"Felcro?" The mention of that name roused bloodlust in Daniel, and it emanated off of him in waves. "If that sly old fox so much as lay a finger on my son, I will slice his head off! Claude, summon our men! We're going to Imperial City!" Daniel roared.Claude was about to carry out that order and summon all the warriors they had when a servant came running in. "Mr. Greenshade, Mr. Gaia wishes to see you."'Gaia? Why is Douglas here?'Daniel and his brothers looked concerned. Claude blurted, "Why is the old man here all of a sudden? I thought he went to Imperial City.""Maybe there's a change we don't know about," Winston said.Daniel, however, looked outside coldly. A few moments later, he said, "Very well. Since he's here, let him in.""Yes, Mr. Greenshade."A moment later, Douglas walked into the great hall. Claude shot him an icy look, as if he would attack Douglas at any moment. Douglas, however, was grinning. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Mr. Greenshade, given the sudden
Only after Douglas had said that did Daniel and his brother's bloodlust recede. Daniel, especially, had been enduring bloodthirstiness due to the estrangement of his son sixteen years ago.If anyone had attacked Nox, Daniel would have marched Imperia and taken their lives. However, Douglas' news gave him peace of mind. "Was the emperor alerted to my son's actions?" Daniel asked the most important question."He did…" Douglas sighed."And what did he do?" Daniel asked quickly. Claude and Winston looked at Douglas nervously.After all, this was the emperor, and what Nox did could warrant death. Douglas smiled. "Worry not, Mr. Greenshade. The emperor has swept it under the rug. By his orders, anyone who spreads the news will be killed, and their families will share that fate as well."Daniel's eyes shone. "So, the emperor did not blame my son for his actions.""He does, but the emperor is magnanimous, and given Nox's contributions to the nation, he let the matter slide," Douglas said
"The lord not only left a gash on the walls, but he also left a gash among the people. I'm afraid we're going to have a lot of trouble after this," Keith blurted."Uh, why are you worried, Keith?" Bear was confused."Of course, you don't understand. Out of the Three Great Powers, only the clans have made their appearance. The powerful families and sects are still in hiding," Keith said quietly.He was right. Bear and Bard fell silent after hearing that. They knew Keith wasn't trying to spook them.Eventually, Bear blurted, "They would better not step in. If any family or sect tries to, they'll be slaughtered."Keith said nothing and just looked into the distance solemnly.…On the western outskirts of Imperia, an ancient, stained wall stood. It was the wall of an ancient city in Imperia, which had been around for a thousand years. This was Imperia's oldest region. Compared to the skyscrapers around them, the place looked insignificant.Beyond this region was the desert that wen
Frontal Gates was the first entrance of Imperia. A group of people was standing there, their faces icy."The four ancient clans died here?" an old man in a green shirt asked. He was standing in the lead, with not a strand of hair on his face. He had the aura of a powerful, oppressive Top Legend Realm."Yes, Mr. Simmer!" a middle-aged man answered."The ancient clans have existed for hundreds of years, yet they were annihilated in a single day. What a tragedy." Mr. Simmer looked at Frontal Gates coldly."Mr. Simmer, the clans have raised the flag of justice, demanding an explanation for us. As the biggest representative, you must avenge us, Mr. Simmer," the middle-aged man said.Bolson's eyes shimmered darkly. "Don't worry. Though the clans rank last among the Three Great Powers, sixty percent of all warriors come from us. Those who make an enemy out of us will perish!"However, the taboo of Mystia made sure Top Legend Realms may never roam this land or enter Imperia," Bolson said
"Shut it, old man! Get out of the way if you know what's best for you, or I'll trash your carriage!" The burly Jobby glared at the carriage.The old man rubbed his nose. "You want to trash the carriage? Yeah, you can try, but my horses are probably going to kill you easily.""You're asking for it!" Jobby lived a life of arrogance. The old man's refusal to move fueled his rage. He roared and darted at the carriage like a gigantic arrow.Jobby's fists were covered in strongwind, and the wind howled the moment he lashed out. It was as if he wanted to destroy the carriage with a single blow.The old man didn't even look at the guy. He just tugged on the reins gently, and the three crimson horses neighed thunderously. The biggest horse raised its hooves and slammed them into Jobby's chest.The burly Grandmaster was sent flying away before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood spurted from his mouth and nose, and he couldn't get back up.The warriors' eyes went wide. No o
Hearing that, the warriors were flabbergasted. They wondered if Bolson had gone mad, for proposing to kill them all over a coachman was insane."No. The mistress is not fond of the stench of blood. Get out of our way and let us through," the unkempt old man said with a wave of his hand."Yes, of course. Thank you for your generosity, sir. We'll make a path." Bolson waved at the clans. "Make way!"The clans quickly made a big path for the carriage to pass. After that, the coachman commanded his horses to enter Imperia.Bolson saw the carriage off and waved goodbye. "Goodbye, sir."Under everyone's shocked gazes, the carriage clinked and clanked as it trundled into Imperia. After it was out of sight, Bolson heaved a sigh of relief."What was that, Mr. Simmer? Who was that coachman? Why did you bow to him?" a Top Legend Realm asked as he sidled up to Bolson."Don't you recognize him, Mr. Morrison?"Mr. Morrison shook his head."Forty years ago, a Six Paths Top Legend Realm made a
