Johanna jerked her head up. True enough, she saw Queenie and Nox walking out of the eatery with Madison. Her mind was blank, and her jaw was slack. "It's that girl. She's walking with a celeb?""Holy cow, she's awesome. She knows Madison and had lunch with her? How much of a big shot is she?" Zara was gushing. People like Madison were like gods to her. The fact that her cousin walked with Madison and even had lunch with her made her proud."Oh no! Mom!" Zara shouted."What now?" Johanna quickly asked."If she's big enough to have lunch with Madison, that means the herbs she gave us must be like a million dollars or more!" Zara's eyes bulged.Johanna wanted to bang her head against a wall. 'She's right. The fact Sanders had lunch with a celeb means she's a big shot, too. And I fed the herbs to my dog!' Johanna slapped herself hard."This is all my fault! We could've been rich, but now it's all to the dogs!"Zara's heart was throbbing as well. She thought the herbs Queenie gave we
Madison followed the couple back to Blathanna Sect. The ladies caught wind of it and quickly came out for the welcoming party. Even Selina was there. Though Blathanna Sect was famous in the region, they'd never seen a celeb on Madison's level.When Nox and the ladies came out of the car, the Blathanna Sect girls started gushing with excitement."Oh my gosh, it's her! Madison!""The one who starred in A Beautiful Romance?""Yep.""Oh, she's more beautiful than she is onscreen!"Though the Blathanna Sect girls were gorgeous in their own right, Madison was on another level. Even Selina couldn't stop stealing glances."Madison, can I have your autograph?""Can we have a wefie?""Madison, we're all your fans!"Her girls were all getting crazy over Madison. Selina smiled. "Please, girls, behave yourselves. She just got here. At least let her rest.""Oh, yes, Ms. Selina's right."Nox and the ladies were approaching the entrance. He pointed at Selina. "Madison, this is Selina Hendr
Over the next two days, Madison stayed in the sect. Selina and Queenie loved her company, and they stayed with her all the time, ignoring even Nox.Nox was in the middle of making some pills when Bear came running in. "Milord, I found what you wanted me to."Nox slowly turned around. "Talk to me.""Man, I thought it was a small fry company, but it's the leader of its industry in Faeast."Nox said, "Continue.""Soundra's boss is one Titus Soundra. He's worth billions, or so they say. The guy's the leader of the industry. He has a lot of entertainment companies under his belt and invests in some of the biggest movies and productions in the nation."Bear continued, "To quote the entertainment guys, he's the emperor. He decides the fate of many celebs and directors. One order, and they'll be gone in the blink of an eye. The bastard's a big one, too. He has close relations with the bigwigs in Gungsten and the island. And he has ties to some foreign organizations.""He's rich, powerfu
When Nox was told of the matter, he flew into a rage and charged into Eastsun. There, he destroyed the patrolling ships and killed thousands of Eastsun's soldiers. At the end of the battle, he pointed his sword at Eastsun and declared, "Faeast's ships can go wherever they want. If anyone objects, I'll slay them all!"Since then, the people along the south coast worshipped him like he was a god, especially the fishermen. They loved him.The mention of that incident five years ago piqued Nox's curiosity. He asked, "Why are you bringing that up?"Bear chuckled. "Because the south coast is Madison's hometown.""Is that so?" Nox didn't know she hailed from the south coast."I did my investigation. It's true, and she was still a student back then.""Even so, why do you say she worships me?""Because it's the truth. I've looked into it. Her father is one of the fishermen the Eastsun bastards oppressed. Back then, you helped the people of the south coast and earned their respect. Since
"Can I have your autograph, Madison?""Can we take a wefie, Madison? I wanna show it to my family. It's not every day you run into a superstar.""Can I have your album, Madison?"When Madison came out of her room the next morning, the Blathanna Sect girls surrounded her, asking for autographs and photos. Since she had nothing to do, Madison only smiled and agreed to their requests.Some of the ladies started gossiping."My gosh, she's so down to earth. I thought all celebs are divas.""Yeah, she doesn't have that pompous air like so many others.""Ooh, Madison, do you have a lot of celeb suitors? You're so famous and pretty, after all. Spill some tea."Madison chuckled. "Not many, really.""You're being modest. Bet you have enough suitors to form a line by now." The girls giggled. Madison only smiled.They were right. It wasn't easy to stay away from the darkness of the entertainment industry. Lots of temptations awaited aspiring entertainers to fall prey to. Madison was diff
Madison had spent a small fortune acquiring this photo, and she took it with her everywhere she went. As she stared at the photo, her eyes twinkled with admiration. A long while later, she let out a sigh and hugged the photo tightly.No one knew that the love of her life was Lord Nox himself. She kept herself untouched all these years for the sake of him, but alas, Lord Nox had fallen.Madison's phone started beeping. She checked the notifications and saw dozens of messages from various agencies. All of them were notifying her to stop her business activities. A bitter smile curled Madison's lips."Guess Soundra Entertainment found out about the murder, but then, so what if my activities are stopped? So what if I'm no longer a star?"She glanced at the notifications one last time and put her phone aside, tossing them out of her mind. Just then, someone knocked on her door."Who's there?" Thinking it was another Blathanna Sect girl trying to get her autograph, she opened the door, b
"But then a war happened." Madison suddenly looked at Nox. "Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden, though?"A smile curled Nox's lips. "Just trying to get confirmation about something.""About what?" Madison was curious.Of course, Nox wasn't going to tell her the truth. He calmly answered, "You don't have to know. Just tell me, do you know of Lord Nox, the erstwhile Great Lord of Faeast?"The mention of that name made Madison shiver, and she looked at Nox in surprise. "Why do you want to know?"Nox looked at her, still smiling. "Nothing. Just asking. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."A moment of silence later, Madison raised her head. "I don't know him, to tell you the truth, but he's the man I worship the most.""But you have never seen him, so why do you worship him?" Nox was curious."Because he saved my folks. He saved all the people on the south coast. The people back in my hometown have a saying that goes along the lines of 'If you have sons, send th
That answered Nox's questions. 'So, she spent a small fortune to buy this photo from the photographer all because she worships me.'Madison looked at the photo. "Since then, I made sure I brought this photo with me wherever I went."Nox shook his head with a smile. 'You silly girl. The Great Lord of Faeast is right in front of you, but you have no idea, and you're overjoyed over a single photo.'He wouldn't say that out loud, of course. He looked at her, and for some reason, he felt a hint of sympathy for her.Madison blinked and asked, "Do you worship him too, sir?"Nox laughed. "I guess you could say that.""I knew it. People like you must worship Lord Nox, too. After all, you're a hero just like him."Nox burst into laughter."Sir…"Madison wanted to say something, but Nox interjected, "I'm Greenshade. Call me Greenie if you want. Spare the sir.""I see. I'll call you Greenie, then," Madison said happily."Sure."Someone's phone rang. It was Madison's, and she went to se
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