"Aphrodite!" A hint of despair flickered in Jacques' heart. He quickly approached Aphrodite and tried to lift the curse."It's no use, Grandpa. I'm a Mortal World's tactician, yet I tried to use the Heavenly Dao to fulfill my ambition. This is backlash, and it's not something I can run away from." Aphrodite was white as a tombstone, and a hint of death lingered around her.Jacques couldn't get rid of the curse, not even after he injected his life essence into his spell. Aphrodite was a mortal. Life essence could not save her unless she had reached the truth, and the Mortal World's medicine could not lift the curse of someone like Goldenwheel.Perhaps someone with the power to revive the dead could do something about it. Someone like Nox, but… Jacques couldn't bear to see his granddaughter looking so weakened. "I shouldn't have gotten you into this."Jacques had no choice but to play the game, but he could've chosen to keep Aphrodite out of it."This is fate, Grandpa. We can't figh
Black Flood's scales dropped off his skin, revealing a monstrous centipede. "But this can't be! I've already achieved dragonhood! Then… then what have I been doing all my life?" he roared into the heavens, accusing it of unfair treatment."The Heavenly Dao is just, and the world is flawless. Curse yourselves for usurping that which does not belong to you, not anything else. Mere beasts cannot be dragons. I can understand why you stole the sacred beast essence and worked with Goldenwheel to kill me, but you shouldn't have tried to become Faeast's emblem."Any foul creature that tries to steal Faeast's fate will die by my hands!"Nox grabbed a sliver of red hanging in the skies and swung it down onto Black Flood. The demon was killed, his soul vaporized.White Tiger said dumbly, "Uh, so did the lord slay a dragon or take out a demon centipede?"Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird were speechless.Black Tortoise answered, "He stopped an evil entity from reaching the truth. Beasts want
There were two sides to a coin. Without his feral side, White Tiger lost his biggest talent. The old White Tiger could gain more power the worse he was wounded, but he lost that ability. In exchange, the golden core could patch up his soul, and with it still in his elixir field, the core could power him up slowly.Overall, the pros outweighed the cons. If White Tiger became a demonoid, Nox would have to seal him like Nameless, since he couldn't kill his comrade. It wouldn't be good for Nox or White Tiger.Then, Nox led the weakened Azure Dragon back to the Dragon's Vein. He told White Tiger to keep an eye on the mountain and took the remaining Generals into the Dragon's Vein. "I can practically smell the Yin energy. Even if anyone cultivates here, their soul will only become a Yin spirit." Black Tortoise breathed a stream of white air.Vermilion Bird wasn't fazed. Yin or Yang, it didn't matter, as long as her heart was on the right path.Nox explained, "The first trial of cultivati
There's karma even in the teachings of the path of humanity, but our version of karma is limited to the actions of humans. Aphrodite knows that, but she's gotten herself into a corner. I would've saved her if she wasn't an enemy of the state, but I can't do anything about it if she can't see that," said Nox.With the help of the Dragon's Vein, Nox used dragon energy and led Azure Dragon's soul into his body. The process was slow, but it was steady. It was only a matter of time before Azure Dragon could return to his body."When Goldenwheel imprisoned my soul, I thought about a lot of stuff. I know Aphrodite, but I don't know why she's doing this. Going against Faeast means going against us. We'd never forgive her. She loves you, and we know that. She'd regret trying to kill you."Nox's eyes shone. "So you've reached the truth as well. Yes, the heart never changes, no matter what happens. There are two types of people in this world. One, those who will never turn back. That's people
Sealmaster contacted Nox telepathically and asked him to summon Atlas' will to live."Atlas is not my subordinate. All I ever did for him was give him a tip or two. Besides, he's my elder, if we want to get into the technicalities. He's a lot older than me and has gone through more than his fair share of obstacles. He wouldn't listen to me."Nox answered, "He's wishing for death so he can leave a glorious history for himself."Sealmaster finally got it. Atlas never wanted to get out of this alive. He was part of the royal family and had enjoyed a life of luxury. His talent was not of the best stock, and Supreme was the best he could do. Right when death was facing him, Atlas repented and wished for a good and honorable death.He wanted to exchange his life for a glorious history that would be told for generations. Sealmaster couldn't save him from that. "That's how it is with cultivators of the path of humanity. It might not be a bad thing to decide how and when you want to bow out
Atlas roared into the heavens, "The nation is still not yet at peace, Quilo! Why did you go and get yourself killed?" He resented Quilo for still coming out triumphant in the final fight of their lives. He resented the fact that Faeast could not house two Sovereigns at once.Nox could've been the warrior, while Quilo could be the guardian. They'd be the perfect duo. That was why Atlas could die in peace. However, with the guardian of Faeast dead, Atlas must live. He had his people to look after. As long as he lived, he would have to face the harsh criticism of the people and history.Heroes might be short-lived, but they always left a great legacy. Rulers of empires, however, usually left nothing but infamy. Then, Atlas' resentment was replaced by sorrow. Quilo was part of his family. He was Atlas' nephew, and yet this was the way he went out.When Atlas came out of the tent, the Nox Army nearly demanded that he give them the command to attack Mount Martial."Bad news. The soldiers
