The priests had just shouted for help when the dragon charged at them and swallowed one right away. The other three tried to fight back, but their spells were useless against the dragon. Sure enough, the dragon was quick to gobble them all up."No, no, no!" When the last of her elite army was taken out, Senami almost cried tears of blood. "You demon! I'll kill you!"Senami mustered up the last of her strength and picked up her saber. Then, she charged at Nox. However, Nox swung his hand and sent her flying before she could even land a hit on him. Senami panted and struggled to get up, as if she wanted to fight again.Nox bit out coldly, "Do not tempt fate. I spared you because you spared the nomads. Six years ago, I told your nation that if you barbarians tried to invade Faeast, I would destroy your whole country!"He continued, "Now, you bastards conspire with Faeast's families and try to cultivate our martial arts. And you try to invade our land? You deserve to die for that!"Ev
Back in Faeast's camp on Darkbog Mountains, Dom was as happy as a lark. Ever since Nox made him an official member of Nox Army, he was prouder than ever. Although he was now old and lame, the old man still looked dashing in Faeast's military uniform.The border soldiers knew who Nox really was now. They were both excited and scared. The erstwhile lord had returned, but they were worried he might punish them for slacking off all these years.A few soldiers huddled around Dom. "Sir, are you close to the lord?"Dom said proudly, "Of course. He saved my life.""That's awesome, mister. If the lord wants to punish us, can you put in a good word with him?" the soldiers asked sheepishly.Dom smiled. "Don't you worry. The lord won't punish you as long as you follow the rules and secure the border.""Of course, sir. We swear on our lives that we'll protect the border."A fleet of military cars was approaching them. They stopped, and a uniformed Mario hopped out of one."It's the commande
"What's with that number of choppers?""What's going on, commander?"The soldiers were stunned to see these helicopters here. Mario was staring at the helicopters with wide eyes before he let out a gasp, "We're going to have a bigshot here soon! Quickly, everyone get out here and stand in formation! We must give them a proper welcome!""Yes, sir!"The soldiers quickly stepped forth, formed a formation, and got ready to welcome their guests. The helicopters all belonged to Faeast, and there were about a hundred of them. The rotors that whirred in the skies above almost sounded like roars as the helicopters slowly descended on the prairie.A while later, the helicopters all landed, and a group of imposing soldiers in black armor came out of the choppers in perfect unison, obsidian sabers hanging from their waists.The moment they showed themselves, Mario was flabbergasted. He gasped, "Dear gods, that's the Black Flag! They're part of the Forbidden Army of Imperial City!""What? Th
Mario was roughly escorted to the command center while Quintus' army surrounded the command center. As one of the three Forbidden Armies protecting Imperial City, all Black Flag soldiers were at least Greater Combatants. Some were even Grandmasters.As their commander, Quintus was a Third Layer Firmament, a warrior on par with Keith. He was inside the command center, wearing an icy expression. Mario's hands and feet were chained. He was being treated as if he was a criminal.Dom and the border's soldiers hung their heads low, too scared to say a single word."Do you confess to your crimes, Mario?" Quintus roared coldly. He used to be one of Nox's top ten generals and was famed for his brutality and bloodlust.Mario hung his head low. "I… confess.""Then, you will die for it! Men, take him out for execution!" said Quintus.The border soldiers could not believe what they just heard, including Dom.Mario retorted tremulously, "I do not mind dying, General Nettleton, but I wish to s
All ten generals who were stationed under Nox Army were formidable people, and Quintus was one of them. Their lust for blood was something they learned from Nox. Should anyone cross them, they would be more than willing to destroy them along with their nation.Now, Quintus would lead Black Flag to slaughter Snowground's people. The army was about to mobilize when a thunderous voice boomed overhead, "It's alright. I'm back!"Elation filled Quintus' face. That voice was obviously Nox's. "The lord is back!" An excited Quintus dashed out of the encampment.Black Flag, Dom, and the chained Mario rushed out in excitement as well. However, what they saw next shocked them. A white Snow Wolf King about ten feet tall was traipsing through the snow-covered ground, its head hanging submissively.On its back was Nox, and behind Nox was a beautiful, unconscious silhouette."Dear gods, that snow wolf is gigantic. Look! The lord is on its back!"The border soldiers and Black Flag were stunned to
They thought, 'My gods, a beast this big is kneeling before the lord? Is he a god?'A couple of border soldiers approached and led the Snow Wolf King to the empty room on the left. Before they could go far, Nox said, "Wait.""What do you need, milord?" The soldiers turned around, looking confused.Nox said nothing. Instead, he grabbed the air and grasped the unconscious lady on the wolf's back."Is that a Snowgroundian woman?" The soldiers were surprised to see Nox returning with a Snowgroundian woman. They had no idea why Nox captured her, not even Quintus.Nox opened his hand, and Senami fell with a thud. "Lock her up as well," said Nox. He left Senami behind and went into the encampment.The soldiers had no idea who this woman was, but they obediently did as they were told.When Nox entered the command center, Quintus quickly stood by his side. The Black Flag Army stood on both sides while Mario hung his head low, his hands still chained.Nox immediately noticed Mario's pred