"Dear lord! So that's why you were so respectful. I see now!" Only then was Mr. Morrison enlightened. He looked in the direction where the carriage had disappeared and bowed deeply.Bolson gazed in the same direction as well, muttering, "So the legendary Drunk has been hiding in Imperial City all this time. What a shock."…A carriage was trundling down the path of Imperia, and it garnered a lot of surprised looks. The coachman was Drunk."Drunk, I think they recognized you," a silvery voice said.A riding crop in hand, Drunk was drinking while urging his horses to run. Nonchalantly, he said, "I've been in hiding for forty years. Even if they recognize me, I'm not the same man they know."The princess chortled. "You can drop the act, old man.""But it's true. Talent is everywhere, and they always make a name for themselves. Take Lord Nox, for example. They say he's invincible and has unimaginable power," Drunk replied."Of course! Why do you think I fell for him?" There was a h
"I have a question, old man. Why did the clans gather at Imperia?" Nineve asked.Urging the horses, Drunk rubbed his nose. "Probably because of the man you love.""Nox?""Precisely. My sources told me that some clans' Top Legend Realms made an appearance in Imperia without permission recently. They were killed at Frontal Gates, and Mr. Gaia was alerted to it. I suspect that Nox did it."After all, when he was crowned lord, he made a rule where the Three Great Powers were forbidden from participating in politics. That includes families and sects. After the news of his apparent death spread, the Three Great Powers had nothing to be afraid of anymore, so they started making their move. But little did they know that he was still alive."The princess said, "My lover would never die so easily.""Of course, princess," Drunk lamented."The fools tried to attack my lover? They deserve death!" Nineve said imposingly."We don't need to worry about the clans. However, I can't say the same
'What? Griffin was a sworn brother to Magic Mountain's founder?!'"That's right," confirmed the formation master. "He only told us recently."As the first to learn of this connection, he had shared it with the Saints of the Five Elements, ensuring they wouldn't betray their alliance. Using the promise of ascension as leverage, he managed to secure their cooperation. After all, the Great Saint of Fire had already reached the threshold for ascension.The risks were minimal, and upon ascending to the Transcendent Firmament, the Magic Mountain's founder would surely offer his guidance. For that reason alone, the five mentors had rallied to aid Nox.With such mighty forces gathered, morale on Nox's side soared. Meanwhile, the Whitefield family's spirits plummeted, crashing from the heights of hope to the depths of despair in mere moments. The mental strain caused several of their weaker-willed members to break completely.With dread settling over them, the Whitefields could only place
The Whitefields were getting cocky, but then they realized the powerhouses that came weren't responding. The aura was powerful, but there was no life in it. On closer inspection, they noticed that the leader of the group only had half a body left. His soul was missing. The quartet behind him was nothing but a pile of mincemeat.The portal buzzed again, and seven silhouettes came out. Five of them felt domineering, and they looked prideful. It almost felt like they were peerless. These people were none other than the Saints of the Five Elements.Four of them were Pinnacle Minor Saints. While one had an aura so strong, this place couldn't handle it."A Great Saint! Great Saint of Fire!" Fiery Ignis, Dominic, and Achille couldn't believe their eyes.It had been too long since Mystia saw a Great Saint, and he was Nox's mentor."So, he's the one who broke through first. But now he's already hit his bottleneck. The other four's power isn't enough. If the Sacred Beast Seal isn't upgraded
The Montgomerys and the Byrds decided to see Nox together, but they were refused. They were cursing Nox and calling him disrespectful, but then they saw Nox and his team taking a portal to the path of the ancient divine."What? He went right to them? Why? He's going to fight the Celestial Lord now?" The representatives were shocked.'How dare they!' they thought.Nox and his team went through the portal quickly and appeared right over the Whitefields' place. The Whitefield family was the newest member of the divine four and the real mastermind behind the Inkdarks' demise."Kirin, I told you I'd take you back here someday. I told you that when we come back, the Whitefields will be no more. If you can't do it, I can wipe them out for you." Nox looked at Kirin."Don't look down on me, milord. You don't need to dirty your hands for them. I'll do it!" Kirin summoned his avatar, and with Saint power infused, the avatar turned into a real beast. The sacred beast itself descended upon the
