"I don't need your help with anything! Get out of my face!" Awesome screamed as he scrambled backward. It was as if he thought Jasper was a malevolent ghost coming to get him.Jasper sighed. "It's been forever since we last met. Why are you so scared of me?""Scared? I'm not scared of you! I just don't want to see you, that's all!" Awesome huffed and puffed."Oh, you're still mad about that? Man, you're overreacting. Besides, it's your boss' fault. He just had to push me around. I couldn't beat him, but I could whoop your ass," said Jasper, reminiscing about the past.Bear was speechless. 'The boss? Is he talking about the lord? This Magic Mountain guy knows the lord?' he thought.While Bear was immersed in his shock, Awesome leaped back up and hissed angrily, "Don't mock me, you monster. Why don't you fight the boss if you have the guts? Bullying me is coward's play!"Jasper forced a smile. "Yes, I'm here to see him.""What? You actually want to see the boss?" Awesome blinked.
Awesome led Jasper to Nox. On their way back, Bear bombarded Awesome with questions and got the answers he needed. Jasper, the youngest divine swordsman of Magic Mountain, used to train in Mystia when he was little. A patriarch had taken Jasper under his wing.Jasper was talented and the most famous prodigy among Magic Mountain's new-gen warriors. Prodigies were always arrogant, and Jasper was no different. Unfortunately, he ran into Nox in Mystia.At that point in Jasper's life, he had long beaten all his peers with his unparalleled talent, including Awesome. However, everything changed when he met Nox. The first time they fought, Nox beat him so hard that he cried. The three patriarchs from Magic Mountain were even alerted to his wails.Since then, Jasper would challenge Nox every two days, but Nox would defeat him every single time. Jasper's confidence shattered, and he left Mystia, returning to Magic Mountain. They'd never seen Jasper since then.It was truly a surprise to run
"What do you mean chicks?" Nox frowned."Milord, after you left Imperia, Bear would bring Awesome to… that kind of establishment every day. Nightclubs are where they set up shop. If I were a betting man, I'd say they snuck out this time for the ladies of Grand Weaver's Workshop," Bard answered."The Grand Weaver's Workshop?""Yes. When Bear asked me about it, I told him all their members are beautiful ladies. I'm sure they're trying to meet up with the ladies."Nox smiled helplessly. Nox knew Awesome, and with Bard's statement, Nox was sure he and Bear were out looking for ladies.Keith said, "I'll assemble a team and drag them back, milord."Nox waved him down. "It's alright. Awesome's there, so there's nothing to worry about.""But the sects are there as well. They might…" Keith was worried."Don't worry. As long as the ancient warriors don't show themselves, no one can defeat Awesome." Nox knew how powerful Awesome was, though that boy could be a troublemaker. He wasn't worr
They were naturally: Jasper, Bear, and the bloodied Awesome."You want to have a rematch with the boss, Nightingale? Well, here we are. See this place? This is the boss' home." Awesome was nearly healed, and he was pointing at the courtyard with a smile.Jasper looked at the courtyard and frowned. "Well, this is rundown."Awesome rolled his eyes. "That's stupid. Why don't you tell that to the boss' face?""You think I'm scared?" Jasper muttered."I don't want to argue with you. You'd better not lose your balls when you're facing the boss." Awesome ignored Jasper and turned around, shouting, "Boss, I'm back!"Keith, Bard, and Jebediah heard him. Everyone came out, including Nox and Queenie.Keith said, "You're finally back." However, when they saw him bloodied, they were stunned.Keith shouted, "What happened? What's with all that blood?"Bard looked at Awesome, concerned. Even Nox looked cold at the sight of Awesome bloodied."It's alright. Some old git bashed me, but I'm sti
Nox's friends couldn't believe what they were hearing. It was shocking that this swordsman wanted to challenge Nox right off the bat.Nox looked at Jasper quietly, a smile playing on his lips. It was as if he was looking at an old friend whom he had not met in years."You pushed me around back then, and now I want a rematch!" Jasper shouted after a moment of silence. Something swished, and a white flying sword came flying out of Jasper's sword case. The sword hovered in the air, and everything was covered in Jasper's aura.Nox finally made his move. He stepped forth, and a worried Queenie called out to him, "Nox…"Nox smiled at her. "It's fine." He slowly approached Jasper.Everyone watched, their eyes wide and unblinking. They were nervous, for they had no idea what would happen next. Even Awesome was buzzing with excitement. He shouted, "Whoop that punk's ass, boss! That'll show him!"The battle was about to begin, and everyone was watching nervously. Nox did not attack, howeve
"Er, we have a crowd though. I am the youngest divine swordsman in Magic Mountain. At least let me keep my dignity." Jasper was almost tearful."That's what you get for trying to act cool. Now, tell me, what should you call me?" Nox asked.Jasper wanted to bang his head against a wall. Back in Mystia, his patriarch, the number one warrior in Magic Mountain, became sworn brothers with Nox. Technically, that would make Nox his great-uncle. That was also why Awesome called him a punk. It was not due to the age gap but to a rank gap."G-Great Uncle Nox," Jasper said, a little miffed.Awesome burst into laughter mercilessly and pointed at Jasper. "That's what you get for running your mouth! Where did all those balls go? Come on, fight him!"Annoyed by the mockery, Jasper gnashed his teeth. He wanted to beat up Awesome right now, but Nox suddenly appeared right in front of Awesome.Awesome quickly snitched, "You won't believe what that punk said on our way here. Kept saying he wanted a
