The man smiled at Annie. "Hello, Miss Annie."Annie approached him. "Where's my father, Mr. Laws?"Ferguson Laws was the head steward for the Weeks family. He smiled. "He's inside, holding a memorial service.""For whom, Mr. Laws? Why did he leave his company unattended for days just to do this?"Ferguson smiled. "Do you really not know, Miss Annie?"Annie shook her head."Do you remember the news a few days ago? About how Lord Nox died in the Ocean of Death?"Annie paused for a moment. She said, "Of course. He alone destroyed the ambition of the invaders from the ten nations and made them sign a ceasefire. Everyone in Faeast knows of him.""Then, you should know that he has fallen in battle, despite his victory against the invaders," Ferguson continued.After a short pause, Annie realized who the memorial service was for. "So, you're saying the memorial service is for Lord Nox?""That is correct." Ferguson nodded with a smile. "You know it was all thanks to Lord Nox that our family ma
Annie had never seen her father look so flustered before. She said, "This belongs to a young man waiting at our company.""Young man? What young man?" Alexander asked again, wasting no time."I don't know. The guard told me he wanted to see you. He said you'd understand everything once you saw this junk."Alexander felt his whole being tremble. Another minute later, he blurted, "Tell me where he is right now.""He's at the company's entrance.""Quick, take me to him!" Alexander charged out of his study like a madman, leaving Annie flabbergasted."What's wrong with Dad? It's just some junk. Why does he look so excited?"…Nox was speechless. He was going to show the token to Alexander himself, but a woman took it away after a bout of misunderstanding. The guard told him that the woman was none other than Alexander's daughter, Annie.Since his token had been taken away and he heard from the guards that Alexander hadn't been coming to the company for days, Nox had no choice but t
Annie wanted to go with them as well, but Alexander said, "Annie, you and everyone else stay here. I need to talk to our guest alone."Disgruntled, Annie grunted, but she glared at Nox. She thought, 'What's so special about him? Why is Dad giving him the VIP treatment?'Nox followed Alexander into his private study. The first thing Nox saw was the memorial tablet in the center of the study. 'In memory of Lord Nox.'Nox approached the tablet and stared at it for what felt like an eternity."Milord, I humbly greet you." Just like that, the richest man in Riverton knelt with a thud behind Nox.Nox did not turn around. Coolly, he asked, "You know who I am?""Of course. I have never seen you in the flesh, but I know that token. That is your symbol, milord. No one can possess that item but you," Alexander said carefully.A long silence later, Nox slowly turned around. "Stand.""Yes, milord." Alexander got back up on his feet. He couldn't hide his ecstasy, however, and he was tremblin
Alexander racked his head, but he had no idea what that family was. A while later, he shook his head. "Apologies, milord. I have never heard of that family.""It doesn't matter. They are but a small family in this city, and this little favor stemmed from what they did." Nox told Alexander about the Sanders family, though he made it brief.Alexander got the gist of it right after that. He wasn't the richest man for nothing, after all. "I see. What would you wish for me to do, milord?" Alexander asked.Nox smiled. "The puny Sanders family would sacrifice their daughter's happiness and subject her to a marriage of convenience for mere pennies. Send your men to liberate her from her prison. Do not let the Sanderses torment her. If anyone does, you don't need to spare their lives.""Understood, milord. I shall be issuing orders right away."Nox nodded."Milord, do you need my services in any other matter?" Alexander asked respectfully.Nox waved his hand. "Nothing at the moment, but to keep
Ever since Queenie was taken back to the Sanders Residence, she had been locked up in her room. A woman's voice came from that room. "You're going to give me a heart attack someday, Queenie. Why did you do that? Why did you go on a vacation with a total stranger? And why did you take him to your place?"The voice belonged to Queenie's mother—Yvette Crystals."And who is that man? When did you two start to date?"Queenie couldn't take the barrage of questions anymore. "Mom, I've told you. I don't know him. We're not dating. He's just a stranger I fished out of the sea.""You're still lying to me even now?" Yvette was furious. With a heavy heart, she said, "Queenie, I raised you. You are not the kind of girl who'd lie to me. What happened to you?"Queenie smiled bitterly and shook her head in resignation."You just crossed the whole family, and your lover beat Silas up. What should we do now?""That was not my fault, Mom. Silas went too far," Queenie protested."He went too far?
