Nox's face was a mask of cold rage. He was not expecting the Blackstones to be behind the culling of these villagers, and this formation was already here decades ago.This village was nothing but a regular place, and only civilians lived in it. Yet, the Blackstones did not hold back."The bastards again? Unbelievable! Their hearts are as black as coal!" Awesome cursed.The poor villagers had no idea why Awesome was cursing the Blackstones. Surprised, the chief asked, "Why are you cursing the Blackstones?""Because they're the ones killing you guys." Nox looked at the obelisks."What?" The villagers were stunned."They're the culprits? But that can't be! My father told me they've been protecting us all this time!" The chief did not believe this."Yeah. Everyone in Qustian Peak knows the Blackstones. Their family members would donate money and food to us. Everyone thinks they're philanthropists!" another villager said."Yeah!"Nox did not explain anything to the villagers. Inste
"However, I need to find out why the Blackstones are suppressing your village." Nox's gaze was cold.The villagers had no idea what he was talking about. They were only civilians, so they knew nothing about formations and earthly resentment—terms that only warriors knew."Can you take me into the village, sir?" Nox said suddenly.The chief quickly said, "Yes, of course, savior. Come with us." The chief led the way. Nox and Awesome followed.The moment they stepped into the village, Nox felt magical energy pouring through. It was a subtle energy. One had to be at least a Five Mountains to feel it."Something's wrong about this village, boss," Awesome said. He could feel the energy as well."Yes. The fact that the Blackstones would suppress this village with a formation like that is telling." Nox expanded his divine sense. Like a spider web, it weaved through every nook and cranny in the village.Nox saw everything his divine sense scanned. He saw bedridden patients, children play
Nox asked, "Sir, do you know why the Blackstones set up this formation to suppress the village?"The chief shook his head. "No.""Because of this." Nox pointed at the well."This?" The chief was stunned, and so were the villagers."Yes. Look." Nox tapped the air, and the cement lid exploded into smithereen, revealing the well in its entirety. The well was a motley of colors, and black violent energy was spilling out of it.Nox made a hand seal and pointed at the well. "Show yourself." Another rumble hit the air, and twisted runes appeared on the walls of the well.The runes shone crimson, criss-crossed like a web of electricity that sealed the well."W-What is this?" The chief was shocked.The other villagers were gaping at the crimson runes as well.Nox said, "This is the place the formation has sealed.""This is the place?" The chief wondered what that was."Exactly. Though I have no idea what is inside the well, I know that the Blackstones sealed this village because of w
Awesome huddled closer to see what it was. "What is this?""The Nox Token," Nox said.Awesome had a curious look on his face. Light shimmered from within the token, as if it was resonating with what was within the well. "Where did you get this? It's resonating with whatever's inside the well." He was surprised.Nox looked at the token. "Mr. Dohul gave it to me.""Mr. Dohul, huh?" Awesome was reminded of an old priest back in Mystia. Awesome grew up in Mystia, so he knew of Nox's six masters. The most powerful of them all was an old priest who rode on a black donkey all the time.No one knew just how powerful the old priest was, and not many had seen him in action. Everyone in Mystia called him Mr. Dohul. "So Mr. Dohul gave you this? But why did it resonate with the thing in the well?"Nox answered, "I don't know. Mr. Dohul told me that they got this token from the depths of Eastsea. No one knows what it's made of, but inside it, a great secret is hidden.""A secret?" Awesome's e
The formation over the village kept everything subdued. Awesome glanced at it and said, "I'll break this stupid formation, boss." He swung a fist at the crimson runes. He was a Six Paths, after all.Awesome was the most talented heir of the Confucians. If he weren't so lazy, he would have been an Upper Three at the very least by now. Even so, he had enough strength to crush the land if he wanted to.A golden fist fell on the well, and the ground rumbled. The earth around the well started to crack, but the runes on the well shone and flew out, stopping Awesome's punch.As Awesome's punch fell, more runes flew out. "Damn it, they stopped me! Well, try this!"The first punch failed, so Awesome followed up with a second. It was a more powerful punch, yet the runes stopped it once more. Awesome flew into a rage.He was about to swing a third punch when Nox said, "Let me do it, Awesome. It's a formation fused with extreme Yin and the eight trigrams. You can't break it by punching it."
The black fire was an enchanted fire, passed down through the Blackstone bloodline. It could nurture the user's energy and prolong their lifespan. Goede was absorbing the fire, and his face turned younger. Even his wrinkles were lessening, as if he was reborn.While he was in the middle of absorbing the fire, his mindsea boomed, and his eyes snapped open. A wave of fury flared out of his eyes. "Blast! Who's attacking the Violent Energy Subduer?" he roared and looked in the direction of Stone Village murderously.More explosions boomed in his head. It was a symptom of Violent Energy Subduer getting broken. About fifty years ago, Geode set the formation up after he found out the secret of the village.The formation was made with his blood and soul. It was fused with a sliver of his spirit so he could sense the village's situation at all times. He was not expecting an attack on the formation so many years later and right after he came out of isolation, but here he was.Then, the slive
Three golden runes floated above the well in a triangular formation.Underneath the runic formation, the Violent Energy Subduer started to break. At the same time, the dark formation hanging over the village crumbled.Finally, Nox roared, "Shatter!" He made hand seals, and the golden runes shone brightly. Beams of golden light undulated across the village.Then, the formation that had kept the village subdued for half a century was broken. Explosions came from the well, and the crimson runes disappeared.The dark formation in the sky was whisked away, as if the winds were taking them to an unknown destination. Finally, the village could see the light of hope once more, and they gained a new lease on life."Oh, it's broken. Nice, boss," Awesome gushed.Nox said, "This is nothing but a simple formation. I could've broken it ten years ago." Nox looked at the well. "What interests me is the thing inside."The moment Nox broke the seal, the token he carried started to shine brighter.
"Let's check it out, Awesome." Nox went into the winding tunnel, and Awesome followed.The tunnel was deep, and it kept moving downward. On their way down, the duo noticed ancient murals carved on the walls.The murals were nearly unrecognizable. Some had been eroded by the water, but through the outlines, they could see that the murals were at least a few centuries old, or even a thousand years old."Gods be damned, what is in this well? It's huge, and the Blackstones sealed this?" Awesome muttered.The tunnel eventually became an underground palace. A long while later, Nox and Awesome was met with an ancient tree that stood as tall as a giant.The roots itself were at least ten feet in radius, yet the tree had no leaves to it. It was as if the tree grew in the well naturally."Damn, that tree is huge." Awesome was shocked, and he approached the tree to touch it. To his surprise, the sensation he felt was that of metal. When he had a closer look, Awesome was completely flabberga
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