Cashmere led the bigshots to Dragoncourt for a fight with Nox.…A motorcade appeared at Dragoncourt at dusk. Doors swung open and out came two dozen men in black, followed by Cashmere. Then the bigwigs got out.Everyone looked at Dragoncourt. "That's the place?" Louis looked at Dragoncourt sharply.Cashmere answered, "Yes.""Good. Men, let's meet this cur," said Louis, and everyone was ready to climb the mountain."Mr. West, a moment," said Cashmere.Louis turned around. "What do you want to say, Enlightened?"Cashmere pointed at the meandering path. "Mr. West, the cur isn't just a warrior, but he's also a sorcerer. There's a formation on this path, and it creates a blanket of fog. When my men and I tried to attack, we were ensnared, and some of them died, so…"Jebediah came forth. He scoffed, "You're exaggerating, Enlightened. A formation? Here? Ridiculous. Even if there is one, I can destroy it easily."Cashmere fell silent."Worry not, Enlightened. So what if he knows so
Louis and the bigshots coldly scanned the estate."The bastard knows how to live. Not a bad place.""Yes, but it's a pity it has to experience bloodshed tonight."An icy voice descended upon them. "Is that so?"Louis and his comrades shook, as if they had heard a god's voice."Who goes there?" Louis harrumphed and looked ahead.A powerful silhouette came flitting down from the estate. The moment he landed, an invisible force shot out everywhere around him.The group of bigshots looked at Nox warily, their pupils contracted."Who are you, punk?"Nox smirked. "You're here on behalf of Blackdragon, aren't you? You should know who I am."Mr. Goats spoke first. "You insolent, ignorant punk. You killed Mr. Royal's son?""That is correct," said Nox."Good. You're going nowhere.""Are you implying I'd run? Do I look like I'm going to run?" Nox put his hands behind his back and stood tall.Louis and his comrades felt pressure crashing over them. Louis was a Half Grandmaster, but f
"Stop arguing, you maggots. Just attack me all at once. I don't want to waste my time."Mr. Goats roared, "Damn you, punk!" He darted at Nox like an arrow, his hands extended like claws. Winds howled around his hands. Mr. Goats was at least a Greater Combatant with inner strength.Nox harrumphed, and he didn't even look at his enemy. "You alone aren't worthy of my time. Now scram!" Nox stomped the ground, and winds swirled around him. Debris flew, and shockwaves shot everywhere.The shockwave hit Mr. Goats' hands, and he grunted in pain. Nox's inner energy sent him scrambling backward, and every step Mr. Goats took smashed the ground underneath.Blood trickled from his mouth, and his hands were bloodied. He was shivering. With a single blow, Nox tore Mr. Goats down, and the people who wanted to fight earlier shut up.Mr. Goats was in shock. He was a sect leader, and that blow just now was nearly his full strength, but Nox injured him heavily without lifting a finger. If he hadn't
Nox wasn't fazed at all. He easily dodged, and the saber cut through air. John swung his saber again, this time horizontally. Another gust of wind was stirred.But before the saber could hit Nox, Nox dodged again. Once again, John missed his target. His face fell. He clawed his way to fame with the Tiger Saber Technique, but he missed his enemy two times in a row.John yelled, "You punk! Dodging's no way to fight! Face me head-on!"Nox sneered. "Very well.""You're dead!" John held his saber with both hands and infused all of his inner energy into the weapon. The saber started to buzz.John swung his weapon down on Nox's head, and the edge carried the power of lightning.Nox didn't move. When the weapon was a few inches away, Nox held up his right hand and grabbed the edge with his fingers.Everyone was petrified, but none was more shocked than John. His weapon was more than a hundred pounds heavy, and he infused it with all his inner energy, only for Nox to stop it with two fin
He had already made a promise to Logan, so he had to step up."He's right. If we take him four on one, we can kill him!"Finally, everyone was working together to take Nox down.Nox smirked. "Good, at least you know your place. Killing you one by one will be boring.""Shut your mouth, cur!""We'll show you what we can do!"Mr. Zard shot ahead, barreling his fists at Nox. Mr. Goats and Louis attacked as well. A combined attack from three powerful martial artists proved to be different. Fists and palms rained down on Nox.But Nox sneered. "That's more like it, but you're still weak." He waved his hand, and a palm struck Mr. Goats and Mr. Zard.The two of them staggered backward before Nox leaped and lashed his right leg at Louis' palm. The attacks crashed, and a thud thundered in the air. Louis staggered backward as well."He's strong." Louis was shocked, and he quickly ran his inner energy around his body. Nox was like a god. Even though the men were not weak, they were nothing
The moment Nox killed two of his comrades, Louis finally felt terrified. Jebediah was ashen as well."Mr. West, he's too strong. What should we do?" Jebediah kept making hand seals and cast his phantom spells.Louis was in a rut, too. He thought this would be an easy job and easy bounty, but Nox was a far more terrifying opponent than he could imagine.'Dammit, Logan! You're going to get me killed!' Louis cursed in his mind, but he kept on attacking.Being the leader of the River Tri-State Martial Alliance, Louis was a decent fighter. Air currents swirled around him, and his shirt billowed in the air.His palm techniques were both gentle and tough, and they rained on Nox. However, Nox easily dodged them all."Out of all the maggots, you're the best of them, but still, you aided evil, so you have to die."Nox turned into a blur, and he reappeared before Louis like a phantom.Shocked, Louis quickly unleashed all his inner energy. "Firepalm!"Flames appeared on his palms. This wa
