Birth of the Demonic Sword

At first, King Elbas believed to have misheard. Of course, he didn't truly think that his ears could trick him, but the shield around his consciousness could malfunction and transform the words that reached his thoughts.

A second inspection revealed that his shield didn't affect the woman's words. She had really voiced a name that King Elbas had obviously heard during his stay in the Mortal Lands. He would be ashamed of his ignorance if he didn't know about the expert who held the title of best inscription master in the world before his rise to prominence.

Still, some doubts remained in his mind. The Immortal Lands was immense and had countless Mortal Lands connected to its sky. Different experts could obtain the same titles if they happened to have similar laws.

The woman remained silent as the corners of her mouth curved upward. She seemed to know what was happening inside King Elbas' mind. She could see his curiosity trying to take over his actions.

"It's her," The woman eventually revealed. "It's quite coincidental that the same Mortal lands have given birth to two of the most talented inscription masters that the world has ever seen."

"Or it has happened on purpose," King Elbas added, and the smile on the woman's face broadened when those words reached her.

"You do understand the system better than your companions," The woman complimented. "Even Noah Balvan can't give complete explanations to his sharp intuition, but you are different."

"I'm the best," King Elbas announced.

"You could have been," The woman corrected while pointing her hand at the sky. "Heaven and Earth could have taught you inscription methods that the world has believed to be lost for entire eras. Your arrogance and genuine curiosity could have brought the inscription field past what Divine Architect can achieve, but you have decided to taint your existence with rebellious thoughts."

"I have found a path that even Heaven and Earth fear to approach," King Elbas sneered. "You can't deceive me with your lies."

"They aren't lies," The woman chuckled while lowering her arm to point it at the golden halo that covered King Elbas' consciousness. "Your shield didn't react, right? I'm not trying to deceive you. I strongly believe in what I've said."

"That doesn't make it true," King Elbas stated.

The woman rolled her eyes before replying. "It might not be the truth, but it's the most accurate evaluation you can get in this world. I still have the rulers of the sky behind me."

King Elbas snorted. He didn't take her comment to heart, but there had to be some truth inside it, and he knew why. The orange city had taught him a lot, so he could guess how the sky could give him far more.

"I only need to succeed on my path to prove you wrong, right?" King Elbas eventually asked while taking out the jelly-like golden sphere. "Please, be a good lab rat and help me reach the ninth rank."

"The path that stands at that embodies the ultimate form of the energy," The woman commented when she saw that golden sphere. "Did you ever wonder why Heaven and Earth didn't go past the "Breath"?"

"Because they are ignorant brutes," King Elbas mocked.

"Don't speak like this," The woman heaved an annoyed sigh. "These insults are beneath you. Come on. You are an exceptional inscription master. Why did Heaven and Earth settle for the "Breath" even if they had the chance to gain access to the higher energy?"

"They couldn't," King Elbas promptly responded. "The superior version of the chaotic laws is the very matter around us. They don't grow stronger but only change form. Heaven and Earth made their existence so messy that they couldn't gain access to other elemental forms of higher energy. As I said, they are ignorant brutes."

The woman's eyebrows arched in surprise, but she quickly hid that reaction. She didn't expect King Elbas' explanation to be so detailed, but she found comfort in the fact that he had missed something.

"They could have still built stronger versions of the avatars by picking specific meanings of their existence and evolving them," The woman explained.

"We'll find those in the sky, right?" King Elbas guessed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Heaven and Earth shouldn't be able to divide their existence and enhance some of its aspects everywhere. They need their sky to do that."

The woman felt genuine astonishment now. King Elbas had never seen the insides of the sky, but he had already guessed the nature of its guardians.

"You are correct," The woman revealed. "The sky does have avatars made of higher energy."

"Why are you telling me this?" King Elbas groaned while scratching the side of his head. "Now I really want to study them. You shouldn't underestimate a man's curiosity."

King Elbas took out a lump of golden flames from his space-ring and tinkered with it for a few seconds. The fire took the shape of sparks that expanded and gave birth to a puppet similar to Heaven and Earth's crackling avatars. The only difference was that his creation didn't carry the same nature.

"They are like this, right?" King Elbas asked as a tinge of excitement shone in his eyes. "Ignore the obvious weakness and different element."

"They are like that," The woman said, but the golden halo surrounding King Elbas' consciousness trembled when those words reached it.

"It's annoying when you lie," King Elbas sighed before waving his hand and turning his puppet into flames that fused with his body. "I guess I have to reach the sky to study them. Well, that has always been the original plan."

"You won't be able to reach the sky," The woman quickly contradicted. "Your path has no solution. Not even Heaven and Earth can reach the goal that you have set for yourself, and they have access to far more inscription methods."

"Sword Saint told me how a cultivator had said something similar to him before his breakthrough," King Elbas uttered before spreading his arms and looking at the sky. "You should know that our potential already goes past the sky."

King Elbas' curiosity intensified as his aura spread through the world. His whole figure began to release a golden light as flames seeped out of his skin. His cultivation level even seemed ready to step into the ninth rank, but it fell slightly short.

"Entities past the sky, hear my words!" King Elbas announced as his flames started to express his dedication in the inscription fields. "Gaze at my existence and feel my devotion."

The many inscribed items around King Elbas started to tremble and echo his feelings. They increased the range of his aura and made it pierce the storms above him. His flames stretched toward the sky as he tried to attract the attention of the paths that stood past the Immortal Lands.

The woman took a few steps back before glancing at the sky. She couldn't believe that King Elbas was trying to imitate Sword Saint. The aura that spread in the environment also had a solemn feeling. She truly thought that laws would start to fall soon.

However, nothing happened as time passed. The sky remained still, and the world didn't answer. King Elbas remained in that position for a while, but he eventually gave up on the matter and retracted his aura.

"I had to try," King Elbas shook his head before pointing his gaze back on the woman. "Now, what were you saying about Divine Architect?"