Penelope was already in her nineties. Her hair was all gray, and her right eye was blind. Only her left eye worked. The sight of Nox filled her with excitement. "Nox, you're back!""That I am, Grandma." Nox quickly went over and held the crone."It's good to see you. Your father was talking about you yesterday, and here you are today." Penelope held Nox's hand lovingly."And who is this?" Penelope noticed Awesome.Awesome quickly approached Penelope. "Hi, ma'am. I'm the boss' bro, Awesome Confucian. You can call me Awesome. Or monk if you'd like.""Awesome?" Penelope was surprised by the peculiar name.Awesome scratched his head awkwardly.Nox said, "Awesome, you play with Gina. I need to talk to my grandma.""Okay," Awesome said.Nox led Penelope into her room. After they came in, Penelope sat beside him and handed him some sweets. "This was your favorite when you were little, Nox. I've always kept some for you," Penelope said."Thank you, Grandma." Nox took the sweets, feel
"What?" Nox was speechless after hearing Penelope's wish."Yeah. You see, I'm already in my nineties. I don't have much time to live. I want to see you settle down and have children. Then, I can leave without any regrets." Penelope narrowed her eyes.Every old person wished they could witness the continuation of their bloodline, and Penelope was no exception.Nox thought it was awkward, however. Marriage and starting a family were far-off things for him right now, especially the latter.He had no idea how to answer Penelope, but then the crone said, "What? Don't tell me you don't have plans to settle down and start a family?""Umm, sorry, but I don't…" Nox smiled bitterly."You silly boy. You're at marrying age. Starting a family is tradition! Besides, you're a brilliant man. You should settle down sooner," Penelope said.Nox still felt awkward."Oh, your father told me you have someone you like? Queenie Sanders, is it? She's in Riverton?" Penelope asked shrewdly.Nox did not
The mention of that case elicited a sigh from Penelope. She was the matriarch of the family and, though old and blind in one eye, was wiser than anyone else.Sixteen years ago was the year Nox and his mother were exiled. Daniel didn't have a choice, however. Nox found out that the real culprit might be the emperor after investigating. The emperor had forced the Greenshades, or to be specific, Daniel, to do it.However, Nox still couldn't find out why. That was why he stayed away from Nineve. He was worried that if the emperor was deeply involved with the exile of him and his mother all those years ago, things would get complicated.Penelope sighed. "It doesn't matter what you think, Nox. Nineve truly loves you. No matter what choice you make, do not hurt her. She's a good girl. I watched her grow up. I'd love for you to marry her and give me a great-grandchild." There was hope in her eyes.She was in the last years of her life, after all. She wanted to see her great-grandchild whil
Though Gina would like for them to stay, Nox's promise made her nod. "That's a promise, Noxy!""Yes, it is. I promise." Nox smiled."Pinky promise!" Gina held out her finger."Okay! Here's a pinky promise. I'll be back!" Nox made the pinky promise. Some small talk later, Nox was finally leaving."I'm going now, Grandma." He looked at Penelope.Though Penelope wanted him to stay, she waved her hand. "Run along now."Nox bowed at her before turning around and leaving with Awesome. Penelope held Gina's hand, seeing Nox off with a heavy heart. Once he disappeared into the distance, she looked to the left. "How long are you going to hide?"Daniel came out of the shadows and approached his mother. Smiling, he said, "Hello, Mother."Penelope glared at Daniel. "I can't believe you still have the gall to see me. Tell me, will Nox be in danger?"Daniel scratched his nose. "No, I think.""You think? Tell me the truth. Is the family he's fighting powerful?" Penelope asked. It turned out
Within the remote valley, towers, pavilions, and castles stood. This was the base of operations for the Blackstones, and they called it Blackstone Palace.As masters of contraption for thousands of years, this palace was made with remarkable craftsmanship. There were palaces hanging from the mountainside, and chains and bridges connected the place.The Blackstones were famous for their contraptions, but ever since modern society happened, their contraption skills went on a decline.Still, the Blackstones were a mystery among the Philosophers. Besides the top ten Philosophers, most people had no idea about their existence.Buildings and towers stood among the ancient land. Among these buildings were Blackstone family members in black. They each had a wooden box on their back but in different sizes.These boxes were not to be underestimated, for within them were the contraptions of the Blackstones. There were contraptions for all kinds of situations. Some were used to kill, while so
"Sir, all the Top Legend Realms were… were all killed by Nox," the old man said in a trembling voice."W-What?""How is this possible?""He killed all the Top Legend Realms? This can't be!"The elders were stupefied."It's all true. And that's not the only thing. Old Dragon's Peak was destroyed, and Starcatcher fell into ruins. The survivors at the mountain base saw the battle. Greenshade was like a god… No, a demon. He hovered in the skies above and radiated the air of an Immortal.""That demon killed everyone, including Mr. Horatio," the old man continued.Salazar shivered once more, as if he could not accept this. "Greenshade! I'll make him pay!" he roared as if madness had possessed him.Just then, an ancient voice came from the side. "Calm down, Salazar."A black-robed man with gray hair came out. He was a Five Mountains, and the air he radiated covered the whole hall.He was the current head of the Blackstones and Salazar's father, Hrimnir Blackstone."Father!"The mo
