"How interesting. Even a repository of memories can rebel. Seems they're not so different from us—except for their inability to grow through learning," Kirin quipped with a smirk."That doesn't make sense! If the Three-Eyed Clan is hunting them, how is this little boy living so openly in the imperial city?" Nineve asked, her confusion evident."Calm down, Princess Nineve. Don't get your knickers in a twist," Kirin teased. "A group of the Ironhands sneaked into the imperial city earlier, looking for some kind of materials. Because of his small size, this kid was harder to spot, so they brought him along. As for why he's the only one left, his parents and relatives got caught. They sacrificed themselves to make sure he could escape. With nowhere else to hide, he snuck back into his old home."He translated the boy's story."Hmm, two critical pieces of information here," Aphrodite said, her sharp mind already piecing things together. "First, the Ironhands rebelled. Second, they entere
"You idiot! That's an alarm device the Ironhands placed on their puppets!" Nox snapped.The flashing red light was a harbinger of danger!Aphrodite unleashed her Divine Sense but found nothing."As I expected, Divine Sense doesn't work. That's why this kid managed to survive alone for so many days," she said thoughtfully.No sooner had she finished speaking than a massive explosion shook the room. A gigantic metal fist crashed through the walls, and the shockwave shattered the metal house into pieces.With his back to the giant metal hand, Nox casually raised his arm, effortlessly blocking the blow with just his arm."Leave everything to me, Kirin. Protect them, including that kid," he said quietly."OK! I got this! Don't worry, milord!" Kirin thumped his chest in assurance.Just then, another colossal fist slammed into the space with a boom.Nox reacted first, turning to meet the impact with a punch of his own. The explosion rang out as the giant metal hand was blasted into s
"You're not Lord Nox's woman anymore, so I don't have to show you any respect—ha!"Kirin's shameless teasing left Aphrodite fuming, though she couldn't do much about it.Meanwhile, the dozen or so Three-Eyed Clan members hovering in the sky began to sense that something was amiss."They've figured out that you and Lord Nox are the real threats," Aphrodite remarked, her eyes narrowing."Is that so? Great. If they strike first, self-defense is perfectly justified, isn't it?" Kirin grinned wickedly.To the Three-Eyed Clan members watching, his expression was nothing short of a blatant provocation.Just as they prepared to subdue the arrogant rogue, Nox warned them through telepathy, "Your opponent is me."An immense surge of spiritual energy erupted from Nox's body, rippling outward like a tidal wave. In the blink of an eye, over 100 metal puppets and dozens of surrounding metal buildings were reduced to rubble, leaving nothing but scattered fragments.The Three-Eyed Clan members
Just as Nox delved into the memories of the Three-Eyed Clan members for helpful information, a sudden energy disrupted his search.A thick black fog coiled around him, smothering the air with an oppressive aura.Kirin was the first to sense the anomaly.The fiery brilliance of Nox's Blazing Inferno Eyes dimmed noticeably, their glow fading like a flame under a gust of wind.At that very moment, the eyes that housed the Three-Eyed Clan members' memories erupted with a powerful surge of soul energy, forming a vortex that sought to engulf Nox entirely.Queenie and Aphrodite reacted almost instantly, readying themselves to intervene."Calm down," Kirin said, stepping forward to stop them. His voice was steady but firm. "I'll say it again—if he can't handle this, we might as well give up on saving Cassian altogether."Despite the dimming of his eyes, Nox countered the attack."Eight Techniques: Glyph of Flames!"With a swift motion, he traced a glowing glyph in the air. A burst of
Nox returned to the ground, intrigued. The boy was looking at Nox differently, and he grabbed Kirin's hand as he tried to tell him something."Slow down. I didn't get you. Ancient Faeastian is a hard language, you know. Hm, you've seen him? That can't be. He's not even thirty." Kirin found some interesting clues."Oh, your ancestor's prophecy? An ancient Faeastian Sovereign is destined to defeat the empress? You think he might be a Sovereign?" Kirin pointed at Nox on purpose.The boy told Kirin more stuff. A while later, Kirin translated the useful information. "He can take us to the Ironhands' turf, but the Three-Eyed Clan might've captured their people, so it might be deserted.""We're seeing them." Nox narrowed his eyes. Perhaps his grandfather might be with them. "Tell him to lead the way." He nodded.Eldric led the group toward the spot where his clansmen could be. Before they left, Nox looked in the direction the Three-Eyed Empress pointed them in.Confused, Queenie asked,
After the soul went into the formation, two more powerful cultivators appeared. They stopped before the formation, wary about the spot."Never seen these guys before, but they're definitely no Mystians," White Tiger murmured curiously. Mystians tended to have very outlandish attire, given their snobbish attitude, but these two dressed modestly, and one of them looked like a Faeastian.The duo noticed White Tiger as well, and their threat did not go unmissed. "Sacred Beast Seal."The Sacred Beast Seal stunned the duo. One of them, a burly one, snarled, "The temple's Sacred Beast Seal!" Beast Temple cultivators despised people who stole sacred beast essence.White Tiger couldn't believe this guy hated his guts from the moment he saw him. He could sense the bloodlust coming from the stranger. 'Not my day. All I wanted was a bit of downtime, and this guy showed up.'Btu White Tiger wasn't going to run away from a fight. He hungered for battle. He lived and died for combat. "Two Saints
Mufasa shook his head. The old man couldn't believe this. "He's your temple's boss, and you've never seen him before?" White Tiger attacked again, but the old man didn't do anything. He said, "I am your lord's friend, White Tiger. Halt. I could've killed you if I wanted to, but I spared you."White Tiger stopped, but he didn't let his guard down. "Who are you people? And why should I believe you? I'm not stupid." He snorted.That answered Mufasa's earlier question. He muttered, "So he's one the Great Generals. I didn't know they were this powerful. My intel says he's just a Supreme."The old man muttered, "My name is Voltaic Westsea, and I never lie, especially when it comes to killing people. The cultivators can vouch for me. You are a Great General, and one of your colleagues heads the intelligence department. Surely you must know me?"White Tiger's eyes went wide, and he was delighted. "So you're the Westsea's saintly swordsman?""I knew you'd heard of me." Voltaic looked smug.
A guardian could use Sacred Beast Seal because they were recognized by the sacred beasts. They were not like White Tiger, who could merge with sacred beast essence fully.Curious, Mufasa asked, "If you're already this powerful, your lord must be even more so, no?""He is on a higher level. The lord's a Pinnacle Legend Realm, and he's nearly a faux SAint." White Tiger smacked his lips.'What?' Mufasa couldn't believe this. He asked, "Are you sure? This better not be a joke." He put on an angry look."I'm not lying, or my name isn't White Tiger," White Tiger swore."Not the point here. I ran into Mufasa on my way, so I hollered at him. We're going after Tremeus. You know, the guy who ran away," Voltaic interjected."Oh, the guy who lost half his soul? Why are you two after him?" White Tiger was curious. He wondered, 'He couldn't have done anything bad enough that he'd rather go into Celestial Domain than fight them.'If the duo got their hands on Tremeus, his fate would be dire. V
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