"Please, have mercy on me! Spare me! I'll do anything! Anything!" Jebediah groveled and begged for mercy. Everyone feared death, including Jebediah.Nox looked at the sorcerer. "Too late for apologies now.""Please, I'm sorry! The Blackdragon bastards lied to me! They tricked me, I swear! I'm a student of the Regal Path in Dragon-Tiger Peak! I only came out to travel! Please, have mercy on me!" Jebediah kept groveling.Nox arched his eyebrow. "You're a student of the Regal Path?"Jebediah paused for a moment, then he said, "Yes, I am! I'm one of the 14th-generation students of the Regal Path!"Nox mused in silence. He asked, "Do you know Cypher Sparrow, then?"Jebediah's heart skipped a beat. "You know of our patriarch?"Nox sneered. "The old git owes me ten jars of Dragonwine. Course I know him!"Ten years ago, when Nox was still training with his master in Mystia, he came to know the patriarch of the Regal Path.The old man came to Mystia to find the higher realm, but young
Cashmere and his warriors were still waiting for Louis and his team at the mountain base. One hour had gone by, but none came back with news. Cashmere was getting worried.A man in black asked, "Enlightened, they've been in there for an hour."Cashmere looked at the estate and said nothing for a moment. "You guys stay here. I'll go check things out.""Yes, Enlightened."Cashmere ran up the mountains. Nothing was stopping him, but the air felt eerily silent. Cashmere became increasingly worried.Right before he came to the estate, he saw a pile of bloody corpses lying before him, and his eyes went wide.The first corpse was Louis, but the body was sliced in two. Even in death, Louis' eyes were bulging. He was dismayed. Piled with Louis' corpse were the bodies of his comrades."They're all dead." Cashmere's legs buckled, and he almost fell, but he composed himself and galloped down the mountain, running for his life.…After Jebediah piled up the corpses, he took out a talisman.
Back in the regular guards' camp, Harley spat blood. He was lying in the ruins of a building, his body covered in slash marks. His Celestial technique was broken. This man was leagues above him. Celestial techniques were useless. The swordsman was too powerful."Magic Mountain's techniques? But their swordsmen are on good terms with the lord!" Harley stared at the man in green. He defeated Harley using Magic Mountain's techniques.Magic Mountain and Mystia had always been at loggerheads. They had slain many demons and monsters throughout the years, and their swordsmanship was a bane for the cultivators."I wonder how Nox managed to make a Mystian like you loyal to him. Yes, I am a Magic Mountain swordsman. Was, to be honest. I was kicked out a hundred years ago. My master said my heart is astray. How laughable. I have killed demons over ninety years, and hundreds of them have died to my blade! My heart is not astray!"Your sins are innumerable, Harley, and you must be slain! White
All of a sudden, the soldiers let go of their weapons. They had a look of fanaticism on their faces as they throttled themselves to death. The party went on, and the bluebloods enjoyed every moment, oblivious to the incoming danger.The monk passed through the residence smoothly, with all the soldiers and guards throttling themselves to death. Suddenly, everyone noticed a monk in red robes in the party hall. The drunk guests thought this was an event arranged by Atlas."We have a monk here. Wonder what kind of show you're presenting," a portly rich man joked, laughing loudly."Show? I am the leader of an evil sect. No show, but I do have a scripture to share. The government calls my sect evil, and they claim the monks are agents of darkness. You are not much better yourself. Omitofo."The old monk chanted once more, and the look on everyone's faces changed. Some knelt and cried their hearts out. Some groveled and didn't even notice that their heads were bleeding. They talked about
Back in his residence, Atlas called a feast and invited the bluebloods of Imperia. He was glowing during the event and could never be happier. He used to be a declining aristocrat with nothing but the title of nobility.However, his luck turned for the better when he got older. He followed Nox into battle at Heaven's Cage, Vertolt, and Winterosch, making him a true lord. The Limerents controlled the nation, and he was a prince. He could even have some power over the nation or at least be one of the top dogs in Faeast.If Nox became emperor, then all the better. Perhaps he could be a more intimate part of the royal family. He drank to his heart's content and partied with the most desired people in Imperia. Nothing could be better."Life is short, people. Drink!"…The Ice Temple's vice-Lord was in the regular guards' encampment. This was a critical junction, and yet Atlas wasn't at his post. Instead, he was having a party. The vice-Lord had a bad feeling about this, but he had no p
