"We will take Greenshade down with us even if it's the last thing we do!" Hrimnir said.The elders finally made their decision, and it was one of sacrifice. They thought that their deaths would be worth it if Nox could be killed.The Pearl of Bloodthirst kept on absorbing the flesh and spirit of its victims. Screams filled the air, and the elders were nothing but skeletons a few moments later. Even Hrimnir's flesh and spirit were sucked away.Before he died, Hrimnir looked at Nox with hatred in his eyes. "You killed my son and destroyed my family! I'll be waiting for you in hell, Greenshade!" He cackled, and then he too was nothing but a skeleton."Your turn." After all his family members died, Ethan turned to Nox and Awesome darkly. Even Awesome was getting paler as the pearl grew in power. His blood energy was starting to bubble, as if it was going to be sucked away.Then, Nox stood in front of him and patted Awesome's shoulder. A wave of energy flowed into Awesome's body. "Are
When Ethan felt the aura coming off Nox, his pupils contracted. "What kind of technique is that? How can he be so powerful?"While Ethan was immersed in his shock, the Pearl of Bloodthirst felt a wave of great pressure coming for it, and it started to shiver, as if it was scared. Noticing that, Ethan's face fell. He quickly made hand seals and infused his blood energy into the pearl.Yet, it was too late. Nothing could work once Nox cast Ascended Immortal. He grabbed the air, and the natural energy in a few-thousand-feet radius around him swam over to him like waves. Once the energy had gathered, Nox ordered, "Converge!"A gigantic hand about fifty feet tall appeared. It was made of natural energy, and the hand covered the skies above and land below. "Destroy it!" Nox shouted.The hand fell from the skies and crashed onto the crimson barrier. Indescribable energy crashed down like a meteor. The crimson barrier could not take this blow, and then an explosion rattled the air.The ba
The web could not stop the aura, of course. The immortal aura tore through the web and slammed into Ethan's chest. The old man gasped in agony and spewed out more blood as he was sent flying away.At the same time, Nox grabbed the air, and the hovering pearl fell into his palm."My heirloom!" Ethan roared when he saw this and dashed toward Nox, trying to wrest the pearl away from Nox's hand.Nox raised his hand, and a wave of immortal energy sent Ethan flying away again. Ethan crashed into one of the still-standing houses, but the impact smashed it apart and he fell among the rubble.Nox held the pearl in his hand."Give me my pearl back!" Ethan roared, as if he was possessed.Nox ignored him. He looked at the pearl coldly and tossed it to Awesome. "It's yours now, Awesome."An excited Awesome caught the pearl. "Thanks, boss!" he said happily."My heirloom… My heirloom…" Feeling stunned, Ethan could only watch as his heirloom was taken away by Nox and given to Awesome.Awesome
Nox said nothing to that. Awesome, on the other hand, was observing the pearl he got curiously. Happily, he said, "Honestly, this is a good item. I can feel powerful blood energy inside it.""This is a spiritual artifact. It's a lot more valuable than regular mystical artifacts," Nox said coolly."I wasn't expecting these bastards to have so much stuff. I mean, since they're all gone now, why don't we loot their stuff? We used to do this a lot back in Mystia." Awesome grinned.It was true. Nox had done a lot of looting back in Mystia. It was a big place, and there were many territories. Every territory's people would fight other territories all the time. Back then, Nox was a troublemaker. He often led his gang of buddies across territories, looting and killing their way out.Now, Awesome was going to spread that habit to the outside world."Honestly, what should I do with you?" Nox felt resigned.Awesome chuckled. "I mean, I learned from you." Nox smacked his head, but Awesome on
"Hm?" As Nox continued sweeping his divine sense across the place, something in the back of the left row caught his attention. He raised his head and noticed a gigantic furnace standing there. It was more than five feet tall and radiated an eerie air.The furnace had engravings of nature and beasts upon it. The sight of that furnace made Nox's eyes shine. "An elixir furnace!" Back in Mystia, Nox had seen something like that before, but he did not have one of his own. Now, he had found one in the Blackstones' vault.Nox flew toward the furnace and touched it gently. The moment he did, thuds came from within the furnace, and waves of mysterious energy emanated outward."This is a nice furnace." Nox's eyes shone. Ever since he left Mystia, he seldom made elixirs. With this furnace, he could make some for himself and his friends for protection. He could also make some to improve their power.The vault indeed had a lot of treasures. Besides the furnace, Nox also found a lot of rare and
Awesome looked at the black furnace and said, "The ones Mad Monk fed me with?" Back in Mystia, everyone knew of Mad Monk who resided in Lawlington Temple. No one knew how powerful he was, but barely anyone dared to cross him.Awesome was the only disciple the monk had. Way back then, Awesome was lazy and refused to cultivate. Mad Monk smacked him around and made him chug down elixir after elixir to build a solid foundation.Hearing that this furnace was used to make elixirs, Awesome felt his hair rise as he was reminded of the time his master made him take elixirs. "Yeah, I don't like this one. My master almost killed me with all those elixirs," Awesome mutteredKnowing what Awesome was thinking, Nox smiled. "He did it for your own good.""Bullshit! That baldy's evil, evil! He told me to be the best of the best and wouldn't stop nagging me about it! Yeah, right! There's no way I can be the best of the best! I know my limits!" Awesome pouted.He quickly continued, "We got all the l
Awesome nodded. "Sure, boss, if that's what you want. If the bastards try anything funny, I'm sending them to the next life!"Nox had full trust in Awesome and his family. With Awesome around, Imperia would be peaceful and Nox did not have to worry about it. After the decision was made, Awesome left Qustian Peak.Only Nox was left in Blackstone Palace. The family that had survived for thousands of years was no more, and they only had themselves to blame.Nox sat down cross-legged in the great hall. Before him was a furnace, and beside it, expensive herbs sat.Besides figuring out the tokens' mystery, Nox also wanted to make some elixirs for his friends and lovers. He knew that the Three Great Powers would not be subjugated that easily.Though Nox had subjugated the clans and families, none of the sects, the strongest Power, had shown up yet. Though they said nothing during his crowning, Nox knew they were just wary of his strength in defeating the ten nations.He was not sure wha
Nox looked at the tokens with bright eyes. He was reminded of the Great Champion, the one who traveled this land and defeated many enemies more than two thousand years ago—Bronson Hoffman. Legends had it that Bronson was undefeatable in battle.History claimed that Bronson was already lieutenant colonel at 18 years old and led 800 cavalry units into the Sands of Cypher. He made contributions so large that they topped the military's ranks twice, and he was crowned as Great Champion. In 121 BCE, Bronson was twenty years old. He was promoted to general and commanded two Battles of Westriver and took in prisoners of war to assuage the souls of those killed by the invaders.He attacked Mount Connect and destroyed many foreign invaders and took in the ones who surrendered. They totaled nearly a hundred thousand. That dealt a heavy blow to the invaders' right wing, and he was once again crowned.That was the Great Champion. That was the one who gained so much strength, he became the nigh
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