Birth of the Demonic Sword

Noah didn't accept that answer. First of all, King Elbas wasn't going to affect the region. His curiosity only wanted to study its composition in order to replicate it in other spots of the stormy areas.

Moreover, the separate dimensions could take care of the nurturing of underlings. It was even easy for experts at that level to create a safe space where to raise new dragons and cultivators.

King Elbas shared Noah's thoughts. It felt suffocating to see his curiosity shattering so suddenly. He almost went crazy to see powerful existences denying his well-deserved answers.

"You don't get it, do you?" The time dragon asked when it saw Noah's frown. "It's peculiar."

"We'll eventually have the power to cover the entirety of the stormy regions with these peculiar regions," Noah explained. "Why stopping us now? Why are you protecting these areas?"

"Uniqueness has a cost," The time dragon announced. "Your friend is right. These lands are random but unavoidable events, and that makes them perfect for our task. They are the proof that Heaven and Earth's new system has flaws."

Noah remained speechless for a few seconds at that revelation. He could view the dead zones as expressions of Heaven and Earth's flaws, but he didn't completely realize how important they were. He still failed to grasp the entirety of their meaning, but the time dragon didn't hesitate to resume its explanation.

"These natural flaws are perfect breeding grounds since underlings here can grow without Heaven and Earth's influence," The time dragon revealed. "They would become children of mistakes and thrive as perfect enemies of the rulers. The pack in front of you has come to life through similar regions."

"I still don't see the point," Noah complained. "Why would you limit your assets to dead zones?" We could multiply that number easily if we joined our forces."

"You would turn something special into a common occurrence," The green dragon sighed. "Heaven and Earth would only adapt to the new normality while we would need to find the flaws of the new system. You'd make us waste time without affecting the rulers in the slightest, and we can't afford that with our destruction drawing dangerously near."

Noah finally understood the entirety of the dragons' situation. It felt hard for him to imagine himself in their shoes, especially since he didn't agree with their tactic. Yet, he couldn't completely disregard the approach that they had pursued for so many years either.

The time dragon firmly believed that Heaven and Earth were close to absorbing all the laws of the previous world and take complete control of the plane. That event would doom the magical beasts and put an end to their threatening existence. It could even give the rulers what they needed to complete the breakthrough to the tenth rank.

Time wasn't on the dragons' side, so they didn't want to make risky moves. They needed the dead zones to gave birth to underlings that naturally opposed Heaven and Earth. Their status as magical beasts and the grooming inside a flawed area would bring their innate features to their peak. The process would turn them into perfect soldiers for the final battle against the rulers.

Noah had a very different view of the matter. He agreed that wasting time wasn't an option, but he didn't like to be on the defensive side when his opponents could use entire worlds as sources of energy. Waiting would only reinforce Heaven and Earth since their roots ran too deeply into the higher plane.

Heaven and Earth would always manage to seize more benefits than their opponents unless something changed. That wasn't one of Noah's many opinions. It was a fact that came from a thorough study of the events that had led to the current situation.

The magical beasts' side had never stopped losing ground after Heaven and Earth transformed and started using chaotic laws. The destruction of the higher plane had only accelerated their plans, and the reoccurring deaths of the specimens that had inherited the core aspects of the previous worlds stated how the dragons couldn't avoid defeats.

In Noah's mind, something needed to change. The actual size of the event wasn't important. It was enough to force Heaven and Earth to waste energy to modify their approach to gain a small victory over them.

Noah wouldn't even hold back. He would try to spread as much chaos as possible to force Heaven and Earth's hand and slow down their plans. His tactic was extremely aggressive and reckless, but it was far better than remaining in a group of stronger existences without ever getting the chance to improve.

It was pointless to pursue an approach that would lead to certain death. The time dragon had multiple plans and countermeasures since it wasn't delusional enough to go against Heaven and Earth without changing the tactic that had failed for so long. Still, the many fixed aspects of its life that it wanted to preserve made Noah worried about its actual value.

The time dragon probably was the strongest magical beast in the entire plane, but its very nature went against its improvements. Noah had experienced that first-hand with the death dragon. Those creatures expressed aspects of the previous world, which gave a clear set of abilities and limits to their power.

The dragons were born to be the best in a world that didn't exist anymore. Heaven and Earth's transformation had only enhanced their limits since they had built a system that went past the old rules.

Also, the rulers remained able to adapt, which worsened the dragons' situation even more. Noah struggled to believe that the magical beasts had survived until now when their leaders were in such an awful spot. Still, he gave most of the merits to the time dragon.

"What's your next move?" Noah eventually asked as he gave up on the matter.

"Regroup, gather troops, steal from the other lands," The time dragon quickly replied.

"Can you point us at something worth exploring?" Noah asked. "The stormy regions are immense, and the same goes for your lifespan. You must know somewhere that could benefit existences at our level."

"Do you want to leave us so soon?" The time dragon said in a surprised tone. "I thought you wanted to study our powers."

"I still want that," Noah explained, "But I'm afraid that remaining with your pack will only draw me closer to your losing trend. I hope that's enough to let us go."

"You aren't prisoners," The time dragon scoffed before lowering its voice, "But I suggest you stay with us. I feel that you are too important to remain alone."

"I won't improve if I remain here," Noah revealed. "You all are too powerful. You would take care of every issue in no time, and I can't afford that."

"Why?" The time dragon asked even though he understood most of the conversation. "Why would you put yourself in danger again?"

"That's how cultivators evolve," Noah exclaimed before turning toward his companions.

King Elbas and the others didn't have anything to say. They trusted Noah enough to follow his crazy plans. Also, leaving a pack that featured upper tier creatures would grant them the chance to behave as they wished, and they couldn't wait for that.

"There are many interesting places," The time dragon announced, "But I think the best at your level is the city that fell from the sky."

****

Author's notes: I'm only slightly late today.