Birth of the Demonic Sword

The white landmass thrived in the millennia that followed the core team's departure. The inscriptions left behind by King Elbas and the others provided a constant renewal of natural resources, and Daniel's leadership ensured stable and continuous growth. 1

Wars became a thing of the past. Different organizations formed and shattered, but very few conflicts happened. The landmass' influence seemed able to prevent petty fights to promote cooperation and higher goals.®

Soon, the world entered a long state of peace that only enhanced the seemingly endless growth the landmass could provide. Countless newborns who didn't know about Noah and his feats appeared and outnumbered those who still recalled the glorious battle against the rulers. Heaven and Earth became a legend, and the millennia eventually buried it.

"Everything is ready for your speech," Faith announced with a smile that expressed pure love and happiness. "Are you sure this is the right move?”

"They must know," Daniel replied as his gaze went past the walls of his palace to stare at the void in the distance. The universe's call had become deafening after he reached the peak of the ninth rank, and his breakthrough had only grown closer since then.

"You know I'm not talking about that," Faith exclaimed as she took her seat next to Daniel. "The landmass is at peace. Sending it to war might break it."

Faith's words hinted at a terrible future, but Daniel still showed a pure expression. The two were sitting on a praying mat at the center of an empty white room, and Daniel didn't take long to wrap an arm around Faith's waist.

"It's not war," Daniel calmly corrected. "It's a necessary evolution. If I decided to keep everyone here, I would be no different from Heaven and Earth."

"Except, you'd be doing that to keep them safe," Faith argued. "Most of the newborns have never known real struggle. Even some of our new rank 9 beings are strangely inexperienced."

"That's the price to pay for peace," Daniel stated. "Yet, I can prove it's a worthy alternative. I simply can't do it from this landmass. The advantage is too great."

Faith sighed as she allowed herself to relax in Daniel's affectionate hug. She knew he had already made up his mind, but it was her job to point out flaws and possible mistakes. After all, it was hard for someone in Daniel's situation to see things clearly.

Daniel's leadership had been impeccable. He had never enforced his authority over other living beings, but his influence had inevitably put him at the center of the evolutionary process.

However, that was the core of the issue. Daniel's influence could make other living beings achieve their true selves without bloodshed, which could be a flaw for many cultivation journeys.

Things were going well on the landmass, but only the universe could prove whether his decision had been right.

'You can simply say that you miss him," Faith teased. "I also wonder where he is at times."

"It would be strange not to," Daniel sighed. "His path led to the destruction of a rank 10 being. That's why I need to tell his story. That's why the landmass needs to know about his path."

"I will support you no matter what," Faith giggled, "Emperor of Light. "<•

"I'm lucky the pigs aren't like their leader," Daniel also laughed. "I would have lost my way if they started teasing me about that title."

"Come on," Faith joked. "It fits you perfectly. Even Kirk said so before leaving."

"Kirk," Daniel repeated. "Do you think he found him?"

"Please," Faith scoffed. "Following Noah's tracks is probably easy. I can't imagine him being subtle. Still, finding him is different."

"Maybe we'll find him first," Daniel guessed before standing up. "I wonder what would happen then. How will the peaceful landmass react to his wild ambition?"

"Focus on telling your story," Faith scolded while also standing up and wrapping her arms around Daniel's neck. "Be yourself, and they'll follow you anywhere."

Daniel revealed a sweet smile and left a quick kiss on Faith's lips. The two soon separated, but they walked hand in hand toward the room's exit, where deafening shouts had started to seep through.

The cries grew clearer and louder once Daniel and Faith crossed the exit. The two arrived on a vast balcony standing on the landmass' tallest mountain, and the crowds of powerful beings waiting all around it attracted their attention.

A sea of cultivators, hybrids, and magical beasts had occupied the mountain and the environments past it. The crowd stretched far beyond what eyes and consciousnesses could see, and many inscriptions even conveyed the scenes happening on the balcony on the farthest lands.

Daniel's appearance made the crowd cheer wildly before opting for a single cry. Everyone shouted the words "Emperor of Light" and instinctively found a joint rhythm that added volume to the scene.

"You aren’t the type to be late," Flying Demon commented from his comfortable seat on the balcony.

"Nervous?" Dreaming Demon asked from a spot right next to Flying Demon.

"I'm sure Daniel can't be nervous anymore," Maribel added from a seat a bit farther away.

"Go," Daniel whispered to Faith, and she squeezed his hand before heading for the fourth seat on the balcony.

'You know," Flying Demon announced, "Our old friends wouldn't approve of this."