Hogs had always been the dominant one in the family, and now, the chance for George to make a turnaround had arrived. If his daughter could marry Silas, he could finally have the upper hand, but his daughter brought humiliation to him instead."I'm sorry, Hogs. I'll make sure you and the family are happy with the outcome of this matter."Hogs sneered, "And how will you do that? Centersea has canceled all partnerships with us, and our company's going to be in a standstill. How will you make it up to us?"George sighed. "Don't worry, Hogs. I'll apologize to Silas.""And what good will that do? He already saw your daughter's lover, and the bastard even beat him up. I heard that he's still in the hospital," Hogs said sternly.Jezebiah sneered, "I never pegged Queenie as someone that wild, uncle."Despite the insults, George could only hang his head low."If we lose this marriage, I will have to take drastic measures on you, brother. You know I've been the lynchpin of this family for
Hogs took a deep breath and simpered like a sycophant as he approached Ferguson. "I'm Hogs, the head of this family. And you are…""Ferguson Laws. A steward of Empire Corp's CEO, nothing more," Ferguson replied.Even though he knew this, Hogs was still surprised this man really was working for Empire Corp. "Mr. Laws, I apologize for this less-than-acceptable welcome. Please, come in. We'll need to throw a warm reception. We're the hosts, after all," said Hogs unctuously.Ferguson waved him down. "Spare me the pleasantries. I came here for one reason. My employer is seeking a certain person."He was looking for someone?Hogs and George were left wondering. The Sanders family was just a third-rate family in this city. Compared to Empire Corp, they were nothing, and yet now Empire Corp wanted to seek someone from within their abode.A confused Hogs asked, "And who might that be, Mr. Laws?""Queenie Sanders."The Sanderses were stupefied, including George.Curious, Hogs asked, "Why are you
Ferguson smiled. "Hello, Ms. Sanders. Mr. Weeks sent me here.""Mr. Weeks? Who's that?" Queenie asked curiously."His full name is Alexander Weeks."Hogs and George almost fell to the ground. The richest man of Riverton really did have business with them.Queenie, however, muttered, "Sorry, but I don't know that guy."Hogs and George felt their legs getting weak again."It's very normal for that to happen, but he did tell me you are his VIP from today onward. Should you run into any trouble, do please tell us. Say the word, and our company can deal with all your problems. That's the promise my employer made. Problems like… imprisonment."The Sanders family looked tense immediately. They couldn't believe Alexander wanted to get to know Queenie and stand up for her. This was not what they expected.Queenie was stunned as well. She had no idea what Empire Corp or who Alexander Weeks was, but she was getting some ideas after she heard Ferguson speak. "I have no idea who your boss i
Nox unleashed his divine sense, scanning the entire perimeter of Imperia. The same scene repeated itself everywhere: borders littered with unconscious civilians, numerous car crashes, and many more trapped victims in desperate need of help."It looks like we need to break this damned formation first. Ugh, what a pain. And of course, we've got to locate the core before we can dismantle it," he muttered in frustration.The Soul Maze Formation was powerful—so much so that only those in the Legend Realm could traverse it unscathed. Imperia didn't boast many cultivators at that level, and those few were already occupied along the borders, rescuing civilians.Nox focused his Divine Sense and quickly pinpointed the core of the formation within minutes."There's a Sacred Realm guardian from the path of the ancient divine stationed at the core," Nox said telepathically to Cassian. "Grandpa, you and Kirin should head there. But don't rush—leave the rest to me."Nox's caution was clear—he di
Aphrodite maintained her usual stoic demeanor, but behind the scenes, she said to White Tiger telepathically, "Being enslaved by Nox's soul technique? That's quite the excuse. Surely, you know I'm naturally immune to soul techniques?"White Tiger scoffed and shot back telepathically, "They'd have chopped you into pieces by now if I hadn't done some fast talking! Do me a favor and behave yourself for once, or I'll handle you personally before they could even get the chance."Despite his grumbling, White Tiger couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and frustration over Aphrodite's extraordinary immunity. It was said that if someone's mind was honed to an unparalleled level, they could naturally resist soul techniques. Aphrodite had truly reached such a pinnacle of intellect.Aphrodite assumed command of the Nox Army as Nox's soul technique had seemingly bound her to him. She immediately ordered them and the nearby forces to retreat, leaving only the Sword Sect of Magic Mountain behind
Kirin and White Tiger had already entered Nox's room, only to freeze at the sight of his stormy expression. Trouble was clearly brewing."Milord, what happened?" White Tiger asked cautiously, lowering his head as if trying to shrink out of sight.Could this be about them swindling Aphrodite? But they had lost everything all night long—wasn't that punishment enough?Nox announced, "Imperia has gone dark. I can't reach Azure Dragon or the others. White Tiger, contact the military zone immediately and arrange for a military aircraft. I need to leave for Imperia right now!"White Tiger instantly tensed at the news. Imperia suddenly going dark, combined with Cassian's imminent return to reunite with Penelope, felt too coincidental. Could someone be targeting the Greenshade family?"Damn those scoundrels! Understood, milord. I'll get everything ready!"He rushed off to make the arrangements.Meanwhile, Aphrodite's telepathic voice reached Nox. "Stay calm. It's not as dire as it seems.
