The emperor looked up into the distance. "I had high hopes for the boy many years ago, but fate played a funny game with us. The chase for power drove me to a decision I regret most. That one case sixteen years ago…"He continued, "Now, the Three Great Powers wish to rise again, and I must once again put my hopes in the boy. If I were to enter the fray, the peace we have gained, that was paid for dearly in red, would be destroyed."Felcro bowed. "A most wise decision, Your Majesty.""Incorrect. I have erred in my judgment. That shall not happen again. Felcro, I have a decree. Tell him that he has my support no matter what he does. And give this to him."The emperor took out an ancient sword and gave it to Felcro. Legends had it that the sword was made with the copper the gods harvested from First Mountain. It was wielded by the Yellow Emperor.This ancient sword was golden in color. On one side, the sun, moon, and stars were engraved. On the other, mountains, rivers, trees, and gr
"I'll kill that bastard! Why did he do this to me? Old man, why would he pick a celebrity but not me? Is she better than me?" Nineve cried to the old man beside her.Drunk frowned. He had no idea what to say. The man had lived for two hundred years. Romantic love was something in the distant past for him. "It is alright, Your Highness. Perhaps he only fell for her in a moment of passion? I have a feeling he would return to you once he snaps out of it."Nineve refused to listen. "I don't care if he wants me back now! I hate him! I want to kill him! His death is the only reprieve for me!"Drunk mused, 'Never anger a woman. They might kill you if they cannot be with you. This is a nightmare.' He would never dare say that out loud, however.While Nineve was immersed in her sadness, a servant came running in. "Your Highness, Mr. Cloud wishes to see you."Nineve said, "Denied! Tell him to piss off!"Knowing Nineve was heartbroken, the servant quickly said, "Yes."She was about to leav
Nineve looked at Carmenio coldly. "And how did you know?""Simply by chance. I overheard someone's conversation. Forgive me, Your Highness," said Carmenio quickly.Nineve had never liked the cabinet. If it were not for Nox hurting her, she would never have aided them back at Euphony Pavilion. However, Nineve hated Nox after knowing he had snubbed her for another woman. She could not accept that he was sharing a hug with a celebrity.The mention of Nox's name soured her mood even further. "So, you know of his crimes. Then, can you kill him? To ease my pain?""I will do it even if it costs me my life, Your Highness. All you have to do is say the word," said Carmenio."Ah, so you do wish to kill him. Unfortunately, the cabinet, as far as I know, possesses not the strength to take him down," Nineve mocked.Carmenio wasn't mad. Instead, he divulged, "You are correct, Your Highness. The cabinet alone is no match for Nox, but if we have Mr. Blackstone in the mix, then it changes things.
When Drunk heard the plan, he wasted no time shaking his head with disapproval. The princess was a fearless and spoiled lady. She could do anything if she was furious. Drunk looked at Horatio with narrowed eyes. "Hm?" He was staring intently at Horatio.Slivers of purple light appeared in his eyes, and they covered Horatio. Through the light, Drunk saw a ball of shadow clinging to the insides of Horatio. The shadow was vague, almost like a spirit. Or shadow."They say the geniuses of the Philosophers have Guardians following them everywhere. That explains this brat's audacity," Drunk muttered and said nothing more.Nineve and the Blackstones reached an agreement. Horatio and Carmenio left the mansion.Drunk approached the princess. "Your Highness, are you really going to work with them and kill the little monster?" He was talking about Nox."Yeah. That bastard broke my heart and hurt me. I can't let him off the hook for such a slight!" said Nineve angrily."But this isn't the way
Madison had been taking care of Nox ever since she started staying with him. Nox could not get used to it just yet. His intention was to keep Madison safe and her Yin Spirit Physique unharmed by the Underworld. However, the celebrity was treating him like a boyfriend. "I made some dessert for you, Greenie. Have some.""Did you dirty your clothes, Greenie? Why don't I wash them for you?""Are you tired, Greenie? I can give you a massage."Madison's actions were giving Nox a bit of a headache. "You don't have to do this, Maddie. I'll teach you a manual, and you can start cultivating. Is that alright?"In order to avoid Madison, Nox had to use the excuse of asking her to cultivate."Cultivation, huh? But I've never learned anything of the sort. Awesome told me that cultivators start young so they can build a solid foundation. I'm already an adult. Wouldn't it be too late to cultivate?""For most people your age, it would be too late, but you have the Yin Spirit Physique, so there'
He also had to find Azure Dragon, who was imprisoned in the Underworld. The thought of Azure Dragon summoned Nox's bloodlust."The Underworld. Mystia failed to eradicate you a hundred years ago, but I will make sure you are destroyed this time!"Time went by. After the Underworld's appearance, the three commanders were put in charge of the Shadow Division's recon mission.Only Augustus was left in the courtyard, meditating and tempering his swordheart in silence. He was only fourteen years old, yet he radiated the air of a divine swordsman, and none would dare to underestimate him.He was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Invisible sword energy flowed around him. A fly flew by him, and the sword energy sliced it to pieces.Awesome clicked his tongue. "The boss' brother is awesome. That sword energy is stronger than that of Mystia's so-called genius swordsmen. He's going to be a divine swordsman at this rate," Awesome muttered, staring at Augustus.A while later, the monk approa
Awesome made hand seals, and a manji appeared on his forehead. A gigantic barrier, golden in color, covered the courtyard. This was the Vajra Barrier, a technique exclusive to Enlightenment.The monk leveled up its power, however. The moment Augustus' sword energy hit the barrier, the air was rattled with a deafening boom, but the barrier was unbroken."Well, come on. Let's see how you can dice me!" Awesome grinned, provoking Augustus.Augustus was so angry his face turned red. "Forbidden Art, Seven Stars!" As Seven Stars was cast, a dark red aura burst from Augustus' body. The sky suddenly darkened, as if night had taken over. Seven stars twinkled in the skies above.At the same time, slivers of dark red energy flowed from Augustus."Oh, you know a Forbidden Art? Nice. Did boss teach you that? Damn, he's so unfair. Why didn't he teach me one of those?" Awesome taunted.Augustus did not care. The Forbidden Art had turned his body dark red, and his eyes were filled with bloodlust.
