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
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
'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
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
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
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
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,
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
"And you should shut up now. Her talent's restructured. Above average, I'd say. About on par with Azure Dragon but definitely far away from Kirin." Nox smacked his lips.Dominic and Aphrodite were shaken, especially Aphrodite. The look on her face changed. She was obviously wary of Kirin."Kirin? Honestly, you impress me again and again. You managed to tame the top talent of the path of the ancient divine, and now he's working for you," said Dominic.Kirin was the true captain of the Great Generals. Even the untamed White Tiger who would even crack jokes about Nox would stay quiet in Kirin's presence. If they wanted to summon him, Azure Dragon would have to risk his life to take on the burden. Even with the sacred beast essence together, they could only summon Kirin for a while.If Azure Dragon could hold on a bit longer back on Mount Prison, Kirin could've killed Goldenwheel and Black Flood all by himself."He only used ten percent of his power back then, and already he was a nig
Dominic used one golden core to prolong Aphrodite's lifespan. Under the influence of Dominic's life essence, the golden core's energy flowed through Aphrodite's body, breathing new life into what was essentially a corpse.Aphrodite looked no better than an old bat, but as life was breathed into her flesh, she regained her youth, though not fully. She looked like a woman in her late thirties, not twenties. Though she was past her prime, she looked more mature and elegant.Nox had a weird look on his face. Aphrodite used to be aloof and innocent. Now she looked mature and slightly alluring."Thirty years of lifespan. Her body's at about thirty-seven, thirty-eight years of age. Just like the age of your soul. Intelligence can only take you so far, but wisdom is forever. You'd do well to remember that. Life's a marathon, not a sprint."Dominic activated the second core. This core would reshape Aphrodite's talent, or to put it simply, it would change her fate. Aphrodite couldn't cultiv
There was no favor to be owed. If anything, he only owed Dominic a favor. "Threegolden cores. Last time I was training at your place, I had to beg and beg before you'd even give me the remains of the materials for the core. I can't believe you gave her three golden cores at once," Nox said.Aphrodite frowned. She knew what Nox was trying to say. If Dominic was only saving her because of Nox, it would be a waste. He wouldn't acknowledge it. In other words, he hadn't forgotten about her betrayal."Can you stop that? I didn't make these cores. I took them from beings that'd cultivated for a thousand years. All I did was refine them a little and stabilized their energy. They're not actual cores. You don't even need these to power up. Giving them to you would be a waste," chided Dominic.Cultivators who'd trained for a thousand years could conjure golden cores within their bodies. Goldenwheel managed it. If the core wasn't refined and stabilized the moment it left the cultivator's body,
The thunder was booming, almost as if someone up there was roaring. Nox's Immortal energy turned the tables around. With Thunderlord's Seal, he was fighting back. The lightning in his hands was as sharp as a blade, and he cut down all the lightning bolts of the tribulation.The exploding bolts flew everywhere, and the seas screamed. Dominic's hair was standing on end. He gasped. "Something's off." And then a dozen lightning bolts fell. They crashed into Dominic, and black smoke billowed from his skin. "Yeah, it's coming to an end."Dominic was grinning in pain, but Aphrodite's eyes were shining. The clouds could no longer gather any energy. Nox had fended off the backlash. Nox flew high up into the air, breaking through the barrier. "Ultimate Dragon Control! Shatter them!"Dragon roars filled the skies as nine dragons appeared in the clouds. They engulfed the lightning clouds, and the lightning bolts disappeared."He did it. Incredible. Nox managed to fend it off! In the end, it's
