Annie, however, was unfazed. She wanted her question answered.Queenie answered calmly, "Ms. Annie, there is a misunderstanding. I am holding this lunch to thank Mr. Weeks, and I need to make things clear with him. I have a boyfriend."Annie asked, "So you're saying everything my father did was a waste?"Queenie said, "I am grateful for what he did, so I'll try my best to repay him.""And how will you do that?" Annie questioned.Queenie explained, "I know I don't have that capability for now, but trust me. Someday, I'll repay all the kindness Mr. Weeks has shown me. And it's my freedom to date and bring my boyfriend to this meetup."Annie was about to say something, but Alexander stepped in. "Annie, shut it. You are not to show any insolence to Ms. Sanders."Annie was flabbergasted. "What is going on, Dad? Why are you so nice to her? She's treating you to lunch, but she brought her boyfriend along. She's trying to embarrass you."Alexander roared in his mind, 'You stupid girl!
While Nox, Queenie, and Alexander were having lunch, Yvette and George were checking out the hotel. This was their first visit to a six-star hotel.The couple walked around, clicking their tongues in surprise. "Very resplendent hotel.""Touche," said Yvette."The waiter said this hotel's name is derived from the fallen Lord Nox," said George."I see. Pity he's no longer with us.""Yeah."The couple chatted along the way. Posters were pasted on the walls down the corridors, and they talked about the life story of Lord Nox. Legends said he was made a marquis at seventeen and a lord at nineteen.However, since Lord Nox was a mysterious figure, there were barely any photos released to the public. The only photo was one of his back, and it hung in the center of the hotel. A lot of tourists were watching it.Yvette and George checked it out too. A lot of tourists were taking pictures of the photo. A group of high schoolers were listening to their teacher regaling them with the tale o
Alexander was mocking George and Yvette again, much to their and Queenie's shock. They couldn't believe a guy who had lost his memories could gain the respect of a man like Alexander.Alexander left early, leaving Queenie and everyone else behind. They too were getting ready to leave.It was a happy day for Queenie. She had no idea why Alexander was so respectful to Nox, but no matter what, she finally got a weight off her shoulders. At least she made it clear she was taken.Yvette and George, however, were miffed. George wouldn't stop cursing ever since he came out. He couldn't believe a loser who'd lost his memories was privileged enough to have lunch in this hotel.When they came to the parking lot, something more infuriating happened. A Wrangler was parked right in front of George's Benz. There were a lot of parking bays here, but the Wrangler just had to park before their car.George flew into a rage. "Which bastard parked their car here?"No one was around, and George kicke
"You're calling the cops? What, you think I'm scared? Go ahead, do it!"Queenie realized these people couldn't be reasoned with. Furious, she was about to call the cops, but another dojo member charged ahead and snatched her phone.That stoked her rage even more. "Give me back my phone!"The man sneered. "You want it? Come get it."And then Nox stepped in. "You have three seconds. Give her back the phone, or else," he said icily.The man who took Queenie's phone chuckled. "Who the hell are you, punk? You think you're a hero or something?"Nox ignored them. "One."The man in the dojo uniform burst into laughter. "Oh, so you're trying to be a hero? Fine, let's see what you've got.""Two."Even when Nox was giving them a warning, the man remained smiling."Three."And the last warning was given. The man was about to mock Nox, but he was too slow. Nox had attacked. He raised his hand and swung it down as fast as lightning. The slap landed squarely on the man's face, and he screa
Faeast was a nation of warriors. After the Battle of the Ten Nations, the people put a lot of their efforts into training. Ancient martial arts took the nation by storm.In Riverton alone, there were nearly twenty dojos, and practitioners numbered a few hundred thousand. These people before them were disciples from Thunder Dojo.They had been training for years, yet they were no match for Nox. In the end, the disciples picked up their unconscious companions and drove away like defeated beasts. Nox saw them off and handed the phone back to Queenie.Queenie took it from him and stared at Nox, feeling warm inside."Oh no, oh no. Why'd you beat them up, Greenshade? They're from Thunder Dojo!" George roared."What are you saying, Dad? He helped us out back there. You can't yell at Nono," Queenie argued. She didn't like how her father was being all jumpy."What do you know? That's Thunder Dojo's guys. Those fighters are no joke. Last year, the head of a commerce chamber crossed a fight
With the encouragement of that speech, the disciples worked harder in their training."Warriors first temper their skin, bones, and tendons. Then our blood and flesh, and finally, we cultivate our inner energy. Only when you have started gaining inner energy can you call yourself a warrior," continued Timothy."Master, are there any more realms above warrior?" a novice asked curiously.Timothy smiled. "After warrior comes Combatant. Combatants can be divided into three further categories based on their progress: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. But even a Beginner Combatant can crush boulders and possess strength beyond imagination."He added, "Advanced Combatants can scale walls, leap across roofs, and turn a simple leaf into a deadly weapon."Timothy raised his right hand and pushed it down on the stone table before him. A thud graced the air, and the table cracked from the center."Awesome, Master!""You're incredible, Master!"The disciples whooped and cheered for thei
The disciples were already back at training, but then a commotion happened outside. Timothy frowned. "What's going on? Why the commotion?"A disciple quickly came in. "Master, it's Bosco. He and some of our disciples got beaten up."Timothy's face fell, and then he saw a few disciples bringing in a group of bruised men. They were none other than Bosco and his friends. Nox kicked their arses.They knelt before their master. "Master, you have to help us."Timothy looked at them and icily said, "You useless wretches. I told you to keep your head buried in training, but you wouldn't listen to me. And now look what that got you into.""I'm sorry, Master, but the guy not only beat us up; he even insulted the dojo. We can't just take that lying down!" Bosco said.Timothy questioned, "And who has the gall to insult my dojo?""I don't know. All I know is he's a young guy. About twenty years old or something."Timothy laughed mirthlessly. "You useless fools. You couldn't even take down a
"Who are you looking for?"Bosco screeched, "Tell your boss to get his ass out here!"That shocked the servants. It was at the same time that Yvette, George, and Queenie came out. When they saw the people in the courtyard, George frowned."What's going on?" He approached the commotion.Queenie followed her father. She realized something felt off.The servants saw George coming. "Sir," they said.The Thunder Dojo guys laid eyes on George and Queenie."That's them! They beat us up, Simon!" Bosco pointed at Queenie and her folks.George saw who it was, and a chill ran down his spine. "Oh no! They're from Thunder Dojo!"Queenie's face fell. She could see they were here for vengeance.Simon looked at Queenie and her folks. Icily, he said, "Them? You're saying these people beat you up?""No, Simon. The guy who beat us up was a punk!" answered Bosco."Where is he?" Simon asked.Bosco stepped ahead and screeched at George, "Give me that punk, you bastard, or you're done for!"Geo
"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
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