Nox checked her forehead, and his finger was burned. Not even Nox could explain what was going on with Queenie. He looked at Dominic, but the guy was confused as well.Flame Emperor laughed. "Phoenixes are nothing but legends to you, new one. Though they were rare in my time, they were no legends. They are my clan's emblems. Now that the phoenix's heart has returned, she is subjected to a reincarnation. Should she succeed in her rebirth, she will inherit the blood of the phoenix and become stronger."Fail, and she dies. Even worlds come to an end, let alone the things that live on them. Someday, even the immortal phoenix will fall. I will give you one chance, Queenie. Swear your servitude to me, and I shall help with your rebirth. You are my clan's emblem. Only I can help you gain more power," said Flame Emperor.He still wanted to convince Queenie to join his side. The phoenix was more important than the new Sovereign. Before Nox could say anything, Queenie refused, "Shut it. I kno
That was Nox's plan. He needed Queenie to stay because she was in an unstable state, and problems might rise soon. He would have to fight Flame Emperor and keep an eye on Queenie at the same time."So young, to be fighting so many. Are you sure you can handle it? I am in a different league from all the people you've fought until now. You have no idea about my power. You think I was stupid enough to fall for the empress' tricks? No. I just wanted her spell. I was after her power. If I could devour it, I could practice her spells."For that end, I left Faeast and my body behind. All so I could get her soul technique. I knew her plan would never work, because she doesn't have the talent. Yet she tried to take a shortcut, and you saw what happened to her. I have been lying in wait for seventy thousand years, and my power is at its peak."What hope do you have?" Flame Emperor stared at Nox. Curiously, Nox wasn't even reacting after all that showing off. "Are you listening to me? Answer m
"Eight Saintly Techniques, merge! Ascended Immortal, Sanctity!" Nox merged all his techniques, and the sword cut through the flames and crashed into Flame Emperor. The gigantic soul was sent flying away, and ripples spread across the world.For a moment, even in the distance, Dominic and the others felt the world getting torn apart."What?" The empress was flabbergasted. This sword attack was ten times stronger than the Sovereign Banner's. If Nox had used this skill in his fight against her, Flame Emperor would never have been released."What is he doing? Why is he hiding his trump cards? Did he let me release Flame Emperor on purpose? Why? Is he trying to save his damn grandfather?" The empress thought she had seen through Nox. She only lost because the situation was too hard to handle, and fate laughed at her.But now, she started questioning her own power. She wondered if she had really seen through Nox.The attack shocked even Flame Emperor, and his eyes went wide. A gash tore
With Heaven's Fountain, Nox pierced Flame Emperor, and the enemy felt the sting. Though he had more than a hundred thousand years worth of power, he failed to patch up the hole in his body. "Damn you, Greenshade! Damn that sword!" He activated his soul power and tried to destroy the sword soul."Back to your scabbard, Heaven's Fountain. Sovereign Banner, pin him down!" Nox said. The sword flew back to Dominic. Dominic could feel the sword soul's dejection.'What's that supposed to mean? He wants Nox to be his master?'The banner unleashed incredible power and formed a golden barrier to lock Flame Emperor in. Ripples of golden saint power suppressed Flame Emperor. "I'm your master, banner! How dare you betray me!"Seventy thousand years ago, Flame Emperor owned Sovereign Banner, but now that very thing was suppressing him, and he was more than miffed."Insolent fool! Sovereign Banner belongs to Faeast! The Sovereign only has the authority to use it, not own it! You're but a corrupt
The elephants shared the pressure from Flame Emperor."Saintly dragons? So what? I'll kill them!" Flame Emperor split his heads into three and arms into six. Every arm was holding a Saintly artefact, and he took on nine dragons himself. "Flame Dragon Manual."To Dominic's horror, a black saintly dragon came flying out of Flame Emperor's body and engulfed three of Nox's dragons. The other six were destroyed by its master."The elephants are Yin beasts. My ultimate Yang power can destroy them!" Flame Emperor attacked once more, destroying the elephants with his Yang flames. The elephants that were sharing the pressure disappeared."What next, Greenshade? Nation's fate? Putting the outcome aside, it'll hurt because of you! It can heal, but with Mystia's strongest factions eyeing your nation, they will not give you that chance! You claim to fight for Faeast, yet you'll use its fate and put it in danger. This is how you protect it?"You're using the nation's fate to save your grandfath
'Give up my delusions and face the truth?' Nox would not accept that lying down."Do you really think I can't take you down, Flame Emperor? Even without the nation's fate, I will still kill you!" Even though all his tactics were broken, Nox was confident.Flame Emperor laughed mirthlessly. "Show me what you can do, then. Come on!" He'd love to see how Nox would kill him. There was no way out, and Nox would die. Flame Emperor knew that.Back in Celestial Domain, Kirin was reaching his limit. He couldn't even last for five more minutes. "Hey, Mousse. I did what you told me to, and now I can't even take them down with me. If things don't turn around fast, there'll be hell to pay!" Kirin glared venomously at Aphrodite's soul."Calm down. He still has a trump card in his hand." Aphrodite was not panicking. Everything was going as she'd foreseen."The nation's fate, you mean?" Kirin thought Nox would use that to kill his enemy, but that would affect the nation's fate. "Losing part of it
Even if the nation's fate was used, they couldn't be certain if Flame Emperor could be killed. At most he would be heavily injured. Nox would be exhausted after that attack, and he couldn't even fight back. All there was, was death.Nineve could only pray for Nox. She hoped this was not where he met his end. Nox's reaction, however, was bizarre. He was getting uncontrollably excited. Restless, even."How long have you been asleep, I wonder? Perhaps since the day you were made. No, at least you had some chances to show yourself, but after I took you, you've never been shown. No one but me knows about you. Your existence is legend itself. No one can be sure you were made," Nox muttered, and his eyes flared with passion.Flame Emperor's pupils contracted. His gut told him something bad was coming. If he had a body, he'd be having goosebumps right now. "What kind of item is he going to use? What kind of item can threaten even me? I have a hundred and forty thousand years of power. Not e
Flame Emperor wouldn't give Nox any more time to prepare. He had to capture the enemy and torment him. Demonic energy surged, and for a moment, it seemed like the whole world was attacking Nox.Flame Emperor turned into a gigantic demon and summoned waves of energy. The whole realm was shaking. Even on the borders, Dominic and the others still felt the power of the demonic energy. Flame Emperor's phantom appeared in their minds, and his aura made them freeze.They couldn't even move, much less fight back. With all his might, Dominic shouted, "You must kill him, Nox! If he comes out, Faeast will be plunged into chaos!" And he felt drained all of a sudden. It took Dominic his all just to stay conscious.Queenie held back the flames in her body as Nox told her to. If Nox were to lose this fight or even die, Queenie would unleash the flames and take down Flame Emperor even if it meant that she would die."Surrender now, Greenshade!" Flame Emperor's voice boomed, and his energy rained. The
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