Novels by Lily Monroe

A tidal blaze unfurled between heaven and earth, and within the flames—“Holy Emperor…”The warriors of the Solar Kingdom froze.This moment—This was the end.Their power swelled, vast and violent.From all directions the distant onlookers—those who had kept their distance—felt their hearts lurch.The Holy Emperor had fallen.The great factions witnessing it didn’t even dare show their faces.“Kill!”“Kill that brat!”The Solar Kingdom’s elites were enraged.At once they broke into furious curses.In an instant, the crowd drowned in wrath.The strong of the Solar Kingdom were terrified.No one hesitated.All of them lunged to kill Dragon-Slayer and Anthony.“You really want to die together?”The next moment—Anthony struck once.A swath of top-tier experts exploded, their bodies smashed to pieces.Squelch!Some heads spun off into the air.Dead.The Holy Emperor had been killed.But they… were powerless.They could not keep fighting. If they did, the entire Solar Kingdom might be gro

Dragon-Slayer grunted, swallowed the pain in his seams, and rose into it, the sword-edge cutting a white arc.Beside them, Thirteen Smith muttered a curse. “Stupid kid.” The Holy Emperor only sneered, eyes full of scorn.Dragon-Slayer didn’t answer, his grip biting down. “Hnh. I’ll carve you up.”He fought with everything, every stroke meant to kill. Anthony watched, his gaze shifting—he seemed to read the intent, and held his tongue.Boom—the air rolled like a tide swallowing the field. The Holy Emperor’s rampage had passed understanding; each strike was huge and ruthless.A heartbeat later, the gale rose again. His offense poured like a rain-screen, fists and palms crossing, killing intent spearing the clouds. He was a hammer overfilled with thunderfire—blow after blow grinding down.Dragon-Slayer braced in a flash—swordlight fierce—meeting edge with edge.Boom! He staggered back several steps, heart pounding, a flicker of disbelief breaking through his eyes. Why? What in hell did h

Dragon-Slayer dropped lightly to the ground; a tap of the heel, dust settled. He raised his eyes to the figure standing high above, gaze cold, voice low but heavy enough to hold the field.Though his chest still heaved, he ground out each word: “I’m not afraid of you.”“Today, I’ll defeat you—and kill you.”“The Solar Kingdom will never be a match for Ardenia.”“Your warriors are garbage.”The Holy Emperor laughed softly, a rasp like a blade dragging over stone. “You’re sure? Sure you’re not afraid? Then today, I’ll cut you to pieces.”Dragon-Slayer stepped in instead of back, a short drive of the foot, his body tipping forward, killing intent sliding free like a naked edge. He lifted his head and met the sword-hard gaze above, unflinching.The cold in his eyes cut sharper than steel. “To me, you’re—nothing.”“Today, you die.”“I will kill you.”“You think that boy can really keep you safe?” His words fell like a war banner rammed into open ground, snapping in the gale. Wind licked hi

“Y-you—why are you this strong…”Anthony’s mouth pulled into a cold curve. “It’s not that I’m strong. It’s that you’re useless.”Before the last syllable faded, he surged upward, a raptor cutting through knives of wind and sleet, and stooped.Boom!Explosions flowered across the sky, force scattering like invisible hammers pounding the void. Killing intent poured down like a tangible blaze.He raised another fist. Before it even landed, the gale at its edge flayed the dust to air.Bang!The Holy Emperor’s chest was punched straight through. Blood burst like a flower. His armor shattered; a hideous hole tore open across his front. He was blasted backward, blood running in a steady ribbon from his lips, his eyes wide with a terror that couldn’t focus—grasping at reality’s edge and finding nothing.The rim of the armor writhed, trying to stitch itself—futile against the gaping wound.He lifted his gaze in disbelief, and for the first time, true fear flooded his eyes—the primal dread of t

He pulled a breath, dragging his sight back from the dark. He looked up into the Ardenian youth’s face—indifferent, eyes like a winter lake, unruffled.“Your strength isn’t bad,” Anthony said, mild, with a flat contempt folded into it. “Unfortunately for you, you’re facing me. Which makes everything you do useless.”He tipped his chin, the cold at his eye’s corner cutting sharper. “So this is the Solar Kingdom’s best? No more than this.”Contempt, complete and entire.“In all martial ways, speed breaks all.” He sheathed in one clean motion, his pace itself a declaration. The Holy Emperor was fast—unquestionably. But he was facing Anthony. That alone sealed his tragedy.In a handful of exchanges, Anthony had hammered the Holy Emperor’s confidence to splinters. He had never imagined the man before him could be this absurdly strong. Terror—there was no other word in the minds of those watching.To Anthony, it was nothing. His gaze stayed cold; his killing will drew tighter.The Holy Empe

The heaving air over the four quarters suddenly sank. A darkened silhouette dragged itself out of the heights of the sky, like a deeper thread of night within the night, easing toward them. It had no sound, no scent; even the grain of its aura felt sanded smooth—more secret than a ghost, like a frost-sheathed dagger settling wordlessly to the throat.A heartbeat later, a figure fell from the heights. He touched down without a sound, yet his presence tore the silence around him. It was a tyranny that needed no words; with just an inch of ground underfoot, hearts clenched.“Holy Emperor!!”“The Holy Emperor is here!”“Lord Holy Emperor, a god forever…”“Lord Holy Emperor, mighty and unyielding!”“We can kill these Ardenians now…”“We must kill them…”The boiling shouts surged like oil set alight, raising the temperature of every throat at once. The Holy Emperor revealed himself—a man in his middle years, features unassuming, but a severity honed to lethal stillness. When his gaze droppe

