While the clans were wallowing in their shock, Tristan was staring at Augustus with admiration. "So that's the young marquis.""What does young marquis mean, sir?" Faye asked.Tristan took a deep breath. "That title was bequeathed upon him by the emperor. It is on par with the lord's glory. Some say the young marquis carries the fate and future of this nation within his body, and he might be Lord Nox's successor."The news struck shock into Faye's heart, and her eyes went wide. "What? He's that strong?""Of course!" Draco laughed. "Tristan is dead on, but he might have missed something!" he said from his tank.Tristan quickly said, "Please, tell me more."Draco looked at Augustus proudly. "They know him as the Southkings' top genius swordsman and the young marquis, but none know that he's been joining us on dangerous missions since he was nine."Tristan couldn't believe this. "Nine?"Draco looked at the lad. "He was just a brat back in the day, but it was thanks to the lord tha
The Legend Realms covered themselves with their energy as well, getting ready to take Augustus' attack. Even Stephen whipped out a black spear. Made of black iron, this spear was his signature weapon.The air around the spear was filled with ferocity. Powerful sword energy came from Augustus. Just when he was about to attack, the one on the roof of the manor's highest building muttered, "All here, then? Time to make an entrance."Nox's eyes snapped open, and golden light shot out of them. He leaped into the air. He didn't show himself before this because he knew his friends would come once they knew the Shadow Division was in trouble.Now that they'd all shown up, it was time for him to make an entrance."Your path of the sword has gotten stronger, little one," a voice came from the darkness.Augustus and everyone heard that.Though the voice was calm, they felt their minds thundering, and their blood roared. Even the Legend Realms felt great pressure coming down on them. It was
Everyone shed their pretenses, for Nox had made his official return. When these people called out to their lord, Stephen felt his face twitch. Even the Legend Realms had the same response. "The lord?""Why do they call that guy the lord?""What's going on?"The military, Shadow Sect, and the clans had the same question.After Nox made his appearance, he smiled at everyone. "Good, you're all here."Excited, Tristan said, "We will not let anything stop us from offering our services to you, milord."Selina looked at Nox lovingly. "I've told you, Mr. Greenshade, no matter what happens, say the word, and I'll come to your aid."When he saw Nox, Draco leaped off the tank. He gushed, "I apologize, milord. I have failed the Shadow Division. The siege on them is my fault."Nox waved him down. "It is not your fault. The people think I'm dead, after all." He slowly turned to Bear. "Come here, Bear.""Okay." Bear trotted up to Nox."Know why I only show up now? Because I was waiting for
'Lord Nox is still alive?'When Nox confirmed that news, all the invaders were flabbergasted. They couldn't believe that the legend who defeated the ten nations and made them surrender their land in exchange for peace was still alive.Lord Nox was called the god of war by a lot of people. The nightmare of the ten nations was standing right in front of them. It explained why they felt their souls getting squeezed by this man the moment they saw him.Because he was Lord Nox himself."Dear gods, the Great Lord of Faeast is still alive?" Some of the clans' people were already trembling.Even the Legend Realms backed off in fear. Everyone thought Nox died during the battle, but now he was standing right in front of them."Now, do you know why I spared you?" Nox turned around, looking at the one-armed Stephen.Stephen's eyelid was twitching. The agony from his mutilated arm was muted by the fear in his heart. He scrambled backward, looking at Nox with an ashen look."You knew I was s
Stephen sneered. "The military, the families, the sects, and the clans combine to form the Four Great Powers. The Mousses control more than half of them. You might be invincible, but you can't change that."Nox sneered. "Is that so?""Of course. Ask the clans if you don't believe me." Stephen looked at the clans.Nox didn't ask. Instead, he smiled. "You're right. I am history now, but you're also wrong." He stared at Stephen.Stephen stepped back instinctively. "And where did I go wrong?""Five years ago, I crushed all these factions with my sheer strength alone and put them in their place. I can do the same thing now!" The last sentence boomed, and it shook the invaders' hearts.Once again, Nox fixed his eyes on Stephen. "Time to die." Subsequently, he pointed a finger at Stephen.Stephen, feeling danger looming over him, leaped into the air and tried to flee.Alas, there was no escape from Nox. An unstoppable ray of finger blast hit Stephen's chest, and Stephen exploded into
Everyone knew how bloodthirsty the young marquis was. If Nox said the word, Augustus would kill even his own patriarch.Nox only waved the offer down. "I will clean this mess up myself." It was obvious that he wanted to do the killing himself.The clans' people turned ashen, and fear was etched on their faces. This man could defeat ten nations by himself. Without a doubt, they were terrified."Please, we're sorry. Spare us, Lord Nox. If you do, we'll swear our undying fealty!" Madam Muller was nearly prostrating herself, pleading for her life.The Grandmasters behind her pleaded as well, but Nox said coldly, "You want me to spare you? But I did so five years ago. You have squandered your chance.""Are you going to kill all three clans? The Four Great Powers have lived for generations. They, or we, are the protectors of this nation. If you kill all of us, this nation will lose a thousand years worth of martial fortune!" argued Mr. Hefferson.He was right. The Four Great Powers wer
Behind the Legend Realms were two hundred or so Grandmasters. Even Nox's allies felt their hearts shake when Nox said he would deal with all of them himself.The one-eyed man, however, sneered. "You're as proud and confident as they claim. You think you can kill all of us alone? Very well, we'll kindly accept your offer!"The clans were wary of Nox, but being able to take him on all at once would prove to be an opportunity for them. After all, they had three Legend Realms and more than two hundred Grandmasters on their side. Even if Nox wanted to crush them, he couldn't do it all at once.The Legend Realms' aura covered the manor, and the Grandmasters' energy shot up into the skies, turning the manor into a boiling-hot landscape. The energy almost burned up the sky.Even Augustus faltered a little, facing this sea of energy. "Nox, let me help you."Nox smiled and patted the lad's shoulder. "You don't have to. I'll teach you another sword seal. I call it Heaven's Demise. Watch clos
Heaven's Demise was something Nox improvised from what he learned; it was the fifth out of the eight techniques. When he still had the affliction and hadn't regained his full power, Nox couldn't use his latter techniques, but now he could.As the swords formed, Nox closed his right hand. "Heaven's Demise, come together as one!" The sea of swords converged into one gigantic sword about a hundred feet long. Even the heavens started to shake in its presence.Nox stood proud, the sword hovering over his head. "Watch closely, little one." He swung his finger down at the clans. The gigantic sword swooped down like a meteor. An incredible will-of-the-sword tore through space and hurtled down at the invaders like a waterfall.The sword crashed into the ground and left a ravine about a few hundred feet wide where the clans stood earlier. The will-of-the-sword ravaged everything in its way, including the Grandmasters and Legend Realms. None could stop Heaven's Demise.All the Grandmasters' i
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