Novels by Lily Monroe

Adrian nodded and pressed on. “So—do I now have the standing to inherit Smiling Yama?”The trio exchanged helpless smiles. “Mr. Doyle, you are indeed stronger than the three of us. But to be frank, among the Ten Ghost Kings, we rank at the tail end. If you want to assume the mantle of Smiling Yama’s Shadow Venerable, you’ll need the recognition of at least half the Ghost Kings.”Adrian wasn’t surprised. He inclined his head. “Since I’ve been named a candidate for Shadow Venerable, that seat is as good as mine. Take them a message for me: anyone who wants to challenge me is welcome to try. I’ll make them concede without a word.”The declaration set their blood alight. They nodded, visibly stirred.“If there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave,” White Reaper said, slipping an arm under Black Impermanence. The three of them were badly hurt and needed a place to recover.“Hold on. Your injuries aren’t light. Left to mend on their own, you’ll be out ten days at least. Let me treat you.”N

Iris Lloyd nodded. “True. We’re still far from where we need to be. But as long as we stay at Adrian’s side, sooner or later we’ll stand on the same tier.”Octavia opened her mouth, then thought better of it. This wasn’t the time to sap their resolve.With Iris Lloyd and Emptiness withdrawing, the full weight of the fight settled on Adrian.He stood proud and unflinching, eyes cold on the trio before him. “Now it’s just the four of us. Show me your best. Prove you have any right at all to demand that token back.”His words lit a fuse. All three lunged at once.“Netherworld of Impermanence!” Black Impermanence unleashed a full-force strike.White Reaper followed on its heels. “Prison of Death!”Death Blade vanished without a sound. A heartbeat later, he materialized behind Adrian, dagger flashing for Adrian’s heart.The onlookers nearly cried out, catching themselves at the last instant, palms clamped over their mouths so as not to distract him.Twin prisons snapped shut around Adrian

Adrian’s pupils tightened. He truly hadn’t expected that the heretical physician who had passed him the legacy was the former Shadow Venerable under the last Smiling Yama.“Kid, we’ve said all there is to say. We’re here to reclaim the token. Hand it over and spare yourself a world of trouble—why make this hard?”White Reaper toyed with a lock of her hair, the curve of her brows carrying both warning and killing intent.Adrian’s voice was cold. “Forget the token. I won’t hand it over—and I couldn’t even if I wanted to. If it’s a fight you want, then fight. Last time I didn’t even go all out. Even together, the three of you aren’t my match.”Emptiness and Iris Lloyd stepped forward to stand at his sides, eyes blazing with battle lust.Octavia froze, stunned. She truly couldn’t fathom why they’d risk their lives for a mere token.Adrian was strong, yes—but look at who stood across from them.These were apex predators of the assassin world.Three Ghost Kings from Smiling Yama, the number

The remark jolted the crowd awake.“Baka! What did that brat mean by all that? And he forced our Hinoku physicians to kneel and apologize? Utter humiliation!”“Even the Color Medicine Hall lost. Looks like his skill really is formidable. Is there no one who can step up and crush him?”The mood in Hinoku sagged into a heavy gloom.On the outskirts of the Hinoku capital, a secluded estate lay quiet.Over the gate: Color Medicine Hall.A dense fragrance of herbs drifted on the air, the medicinal fields sprawling far and wide. Healers hurried to and fro within.In a small courtyard, an old man and a young one were playing Go.The elder placed a stone, brows knit. The younger followed without even thinking.Just as the old man considered taking back his move, a junior apprentice burst through the door.“Master, bad news!”The elder frowned. “Speak.”“Word just came in. The four physicians we sent to the Novaland Republic—all defeated. And by the same man.”Yoshida Motojima’s voice turned c

That roar made his stance unmistakably clear.The crowd’s spirits surged as one.They shouted with Adrian, “That’s right! Hand over the loser’s list! Apologize publicly to Skyline City’s medical community!”“Own your loss! Or can’t you Hinoku men stomach defeat?”The words were familiar—once flung by those four whenever they upended clinics across Skyline City. Now that the barbs were turned on them, they finally tasted how bitter they were.Kudo Ono fumbled in his pocket, then pulled out the carefully kept loser’s roster and tossed it to Adrian. “There’s your list. Satisfied? We’re leaving. See you at the Grand Medical Tournament.”They turned again to go.“Gentlemen, aren’t you forgetting something? The list is right here. You haven’t apologized to the heads of our clinics. Do it. Now.”Adrian’s resolve stiffened everyone’s spines.Kudo Ono ground his teeth. “Know when to stop, boy. Don’t push your luck.”With so many cameras rolling, an apology wouldn’t just shame the four of them.

“I get it now. Mr. Doyle kept giving them head starts because his confidence is absolute. Against that, these four Hinoku doctors look like clowns.”“There’s no suspense left. Mr. Doyle’s won again.”Amid cheers, the fifteen minutes vanished in a blink.Both sides stopped and stepped apart.Counting the herbs took more than ten minutes.Kudo Ono’s face was like stormclouds. “Mr. Honda has to win this one. If not, we’ll have no face left.”“In our Color Medicine Hall, Mr. Honda is the unrivaled nose—few can match him. That kid cannot be his equal. Mr. Honda will win!”“The tally is complete. Mr. Honda identified eighty-three herbs, with two mistakes. Final count: eighty-one.”A score to be proud of—until Adrian’s number was read.“Mr. Adrian identified one hundred and eighty herbs. Not a single error.”They had expected him to win, but the result still sent a shock through the crowd.What kind of medical prodigy was this—exceptional on every front, in ways that defied reason? And he lo

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