"Huh?" Mrs. Prewitt was in a daze, cradling her cheek and feeling utterly bewildered.Why did Vernon hit her when she was helping him? What on earth was happening?"What are you still standing there for? Apologize!" Vernon landed another slap across her face. He didn't dare provoke influential figures. However, he could easily control an insignificant headmistress. "I-I'm sorry … " Mrs. Prewitt was aggrieved as she gritted out the words. Although she wasn't sure what was going on, it was clear that this bitch was someone important. Otherwise, Inspector Lansky wouldn't have reacted that way. "Ms. Harmon, I apologize for not noticing you earlier." After punishing Mrs. Prewitt, Vernon was full of smiles. "May I know what brings you here, Ms. Harmon?""This is my man, and this is my goddaughter." Natasha didn't hold back her words. "Your wife assaulted my goddaughter earlier. "My man then assaulted your wife in retaliation to protect her. This is considered self-defense,
Over in a high-end restaurant, several well-dressed young people gathered together. They chatted as they sipped on some wine."Dahlia, I really envy you for being favored by Sir Mosey. Congratulations on becoming his goddaughter!"A young lady dressed in red smiled brightly at Dahlia, appearing very enthusiastic.She was Elena Forrest, the eldest daughter of the Forrest family. The Forrest family was one of Oakvale's eight great families."I heard that Sir Mosey has been in a war for many years and has no kids. You must be extremely talented and kind for him to take you as his goddaughter," a vain-looking man said with a smile. The man was Sean Hoovey, Elena's boyfriend. He was a smooth talker who charmed his way through life."Dahlia, why don't you tell us how you got to know him?" Elena could not contain her curiosity. Sir Mosey generally avoided crowds and was a very reserved person. He was rarely ever seen around large groups of people. Hence, it was shocking to hear tha
Half an hour later, as Elena was still chatting with Dahlia, she received a call.Upon answering it, she heard Sean's sobbing."Elena … I've been beaten up. Quick, get some men here to back me up. The bastard is wild!""What? Even you were beaten up?" Elena frowned. "What happened? Didn't I send two bodyguards with you?"All her guards were carefully picked. No regular thugs would be able to mess with them.“They weren't much help at all! They were beaten up within seconds! Even I was implicated!" Sean sounded indignant."Didn't you make use of the Forrest family name?" Elena asked."Of course I did! But that only got the rascal beating us up even worse!" Sean cried out amidst sobs."What? He carried on even after knowing you were related to the Forrest family?"Elena was infuriated. "How dare a mere thug behave so arrogantly? Stay there! I'll be there in a bit!""Okay. Hurry! I'll try my best to hold him back," Sean said."Ms. Forrest, sounds like you're in a bit of trouble. Do you ne
The bodyguards pushed their way violently through the crowd, forcefully clearing a path.When they were finally done clearing a wide and clear path, Elena showed up looking like a princess.She was gorgeous, and the clothes she wore were expensive. Matched with her elegant bearing, it was clear that she was no ordinary person."Elena! You're finally here!"Sean's eyes instantly lit up when he saw her. He quickly went up to her and began groaning, "Look! Look at my face!"See what they've done to me! You must make them pay for this!"Elena reached out and held Sean's chin, turning his face this way and that. Her expression swiftly darkened. "Who was it? Who did this to you?"She had three criteria for her men. First, they must be handsome. Second, they had to be good in bed. And finally, they must be able to please her.Now that Sean's handsome face had been destroyed, it was almost like her personal property had been destroyed. She wouldn't take it sitting down."It was him!
