Gage's words weighed heavily on Christopher and made everyone present uneasy. All eyes were focused on Christopher, the most influential person in the Murray family. His decision would decide the fate of the entire family."You insolent bastard!" Christopher thundered, his voice trembling with anger and frustration. He continued, "You attacked your brothers and threatened the family with such disgraceful actions! And now you dare to demand an explanation from me? Are you trying to play the victim?" He had always thought of Gage as his successor. Courageous, clever, and quick-witted—Gage could have led the family to greatness. Sadly, he had lost his way and caused an irreparable rift within the family.Christopher was angry and heartbroken."Father, you must understand that my actions were a response to your own," Gage replied with surprising composure. "Had you not driven my late wife to her tragic end, none of this would have happened.""Her death may be connected to me, but
"Yes, sir!"In response, a group of thugs brandished their weapons and advanced menacingly.The members of the Murray family panicked and quickly huddled together. Soldiers had always protected them in their privileged lives. But now, faced with this dangerous situation, they were completely lost.Suddenly, a series of silver needles darted through the air, freezing the dozen or so thugs in their tracks. Their weapons remained suspended in midair. "Who did this? Who's behind this?" Gage looked around, his face tense. "It was me," Dustin replied calmly. The moment he stood up, he immediately caught everyone's attention.The Murray family was in grave danger. The guests also felt threatened and hesitated to intervene. No one expected anyone to step forward."Who are you?" Gage eyed Dustin suspiciously."I'm a guest of the Murray family," Dustin replied calmly."This matter is none of your business. You better not interfere," Gage warned.Dustin shook his head slightly."I ow
The whole banquet hall fell into silence. All eyes were on Grimshade, who lay on the floor after just one punch from Dustin. Their eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Grimshade, renowned as a grandmaster martial artist from Eskus, was knocked to the ground by a single blow from Dustin. It left everyone baffled. How could it be possible? "Wow, that kid really packs a punch, huh?" "The skinny guy has it in him?""We shouldn't judge people by their looks."After a brief silence, a commotion broke out in the hall. What initially appeared as Dustin seeking trouble now seemed to be him hiding his incredible strength."Could he be … a grandmaster?" Caden wondered aloud, his eyes widened in shock.Moments ago, he had experienced Grimshade's immense power firsthand. One move and Caden was defeated, without a chance to defend himself. Seeing Dustin defeat Grimshade made Caden suspect that Dustin was at least a grandmaster. In the world of martial arts, only a grandmaster could def
Dustin's expression grew serious as he realized the gravity of the situation. He knew the Dragon Rope was one of the few things that could trap a grandmaster. Renowned for its incredible sturdiness, it could withstand blades and fire. Even a grandmaster would be helpless if tied up with it. However, it was a protected item of the Martial Arts Union. No ordinary person could get their hands on it."Yes, I wove this net from Dragon Rope. It was designed to immobilize grandmaster martial artists like you," Gage explained. He continued, "I kept this ace up my sleeve just in case, and it came in handy now. So, who do you think will emerge victorious?"It was clear to him that anyone below the grandmaster level was defenseless against the Dragon Rope, no matter how good they were."Oh no! Dustin is trapped, and there's no one who can stop Duskfang!" Caden's face turned pale.Dustin's earlier display of strength had given Caden hope. But he hadn't expected Gage to have another trick
"Huh?"At that moment, Dustin, Caden and Gage couldn't hide their amazement.The Murray family and their guests looked equally incredulous and surprised.When Duskfang began the attack, they feared for Christopher's safety. As a grandmaster, it should have been easy to defeat an elderly man. But, the outcome defied all expectations.Duskfang failed to hurt Christopher and paid the ultimate price. Christopher caught him in midair without a glance. He snapped Duskfang's neck with ease—a shocking display of power."Did I … Did I see that right? Duskfang … is dead?""Oh my goodness! To defeat a grandmaster in one move? That's incredible!""So, General Murray is the real powerhouse here. We underestimated him!"A brief silence filled the air, followed by a chorus of astonishment.The onlookers stared at Christopher, their faces a mix of awe and disbelief. It was inconceivable that an almost eighty-year-old general had such extraordinary powers."Hmph! Never underestimate your oppo
"You still refuse to see reason?" Christopher asked. "This woman has manipulated you, brainwashed you. Why do you trust her more than your own family?"Gage's face hardened as he shouted, "Enough! I cut ties with you five years ago. There is no more connection between us.""You … You're beyond saving!"Christopher felt despair rising inside him. He had told him everything, but Gage wouldn't listen. He couldn't understand why Gage was so reluctant to see the truth."Christopher! Maybe I underestimated your strength in the Murray family. But if you think you have the upper hand, you're wrong."A wry smile played around Gage's lips as he pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew it.The shrill sound immediately caused a commotion. Heavily armored guards stormed into the room. Their imposing appearance struck fear into the hearts of everyone present. These guards surpassed the earlier thugs in both strength and intimidation."These are my hand-picked death warriors. A team I've ca
The sudden appearance of the black-clad assassins caught everyone by surprise. The whole sequence, from their arrival to their swift attack and the brutal end, took place in the blink of an eye.In an instant, Gage's hand-picked death warriors were decapitated. The scene unfolded so rapidly that no one had time to register what was happening.Amid a chaotic clang of metal, Gage's death warriors fell to the ground without their heads. The black-clad assassins clearly outnumbered them. Then, the assassins awaited orders as they stood on either side with the severed heads."Huh?"Gage was speechless as he stared at his fallen warriors. He had never expected such a formidable force within the Murray household. His carefully laid plans had collapsed. It was a truly startling turn of events.Slowly approaching him, Christopher spoke in a measured tone. "Gage, you overestimated yourself and underestimated the strength of the Murray family. "Did you really think five years of planni
The explosion had thrown the banquet hall into chaos. Some guests had been seriously injured, while others had tragically lost their lives. The hall was now a pile of rubble, with cries of pain, blood, and body parts scattered about."Gage?"Christopher's heart raced as he surveyed the chaotic scene. Disoriented and injured, he ran toward the blast area to find his son.His desperate search for his son proved unsuccessful, and he found only the dismembered remains of Gage. The explosion left his son unrecognizable, with only a bloody head."Gage! Gage!"Christopher held his son's mutilated body and wept bitterly. He was overcome with emotion. "Why? Why did you do this? Why were you so stupid? Why?"He couldn't understand why Gage had taken such a drastic step and even ended his life for revenge.Pain, regret, anger, and despair overwhelmed Christopher at that moment.His beloved son was gone, and his promising successor was dead. The entire Murray residence lay in ruins, all
Glenn wasn't just skilled in swordsmanship, but his technique was also flawless. Every strike was unpredictable, relentless, and impossible to block. His attacks came in waves, and each one was stronger than the last.What made him even more terrifying were the six divine swords that obeyed his every command. They were like extensions of his will. The swords threw Dustin off balance, attacking from every direction and blocking any chance of escape. They moved in perfect sync with Glenn and left no room for counterattacks.Dustin had no choice but to dodge and parry. If not for his incredible agility and mastery of the sword, he wouldn't have lasted more than a few breaths.Even so, the pressure was overwhelming. It felt like he wasn't just facing Glenn but six or seven skilled opponents at once. Any slip in focus, or any opening, could be his last.The real challenge was that Dustin wasn't gaining any ground. While he had to stay focused on dodging and blocking, he also had to se
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