"My people have lived through tough times, and they still persevere until now. No civilization has people as resilient as Faeast. I will come back in four days, and I will bring His Majesty's remains with me."Nox was adamant, and Sealmaster could do nothing about it now. He sighed. "I wish you luck, Nox. Then I must return to Magic Mountain and prepare for your return. I pray for your victory." Sealmaster bade goodbye and left for Magic Mountain with his comrades.By Nox's orders, Atlas led the Nox Army into the southwest nations and destroyed all their military equipment, then they were to attack the capitals of those nations. Atlas demanded immediate surrender from the rulers of the nations, and Douglas had to travel overseas once more to sign a ceasefire.The ceasefire needed time to be finalized. At the same time, Nox used the Yin Dragon's Vein and turned the natural energy Goldenwheel gathered on the mountain into life essence. He then injected that life essence into Vermilion
Nox argued, "They're not that stupid. They only agreed to our terms because they were also fighting among themselves. While I've grown, they must've done the same as well. Do you know why they did nothing while I took down all the other sects? To an extent, I was helping them."Vermilion Bird's intel says it clearly: they're the ones hiding in the shadows. The alliance is a lot crueler than we are. They must've destroyed the House of Enlightenment now. I only relented because the alliance's power wasn't centralized enough, so they posed no threat to the nation, but with the sects all gone, the alliance's leader is the only one who calls the shots."They can gather all the remaining sects' power in one place. The alliance is no longer a minor threat. That's why I must do this," said Nox.If the alliance was allowed to grow any further, it would be hard to handle. Even without Quilo's death, Nox would still attack the alliance after dealing with the southwest nations. Azure Dragon had
"Oh, for fuck's sake. If you want to die, then die. What in hell was that speech for? You know you deserve that, don't you?" Kirin knew Aphrodite was trying to manipulate Nox again. He was worried his lord would fall for her trick and rekindle his flame for her."Don't fall for her lies, milord. Once a traitor, always a traitor!" Kirin quickly said. He didn't want Nox to trip again."No one knows your name, Kirin, but I do. Nox told me about it. Inkdark, that's your family. You're a prodigy of the path of the ancient divine. You're feral, untameable. Threatened by the path of the ancient divine, your family tried to strip you of your divine bones, so you slaughtered them all and went to Mystia."Someone like you can never understand love! Love doesn't mean you have to control a person! Even if you'll never grasp them, you can still love them! The path of cultivation is a path of no return, but love is not!"Nox will never forget this day, I swear! I will make sure he remembers that
Nox gave her a guarantee, but that wasn't what Aphrodite wanted to hear. She wanted Nox's first promise to her. She wanted him to stay with her no matter what came their way. She stared at Nox, and there was determination in his eyes, but she didn't see the emotion she wanted to.Aphrodite smiled bitterly. Nox had done what he promised her. Looking into his eyes, she said, "The Generals work for you. Though they carry out my orders, they are loyal to you. Vermilion Bird looked into my case behind your back before the battle at the Ocean of Death. You must know something about it."The look in Nox's eyes changed. "What are you trying to say?""You know I'd betray you even before the battle, didn't you? No, you had enough intel, and you had a feeling it was coming," said Aphrodite.Without hesitation, Nox nodded. "Even so, you kept the promise you made to me. Maybe you were prepared to abandon me, and you were just waiting for me to break my oath.""Yes," said Nox honestly. "I alway
"They had a reason. From what I know, the most ancient form of words was created to commemorate an event. Like sacrificial rituals, the ancestors believed that words carry mysterious power. They connect us to the world and the gods themselves," said Queenie. One word carried a lot of information within, so it was natural they would be complex.Aphrodite solved another surface in the meantime. Everyone could guess the meaning behind that rune. "Loads of sacrificial ritual items. Sacrifice?" Nineve pointed at the rune.Queenie was speechless. "Not that simple. Ceremony, I think.""Ceremony? Human? Compassion?" Nox muttered. Whether their guess was right, no one knew. They needed Aphrodite's explanation. She was going faster and faster. Not too long after that, she'd solved five out of six sides, but she slowed down on the final side.Nox knew her enough to see her confusion. "She's starting to doubt her judgment. I knew it. There's more to this cube."Though Aphrodite doubted her ju