"Our master might very well kill us,” Dreaming Demon admitted.

"My path is different," Daniel declared, "But that's why I have to test it. Of course, I won't force you to stay with me."

Dreaming Demon, Flying Demon, and Maribel shook their heads. They had already agreed to remain with Daniel. After all, he was part of the reason behind their peak rank 9 cultivation level.

"Very well," Daniel cleared his throat while approaching the center of the balcony. White inscriptions lit up under him at that point, and his aura spread through the array to warn everyone about the beginning of the speech.

The massive crowd went silent as soon as they sensed Daniel's presence. They remained restless and excited, but they were strangely orderly. Even the magical beasts behaved properly.

"Thank you for gathering here today," Daniel exclaimed, and his voice resounded in every corner of the landmass. "I've summoned this meeting to tell a story and make an offer. Maybe I should call it announcement, but that will depend on you."

Silence reigned once Daniel finished speaking, but the excitement only intensified. The crowd couldn't wait for the Emperor of Light to speak.

"Many of you don't know the story of this world," Daniel declared. "I've never kept it hidden. I've even tried to preserve it, but time is a fearsome monster."

Very few members of the audience knew what Daniel wanted to say. Many experts who had lived and fought during the same time as Noah had left the landmass to start their personal journeys, while others had died for various reasons. Still, they existed, and their eyes grew teary when memories flowed through their minds.

’Look above you," Daniel announced while lifting a hand. "The boundless universe stands above us. We only have to fly to dive into it. The world used to be far different."

Faint surprised cries resounded among the audience, but they never disrupted the overall silence. Everyone remained focused on Daniel, and he didn't hesitate to continue.

‘Our world used to be a prison," Daniel exclaimed, "A prison ruled by beings of unfathomable power. They were so strong that even I would struggle to face them at my current level."

The surprise reached loud levels now. The audience respected Daniel too much to accept such demeaning words. Yet, Daniel didn't stay silent for too long.

"Our world wasn't free," Daniel continued. "Someone freed it for us. A group of demons led by the greatest monster this plane had ever witnessed fought against the sky and won. Even fate bent under their might."

The words “demons" and "monster" created more confusion. They were so distant from Daniel's title, but he didn't hide his affection when he said them.

That monster is one of my oldest friends," Daniel declared, "And I'll tell his story today. His name is Noah Balvan. Remember it. We all owe our freedom to him."

Daniel didn't hide anything. His story started from the academy and went over every detail he knew. He even added a few rumors heard only from the core team.

Needless to say, the audience couldn't believe their ears. Many of those beings had only known peace and harmony, so seeing their leader speak fondly of untold bloodshed felt odd.

However, Daniel didn't limit himself to descriptions. His words expressed his respect and overall emotions, and the audience felt able to experience them. Noah became a mythical figure in many minds, and some even awakened their ambition because of that.

"I've paved the way for a peaceful cultivation journey," Daniel stated as his speech reached its conclusion. "Yet, the universe is immense, endless even. We are bound to face conflicts, and stillness would make us stale.

"I want to put our landmass against those threats and spread our way of living. I want the universe to know that an alternative exists. I want our light to stretch in every comer of the void and tell the story of how we brought peace to the very stars!"

Silence fell again, but that scene was different from before. The audience didn't speak due to the many emotions raging in their insides. Daniel had reawakened their ambition, and they couldn't quell it.

"I won't order you to follow me," Daniel continued, "But my power is in my creation, and you are its children. You are my cultivation journey, so only you can prove my value in the universe."

Daniel had more to say, but the audience didn't give him a chance to speak again. Someone shouted "Emperor of Light", and everything fell into chaos. The entire landmass chanted Daniel's title, which said enough about their decision.

"I guess we are diving into the universe," Flying Demon sighed. "I might be a bit excited."

"We might really have to fight our master," Dreaming Demon teased.

"We should prepare wine in advance," Flying Demon pointed out.

Daniel laughed at those jokes while leaving the center of the balcony and heading for his seat. More inscriptions lit up under his control, and many white lights soon separated themselves from the landmass to create a barrier that left no unprotected spots.

"I believe we are ready," Daniel stated while exchanging a glance with his companions on the balcony. He only saw nods and smiles, so he gave the order to the inscriptions.

A tremor ran through the entire landmass as flares shot from one of its sides. New energy even flew through the barrier and stretched into the inscriptions to create a harmonious presence. The many beings on that Higher Plane seemed to fuse into a single lifeform that was dangerously close to the tenth rank.

"Let's show Noah what we have achieved," Daniel exclaimed as the landmass began to move toward the stars in the distance.