Novels by Camellia

“Commander Albert, I suggest you give our Grand Commander’s words serious thought. Otherwise, during the Ascension‑Rite Day in half a month, since we hold equal rank, you and I might end up on stage for the martial contest,” Osborne grinned, his smile edged with ferocity.“And I have already reached Upper‑One‑Star Divine‑Realm.”“Are you threatening me?” Albert got the message.“Hardly a threat. The martial duel at the Ascension‑Rite Day is standard procedure. It is just that your Dragon‑Fang Guard is so peculiar, putting a Consummate High Heavenly‑Spirit‑Realm cultivator in a Commander’s seat.” A mocking smirk tugged at Osborne’s lips. “It seems your status as the clan chief’s direct descendant carries a lot of weight within the Dragon‑Fang Guard. Vance is truly disappointing. He would even break the iron edict laid down by the Ancestor for the Five Heavenly‑Dragon Guards just to curry favor.”Clearly he believed Albert had obtained the Commander post solely because of his lineage as

Emily did not pause by any low‑or mid‑grade Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasures. She headed straight for the upper‑grade section and stopped there to examine the items carefully.For Divine‑Realm experts, Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasures mattered even more than Platform‑Forging Manuals. A top‑tier Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasure could truly deliver extraordinary effects.Emily was not browsing for herself, however. She was searching for something for Albert. She knew perfectly well how priceless the Nine‑Mark Sacred‑Heart Lotus he had given her was. That treasure would also grant Albert immense benefits, yet he had felt no urge to keep it and insisted on letting her use it to heal her wounds.Emily had not spoken much of it, but she was deeply touched inside. Now Albert stood on the verge of reaching the Divine‑Realm Realm, and he too needed a supreme Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasure to forge his Divine‑Realm Platform. That was a major reason she had followed him to the Bo

Moreover, Albert believed pouring cultivation energy into such a niche art meant only for internal strife would be a genuine waste.His time was far too valuable to dedicate to mastering a Divine‑Realm Art solely for infighting.He therefore discarded it without hesitation. Even so, the Dragon‑Blood Balance Art gave him some inspiration. He began searching for similar techniques that boasted a much broader effective range.After diligent searching, he discovered a seldom‑accessed jade slip tucked away in a corner.Dragon‑Blood Nightmare Art, low‑grade mid‑tier. Take personal items from the target such as hair or essence‑blood, blend them with one’s own Heavenly‑Dragon essence‑blood, and craft a dragon‑blood puppet. Using the puppet as a medium, cast nightmare magic to erode the target’s connection with cosmic energy and drain their soul power. The art heavily relies on bloodline purity; the purer one’s Heavenly‑Dragon bloodline, the more potent the weakening effect. It carries drawbac

The three of them soared through the air and landed outside the gate. A middle‑aged man sat cross‑legged by the entrance, keeping records for everyone coming out of the Heavenly‑Dragon Vault.“Go inside on your own and look for whatever you want. I will wait for you right here,” Vance said.Albert and Emily nodded. They walked over to the gatekeeper and handed over their Heavenly‑Dragon Jade tokens. After inspecting them, the man gestured for them to enter.Exchanging a glance, Albert and Emily stepped into the vault filled with countless treasures from the five Heavenly‑Dragon clans, curiosity stirring within them.Once inside, their view opened up instantly. Numerous towers stood everywhere, each radiating dazzling treasure light.Different symbols marked the tops of the towers.Artifact Tower, Divine‑Realm Art Tower, Soul‑Liquid Tower, Platform‑Forging Tower…The array of items was truly dazzling, revealing immense depth of resources.Albert had visited the Dragon‑Fang Grotto, wher

“Patty, it seems you have failed,” Weston said faintly as his gaze settled on Patty.Patty spoke with difficulty. “It is my incompetence. Please punish me, Grand Palace Master.”Weston fell silent for several breaths, then said indifferently. “Punishment will come. News of your failed operation will surely reach Thomas’s ears. He will advance his arrival in the Boundary‑River Domain to issue a show of force, so you will no longer be able to carry out actions like this.Moreover, Thomas will likely grow suspicious. Your conduct has been far too impulsive, and ordinary grievances cannot account for it. He… may begin to suspect the Primordial Seed.”Patty’s face shifted. If Thomas learned of the Primordial Seed, he would place Albert under maximum protection. Seizing it would become nearly impossible.“What can we do?” Patty could not help but ask.Unfathomable light swirled in Weston’s eyes, and his low voice echoed through the secret chamber. “As long as Thomas remains here, Albert can

