Severin never expected that Sheila would ask such an awkward question in public. After figuring out a way to diffuse the situation, he immediately changed the subject and asked, "You were given a prearranged quota too, right?"Sheila merely smiled. "Yeah, it's decent. The Longhorns gave us two spots in advance, and both locations are very good too. Aside from that, we're mainly here to officiate the ribbon-cutting. Once that's out of the way, Mister Henry will announce the number of quotas, starting with those that have been prearranged, and ending with those that have secured their approval based on the latest information given."Severin nodded. "Well, that sounds great!""Welcome one and all to the launching of the Liberty City project! The ceremony will start soon, so may I please invite everyone to come and take their seats!" An attractive thirty-something emcee announced loudly on the stage.The guests all set down their glasses of wine and walked over quickly to find a seat.
The emcee had a smile on her face as she announced the last two spots."What?! The last two were given to the Shanahans? They got two?!"Sure enough, the audience began to whisper among themselves."What's going on here? Wasn't the Shanahan Corporation on a downward slope when Stanley was the general manager? Don't you feel strange that Diane has secured two of the prearranged quotas after assuming the position of general manager for only a few days?" Someone then insinuated.Victor and Jada, who was in the vicinity, happened to hear that remark.Victor was stunned for a moment, and she felt that it was a good time to turn public opinion against Diane. With the thought of his humiliation the other day still fresh in his mind, he deliberately raised his voice. "You never know if she's a good rider, if you know what I mean. Good-looking women are usually even more experienced! I think Diane must've used some underhanded ways to get what she wants. Maybe she has some sort of secret r
"Holy crap! Severin must be ridiculously bold to punch the head of a third-tier family like the Stones!"Some people were so shocked that their mouths were agape and they could not believe that Severin would dare to hit Victor."Ah!" Jada was so frightened that she took several steps back and covered her mouth in disbelief. Victor fell to the ground and had a nosebleed."What are you doing, Severin? How can you punch the head of the Stones? Aren't you going to apologize to him?" Catherine was terrified and shouted at Severin, mainly because it brought them no benefit to offend a third-tier family and might even be disadvantageous because there was a possibility that they might retaliate in the future. Secondly, they were at the launching of the Longhorns' project, and the fuss Severin made was tantamount to disrespecting the Longhorn family. He might as well just slap one of the Longhorns after what he did!"God, he's so handsome! I like a man who takes a bull by the horn!" Unlike
Gideon then said straightforwardly, "It seems to me that you were the one who began to stir trouble at the launching, and Mister Severin here only punched you because he was angered by your unfounded accusations. What did you intend to achieve by making that remark?""I…I didn't! I'm being wrongly accused here! I didn't mean to provoke him!" Victor was taken aback by what was happening and hurriedly cried wolf. "I just think that it's a little odd for the Shanahans to get two spots when Diane had just only resumed her position as general manager. I just made some off-handed remarks, that's all! I didn't make any sort of insinuation!""Tell your men to chase Victor, Jada, and the rest of the Stones from this venue," Gideon said to the head of the bodyguards. "Their prearranged quota in the Liberty City project will be retracted and given to Brookbourn Mansion!"Gideon had earlier realized that there were only two spots given to Brookbourn Mansion, and it seemed a little out of place
Jada, who was standing beside Victor, complained to him. "Why did you have to be so stupid, Dad? It's all over now. We lost the quota that originally belonged to us, and worst of all, we offended the Longhorns. Our life will only get more difficult from today on."Victor protested, "I thought I had a good relationship with Gideon, and that he'd come and help me. And besides, my remark wasn't straightforward at all. I just hinted that Diane got the two quotas even though she just became the general manager. It's up to other people to think what they want to think.""You might as well have just spit it out after what you said. People aren't idiots, you know." Jada was even more speechless as he said to Victor, "Why did you feel the need to do that when we've already hired a four stars assassin? For all we know, the assassin will probably arrive in Brookbourn by today or tomorrow, and Severin will be dead by then! Your actions just caused us a tremendous amount of loss, Dad!""Damn it!
