Queenie didn't know Keith well, but he left a good impression on her. How he called her made her blush, however. "What brings you here?""My bro sent me. For your safety." Keith couldn't tell Queenie who Nox really was."Nono did?" Queenie was surprised."Yes, milady."Queenie felt warm inside. "He's being overprotective. Riverton is a safe place.""No such thing as too much safety. Besides, you two are getting married soon." Keith smiled."I see. Don't just stand there. Come in and have some tea," invited Queenie."It's alright, milady. We're fine just standing here," said Keith.Queenie couldn't force them to come inside if they didn't want to. She said, "Call me if you need anything.""Sure thing. Thanks, milady."Queenie went back inside. With Keith protecting Queenie, Nox could feel at ease.The next day, Queenie was going to pick out her gown, and Yvette needed to go with her. The moment they came out, Keith showed up. "Heading out, milady?"Queenie beamed. "Yep. Pick
Keith didn't need a degree to know this man was an enemy. He kept going forward and stopped when he was about a few yards away from Michael. Then he stared at the enemy."Are you waiting for me?" Keith asked.Slowly, Michael opened his eyes. "Yes. They call you the Butcher. The Supreme Tiger. I'd like to see if the rumors are true." Michael unsheathed his saber. It was about five foot eight, and the air itself turned chilly and biting in the presence of the weapon.Keith looked at the saber and sneered. "Very well. A duel it is." He roared and charged at Michael like the wind.Michael swung his saber, and a lethal air current crashed forward like waves. Keith's fists clashed with the attack, and thunder boomed.At the same time, back at the bridal shop, a gust of wind charged forth. The team members noticed what was coming, and one shouted, "Look out!" He dodged out of the way and saw a pebble the size of his finger zooming through the air.The team members were solemn. "There! A
The murder in Aphrodite's eyes was intensifying. At the same time, a dagger slid down her sleeve.Bloodstalker. That was the name of Aphrodite's trusty dagger. It was a stone-cold killer. Once someone was stabbed, they would be drained of their blood in less than sixty seconds.'Kill her. Kill her!' Aphrodite slowly closed in on Queenie, but before she could strike, the doorbell rang, and the door swung open.An unkempt, grimy beggar came in. "Please, may I have some food?" The beggar looked no older than eight. He was barefoot, and holding a bowl, he started begging for some food. There was some money in his bowl.The staff members looked disgusted. "Get out, get out!" a portly retail assistant screeched. "You can't come in here. You'll ruin our business!"Scared, the young beggar shrank, but he said, "Please, I just need some food.""No food for you! Get out, or I'll make you!" The portly retail assistant raised her hand, and the beggar ran away."A moment," Queenie blurted.
A car was speeding down the road. Running too fast after his theft, the beggar didn't notice the oncoming vehicle until it was too late.The young beggar stood petrified, but before the car could hit him, someone charged ahead and pulled him into their arms."Look out!" Queenie shouted."Queenie!""No!"Yvette and the retail assistant went limp with fear at the sight of Queenie risking her life. The car's tires screeched, but just when everyone thought the vehicle would crash into Queenie and the boy, it stopped in time, though only barely.The driver got out of his car and started cursing.Yvette quickly checked on Queenie, her voice cracking, "Queenie, are you alright?"The retail assistant rushed over to Queenie and asked if she was okay. Queenie was holding the boy. She didn't seem resentful. Instead, she consoled the crying boy."It's alright now.""Why'd you risk your life for someone like him, lady? He stole your money." The retail assistant was confused."Yeah, Queen
"If the driver hadn't stopped in time, you could've been killed. Why would you risk your life for someone who stole your money?" Aphrodite asked.Queenie mused for a moment. "I know he did, but he had no choice. He's still young, and there's a future ahead of him. If he has no one to guide him, he might take the wrong path. If one little deed on my part can change his life, why not?"She continued, "He's just a boy. You'd do the same." She looked at Aphrodite.Aphrodite's heart skipped a beat. 'Will I really do the same?' she thought. 'Of course not. I'm the lady of the Mousse family and the new lord of Faeast. I can't risk my life for a mere beggar.'She slowly raised her head and looked at Queenie. A weird smile curled her lips. "I can see why he likes you.""Sorry?" Queenie had no idea what Aphrodite was saying.Aphrodite didn't explain, though she smiled bitterly. She waved at Queenie. "It's your lucky day. You can live, but your luck will run out."She left, and Queenie sti
Nothing was left standing after that attack. Keith blocked it, however. When the dust settled, he glared ahead, but Michael was long gone."Don't run, you coward! Come back and fight!" Keith roared, his fists clenched, but his enemy was nowhere to be found.Staring at the empty street, Keith was then reminded of Queenie. "Shit. Please let her be fine." Keith charged back to the bridal shop and saw Queenie and Yvette. He heaved a sigh of relief, for Queenie seemed to be safe.Keith ran up to Queenie. "Milady, are you alright?""Yeah, what's wrong?" Queenie had no idea she had just narrowly escaped death."Nothing," said Keith. "And where's the bastards?" Keith looked around, but his team members were nowhere to be found. "Um, done shopping? You should get back home now," he suggested. He didn't want any more mishaps to happen.Queenie had nothing more to do. "Sure, can do." She and Yvette left.Keith saw the ladies off, then took out his walkie-talkie to find his team. He searche
