"And it's protected by an ancient formation."Awesome stared at the tree with widened eyes once more. He had no idea what Nox just told him, but he trusted Nox. Thus, Awesome asked, "Well, where does the doorway lead to, boss?""No idea, but I know Faeast's martial arts world is in for a shock if this doorway is opened."Awesome froze. He had no idea what Nox sensed, nor did he understand how terrifying this tree's power was.Just as Awesome was going to ask more questions, Nox continued, "Now I see why the Blackstones sealed the village all those years ago. They must've discovered this tree, but their power was too limited to open it." Nox's eyes shone icily.Awesome scratched his nose. "It's just a bronze tree, boss. Is it really so important that it can shake Faeast's martial arts world?""It's more important and terrifying than you think. Even my manual felt the energy it contains," Nox gushed.Awesome was really petrified this time. As he grew up around Nox, he knew the Ult
The token's reaction did not shock Nox, but when his manual reacted as well, that changed things. After all, Nox had never felt this reaction from the manual in all these years of cultivating it. Nox stared at the tree with passion in his eyes.Awesome had no idea what was going on, but he too was looking at the tree weirdly. "What now, boss?" he asked."I will have to open this door if I want to find the truth." Nox's eyes glimmered. "Stand back, Awesome. I'll need to see if this works."Awesome quickly retreated. Nox scanned the tree with his Divine Sense before making hand seals. "Runic Talisman, go!" He drew in in the air, and soon, golden runes floated overhead. This was Nox's runic formation.As the formation started to activate, golden halos surrounded the tree, attempting to break it open. Weirdly enough, no matter how many runes entered the tree, it did not budge. It was as if Nox's formation was not working on it."It's not working." Nox frowned and went with Plan B. He
Golden dragons started appearing over Nox's head. Nine of them, to be exact. As the dragons swirled around, the whole underground space was colored golden. Even the bronze tree was bathed in golden light too.The moment Nox used that manual, the tree seemed to sense it, and waves of mysterious energy came swimming out of it. The nine dragons started flying toward the bronze tree as if they were attracted to it.About a minute later, a loud rumble came from within the bronze tree, and the well shook as if it was hit by an earthquake. The sky above it dimmed, and black clouds churned. Natural energy came from every direction and swam into the well, as if a mysterious passage had been opened.Then, a crack appeared at the center of the tree, and a bronze doorway appeared."That's a doorway! A doorway showed up! We did it, boss!" Awesome gushed loudly at the sight of the doorway.Nox's eyes were shining as well. He was just trying his luck using the manual and was not expecting a door
The tomb was titanic, and it was built in the center of the space. Before the tomb was a towering obelisk. Nox was not expecting a tomb to be here.This tomb's scale and the warrior statues standing around it told Nox that the one who was laid to rest here was at least nobility in life. His tomb was comparable to that of royalty's.He wondered who it might be to warrant such a tomb in this bronze tree. Curious, Awesome went ahead to touch the statues. The moment he did, the energy in the air was whipped into a frenzy.A crack came from the statue of the general beside the tomb, and it started to break. The aura in the air shifted, and a silhouette flew out of the statue."Trespassers of the lord's tomb, die!" The voice was imposing, and the silhouette attacked Awesome. A wave of powerful Top Legend Realm aura covered the tomb."Holy shit!" The sudden attack caught Awesome by surprise. He was going to attack, but Nox stood in front of him. Nox then swung his hand, and his palm ball
The spear was heading toward Nox, the air around it coated in bloodlust. Noticing the general's intent to kill, Nox flew into a rage."You are but a soul remnant. Do you think you're undefeatable?" Nox roared and made a sword seal. "Heaven's Demise!"A wave of green will-of-the-sword shot out of Nox's body, and they turned into sharp blades. There were 999 of them, and Nox raised his finger. "Go."Heaven's Demise was something Nox improvised from Magic Mountain's Flying Swords. Magic Mountain's people could control a hundred swords with their energy. Nox could control ten times that number.The sea of swords flew into the air and turned into a dragon that attacked the general. Even if the general were alive, he wouldn't have been able to stop this attack, let alone when he was dead.The energy blade pierced the soul remnant. The soul roared, his voice filled with anguish, "I apologize for my failure, marquess! I can no longer protect you!"A wave of dark winds howled, and the sou
