"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
With all his men dead, the Four Symbols was the only one left on the Mousses' side. "You're the only one left." Jasper turned to the old man.The old man's face was twitching, and he was shivering in fear. He looked at Jasper fearfully and asked, "Y-You're a Sword Sect member?""And so what if I am?" Jasper asked."Your sect is one of the Six Great Sects. You can't kill us!" cried the old man in despair in the last moments of his life."And so what if I did kill you?" Jasper sneered."But aren't you here to join the meeting? You're supposed to be on our side in the hunt for Lord Nox," asked the old man, but death was closing in."You idiot. Lord Nox is an elder of mine. He's my patriarch's sworn brother, and you want us to help you guys hunt him down? Are you mad?" Jasper cursed.The old man was speechless, while Awesome burst out laughing and smacked his leg. "Yeah, they're fools, aren't they?"The old man knew he would die today, but the humiliation enraged him. He roared, an
Nox stared at the corpse and raised his right hand, and then he cast Runic Talisman. "Eight Techniques, Runic Talisman!" he declared imperiously as he drew runes in the air. Then, an eerie black rune appeared before the trio.Everything around them took on a hint of iciness, and the cold seemed to seep into their skin. "What is this?" Awesome stared at the rune, his eyes wide."That's Soulburner, you idiot. This talisman can control the souls of the dead and turn them into the user's servants," Jasper explained."Yeah, yeah, know-it-all. Let's see you cast that," Awesome snapped, feeling annoyed.Jasper was about to retort, but Nox said, "Shut it!"The both of them shut up. After that, Nox tapped the forehead of the old man with the black rune still burning by his side. The rune then fell onto the old man's face. "I summon thee, spirit." Nox made hand seals and pointed at the old man's body.The old man's spirit slowly left its body. Nox then tapped the spirit's forehead. "Soulse
The moment Aphrodite's phantom 'professed her love,' Jasper and Awesome's jaws slackened. 'What the fuck?' they thought.After Aphrodite left her message, the scenes disappeared. Nox remained standing in his spot, cold and furious. The bloodlust that shot up into the skies was scaring his friends. They kept their mouths shut, too scared to even ask anything. All they could do was look at Nox.A long while later, Nox said coldly, "I'll kill you one day, Aphrodite." He waved his hand, and golden flames rained on the old man's corpse, burning it into nothingness."Boss.""Nox…"Awesome and Jasper carefully asked, "Are you alright?"Inscrutably, Nox answered, "Yes." The bloodlust was slowly subsiding.Feeling that, Jasper quietly asked, "Who's that woman in the old man's memories? Why did she profess her love to you?"Awesome huddled closer. "Yeah, and she's hot."Nox looked at the manor icily. "That woman is Aphrodite Mousse. She's Jacques' granddaughter.""Aphrodite?" Awesome m
The destruction of the manor was not enough to assuage Jasper. "Let's go, Nox! We're killing all the Mousse family bastards!""Jas-Jas is right! Let's go!" Awesome chimed in.Yet, Nox said, "The Mousses are cunning snakes. I've been trying to find out where they're hiding ever since I came back, but their family is a massive web. No one really knows where their lair is, or I'd have destroyed them long ago."Awesome and Jasper thought that must be true. Nox wasn't someone who would delay his vengeance. Problem was, that he could not find where his enemies were hiding.Jasper asked, "What now? We're just going to let them do what they want?""Don't worry. With the sects out and about, the Mousses will show themselves sooner or later. They're the masterminds behind this, after all. We don't have to find them. They will come to me," Nox said calmly.Jasper mused. "Hm, you're right. We only showed up because they invited us. Yeah, they invited Magic Mountain, too.""Hey, punk. They d
"I think so. Nightingale wouldn't have saved that monk otherwise, nor would he have killed Moste Magicke's successor," said Pavilion of Regality's elder.The sects' people fell silent. Shatterheart looked worried. "If Magic Mountain is indeed siding with Lord Nox, things will become difficult. Their Flying Sword is peerless, after all."Homer said angrily, "They might be strong, but we are no pushovers either! He killed our successor, and I demand an explanation, or this means war!"The other sects said nothing. Calling for war against Magic Mountain could be disastrous. Sword Sect had always been the most mysterious and terrifying sect of all. That place was on par with Mystia.Shatterheart looked at Jacques. "What do you think, Mr. Mousse?"Everyone looked at Jacques. He smiled. "The six sects should be united in defending the sects' dignity. If Magic Mountain does stand with Lord Nox, then I'm afraid a war is coming.""So, you wish for us to fight Magic Mountain?" Shatterheart
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