The woman was Aphrodite, of course. She pulled her hair back. "Because I don't feel like it anymore.""Why, milord?" Houston was confused. Aphrodite set this whole assassination scene up so she could kill Queenie and break Nox's heart. Yet, in the end, she held back."Nothing. I just think she's interesting. Besides, if I do kill her, it'll mean I'm jealous of her. That she's better than me."Houston paused, then said, "Yes, of course. You're leagues better than maggots like her, milord."Aphrodite sneered. "I won't kill her, but I can make her suffer. Sometimes losing someone isn't the worst pain; watching them waste away helplessly is." She laughed venomously and stood up."Lonewolf."Michael had been standing silently all this time. He said, "Yes.""Tell the Curseland Demons that they're up," said Aphrodite shrilly."Understood," answered Michael."I'll put her through a living hell this time, and Nox will suffer! He'll watch while the woman he loves wastes away!" Aphrodite
"His skill with the saber is incredible, and he's cruel in battle. Every time he swings his weapon, it's like he's one with it. The bastard's the strongest guy I've met in recent years," said Keith. He was reminded of the battle again.Nox narrowed his eyes. A moment later, he blurted, "He could be a Lonewolf.""Wait. The same family famous for their skill with a saber?"Nox nodded solemnly. "Yes. That's the only family with saber users, at least on Rank Nine Greater Grandmaster. Their signature move, the Heartrender, is a cruel and powerful technique."Keith's eyes went wide. "No. You have cut them all down for their treason. Felix Lonewolf, their family head, took his own life before your very eyes. There can't be any survivors left."The Lonewolfs were one of Faeast's ancient families, but they worked with Eastsun and stole Faeast information in a bid to gain strength.Nox found out eventually, and he barged into their family grave alone. There, he killed ten of their stronges
Queenie didn't care about the big picture. She would do whatever Nox told her to. Flames burned her again, and the fires of a phoenix covered the mountain, suppressing Flame Emperor once more, stopping his release."You are my clan's emblem, phoenix! Why are you doing Greenshade's bidding?" Flame Emperor was furious. At his core, he was as short-tempered as the empress.The empress saw what was going on, and she mocked, "Seventy thousand years, and you are at the mercy of the new Sovereign! Not even your phoenix listens to you now!"Nox's astral form descended and stood before the empress. The bloodlust he radiated made her shake. "You're killing me? Can you really do that? My life is tied to Celestial Domain. Even if it is destroyed, I will not be harmed, but if I die, Celestial Domain will fall. Kirin and Aphrodite will die as well."One is the smartest mortal I've seen all my life. The other is the only cultivator who managed to merge with a sacred beast completely. My life for
For Nox, she could give up everything, even her life. This pain was nothing. "The man I love is a hero. Someone who can stand tall and proud. But even if he's no lord or Sovereign, I love him all the same. Not even death can douse the fires of my love."The pain heightened to its peak, and the flames were now a tribulation. They flew into Queenie's soul. At the same time, a blinding crimson light shone from Queenie's body. The light came from her chest."What?" The empress was trying to kill Dominic, but she sensed something terrible going on, and she froze. "She's my lost heart? Why? Seventy thousand years, and this is what I get?" She was losing it. Her determination was crumbling.Dominic laughed. "You know why? Because you're trying to take over as Heavenly Dao, and it will fight back, hard. Nothing good will come for you! To cultivate means to do good and stay just. Evil will never triumph, and you will die!" His laughter turned into a cackle.No one saw this coming. Who'd hav
"Worry not, Queenie. As long as the phoenix's heart is not destroyed, she will be reborn in flames. Every time a phoenix is reborn, they will gain greater heights." said Flame Emperor.'Yes, that's the legend of the phoenix.' Queenie was once again in awe of nature's magic. 'So Faeast's legends are true. Phoenixes are immortal!'"So where's the heart?" Queenie quickly asked. If she could find it and help Flame Emperor get out of his prison, he and Nox could kill the empress."Silly girl. It's right here. You are the missing heart."Queenie's mind buzzed, and she froze. 'I am the phoenix's heart? Wait, so who or what am I, really?'"That witch enslaved the phoenix's body, but she could never control her heart. No one can. The legends of a phoenix's immortality are not entirely true. Every time they are reborn, they will have died once. The new phoenix will inherit their predecessor's power, but they cannot represent their predecessor."Just like reincarnation, once someone goes in
