The opaque ring enhanced the innate suction force of the Demonic Sword, which was now able to absorb the "Breath" in the environment since it had gained an outlet. The "Breath" became primary energy as it entered the blade and gathered at its base, where the hilt touched with the rectangular rune.
The primary energy entered the rune and transformed according to its rules, becoming a peculiar kind of "Breath" of the darkness element that shot toward Noah's dantian, enlarging its walls as it filled it.
Noah felt his body cheering as "Breath" filled his dantian in short instants and stated to apply pressure on its walls. A sensation of power spread through his cells as his centers of power began to work together after so much time.
He was finally advancing in the fifth rank. He was finally able to express the full power of a complete rank 5 cultivator!
His dantian didn't oppose any resistance. It seemed to enlarge willingly as if it had waited for that moment to happen. Noah was temporarily lost in the wonderful sensation of seeing his power increase again, but he didn't miss that peculiarity.
'I've accumulated a lot of understanding as I created my darkness.' Noah thought before losing himself again in his cultivation.
Creating his "Breath" was a clear expression of his individuality. The Demonic Sword was a fluke, but his darkness was something that he had built on his own.
He was an inscription master able to create items in the fifth rank, and the same energy that flowed through his body was a clear statement of that.
His mind was his world and contained the mental energy of a hybrid. His body was his creation, and it was able to match the might of the ancestors of the other world. His dantian contained "Breath" of the darkness element that he had built specifically for his individuality.
There wasn't the slightest trace of Heaven and Earth inside of him anymore. Noah had cut away even the last bits of their influence by replacing the innate structure of their "Breath" with one of his own.
He was entirely outside of their system now. The mistake had thrived and reached a form that didn't need to abide by the rules of the world anymore.
A sense of freedom enveloped him. Noah felt different as his "Breath" nourished him and worked together with his other centers of power. It was a sensation similar to when he was about to become a perfect hybrid, but it wasn't the same either.
Noah spent days cultivating and stopped only when the enlargement of his dantian slowed down and reached what he thought to be its average growth speed. The understanding that he had accumulated during his experiments had become part of his power. If he wanted to improve his training speed further, he needed to express his individuality more or dive deeper into the laws.
When Noah opened his eyes after that long session of training, the world felt different. Nothing had changed, and he wasn't seeing nor understanding more than usual.
Yet, he sensed some kind of distance from everything. It was as if he had become a stranger in the world where he had lived for many years.
Noah dressed up and left his underground quarters at that point. He needed to experience the outside world after so much time spent in seclusion, and he wanted to contact Elder Julia for the sixth Kesier rune.
During the mission to the other world and his seclusion, Noah didn't make use of the rune. Taking it in that wild environment was simply too dangerous, and he didn't have time to train in anything else while he was busy creating his cultivation technique.
However, his alternative method and the continuous experimentation had kept the enlargement of his mind going. Also, now that he was free and in a safe environment, he could claim his turns with the rune and keep it for a few years.
When he resurfaced though, he sensed two familiar presences at the top floor of one of the most luxurious buildings in the city under his dome.
"Hasn't the Hive built underground quarters for both of you?" Noah asked as he entered the floor and stared at the two Demons lazily reading books on a couch.
"The reappearance of the Demon Prince!" Flying Demon said while making absurd gestures. "I was beginning to like this city."
"I see that you solved your problem." Dreaming Demon said, eyeing Noah's low-waist with a glance. "Here. You can keep it for four years."
Dreaming Demon handed Noah a folded sheet, and he was surprised to see the sixth Kesier rune drawn inside it.
"Four years?" Noah asked, even if he knew what that meant.
"Yes, you've spent sixteen years in seclusion and won me a bet against Justin." Flying Demon said while putting down his book and raising a cup full of wine. "He now owes me a jar of liquor that he has stored for an entire century! Excellent job!"
Noah stored the rune and ignored Flying Demon as he sat on the couch in front of the couple. He intended to continue training soon, but he needed to understand how the world had evolved in that period.
However, Flying Demon suddenly lay down and gazed at the ceiling before asking a question. "So, what do you think about the laws? Elder Julia told us that you saw them."
Noah was a bit taken aback, but his eyes soon wandered too as he tried to remember what he felt whenever his consciousness managed to reach that realm.
"I don't really know," Noah said. "They resemble soft emotions that hide an incredible complexity, but I can't put it into words."
"That's because words can't describe them." Dreaming Demon said while revealing an understanding smile.
Noah knew that she was the strongest asset in the fifth rank in the Hive and that she probably interacted with the laws often. After all, being able to wield the laws was necessary for the sixth rank, which meant that she was surely learning how to do that.
Dreaming Demon could see Noah's interest in her understanding and tried to find the right words to give him some pieces of advice. "You will gradually find your way in that realm more often as the expression of your existence starts to interfere with the corresponding laws."
"Are you already on a level where you can define the laws?" Noah asked.
"You don't define laws, Prince. They define the world and its behavior." Dreaming Demon corrected him.
Noah's mind wandered for a bit. He had to train and learn what had happened in those years, but he took a moment to appreciate how far he had gone.
He still remembered how he carried his piece of "Breath" blessing around when he was just a human cultivator. Now, he discussed the laws that ruled the world with beings that were more than a thousand years old.
"Right!" Flying Demon exclaimed as he straightened his position, "We have finished the passage, I just have to set the door."