“This is Dragon Essence, the exclusive currency of the Five Heavenly‑Dragon Guards. You will need it to exchange for many items later, such as Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasures, Divine‑Realm Platform‑Forging Methods, Soul Liquid, Divine‑Realm Arts, and Divine‑Realm artifacts.”“Ordinarily, a Commander receives one thousand Dragon Essence per month.”Albert asked, “How much Dragon Essence does an upper‑grade Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasure cost?”Vance held up three fingers, a faint smile seeming to tug at his stern face. “Merely thirty thousand Dragon Essence.”“Thirty thousand Dragon Essence?” Albert fell speechless. So he would have to serve as Commander for three whole years just to barely afford one upper‑grade Foundation‑Building Spirit Treasure? Not to mention supreme‑grade ones of even higher rank. Take the Nine‑Mark Sacred‑Heart Lotus he had prepared for Emily; it was probably the cream of the supreme‑grade lot.There was no way around it. Emily had raised the bar so hi

Out on the street outside the shop, Kain led his unit to close in rapidly. He pressed his radio, his voice cold and crisp. “Confirm the target is inside.”“Confirmed!” An outer‑perimeter officer replied in a low tone.Kain’s gaze locked onto the shop entrance. He gave a sharp order. “All units move in. Two shield teams take point. He’s trapped. Prepare to breach.”【Shop Second Floor · Doomed Standoff】At the top‑floor stair landing, Oakley slid down to sit with his back against the cold wall, gasping for breath. Sweat mixed with blood dripped non‑stop from his jaw.After barely half a minute’s rest, heavy footsteps from downstairs drew steadily closer.Oakley lifted his head slowly. A sick, twisted smirk tugged at his lips. He ejected the empty magazine and reloaded with smooth, unnervingly calm movements.“Hiding in there solves nothing, Oakley.” Kain’s voice carried up from downstairs, calm and utterly domineering. “You cannot escape.”Oakley pulled two grenades from his chest pouch

Several officers swarmed forward. Batons and gunstocks rained down, knocking the man unconscious within seconds and rendering him completely incapable of fighting back.Through the viewing window of his riot shield amid the smoke, Joren scanned rapidly and spotted Oliver scrambling to flee.Oliver coughed violently and glanced back by instinct. The moment their eyes met, he raised his shotgun and aimed straight at Joren.“You wanted me dead? Come on!” Joren charged forward with his shield held high.Shotgun pellets slammed into the riot shield. The steel plate cracked instantly, and the brutal shock traveled up his arms, forcing Joren two stumbling steps backward.A seasoned marksman, Oliver reloaded fast. He avoided the shield’s front face and took precise aim at Joren’s exposed lower leg.Another gunshot rang out. A cloud of blood burst from Joren’s right calf. Crippling pain sent him staggering.“Let’s see you chase me now!” Eyes bloodshot, Oliver chambered another round, ready to

A cloud of blood burst from Oakley’s left shoulder. The brutal impact rendered his entire left arm useless.His arm went limp, and the young boy he’d been holding crashed heavily onto the ground.“Run! Get the kid out of here!” Dusk roared at the top of his lungs.Joren’s wife snapped back to reality. She grabbed her son off the ground and sprinted frantically toward the alley exit, desperate to get away.Kain spun his rifle around in a flash, chambered another round, and locked onto the fallen Oakley, ready to fire the killing shot.【Main Alley · Wade’s Motorcade】The distinct crack of a sniper rifle echoed in the distance. Wade shot upright in his seat, his face twisting with shock. “M88‑2 police sniper! That’s Kain’s crew!”The next instant, brilliant floodlights flared at the alley mouth, searing white light tearing through the darkness.Pierce stood beneath the headlights in a long overcoat, gun in hand. His expression was ice‑cold, oozing murderous intent.He fired a volley of s

