Daniel heaved a sigh. "I wonder if you'll be mad at me, Yulia."A gust of wind winnowed into the courtyard, brushing against the corners of Daniel's eyes. He teared up slightly as he was reminded of his late wife.…A town stood near the Darkbog Mountains. Someone was singing in the most luxurious karaoke lounge in town. Unfortunately, their voice sounded like a dying seal croaking out its last whimper.Bear was the singer. Within the lounge where light strobed, a bunch of women—with heavy makeup on—were drinking away.In the center of these ladies, a monk with a flushed face and who stank of alcohol was lying on the chest of a red-haired woman, drinking away happily. The monk was none other than Awesome.Ever since he snuck out of Mystia, the monk let his desires control him. He broke all abstinence and would satiate his lust every single day. In his words, life was nothing without hot chicks around."You were great last night, monk. Two of my friends can't even get out of bed.
"Aw, come on, Bear. I was just starting to have fun. What's the rush?" a confused Awesome asked."Imperia. There's trouble back home, and we need to go back, pronto." Bear had a dark look on his face.Awesome sobered up. "What? What happened?" he asked blearily."There was an emergency call from Keith. The sects have made their move, and they sent out killers after them." Bear clenched his fists, his expression solemn.'The sects?' Awesome thought as he pouted. "There's nothing to worry about, then." The monk from Mystia was not scared of any sect.Bear, however, was far from calm. "Awesome, the lord is not in Imperia. Keith and the guys are the only ones left. If the sects did attack, no one could stop them." Bear looked miffed.Awesome could understand Bear's worries now. With Nox and him gone, only Keith, Bard, and some regular warriors were around. If the sects did attack them, they would be in trouble. "Holy shit, I forgot that Nox isn't around!" He jumped."We need to go b
After Nox turned Snowground into Faeast's vassal state, Imperial City threw a big celebration, and Nineve was a prime example of it. She gushed with excitement. After all, the man she loved achieved a feat almost no one could rival.However, she was also a little miffed. She was waiting for Nox's return. Yet, he didn't show up. It had been nearly a week since he completed his feat. The princess even called the guys at Darkbog Mountains, but they said he was already gone.That was why the princess was miffed. "Where'd stupid Nox go this time? Wait, he can't be wooing another girl, can he?" The thought of that riled her up. So, she sought her father out.Moments later, the princess was standing outside the Gilded Halls. From a distance, she saw Douglas and Felcro standing outside as well. These two were always allowed to stand by her father's side, and she wondered why they were standing outside now."Mr. Gaia, what are you two doing out here?" Nineve asked as she approached them.D
"I see. I'll have to check the guest out. See if the legends are true." The princess ran into the Gilded Halls.At the same time, a white sliver of sword energy flew out of the Gilded Halls, and a wave of gust howled behind. Atop the white light was a silhouette in green, riding on a flying sword."Whoa, a divine swordsman!" The princess watched the swordsman fly away, agape. She gasped with excitement.Douglas and Felcro saw the silhouette off. "That's Sword Sect for you," Douglas commented.Then, a majestic voice from within the halls said, "Come in, Mr. Gaia." That was the voice of the emperor.Douglas bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."A moment later, Douglas, Felcro, and Nineve were in the Gilded Halls. The emperor was sitting atop his throne. The princess quickly approached him. "Father!"The emperor looked at his daughter. "And what brings you here?"Nineve pouted. "I wanted to see you. Mr. Gaia said you were talking to a Sword Sect guy? Is that true?"The emperor smiled. "Yes
"Destiny is inevitable, it seems. I thought the sects would not go after Nox, but I've obviously underestimated the lengths they would go to," murmured the emperor.Douglas answered, "Worry not, Your Majesty. I am sure Lord Nox can calm this storm down alone."The emperor waved Douglas down and rose to his feet. "I am not worried about Nox; however, I am worried about the effects this war will have on Faeast's martial arts world. It will be plunged into chaos. It'll be a disaster that we've not seen for a hundred years."He continued, "Many of my ministers are in cahoots with the sects to gain more clout and influence. If the martial arts world were to fall into chaos, so will the nation's stability."Douglas's heart sank, for he knew the emperor was right. The nation was built on martial prowess, and the Three Great Powers had established themselves deeply in this land. Should chaos befall them, the nation would be thrown into disarray.People with ambition would rise and fight f
Nineve was in her mansion, ready to ask her father about Nox, but then she caught wind about Royal Retreat and her father's isolation. She shrieked, "What? Father's going into seclusion? Why?""Mr. Gaia told me that the emperor has gone into isolation mode. Now, Mr. Gaia is in charge of administration," a servant answered."What happened? I just left the Halls. Why is Father going into seclusion so suddenly>" Nineve had a feeling something major was going to happen soon. "I have to ask Father about this."Nineve quickly approached Gilded Halls. When she arrived, the doors were already closed to her, and Royal Army's soldiers were guarding it. Felcro was also among them.Nineve looked at the closed doors and frowned. Quickly, she went up to the Gilded Halls. "What's going on, Felcro? Where is my father?"Felcro smiled at her. "His Majesty is in seclusion now.""And what's up with that? It's so sudden," said Nineve.Felcro remained smiling. "I do not know."Nineve was miffed. In