"And you!" Nox looked at Awesome coldly.The monk shivered. Nox strode up to him and smacked his head hard. "Why did you taunt my brother, you brat? Do it again, and I will whoop your ass, do you understand?" Nox said coldly.Awesome rubbed his head, but he didn't argue. "Fine. I'm sorry, boss. I'm sorry. Stop hitting my head. You'll make me stupid.""And you deserve it!" Nox knew how short-tempered these two could be. If he did not teach them a lesson, they would cause trouble.The boys hung their heads low and stopped arguing after they were scolded."Alright, leave. We have a VIP coming." Nox suddenly looked into the distance."A VIP? Where are they?" Awesome was confused."They're here." Nox raised his head.A figure appeared at the courtyard's entrance. He wore a tall hat and donned the attire of an eunuch. He had skin as fair as snow. "My humblest greetings, Lord Nox. I apologize for this intrusion."It was a surprising visit from Felcro. The one who addressed him first
Harley sneered, having nothing but disdain for Atlas. "I can't believe the master would employ a shithead like you."Atlas laughed. "You think you're so high and mighty, but you're also Lord Nox's lapdog now. I am his subordinate, and we have a close relationship. I'm also the uncle of the emperor. That makes me Lord Nox's great-uncle," bragged Atlas."Dumbass. Just do your fucking job. Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise told me the Mousses might try something," Harley cursed.The mention of the Mousses made Atlas panic, but he calmed himself down and snored. "The Mousses? They won't dare do anything when I'm here. If they show up, I'll kick their ass! I command thirty thousand units. If they come to Imperia, it'll be the last thing they see!" Atlas was confident.Harley was speechless. 'My word, how can he be such a braggart?'With thirty thousand Nox Army units in Imperia, combined with the Forbidden Army, the regular guards, and 200 thousand elites protecting Imperia, nothing co
Vermilion Bird said, "Azure Dragon used to be an Advanced Eight Gates. After the Mousses had him under their control, he became a Supreme. Judging by these photos, he's gotten more powerful since then."'More powerful?' Nineve knew how the cultivators were ranked. Top Legend Realms were another kind of life form entirely. In Faeast, a Supreme could be made a lord. An undefeatable Supreme would be made a ruler. A Sovereign was made every five hundred years, while a ruler was made every century.Supremes appeared once every decade or so. "I don't get it. You three obviously found some power source, and with Nox's help, you leveled up. Azure Dragon only has the Mousses. How'd he level up so fast?"If the Mousses were so powerful, they wouldn't have to resort to assassinations or betrayals."Not the Mousses. It's all Azure Dragon. He's our captain. He's a very talented and cunning man. Emphasis on talent. He's so strong that not even three of us can compare to him, combined. The only g
Elizabeth said nothing but went red and hung her head low, causing Black Tortoise to panic."Uh oh. If you want him, you'll have to fight for him. That's all I can say, but the lord does think highly of you." He laughed."Shut it, Black Tortoise. You're talking nonsense here!" Vermilion Bird snapped. "See you, Your Majesty." She then took Black Tortoise and left the room quickly. They had work to do.The duo led most of the Shadow Division members back to Faeast. After the incident of Brundela, Faeast's fate was going strong, and the people were excited. However, beneath that excitement was unseen danger.Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise came back to Northstate's governor-general's place and met up with Nineve. Black Tortoise said solemnly, "What happened, Your Highness? We need the details."Nineve looked exhausted, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She had been working hard in Nox's absence. "Honestly, Atlas… I mean, the Defender of the Lord hasn't been pulling his we
Douglas worked through the night for the negotiation."One, you must apologize for your invasion of Faeast. Two, you will return all stolen relics to us and pay for damages. Three, you will open trade with Faeast, and it must be complete and total. Those are our demands. We promise not to interfere with your nation's administration. Once the aid is administered, our fleet and army will retreat from Brundela."And one more thing. Faeast recognizes you as Brundela's new ruler." That was interesting. It also meant that Faeast could rescind that recognition at any time. Elizabeth had no choice. Without Faeast, Brundela would be gone. In the end, the nations arrived at an agreement.At midnight, they called a press conference. Faeast helped Eropa settle a war and avert a world disaster. That news took the world by storm. The Eastern dragon was rising, and none could stop it. It wouldn't take long for Faeast to return to the top.Brundela's case was over. After they gave enough aid, Ferg