Nox left, the air around him heavy with bloodlust. Awesome quickly shouted, "Wait for me, boss!" He followed Nox right away. Jasper caught up with them as fast as he could. They were on a hunt."Well, that's it for the sects." Bard sighed.Surprised, Madison asked, "What do you mean, Bard?"Bard answered, "The lord has drawn a line in the sand. Anyone who crosses it will be slaughtered. One, the nation. Two, his comrades. Three, his lover. The fact that the sects hurt Awesome meant they just booked a one-way ticket to hell.""Bard's right, and they deserve every ounce of pain coming for them," Keith added.Though Queenie and Madison had no idea who Nox was going to kill, they said nothing.…The manor in the outskirts belonged to the Mousses, but it wasn't their actual abode. They had at least a few dozen manors like these in Imperia. Not even Nox knew where they truly lived.That was why Nox never sought them out for revenge, but things had changed. Awesome was hurt, and he wa
Awesome was starting to act like a child asking their parent to beat up their bully."Nox doesn't have to dirty his hands dealing with these idiots," Jasper said."Then, you do it!" Awesome said.Jasper smiled. "Sure thing." He raised his hand, and two flying swords flew out of his sheath. One was long, while the other was short. One was white, and the other was black. The air buzzed sharply, and the swords hovered over Jasper's head.Smiling, Jasper looked at the Mousses. "So, who wants to get their asses handed to them first?"The old man noticed Jasper's intention to fight, and he swung his arm. "Kill them!"All his men attacked, but they were no match for Jasper. He was the youngest divine swordsman in Magic Mountain in over a century. Besides Nox, he was the most talented swordsman around."You idiots." Jasper smiled and flicked his fingers. His twin swords flew through the air, and everything in their path was annihilated. Like dragons, the terrifying twin swords tore thro
The talismans were Magic Mountain's Forbidden Art, and Nox had fused them with Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual. Nox's mentors back in Mystia had taught him the Sovereign Seal earlier than expected.Their goal was simple. If Nox became the Sovereign, he could use the seal to command all the natural energy around him. If he didn't become the Sovereign, he would teach the Sovereign how to use the seal.The Sovereign Seal was a Saintly technique and the most ancient technique around. It was stronger than a Celestial technique.A golden seal brighter than the sun slowly rose into the air. It was the Sovereign Seal.As it appeared, natural energy gathered around it. The energy flew into the relics Brundela took from Faeast. Within a museum not open to the public, a bronze sword started to tremble as natural energy flowed into it. That got the attention of a professor."That sword belonged to Faeast's Emperor Elijah! What is going on?"A silhouette came out of the sword, and his aura was maj
Back in the navy command center, Fergus got the drone footage of Brundela's latest development. There were a few generals from the Nox Army with him. They could see that the monsters in the capital were far stronger than the ones they took out."It's a pity the capital is too densely populated. We have the weapons, but we can't use them." Fergus slammed the table in frustration. Even if the capital were to fall into enemy hands and the people torn apart by the monsters, Fergus could not order his men to fire at the capital, or things would be bad for them.Fergus could only open fire if the monsters were in a no man's land."Commander Parrish, the lord has orders. We are to keep the waters guarded. Once the capital's crisis is over, we are to make our way to the port and give humanitarian aid," a Nox Army general said telepathically. He just got Nox's orders."Is that so? Then Nox can stop this crisis." Fergus' eyes shone. He had no idea what Nox was planning, but he was the Sovere
Demons were walking the lands of Brundela. Legendary creatures were roaming the streets as if the end of days were here. The resurrected monsters were causing chaos everywhere. When the Titans showed themselves, despair washed over Brundela.There were too many monsters running around. Even after the Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators sent out everyone they had, it still wasn't enough to stop these creatures. The monsters went straight to the council hall, and so did the Titans.The Ice Temple Lord created a Magic Ice Formation and kept using Forbidden Arts and mystical artifacts to fend off the enemies. He had already done his best."You have to do something, Nine-State Lord. I can't hold on much longer!" the Ice Temple Lord said telepathically.Though monsters were about, they were not a threat to the Ice Temple Lord. he could leave anytime he wanted, but he had a deal with Nox. If he were to desert the battlefield, he would face a hell far worse than he could imagine late
