Not too long after, Rivera and Gold were brought into the chamber like criminals. Rivera quickly went down on his knees. "Commander, division leader, please, have mercy on me. I'm sorry!"Draco said coldly, "You bastard. I told you to attend the ball, and you let your nephew run amok and took in my lord? Only death awaits you! Guards, drag him away and shoot him dead."Rivera felt all the strength in his body sapped. "Commander, please, have mercy!"Draco would show none. Rivera was dragged away, and a bang echoed in the air. The lieutenant colonel was no more. Gold was already scared out of his wits, and now he wet his pants.Draco shot Gold an icy look. "And you. You raised your son to be nothing but a scum, and he tried to challenge my lord. From this moment onward, your family's wealth is confiscated, and you're exiled from this city. Forever. Now scram!"That command alone stripped Gold of all his wealth, and he was but an exile now. Then Draco turned to Nox. "Milord, are the
Draco shot up from his seat, and so did Alexander. Both did not look happy at all."Milord, how is that possible? Aphrodite is your…" Draco couldn't finish his sentence. He had no idea how."You're wondering why my erstwhile fiancee tried to kill me, yes?" Nox asked."Yes."Nox revealed a smile, but it soon turned into a twisted one. "I did not expect Aphrodite to stab me in the back either. The weaklings were no match for me. They could send out the strongest Legends, and they wouldn't even be able to defeat me. My 'demise' was thanks to Aphrodite."Hatred flared in Nox's eyes. "That night, she served me alcohol laced with poison. She used the strongest poison, Kirin Firepoison, against me. If it were not for her, no one could've defeated me," he hissed.Draco and Alexander were flabbergasted. This was the first time Nox ever told anyone about the truth behind the Battle of the Ten Nations. Everyone thought Nox defeated the ten nations by giving up his own life.They had no ide
Draco could understand that. As Nox said, the Mousse Family's strength was immeasurable. Not even Nox knew how powerful they were. After all, the family had survived for a thousand years.Legend had it that they had enough wealth to rival a country. Some said they had powerful warriors lining the family. Even their servants were top warriors.Draco clenched his fists. "Damn that family. Someday I will make them pay for harming my lord."After telling them the truth about the battle, Nox said, "Let's put this to rest for now, Draco. Just remember to keep the news of my survival a secret."Draco nodded solemnly. "I understand."Nox stretched his arms."Milord, do you know of the cure for Kirin Firepoison? If you require my services, I will do anything to hunt down the cure," said Alexander.Nox said, "It's alright, Alex. No one can cure this poison. Unless you can gather three cold herbs that are a thousand years old each and make a dose of Bloodchanger, nothing can cure this pois
George thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes, but he still saw Nox and Alexander standing together. His jaw went slack. It almost felt like Alexander was the servant, while Nox was his master.Nox and Alexander made small talk, and Alexander left, while Nox went into the residence. George was starting to get uneasy as Nox came closer.He wondered, 'How'd he come back so soon? Didn't the Joshtons capture him? Did Alexander save him? But that's not right. How did he know the richest man of Riverton? Wait, did Queenie ask Alexander for help?'A light bulb lit up in George's head. He thought, 'I bet it is.' He thought his daughter must've begged Alexander to save Nox, and he got all proud and important. He mused, 'My daughter's awesome.'Nox saw George, and he said, "Hello, Mr. Sanders."George harrumphed. With mockery, he said, "Oh, you're released fast. Not bad."Nox smiled, but he said nothing."Greenshade, was that Alexander Weeks who took you back?"Nox didn't expec