"They call you Great Generals?" the Ice Temple Lord laughed. "If I do want to betray him, how do you hope to stop me? You three had to take me on together, and it only ended in a draw. Now that I'm an Emperor and White Tiger is in a slumber, I can destroy you in a moment!"The Ice Temple Lord looked at Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise with disdain. Vermilion Bird's eyes were wide. She didn't care. She would fight the Temple Lord to the bitter end if she must.Black Tortoise was the calmer one, and he pulled Vermilion Bird back. "Calm down. Even if he wants to betray the lord, he at least would want to see the lord's body before he tries anything."Even a woman like Aphrodite lost this fight. He wouldn't dare try anything stupid."The Ice Temple Lord was still smug about being an Emperor, and now his celebration was cut short. Betraying Nox required a lot of courage. Nox's power terrified him. Even if he couldn't win the fight, Nox could at least come back safely.Besides, he only
The formation Nox created with the Sovereign Seal was on the brink of destruction. Once the formation was gone, the Sovereigns and the spirits would return to dust. In this final moment, Brundela's Faeastian called their friends and family in their homeland and projected the modern-day Faeast onto the gigantic screen in the plaza.The spirits cried when they saw how developed their nation had become. The Sovereigns and the rulers were meticulous people. They used to rule over a unified nation, so they knew how hard it was to create a dynasty. Every dynasty would have its peak and nadir.Every time a dynasty was on a decline, Faeast would be in danger. They didn't talk about the truth behind that video, of course. They admired the beautiful land of Faeast as they waited for their final moment to arrive."The hardest and darkest moment is behind us, sirs. Faeast has me now. You may rest in peace. I will not let you down. I will destroy the canker that infects Faeast and give it the pe
"You're going nowhere! Die!" The Sovereigns chased after the spirit, and a hundred rulers followed. They trapped the Titan's spirit and ripped him to shreds."Holy shit! That's the ancient Faeastian Sovereigns for you!" White Tiger roared with pride. He was on the roof of a tower somewhere.Emperor Elijah narrowed his eyes and exchanged a look with the other Sovereigns. He hurled the remaining essence of the Titan's spirit to White Tiger and stuffed him with it. The energy filled White Tiger up, and he ballooned. Black, rancid energy came out of his body, and he fell into madness.Nox cast Heaven's Demise and sealed White Tiger's consciousness. The Ice Temple Lord, realizing what the Sovereigns were trying to do, encased White Tiger in a coffin of magic ice."This is an impressive underling you have, Nine-State Lord. Devouring spirits gives him power. Anyone else would've lost their minds and become a killing machine, but White Tiger's already mad to begin with. There's no further
"The third kind of Emperor uses natural energy, the power of Yin and Yang, and the elements to become one. Since they use all kinds of elements and energy to become an Emperor, they are practically invincible."The Ice Temple Lord was excited. "So, you're saying I'm the strongest kind of Emperor?"Nox was speechless. "No, what I was trying to say was you took the wrong path. You could've absorbed the energy in the heavens, but you absorbed the Yin energy in the ground. You're stronger than Frostmir, but his level was higher, so you'd still be no match for him." Nox pursed his lips."Eh?" The Ice Temple Lord was disappointed. He thought he could be on par with Nox once he became an Emperor. The Ice Temple Lord wasn't the only one who gained power. The Ice Temple cultivators did as well. Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird gained a lot of power, too.Vermilion Bird was now a Flawless Supreme, Black Tortoise was an Advanced Supreme, while White Tiger was an Intermediate Pi
The fact that Nox could cast Sovereign Seal showed the Ice Temple Lord a new level of power. The Sovereign was more terrifying than the gods. 'No wonder they could rule the world in ancient times.'The ancient Sovereigns and rulers of Faeast attacked their enemies. The fate of Faeast gathered over their heads, piercing the clouds that hung over them. The weaker monsters were all slain, and Emperor Hans pierced the pharaoh with his spear, returning him to dust.Emperor Blade killed the god of another ancient civilization. The evil energy possessing them was purified. Moments later, the only gods left were the Titans. Unlike the possessed gods, the Titans were ancient cultivators.Even if they didn't master any spells or techniques, they'd trained their bodies to their absolute best. The Sovereigns and rulers didn't have much advantage against these enemies.These spirits were only summoned through the relics and the remnants of energy left within. Their bodies were gone, and their s