Quintus was raring to go. Alas, Nox shot him down, saying calmly, "There's no need to go that far for these barbarians.""What do you have in mind, milord?" a confused Quintus asked.Nox stood up proudly and looked in Snowground's direction. "Six years ago, I killed my way to their capital alone. I can do that again!"Quintus said with stars in his eyes, "You are a force of nature, milord."Then, Nox and Quintus discussed Imperial City affairs, especially about the Mousses and the Philosophers. Nox killed so many Philosophers and Top Legend Realms back in Old Dragon's Peak. So far, the Mousses had been staying quiet since then.If it weren't for the business with Snowground, Nox would've returned to Imperia and hunted down the Mousses with extreme prejudice.While Nox and Quintus were talking, a border soldier came running in. "Milord, the woman woke up. She even beat up one of our men! She's in solitary confinement and cursing all of us!"Nox frowned. The tempestuous Quintus sh
After the soldiers were gone, Senami looked at Nox with fury in her eyes. "You're finally here, you demon! Release me, or kill me! Why have you imprisoned me?"Nox snorted, and a wave of powerful magick paralyzed Senami up to her neck. She felt like a piece of paper Nox could tear apart any moment. "You think I wouldn't kill you?"The sense of suffocation turned Senami purple. Right before the imprisonment energy would kill her, Nox released it, causing Senami to fall with a thud as she coughed violently.Quintus said coldly, "How dare you talk like that to the lord, you barbarian?"Senami coughed for a long while before she slowly rose to her feet. Her bright blue eyes contained unbound hatred, and they were glaring at Nox, Quintus, and Mario. "Who are you? Why are you antagonizing Snowground?"Quintus answered, "You have no right asking my lord's name!""The general's right. You bastards intrude upon our nation and abuse our people! You must pay for that!" Mario added.Senami
The demonic eye covered everything. Its intensity even suppressed Faeast's fate a little. Dominic knew better, though. The empress might look like she had the upper hand, but Faeast's fate was still cleansing her formation. This was her final moment, and the empress was risking her life to fight Nox."If I can't get you, no one can! Die, Greenshade! You will perish today, and I will destroy your nation's fate! Faeast will never see a Sovereign!" The empress had succumbed to madness. Anything she couldn't get, she would destroy.Her eye power attacked again, and the crimson vessels turned black. The black strings weaved a huge web, and every string could destroy any cultivator who was not a Saint. Nox activated his Saintly manual, and the saintly dragons breathed fire. Though it was powerful, it couldn't break the web, and even the dragons were trapped."Saintly dragons, so what? I'll kill them all the same!" The third eye unleashed its power again, but it was the empress' limit. Bla
"Dammit, how'd that bastard take my place? I'm the Sovereign! You're blind, Faeast's fate!" Flame Emperor roared, but the more he complained, the more the nation's fate turned its back on him.The empress' mind was blank. 'What is going on here? He's just a cultivator who's barely trained for twenty years, and he can summon his nation's fate all the way here?' she thought."This can't be. How did this happen? It's impossible!" She was questioning her own power. Her confidence was wavering. She might lose this battle, and Nox would kill her."So what do you think now, empress? Are these dragons enough to pin you down?" Nox walked through the air and passed the barrier easily. Slowly, he approached the empress and looked at the ancient cultivator proudly."You're looking down on me again? You bastard! So what if you have nine saintly dragons? You think Faeast's fate is enough to kill me? You do not have the power!" The empress hated that look. She was the god who controlled this land
If Nox met his end here, it would be very unceremonious compared to his life."Ultimate Sun, Nine Dragons." Nine dragons appeared. These dragons were the avatar of Nox's power. They were not just any avatar; they were sacred beasts."Dragons? You think they can take down an ultimate ruler like me? This is why you're so confident? How childish, Greenshade. I'll shatter your hope, then! Die, dragons!" The empress' third eye unleashed bloody energy, and it formed a sharp web.The web crushed the dragons immediately, and golden rain fell. Though he was bathing in his dragons' blood, Nox wasn't panicking."The dragons alone aren't enough. They can't pin a monster like her!" Dominic looked grim. In ancient times, dragons were nothing but a delicacy for powerful entities. Their power was not enough to scare a monster like the empress."If true dragons aren't enough, what about saintly dragons?" Nox's eyebrow arched, and the empress' pupils contracted."Saintly dragons? You? You think yo
