Cassian looked at the woman he loved. The erstwhile Celestial Goddess was now a crone who had seen the worst of the world. "You look older than I am, Penelope. People might think you're my mother." Cassian chuckled, but his eyes were red.It was a joke, but there was sadness inside. Penelope looked at Cassian in silence. She knew her husband had it harder than her. No one could understand the hardships he went through alone. At least Penelope had her sons around her."Don't cry, Cassian. I don't want you to sound so down. We fought and suffered for so long so Faeast could rise to power. So, people like us will never be at the mercy of our enemies. We do this for peace. True peace." Penelope cupped Cassian's head in her hands.A tearful Cassian nodded. He swore that day would come, even if it cost him his life.At the same time, Nox had just sat down, but he was already contacting the Temple of Fire. No response. "Shit. Can the Mystians really be crazy enough to attack them?" Nox fr
"Don't change the subject. Just tell me what I should do." Nox snorted."Easy. Let me come with you. Your fate is stronger than mine, and my fate is one that can easily kill anyone. Anyone who tries to plot against me will suffer backfire and get themselves killed. When everyone's killed, the crisis is averted," said Aphrodite.Nox was speechless. He couldn't believe someone as smart as Aphrodite would come up with something so stupid. "If that plan works, all I have to do is ask you to go to them, and the crisis is over," Nox argued."No. I wouldn't dare go back. White Tiger came up with the nonsense of you planting a soul technique in me. They would kill me." Aphrodite shook her head quickly."I thought you didn't fear death. Just tell me what I should do," Nox said, a little irritated."It's simple, but I can't tell you. It's a secret that must be kept safe. Take me with you, and you won't regret it," said Aphrodite confidently."So, in the end, we're going to the Temple of Fi
Aphrodite settled in at the old place. This was the best sleep she'd had since the last few years. The next morning, Black Tortoise and his motorcade came to pick her up. He wasn't happy picking up an ex-traitor, but Faeast's safety was on the line, and the Great General had no choice."Get in." Black Tortoise picked Aphrodite up, and the motorcade made its way to an underground fortress in Imperia. The top brass of Faeast was already in the conference hall. The governors of the nine states and commanders of the military were waiting online.When Aphrodite showed up, they frowned. Some of these people were forced to submit to her. Some were set up and imprisoned. They were only saved when Nox came back. Some straight up had a grudge against her.Tension was rife in the conference hall, but Aphrodite didn't panic. She took the main seat and scanned everyone. One of the military's representatives couldn't hold back. Then, a general who just became a Legend Realm slammed the table."I
Aphrodite finally said something reasonable, and the people got the promise they needed. An elderly general on the screen said, "Very well. As long as you don't deny your crimes. What we have to do now is keep Faeast safe and make sure the fires of war do not touch this land. I'm sure you'll do your best."Even if we're going to come after you after all is done, we'll make it quick. But if this land falls and Mystia invades, death will be a luxury for you."Everyone nodded and tacitly agreed to Aphrodite being the head of defense. She'd crossed everyone on both sides. She had to do her best. If she were to stay, she'd have to be trapped in Imperia, and escape was impossible for her.Aphrodite wanted this. She sneered. "You're united. It wasn't like this back then. A meeting could be dragged out for the whole day. I guess I killed the right people, then.""Why you…" The attendees were furious, and they were black as thunder.Black Tortoise, however, agreed with Aphrodite. She did k
Once the meeting was over, Aphrodite went back to the Greenshades' immediately. She had her breakfast in the car and finished right when she was about to go out. The Greenshades were already waiting for her at the entrance.They praised her for her incredible mind but lamented the fact that she couldn't be together with Nox. Daniel had gotten over what she did to the clan. Even he was forced to kill his own son, and Aphrodite was in the same spot."Daniel." Aphrodite got out of the car and looked at Daniel, her eyes twinkling.Daniel joked, "You look healthy. Even though your name's cursed right now, I can sense that you feel a lot lighter. Your family was a heavier weight than the curse on your name, I wager?""You jest. You too had a weight lifted off your shoulders, didn't you?" Aphrodite asked."Yes. If it weren't for Nox, my father would still be missing. If Faeast is relying on me now, I'd be depressed. Come. Nox and my father are waiting for you."Daniel led Aphrodite all
Penelope handed the book to Aphrodite. She quickly scanned the names and flipped the pages so fast, they almost left afterimages. A few moments later, she finished one book. The record spanned for a thousand years, and there were a lot of books. Aphrodite didn't find the name she was looking for in the most recent ancestors.Penelope led her to the room of records. Cassian asked Nox telepathically, "Do you think she might just give us a random name?""Not sure, but I know her enough to know that's beneath her. Still, finding a name through the books? That's ridiculous. She's not that smart yet. I think she knows the guy's name. All she wants is his history," said Nox."Why didn't she tell us, then? We could've helped," Cassian asked, confused."Don't know. Maybe she's interested in that person. She won't let anyone get in the way of her search."They waited for two whole hours, and Aphrodite came out looking disappointed. Frowning, she said, "Odd. There's no way it's not there."
Penelope mulled over it for a while and said, "This happened when I was still a kid. Rumors claimed that a young man called Griffin fell in love with the eldest daughter of the Girards, a family on the path of the ancient divine. I do not know the details, but I heard the family accepted the outsider."Griffin left the clan, despite their best efforts to keep him around."Nox's eyes shone. "Whoa, that's something. The Girard family is the strongest divine family in the path of the ancient divine. The Celestial Lord is part of that family. To keep their blood pure, they rarely married their people to other divine families, let alone mortals. That's why the enemy faction can't unite even now."That meant they set a precedent of marrying mortals, and the clan didn't punish Griffin. He was something."Aphrodite said, "Yes, talented, I'm sure, but what I want to know is if he's the one I'm looking for.""What?"The trio was stunned. Cassian frowned. "I thought you knew his name.""I
"The previous Celestial Lord came from the Byrds, and the Girards slayed him to take his place. The Byrds and Girards are at odds, so I think you can get an answer out of them," said Penelope. She told him to go to the Montgomerys if he had to.The Montgomerys were the divine family Penelope came from. Like the Girards and Montgomerys, they were part of the Divine Four. The Inkdarks were part of it as well, but they were replaced by the Whitefields."Are you sure the Montgomerys are going to help me?" Nox didn't think so. He'd rather trust the Byrds. Their mistress was in his hands, after all."Don't worry. I know exactly what they're thinking. Family is nothing to them. They only think about benefits and advantages," said Penelope confidently.Aphrodite nodded. "The Divine Four has bad blood that runs deeper than you can imagine. Even though you're literally public enemy number one for them, they still can't work together as one to take you down. The Celestial Lord is their common
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