"This is a technique of absolute purity and positive energy, specifically designed to counter the ice techniques I've mastered. The universe operates by the balance of yin and yang, the five elements, and the eight trigrams. The five elements naturally reinforce and restrain one another, and this inherent suppression follows no rationale. Now that your technique aligns with these fundamental forces, it completely overpowers mine in the hierarchy of the elements. I'm simply no match for you," Aldric said with a bitter smile.It was unclear who would emerge as the winner in this duel, but reflecting on their last clash, he realized that if Nox had wielded the Rite of the Nine Sun-Dragon Art from the start, he wouldn't have lasted a single move and would have been utterly defeated. Even now, despite ascending to the Pinnacle Legend Realm, his offensive abilities were still insufficient to break through even one of Nox's True Dragons."Before the battle has even begun, you've already b
It was the Positive Energy Spirit Physique!When he saw the Positive Energy Spirit Physique of Aldric emerge, Nox struggled internally, hesitant to strike down an old friend. But seeing the state Aldric was in, the realization dawned on him that perhaps death might be a form of relief for him."Aphrodite's schemes always aim to leave her targets living a fate worse than death. Even her own allies are no exception," he muttered under his breath. "Lord Aldric, I don't know what you've done, but seeing your positive soul, I can forgive you.""Heaven's Demise: Destroy all gods and demons!"Blazing fire surged forth, consuming everything within hundreds of miles. When the flames finally subsided, Aldric's spirit lay quietly on the ground. It was nearly transparent and was just moments away from dispersing entirely."Free at last," he murmured with a faint smile. "Thank you, Nox."A weight seemed to lift from his heart, and he could finally put his worries aside. Nox walked over to him
If Nox was to lose control of himself, he could become a true God of Death in the Mortal World.Swoosh!Atlas and Black Tortoise arrived, their eyes narrowing as they took in Nox's transformation. They had never seen him like this. A dark, eerie aura surrounded him, making him look like a terrifying demon of unimaginable power!Nox was never one to kill lightly for he only targeted those who deserved it. He had long mastered the path of decisive action.But now, if that path descended into chaos, then in front of Nox, there would be no distinction between those who deserve to be killed and those who don't. For someone who was no longer able to distinguish between good and evil and viewed killing as casually as eating or drinking, such a person would be a disaster for Faeast."Nox! Snap out of it!" Atlas shouted."Damn it! How did the Mousses get their hands on a weapon of such mass destruction?" He cursed, uncharacteristically rattled, while Black Tortoise stood frozen, unaccus
An old man stood quietly beyond the blazing portal, watching Nox with a calm, knowing smile. Though he didn't speak a word, his stance conveyed his unwavering support."Master?" Nox murmured softly.This was none other than his teacher from Mystia, the Fire God himself, known as Fiery Ignis. Fiery smiled and nodded, then turned slightly to reveal a figure carrying a sword on his back. His gaze was cold and sharp, and although he stood motionless, his presence alone created an intense sense of intimidation, as if a sword's edge were pressed against one's vital point."Mr. Edge!" gasped Valkyron from within the dark void of the Ice Temple, visibly shaken."Master of Swords aka Dominic Edge!" Atlas narrowed his eyes before bowing deeply in respect. Behind him, Black Tortoise also clasped his fists in formal greeting.There was no conversation between them. The two peerless masters only cast Nox a brief, meaningful look before they silently withdrew. The blazing portal faded slowly,
"The reason is simple: if Heaven's Cage collapses, spiritual energy will leak uncontrollably, and at least half of Faeast will be engulfed in flames!" Valkyron understood that Nox would give everything he had, sparing no effort, to prevent any leak of this spiritual energy. This disaster, however, was no ordinary calamity as it was a man-made catastrophe! How could mere human power withstand such devastation?Even if he had the power of a god, he would have to pay a huge price to pass the test! It was very likely that he would become a cripple after leaving!Aphrodite had calculated perfectly. Nox had never planned to leave Heaven's Cage alive.Outside, a force of one hundred thousand soldiers surged toward the northern gateway of the Heaven's Cage. As the prison began to collapse, the once-hidden exit became exposed to everyone's sight. Together, Black Tortoise and Atlas unleashed their combined strength to clear the blocked path, allowing the army to evacuate in an orderly st
Mystia wasn't a unified entity. It was a strange realm, a world forged together by the deities who ascended after the War of Deification. They call it the Realm of the Gods!There were numerous entrances to Mystia scattered around the world. Their purpose? To act as a deterrent. The moment someone defied the will of the gods, Mystia could strike with unimaginable speed.Within Mystia, alliances were tangled and complex. No one force had absolute control. There was the 'Three Paths, Six Halls, and Twelve Pavilions.' The Eastern Peak Pavilion was just one of these twelve pavilions, and it was ranked near the bottom.Watching the fading golden rainbow, Nox spoke in a solemn tone. "The master of William is very timid, but this is also a way of survival."After the War of Deification, there were even more factions than today. Only through brutal internal strife did the current structure emerge. For a minor force to survive in Mystia, it must learn to navigate alliances carefully."Ah,
At the Heaven's Cage.The skies and earth seemed on the verge of shattering. Standing in this apocalyptic wasteland, Nox closed his eyes and felt an overwhelming sense of hatred within the raging spiritual energy surrounding him. The source of this trap was Aphrodite and he could feel her emotions lingering in the scheme. "You resent me? If anything, shouldn't I be the one bearing resentment toward you?" he murmured. "Perhaps you have hidden motives, but that's no excuse."I can tell you with certainty that if it were the other way around, with my feelings for you at that time, I would never kill you"Eight Techniques: Converge as one!"Boom!With a thunderous roar, spiritual energy surged from within him as the Eight Techniques merged, unleashing a divine, otherworldly force. His aura expanded outward, transforming him into a towering giant who held up the very pillars of the heavens with his body.Although Nox managed to stabilize the collapsing Heaven's Cage momentarily, i
They managed to keep the threat from the outside world at bay, but the rampaging energy within Heaven's Cage erupted once more. The eruption of the ancient energy was far beyond what Nox could handle. Truth be told, not even an Ascended Immortal could stop it."Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual! Ultimate Moon Elephant Manual!" The dragons sprang into existence and held up the heavens while the elephants kept the land beneath intact. Alas, even that wasn't enough to stop the disaster.This wasn't something Nox could quash. The energy was spreading fast, trying its best to escape its confines."Out of ideas? You are strong, but you are still human. You are no god. Pity. It's too late to leave now. I'd like to see you off, but my divine sense can't hold on much longer. Face your doom, Nox!"The rampaging energy crushed the god's divine sense. Soon, Nox was alone. As that mysterious god had said, it was too late for regrets."Merge! Be as one!" Nox faced the pressure head-on and forced the d
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