"Say the word, and I shall help you push Faeast to power. All I want is for you to submit to me, not make me your master. Is a woman like me not enough for you? My beauty, power, and brains far outstrip whatever your women have. Survival of the fittest is how this world works. Cultivators like you should know that."Submit to me, and I shall become Heavenly Dao, while you shall rule the Mortal World. I shall rule the heavens, and you shall rule the earth. Together, we are the world!" The empress was making an offer again, and she presented a whole agreement.Unlike the deception she threw to Flame Emperor, she genuinely wanted to work with Nox this time. "You are a master of talisman. You know I'm not lying to you. I admire you, so do not let me down again. Push me into a corner, and no one comes out happy." The empress stared at Nox.She hoped Nox would understand where she was coming from and change his mind. Nox was in her trap, but all he did was laugh. "Let you down? You amuse
White Tiger was crying. A guy who didn't fear death was kneeling on the deck and crying his heart out. The Southern Sea navy gathered around. This man was a Great General, and they wondered what might have happened to him. Everyone knew it must be serious.Fergus was stunned. "Is Nox in trouble?" Nox used to work with Fergus for a while, and the man saw Nox as his own son. He was the future of Faeast. If a man like him were to die, he couldn't imagine what would happen to Faeast.All the Southern Sea navy units thought highly of Nox. He was their boss and comrade. A blanket of despair spread through the fleet. When that emotion reached its peak, it would turn into fury. Anger filled up the Southern Sea navy."Men, heed my order. Open fire at Celestial Domain and do not hold back!" Fergus ordered recklessly. He wanted to fire the forbidden item at Celestial Domain.When the news got back to Imperia, Douglas almost leaped out of his seat. "Are you mad, Fergus? Do you have any idea wh
The empress laughed. "That was a powerful attack, Greenshade. If we'd fought seventy thousand years ago, you'd have killed me, but I'm far stronger than I was. You have no idea how much I've suffered over the years. My eye power is beyond what you can imagine! I've gone through enough pain, and that's why I can stand at the top!"This is the final hurdle! Now I'll show you the suffering I've endured!" The empress' third eye opened, and the eye power it unleashed was twisting space itself. The whole world was shuddering.Heavy pressure weighed down on Nox, and his astral form trembled. Much to Nineve's shock, the third eye flew out of the empress and hovered high up in the skies, replacing the sun and moon. The eye turned crimson, but it reflected different colors and inversed the world's colors.Living beings were black and white in this world."Shit, that's her ultimate Soulcatcher and the level of power every eye technique user dreams of! The moment the kaleidoscope opens, you ar
Queenie didn't care about the big picture. She would do whatever Nox told her to. Flames burned her again, and the fires of a phoenix covered the mountain, suppressing Flame Emperor once more, stopping his release."You are my clan's emblem, phoenix! Why are you doing Greenshade's bidding?" Flame Emperor was furious. At his core, he was as short-tempered as the empress.The empress saw what was going on, and she mocked, "Seventy thousand years, and you are at the mercy of the new Sovereign! Not even your phoenix listens to you now!"Nox's astral form descended and stood before the empress. The bloodlust he radiated made her shake. "You're killing me? Can you really do that? My life is tied to Celestial Domain. Even if it is destroyed, I will not be harmed, but if I die, Celestial Domain will fall. Kirin and Aphrodite will die as well."One is the smartest mortal I've seen all my life. The other is the only cultivator who managed to merge with a sacred beast completely. My life for
For Nox, she could give up everything, even her life. This pain was nothing. "The man I love is a hero. Someone who can stand tall and proud. But even if he's no lord or Sovereign, I love him all the same. Not even death can douse the fires of my love."The pain heightened to its peak, and the flames were now a tribulation. They flew into Queenie's soul. At the same time, a blinding crimson light shone from Queenie's body. The light came from her chest."What?" The empress was trying to kill Dominic, but she sensed something terrible going on, and she froze. "She's my lost heart? Why? Seventy thousand years, and this is what I get?" She was losing it. Her determination was crumbling.Dominic laughed. "You know why? Because you're trying to take over as Heavenly Dao, and it will fight back, hard. Nothing good will come for you! To cultivate means to do good and stay just. Evil will never triumph, and you will die!" His laughter turned into a cackle.No one saw this coming. Who'd hav
"Worry not, Queenie. As long as the phoenix's heart is not destroyed, she will be reborn in flames. Every time a phoenix is reborn, they will gain greater heights." said Flame Emperor.'Yes, that's the legend of the phoenix.' Queenie was once again in awe of nature's magic. 'So Faeast's legends are true. Phoenixes are immortal!'"So where's the heart?" Queenie quickly asked. If she could find it and help Flame Emperor get out of his prison, he and Nox could kill the empress."Silly girl. It's right here. You are the missing heart."Queenie's mind buzzed, and she froze. 'I am the phoenix's heart? Wait, so who or what am I, really?'"That witch enslaved the phoenix's body, but she could never control her heart. No one can. The legends of a phoenix's immortality are not entirely true. Every time they are reborn, they will have died once. The new phoenix will inherit their predecessor's power, but they cannot represent their predecessor."Just like reincarnation, once someone goes in