Harley sneered, having nothing but disdain for Atlas. "I can't believe the master would employ a shithead like you."Atlas laughed. "You think you're so high and mighty, but you're also Lord Nox's lapdog now. I am his subordinate, and we have a close relationship. I'm also the uncle of the emperor. That makes me Lord Nox's great-uncle," bragged Atlas."Dumbass. Just do your fucking job. Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise told me the Mousses might try something," Harley cursed.The mention of the Mousses made Atlas panic, but he calmed himself down and snored. "The Mousses? They won't dare do anything when I'm here. If they show up, I'll kick their ass! I command thirty thousand units. If they come to Imperia, it'll be the last thing they see!" Atlas was confident.Harley was speechless. 'My word, how can he be such a braggart?'With thirty thousand Nox Army units in Imperia, combined with the Forbidden Army, the regular guards, and 200 thousand elites protecting Imperia, nothing co
Vermilion Bird said, "Azure Dragon used to be an Advanced Eight Gates. After the Mousses had him under their control, he became a Supreme. Judging by these photos, he's gotten more powerful since then."'More powerful?' Nineve knew how the cultivators were ranked. Top Legend Realms were another kind of life form entirely. In Faeast, a Supreme could be made a lord. An undefeatable Supreme would be made a ruler. A Sovereign was made every five hundred years, while a ruler was made every century.Supremes appeared once every decade or so. "I don't get it. You three obviously found some power source, and with Nox's help, you leveled up. Azure Dragon only has the Mousses. How'd he level up so fast?"If the Mousses were so powerful, they wouldn't have to resort to assassinations or betrayals."Not the Mousses. It's all Azure Dragon. He's our captain. He's a very talented and cunning man. Emphasis on talent. He's so strong that not even three of us can compare to him, combined. The only g
Elizabeth said nothing but went red and hung her head low, causing Black Tortoise to panic."Uh oh. If you want him, you'll have to fight for him. That's all I can say, but the lord does think highly of you." He laughed."Shut it, Black Tortoise. You're talking nonsense here!" Vermilion Bird snapped. "See you, Your Majesty." She then took Black Tortoise and left the room quickly. They had work to do.The duo led most of the Shadow Division members back to Faeast. After the incident of Brundela, Faeast's fate was going strong, and the people were excited. However, beneath that excitement was unseen danger.Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise came back to Northstate's governor-general's place and met up with Nineve. Black Tortoise said solemnly, "What happened, Your Highness? We need the details."Nineve looked exhausted, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She had been working hard in Nox's absence. "Honestly, Atlas… I mean, the Defender of the Lord hasn't been pulling his we
Douglas worked through the night for the negotiation."One, you must apologize for your invasion of Faeast. Two, you will return all stolen relics to us and pay for damages. Three, you will open trade with Faeast, and it must be complete and total. Those are our demands. We promise not to interfere with your nation's administration. Once the aid is administered, our fleet and army will retreat from Brundela."And one more thing. Faeast recognizes you as Brundela's new ruler." That was interesting. It also meant that Faeast could rescind that recognition at any time. Elizabeth had no choice. Without Faeast, Brundela would be gone. In the end, the nations arrived at an agreement.At midnight, they called a press conference. Faeast helped Eropa settle a war and avert a world disaster. That news took the world by storm. The Eastern dragon was rising, and none could stop it. It wouldn't take long for Faeast to return to the top.Brundela's case was over. After they gave enough aid, Ferg
"They call you Great Generals?" the Ice Temple Lord laughed. "If I do want to betray him, how do you hope to stop me? You three had to take me on together, and it only ended in a draw. Now that I'm an Emperor and White Tiger is in a slumber, I can destroy you in a moment!"The Ice Temple Lord looked at Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise with disdain. Vermilion Bird's eyes were wide. She didn't care. She would fight the Temple Lord to the bitter end if she must.Black Tortoise was the calmer one, and he pulled Vermilion Bird back. "Calm down. Even if he wants to betray the lord, he at least would want to see the lord's body before he tries anything."Even a woman like Aphrodite lost this fight. He wouldn't dare try anything stupid."The Ice Temple Lord was still smug about being an Emperor, and now his celebration was cut short. Betraying Nox required a lot of courage. Nox's power terrified him. Even if he couldn't win the fight, Nox could at least come back safely.Besides, he only
The formation Nox created with the Sovereign Seal was on the brink of destruction. Once the formation was gone, the Sovereigns and the spirits would return to dust. In this final moment, Brundela's Faeastian called their friends and family in their homeland and projected the modern-day Faeast onto the gigantic screen in the plaza.The spirits cried when they saw how developed their nation had become. The Sovereigns and the rulers were meticulous people. They used to rule over a unified nation, so they knew how hard it was to create a dynasty. Every dynasty would have its peak and nadir.Every time a dynasty was on a decline, Faeast would be in danger. They didn't talk about the truth behind that video, of course. They admired the beautiful land of Faeast as they waited for their final moment to arrive."The hardest and darkest moment is behind us, sirs. Faeast has me now. You may rest in peace. I will not let you down. I will destroy the canker that infects Faeast and give it the pe