【Outside the Compound · Ambush Spot Inside the Vehicle】Wade leaned back against the car seat, a cigarette clamped between his fingers, his eyes icy cold. "Oakley definitely senses something is wrong, but he has no idea Jason is already dead.""Weston, take your men inside to make contact. The second he steps out, take him down on the spot and rescue the hostages. Keep it clean, no loose ends."Joren sat in the back seat, his gaze fixed hard on the hardware at Oliver’s waist. His whole body was tensed, his mind filled with nothing but the safety of his wife and child.Weston shook his head. "I’ll go in myself. Quick and decisive.""Watch out for ambushes," Wade warned. "Open fire the second things go south, and the whole team will charge in to back you up immediately.""Understood."Weston pushed the car door open and stepped out, walking alone toward the pitch‑black compound.【Main Hall of the Compound】Oakley pressed the muzzle of his gun faintly against Joren’s wife’s back, his voi

“Got it.”After hanging up, dead silence filled the room. Oakley lit a cigarette, its flame flickering in the dim light. A growing sense of unease gnawed at him. Wade’s attitude across two phone calls had been deeply abnormal, yet no matter how he replayed everything in his head, he could not figure out what was wrong.Was he merely strung‑out and paranoid? Or had the situation already slipped quietly out of control?He dragged hard on his cigarette, still unable to find peace of mind, and called Jason once more.[Yulin Avenue · Wilderness Intersection · Half an Hour Later]At the end of the desolate road, Jason pulled over with two of his men. The surrounding area was empty and deserted.“Who are we waiting for?” the burly man in the passenger seat asked in a low voice.“Wade.” Jason looked careless and unconcerned.Sharp screeches of brakes suddenly cut through the air. Three black sedans pulled out from a side road and stopped firmly behind Jason’s vehicle. Their high and low beams

“Take out Oakley, and I’ll immediately seize all of Nanyang’s power, consolidate all his former men, tie myself firmly to you, and become one of yours.” Joren clenched his fists, his tone firm and resolute. “Oakley has wallowed in filth his whole life. Every last one of his sins will die with him, and none of it will rub off on you. My record is far cleaner than his. I’m far more worthy of your trust and your use.”“On top of that, I’ll hand over the original full‑length video that takes down Cruz, free of charge. Once Oakley is dead, every move Kane has made up to this point will be nullified, gone to waste. We’ll hold lethal blackmail material, and from then on, we’ll have Kane dancing right on our strings.”Wade’s eyes widened in sudden realization. A storm raged inside him. The scope and ruthlessness of this gambit far exceeded anything he had expected.Beside him, Weston wore a sneer, his gaze full of wariness. “You’d stab your own patron in the back. How are we supposed to work

Allen told him the truth, "I was originally in Osaka to take over Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s production lines there. I heard Miss Keiko was staying in Kyoto, and since it was only a forty‑minute drive from Osaka to Kyoto, I decided to go visit her. I never expected to arrive just as the Fujibayashi clan’s ninjas were attacking her, so I stepped in."He sighed as he spoke, "It was pure luck. Had I shown up any later, there would have been nothing I could do."Ito Takehiko nodded, filled with lingering fear. "We truly owe everything to you, Mr. Allen."Anger welled up inside him, and he said coldly, "The Fujibayashi ninjas served Takahashi Machi. I cannot for the life of me figure out why he would target me. We were both competing for a partnership with the Bruce family. Even with past frictions and bad blood between us, there was no reason to send assassins after my daughter!"Allen’s brows drew tight at once. "What did you say? The Bruce family? Which Bruce family?!"Ito Takehiko expl