"As Greenshade has come back alive, he shall once more subjugate the families. Speak your minds. What ideas do you have?" Hrimnir said and looked at the elders."Family head, I think we should continue our collaboration with the Mousses. After all, they control the military. As long as Aphrodite remains lord, we will have a strong supporter," an elder said. He had eyes as sharp as a falcon's."Mr. Lorenzo's right. Greenshade might be the strongest man around, but he is only one man. His position was long taken away by the Mousses. I think we should keep the collaboration alive as well. One day, we will kill Greenshade," another elder said.Hrimnir answered, "You have a point, but I'm worried that Greenshade might not stop here."The first elder was surprised. "You're saying he's going to come here and challenge us?"Everyone fell silent. They were wondering the same thing. If Nox did come to their lair, what should they do?Then, someone broke the silence. "How dare he! We've liv
Just standing on the edge of the cliff was enough to experience bone-chilling cold. Hrimnir, dressed in a black robe, and Salazar were standing here at this moment."Father, must we ask for the patriarchs' help just because of Greenshade?" Salazar asked.Hrimnir said coldly, "Silence. You have no idea how strong he is. Six years ago, so many Top Legend Realms tried to stop him during his crowning ceremony, but he destroyed them all. Why do you think the Mousses gathered so many dissidents to deal with him?" His voice was sharp.Salazar hung his head low and said nothing more. Hrimnir added, "Remember, never underestimate the Great Lord of Faeast." He then looked at the abyss underneath. "Stay here. I shall ask the patriarchs to intervene."He leaped down into the fog. In the abyss, layers of mist swirled and twirled. Three gigantic bronze caskets were floating in the air somewhere down the cliff.Every coffin was about seven feet long, and they had been here for eons, for there 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
The talismans were Magic Mountain's Forbidden Art, and Nox had fused them with Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual. Nox's mentors back in Mystia had taught him the Sovereign Seal earlier than expected.Their goal was simple. If Nox became the Sovereign, he could use the seal to command all the natural energy around him. If he didn't become the Sovereign, he would teach the Sovereign how to use the seal.The Sovereign Seal was a Saintly technique and the most ancient technique around. It was stronger than a Celestial technique.A golden seal brighter than the sun slowly rose into the air. It was the Sovereign Seal.As it appeared, natural energy gathered around it. The energy flew into the relics Brundela took from Faeast. Within a museum not open to the public, a bronze sword started to tremble as natural energy flowed into it. That got the attention of a professor."That sword belonged to Faeast's Emperor Elijah! What is going on?"A silhouette came out of the sword, and his aura was maj
Back in the navy command center, Fergus got the drone footage of Brundela's latest development. There were a few generals from the Nox Army with him. They could see that the monsters in the capital were far stronger than the ones they took out."It's a pity the capital is too densely populated. We have the weapons, but we can't use them." Fergus slammed the table in frustration. Even if the capital were to fall into enemy hands and the people torn apart by the monsters, Fergus could not order his men to fire at the capital, or things would be bad for them.Fergus could only open fire if the monsters were in a no man's land."Commander Parrish, the lord has orders. We are to keep the waters guarded. Once the capital's crisis is over, we are to make our way to the port and give humanitarian aid," a Nox Army general said telepathically. He just got Nox's orders."Is that so? Then Nox can stop this crisis." Fergus' eyes shone. He had no idea what Nox was planning, but he was the Sovere
Demons were walking the lands of Brundela. Legendary creatures were roaming the streets as if the end of days were here. The resurrected monsters were causing chaos everywhere. When the Titans showed themselves, despair washed over Brundela.There were too many monsters running around. Even after the Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators sent out everyone they had, it still wasn't enough to stop these creatures. The monsters went straight to the council hall, and so did the Titans.The Ice Temple Lord created a Magic Ice Formation and kept using Forbidden Arts and mystical artifacts to fend off the enemies. He had already done his best."You have to do something, Nine-State Lord. I can't hold on much longer!" the Ice Temple Lord said telepathically.Though monsters were about, they were not a threat to the Ice Temple Lord. he could leave anytime he wanted, but he had a deal with Nox. If he were to desert the battlefield, he would face a hell far worse than he could imagine late