Hogs was pacing around in his room, waiting anxiously for Queenie and her parents' return.Jezebiah said, "Don't worry, Dad. She'll come back."Hogs harrumphed and snatched up a cigarette. He inhaled deeply. "It's odd. They want to buy our company, so why do they ask Queenie to be the one to sign? I don't understand.""Me neither," Jezebiah said. "By all accounts, that girl shouldn't even have the opportunity to get in touch with Alexander. She even made up a lie about that bastard being Alexander's godson.""True, but why did Empire Corp come for her twice, then?"Jezebiah rubbed his chin. "Maybe Alexander took a liking to her, Dad."That thought was ludicrous. "He's taken a liking to her?" Hogs was stunned."Yeah. I've heard some stories. Rich guys love pretty and innocent girls. Especially naive ladies like Queenie. And she's a virgin, too."Hogs' eyes shone. "You have a point. No, wait, that must be it.""Her personality is rotten, but she's a top-tier beauty. I bet Alexan
The Empire Corp's team came in the afternoon. Ferguson was in the lead as usual, and he was followed by Mr. Larson and a team of eight bodyguards.Hogs led his family to welcome Ferguson. Queenie was tailing along. When Ferguson saw her, he smiled. "Ms. Sanders, we meet again."Queenie thought Ferguson was a nice person. She smiled. "Hello, sir."Fearing any sudden change, Hogs quickly said, "Mr. Laws, now that my niece is here, can we proceed with the signing of the contract?"Ferguson nodded. "Naturally." He beckoned at Mr. Larson.Mr. Larson came up to Queenie, bearing the purchase contract. He handed a pen to her. "Sign here, and the contract will come into effect immediately."Queenie took the pen and went through the contract.Hogs urged, "What are you waiting for? Just sign it."Jezebiah's eyes were shining with passion. Queenie's parents were staring at their daughter. Fifteen million for a dying company was something they never thought was possible, but here it was.A
Queenie froze. "There's more?" She wondered what it could be.The Sanderses were terrified. They thought the Empire Corp would go back on their word.Mr. Larson smiled. "This is a takeover contract. Sign it, and you'll be the boss of Sanders Pharmaceuticals."Everyone inhaled sharply. Jezebiah, Hogs, and Queenie's parents were petrified. Even Queenie thought she was hearing things. "I beg your pardon?""Sign it, and you'll be taking over Sanders Pharmaceuticals.""I'm going to do what?" Queenie was close to screaming.Mr. Larson was still smiling. "You'll do exactly what you heard. Mr. Weeks' orders. This purchase is done for your sake. Of course, you'll be handling the company."Hogs, Jezebiah, and Queenie's parents exclaimed. 'What? The Empire Corp is handing over the company to Queenie?' they screamed in their minds.Queenie got the gist of it, and her eyes went wide. "You bought the company just to give it to me?""Yes, it is as you say, Ms. Sanders," Mr. Larson answered.
"Don't just stand there, girl. Sign the papers and thank them!" George gushed. He could feel his heart beating so fast that it could leap out of his chest.Even Yvette said, "Sign the papers, Queenie. Sign them."Jezebiah and Hogs were jealous. They did not expect the Empire Corp to pull this move. Queenie, however, did not sign right away.She held the pen dumbly, staring at the papers before her. Everything felt so unreal, as if it was a dream. Queenie had no idea what to do.Her parents were starting to get fidgety over her indecisive attitude. What they wouldn't give to take her place and sign the papers for her.If the contract went through, they'd get their company back just like that, and they would get Empire Corp's backing, too. Anyone else would've signed the papers right away.Everyone was waiting with bated breath, but Queenie turned her eyes to Nox. "Nono." She had no idea why she would think of him right now.Nox approached her.Queenie blurted, "Should I sign the
They did make a small fortune from the deal, but it was nothing compared to the partnership with Empire Corp and the absolute fortune of a starting fund. Jealousy would bring them nowhere, however. Queenie was the owner of the company now, not them."Congratulations, George. Your daughter got herself a great connection. The richest man in Riverton, no less." It was a lie. Hogs was filled to the brim with dismay and hatred.George knew very well the congratulatory remark was fake. "You can save the congratulatory remarks. I just want our company to get back on its feet." He then turned to Yvette. "Where's Queenie?""In her room with that guy," said Yvette."She's still with that charlatan? Really? After all that's happened? Ridiculous. We're talking to her." And George went to Queenie.…Queenie was in her exquisite room. While everyone else was over the moon, she alone looked brooding. Queenie rested her chin on her hands, staring ahead blankly. By her side were Nox and Blackshar
Once in the study, George closed the door and happily held his daughter's hand. "Queenie, take a seat. Let's have a chat."Queenie sat with her father quietly.George dragged a stool and sat with his daughter. "Tell me, Queenie. How'd you get to know Alexander?""I don't know Alexander," said Queenie honestly."You don't? That's not possible. Tell me the truth, Queenie. How'd you hook up with Empire Corp?" George didn't believe his daughter."Dad, I swear I don't have any connections with Empire Corp. And I don't know Alexander.""Really?""Yeah."Now that befuddled George. "If that's the case, why are they so generous to you? They even made you the owner of Sanders Pharmaceuticals. That company is worth tens of millions."Queenie shook her head. "To be honest, I have no idea why they're doing this."George could see Queenie wasn't lying, and he was at a loss for words. He wondered, 'They bought Sanders Pharmaceuticals at a price far beyond what the market is offering, and th
Queenie argued, "Dad, I'll say this once again. I can fall in love with whoever I want. I can date whoever I want, and it's none of your business. If you're still going to control me like you used to, Nox and I will leave this place right away."Since Queenie was starting to get mad, George had no choice but to hold it in. "Calm down, Queenie. I'm doing this for your own good."Queenie was still displeased. George added, "Fine. If you want to keep him around, keep him around. But before we find out who he really is, you're not taking this relationship any further. Understand?""Yeah, yeah.""Good."And they reached an agreement about Nox's stay."Now that you're the boss of our company, you should check things out tomorrow. We need to assuage the workers," George said.Queenie nodded. "Okay."…Nox stayed in the Sanders Residence that night. His room was near Queenie's, and Queenie had Blackshark stay with him."Just make yourself at home. I'm right next door if you need me."