It was natural for Stanley to feel that way when his dream woman was walking right toward him, so much so that he even unconsciously adjusted his necktie."H-hello, Miss Robin. Is something the matter?" Stanley immediately smiled and greeted her as she approached.Robin merely nodded at him and walked right past him toward Severin. She then offered her business card. "Severin, was it? I admire your courage in punching Victor, and I especially enjoy making friends with such straightforward people. I wonder if you'd consider being my friend."Severin was aware of her status and felt that it would be inappropriate not to show some courtesy. He accepted her business card and then smiled awkwardly, "Umm… This is a little awkward, but I don't have a business card for you. You see, I'm unemployed and I don't have a job."Catherine and the other Shanahans nearly had a stroke. Severin was being something of an embarrassment because he did not even have a business card.Robin smiled. "That'
Diane rolled her eyes at Severin. "Of course not. If I got jealous just because another woman gave you a business card, then I'd probably spend my whole life being miserable!""Alright then, it's about time we head back. Don't forget our celebrations at the hotel tonight!" Catherine could not be happier. Everything that happened to the Shanahans that day was a positive development, and she firmly believed that they could soon rise to become a second-tier family if they could keep the momentum going.After pondering over their newfound fortunes, she said to Severin, "By the way, you should visit the Zelankos tomorrow and help check on their old lady's health. It'd be best if you can help treat her because then the Zelankos would owe us a favor. We can leverage that at a later date to establish more business cooperations with them.""That's right, Severin," George chimed in. "And you mustn't offend Sheila too. She seems interested in you, and our family's future will be even more secu
Severin and Diane were just about to reach the car when Severin sensed the somewhat rhythmic footsteps of a man and a woman coming from either side of him. They were walking at a speed that could not be considered slow, and though it seemed like nothing unusual, there was something about it that was different from the norm. Severin was instantly able to sense that those two individuals were elite fighters. Moreover, he could not help but raise his guard because he could feel them targeting him."Walk slower behind me, Diane!" Severin quickened his pace all of a sudden and walked ahead of Diane, who frowned because she did not know why he suddenly decided to quicken his pace.As she was just starting to wonder what was on Severin's mind, Leonard and Carmen had already appeared in front of Severin. The two of them attacked Severin simultaneously from either side, and they both produced a dagger that they stabbed right at Severin."Ah!" Diane yelled when she saw what happened."What's
At that instant, Infernatur and Damnatur felt a sudden chill, as if an impending doom loomed on the horizon.Severin then said softly to them, "I'm gonna need you as a helping hand!"Infernatur and Damnatur recoiled as a horrifying realization dawned upon them."Have you taken that leap?" Infernatur's voice trembled with uncertainty.Severin remained silent and simply waved his hand gently. The 129,600 cosmic laws surged with boundless power, reducing the huge figures of Infernatur and Damnatur to dust.Within moments, two essences of pure primordial power flowed into Severin's inner world, while the desolate chaos sea crumbled and was consumed by his voracious appetite.Severin's form eventually began to fade until it became a flicker of light that vanished completely. His consciousness had been devoured entirely.Everything before him was empty and devoid of substance.An indefinite amount of time passed before Severin's voice echoed through the emptiness, "Chaos springs from
With a deft stroke of the bronze halberd, the path hovering above Severin shattered."This is a peculiar weapon," Severin recoiled in alarm, raising the Oculus Blade to defend himself "It has the ability to dismantle the great path!"Simultaneously, he utilized his space-time path to shield against potential assaults, especially any sneak attacks.Explosions reverberated, unleashing torrents of elemental energy and spatial turbulence throughout the chaotic sea. Time passed indeterminately amidst the chaos.For centuries, the trio engaged in combat, their auras undiminished by time's passage.Meanwhile, the four Dominus Nosters in the Celestial Realm waged war against the extraterrestrial intruders, reclaiming territories with unparalleled ferocity.Under the leadership of figures like Callide, the extraterrestrials were simply no match for them.The Southern, Western, and Devil Regions were reclaimed quickly, yet everyone from the Celestial Realm remained vigilant, for war conti
Outside the Heaven Palace, the few who had been appointed Dominus Noster along with a cohort of quasi-royal celestials were faced with the grim reality at hand.Clad in resplendent hues, Callide—who was their leader and carried the title Dominus Noster Arcanum—donned celestial attire woven from stars and the galaxy. With a regal bearing, she commanded from atop a cloud, "Follow me, my brethren! We shall vanquish the extraterrestrials in the Devil Realm!""At your command, Dominus Noster Arcanum!""Yes, Dominus Noster Arcanum!"With their resounding battle cries, streams of light surged across the Nine Heavens Ten Lands, converging upon the territories occupied by the extraterrestrials—they were the Devil Region, Southern Region, and the Western Region.Amidst the vibrant rainbow, a towering figure emerged, blotting out the sky and earth. Everyone recognized that figure as Severin, and knew that the battle against the quasi-celestial regents would soon begin.Adrian, who was alrea