As they spoke, something in the catalog caught Adrian’s eye.Following his gaze, Serena Hill saw the image—a medicinal herb, by the look of it."Seven-Leaf One-Flower?"She wasn’t well-versed in traditional remedies, but the name was familiar. Seven-Leaf One-Flower—Paris polyphylla."You’re not only a physician—you know your botanicals too?"Adrian nodded. "This isn’t an ordinary herb. Its medicinal value is exceptionally high.""And this specimen is wild. Given how rare Seven-Leaf One-Flower is, finding one in the wild is pure luck. But an item like this will only electrify the medical community; it’s a different beast from the other lots."Serena nodded, satisfied. So he truly was a healer—unmoved by antiques and objets d’art, yet riveted by a single herb.In that case, they would bid on it.Adrian closed the booklet, the image of the Seven-Leaf One-Flower lingering in his mind.He hadn’t expected to find it here.The car pulled up at the entrance of the Skyline City Convention Cent

"If you’re still unsure, you can call Daisy and ask her yourself," Adrian said evenly, noting the doubt lingering in Serena Hill’s eyes.Tempted, Serena rose with her phone and stepped away to dial. A few minutes later, she returned with a gentler expression."Mr. Doyle, please treat me."Adrian smiled in understanding. "Of course. What did Daisy say?""Daisy said your medical skills are exceptional. If you say you can cure me, then you will. She told me to trust you. And…""And what?""She said next time, you might consider swearing on someone else’s name, rather than casually using hers."Serena cast him a sidelong, teasing glance.Adrian rubbed his nose, then followed her into the suite that passed for a hospital room—luxurious enough to be mistaken for a private residence."Mr. Doyle, how should I cooperate?"He swept a measured look around the room, then at Serena’s modern cheongsam."Please remove your clothes."He turned his back and took out his needle case.Serena’s condition

"It’s not that simple."Freya wasn’t trying to throw cold water on the plan. She knew Adrian well enough, but when it came to company affairs, she was always cautious."The lifeblood of any company comes down to two things: the product itself, and the sales that follow. No business escapes that."She sighed, looking increasingly troubled."No revenue means no cash flow. That’s fatal for us. Even the best product is useless without a way to sell it."Daisy agreed with Freya, though with Adrian around she was far steadier than before."Our retreat has been cut off. If we can’t sell, we’ll keep bleeding out. At this rate, we won’t last long."Adrian understood their concerns, but he wasn’t worried."By your logic, we’ve at least secured a foothold."He had absolute confidence in his formula."Fretting won’t help. Once we develop the Empress’s Rejuvenation Elixir Formula and bring it to market, it’ll cause a sensation.""I don’t believe there’s a woman alive who could resist the Empress’s

Daisy was genuinely upset. He still wore that unruffled smile—did he not grasp the gravity of any of this?“You’re up against the Skyline City Chamber of Commerce—and the Mafia!”Adrian gave a casual smile, trying to soothe her. “Don’t worry. They can’t touch me.”“If you’re that confident, then go deal with it!”She shot to her feet and stormed toward the bedroom. “Do whatever you want. I’m done caring!”Adrian stared after her, baffled. He truly had no idea why she was so angry.Tabitha Grant watched him standing there and sighed. “Aren’t you going to check on her?”He hesitated. He wanted to, but he honestly didn’t understand what he’d done wrong. “Did I say something out of line? It’s not even that big of a problem.”Tabitha had picked up on it. She didn’t want her friend’s worry to go unacknowledged.“Even if you can handle it, you need to show Daisy that you can. She has to see your capability if you want her to believe it.”“She doesn’t know your true strength—of course she’s a

Quentin Newman could no longer read Adrian at all. He only knew one thing—he didn’t want to die.“I’m Mythical Tier. If you really kill me, Lord Buddha will never let you go!”“Lord Buddha?”Adrian paused. Just as Quentin dared to hope, a sharp light flickered in Adrian’s eyes, and Quentin’s heart sank.“Is Lord Buddha formidable?”Quentin’s instincts screamed that Adrian’s line of questioning boded ill.Before he could answer, Otto Nelson’s temper snapped.“What kind of question is that? Who in Skyline City doesn’t know Lord Buddha’s name?”“Then I won’t kill you.”Every taut nerve in the room loosened at once. Thank heavens—their lives were spared.“I’ll simply defeat Lord Buddha. No need to waste time on the rest of you.”Decision made, Adrian rose without a care for the shock his words detonated around the hall.What did he just say?Defeat Lord Buddha?Quentin found his voice at last. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”Adrian looked down at him with a smile that wasn’t a

Silence, sharp as a blade.Then the air turned to ice.“Outrageous!”Murder flashed in Norman Russell’s eyes.“Enough talk. Kill him!”“Mr. Newman, we absolutely cannot let this punk walk out of here!”They’d long found Adrian an eyesore, tolerating him only for the Mafia’s future. To stand equal with the Five Tigers he did not deserve—yet he dared covet the chief’s throne?A brawl hung on a hair. Even Quentin Newman’s smile vanished, replaced by a glacial fury. His aura surged, a storm of dominance filling the hall.He slammed his teacup to the floor. In an instant, trained enforcers swarmed in from all sides.“No one refuses the Mafia.”“And yet I just did.”“Then die.”Quentin’s voice was cold as iron. His raised hand slashed down.The Five Tigers sprang forward. Otto Nelson struck first, driving a fist straight at Adrian’s face.Adrian stood with his hands clasped behind him, not even shifting. Otto’s lips curled in a sneer—until the instant his fist should have landed and Adrian v