The two waited in the courtyard for a while before a chubby man hastily came running toward them. The man appeared before James and greeted him respectfully, “You should have informed me of your arrival beforehand, Mr. Caden. And you people! How could you not invite them in after they arrived? “Please, after you, Mr. Caden,” Zaiden, the Patriarch of the Sullivans, invited James and Quincy in. After they entered, he breathed a sigh of relief. Zaiden had heard of what James was capable of, especially his fierce battle against Tobias at the Mount Thunder Sect. James had now become invincible. He could not afford to offend such a man. In the Sullivans’ foyer… Zaiden stood by the side. James looked at him and said, “Have a seat, Zaiden.” Only then did Zaiden take a seat before looking at James and asking him respectfully, “May I ask what business you have with the Sullivans?” James said smilingly, “Why? Can’t I simply pay the Sullivans a visit?” Zaiden had a rough idea o
Upon leaving, James also breathed a sigh of relief. He said while smiling, “I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly with the Sullivans.” Quincy nodded and said, “Now, only the Johnstons of the Ancient Four remain. If we can win over the Johnstons, New Era will reach even greater heights.” “I’m afraid not.” James shook his head slightly and said, “There’s bad blood between me and the Johnstons. There’s no way I can convince them. In fact, I’d be grateful if they don’t get in my way.” James had never considered allying with the Johnstons. After all, he killed the previous Emperor and Yaakov Johnston, the Patriarch of the Johnstons. Thea, too, killed Kennedy Johnston. Their grudge against the Johnstons ran too deep. Quincy asked, “What should we do next?” “I’ll find the King and meet Xavion Zachary.” “What about me?” James thought about it and said, “How about this? You should organize a gathering and invite the members of New Era Commerce. Then, I’ll show up with Xavion an
These were turbulent times in the Capital. Before, James had only targeted the military. Now, even the commercial world was involved. From today onwards, Sol would descend into disarray. Some long-established families would be toppled from power, while some emerging families would seize the opportunity and rise to power. With the upcoming coronation of the new King, they would gain tremendously from this. At that moment, in the Callahans’ residence in Cansington… All this while, the Callahans had been thriving in Cansington. With their connection with James, they immediately emerged as the rising star in Cansington. Even families from the Capital had to show their respect toward them. Meanwhile, the Callahans paid close attention to the situation in the Capital. As the Cadens and the Sullivans announced their withdrawal from Orient Commerce and joined New Era Commerce, the Callahans could no longer suppress their desire. “Father, this is the perfect opportunity.” The Callahan
Although there were many legends surrounding James lately, the King had no idea just how strong he currently was. James smiled and said, “I have reached the Sixth Stair. Becoming a ninth-rank grandmaster is just a matter of time.” Upon hearing this, Gloom, who was behind the King, exclaimed, “What? The Sixth Stair?” Since he was a martial artist, he knew exactly what those words meant. By reaching the Sixth Stair, one would have surpassed many powerful figures in the past thousand years. He could not believe his ears. He found it hard to believe that James, an ordinary man, could become such a terrifying existence in such a short period of time. This was unbelievable. How on earth did he cultivate? James smiled and said, “Can you leave this to me now?” “Yes.” After thinking for a moment, the King said, “I’ll be abdicating soon, but I still have a family to feed. I only ask that you offer me some benefits once you become the new King.” “Sure.” James smiled and said, “That’
Xavion was under house arrest as the information in his hand was closely related to the next generation of communications technology. Whoever obtained the information would gain an edge over their competitors. Although he was confined to a restricted space, his safety was guaranteed. Besides, he lived a rather comfortable life inside the villa. “This is the place.” Gloom pointed to the villa before them and said, “Xavion is isolated from the rest of the world here. Besides, he was sent here secretly by the King and has no interactions whatsoever with the outside world. Even if there’s an apocalypse outside, there’s no way he’d know.” “Mhm, I’ll go have a look.” James nodded and headed in the direction of the villa. As the villa seemed to be unguarded, he simply pushed the door open and walked right in. Upon entering the villa, the tip of a sword was immediately pressed against his. As the sword wielder moved at lightning speed, James did not manage to dodge in time. “Lege
His Six Streams Blade was invincible. Gloom was curious to see how the Yada’s Six Streams Blade compared to the Cadens’ Thirteen Heavenly Swords. He observed the situation in anticipation. James stood on a branch of a tree and looked at Legend not too far away from him. Then, he made a welcoming gesture and said, “Come on, you should strike while you have the opportunity to do so.” “Hmph! How impudent!” Though Legend had seen arrogant people before, this was the first time he met someone as haughty as James. He smiled coldly. Then, in the blink of an eye, he appeared before James and slashed with his sword. James remained there, unmoving. At the moment Legend slashed, he pulled out the Blade of Justice. In that instant, a golden light glimmered. He raised his hand and easily blocked Legend’s attack. However, as Legend’s attack carried great force, the branch James was on was shattered by the terrifying Sword Energy. In that instant, Legend disappeared only to reappear sev
