"Why not? A lot of companies would kill just to get one of those invitation cards.""I don't want to see that old git," answered Queenie."Why? He's never treated you badly. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be Sanders Pharmaceuticals' owner." George didn't understand why his daughter was so reluctant."And they helped us out. A lot. You should thank Alexander in person, even if it's just out of courtesy."Queenie fell silent. She didn't want to see Alexander, but her father had a point. It was all thanks to Empire Corp that she could stay in the Sanders family. Besides, Queenie had to get a chance to meet Alexander and tell them they were an impossible match.Queenie took a deep breath. "Fine, you made your point. I'll join the ball and meet Alexander.""Really?" George was excited that Queenie would go."Yeah.""That's great. Alright, you have to get ready for the ball. Lighten up your skin, make yourself pretty, and get some gowns while you're at it," said George.Queenie
Nox saw Queenie off, rubbing his chin. "She's going to the ball too, which means I'll have to be extra careful so she won't find out who I am."He went back into his room. Quite a while later, Alexander called. His men would arrive at the Sanders Residence soon. Nox got changed and left for the ball.A Rolls-Royce and two black Maybachs were parked outside the house. The first thing Nox saw was Alexander standing by the car subserviently.Alexander quickly ran up to Nox. "Milord, I am here to pick you up."Nox grunted. Alexander opened the door for him, and Nox went inside the car. Alexander followed him closely. The motorcade turned around and made its way to the ball.George came out of the house and saw the motorcade leaving. His eyes went wide. 'Hey, that's the Empire Corp motorcade,' he thought. He stared into the window and saw someone familiar inside."Nox? Why is he with the Empire Corp? What's going on?" He was stupefied. "No way. I'm seeing things. There's no way Empire
"Really? That's impressive.""Of course it is. And tonight, Riverton's bluebloods are all invited to a ball held on that same ship.""Really?""Yep. Look at the row of supercars. They're owned by Riverton's rich and famous. And Riverton's viceroy will show up as well.""Awesome. That's the power of Riverton's richest man for you."The tourists watched enviously as more supercars appeared. The bluebloods of Riverton and guests of the ball were in those cars. Impeccably-dressed people eventually stepped out of the vehicles and lined up for the ball.Beauty and lust always surrounded wealth and power. Alongside the powerful people were scantily-clad women who were also attending the ball.At the same time, a Mini arrived at the car park. Queenie got out of the car. She stared at the cruise ship docked by the riverside and muttered, "So that's where the ball is held?"The resplendent, unnecessarily luxurious sight made Queenie frown. 'The rich sure know how to splurge. Holding a ba
"Damn you. It's a surprise seeing you here, but you're not escaping me this time." A venomous smile curled Silas' lips.He had nothing but hatred for Queenie. Ever since Nox brutalized him, Silas had carried a grudge, but his men were no match for Nox, so he'd been holding the grudge in and letting it fester.Now, he finally saw his chance. And then, honks ripped through the air. A trio of military Hummers were charging over to the pier.The tourists gasped."Those are Zone: Draco's cars.""Zone: Draco's soldiers are joining the ball too? Whoa."The Hummers stopped, and a dozen armed soldiers in uniform leaped out of the vehicles. And then, a lieutenant colonel came out. He was burly and tanned. His face was almost purplish-bronze.A terrifying aura swirled around him. This man was Rivera Joshton, the representative of Zone: Draco for the ball.Gold, Silas, and his bodyguards approached him. Gold, especially, was excited. "Rivera, you're finally back."Rivera called out to his
Zone: Draco was an important part of Riverton. Silas was basking in the glory, thanks to his uncle as well.But too many guests were around, so the path ahead was blocked. Silas noticed a passage on the left side of the deck, but there was a red carpet draped on the ground, and a big group of bodyguards were standing sentry.Since there was barely anyone using that passage, Silas pointed at it. "Uncle, Dad, there's too many people here. Why don't we take that passage?"Gold and Rivera looked at the passage and nodded. They were approaching the passage, but before they could use it, a few bodyguards stepped forth."Good evening. This is a special passage, and it is not open to anyone."Silas' face fell. "Who are you to get in my uncle's way? Do you know who he is? Move."Silas wanted to barge in, but the bodyguards did not budge. "Sorry, but it's Mr. Weeks' orders. No one but our VIP is allowed entrance through this passage.""You think you have the right to stop my uncle, you cu
