A military aircraft coming from Northstate flew into Imperia's airspace. The passenger within was Nox. A while later, the aircraft landed at Northriver Military Airport, a place on the outskirts of Imperia.Douglas watched the aircraft land, looking worried. The moment Nox disembarked, he quickly approached Nox. "Lord Nox, the frontlines aren't looking well. You cannot just do as you please! If you had planned on coming back, you shouldn't have challenged Winterosch to a battle! The army needs its commander. "'He's blocking all my exit strategies!'Nox scanned Douglas. "And the nation needs its leader, Mr. Gaia."Douglas gasped. "This is different. I've shown you the emperor's decree. If he were to die, you'd take his place as leader!""Are you trying to say that you're making all the preparations for a change in leadership?"Douglas froze and frowned. "That is not what I said!""Good. I have my reasons for this," Nox said, but he didn't elaborate."Milord, the fleet is waitin
Overall, Nox saw Douglas in a positive light, but he was a politician, and they were known for their game of thrones. They always spoke in riddles, and Nox didn't want to waste time figuring out what Douglas was hiding."The underground chamber was created by the previous administration and built on a Dragon's Vein. It's the cultivation ground of the previous emperor. Because of the shift in land quality, the Dragon's Vein lost its power, and the chamber eventually became a bunker," explained Jaculus.Nox pursed his lips. "Tell me something I don't know.""Very well. There is a demonoid sealed under the underground chamber. Sariel was the one who did it. The demonoid was grievously injured before the sealing, and they should've died a long time ago. However, the tectonic shift a few days ago revitalized the Dragon's Vein, and the demonoid gained a breakthrough."Nox understood what he was trying to say. Quilo was worried that the demonoid might break free, so he wanted to kill the
An abandoned mountain stood about thirty miles away from Imperia. It was hard to imagine that there was undeveloped land in the most developed place in Faeast. Countless nameless graves dotted the place.Ever since the Limerents established the nation, this place was forbidden to all. A Forbidden Army squad was stationed nearby to keep an eye on this spot. The place that was usually deserted was as bright as day now.The Forbidden Army squad had this place on lockdown, the purported reason being military business. Within the forbidden zone, Hidden Dragon Guards stood sentry. Heavy-duty military chopper hovered overhead all day. Nox's fleet entered the forbidden zone.Nox's itinerary was kept under tight wraps. The patrolling squad had no idea that their lord was inside one of those cars. The fleet came to a stop when they arrived at the back of the mountain."We're here, milord." Jaculus got out of the car and opened the door for Nox. Nox came out, but he didn't see an entrance to
Since the guy didn't trust Jaculus, Nox had to speak to him telepathically. "Are you dumb?"The squad leader was pleasantly surprised to hear Nox's voice, and he almost yelled out 'milord'. Nox quickly said, "Shut it. I can't believe you used to work for me closely. This is the self-restraint you have? Keep this to yourself."The squad leader shut up right away, and he nodded, looking like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.After the mountain was moved, Nox told Jaculus he was going in. Before Nox could, Jaculus asked, "A question, milord. Just for the sake of this discussion, what if the demonoid has broken through to the next level? Can our obstacles stop him?""If he's a Supreme, yes. If he's a Pinnacle Legend Realm, it would be tough. We don't have to enter the chamber through the original entrance, and the same goes for the exit. Just wait for me. It shouldn't take long." Nox went inside.Nox walked along the crack between the two mountains and traveled down until h
Countless evil entities hid in this underground chamber. They were hunters hiding in the shadows, their eyes set on the only prey around—Nox. "Weird. The violent energy isn't coming from them," Nox muttered.Something rustled in the dark. Because of his divine sense being blocked, he couldn't sense these enemies."This isn't a horror movie, so show yourselves! Eight Techniques, Runic Talisman, Dancing Comets!" Nox drew runes in the air, and they shone crimson. "Go!"The runes split into a downpour of comets, lighting up the underground chamber. Nox could see that the chamber was destroyed, and corpses were everywhere. The comets shone their light on everything in the chamber, including the evil entities.Then, Nox realized these entities were nothing but puppets made with quality metal. There were a thousand of them in the chamber. From the runes imprinted on the puppets, Nox recognized these as the Blackstones' products."Blackstone puppets? Then they're probably not as simple as
At the same time, the other puppets came back to surround Nox. They banded together to cast a Forbidden Art, and a wave of chilling frost enveloped the underground chamber, freezing more than half the place.Nox swung his hand and created a barrier around him. Everything outside the barrier was frozen, but everything within was not affected."Yep, this is a mechanical soul, alright." Nox noticed the multitude of patterns carved on the crystal and the phantom fire flickering in its center. His Divine Sense could not penetrate the crystal to figure out exactly what was inside. He crushed the crystal, and the thing within was revealed to him.The phantom fire morphed into an evil spirit. Its face contorted with rage and agony, and the spirit pounced at Nox."Nothing but an evil spirit. This crystal uses souls as its fuel." Nox held up his hand to contain the evil spirit. He then scanned the spirit to find out its history.A moment later, Nox sighed. These evil spirits were powerful w
