With most of the enemies gone, Nox just had to focus on the Saints. "Only you guys now. Come, fight me!" Nox controlled the spheres and fought the Saints alone.All the Saints infused their life essence into their power, and their auras rose. Everyone now at least doubled their strength. They pushed through the spheres and slammed Nox into the ground.Nox fell, failing to make any resistance. He crashed into the border of Celestial Domain, and the whole continent shook. The Saints worked together to push through the spheres and cast Saintly techniques.The techniques rose like blazing suns, and Kirin shook from the intensity of the energy within. "He's risking his life here. Even with Saintly techniques, it'll be hard to win this. He can't hold them off with just Pinnacle Legend Realm power." Kirin was grim. Even if Nox could withstand the combined attacks, he'd be badly injured.If he was hurt before he even met the final boss of the place, there was no chance to win this war."T
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
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
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
"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
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
"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
"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
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