When Awesome saw the epitaph, he was shocked as well. "Holy shit. To rise to glory… Could it be? The one who rose to prominence a thousand years ago? The legendary Great Champion?"Every Faeastian knew of the Great Champion. He was a great general who rose to prominence at a young age. He was the nightmare of invaders, and he was a legend none had surpassed."Dear lord, so a legend was laid to rest here?" Awesome was shocked. He looked back at the statues, the chariots, and the weapons. Now he understood why there were so many soldiers here. Now he knew why a general's soul remnant guarded this place.It turned out the one laid to rest here was the Great Champion, Bronson Hoffman. Awesome quickly paid his respects."I see. This is the tomb of the legendary Great Champion." Nox looked at the tomb, his eyes filled with respect.Nox was a lord, and he was about on par with the legendary Great Champion in his life. However, history was a wheel of time that would trample everyone under
A while later, thanks to Awesome, the tomb was slowly opened. Then, a golden coffin appeared in their vision. The coffin was made of pure gold, with engravings of nature's charm and aquatic life adorning it.This coffin and the person within it were laid to rest with the highest customs afforded to royalty. It was obvious how influential Bronson had been in his life."It's out, boss!" Awesome gushed, looking at the coffin.Nox looked at it as well, his eyes twinkling. The mysterious aura was coming out of this very thing, and Nox's token shone again, as if it was excited. "Open it up."Nox grabbed the lid and lifted it up. It was a few tons heavy. The moment the coffin's lid was taken off, a wave of martial energy shot up into the air. The aura was stronger than a Top Legend Realm's.Even Awesome felt his heart shaking. The aura shot out of the well and flew straight into the skies above. A pillar of martial energy a few dozen feet thick appeared over Stone Village. Awesome was st
"I can't believe this. The token existed a thousand years ago? This is odd, boss," Awesome said.Nox was still looking at the tokens solemnly. The one in his possession was retrieved from the depths of Eastsea thanks to Mr. Dohul. It was thanks to this token, Nox mastered the Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual.Yet Bronson had the same token too. How did that happen? Nox thought, 'The token has existed for millennia? What are they, actually?' After musing for a long time, Nox muttered, "Doesn't matter what these tokens are. I will find the truth." He bowed at the coffin again. It was to pay his respect for the Great Champion's bravery.Nox tucked the tokens away. However, no one expected them to react when they were in close proximity. They shone for a moment; a moment too short for Nox to notice."Well, we found this place's secret. Time to leave." Awesome approached him.Nox raised his head. "There's no rush. We have some idiotic people coming our way.""Who?" Awesome asked."You'll
Three months later, Nox declared Faeast as the leader of all nations, ushering in a true era of peace and prosperity. Then, he abdicated the throne, passing the throne to Nineve. Nox proclaimed that this nation was neither the Greenshade nor the Limerent family's, but a world that belonged to its people.One year later, Nox and Queenie lounged under the warm sun on the sandy shores of the Ocean of Death, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility. The world had finally settled into peace, allowing them to take a well-deserved rest."Nono, what's Aphrodite up to?" Queenie asked, her brows furrowed as she leaned against Nox. "Is she planning something shady again? She's been building alliances all over like she wants to imitate the Three-Eyed Empress.""Death changes people," Nox replied calmly. "Don't worry about her. She knows exactly what she's doing."Old Aphrodite would've killed Jacques and run off to save herself without a second thought. Instead, she spared him, stripped his cul
