At the Cadens… An elderly man and a young lady were playing chess. The elderly man, who looked to be in his 60s, wore a suit. The young lady looked like she was in her 20s. She wore a white dress and her head was adorned in a white tiara. Her smooth and fair skin contributed to the elegance of her fine facial features. It was almost as if she were an exquisitely carved statue of an immortal fairy that had been given life. “A lot happened last night.” The elderly man spoke in an off-hand tone as he contemplated his next move. “Mhm.” The young lady in white replied him quietly, “The Emperor, the head of the five commanders-in-chief was executed using the Blade of Justice and the one who carried out that judgement...” The young lady glanced at the elderly man. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she continued, “The one that carried out his judgement was James, the grandson of Thomas Caden.” “The Johnstons called me a moment ago. They informed me that they had capt
”Everything is unfolding just as we’d predicted. Our original plan was to manipulate James into killing the Emperor in order to pit two of the Ancient Four against each other. However, now, something’s thrown a wrench in our plans, and that something is the God-King Palace. I’m concerned that we’ve fallen into the God-King Palace’s trap. Their objective could be to make us turn on each other as they reap the benefits of the potential fallout.”Mr. Lee was concerned about the unexpected developments. Everything had been under his control. With the sudden appearance of the God-King Palace, he was no longer able to predict the outcome of this situation. The King posed his question, “Should we save James then? He’s a righteous man who’s willing to fight tooth and nail for his nation. If we allow the Johnstons to kill him, we’ll lose one of our strongest assets.” Mr. Lee shook his head in disappointment. “No, we shouldn’t. In fact, we can’t. The only ones who can save James now are
When she heard that James had been captured, Thea’s heart sank in her chest. She turned to Thomas, pleading with him for his help. Thomas sat on the sofa and rubbed his chin. He was deep in contemplation. After a while, he looked up again at Thea. Thea felt a shiver go down her spine as she was stared at by Thomas. Wearing a distrustful expression, Thea asked, “Wh-What are you looking at me for?” Thomas smiled slyly. “I have a plan.” “Huh? What plan?” “Give me a minute, please.” Thomas got up and left the room. Thea sat down on the sofa and waited patiently. After half an hour, Thomas returned with a human mask in his hand. “Come here, please.” Thea walked over to Thomas and looked at him apprehensively. Thomas swiftly attached the human mask to Thea’s face. Thea’s appearance suddenly changed drastically. When she stared at her reflection in a nearby mirror, Thea could see that her face had completely changed. However, Her facial features were just as refined as b
James was currently in an extremely feeble state. His injuries from Rain’s brutal attack were left untreated and he also had not eaten anything in an entire day. James lay on the ground weakly and looked at the Johnstons standing before him. He had no idea what they were planning to do. “Patriarch, it’s almost nine o’clock. There’s still no sign of the Cadens. Have they given up on James?” An important figure of the Johnstons voiced his question. Hades was sitting on a red wooden chair. Lifting his hand to look at his watch, he said, “What’s the hurry? Let’s wait a little while longer. If no one comes for him by midnight, we’ll just kill him.” “I sure hope that no one comes,” Kennedy said ominously as he scanned his surroundings. He knew that if the Cadens came for James, it would mean that they were somehow affiliated with the God-King Palace, and that James was acting on their behalf. Moreover, it would also mean that the Cadens had started moving against the rest of the An
The Four Great Protectors of the God-King Palace clashed head-on against the Johnstons’ disciples. The Four Great Protectors were sent flying by the shockwave of the collision. After landing on the ground, they hurriedly took a few steps back. Meanwhile, Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning stood as if they were entirely unaffected. It was apparent that the Four Great Protectors were the weaker of the two parties. Thea narrowed her eyes. “Shall I interpret this as the Johnstons openly antagonizing the Cadens? If so, I’ll report this to my grandfather.” Wearing an unpleasant expression, Hades looked right at her. “Surely you jest, Ms. Maxine. For thousands of years, the Ancient Four have co-existed peacefully, and the Johnstons have always taken the teachings of our ancestors to heart. The same cannot be said of the Cadens, however. Not only did you create the God-King Palace, but you even killed a member of the Johnstons in cold blood. Do you truly wish to pick a fight against
After entering the library, he rummaged through the shelves. However, he could not find what he was looking for. “Where is it?” He murmured. Standing in the middle of the library, he scanned his surroundings. Then, he noticed a straw mat. He walked over to the mat and sat down on it. Focusing his gaze in front of him, he looked straight ahead. As if he had suddenly realized something, he immediately sprang to his feet and walked toward the shelf in front of him. Once he stood in front of the shelf, he looked at the ground. Sure enough, there were traces of the shelf being moved. He gently pushed the shelf. With an almost inaudible click, a secret door revealed itself. The man’s lips curled in delight. He briskly walked over to the door and opened it. There was a black box behind the door. Upon opening the box, he found an ancient scroll within. A painting of a bamboo grove was revealed when he unfurled the scroll. “The Moonlit Bamboos on Cliffside’s Edge…” The man
In the Cadens’ courtyard… A group of people scrutinized an unconscious James. Tobias furrowed his brows and asked, “Who sent him here?” The guard said, “They were wearing a mask, so we couldn’t see their faces clearly. After leaving James in front of the gate, they simply left without a word.” At that moment, Maxine exclaimed in an alarmed voice, “Grandpa, I’ve just received news that the Johnstons are claiming that I went to the Johnstons’ headquarters along with men from the God-King Palace and took James away.” Tobias hissed in irritation, “Looks like someone is trying to pin this incident on the Cadens.” Maxine asked, “What should we do then? Should we save James?” A conflicted look formed on Tobias’ face. Then he responded flatly, “Although he’s no longer a Caden since his grandfather betrayed the family, the fact remains that Caden blood still runs through his veins. In any case, we should take him in for now.” A few guards walked over to James and carried him int
The events at the Johnstons had also reached the ears of Mr. Gabriel. Mr. Gabriel now knew with surety the God-King Palace was affiliated with the Cadens and that Maxine Caden was the one who demanded James’ release. Mr. Gabriel had a similar plan to Mr. Lee’s. He also planned to visit the Cadens and discern Tobias Caden’s thoughts on the recent events. At the Cadens… Tobias had left the room after using his True Energy to treat James’ injuries. Not long after, James slowly regained consciousness. The moment he woke up, all he could feel was excruciating pain throughout his body. He felt as if his heart had been pierced by a thousand swords. James’ face was twisted into an agonized grimace as he tried to bear the pain. To make matters worse, the Gu venom within his body was actively moving around. He was keenly able to feel the sensation of numerous bugs squirming around his body and slowly eating away at him from the inside. “Argh…” His body throbbed and his skin b
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