When Queenie woke up the next morning, she found her room to be freezing. "It's just October. What's with the cold snap?" She flinched a little and got out of bed.The sun was glaring overhead, but for some reason, she found a layer of frost sticking to her window. "The weather's certainly going haywire," Queenie muttered, though she was unperturbed.She approached Nox's room and knocked on his door, but no one took it. A smile curled her lips. "He's sleeping well." She decided to leave Nox alone.Queenie freshened herself up and got changed. Her parents, Hogs, and Jezebiah were in the great hall, waiting for her. When she showed up, George quickly approached her."Finally awake. We've been waiting.""You could've slept in." Queenie entered the great hall."Did you forget? It's your first day taking over the company. We're taking you there to check things out."Queenie grunted."It's getting late. We should move out now," suggested George.Queenie wanted to bring Nox along, bu
Nox unleashed his divine sense, scanning the entire perimeter of Imperia. The same scene repeated itself everywhere: borders littered with unconscious civilians, numerous car crashes, and many more trapped victims in desperate need of help."It looks like we need to break this damned formation first. Ugh, what a pain. And of course, we've got to locate the core before we can dismantle it," he muttered in frustration.The Soul Maze Formation was powerful—so much so that only those in the Legend Realm could traverse it unscathed. Imperia didn't boast many cultivators at that level, and those few were already occupied along the borders, rescuing civilians.Nox focused his Divine Sense and quickly pinpointed the core of the formation within minutes."There's a Sacred Realm guardian from the path of the ancient divine stationed at the core," Nox said telepathically to Cassian. "Grandpa, you and Kirin should head there. But don't rush—leave the rest to me."Nox's caution was clear—he di
Aphrodite maintained her usual stoic demeanor, but behind the scenes, she said to White Tiger telepathically, "Being enslaved by Nox's soul technique? That's quite the excuse. Surely, you know I'm naturally immune to soul techniques?"White Tiger scoffed and shot back telepathically, "They'd have chopped you into pieces by now if I hadn't done some fast talking! Do me a favor and behave yourself for once, or I'll handle you personally before they could even get the chance."Despite his grumbling, White Tiger couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and frustration over Aphrodite's extraordinary immunity. It was said that if someone's mind was honed to an unparalleled level, they could naturally resist soul techniques. Aphrodite had truly reached such a pinnacle of intellect.Aphrodite assumed command of the Nox Army as Nox's soul technique had seemingly bound her to him. She immediately ordered them and the nearby forces to retreat, leaving only the Sword Sect of Magic Mountain behind
Kirin and White Tiger had already entered Nox's room, only to freeze at the sight of his stormy expression. Trouble was clearly brewing."Milord, what happened?" White Tiger asked cautiously, lowering his head as if trying to shrink out of sight.Could this be about them swindling Aphrodite? But they had lost everything all night long—wasn't that punishment enough?Nox announced, "Imperia has gone dark. I can't reach Azure Dragon or the others. White Tiger, contact the military zone immediately and arrange for a military aircraft. I need to leave for Imperia right now!"White Tiger instantly tensed at the news. Imperia suddenly going dark, combined with Cassian's imminent return to reunite with Penelope, felt too coincidental. Could someone be targeting the Greenshade family?"Damn those scoundrels! Understood, milord. I'll get everything ready!"He rushed off to make the arrangements.Meanwhile, Aphrodite's telepathic voice reached Nox. "Stay calm. It's not as dire as it seems.