Thirteen Needles of the Phantom King was the signature technique of the King of Acupuncture. Nox knew how it was administered, but he never tried to master it because he knew another more powerful technique—Heaven's Thirty-Two.That technique merged acupuncture with celestial ordinance, and it could even change the fate of a patient if used well enough. That kind of technique wasn't something any person could master.That technique involved the power of fate, and using it was akin to casting Forbidden Arts. One wrong move, and the user could suffer a terrible backlash. "The emperor is dying. If I don't use it, he won't survive."Nox said, "Vermilion Bird saved the King of Acupuncture before, so he taught her this closely-guarded technique. It's a perfect fit for her, given her frequent fights with assassins."The job of an assassin didn't always mean they had to rely on weapons. The best assassins were masters of poisons. Thirteen Needles of the Phantom King was a technique that sp
They were man-made life that had sentience. The Legend Realm puppets formed a circle around Nox and used the natural energy within them to create a protective formation.After they were done, Nox finally calmed down and drove all other thoughts out of his head. "Arise!" The needle split into thirty-two, and all the needles, infused with natural energy, started doing their work.If the King of Acupuncture saw Nox controlling thirty-two needles at the same time, he would have the shock of his life. All the needles seeped into Quilo's body. Natural energy was injected into Quilo's flesh, and Nox infused them with a part of his life essence.The tactician was in the play himself. If Nox wanted to save a dead man, he would have to plunge himself into the sea of death himself. He could only save Quilo if he could carry the weight of fate.Nox's technique easily cured the toxins of the Thirteen Needles of the Phantom King. Once the poison was gone, Quilo's life force would leave him fast.
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
Now they had one, and it was Elizabeth. Her speech awakened the bravery and courage lying within the people of Brundela. An overwhelming majority of the council members stood up and chanted, "Long live the queen! Long live Brundela!""Good." Nox noticed something. The fate of Brundela stopped its downward shift and was stabilizing."The Mortal World and mortals. The Realm of the Gods has been here for millennia, and still, I can't figure out how mortals work." The Ice Temple Lord was confused. These mortals were prone to deception and scams. They were weak and frail. Yet, they had the potential to unleash strength that could shock even the gods."It's solidarity. You guys wouldn't get it. You call yourselves gods and lock yourselves up in the Realm of the Gods. You try to enslave the world despite being so out of touch with it."Do you know why I call you false gods? True gods are omnipotent. Their word is law. They can change the rules that govern this world just by saying it, b
Ice Temple's Lord didn't even look at Dickson. The man was so crushed that there wasn't even a hint of arrogance left in his soul. The Ice Temple's Lord's technique locked his spirit. So, it was not severely weakened. Thus, He would die very soon, even without the Ice Temple's Lord attacking him."Please, leader of gods. You are the only true god. I swear my undying loyalty to you. Spare me, please!" Dickson begged for his life.Dickson finally met his match. The arrogant would-be king couldn't even do anything against the Ice Temple's Lord."Oh, I can save you, but what makes you think you're worth it? You're lower than scum, and you think you have the right to ask for my favor? Repent and pray, then I might make it quick for you. Refuse, and only unending hell awaits."That threat scared Dickson. He cried and begged for mercy. He cursed his own soul and put his faith in a god stronger than his master."And you think you deserve the gift of life, maggot? Open your eyes, mortals
Two cultivators were fighting in mid-air, while the other Ice Temple cultivators made an invisible barrier to keep them in, or the council hall would be destroyed from the impact of the fight.The battle was awe-inspiring, and Dickson became smug. So what if his enemy was a leader of gods? Perhaps he was no match for one, but the Assad gods could easily destroy him if a slave could fight him for a prolonged period.Ice Temple's Lord realized that Dickson couldn't feel pain as the essence had nearly devoured his spirit. He was nothing if not feral, and he did not fear death at all. A brilliant idea appeared in his mind. He could create an army of fearless gods if he could get his hands on this technique.Nox said telepathically, "How much longer are you going to take? He's just a useless tribute. Do you honestly want to keep this up until he burns himself away?"Ice Temple's Lord's pupils contracted, and he looked at Nox. Nox looked up from his book. The Ice Temple Lord thought th