"Your Highness, you need to see this," said Drunk from outside.Nineve went back out. "What'd you find?"Drunk looked at the ground around him weirdly. "If I'm right, a fight happened here.""What do you mean a fight?" Nineve asked quickly."Look at the gashes. What do they look like?" Drunk pointed at the ground.Gashes as thick as arms decorated the earth underneath, and a broken tree stood limply on the side. Nineve stared at them. "Sword marks.""Yes. Anyone who can leave a mark this intense must be a Top Legend Realm."Nineve's heart sank. "So, you mean to say that a Top Legend Realm attacked Keith and the others?"Drunk shook his head. "I don't know, but I have sensed that a lot of powerful Top Legend Realms have been coming into Imperia lately."Shock took over Nineve's mind. Drunk was already a Six Paths decades ago, and now he was already a Seven Deaths. Nineve would never doubt his words. The fact that he said a Top Legend Realm attacked Keith and the others made her
The girl's praise made Madison blush. She smiled, crouched, and held Gina's chubby hands. "You will, I'm sure of it."Gina smiled happily. Then, she caught sight of Penelope leaving her abode. "Grandma!" She ran up to her grandmother and jumped into her arms. Then, she smiled and said, "The lady said I'll grow up to be as pretty as she is!"Penelope smiled and pinched Gina's cheek. "And I'm sure you'll be beautiful, Gina."Gina giggled."Run along now, though. I need to speak to our guest."The girl nodded. "Okay." She hopped away and got onto a swing. After the girl was gone, Madison quickly bowed to Penelope. "Hello, Mrs. Greenshade."After moving into the Greenshades', Madison found out that this was where Nox used to live. This woman was his beloved grandmother."Oh, you don't have to, young lady." Penelope smiled. "Daniel said you're all Nox's friends?" Penelope asked.Madison nodded. "Yes.""That's good to hear. Nox left this place when he was just a little boy. It's gre
They waited and waited, but there was no movement. "Nox, it looks like Master Zeller doesn't plan to come out. Since he's so rude, I'll force him out!"Cassian began to set Saint power ablaze. With the energy precisely aimed at the hidden talisman hiding in the fortress, he burned the talisman. The ghosts imprisoned within the fortress came pouring out. Millions of ghosts appeared. It was an exceedingly rare sight. The number of ghosts was enough to instantly overwhelm a cultivator at Pinnacle Realm. If it were just Aphrodite, Queenie, and Nineve, they would not have been able to control that many souls. Cassian wanted to help out, but he was too powerful. He would kill the ghosts, and that was not the effect he wanted. "Leave it to me, Grandpa."Nox stepped forward. In an instant, the aura of a Human Sovereign surged from him, welcoming a righteous and natural energy. The agitated ghosts swiftly calmed down. "Everyone, I am Lord Nox of Faeast. Today, I will ensure ju
In some ways, Cassian's fame far surpassed Nox's. Nox was tasked with stabilizing the nation. While even distant countries beyond Faeast’s borders had heard of him, their knowledge was limited to a few of his victories. Cassian, on the other hand, gained his fame through bloodshed. He roamed the world, leaving chaos in his wake across numerous nations. Even now, the mere mention of his name struck fear into many. For example, Cassian was the one to depose Spiajan's king, along with the entire royal family. Once the king was killed, Spiajan no longer had a monarchy. When the middle-aged man learned that the old git who had split his body into half was none other than Cassian, the man who had slaughtered through his country, he fell silent, gripped by fear. "Speak! Keep boasting. Why are you all silent now? What happened to the threats?" Cassian loftily stared at the group of elites. In his eyes, they were just trash. "Whether you're Cassian Greenshade or Lord Nox, you can't ju
The elites were all panic-stricken, and they immediately ordered their bodyguards to come forward to protect them.Accepting their fates, hundreds of bodyguards rushed forward, took out their submachine guns, aimed them at Nox and his group, and pulled the triggers.Gunshots were being fired wildly. However, Cassian blocked all the bullets off with his bronze-red fiery momentum.Presently, Cassian's hair had turned bronze-red, and the muscles all over his body were pumped.Upon witnessing this sight before their very eyes, the elites all thought that Cassian resembled a real Super Saiyan who emerged straight out of an animated series."Die!"As Cassian pressed his palm down, an unparalleled force descended from the sky. Instantly, hundreds of bodyguards were all crushed into a pulp. As a matter of fact, the momentum flattened their bodies even more than it did if a car ran over them.The elites gasped in shock. In their mind, they couldn't help but wonder if Cassian was actually