She trudged into her house and saw her mother. Yvette quickly approached her daughter."Queenie, you're back." She then saw her daughter's puffy eyes and the tears hanging on her eyelashes. She asked, "Why'd you cry? Tell me, what happened?"Queenie was reminded of all the things that had happened, and she burst into tears. "Mom, Nono didn't kill anyone. He only said that to save me! Please, trust me! Help Nono!"Yvette was puzzled. "What are you talking about? I thought you saved Greenshade."Queenie's crying stopped at once, but she was bemused.Yvette said, "I mean, you asked Mr. Weeks to save Greenshade, didn't you?""What? Nono's back?" Queenie shouted in disbelief."Yeah, he came home in the afternoon. Don't you know that?"Queenie paused for a few moments, and she quickly asked, "You're not lying to me, are you? Is Nono really back?""Why would I lie to you? He's back. Just go to his room and see for yourself."Queenie ran upstairs and charged at Nox's room like a madw
Nox couldn't tell Queenie he did kill Silas. She was just a civilian, and the truth would scare her.Just like that, the Joshtons' fiasco was over, but Queenie couldn't understand why Nox was released for no reason. She thought the Joshtons actually did it out of the kindness of their hearts. She came out of Nox's room and felt a lot brighter.George appeared all of a sudden. "Queenie.""Dad? Why are you here?" Queenie asked curiously."Come here, Queenie. We need to talk," said George mysteriously."About what?""Just come over and you'll find out." George beckoned at his daughter.Queenie really wanted to know, so she followed her father into the courtyard. She asked, "What is it, Dad?"George looked at Nox's room and asked, "Queenie, tell me. How did the talk with Alexander go?""What talk? What are you talking about, Dad?" Queenie was speechless."You think you can keep it a secret? You're dating Alexander, aren't you?"Queenie couldn't believe it. "What are you saying,
Queenie thought, 'Oh no. That geezer really does like me. What should I do now?'George looked at his quiet daughter and smiled. "I think Mr. Weeks is a nice guy, Queenie. He is actually courting you. Anyone else would be moved, wouldn't they?"Queenie was in a rut."Queenie, listen to me. Ask Mr. Weeks out for a meal and talk things out. And thank him sincerely. I know you don't like him because he's old, but he's a man. So what if he's older? That's all I have to say. And you're kicking Greenshade out. If Mr. Weeks finds out you're harboring a guy, it won't look good."After that, George went away, leaving Queenie looking troubled.…The next dawn, Nox woke up and started meditating. Morning came, and Nox noticed Queenie hadn't gone out for work, so he sought her out. He went to her room only to see her seated on the window sill, melancholic.Her head rested on her hands, and there was a troubled look on her face. Curious, Nox went closer. "What's wrong, Queenie? Why are you s
Queenie answered, "I'm telling you, I know he likes me. No other explanation for his helping me all the time. And he gave me a diamond worth billions on the ball a few days ago. Do you have any idea how expensive that thing is, Nono?"A frown furrowed Nox's forehead. He mused, 'Well, damn. All I wanted was for Alex to be nice to Queenie, and she thinks he likes her. Guess he'll have to come up with an explanation.'Queenie thought Nox was silent because of the mention of the billion-dollar diamond. She quickly said, "Are you mad because someone gave me a diamond that expensive, Nono? Don't worry, I'm not that superficial."She said, "The diamond was pretty, but I didn't care about it. I gave it back to Alexander." She held Nox's hand. "I won't dump you. I know you lost your memories and might only be a mechanic, but it's alright. Nothing's more valuable than genuine feelings."She continued, "You attracted me, so I'm not going to dump you, not even for the richest man in this city.