Tyrus had utterly defeated James. After reflection, James realized that his level of martial arts was abysmal. Unwilling to waste his breath on this subject, he simply cut to the chase, “Where’s Xavion? I’d like to see him.” Legend pointed at the stairs and said, “He’s upstairs. Here, follow me.” Saying that, he stood up and said, “Please.” James stood up and followed him upstairs. Upon arriving on the second floor, James noticed there was much research equipment one could only find in a research laboratory. Meanwhile, a man was busy smashing his fingers on the computer. “Xavion, someone’s here to meet you,” Legend said. “Hold on a second, will you?” Xavion did not even lift his head. Legend said smilingly, “He’s been this way ever since he came here. Sometimes, he’d even skip his meals because of work.” James walked toward Xavion and had a glimpse at the monitor screen. However, as there was only unrecognizable data on it, James could not understand anything at all
Although he could not interact with the outside world without a phone, he had a computer that he used to check the news. Besides, Legend would occasionally talk to him about the events that took place in the world. He looked at James and asked, “Are you here on behalf of the nation or you as an individual?” “The nation.” James looked him in the eye and said, “If not for Sol, I’d have no interest in the technology in your hands whatsoever.” Xavion asked, “How do you plan to cooperate?” James said, “You’re both a scientist and a businessman, so you shouldn’t know much about the situation in the Capital. How about I tell you more about it?” James narrated the chain of events that unfolded─starting from Orient Commerce, which was established a century ago, to the current convoluted web of relationships. After that, he reiterated once more, “I established New Era Commerce to fight against Orient Commerce. Now, though it has reached a rather large scale, we need a commo
The sky was a brilliant blue, accented by white clouds. Vast plains stretched out with rolling peaks, rivers, and seas crisscrossing the expansive land, while an aura of Spiritual Energy permeated everything. This was a new world, brimming with life and vitality, existing independently from the myriad realms.Countless cultivation resources awaited discovery here. Unending adventures beckoned the brave, and limitless opportunities awaited those with exceptional talent.This was the new world James had created, based on the Forty-Nine Daoisms and merged with his own Daoism, to resolve the Leere Tribulation and save countless beings across the myriad realms.In this world, there was no powerful Heavenly Path, no hierarchy of races, no strict rules or oppressions, and no fate governing everything. Instead, actions were judged by karma. Fortune and misfortune, as well as success and failure, were determined by karma.Though it adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest and res
“No wonder,” Lord Goyo finally understood after an extended contemplation.He distinctly remembered that back at the Yin’s Void, Jacopo, the incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, had abruptly ordered him to move all foundations out of the Dark World. In hindsight, everything now made sense. It was likely that Jacopo had foreseen all of this.Realizing this, Lord Goyo felt a chill run down his spine as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Despite doubting Jacopo’s identity as an incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, he had followed his advice. Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.Snapping back to reality, Lord Goyo looked down at the Yang governor and Gladwin from his elevated position.“You fool, do you realize your mistake?”The Yang governor and Gladwin looked up simultaneously, their faces full of fear.“Lord Goyo, I truly didn't notice this. I had no idea when the Dark World was separated.”“Lord Goyo, there is something fishy about this. If James has
At the peak of Mount One in the myriad realms, the Yang Governor, disguised as James, descended with Gladwin. Both looked deathly pale, as if they had just escaped a life-threatening disaster. They were filled with panic.They stopped simultaneously upon arriving beneath a massive platform in a grand dojo.“We need to sort this out first,” the Yang Governor glared fiercely at Gladwin. “Who's going to explain this later, you or me?”Gladwin swallowed nervously. “Of course, it should be you.”“Why should it be me?” the Yang Governor scoffed. “Haven't you always claimed to be Lord Goyo's top confidant and meddled in our alliance's affairs? Now you're chickening out when there's a major issue?”Gladwin's face twitched. “This has nothing to do with cowardice. It's your duty as the leader of the Path Guardian Alliance.”The Yang Governor laughed in exasperation. “You've always been the one gathering intelligence across the myriad realms, boasting that you're better than Yegor from Skyn