The Nine-State Crucible hovered majestically over the heavens, drawing all the spiritual energy from the Nine States and Five Domains into itself. As the ultimate artifact of Faeast, the crucible was unmatched—a legendary relic that had never known defeat.The origins of the Nine-State Crucible were shrouded in mystery. No one knew who forged it nor why it disappeared over the ages. For centuries, many dismissed it as a mere myth. Yet now, it reappeared, proving its existence—and, by extension, the truth of all the ancient legends tied to it.The sight left every cultivator present in awe, bowing in reverence to the artifact."The ancient sovereigns of Faeast forged the Nine-State Crucible to safeguard the Nine States and Five Domains. "Its power ensures that Ascendants cannot interfere with the mortal realm. It has crushed even Ascendants in the past, and you, still merely a mortal cultivator, think you can stand against it? I promised to crush you, and I will!"With Nox at it
However, only Nox himself could sever the celestial providence. Only by cutting off the Celestial Lord's celestial providence could Faeast's providence be restored to its peak."Damn it! Nox Greenshade! Do you really think you can defy the heavens? I didn't want to damage my cultivation, but it seems I have no choice but to go all out! You think a one-ring Minor Saint can defeat me? I am the Celestial Lord—the apex of mortals, the Great Saint of Dao and Virtue, ordained by the heavens themselves!"The Celestial Lord's furious roar resonated across Mystia, drawing in vast waves of spiritual energy from the realm that converged upon him alone."Great Saint of Dao and Virtue? If the so-called heavens of the Transcendent Firmament made you, it only proves that even they have failures," Nox retorted coldly.Even the Celestial Lord, enraged as he was, could scarcely believe Nox's audacity—daring to disparage the mighty figures of the Transcendent Firmament."I am indeed a one-ring Minor
'What? Griffin was a sworn brother to Magic Mountain's founder?!'"That's right," confirmed the formation master. "He only told us recently."As the first to learn of this connection, he had shared it with the Saints of the Five Elements, ensuring they wouldn't betray their alliance. Using the promise of ascension as leverage, he managed to secure their cooperation. After all, the Great Saint of Fire had already reached the threshold for ascension.The risks were minimal, and upon ascending to the Transcendent Firmament, the Magic Mountain's founder would surely offer his guidance. For that reason alone, the five mentors had rallied to aid Nox.With such mighty forces gathered, morale on Nox's side soared. Meanwhile, the Whitefield family's spirits plummeted, crashing from the heights of hope to the depths of despair in mere moments. The mental strain caused several of their weaker-willed members to break completely.With dread settling over them, the Whitefields could only place
The Whitefields were getting cocky, but then they realized the powerhouses that came weren't responding. The aura was powerful, but there was no life in it. On closer inspection, they noticed that the leader of the group only had half a body left. His soul was missing. The quartet behind him was nothing but a pile of mincemeat.The portal buzzed again, and seven silhouettes came out. Five of them felt domineering, and they looked prideful. It almost felt like they were peerless. These people were none other than the Saints of the Five Elements.Four of them were Pinnacle Minor Saints. While one had an aura so strong, this place couldn't handle it."A Great Saint! Great Saint of Fire!" Fiery Ignis, Dominic, and Achille couldn't believe their eyes.It had been too long since Mystia saw a Great Saint, and he was Nox's mentor."So, he's the one who broke through first. But now he's already hit his bottleneck. The other four's power isn't enough. If the Sacred Beast Seal isn't upgraded
The Montgomerys and the Byrds decided to see Nox together, but they were refused. They were cursing Nox and calling him disrespectful, but then they saw Nox and his team taking a portal to the path of the ancient divine."What? He went right to them? Why? He's going to fight the Celestial Lord now?" The representatives were shocked.'How dare they!' they thought.Nox and his team went through the portal quickly and appeared right over the Whitefields' place. The Whitefield family was the newest member of the divine four and the real mastermind behind the Inkdarks' demise."Kirin, I told you I'd take you back here someday. I told you that when we come back, the Whitefields will be no more. If you can't do it, I can wipe them out for you." Nox looked at Kirin."Don't look down on me, milord. You don't need to dirty your hands for them. I'll do it!" Kirin summoned his avatar, and with Saint power infused, the avatar turned into a real beast. The sacred beast itself descended upon the
"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