Nox felt choked by the sheer emotion he was feeling. Sometimes, even a thousand promises couldn't compare to the simple vow of staying together in life and death."Don't worry. There's no one in this world capable of killing me," he reassured her with a smile. All the talk about ruling the Nine States and Five Domains or becoming the emperor of the world paled in comparison to having the one he loved by his side.The destroyer ship made its way back to Faeast's inner harbor. Nineve eagerly led the group to the largest shopping mall in the area as soon as they disembarked.The marines quickly found themselves acting as her personal attendants, lugging bags upon bags of purchases. The spree lasted the entire day, only stopping when the mall finally closed for the night.Later that evening, Nox was watching a live news broadcast in the hotel.The screen showed an official spokesperson from Faeast addressing the issue of piracy on the high seas. The statement carefully emphasized the
As the Temple Lord of the Beast Temple, Kirin was none other than the auspicious beast Kirin itself.On the other hand, Mufasa, while known as the temple's guardian, was, in cruder terms, little more than a servant to the golden lion. His master, the golden lion, paled in comparison to the Kirin in both cultivation level and bloodline.Simply put, if the golden lion were present, it would have to kneel before Kirin."What now? Why'd you drag me out? Couldn't you deal with it yourself? You're so annoying! I was just having a great chat with my students," Kirin grumbled, clearly irritated.However, he immediately shut his gob after receiving a hard whack on the head from Nox."I called you out to ask if you could gather the beasts of the Beast Temple. Tell them to withdraw from Mystia and return to Faeast for the time being. I foresee a war with the path of the martial brewing soon, and I'll need a fully armed force of sacred beasts," Nox said, his piercing gaze fixed on Kirin."Ca
Faeast's rise was inevitable. This belief was absolute and unshakable!At that moment, Aphrodite came to a realization that so long as she and Nox had no romantic ties, their hearts could truly be in sync.Love brought complications such as resentment and division. But without personal emotions clouding their judgment, everything they did would be for the nation alone. Take this moment, for example. The intricate trap she had laid was no longer just a scheme. Rather, it had become a necessary move to safeguard Faeast. By nightfall, the destroyer arrived at the island where Voltaic resided. Before the ship even came to a stop, Voltaic stepped onto the water, striding across the waves with Mufasa by his side. With effortless grace, he leaped onto the bow, landing before Nox on the deck. "You old bastard, what's your deal? When I tried reaching out before, you acted like you were deaf. Now that I've shown up, you're all smiles and warm welcomes? What's that supposed to mean?" No
Just then, several pirate ships appeared on the horizon. They were from Capwave Island. Now, Nox had every reason to suspect that these pirates were nothing more than pawns, a smokescreen used by the elites of the island nations to cover their tracks. "Milord, those guys have their eyes on us. What's the call?" the captain asked. "My rule is simple. If they make a move, fire. Wipe them out. But you're the captain, so I'll leave the decision to you," Nox said. The university students onboard were all fired up, ready to take action without a second thought. The captain, mindful of the number of civilians on board, decided to attempt communication first. He picked up the radio to send a warning to the pirates.The deafening roar of jet engines ripped through the sky. A sudden transmission cut into their frequency. The voice on the radio was firm and unmistakable. "This is the Faeast Air Force. We have orders to escort your vessel. Stand by." Above them, fighter jets h
Nox first checked on Cassian. After realizing he was fine and had only collapsed out of exhaustion and loss of life essence, Nox turned to lead a group of men toward the port. The mystical artifact sealing off the island had been retrieved. The isolated island would finally see the light of day once more! Nox had just arrived at the port when he was surrounded by a pack of students. Somehow, they found out their savior was Lord Nox of Faeast. They were all insistent on meeting him. "We just knew Faeast would save us!""Our savior is actually Lord Nox! We will surely study hard to repay Faeast!"They were young and impulsive. In their eyes, Nox was sent to rescue them as Faeast knew they were in danger. Hence, they were overwhelmed with emotions. Nox stared at them with a guilty look in his eyes. He had not even known they were kidnapped. Due to that guilt, he agreed to take a group photo with the students even though he disliked appearing before the public eye. The enti
"Zeller, you'll be brought to justice!"With a twist of his fingers, thousands of swords appeared out of thin air and swung at Zeller.Without any techniques he could use, Zeller had to risk his life to block and dodge every blow sent his way. However, his body gave up after a few hundred strikes, and his body was torn apart.Shaken to his very core, Zeller tried to make a retreat."Where are you going? Quintuple Lightning, awaken the divine tempest!"As deafening thunder roared through the sky, countless bolts of lightning struck down at Zeller's dark spirit, killing him.One of the best evil cultivators died just like that.His death also sounded the death knell for the Celestial Ordinance's Abode that had been causing chaos in Faeast for centuries.The Marine Corps gazed at Nox with passionate excitement in their eyes.This was their lord, someone who was stronger than Cassian!Nox turned around to find the remaining elites crying in despair. Some of them had already lost