"Dammit, he's too powerful! That's not what my intel told me. At this rate, I'll lose this fight, and I might die! Dammit, I wouldn't mind it if I died fighting Greenshade, but I don't want to die for nothing!" Tremeus hissed. Voltaic's power was vastly different from what Mystia's men told him.Even when he was already burning his soul, Voltaic was easily beating him up. If he was fighting Voltaic under normal circumstances, he would be taken out immediately."To Origin, Sanctity!" Ascended Immortal couldn't hold on any longer, so Nox raised his energy level to pure Immortal energy. Nox was now at Saint-level of strength."What?" Tremeus couldn't believe it. Nox was just a Pinnacle Great Ascension Realm, but now he had the power of a Saint. 'What kind of monster is he?' Tremeus thought. There was no one like him in the history of Faeast.The leader of the path of the martial was surprised. "He's too powerful. Dammit, if it weren't for the taboo, I wouldn't have let him live! This
Black Tortoise was in a hurry to take the Greenshades back to Imperia, while Daniel thought, 'He's still not perceptive enough. He still doesn't understand why I pleaded for the soldiers.' Sparing these soldiers meant sparing Aphrodite.Daniel knew his son all too well. He was Nox's father, after all. Nox was a loyal man, to his country, to his lover, to his friends, to his family. Nox would save Aphrodite the moment he met her. He couldn't let her die, after all.They were about to leave, but then two balls of powerful auras appeared in Black Tortoise's divine sense. "Someone's here!" The Greenshades noticed the commotion. They wondered if it was an ambush.A feral human came crashing into the cruise ship and tore through the deck until he landed in front of the group. Then, a crimson bird flew all the way down. They were Vermilion Bird and White Tiger."Hello, Daniel!" White Tiger grinned and gave Daniel a bear hug. Decorum was not his strength."White Tiger, that's the lord's f
The Four Great Generals were Nox's brothers, so they were also like family to the Greenshades."You could've been less blunt about it. Even if he doesn't have long to live, Nox can give him enough elixirs to prolong his life by a few decades," said Claude."Besides, the elixirs we took had sacred beast essence in them. You guys have the Yang sacred beast essence. Your blood can dispel the elixir's power and prolong our lives a little," added Winston."Sorry," said Black Tortoise, and he was about to kneel."Hold it right there. It wasn't meant to be an admonishment. You're a Great General and Faeast's guardian. You are the hope of the current generation. I will not allow you to kneel to anyone, not even me." Daniel was really mad this time. He thought, 'He's a Great General. At least have some dignity.'Black Tortoise was confused. 'What do they want me to do?'"None can stop Faeast's rise to power. Even Aphrodite knows that, so you must as well. She has repaid her family for rai
Daniel's body was filled with ice energy, and it couldn't be released. The energy was buried deep in his body. Divine sense couldn't even see it. Daniel wasn't the only one. The other Greenshades were suffering the same symptoms as well.The squad leader answered, "We do not know, General. The mistress didn't tell us anything about this." The other members teared up, and they bowed to the furious Black Tortoise.Daniel stirred and chided, "Black Tortoise, you are a Great General and the calmest among the quartet. Even if we and your lord are dead, you must remain calm, do you hear me? This is nothing!""But Mr. Greenshade…""You do not know Aphrodite at all. She wishes to be a legendary tactician and a modern legend. Even if she is evil, she knows there's a line she shouldn't cross!" said Daniel. He then explained the truth to Black tortoise.Aphrodite captured the Greenshades, so Daniel gave up his resistance. Though he was already a Supreme, Aphrodite could still get him killed
"Though you have committed the crime of treason, as long as you safely escort your charge and make enough noise, Faeast will not punish you. They need to make sure their image is upheld, after all," said Black Tortoise. That was why he was annoyed. Aphrodite no longer had the advantage, yet she still pulled one last gambit."What about the mistress, General? She said she has a plan. She no longer needs our protection, so does that mean…" The leader realized something. Their mistress was going to die, so she didn't need them anymore."She finally did one thing right, and it was right before her death. Pity it's too late for regrets." Black Tortoise snorted. He had no idea that Nox was risking his life to save Aphrodite. He thought Nox was going to kill the witch.And now the other suicide squad members realized that their mistress was dying. She sent them back home and set up one final play so they could survive. The members cried for their mistress, and the leader bawled. He pulled