Nox felt choked by the sheer emotion he was feeling. Sometimes, even a thousand promises couldn't compare to the simple vow of staying together in life and death."Don't worry. There's no one in this world capable of killing me," he reassured her with a smile. All the talk about ruling the Nine States and Five Domains or becoming the emperor of the world paled in comparison to having the one he loved by his side.The destroyer ship made its way back to Faeast's inner harbor. Nineve eagerly led the group to the largest shopping mall in the area as soon as they disembarked.The marines quickly found themselves acting as her personal attendants, lugging bags upon bags of purchases. The spree lasted the entire day, only stopping when the mall finally closed for the night.Later that evening, Nox was watching a live news broadcast in the hotel.The screen showed an official spokesperson from Faeast addressing the issue of piracy on the high seas. The statement carefully emphasized the
As the Temple Lord of the Beast Temple, Kirin was none other than the auspicious beast Kirin itself.On the other hand, Mufasa, while known as the temple's guardian, was, in cruder terms, little more than a servant to the golden lion. His master, the golden lion, paled in comparison to the Kirin in both cultivation level and bloodline.Simply put, if the golden lion were present, it would have to kneel before Kirin."What now? Why'd you drag me out? Couldn't you deal with it yourself? You're so annoying! I was just having a great chat with my students," Kirin grumbled, clearly irritated.However, he immediately shut his gob after receiving a hard whack on the head from Nox."I called you out to ask if you could gather the beasts of the Beast Temple. Tell them to withdraw from Mystia and return to Faeast for the time being. I foresee a war with the path of the martial brewing soon, and I'll need a fully armed force of sacred beasts," Nox said, his piercing gaze fixed on Kirin."Ca
Faeast's rise was inevitable. This belief was absolute and unshakable!At that moment, Aphrodite came to a realization that so long as she and Nox had no romantic ties, their hearts could truly be in sync.Love brought complications such as resentment and division. But without personal emotions clouding their judgment, everything they did would be for the nation alone. Take this moment, for example. The intricate trap she had laid was no longer just a scheme. Rather, it had become a necessary move to safeguard Faeast. By nightfall, the destroyer arrived at the island where Voltaic resided. Before the ship even came to a stop, Voltaic stepped onto the water, striding across the waves with Mufasa by his side. With effortless grace, he leaped onto the bow, landing before Nox on the deck. "You old bastard, what's your deal? When I tried reaching out before, you acted like you were deaf. Now that I've shown up, you're all smiles and warm welcomes? What's that supposed to mean?" No
Just then, several pirate ships appeared on the horizon. They were from Capwave Island. Now, Nox had every reason to suspect that these pirates were nothing more than pawns, a smokescreen used by the elites of the island nations to cover their tracks. "Milord, those guys have their eyes on us. What's the call?" the captain asked. "My rule is simple. If they make a move, fire. Wipe them out. But you're the captain, so I'll leave the decision to you," Nox said. The university students onboard were all fired up, ready to take action without a second thought. The captain, mindful of the number of civilians on board, decided to attempt communication first. He picked up the radio to send a warning to the pirates.The deafening roar of jet engines ripped through the sky. A sudden transmission cut into their frequency. The voice on the radio was firm and unmistakable. "This is the Faeast Air Force. We have orders to escort your vessel. Stand by." Above them, fighter jets h
Nox first checked on Cassian. After realizing he was fine and had only collapsed out of exhaustion and loss of life essence, Nox turned to lead a group of men toward the port. The mystical artifact sealing off the island had been retrieved. The isolated island would finally see the light of day once more! Nox had just arrived at the port when he was surrounded by a pack of students. Somehow, they found out their savior was Lord Nox of Faeast. They were all insistent on meeting him. "We just knew Faeast would save us!""Our savior is actually Lord Nox! We will surely study hard to repay Faeast!"They were young and impulsive. In their eyes, Nox was sent to rescue them as Faeast knew they were in danger. Hence, they were overwhelmed with emotions. Nox stared at them with a guilty look in his eyes. He had not even known they were kidnapped. Due to that guilt, he agreed to take a group photo with the students even though he disliked appearing before the public eye. The enti
"Zeller, you'll be brought to justice!"With a twist of his fingers, thousands of swords appeared out of thin air and swung at Zeller.Without any techniques he could use, Zeller had to risk his life to block and dodge every blow sent his way. However, his body gave up after a few hundred strikes, and his body was torn apart.Shaken to his very core, Zeller tried to make a retreat."Where are you going? Quintuple Lightning, awaken the divine tempest!"As deafening thunder roared through the sky, countless bolts of lightning struck down at Zeller's dark spirit, killing him.One of the best evil cultivators died just like that.His death also sounded the death knell for the Celestial Ordinance's Abode that had been causing chaos in Faeast for centuries.The Marine Corps gazed at Nox with passionate excitement in their eyes.This was their lord, someone who was stronger than Cassian!Nox turned around to find the remaining elites crying in despair. Some of them had already lost