"How dare you!""You arrogant bastard!"Sean and the rest of them were riled up by Dustin's words. He really had a death wish for being so rude to Ms. Forrest!"You … You asked me to get lost?"Elena had to take a moment to let Dustin's words sink in. After a while, she shouted in frustration, "You low-life peasant! You impudent asshole!"I'll teach you a good lesson today! Guards! Take him down!""Yes, Ms. Forrest!" The guards did not hesitate. They pulled out their moves to take Dustin down.As they collided, a few punching sounds were heard. Then, the men went flying. The guards who had rushed up to attack Dustin fell heavily to the ground, passing out on the spot.Everyone was shocked by what they saw.Everything had happened so fast that they could not even grasp what had happened.Elena had ordered her guards, and they went up to Dustin. But then, they ended up out cold on the ground. It took less than three seconds for all that to play out.They hadn't even wrappe
Dustin looked extremely pissed. He rarely treated women harshly. But since Elena was being a bitch, things were different.The crowd gasped when they saw Elena being slapped.Was this guy crazy? It was one thing to beat up the Forrest family guards. But he went and slapped Ms. Forrest, too?She was the eldest daughter of an esteemed family! How could he have slapped her? Did he not fear death?"How dare you slap me?" Elena roared as she cupped her stinging cheek. She stared at Dustin in disbelief.Nobody had ever dared lay a finger on her since she was born, much less slap her! It was humiliating!"Hey! Why do you lot keep repeating the same thing? Don't you have anything else to say?" Dustin had had it with them."I—I'll make you pay!" Elena shrieked before launching herself at Dustin."Elena! Calm down! Calm down!"Sean was startled. He immediately went forward and pulled Elena back. She was putting herself in danger by attacking Dustin!"That's enough!" A pretty woman
"What are you two whispering about?" Dahlia was confused by the woman in front of her. Why was she sighing and then giggling? Was she out of her mind?"Nothing, nothing. Perhaps I've mistaken you for someone else. I'm sorry."Natasha pursed her lips after she apologized.Well, Dahlia had lost her memories after all. Natasha couldn't be so petty as to make things difficult for someone who'd lost her memories, could she?"You're weird." Dahlia frowned. Though she did not know Natasha, she had an unpleasant feeling about her.She looked past Natasha and at Dustin. "Hang on … You look quite familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?""Hmm?" Natasha was immediately on guard when she heard that.Didn't Dustin say that she'd lost her memories? Could she have remembered him? Was she deceiving them?"You remember me?" Dustin was surprised."Oh, I remember now. You were the insurance agent." Dahlia immediately recalled where she had met him after giving it some thought. This man had gon
Dahlia was trying to mediate between them. All Dustin had to do was take the opportunity to apologize and make amends. He would be able to walk away with his life.Why was he so stubborn? Was his pride more important than his life? What was he thinking?"You made things very clear, and I understand what you're trying to say. But there's one thing that you all are mistaken about."I do not fear the Forrests. The Forrests are the ones that should be afraid of me," Dustin said impassively.The onlookers laughed when they heard what Dustin said."The Forrests should be afraid of you? Hahaha! Young man, are you out of your mind? Do you even know what you're saying?""You're just an insurance agent! How dare you act arrogantly? You think too highly of yourself!""How foolish and ignorant! It seems he still isn't aware of who he's offended and where he stands."The onlookers shook their heads as they criticized Dustin, looking at him like he was an idiot."What a stubborn idiot."
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Dustin and Glenn stepped onto the battle ring. They stood about 30 feet apart, and their eyes locked across the distance. Their gazes met like sparks, and they could feel the weight of the other's stare."Are you Logan?" Glenn asked, breaking the silence.He had heard the rumors about this dark horse before stepping into the ring, but now that he was facing him, he wasn't sure."Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is who wins this fight." Dustin didn't confirm or deny it, but his words left Glenn with no doubt.Both men were at the top of the Legendary List and held equal rank on the Champ-Tier List. Until they fought, no one could say who was the stronger of the two."I heard you're Seth's disciple, so I'm really looking forward to this." Glenn's gaze sharpened.Many years ago, his mentor, Cyrus, was defeated by Seth. That loss had always haunted Cyrus ever since. Now, with the disciples of both men about to face off, Glenn was determin
"Since Madam Penelope has spoken, I’ll follow her lead," Alloy said with a smile. "What about Mr. Hadley and Sage Foyer?""I'm in if you want to make a bet," Cyrus replied coolly."It's not every day we get an opportunity like this. Let me stir things up a bit." Kaden nodded with a grin.Once the three had agreed, Penelope waved for Abigail to come over.Soon, Abigail approached them with a wide grin. "Esteemed guests, I hear you want to bet. The current odds are—bet on Dustin to win, and you'll get 1.6 times your stake. Bet on Glenn, and it's only 0.4."She continued, "And no worries—if you win, I'll exchange your winnings for celestial stones." Abigail smiled brightly, and the other parties' eyes gleamed with the unmistakable shine of greed.Many had already placed their bets with her. Though she couldn't control the match's outcome, she knew how to adjust the odds to her advantage. Over time, that could turn into a huge fortune."I'm betting on Glenn to win." Cyrus quickly
"We're ready for the ultimate showdown of this tournament. The winner will be crowned the Combat Tournament Champion. Now, let's welcome both contestants to the ring." Oron's voice thundered as he stepped onto the battle ring.There was thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.The long-awaited showdown was finally at hand. Today's outcome wasn't just about personal glory, but it would also decide the future of the martial world.If Glenn triumphed and claimed the crown, the Sword Union would rise as the undisputed guild. The Celestial Alliance and the Mystic Arts Order would have no choice but to bow to their supremacy.But if Dustin won, it would be even more sensational. A dark horse, without any guild affiliation, defeating the elite disciples of the major guild—such a story would send shockwaves through the martial world.Once that happened, every major guild would fight tooth and nail to claim him. It would spark a fierce battle for dominance."Dr. Rhys! Good luck!"