While Queenie was seething, a yacht was quickly zooming closer to the ship. Within the yacht were Alexander and Nox."We are here, milord." Alexander waved at the bodyguards on the SS Empire.The bodyguards saw him and opened up the secret compartment. The yacht slowed down and entered the SS Empire. A while later, Alexander, Nox, and the bodyguards came up to the special passage."Milord, I must apologize. We have confirmed the identities of all the guests at this event. General Fort did not make an appearance. Instead, he sent a lieutenant general."Nox grunted, but he didn't complain. He knew Draco all too well. The man was obsessed with the military. He'd never take his precious time to join boring events like this. And then Nox followed Alexander into the fifth floor.But Nox didn't like balls like this either, so he requested to stay in his private parlor. Alexander could understand where he was coming from. "I shall stay with you, milord."Nox waved him down. "There is no
The ball was going to officially begin. Being the organizer, Alexander had to make a speech, of course. He went onstage and took the mic.With a smile, he said, "Thank you for joining this event, friends. This ball is held with the improvement of Riverton's business world in mind. It is a platform for all of you to socialize and connect. Most importantly, it's for me to express my gratitude to my king."The guests gasped. The mention of a king surprised them."Someone has Alexander's respect and gratitude? Who could it be?""Yeah. Who's important enough for Alexander to dub him king?"The guests broke out into a discussion. Even Queenie got curious."Mr. Weeks, who is this king you speak of? Can you ask him to come out here?" some rich guy suggested.Alexander waved him down. "Sorry, but my lord is in no state to see any guests." He held up a glass of champagne and loudly announced, "He is my everything. I swear my loyalty to the king for this life and forevermore! I raise a toa
Yes, it was Queenie. The attention everyone was suddenly giving her numbed Queenie. Her eyes went wide, and she was at a loss.A beautiful usher came up to Queenie, smiling. "Ms. Sanders, please go onstage.""Me? This must be a mistake." Queenie was in stunned disbelief."You jest, Ms. Sanders. You're the top guest of Mr. Weeks tonight. This is no mistake." The usher smiled.'I am his top guest?' Queenie wondered in confusion. 'But I'm supposed to just show up, talk things out with the old git, and scoot. Why is he asking me to go onstage? In front of Riverton's rich and famous, no less? And he has a present for me? What is going on?'"Ms. Sanders, please come with me," the usher said. "Mr. Weeks is waiting."Queenie snapped out of it, but she was still at a loss. Everyone was staring at her, and she panicked. Still, she was invited, so she had to go up there.Her mind still a mush, Queenie ascended the stairs. The guests were curious, wondering who this woman was. They started
Nox activated his eyes.From behind the screen came two muffled groans. The next moment, the screen shattered into splinters, revealing two Sacred Realm cultivators staggering backward under the relentless assault of Nox's powers.The pair wore golden robes adorned with intricate ancient runes, their long hair cascading over their traditional attire. Their garb unmistakably marked them as followers of the path of the ancient divine.Behind them, a woman sat poised and composed, sipping tea with an air of unbothered grace as Nox watched. Her crimson lips parted slightly as she set the teacup down, her breathtakingly beautiful face touched with an edge of sharp intensity. "Lord Nox, it's been a while," she said coolly.Nox's pupils contracted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He murmured under his breath, "What is she doing here? As far as I know, the Greenshade family hasn't crossed her path."The woman's keen hearing caught his muttering, and her expression darkened inst
Nox stepped into the Greenshade estate alone.As soon as he entered the courtyard, he spotted Atlas, the Defender Lord of the North, kneeling in the middle of the yard.The sight of him kneeling was unsettling. His face twisted in rage, his body trembling, though it was hard to tell if it was from anger or exhaustion.Nox glanced at Atlas briefly, ignoring him completely as he walked past him without a second thought."Huh? Hey! Nox! Don't you care about me at all? I've been kneeling here all night!" Atlas called out, desperate for attention.Nox smirked, clearly amused. "You're hilarious. It's not like I told you to kneel here.""What? Can you at least show some conscience? I heard your family was in trouble, so I brought the Forbidden Army here right away!" Atlas huffed, his cheeks puffed out in frustration.When Nox continued walking without responding, Atlas's face twitched in embarrassment, almost as though he might burst into tears.Just then, Nox flicked his hand, dispel
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