Their targets were the relics around the altars. The moment the whirlpool showed up, the black energy conjured black walls and kept Brundela on lockdown, cutting off all communications.Possessed by evil spirits, gods from ancient civilizations came back to life. In the underground graveyard, the dead came bursting out of their coffins, and skeletons with phantom flames flickering around them charged at the holy knights and James' secret agents.Nothing more needed to be said. The holy knights' leader led the charge. The other knights resolved to fight to the death as they battled the skeleton gods.James and his secret agents fired off at the enemies, but the bullets did nothing to the skeletons. All they managed was to light a big spark. Only grenades and howitzers could deal damage to them, and even then, the damage was light.The battle was fierce. Though the knights did not fear death, they were still weaker than the prehistoric gods. These skeletons were nigh invincible, and
Nox was hovering higher than the Ice Temple Lord, and he got everyone's attention."Who's that?""It's a Faeastian!""My God, it's the Nine-State Lord!" Nox was known throughout Faeast and the world. Brundela's council members had recognized him the moment he showed up. They had nothing but fear for gods, yet Nox was the strongest man in the Mortal World, so they respected him.The clouds in Brundela's skies were hanging heavily over the ground, and the icy aura they radiated was making everyone shiver. Winter seemed to have come early for Brundela. The temperature was dipping fast.Back in the control center, intelligence agents were watching the surveillance footage closely, and they noticed the altar. The Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators were there, strengthening the altars' seal the best they could. There were soldiers guarding the altar as well.For some reason, the secret agents had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Murphy's Law, as they said.Suddenly,
A sliver of energy flew out of the puppet and gathered natural energy around it. Then, the temperature rose at a blistering rate. Fortunately, Bard's reminder came just in time, and Vermilion Bird was prepared for this. She led her team away from the spot.A pillar of fire engulfed the building, and heat waves shot off in every direction, lethal and deadly. The light eventually faded, and all buildings in a few hundred yards were razed to the ground.If Vermilion Bird had killed the puppet without thinking just now, she would have lost all her men and suffered serious injuries. "That bitch! I'm going to make her into a human swine one day! I'll give her hell!" she cursed.Bard gasped. 'Yeah, women can be really terrifying.' Not one General was a normal person.This incident didn't escape Nox, of course. He saw it through his divine sense. "Heh, you can't fight the flow of history? You say that, Aphrodite, but you've done the same thing more than once. Schemes and plots when your ey
Aphrodite was a master manipulator. She knew the weaknesses of Nox's underlings, and she praised Bard, "At least you know where you stand, Bard. You never overreach. Though we failed to make you one of us, I still thought it'd be a shame to kill you."Bard smiled. "Oh, you're such an actor, Ms. Mousse. You know why we don't like you? Queenie is a genuine lady, just like our lord. You're far inferior to her. And don't flatter yourself. Of course, I know where I stand. I can't even reach the pinnacle of martial arts, let alone cultivation."No matter how smart I am, my lack of talents holds me back. I can never be made an important leader." He was only spared because he couldn't become a threat to the Mousses.Nox didn't use schemes because he didn't need them. Absolute power could trump any plot.Vermilion Bird clenched her teeth. "What is the meaning of this? The lord knows that the bitch is here?"Bard shook his head. Vermilion Bird was a smart woman, but Aphrodite made her lose
Aphrodite felt nothing but sorrow, and Vermilion Bird burst into laughter. "I expected nothing less from these people. Your men are just like their employers. Hey, knights, you guys want to find out more about Faeast martial arts? See those Mousse guys? They're masters. Deal with them."Vermilion Bird gave her orders. She knew these people would escape the moment she showed up. The knights flew off, going after the escaped Mousses. The Mousses were a family of warriors, while these knights were cultivators, to an extent. They wore mystical artifacts, and the Mousses' guys didn't have something like that.The battle was fierce but short. The Mousses' powerhouses were taken out, and the rest were dealt with by the Shadow Division."And now only you're left. Interesting, isn't it? Karma always bites you in the ass. You betrayed my lord, and now your men betray you. You deserve this," Vermilion Bird cursed."Yes, I deserve this, but as long as he wants to be the Nine-State Lord, then w
'The beating heart of this land?' The woman's underlings looked grim. They were supposed to be the master tacticians here. Yet, Nox played them like a cheap kazoo. 'He's a far better tactician than we expected!'Nox began his counterattack not long after the Ocean of Death incident. This woman was none other than Aphrodite, Nox's old flame. When she saw Brundela's fate stabilizing, she knew right then that things had gotten out of her hands."Tell the Mousses in Eropa to retreat right away. There is no need to stay here any longer. He's not attacking us because he's waiting for us to do the same. The moment our men try to start anything, he'll swoop in and take them all out. "No one can beat him if he decides to go all the way. Not even me," said Aphrodite.Suddenly, the Mousses' powerhouse noticed something. "I sense bloodlust. Who goes there? Show yourself!" The powerhouses unsheathed their weapons and stood around Aphrodite, protecting her.A group of black silhouettes appeare