"H-Hold on! I-I surrender!" Abigail said urgently. With the sword inches away from her throat, she decisively raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.She didn't expect herself to win the match. Her goal was simply to take this opportunity to test Dustin's strength and also gauge her own progress. But now, it was clear that there was still a sizable gap between them."You've done well. In a few more years, I might not even be able to keep up with you." Dustin smiled and lowered his Celestial Blade. His words weren't flattery; he genuinely saw potential in Abigail.The dark Phoenix flames carried a corrosive power that even his mystical pure energy couldn't resist. In other words, Abigail's black flames were the bane of any martial artist.Her journey in the martial world was still short—barely two years. She hadn't unlocked the full potential of her Phoenix bloodline yet. But with more training and experience, the sky was the limit for her."Don't try to console me, Sir. I'm n
With a resounding bang, the golden light erupted with a burst of terrifying energy wave. In an instant, the earth trembled, and fierce winds whipped through the air.Dustin and his sword were sent flying several yards. After landing, he stumbled back several steps before finally steadying himself.He looked up and saw that Abigail's body was now covered in a layer of golden armor, though he couldn't tell when it had happened. The armor glowed brightly, and it made her look imposing and striking.It was clearly a divine artifact.The Mystic Arts Order had been around for centuries, with deep roots and countless treasures. As the Grand Sorceress, Abigail would obviously have several divine artifacts for protection.Dustin wasn't surprised, but the armor's counterforce caught him off guard. Not only did it protect her, but it also had offensive capabilities.When his sword struck the armor earlier, the blow didn't leave a scratch. Instead, the armor absorbed the hit and sent the for
Dustin raised his hand as the black feathers rained down on him. A white energy shield flared into existence to form a wall before him.The feathers slammed into the shield and sent ripples across its surface but failed to break through. However, the black flames on the feathers spread across the shield and burned through its energy at a visible pace. In the blink of an eye, the once impenetrable barrier cracked open and left a gaping hole.Dustin couldn't hide his surprise. His mystical pure energy was far stronger than the average grandmaster's internal energy in offense and defense. It was meant to be impenetrable. He hadn't anticipated it couldn't hold up against Abigail's phoenix flame.Seeing the raw strength of her bloodline, he knew he couldn't afford to take any chances. As the black flames spread, he swiftly waved his hand to summon a furious gust of wind that sent the feathers and flames flying."Glaring Wings!" Abigail wasn't done yet. She quickly formed hand seals and
Abigail moved with lightning speed, and her figure weaved in and out like a shadow. Her swift movements left a blur of afterimages that was hard for anyone watching to keep up.On the contrary, Dustin stood still without making any movement."Fallen Fist!"After closing in, she unleashed a flurry of strikes—dozens of black palm shadows slamming toward his body, and each one was like a bullet aimed at its target.Abigail practiced a unique martial art, and it was imbued with voodoo-like properties that could kill anyone who made contact with her. But Dustin's body was immune to all poisons, so it was a perfect counter to her deadly attack.As the shadow palms closed in, he remained unshaken and thrust his palm forward.A fierce gust of wind surged and ripped through the air with unrelenting force. It collided with the black palm shadows.Abigail's black palm shadows exploded on impact and disintegrated into thick clouds of dark mist that quickly spread. Within moments, the mist e
The whole arena suddenly fell dead silent. Everyone stared blankly, and not a soul dared to breathe. Alloy shot to his feet in the main spectator seats, and his face was tense with worry. Yet, he didn't dare make a sound. He feared it might startle Glenn into making a mistake that could cost Fenley's life.After all, Fenley represented the future of the Celestial Alliance. Alloy had invested all his effort into Fenley, and he provided him with endless resources. If Fenley were to die in the match, it would deal a devastating blow to the entire guild.While Alloy was gripped with worry, Cyrus and Penelope cheered silently. They secretly hoped Glenn's sword would strike Fenley. If that happened, the Celestial Alliance would take at least a decade to regain its former glory.Fenley's body stiffened as he stared at the Fang Master hovering inches from him. A shiver ran through his spine as goosebumps prickled his skin. Sweat trickled down his face, and each drop hit the ground with a
"Glenn had only seven swords in the past. I didn't expect that in just one year, two more divine swords would recognize him as their master. This punk is much better than I was back then," Cyrus remarked. He stroked his chin with a look of surprise and approval. He had always believed in Glenn's potential, but Glenn's performance had still exceeded his expectations.After all, the more swords Glenn wielded, the stronger he became. He had already topped the Legendary List with just seven swords. Now, with nine, his strength had grown even more overwhelming."He truly is the Chosen One." Even Kaden couldn't help but sigh.The nine divine swords recognized their master and responded with ease. Glenn's talent and cultivation were leagues ahead of his peers.Every generation brought forth new talent, and the old had no choice but to step aside for the new generation. Compared to their time, today's youth were on another level—monsters in their own right."Now, this is going to be int