"That's right! We must severely punish these traitors once Master Zeller kills this group of Faeastians!" a group of elites cursed in unison. As they spoke, a near-rabid desire surfaced in their scarlet eyes.Up to this very moment, they were still thinking of eliminating the insiders. After all, only after getting rid of the insiders could they easily conduct restructuring and divide their shares of power again.Presently, politicians from the neighboring nations also informed everyone that their country's fleet was on their way and would arrive shortly to provide assistance."Damn these Faeastians! We can't spare them like this! Let's kill them and refine violent energy using their spirits!""Agree! These guys are so powerful, so refining violent energy with their souls definitely will be a great supplement for us!"Once again, one by one, the eyes of these elites turned rapacious as they gazed at the gradually approaching group of people like a group of hungry hyenas staring at
The group crossed the battlefield and arrived at a resort built on the island. Everywhere they looked, luxury cars filled the place, and grand mansions lined the area.At the center of these private residences stood their target. The air was thick with violent energy, and dark clouds loomed ominously above. The moment Cassian arrived, he could sense the presence of vengeful spirits."There were many innocent lives that died here," Cassian said to Nox. "That's strange. Why didn't that cultivator cleanse this place when he had such huge power?"Nox thought for a moment before replying, "Perhaps leaving these vengeful spirits here is part of their plan too."Cassian took in a sharp breath as he realized what Nox was implying."If my guess is correct, this person is deliberately feeding the spirits to sustain the elites. While it may grant them eternal youth and extend their lifespans, the cost is that they will become inhumane. What a cruel method. He enslaved the elites, allowing hi
As Nox and Cassian exchanged glances, they both got the same idea."It looks like that mastermind is an evil cultivator.""There are many sinister cultivation techniques that can grant ordinary people eternal youth, immortality, or even cultivation. However, such things are not obtained out of thin air. They are stolen from the others. During the internal turmoil in Faeast, evil cultivators were everywhere. It took me, Sariel, and Magic Mountain a huge effort to get rid of most of them. When they were unable to find a foothold in Faeast, they fled to Southsea."Nox added, "Even so, they continued to target Faeast, wreaking havoc along the coastal regions. The situation grew so dire that His Majesty had to personally deal with them. After I took over, I utilized Vermilion Bird's intelligence network to eliminate almost all of the evil cultivators. It seems that the surviving ones have fled even further to cause trouble."Faeast was a righteous country, so there was no room for evil
Just like that, an entire army was completely wiped out by two people! Moreover, the duo didn't seem to be using any effort either.This was a massacre.Nox toyed with the artifact in his hand. The palm-sized, black object caused the temperature of the island to drop, yet Nox didn't seem to be affected at all.However, the commander was almost frozen to death.Cassian walked over and took the artifact from Nox's hand. After examining it closely, he frowned and said, "This is the legendary Black Ice Stone, a thing that had long been thought to be extinct.""Indeed. This is remarkable. Without the use of any technique, it can disrupt one's senses just by placing it on the ground. Once it comes into contact with positive energy, it'll release Yin energy. What a fascinating item," said Nox."True. It's a pity that it can't be combined with other materials though. Otherwise, it could have been a sacred artifact." Cassian nodded.Nox shook his head in exasperation. "Even if it could b
The enemy commander waved his hand to give an order.In that split second, dozens of men raised their swords and charged toward Nox.Cassian was too intimidating to them, and he would wipe out the entire army by himself. Thus, they decided to capture Nox in order to threaten Cassian."Raise your hands and surrender immediately!" the enemy commander said in broken Faeastian.However, what unsettled the enemy commander was that neither Cassian nor the group of spectators in the distance seemed to care about Nox's current situation.Seeing that Nox didn't respond, one of the enemy leaders shouted, "Why are you not moving? Are you scared? I told you to raise your hands and surrender now!"Nox tilted his head and glanced at him with disdain. Then, he slowly raised one of his hands."Are you deaf? I said two hands!" the enemy leader roared.`Buzz!At that moment, an invisible force swept through everyone, causing hundreds of people to be lifted into the air over three thousand fee
Nineve was shocked, but Aphrodite was used to it. "He rose to fame during the latest crisis of Faeast. You have to be crueler than everyone else if you want to live during that era," she said.It was a dog-eat-dog world back then, and every cultivator was a beast. The team eventually arrived at the spot, and the Marines were already interrogating the captives."Milord, these are units from the coastal nations nearby. They're not to be underestimated," a soldier reported to Nox. Even if these people were not remnants of the Three-Eyed Clan, this was still a national issue.The soldiers tried to ask the captives about the Three-Eyed Clan, but they knew nothing about it. Nox said, "Don't waste your time. They're not big enough to know that kind of intel.""What should we do with these people?" The Marines wondered if they should take the captives back to the ship. Cassian used his soul technique to check the captives' memories and killed them all."Yeah, they might be official units,