"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
The five powerhouses were persuading and threatening the captain to surrender, but if they did, how would they handle the faction leader's wrath? Left with no choice, they had to tell the captains that the faction leader was dead, and Nox killed him. They had to ask for Aphrodite's help to keep the faction safe."We're surrendering to protect our faction. We need to live if we want revenge. Dying now will mean nothing. Nox will return to Faeast soon, and he will join the fray before you know it. Not even the faction leader is a match for him. You can never even touch him no matter what you do."The captains finally accepted the orders. They would feign a surrender and save whatever power they had left. Jacques was furious."You're surrendering? This is a scam! What if the faction leader isn't dead? What would you do? You'd be traitors! Don't fall for her tricks!"If Nox was really that powerful, the guy who would be commanding their forces here would be Kirin. They were asking the
"Make your choice, or once the battle starts, this opportunity won't come again," Aphrodite urged. They were hesitating, and she gave them an ultimatum. She counted down from three."Three, two, one…"The five stopped hesitating. They'd come in contact with Aphrodite before. She was not the kind of woman who would accept any pleas after she took back her offer. They presented their souls and signed a contract with Aphrodite.Aphrodite smiled evilly. 'They think they can get a new body just because they changed sides? It's not that easy.'Nox had the power to recreate bodies, but the price was dear. When he did it for her last time, it set up a blockade for him on his path to power, or he would've been more than just a One-ring Minor Saint.The five noticed something wrong once the contract was signed, but it was too late for regrets. Aphrodite said coldly, "I want you to tell your faction's men to surrender. Anyone who's preparing to fight or already fighting on the borders, I don
The remaining enemies pulled back their aura and decided to wait and see what would happen. Aphrodite appeared in the formation a while later. Even though she betrayed Nox and killed a lot of Faeast's people, she still gained Nox's trust and took an important position for herself. The enemies did not look happy at all."I have a feeling your family had this all planned out. You played both sides, and no matter who wins, your family benefits," the strongest of the enemy said darkly.Jacques worked for the path of the martial, while Aphrodite returned to Nox. No matter who won the final battle, the Mousses would lose nothing."Whatever you say. You do not have the privilege to play both sides. Nox is on his way to fight your leader. Once the outcome is settled, your choice doesn't matter. Even if your leader wins, even if Nox dies, you can't survive. You have two choices. Self-destruct and end your path of cultivation, or give your soul and atone for your sins like me," said Aphrodite
Dominic was the world's top swordsman. He wouldn't let a young guy like Kirin look down on him. Kirin only laughed. "World's top swordsman? Come on, old man. Don't push yourself. You're the second best now.""You bastard! He only got to me because I was distracted. I'll show you why I'm the best! Come, Heaven's Fountain!" Dominic's sword flew into the air and summoned a heavenly fountain from the skies. The water spilled and turned into a structure a thousand feet tall.Heaven's Fountain was at the heart of this sword domain. Within the domain, Dominic could teleport, and he could go anywhere inside the domain. He was handling all nine enemies easily. They couldn't even stop him, and soon, Dominic's sword was dicing them up."Perfect!" Kirin grinned and dispelled his avatar. He melted into the shadows and cut off the enemies like a blade of darkness. Kirin was a very genuine fighter. He might be obsessed with combat, but he didn't much care about honor or fairness. There was only on
He held up two fingers, and one sword split into ten thousand. He swung his fingers, and the sea of swords sliced through all the escaping enemies. The enemies' leaders were shocked and furious. They couldn't believe Nox was this powerful. They thought Nox was only on par with Kirin, but no. He was stronger.And they hated him for destroying the path of the martial's foundation. They spent so much time and resources raising these elites, but Nox and Kirin killed them all in the blink of an eye. Even if they could escape unscathed, their faction was already chipped away. Not even a thousand years was enough to heal up.Worse, Nox wasn't going to let them escape unscathed. "The God of Murder, the pinnacle of the path of the ancient divine, and the world's strongest swordsman. They're working together. We might not get out of this alive."The enemies knew Nox and his team wouldn't let them escape, and they gave up on retreating. If they did, none of them could escape. They had to work
The voice rumbled the mountains themselves. Kirin, in his sacred beast form, descended upon the path of the sword. He was the size of a hill, and he crashed into Edgegrounds. However, not only did he not destroy the place, but his Saint energy's timely infusion replenished the formation's power.Dos felt energy coursing through his veins, and a wave of incredible will-of-the-sword spread everywhere. It swept through everything in a few miles, and tens of thousands of enemies were culled.No one in Faeast knew Kirin, but Mystia's people knew he was a madman. A killer. A butcher. And he was the God of Murder's follower. If he was here, Nox wasn't far behind.Nox was nearby, and the swordsmen's morale rose at a blistering speed once the news hit them. The path of the martial's people, however, felt their hearts stopping. They lost tens of thousands of elites at once, and their morale had never been lower."Finally. If you had come one moment later, we'd be gone," Dos roared, crawling