"Time to finish this. My lord's going to the path of the ancient divine next. You should decide who's going to take over after the Celestial Lord is taken down. That's all. Now let's talk about our personal business. Listen up, anyone who had a part in attacking my family, tell your clans that I'm coming for them. I'm killing all of you!"Bloodlust filled the air, and the representatives were shocked. "You killed your own family. Yes, we made them attack you, but we never wanted to wipe it out!" the Whitefields' representative said.Kirin flew into a rage. "How low can you go? You forced them to kill me, or you would wipe us out instead! You think I'm stupid? You'd have killed my family either way! I know how you guys function. You're crueler than any beast out there. Listen up, there's still time to plan for your funeral. You'd better make a good plan."Kirin chased everyone away. The families were going back to prepare for battle, but two remained behind. One was the Byrds' repres
Nox's Magick Sword crushed the enemy leader's soul. "I said I would cut you down, and I did. Now do you see who's the ignorant one?"The enemy leader realized that Nox was the man at the pinnacle. Perhaps the moment Nox became a faux Saint, he was already no match for him. "So what if you can kill me? You are Faeast's Sovereign, and you have a duty to push Faeast to power. But the Celestial Lord still exists. As long as he is around, your wish will never be fulfilled." He sneered."Is that so? Well, he's next on the list to be culled. If anyone tries to make an enemy out of me, I will destroy them and their families, even if they are from the path of the ancient divine!"Nox shattered the remains of the soul, and the path of the martial's leader was no more. The problem harassing Faeast for millennia could be solved at long last. Achille was stunned. It hadn't been that long, but Nox had surpassed him.Nox was better than him in every way. He was an even better swordsman than Achil
The enemy leader was waiting. One technique broken wasn't enough to take Nox out. He wanted to wait until Nox had cast all he knew and find an opening to take him down, but Nox wanted to take him down with the power of the sword."You're stubborn. Very well, this makes things easier for me. I'll kill you, or at the very least, wound you!" He'd be stupid not to take advantage of this. The enemy leader's avatar morphed into a gigantic fist and slammed into Nox's chest.The impact shot through his body and reached his soul. Nox spat blood, and his soul was injured.Achille couldn't stand by anymore. Nox just told him not to push himself, but he wasn't taking his own advice. Then, Nox's weak will-of-the-sword shone blindingly, and then Unto the Origin appeared once more."Even under my pressure, you can use this technique? You're strong, but you're as stubborn as your mentor. You've lost your chance! Die! You'll never get here in time, Achille! Shadowkill!"The enemy leader's avatar t
"He couldn't even kill Nameless, and he only became an Ascendant through the Heavenly Dao's blessing. However, I can already summon the High Heavens' spiritual energy! How will you cut me down now?" With the spiritual energy he summoned, the enemy leader stirred the clouds, and Nox's will-of-the-sword was getting haywire.Nox scoffed. "The Heavenly Dao's blessing? You think he managed that because of a blessing? And you call yourself the leader of the path of the martial. You know nothing.""And why do you say so?" the enemy leader asked solemnly.Nox took a deep breath and stared at the enemy leader. "The heavens gave me glory, and not even I would say I am blessed by the Heavenly Dao. The founder ascended to save Faeast's people. He wanted someone from the High Heavens to kill Nameless. Answer me this: if you don't have enough power, would you challenge the Heavenly Dao for your faction?"Nox challenged, "If you fail an ascension, you will be destroyed, and that includes your sou
"So, your student's here. If he was one moment later, you'd be dead," the black-robed man said, sneering.Achille did not look happy at all. He looked at Nox with chastise in his eyes. Nox was worried about him. If he didn't show up, Achille would die."This is no sparring session, master. This is about the people of the world. If you want to spar with someone, Dominic and Voltaic are your real rivals. If you want to fight them after this, I won't stop you," said Nox.That managed to calm Achille down. He felt ashamed. "Heavens, my mindset was a mess just now. I thought I could face death calmly, but…""Every living being will try their best to survive, you told me that. We only sacrifice ourselves if the outcome is worth it. Now that I'm here, sacrificing yourself is just being stupid," said Nox.Achille sighed, but he was glad that his student could be so understanding about so many things. It was his honor. "Very well, then we shall kill this leader. You're right. This is no sp
Black Tortoise was stunned. 'So, they're serious?'He stared at the enemies and asked coldly, "Is this offer serious? You'd better not be lying to me.""You think we'd lie? We could trample you easily if we wanted to, but your damn lord is on his way back here!" The captains wanted to surrender immediately, or they might actually die.Black Tortoise was a little hesitant. If Nox was on his way back, he'd never give these people a chance to surrender. That could only mean one thing. The battle was inconclusive, but Aphrodite's plan worked. At least the powerhouses were taken down.The ten powerhouses were the path of the martial's true pillars. The enemies were surrendering without any one of them here, however. That could only mean that something had happened to them."Very well, I accept your terms and offer to surrender. But you'll have to tear down your defenses while the sacred beasts set up a formation," said Black Tortoise.The captains hesitated, but the powerhouses urged