Armin then spoke with a calm authority, "You cannot remain in this time and space, for you are from the future. It is time you return."As he uttered these words, Severin sensed an invisible force pushing against him and urging him to depart.Standing upon the river of time, he overlooked the tumult of the quasi-celestial regent conflict looming below. He mumbled Armin's counsel, "By receiving nourishment, shattering constraints, tearing open chaos, and reaching the other side…" As Severin pondered over those revelations for an indefinite amount of time, clarity dawned upon him like the sudden rising sun. "So that's the way!"By the time he snapped to his senses, he discovered that his primal spirit had traversed countless epochs in the river of time. "Did I spend that long in the river of time?" he asked himself. Fortunately, the duration he spent in the river of time was but a fleeting moment in the real world.Severin's resolve solidified. Though his brief discourse with Armin,
Severin could sense the mental connection between himself and the weapon, almost as if it was an extension of himself. Severin then raised his gaze to the celestial expanse beyond."I'm almost on Armin's level now that I've made a breakthrough to the rank of quasi-celestial sovereign. However, facing the extraterrestrials' quasi-celestial regents isn't going to be easy meat for me," he mused aloud.Armin was once the sovereign architect of the Imperial Court and the ruler of the Celestial Realm, yet even he found himself at the mercy of the attack of Heaven's Will. Even a mighty quasi-celestial sovereign was reduced to naught but dust.Severin felt the weight of the responsibility settle upon him. Confronting the two quasi-celestial regents would require him to transcend to the realm of celestial sovereign—a realm of which he had scant knowledge of.He understood the concept of the celestial sovereign only in the context of attaining liberation through enlightenment via the 3,000 p
In the vast expanse of the chaotic sea, occasional gusts of strong wind whipped up the formidable chaotic energy. A single whirlpool could claim the life of even a true immortal.Amidst that tumult, two colossal figures lay prone within the abyss. They emanated an aura of unparalleled power, commanding even the paths to heed their authority. The turbid breath exhaled in their slumber had the capacity to tear the fabric of the chaotic void, unveiling dreamlike cosmic chiliocosms.They were the progenitors of the extraterrestrial race, the alpha and omega of the enigmatic beings. Their names were Infernatur and Damnatur. To the uninitiated, and sometimes even to their own kind, it was widely believed that Infernatur and Damnatur were distinct entities. However, they were but facets of the same being.Infernatur could be deemed the primordial offspring of chaos itself, having borne witness to the most primitive and barbaric epochs of the Bleu Celestial Realm. Being born of chaos, he po
Heaven Palace could now boast four royal celestials, along with nearly 20 quasi-royal celestials and 5,000 true immortals. Those esteemed individuals once served the Longevity Alliance, Clear Wind Sect, Tri Celestial Island, and Ingeni Paradise. While their numbers paled in comparison to the 120,000 true immortals during the ancient Imperial Court's heyday, Severin was confident that he could revive that with time. After all, the new Imperial Court had only just been re-established, and there was still more work to do.Severin then addressed the assembly, "As you continue raising your attainment, you shall have to anticipate the looming threat of conflict with the extraterrestrials. Now that you have are bestowed with titles as the custodians of heaven and earth, it is our solemn duty to reciprocate the blessings bestowed upon us.""Yes, we shall!" echoed the resolute affirmation from the gathered immortals.Having concluded his address, Severin went to speak briefly with Diane and
In the Heaven Palace, Callide sensed that the aura emanating from Severin was simultaneously as vast the sky and ocean but as indiscernible as that of a mortal. Tremors of terror gripped her, as she knew that he had far surpassed the realm of a cultivator who had attained the perfect-stage royal celestial. It was no exaggeration to say that Severin could obliterate a royal celestial with a mere thought.Balke, Libra, and Creatia shared Callide's apprehension. To them, Severin embodied the very essence of the path—intangible, silent, abstruse, incomprehensible, and undetectable.As the imperial robe adorned Severin, Balke and the others bowed in reverence. "Long live the Celestial Sovereign!" they chanted in unison.A subtle wave of fortune floated toward the heavenly heart imprint as Severin acknowledged their worship with a satisfied smile. He raised his hand and lifted them effortlessly with an unseen force.With a thunderous voice that resonated in their ears, Severin proclaimed
The true immortals, quasi-royal celestials, and even the eminent royal celestials held their breath. Everyone observed in silence as Severin wielded the heavenly heart imprint.With each strand of luck infused into the heavenly heart imprint, Severin sensed his dominion over the Bleu Celestial Realm becoming stronger. He had the feeling that he could reshape the world with only a single thought.Once the destinies of tens of thousands of races were bound with the heavenly heart imprint, the golden tourmaline quivered violently and radiated an aura that could be felt across the Nine Heavens Ten Lands. Acknowledging the momentous occasion, Severin tapped his forehead and directed a fragment of his soul to command the heavenly heart imprint. The 3,000 great paths within him erupted from his being and materialized."Today shall be the day that I, Severin, rebuild the Imperial Court in the Nine Heavens! As wielder of the great path, the world shall be inscribed in me, and I shall embody