That was the first thing he asked after surviving a monumental battle. James patted his shoulder. "The twenty thousand men…" "As long as it's broken," Wyot interjected, staring into the emptiness. "It's a pity the Dark World is gone forever."James wanted to respond, but the other survivors gathered around them. After the battle and the aid of the path source, they had ascended to Path Emperors, becoming top powerhouses in the myriad realms.James nodded, then waved his hand, summoning a path pearl that gleamed with holy light. The light and aura it radiated were enough to make any living being kneel before it.Just as James was about to act, Wyot knelt on one knee, followed by his warriors.James frowned. "Wyot, brothers, you have the right to stand…""We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!" Wyot declared loudly, clasping his fists. His warriors did the same."We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!"Their voices were unified, echo
Then, the Formation of Perception shook violently. When he snapped out of it, he realized that the twenty thousand Doom Race warriors led by Xezal had almost all perished.Among the remaining ones, three were losing their bodies. Hastily, James tossed three path sources into the formation, but it did not stop their bodies from crumbling."Move them out, quickly," urged Zella. "They're under immense pressure inside."James waved his hand and broke the Formation of Perception.Xezal and his remaining warriors—just three of them—appeared in the void. They were tattered and covered in blood. Their hair was unkempt, and they were barely recognizable. These were heroes who had experienced hell.Though wobbling, they stood in battle stances. Their valiance and undying will moved James. He turned his hand and covered them with four path sources, then told them to sit and heal."That's the Doom Race for you. The fact that they survived this titanic battle says a lot about their talent," Z
"Fourth, I have left some treasures for the Yaneiri Clan. They should be enough to establish yourselves in the new world. Fifth, do not be Deified. Never, ever do that. You must keep the Yaneiri Clan safe."Wynton's body contorted, plunging him into further pain. Cracks spread across his skin. "You owe me, James! You owe my clan!" he roared for the last time in his life before crumbling into dust.The light strips that imprisoned him shattered as well, and purple flames lunged at James' light wall, the shockwaves splintering it into fragments before rampaging toward the inconsolable Zella.James flew to Zella, scooped her up, and they took off. The shockwaves from Wynton's self-destruction rapidly spread, obliterating the surrounding formations.But that wasn't the end. Once freed, the shockwave rippled across the Dark World, annihilating everything in its path. Countless universes met their demise.Meanwhile, James protected the remaining Doom Race warriors within the formation,
Wynton was hysterical, but James merely shrugged. “Wynton, they say the last act people do before they die is to be kind. I see none of that in you, and you lost to me.”“And so what?” Wynton roared. “You’re just luckier than me, James! You have a Yin governor as your wife, and she has your back all the time! You would never have come this far otherwise!”James smiled. “Keep going.”“I know you don’t want to owe me any favors.” Wynton glared at him angrily. “You gave me three free attacks to repay me for sparing you in the River of Time.“Now, I’ve given you your children’s past selves back, and you owe me once more. You’re waiting for my terms, aren’t you?”James looked resigned.“Wrong,” Wynton sneered. “I won’t ask for any promises, nor will I give you any chance to repay this debt. Now, you shall owe me a favor you can never repay!”James sensed something was wrong and was shocked. “Wynton!”Wynton, imprisoned, began to burn, flames flickering and licking his body. He roare
"That’s…" The sight of that token filled Wynton with shock. "Y-You’re working with the Shadowborns?""Will you give it to me?" James shot him a threatening look.Wynton shivered, taking a deep breath. Then, a flash of purple light burst forth, and a brilliantly shining mirror flew out from the top of his head.James released Wynton and grabbed the mirror. It resonated with the token, and both items shone blindingly, responding to each other.'It’s true,' James thought. 'The Shadowborn token the master gave me before he left can sense the Nothingness Path Mirror. But why?' Questions swirled in his mind."That mirror will do nothing for you," Wynton said. "I can’t control it, so you can’t either. The only one who can is the Yin governor."He looked at James. "And she’s cleaved in two. Unless you can merge them together, the mirror will not work. However, with just your wife’s half-self, finding Wuia’s current and future selves will be a nigh impossible task."James tucked the mirr
James remained silent. He couldn't muster a response. Now, he finally understood why the Leere Tribulation had been orchestrated and the role his wife played in it.He had initially thought that by destroying the past version of Wuia concealed within the River of Time, he could hurt Wuia. Even if he couldn't stop the Leere Tribulation, he could at least delay it.With more time, he planned to gather additional clues and eradicate all three versions of Wuia, permanently solving the problem. However, his conversation with Wynton had changed his plans.Wynton observed James standing in silence and smirked. "Of course, there's a way to do this."James furrowed his brow.Wynton, brimming with glee, continued, "Kill your wife and the Light Heavenly Path. If they vanish entirely, Wuia will never obtain the Void Spiral. Even if the Leere Tribulation materializes and he returns, his strength will be no greater than before his reincarnation. You'll have enough power to fight him."That was