The Shadow Division members gasped in shock. They couldn't believe Keith was hurt, and the enemy didn't even show his face."Commander!"They were going to Keith, but Keith held up his hand. He looked at the mountains, his expression grim.Then he spat out a mouthful of blood. "Didn't expect a powerful guy to be here. Fine. I'll see who you are. Everyone, stay here. Don't make even a move without my orders!" Keith roared.He stepped off the ground and leaped at the mountain. When he got closer, Keith felt the aura of a king pushing down on him harder. He tensed up and started activating his inner energy.As he raised his head, he saw someone with their back turned to him, seated on a rock. For some reason, Keith felt his face twitch. At the same time, he felt even more pressure coming off the silhouette.More importantly, he thought the silhouette felt familiar. "Dammit! Who is that man? How can he give off so much pressure?"Keith felt something squeezing his heart for the firs
"Yes, it's me," said Nox calmly.Keith was flabbergasted. "It's you? I-I thought you'd fallen in battle. Everyone claims you're dead. How did this happen?""No one can kill me if I don't want to die," said Nox confidently.Keith slammed his head against the ground. "Milord!" And the commander cried happily, calling out to his master. Everyone thought Nox was dead, even the Shadow Division.Everyone couldn't believe it when news of Nox's demise reached the Shadow Division. The commanders led all members and knelt beneath Qustian Peak for three days and nights.No one could convince them to leave. Nox founded the division, and these were his guards. Nox himself trained the commanders. Supreme Tiger, White Bear, and Wolfhound were powerful enough to rival Nox's four generals.Together, they were the Seven Madmen. Keith couldn't stop crying joyfully. Never had he imagined running into his lord again.Nox was a little annoyed seeing this. "Alright, enough. You're one of the commande
"Unbelievable! The bastards did that? Milord, please say the word. I will lead my man into Voxlia and slay Black Flag!" said Keith angrily.Nox waved him down. "Not the priority. Voxlia is just a tiny nation. Nothing to fear."Keith said, "You're right, milord. You almost wiped them out. I can't believe these people would try to invade us again."Nox said nothing."Milord, I have a question, but…" Keith trailed off."Ask away.""Why didn't you return to the military in Imperia and tell the guys you're still around? Ever since the news of your death made the rounds, everyone's hearts got broken. White Bear almost got himself killed kneeling beneath Qustian Peak." Keith started tearing up again.Nox clapped Keith's shoulder. "It's complicated with me. Remember to keep the news of my survival a secret, that's all."Keith nodded. He knew Nox had a reason to do this.Nox asked, "So, how many of you are there in Riverton? Did Bear and Bard come?""They're in Imperia, milord," said
Keith waved it down. "No apology needed. We're both working for the lord, after all.""Yes, of course, Supreme Tiger."Nox watched the two of them buttering each other up. He said, "That's enough. Keith, did you come alone?""No. I have about a dozen guys with me," said Keith."Tell them to leave. And remember, don't tell them I'm alive," said Nox.Keith nodded and went away.Derek and the other guys were anxiously waiting outside Dragoncourt."What now, Captain Five? It's been nearly half an hour. Are we just going to wait?" one member asked.Even though he was captain, Derek was getting anxious as well. He checked the time. "Five more minutes. If he doesn't come out, we're going in.""Yes, captain."Time went by. Five minutes were up, and Derek was about to lead a charge into the mountains, but a silhouette came leaping out.The division members roared, "Commander!"It was Keith. Derek quickly approached him, saying, "Commander, are you alright?"Keith was ecstatic, and
After the Sovereign's Society was gone, Keith quickly returned to Nox. He couldn't be more excited to see Nox alive. He told Nox how much he missed him and how the Shadow Division missed him.Nox was melancholic but knew he couldn't show himself now, so he stayed silent."If you can't make a comeback, milord, then I shall stay with you, even if I were to be a servant." Keith was tearful."You're a commander. If you leave, what should your men do?" Nox rolled his eyes."I don't care! You trained me, milord. Without you, I wouldn't be here. I'm staying even if you're kicking me out!" Keith declared.Nox had a headache, but in the end, he said, "Fine, stay with me for now. But deal with the Shadow Division mess yourself.""Thank you, milord." Just like that, Keith got his wish to stay with Nox. He followed Nox into the great hall and saw a young girl. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she ate a lollipop.When the girl noticed Keith, she asked, "Where'd this big guy come from, Gr
Nox still had no idea that Queenie had fallen sick. It had been nearly five days since then. The first three days, Queenie barely ate or drank. She only started eating on the fourth and fifth day.Even so, she still looked almost cadaverous, and her soul felt crushed. Her parents were worried sick but couldn't do anything about it. She wouldn't talk to them, and she only lay around."What now, George? She's going to kill herself at this rate. Look at her." Yvette was in her room, wiping her tears.George was sighing, and he couldn't stop smoking. "It's all that bastard's fault! If he hadn't cheated on Queenie, she'd never end up like this."Yvette said, "Cursing him helps nothing. We have no idea where his house is, and we can't find him.""I know. Just give me some time. I'll come up with something." George had a frown on his forehead; then he smacked his leg. "Wait. Derek is already in Riverton, isn't he? Try calling him again." George was reminded of Derek.Yvette said, "I've
