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
It took Nox six months to fully recover. His mentors warned him to never use Sanctity again unless he had no way out. Even if he had no way out, they insisted he shouldn't use the technique if he could help it. Death would be much preferable to the alternative."Still, the process is a lot smoother now. Maybe it's because I broke through, or maybe it's because I merged Ultimate Sun and Ultimate Moon. I can't waste too much time, though. I can't keep this form up too long."Nox started gathering natural energy and remade the formation. With his sacred physique, he didn't need to use the remnants of Mystia's formations as a base anymore. The formations made by Mystians were only Celestial-technique level. Now, Nox was beyond that.A golden formation started to form quickly. Nox swiftly created the runes, the main parts of the formation, and the control center. Halfway through the formation, Nox ran out of life essence. Sure enough, his lifespan was gradually eaten away.Nox's body wa
The slow crumbling of the nation's fate was gradually diminishing the troop's morale. Atlas had a look of sorrow on his face. The Limerents' providence had run out, and the new nation's fate was also on the brink of destruction because of the danger Nox was facing."Will Faeast never see its rise again?" Atlas roared into the heavens, his soul filled with agonizing sadness.Black Tortoise was going to commit the unthinkable. If Nox were to die, then he would have reason to live. The soldiers' formation was going to be thrown into disarray. Doubt, fear, panic, and sorrow were spreading through the soldiers.Aphrodite, who stood on top of a snowy mountain near Faeast's borders, was told the latest news from Heaven's Cage."I knew you could do it, girl. You knew that brat mastered sacred techniques. He'd have to use sacred energy to stop the rampaging energy from infecting the outside world. He hasn't cultivated enough, so he'll have to speed through it. "Sadly, making a formation t
The technique couldn't be activated because Nox used the remnants of the formation's energy to create a new formation. When the decay of angels hit, Nox's sacred technique lost its power.Heaven's Cage continued to crumble without the technique's support. As a result, the rampaging energy leaked out and destroyed the formation, activating Fiery Ignis' technique. Red lotuses bloomed and filled the realm. Nox quickly understood what they were doing.The lotuses were breaking up the energy into two components. Pure natural energy was absorbed, leaving nothing but rampaging energy behind. Yes, the remaining energy was fiercer, but it wasn't as abundant as before."What's he trying to do? He knew someone would sacrifice themselves to keep the energy stable when the formation is eventually destroyed?"Nox was a little confused by the turn of events. Before he could continue to muse over it, the lotuses glided over to him. Soon, he heard Fiery Ignis' voice saying, "No matter who you are
Three months later, Nox declared Faeast as the leader of all nations, ushering in a true era of peace and prosperity. Then, he abdicated the throne, passing the throne to Nineve. Nox proclaimed that this nation was neither the Greenshade nor the Limerent family's, but a world that belonged to its people.One year later, Nox and Queenie lounged under the warm sun on the sandy shores of the Ocean of Death, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility. The world had finally settled into peace, allowing them to take a well-deserved rest."Nono, what's Aphrodite up to?" Queenie asked, her brows furrowed as she leaned against Nox. "Is she planning something shady again? She's been building alliances all over like she wants to imitate the Three-Eyed Empress.""Death changes people," Nox replied calmly. "Don't worry about her. She knows exactly what she's doing."Old Aphrodite would've killed Jacques and run off to save herself without a second thought. Instead, she spared him, stripped his cul
The Nine-State Crucible hovered majestically over the heavens, drawing all the spiritual energy from the Nine States and Five Domains into itself. As the ultimate artifact of Faeast, the crucible was unmatched—a legendary relic that had never known defeat.The origins of the Nine-State Crucible were shrouded in mystery. No one knew who forged it nor why it disappeared over the ages. For centuries, many dismissed it as a mere myth. Yet now, it reappeared, proving its existence—and, by extension, the truth of all the ancient legends tied to it.The sight left every cultivator present in awe, bowing in reverence to the artifact."The ancient sovereigns of Faeast forged the Nine-State Crucible to safeguard the Nine States and Five Domains. "Its power ensures that Ascendants cannot interfere with the mortal realm. It has crushed even Ascendants in the past, and you, still merely a mortal cultivator, think you can stand against it? I promised to crush you, and I will!"With Nox at it
However, only Nox himself could sever the celestial providence. Only by cutting off the Celestial Lord's celestial providence could Faeast's providence be restored to its peak."Damn it! Nox Greenshade! Do you really think you can defy the heavens? I didn't want to damage my cultivation, but it seems I have no choice but to go all out! You think a one-ring Minor Saint can defeat me? I am the Celestial Lord—the apex of mortals, the Great Saint of Dao and Virtue, ordained by the heavens themselves!"The Celestial Lord's furious roar resonated across Mystia, drawing in vast waves of spiritual energy from the realm that converged upon him alone."Great Saint of Dao and Virtue? If the so-called heavens of the Transcendent Firmament made you, it only proves that even they have failures," Nox retorted coldly.Even the Celestial Lord, enraged as he was, could scarcely believe Nox's audacity—daring to disparage the mighty figures of the Transcendent Firmament."I am indeed a one-ring Minor
