Chapter 1554: 1554. Path

The blue spot morphed. It rose and took Supreme Thief's shape, who began to laugh before sitting on the mental walls. The expert even patted the ground, and Noah didn't hesitate to sit in front of him.

"Care to explain?" Noah asked in an annoyed tone.

He had a vague idea about the true nature of Supreme Thief's inheritance, but he wasn't ready to believe him so soon. After all, both Supreme Thief and Great Builder were planning to come back to life. That could also involve them taking control of other living beings.

"Do not worry, you unique fella," Supreme Thief laughed. "It has never been my intention to hurt you. This is only a speck of my existence. I only happen to have far more power than you."

Noah could understand that point, but he didn't dare to lower his defenses. Having part of a rank 9 existence inside his mind didn't let him feel safe.

"When were you planning to reveal yourself?" Noah questioned the ethereal expert.

"My original plan was to manifest this shard of my existence when you were about to reach the limits of the eighth rank," Supreme Thief replied while scratching his chin. "I was willing to adapt to your potential, but I never expected you to find me right after entering the eighth rank."

Supreme Thief then moved his eyes on the liquid dark matter keeping the area devoid of mental energy. He appeared utterly captivated by the higher energy, but he managed to suppress his pulling force at that time.

"You are definitely worthy of attention," Supreme Thief commented. "What exactly are you? I have seen countless unique creatures and breathtaking existences, but your foundation surpasses all of them."

"Why don't you explain the nature of your abilities first?" Noah asked. "I already have too many techniques that I can't control. I don't want to add yours to the list."

"Right to the point," Supreme Thief laughed. "You should have more respect for your seniors. I have been dead for eras, but you don't want to grant me a few seconds of your time."

"I have the ghost of a rank 9 existence in my mind," Noah replied coldly. "You will forgive me if I'm not ecstatic about this situation."

Supreme Thief realized how uncomfortable Noah must have felt and stopped laughing. A serious expression appeared on his face for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.

"Stealing is only a consequence of my law," Supreme Thief explained. "The core of my true meaning comes from my unfathomable greed, which is quite different from what you and your kind feel."

Supreme Thief waved his hand, and the dark matter slowly flowed toward his palm. The higher energy escaped Noah's control and became part of that existence's power.

"I have no idea how you obtained this fantastic energy," Supreme Thief said while playing with the globe of dark matter that stabilized in his palm. "I don't know how to create it. I don't even know what it is. Yet, something tells me that I would have obtained it if I had followed a different path. This simple knowledge makes this power mine."

Noah's eyes widened. He didn't clearly understand Supreme Thief's words, but his mind began to generate strange ideas.

"This power belongs to you," Supreme Thief continued, "But what makes you the only one worthy of having it? You can't be the only existence in the many planes capable of creating something similar, so why can't I also have it?"

The strange ideas became clearer. Noah didn't know why his thoughts were moving in that direction, but he couldn't deny them.

"What if I were more worthy than you?" Supreme Thief asked. "Why shouldn't I have this energy? I am more talented, so I can make it mine."

Noah's aura burst out of his ethereal figure. A wave of memories fused with his ghostly body and carried a large chunk of the mental sea with them.

The memories going from the first experiments with the higher energy to the creation of the black hole resurfaced in Noah's mind and appeared on his mental walls. The many years spent testing that power appeared in front of Supreme Thief and made him lose control of the lump of dark matter in his grasp.

"I guess it only works on unworthy existences," Noah stated while the dark matter seized by the expert returned under his control.

"Don't overestimate yourself," Supreme Thief replied. "I managed to reach the ninth rank, while you can't even be sure about your survival. You are lucky I had no intention to steal your power."

Silence fell between the duo. Supreme Thief lost interest in the conversation and began to inspect the various scenes played on the mental walls. Instead, Noah was deep in his thoughts. He had understood something, but he didn't know how convincing that theory was.

"Can you understand whether an existence has the talent to reach the ninth rank?" Noah asked.

"What do you mean?" Supreme Thief asked. "You must reach the ninth rank to prove it. Even Heaven and Earth can't divine the full extent of our potential."

"You can steal almost everything and use it freely," Noah said while pointing at the expert. "You make up for the expertise and the years spent developing techniques with your law. You can generate power from almost nothing."

Noah then thought about a certain existence and explained his power to the expert.

"I know someone who can invent techniques out of thin air," Noah continued. "Even the world bends to his will to help him win challenges. He also lacks training and years spent in experiments, but he makes up for those requirements with his law."

Noah then pointed at himself. His strange thoughts were clearer than ever. He felt as if he had found a profound answer that many experts in the world ignored.

"My law allows me to skip entire stages," Noah explained. "I can also use it to boost my cultivation level and techniques. I generate power from nothing too."

Supreme Thief smiled. A wave of coldness came out of his figure, but excitement also seeped through those emotions.

"No wonder you managed to reach the secret area in my inheritance," Supreme Thief said. "You are right. Rank 9 existences are worlds, which means that they must be able to generate something by depleting their "Breath". It doesn't matter how much power your existence contains. You can't advance if your law can't become a source of any kind."

'Divine Demon's Miracles are a requirement,' Noah thought. 'Having a powerful influence doesn't matter anymore in the eighth rank. I need to enhance the features of my existence that make me ignore the laws of the world.'

Noah had found a path right after reaching the eighth rank. He could also share that information with his friend and prevent them from wasting centuries of training.

'Every divine existence must have the potential to perform something similar to the Miracles,' Noah thought. 'The problem is whether they can turn it into a core part of their law.'

Supreme Thief cleared his throat at that point. He didn't want to remain in silence while Noah was deep in his thoughts. He would rather return to his slumber.

"Right," Noah said. "I believe I can't kick you out of my mind."

"You can try," Supreme Thief replied in an amused tone.

"Make yourself useful then," Noah ordered. "I don't like to have no control over your ability. Tell me how to activate you."

"You have always had control over this part of my soul," Supreme Thief explained. "I gave it to you. This power is already yours, and the same goes for its function. You have only forgotten my words."

Noah's eyes lit up as he understood what Supreme Thief's meant. The expert's ethereal figure then melted and fused with his mental sea, forever becoming a part of himself.

'I guess I've gained another powerful ability,' Noah thought while watching his dark waters filling that space in his mind. 'Luckily, I also have a guinea pig ready to test it.