and both of them covered the blade.
The long weapon transformed into a black pillar that flew high in the sky. Noah even used the unstable substance to boost his physical strength before raising the Demonic Sword.
"I thought I told you to fuse the aspects of your individuality," Sword Saint complained.
"But they are part of me anyway," Noah replied. "It doesn't matter how I deploy them. My sword arts don't use only sharpness. They go far beyond that."
"I see only a lack of purity," Sword Saint snorted before a wild smile appeared on his face. "I hope that your attack carries as much power as you say."
Noah didn't speak anymore. His Demonic Sword landed on his forehead and generated high-pitched noises as it slid over his skin.
The dark matter accumulated in the environment disappeared at that point. Even the energy of the two experts vanished. Noah had covered the sky between Sword Saint and him with a massive singularity.
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