'What? Griffin was a sworn brother to Magic Mountain's founder?!'"That's right," confirmed the formation master. "He only told us recently."As the first to learn of this connection, he had shared it with the Saints of the Five Elements, ensuring they wouldn't betray their alliance. Using the promise of ascension as leverage, he managed to secure their cooperation. After all, the Great Saint of Fire had already reached the threshold for ascension.The risks were minimal, and upon ascending to the Transcendent Firmament, the Magic Mountain's founder would surely offer his guidance. For that reason alone, the five mentors had rallied to aid Nox.With such mighty forces gathered, morale on Nox's side soared. Meanwhile, the Whitefield family's spirits plummeted, crashing from the heights of hope to the depths of despair in mere moments. The mental strain caused several of their weaker-willed members to break completely.With dread settling over them, the Whitefields could only place
The Whitefields were getting cocky, but then they realized the powerhouses that came weren't responding. The aura was powerful, but there was no life in it. On closer inspection, they noticed that the leader of the group only had half a body left. His soul was missing. The quartet behind him was nothing but a pile of mincemeat.The portal buzzed again, and seven silhouettes came out. Five of them felt domineering, and they looked prideful. It almost felt like they were peerless. These people were none other than the Saints of the Five Elements.Four of them were Pinnacle Minor Saints. While one had an aura so strong, this place couldn't handle it."A Great Saint! Great Saint of Fire!" Fiery Ignis, Dominic, and Achille couldn't believe their eyes.It had been too long since Mystia saw a Great Saint, and he was Nox's mentor."So, he's the one who broke through first. But now he's already hit his bottleneck. The other four's power isn't enough. If the Sacred Beast Seal isn't upgraded
The Montgomerys and the Byrds decided to see Nox together, but they were refused. They were cursing Nox and calling him disrespectful, but then they saw Nox and his team taking a portal to the path of the ancient divine."What? He went right to them? Why? He's going to fight the Celestial Lord now?" The representatives were shocked.'How dare they!' they thought.Nox and his team went through the portal quickly and appeared right over the Whitefields' place. The Whitefield family was the newest member of the divine four and the real mastermind behind the Inkdarks' demise."Kirin, I told you I'd take you back here someday. I told you that when we come back, the Whitefields will be no more. If you can't do it, I can wipe them out for you." Nox looked at Kirin."Don't look down on me, milord. You don't need to dirty your hands for them. I'll do it!" Kirin summoned his avatar, and with Saint power infused, the avatar turned into a real beast. The sacred beast itself descended upon the
"Time to finish this. My lord's going to the path of the ancient divine next. You should decide who's going to take over after the Celestial Lord is taken down. That's all. Now let's talk about our personal business. Listen up, anyone who had a part in attacking my family, tell your clans that I'm coming for them. I'm killing all of you!"Bloodlust filled the air, and the representatives were shocked. "You killed your own family. Yes, we made them attack you, but we never wanted to wipe it out!" the Whitefields' representative said.Kirin flew into a rage. "How low can you go? You forced them to kill me, or you would wipe us out instead! You think I'm stupid? You'd have killed my family either way! I know how you guys function. You're crueler than any beast out there. Listen up, there's still time to plan for your funeral. You'd better make a good plan."Kirin chased everyone away. The families were going back to prepare for battle, but two remained behind. One was the Byrds' repres
Nox's Magick Sword crushed the enemy leader's soul. "I said I would cut you down, and I did. Now do you see who's the ignorant one?"The enemy leader realized that Nox was the man at the pinnacle. Perhaps the moment Nox became a faux Saint, he was already no match for him. "So what if you can kill me? You are Faeast's Sovereign, and you have a duty to push Faeast to power. But the Celestial Lord still exists. As long as he is around, your wish will never be fulfilled." He sneered."Is that so? Well, he's next on the list to be culled. If anyone tries to make an enemy out of me, I will destroy them and their families, even if they are from the path of the ancient divine!"Nox shattered the remains of the soul, and the path of the martial's leader was no more. The problem harassing Faeast for millennia could be solved at long last. Achille was stunned. It hadn't been that long, but Nox had surpassed him.Nox was better than him in every way. He was an even better swordsman than Achil
The enemy leader was waiting. One technique broken wasn't enough to take Nox out. He wanted to wait until Nox had cast all he knew and find an opening to take him down, but Nox wanted to take him down with the power of the sword."You're stubborn. Very well, this makes things easier for me. I'll kill you, or at the very least, wound you!" He'd be stupid not to take advantage of this. The enemy leader's avatar morphed into a gigantic fist and slammed into Nox's chest.The impact shot through his body and reached his soul. Nox spat blood, and his soul was injured.Achille couldn't stand by anymore. Nox just told him not to push himself, but he wasn't taking his own advice. Then, Nox's weak will-of-the-sword shone blindingly, and then Unto the Origin appeared once more."Even under my pressure, you can use this technique? You're strong, but you're as stubborn as your mentor. You've lost your chance! Die! You'll never get here in time, Achille! Shadowkill!"The enemy leader's avatar t