Noah's attack didn't have the appearance of a slash. He had attacked with his blade, but the area covered by the singularity was too big to be part of sword arts.
Those effects came from the different powers deployed by Noah during the attack. His creation and destruction generated singularities when they clashed, and his dark matter increased the size of his offensive in ways that normal "Breath" couldn't achieve.
His sharpness had reached a superior level due to the many features carried by his law. It had transformed into singularities capable of piercing everything in the world. Even the air in the sky vanished under that power.
Noah inspected the area of nothing generated after his attack, and his eyes sharpened when he saw something moving inside it. There was a slash flying through the singularity.
'How is this even possible?' Noah wondered. 'He is even limiting the power expressed by the attack to the gaseous stage!'
Noah's many advantages made him the strongest type of existence in every stage and tier. He could defeat experienced gaseous stage cultivators as soon as he advanced. However, Sword Saint was overcoming his abilities even while limiting his power.
The slash pierced the singularity and brought new energy into that empty area. Sword Saint's sharpness filled the sky before converging toward Noah's figure.
Noah instinctively activated all the defenses that he was capable of. His dark world expanded, and his companions came out in the open. His sword also flashed again as the Demonic Form entangled its roots around the blade.
Snore spat destructive dark matter, Duanlong absorbed part of the energy in the slash, and Night fused with the world to destabilize Sword Saint's sharpness.
The aura radiated by the Demonic Form at its new level carried unfathomable corrosive properties. Noah's surroundings crumbled under that power and transformed into strands of energy that flowed inside the parasite.
Sword Saint's slash lost power before reaching the wave of violent dark matter. Part of its fabric also crumbled when it began to pierce that destructive energy.
The violent dark matter forced the slash to deplete even more of its power, but the attack continued to fly forward.
A singularity covered by raging dark matter eventually clashed with the slash. Sword Saint's attack continued to pierce Noah's ability, but it stopped once it reached the Demonic Sword.
The slash transformed. It took Sword Saint's shape. The expert's forefinger had clashed with the Demonic Sword, but it found itself unable to pierce the weapon.
The roots around the blade had shattered, but Sword Saint couldn't move forward anymore. Noah had stopped the attack, even if he had to resort to almost his entire arsenal to achieve that.
Sword Saint revealed a surprised expression while he retracted his finger. He had limited his power to the gaseous stage, but he didn't expect Noah to stop his attack.
"You should be proud of yourself," Sword Saint announced.
"How so?" Noah snorted. "You were holding back, but I still had to rely on my entire arsenal to stop you."
Noah lied about that last part. He still had the cursed sword, the Shadow Domain, and Shandal's ability at his disposal. He also had Supreme Thief's stealing skill, but he wasn't sure whether that would work against Sword Saint.
"My understanding goes beyond the gaseous stage," Sword Saint revealed. "I might have limited my power, but my law is far denser than yours. I wonder how this exchange would have gone if we were at the same level."
That explanation didn't satisfy Noah, but he had to let the matter go. His status as a newly advanced cultivator was undeniable, so he didn't let that exchange hurt his pride.
'Though, I do wonder who would have won,' Noah thought while inspecting the expert.
Sword Saint's sharpness went far beyond Noah's base power. He had to rely on multiple techniques and abilities to match it. His existence alone wasn't enough to face that law.
"Did you think you could face me while holding back part of your arsenal?" Sword Saint questioned Noah. "I have built my whole existence on the sword. All my experiences, training, insights, and growth converge into the understanding of my path. My attack might look simple, but it carries my entire life."
Noah stored the Demonic Sword. His companions also returned inside the separate space as both experts flew toward the ground to sit and exchange pointers.
"I should still be able to reach a similar sharpness," Noah sighed. "I have taken a different path, but I still want to use your entire power as part of my foundation."
"It's too late for that," Sword Saint explained. "You have already gone beyond my teachings. Your attacks might come from swords and slashes, but they are something that can't fit into my path. Only time will tell which one of us will obtain the greatest power."
"What's your next step?" Noah asked without revealing any hint of shame.
"You first," Sword Saint replied while wearing a cold smile.
"I honestly don't know," Noah sighed. "Amassing more power, more assets, fusing them into simple attacks. I don't strive for a result. I only pile up abilities and adapt to what comes out of them."
"Ah! Don't make me start!" Sword Saint snorted. "I have challenged so many experts in the human domain that I had to leave for the Outer Lands. Do you know how annoying it is to search for the faintest enlightenment in sword arts that I have executed millions of times?"
"Are you lost?" Noah asked.
"I have never been surer about my path," Sword Saint replied. "I only have to find the stage that surpasses perfection. Unfortunately, it seems that my endless training can't help me anymore. I need something else, but I can only keep slashing to find it."
'Maybe he lacks the Miracles,' Noah wondered.
Sword Saint was a simple existence in the end. He had continued to trail the path of the blade for millennia. Noah could imagine him swinging his fingers millions of times only to make the slightest improvement.
'He is a sword capable of generating sharpness,' Noah thought, 'But that doesn't count in his case. He has already paid for his power with the millennia spent training. Should I help him?'
Noah felt conflicted. Sword Saint had taught him a lot, but the expert didn't have a clear alignment. Noah didn't know if he could become an enemy.
"What do you think about the Legion?" Noah probed.
"Legion? Do you mean that small group of hybrids?" Sword Saint asked before continuing when he saw Noah nodding. "I don't think about them. Politics are useless. I only want to swing my sword."
"Let's make a trade," Noah eventually said. "I can give you a hint that might solve your problem, but you have to do the same with me. You have lived for a long time and witnessed many powerful existences. You must know something that surpasses my singularity in terms of power."
Sword Saint's interest suddenly skyrocketed. The expert explored his memories until he found a scene that met Noah's requirements.
"I don't think there is much in the world that can surpass that," Sword Saint said while handing a globe of azure mental energy to Noah, "But this might help you. This is the strongest type of attack that I have ever faced."
Noah didn't immediately check it. Sword Saint had trusted him enough to complete his end of the bargain without hesitation. Noah would do the same out of respect for that expert.
Noah stood up and waved his hand. A cut opened on the ground as his sharpness shot forward.
"I will use the same energy as before now," Noah warned Sword Saint before closing his eyes.
His ambition had regained a small amount of potential during the last years. That wasn't enough to empower his cultivation level, but it could affect a simple attack.
Noah waved his hand again as his ambition seeped out of his figure. The area grew darker, but he didn't rely on any additional energy to trigger those events.
A second cut opened next to the first one. The former was deeper and longer. It was clear that Noah had expressed more power than before without increasing the input of energy.
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