"I don't know, but it's worth a shot," said Aphrodite. She then tried to solve the thing like it was a Rubix cube. Every surface had three hundred squares. Solving it was a huge project. Patience alone wasn't enough. They need brains. No one in the team but Aphrodite could do this.Nox used to play standard Rubix cube when he was a kid. That thing had a formula to it. Master the technique, and it could be solved easily, but unless someone took the time to learn it, solving it without any help would be hard. If Nox had to do it, they could never solve the puzzle.He didn't even memorize the runes' arrangements. He could spend his whole life solving the cube, and he would still fail. Everyone knew how difficult this thing was, so no one pushed Aphrodite."Good thing you saved her, milord. No one could have solved this cube otherwise," Kirin said telepathically.Nox answered, "Perhaps, but if she wasn't around, I'd brute force my way through. Anything man-made can be destroyed through
Something inside the cube rang out. The explosion didn't even make it do anything, but Nineve's kick got a response out of it. Everyone wondered why, but then the sounds of gears turning came from the cube.Kirin gasped. "Maybe the empress is hiding inside. Or maybe the cultivators locked her in there." No one knew the real reason. Not even Nox's divine sense could see what was inside the cube."No idea, but the cube's big enough to hold one person," said Nox."A prison. That's the best you can come up with. She did not lose the battle, you know. To an extent, her spell worked. If she spreads it across the world, she'll be its one and only ruler, but I don't believe a spell that perfect exists. An unimaginable price must be paid for it, and it's a price we cannot afford," said Aphrodite.Kirin was about to bristle, but Aphrodite approached the cube and touched it. Blinding light reflected from its surface. The light rippled outward, and crisscrossing lines split the cube's surface
"Even if you're the Nine-State Lord's woman, your treason is still punishable by death!" Voltaic glared at Aphrodite. If it weren't for the founder's order and her connection to Nox, Voltaic would've killed her.Aphrodite did not look happy either. Power meant everything. Voltaic was a powerful man, and he had nothing to worry about. Even during her family's zenith, she wouldn't dare cross him."Just go, Voltaic. I have my reasons. If you want to stay, then you and Mufasa get out of Celestial Domain and wait for me outside. When I get through this, the path of the ancient divine's coming after me. You can help me when that happens," said Nox.Voltaic gnashed his teeth but eventually decided to do as Nox told him to. "Fine, if you say so. But be careful. We don't get a Sovereign every day. Your life is not just yours. Faeast's people depend on you." He then hollered a Mufasa and left.Mufasa bowed to Kirin. "I shall take my leave now, sir." And he left with Voltaic. No one stopped t
Kirin grabbed the ladies and regrouped with Nox. Not too long after that, Voltaic and Mufasa arrived. Voltaic wasn't in his best condition. Fending off the aftershock of that Saintly technique took too much of his life essence. Mufasa was in so deep a shock, his pupils dilated."I thought you'd leave Mystia's bastards to me, lad! But you took them all out!" Voltaic complained.Mufasa bristled. "Will you shut up? If he hadn't used that Saintly technique, I would've died!" Mystia's cultivators were handing his ass to him. He almost died.Nox said, "That wasn't me, but it doesn't matter now. The true test begins now. You can't do anything beyond this point. You can leave now," said Nox."What? But I haven't had fun!" Voltaic swung his swords. He was far from his limits. Since he was here, might as well see the empress. Better yet, he wanted to fight her."Leave. No one knows what's going to happen. Besides, the founder only told us to come. He didn't ask anyone else to. You can't han
The power of a technique created by the sacrifice of a dozen Saints had terrifying strength. The rampaging sacred energy swept through Celestial Domain. Not even a single blade of grass could escape it. Nineve thought it felt like a whole warehouse of forbidden items were launched.Everything around them shook, and waves three hundred feet tall raged on the seas outside. The ships sent by the surrounding nations sank into the waters beneath. The waves swept White Tiger, and seawater filled up his mouth.Fortunately, Southern Sea's fleet came in time and fished him out of the waters. Fergus watched as shards of foreign nations' ships surfaced, and he was shocked. The distant waters were enveloped in storm clouds. "What happened here? Someone's testing a new weapon they developed?"That was Fergus' guess. He couldn't understand what was going on."That isn't a weapon! Someone's fighting in there! Cultivators!" White Tiger struggled to get up, foam circling his lips."Cultivators are
With unyielding will, Nox marched toward the final bottleneck. At the same time, his aura became unstable, yet it started to rise. Once it reached a certain point, even Pinnacle Legend Realms could challenge Saints. His aura was far stronger than any Pinnacle Legend Realm. With his near-infinite energy, he shoved the Saintly techniques away.The Saintly techniques shattered, and a rampaging shockwave came crashing back to the Saints. They used their last resort and cast ancient spells, sacrificing themselves to conjure a gigantic wave of sacred energy.Like a falling star, the sacred energy suppressed Nox's aura, and it kept falling like a meteor. If Nox couldn't stop this, he would die. Kirin could smell the scent of death coming from Nox. His lord was in danger."No. I can't leave this to fate. I have sworn my loyalty to him, and I will not watch him die." Kirin would not leave this to chance, not even if their chances of winning were close to a hundred percent.Luck would eventu