After the double‑leg amputation, the doctors had put him on a pain pump, so he barely felt any physical agony. Still, constant worry over Ito Keiko, who was far away in Kyoto, kept him from sleeping soundly.He had just dreamed that Keiko had met with misfortune in Kyoto. The nightmare jolted him awake at once, and he intended to tell his younger sister Ito Emi to send people to bring Keiko back to Tokyo without delay.Yet what he had never dreamed of was that when the ward door swung open, his beloved precious daughter Ito Keiko walked in together with his sister Ito Emi."Keiko?!" Ito Takehiko blurted out in shock. "What are you doing here?"Seeing her father lying pale and bloodless on the hospital bed, with thick bandages wrapped around his knees and everything below gone forever, Ito Keiko burst into tears and cried out, "Oto‑san!"She rushed over to the bedside, grabbed Ito Takehiko’s hand, and wept bitterly.It took Ito Takehiko a moment to collect himself. Relieved and deeply

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ito Keiko stayed tense throughout the whole ride. Even though Ito Takehiko had said over the phone that he was out of danger, Keiko still harbored quiet worries.A little over three hours later, Allen pulled into Tokyo and stopped at the gate of the University of Tokyo Hospital, the top‑rated medical facility in the city.This hospital boasted Japan’s highest global ranking and represented the nation’s pinnacle of medical care.Once the car came to a full stop, Keiko could not wait to push open the door and get out. Before stepping out, however, she turned to Allen and asked, "Allen‑kun, will you come upstairs with me?"Allen looked slightly awkward. "Your father might not want to see me."Keiko said earnestly, "Allen‑kun, you saved my life. No matter how big the misunderstandings or grudges between you two are, I believe Father will no longer hold them against you!"Allen thought for a brief moment and replied, "Very well, I will go with you."His reaso

Allen couldn’t help laughing and said, “If your dad heard that, he’d probably be furious.”Ito Keiko stuck out her tongue. She was about to speak when her phone suddenly vibrated.She looked confused. “Who would be calling this late? Could the servants have noticed we snuck out?”She quickly pulled out her phone and gasped in surprise. “Oh no, it’s Father!”She never expected her father to call her so late at night.She said nervously to Allen, “Allen‑kun, I need to take this call from my father…”Allen nodded with a smile. “Go ahead.”Keiko quickly answered the phone and asked cautiously, “Father, why are you calling me so late? Is something wrong?”Ito Takehiko’s weak voice came over the line. “Keiko, I’ve had an accident. I’m calling to make sure you’re safe. Is everything all right over in Kyoto?”Keiko asked anxiously, “Father! What happened to you? Are you badly hurt?”Takehiko replied, “Tanaka and I were hunted down by attackers. We barely managed to escape. But I’m afraid they

Upon hearing those words, Matsumoto Yoshito completely broke down. He lifted his head and shouted hysterically, “Why! Why wipe out my entire Matsumoto clan?! Why push for total extermination?!”The woman let out a cold laugh. “This is the price you pay for provoking the Bruce family!”Tears instantly streamed down Matsumoto Yoshito’s face. Mixed with blood, they made his whole look utterly gruesome.All will to live had deserted him. He mumbled, “Kill me. Kill me right now.”The woman nodded and pulled out a sunflower‑seed‑shaped carving of white jade from her pocket. “Matsumoto Yoshito, before you die, I want you to remember my name. I’m Suzie.”With a flick of her wrist, the jade sunflower seed shot forward at high speed.The next instant, a tiny bloody hole appeared in the center of Matsumoto Yoshito’s forehead. All life drained from his body, and he crashed to the ground, dead.Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.The police chief finally breathed a sigh of reli

Matsumoto Yoshito flew into a rage and hurled his whiskey glass onto the floor. The cup crashed hard against the marble tiles and shattered instantly.Just then, a cold female voice echoed through the living room, “You certainly have quite a temper, Mr. Matsumoto.”Matsumoto Yoshito and his assistant were both startled by the unfamiliar voice. They turned toward the sound and saw a woman in her twenties dressed entirely in black step inside.Matsumoto Yoshito paled in shock and blurted out, “Who are you?! How did you get in?!”The woman let out a cold laugh. “I simply walked right in.”Matsumoto Yoshito stepped backward and demanded nervously, “What do you want?!”The woman sized him up with keen interest. After a moment, she said in an icy tone, “You abducted the young master and young lady of the Bruce family, and assassinated more than ten of our men. What do you think I want? Your life, of course.”Matsumoto Yoshito had never dreamed that members of the Bruce family would track hi