Novels by Lily Monroe

Adrian let out a quiet sigh and soon drifted off to sleep.It was a dreamless night.They did not wake until after nine the next morning. Vermilion Bird had already prepared breakfast and was simply waiting for Adrian and Nora Simpson to come downstairs before serving the meal.“Lord Buddha.”Vermilion Bird inclined her head in greeting as she placed a freshly prepared dish on the table.Nora Simpson had barely taken a few bites with Adrian when Vermilion Bird returned, looking faintly exhausted.“Lord Buddha, the hall is nearly overflowing.”Nora appeared long accustomed to such scenes and merely nodded indifferently.Adrian looked up in curiosity. “The hall? Why are there so many people there?”Vermilion Bird explained, “Lord Buddha visits Skyline City less and less frequently. Whenever she does return, various local forces seize the opportunity to pay their respects.”“Of course, most of them are seeking cooperation with Lord Buddha—but few ever succeed.”Only then did Adrian under

Their acceptance of Adrian was not founded solely on Nora Simpson’s declaration, but on the strength he had demonstrated.Before true power, people were naturally inclined to yield—to admire it, to follow it.Nora summoned Vermilion Bird and instructed calmly, “Bring me the Dragon Emblem.”Vermilion Bird bowed respectfully and withdrew, returning shortly thereafter.In her hands she carried a small, square box.It appeared unremarkable, yet no one dared regard it lightly; on the contrary, a hush of reverence settled over the room.The Dragon Emblem signified Lord Buddha’s personal authority. Wherever it appeared within the Novaland Republic, its bearer wielded her power.For Lord Buddha to bestow it upon Adrian was proof beyond doubt of her trust and esteem.Had he not truly been her junior disciple, such a gesture would have been inconceivable.Quentin Newman shot Drew Morvek a sidelong glare, silently grateful he had stopped him from speaking earlier.Nora accepted the box and withd

Adrian said gratefully, “Senior Sister, you’ve been through a lot. Thank you for always keeping me in your thoughts.”“Oh, spare me. Who do you think is as heartless as you?” Nora Simpson retorted, half annoyed, half amused.Adrian scratched his head. “I lost my memory, remember? Otherwise, how could I not have contacted you?”“Enough. Tell me about your life now,” Nora Simpson said, letting the matter drop.“My life now? Well… I recently got myself a beautiful fiancée…”Nora Simpson let out a soft sigh. “You even have a fiancée now. I suppose you truly have grown up.”The little boy who once trailed behind her at every step was, in the blink of an eye, on the verge of starting a family of his own.It stirred in her a quiet sense of time’s passing—how everything changes before one realizes it.Still, there was one thing she found highly unsatisfactory.“Your fiancée has you working as her assistant?”Adrian stiffened, forcing an awkward smile. “Not exactly. She transferred twenty perc

Adrian grasped the two gleaming swords with effortless ease, and the crowd froze in stunned silence.In all their years, they had never seen anyone conjure a weapon from thin air—let alone wield it as though it were solid steel.Not only had Adrian done so, he made it look utterly effortless.Envy flickered in more than a few eyes.Tilting his head with a grin, Adrian said, “You asked to see my true strength. Then I won’t hold back.”The words had scarcely left his lips before both blades shot toward Nora Simpson.She evaded the first strike and flicked her flexible sword toward the second. The golden blade in Adrian’s hand was instantly ensnared by her coiling steel.But he wielded two swords.Almost by instinct—before conscious thought could intervene—the other blade swept forward and knocked her flexible sword aside.The twin swords whirled in his hands with fierce momentum. Nora’s brows drew together as she moved with fluid precision, slipping left and right, finding exact foothol

The one who failed to react in time was not only Black Tortoise—even those watching could not discern how Adrian had struck.“Pfft—”A spray of blood burst from her lips as she staggered back several steps and collapsed to the ground.“Impossible… How did you do that?”Adrian rolled his wrist, as though loosening it. After playing with them for so long, he had finally warmed up.“When there is a gulf in cultivation, all those elaborate techniques amount to nothing more than a cat toying with mice.”He flashed them a grin. “So—am I qualified now to face Lord Buddha?”Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird, both still conscious, exchanged a glance.They had underestimated him.Quentin Newman, who had watched everything unfold, felt his legs weaken. It took him a long moment to find his voice.“The Four Guardians are already at the Mythical Tier. Could it be that Adrian has reached… that level as well?”Tessa Dawson remained silent.Sometimes silence is the clearest answer.Drew Morvek fared

The moment Adrian’s great blade of golden light fully took shape, White Tiger felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon him.Even drawing breath became difficult.The smile faded from Adrian’s eyes, replaced by a glacial killing intent.White Tiger could sense it with absolute clarity—Adrian meant to kill him.No matter how composed he prided himself on being, a sheen of cold sweat formed on his brow.As the shadow of death loomed closer, White Tiger involuntarily retreated two steps.Adrian flicked his fingers lightly. “Go.”At his command, the massive blade cleaved through the air. White Tiger thrust both hands forward in haste.“Golden Barrier!”“Buzz—”The blade struck the shimmering shield with a resounding hum so piercing that many instinctively clapped their hands over their ears.Only Nora Simpson, watching from above, showed a trace of astonishment in her eyes.To force White Tiger to deploy the Golden Barrier—Adrian’s strength had clearly surpassed her expectations.When th

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