Queenie did as she was told and flew into the mountain. She was met with a gigantic furnace, and Flame Emperor was trapped within, suffering the burn. His astral form was extremely weakened."Look closely. This is not your usual fire. It's making me into an elixir, slowly refining my providence and funneling it into the coffin. The coffin's connected to Celestial Domain, and that place transfers my providence to the witch. She wishes to use my providence to gain greater heights."The empress is now a Five-ring Minor Saint. One step, and she'll be a Great Saint," explained Flame Emperor."She's using Nox to become a Great Saint?" Queenie asked."Exactly. If Nox relents and sacrifices himself for her, she can absorb his providence and become a Great Saint. The moment she does, she will activate Celestial Burtial and absorb the providence of all civilizations around the world. She wants to sacrifice the whole world for her own success."Queenie had her answers, but what confused her
Dominic was fighting with his life, buying time for Queenie. Suddenly, the empress' eye power weakened, and it couldn't even fight Dominic's will-of-the-sword. "What is this? What's Nox doing?"Dominic's will-of-the-sword noticed the scent of death coming from Nox. This mustn't happen. Nothing must happen to Nox, or his sacrifice would've been for nothing. "Stand up, Nox! You're not giving up here!" Dominic called out to Nox with his will-of-the-sword. As a fellow swordsman, Nox noticed the call."I want you to live Nox. I don't want you to die with me. I know this is all fake, but I just want to confirm what my father told me before. If someone's dying here, it's me!" Nineve lunged at Nox and held him tightly."Very well, then we're killing our way out of here!"Nineve nodded. Nox used his eye power to break the formation by force. With will-of-the-sword, he carved a path out of the formation. At the same time Nox and Nineve ran for their lives, Queenie was making her way to the m
"Nineve, Queenie is at risk right now! If I don't stop the empress, she will use her spell to control the whole world! Faeast will be gone! We will never rise again!" Nox said solemnly. He was worried this might happen. He wasn't scared of any illusion, but the rules would change if Nineve was in the picture.Her wish would affect Nox. When Nox brought Queenie up, she cried. "So you care about her the most. Go to her, then! No one loves me! I deserve this! I did this to myself! I should've given up everything to save you! I don't care about anything now. I just want to stay right here and be with my father!"Nineve had given up, and Nox wanted to scream. He wasn't sure how he should explain it to Nineve. Love needed no explanation, however."What do I do, Your Majesty?? I can't give her up for Nineve, and I can't give up Nineve for her. I can't make a choice." Nox was in a dilemma. No matter the decision, he would regret it. From a big picture perspective, he should save Queenie. Ho
Dominic's energy formed a barrier, and his sword merged with his astral form. This was a true fusion between man and sword."Do you want to die that much, old man? It's not too late to back out. I can set up an exit, and your astral form can leave. Refuse, and I will snuff you out." The empress' face contorted. She was a demoness, and not an ounce of her beauty was left on her face.Dominic laughed. "Death does not scare me. It is not the end. Glory is what I seek. Generations to come will know me as a saintly swordsman, but none will remember even your name. You failed even after seventy thousand years. You will not get what you want! Give up on your delusions and accept reality!"There was a hint of death wish in Dominic's will-of-the-sword. Should he die in this battle, his name would be known throughout Faeast. He wasn't scared at all."Damn you. I will kill you! None of your faction will live!" The empress' third eye was bloodshot, and then the crimson strings came crawling ou
Aphrodite didn't react much. She said, "If she kills you, it's a good thing. Proves that you're a capable person. It's easy to kill someone. Not so much when it comes to controlling the heart. She doesn't have the power to control your soul just yet.""What the hell are you talking about? Same difference. Just tell me what I should do now. My sacred beasts are running out of energy. I can't ask them to put their lives on the line. They're practically an endangered species! They mustn't die!" Kirin had no choice but to call back the sacred beasts that'd exhausted their energy and dispel them.The Generals weren't sacred beasts, but they were Kirin's friends. He couldn't watch them die here."Oh, pipe down. There's nothing to worry about." Aphrodite snorted."So you have a plan?" Kirin thought they had hope, seeing that Aphrodite was so calm."No. I did everything I could. Everything is in fate's hands now," said Aphrodite."Dammit! What do you mean you did everything you could? I
"We're out." Dominic and Queenie were back in the real world. He saw the demonic mountain and the desolate world around him, and he wondered if this was another formation."We're out, master. This is the real world. Nono said Flame Emperor's trapped under the mountain," said Queenie solemnly."No, it's not the mountain that has him trapped; it's the empress." Dominic gasped. "No, that's not right. She doesn't have the right or authority to do that." He frowned. "And where's Nox?" he asked curiously. He only got out thanks to Nox's guidance, but the guy was nowhere to be found.Nox and Nineve fell into another illusion formation, and this time, they were transported back to Imperia. The formation carved out the whole city, and Nox was surprised it managed that. Nineve's head was spinning. She grabbed Nox's arm and wouldn't stop talking."Are we back in Imperia? You killed that bitch, Nox?"Nox was speechless. "No, we're in another illusion. Dammit, this can't trap me, but figuring