Time flew by. At about four in the afternoon, a black SUV pulled over at the Sanders Residence. The door opened up, and out came a dashing Derek, wearing a suit. Four Shadow Division members followed Derek, and they were holding presents."This is the place, captain?" a member asked.Derek looked at the entrance. "Yes. I was raised in this household from four to ten years old. My aunt is just like a mother to me. And I have a cousin. We got along really well when we were kids. I wonder how she's doing."The thought of Queenie made Derek smile. "We should get inside." He led his team members into the residence.Yvette and George quickly ran up to Derek. "Derek, you're here. I've missed you!" Yvette hugged her nephew.Happily, Derek said, "Aunt Yvette!""Oh, you've grown a lot more handsome, Derek. Here, let me have a look at you." Yvette took a closer look at Derek."She missed you a lot, Derek. Sometimes, she would even call your name in her sleep," George said."Thank you. I'm
George froze in shock. A moment later, he asked in disbelief, "Really? He's that powerful?""Of course," said the member proudly.They weren't lying. Being the Shadow Division, all political leaders must work with them in any operation. Though Derek was just a captain, he could make Riverton's governor work with him if he had to.George was visibly excited. Yvette was happy as well."That is impressive, Derek. Come in. We'll talk inside. And you guys, too. Come in." George was more polite after that.He led Derek and his team members into the living room and quickly served them tea and cigarettes. Derek was feeling awkward.He, George, and Yvette chatted about life while the Shadow Division members sat silently. A long while later, Derek asked, "Where's Queenie? Ever since I left Riverton, I have never seen her. Is she alright?"Derek and Queenie played together often when they were kids. They grew up together and were close; he wanted to know how Queenie was doing.Yvette tear
Fiery Ignis would not leave anything to chance. If he made the wrong choice, the effects would be disastrous.Jonah had no choice but to wait outside the temple. If the path of the martial assaulted them, the Ice Temple people would be cannon fodder.Days went by. Nox had been in isolation for more than a week. The altar, after a long silence, finally reacted. Fiery Ignis' divine sense had been keeping an eye on it."Finally!" He was excited. After more than a month, Nox was finally coming out.Everyone was waiting with bated breath, and then Nineve came out. Fiery Ignis sensed her power level immediately. She was Pinnacle Legend Realm and nearly a faux Saint. "Not much difference. She was about the same level before going in. Her talent is limited. Though she has a Sovereign bloodline, her own talent is lacking."Fiery Ignis guessed that she'd finished training a while ago and had been waiting for everyone else. As he guessed, Nineve had finished training a while ago. Though the
'He's improving fast.'"Temple Lord, you told me that Mr. Nox has taken the Ice Temple for himself. Do you think they've turned their backs on him?" a cultivator from the Temple of Fire asked."Not sure, but a Three-ring can't impact anything," said Fiery Ignis.Though the Ice Temple had a lot of people, if they thought they could stop Nox, they would be underestimating the Temple of Fire's power.Jonah noticed the fighting spirit rising in Fiery Ignis, and he quickly said telepathically, "We're here to help you. Nox is my lord. I have sworn my loyalty to him. I would never turn my back on him."Fiery Ignis was one of the oldest people in Mystia. He didn't believe Jonah at all. "Give me a reason. Why should I trust you? Who sent you here?" Fiery Ignis asked back telepathically. He refused to let these Ice Temple people go further.The scout could sense something was wrong, and he turned on the Ice Temple guys. Jonah finally told Fiery Ignis who sent him. "Saints of the Five Eleme
Katherine was being docile here because Nox possessed the Nine-State Crucible. Only people from her faction knew how powerful that item was. They only managed to rise to power because the crucible went missing.Nox said nothing more. He infused his Saint power into the altar, and it woke up. The moment it did, a small space opened up, isolated from the world. Through the altar's entrance, everyone saw the ancient energy within. It was huge. Enough for Nox's use.Then, the energy started to leak. Not even Nox could stop that. "This thing is connected to the island. The whole place is radiating energy. Pick up the pace, people," Nox said.Everyone went into the altar's chamber and quickly took in the energy.Fiery Ignis was on the island, taking the Altar back. He sensed the spilling energy, and he knew Nox had begun. "Get ready, people. If Nox breaks through smoothly, we'll fight with the path of the sword. If he fails… be prepared to fight to the death," he said to the survivors te
