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

“Me? I’m nobody.”By now, everyone had accepted the truth: Archie Nolan had lost.Disciples from the dojo and bystanders alike found it hard to believe, but the facts were right there in front of them.Archie hissed through his teeth, wracked with pain, and the dojo’s disciples rushed to prop him up.“Mr. Nolan! I’ve already called the dojo—they won’t get away!”“We called too,” a disciple from Mitchell Dojo added. “That punk won’t sprout wings and fly off today.”Serena Hill’s earlier delight drained from her face in an instant.Both head instructors might be coming.“Adrian, go. Now!”Adrian turned and grinned, all teeth.“Two head instructors? So what. Worst case, I take them both. Don’t worry about me—go home.”“No. I’m not leaving you here.”Serena’s face was grave. The disciples had already ringed them in.“No one’s leaving until the head instructors get here!”Adrian brushed them off, found a spot, and sprawled into a seat as if he owned the place.“Beat the juniors, then beat

Adrian’s calm barely wavered, but it terrified Serena Hill.Archie Nolan wouldn’t lay a hand on her, but if Adrian fell here, how could she ever face Daisy? The guilt would follow her for life. Adrian had saved her, and now she might have dragged him to his death.“Have you truly no regard for law or consequence?”Kendall Mitchell gave a derisive laugh. “Save your breath, Miss Serena. He offended Mr. Nolan. Even if the head of your Hill family showed up, it wouldn’t change a thing.”Serena fell silent. Kendall wasn’t wrong. Even her brother couldn’t stop what was coming—he might even haul her to the Nolans to apologize.Adrian noticed her unease and patted her shoulder. “Auntie, don’t be sorry. I told you—they can’t touch me. Stand back, enjoy the show, and keep yourself safe.”“But—”She didn’t finish. Archie cut in coolly, “Miss Hill, step aside. Fists don’t have eyes, and I’d hate for you to get hurt.”At his gesture, the academy’s disciples rushed forward. Adrian pushed Serena beh

“This is your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, that thing wouldn’t be in his hands!”Archie Nolan’s sudden accusation left Kendall Mitchell stung. She’d only wanted to keep Archie from being duped by Adrian. How could she have known that herb was a treasure?“Mr. Nolan, don’t be angry. He may not sell it. When the auction’s over, we can take it back.”“An ordinary man is no match for our academy.”Archie considered it. True enough. He didn’t believe Adrian would flip it right away.“It better be.”He glared at Adrian with a murderous heat, desperate to snatch it now—and then kill the boy.“Don’t waste your breath,” Adrian said. “I’m not selling this Paris polyphylla.”A collective sigh of regret drifted through the room.But Archie calmed. If Adrian wouldn’t sell, that made things simpler.The others, however unwilling, could do nothing. A man can’t be forced to part with what he won’t sell.Serena Hill’s composure, by contrast, gave way to bright excitement. “You recognized its worth

“Yeah—and he spent a woman’s money to do it.”Kendall Mitchell chimed in at once, and Archie Nolan’s spirits lifted.“A kept, penniless brat. Trying to go toe-to-toe with me? Laughable.”Kendall nodded, letting his disdain show. “Hmph. Couldn’t even put up two million.”Serena Hill rarely cared what outsiders thought, but this was too much.“Adrian is not some pretty freeloader.”Her gaze cut coldly across Archie Nolan and Kendall Mitchell. “I promised Adrian a gift. I chose to pay for it. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”Seeing Serena angered, Archie’s tone turned instantly ingratiating. “Please don’t misunderstand, Miss Hill. I didn’t mean you. I just think this young gigolo is playing you. No herb is worth two million. And Paris polyphylla isn’t rare.”“That’s right, Miss Hill,” Kendall added, full of righteous indignation on her behalf. “It’s clearly something he wants, yet he made you foot the bill. If it were anything else, fine—but Paris polyphylla is just a weed. He’s m

On stage, a woman in classical dress carried a silver tray. A swath of red velvet draped over it, half-concealing what lay beneath.As the camera closed in, a smile slowly deepened at the corner of Adrian’s mouth. That’s it. No mistake.Down below, most of the audience wore politely indifferent expressions.They were, after all, people of means—happy to fuss over antiques and calligraphy, but a medicinal herb? Hardly worth a second glance.To them, it was just a plant.A few who knew a little more whispered among themselves.“Anything that makes it into an auction should be rare. But if I’m not mistaken, isn’t that Paris polyphylla?”“Exactly. Paris polyphylla isn’t remotely hard to come by. What’s the point of putting that up?”“The organizers must be out of their minds.”“Or drunk. Think we’re that easy to fool.”“In some places it’s everywhere. A few years back I went hiking—took a handful of steps off the path and saw one right away.”“Forget it. Let’s wait for the next lot.”Thei

On the second floor, the auction hall.After Serena and Adrian found their seats, they spotted Archie Nolan and Kendall Mitchell not far away.Adrian gave them a needling smile, then looked away, leaving the pair glowering, faces tight with resentment.Quietly, Serena said, "Aside from that herb, if anything else catches your eye, just buy it.""That would be spending your money rather recklessly."Serena only smiled. "Money is external. We don’t take it with us when we go.""When I was ill, I used to think—if I died with my accounts still full, what a waste that would be.""Now that I’m well, I intend to enjoy life properly. Money is trivial. Happiness isn’t."In her darkest moments, she had turned life and death over and over in her mind, only to find that no amount of brooding changed a thing.So why not live as comfortably as possible?Now that she had time, she wouldn’t shortchange herself.Adrian paused at her openness. Even he couldn’t claim such ease with the world.Perhaps on