If the altar was not unsealed, Nox wouldn't have enough power to handle the path of the martial and the path of the ancient divine. Even if he was only facing the leader of the path of the martial, he only had a sixty-forty chance of winning, and that wasn't enough to turn things around."We need to do this. At this point, we have no choice. We'll do everything we can and leave everything to fate. We must unseal the altar. Even if someone tries to disturb us, any powerup is good news for us," said Aphrodite."Fine, then we'll unseal the altar. You stay here as well. I think there's going to be a lot of this energy. I'll reach my limit very fast. You can use the energy to train as well. Queenie, you're a phoenix. If someone tries to disturb us, devour all the energy," said Nox."But I'm at my bottleneck. Devouring it won't do me any good. It's a waste." Queenie frowned."Better than letting the enemy take it. At worst, you can use them as energy bombs." Nineve curled her lips.Quee
"Will you shut up already? There's plenty of energy here. The Sea of the Fire God has a whole reserve for you." Nox sent Kirin flying away with a kick. The guy just wanted to take advantage of the situation.Replenishing spiritual energy and devouring it were different things. No matter the quality, replenishment would eventually fill up the user's tanks. Power level, however, was different. Lower-level spiritual energy couldn't be absorbed and refined, but higher-level energy was limited. There was no place to house a large amount of it.The fact that Fiery Ignis knew a place like that was a great help for Nox."Come with me." Fiery Ignis led everyone through the Altar and down to the underground. At the deepest depths was a cavern, where water and fire fused like they were perfect for each other. Weaker ones would die here if they stayed long enough, let alone pass through it.Nox used his Saint power to protect everyone as he went down as per Fiery Ignis' orders. After going thr
"The path of the martial would never destroy the Temple of Fire, but Nox forced their hand. Even though you think this is bad enough, something worse is coming," said Aphrodite.Nox first thought of Faeast, after which he remembered the path of the sword. His guesses were correct. Aphrodite explained, "They will attack Faeast, but we can't get distracted now. People will die, but they can't kill everyone. A few deaths for a long-lasting peace is worth it. What we need to do now is raze Mystia to the ground."For that, we need the path of the sword," said Aphrodite. What came next was simple. Their destination was the path of the sword's grounds."Path of the sword? We can do that, but give me some time. I need to take the Altar off the formation and bring it with me," said Fiery Ignis."Of course, but make it quick. They won't hesitate to attack the path of the sword," said Nox solemnly.Fiery Ignis laughed. "They're not as simple as they look, Nox. The path of the martial might o
"Carrying out orders? No beef with the Temple of Fire, you say?" Nox laughed. "But I have a beef with you! Naturally, I will kill you!"Nox swung his hand, and the Minor Saints exploded. Their souls flew out, and they cursed Nox as much as they could. "You're cursing me? Fine, guess you want a slow and painful death, then."They could've died a quick death, but once Nox used his Blazing Holy Eyes, they had to suffer a slow burn. The Minor Saints' screams filled the air. The survivors gleaned grim satisfaction from the enemies' suffering.Nox descended on the altar. The Temple of Fire was only standing thanks to this ancient artifact. It'd have fallen a long time ago otherwise."Mr. Nox!" The Temple of Fire survivors saw Nox as chief of them all, second only to the temple lord."Sorry, I was late." Nox nodded. He came in the nick of time. If he'd been a moment later, these people would be dead.Fiery Ignis wasn't in good shape either, but the Altar was more important. He extracted
William could finally relax a little with Nox in the mix. He told Nox that the remnants of the enemies' temples attacked him because he was friends with the guy. His pavilion was destroyed, and his mentor died in battle. A lot of his fellow students died as well.Fortunately, the Temple of Fire saved him. Before he could even take revenge, the enemies attacked the Temple of Fire. Fortunately, Nox appeared in his darkest hour.Nox cursed, "The bastard! William and I aren't even that close! Why'd you attack him? You're not leaving here alive!"Furious, Nox put the island on lockdown. No one was going to leave this place alive. Thanks to the team's efforts, a group of survivors were saved. The remnants were all cleaned up, and Aphrodite was scouring the leaders' minds with her soul technique for intel.At the same time, Kirin had arrived at the island's center and fought the leader of the invaders. The path of the martial sent out a dozen Saints to destroy the Temple of Fire. Most of
The mocked god was furious, and he wanted to see who the bastard was. However, when he realized who it was, he froze. The woman was the mistress of the Byrds. Then, his eyes shone. This woman was a prodigy among prodigies."Save me, Celestial Goddess! I'll give you everything I have," pleaded the god. He would be her slave if it came to it. The other cultivators asked for Katherine's help as well."The decision lies not with me." Katherine shook her head and looked at Nox.The cultivators were stunned, and they turned their attention to Nox. They thought the young man was unimpressive, and they wondered why Katherine would listen to him.The god of thievery threatened, "I don't care who you are, boy. Tell Celestial Goddess to help us, or I will kill you!"Bloodlust filled Nox's eyes. "You don't care who I am? How dare you! Open your eyes and take a good look. I know you know me."The god of thievery cursed and pushed through the pain of the flames. He focused on Nox's face, and w