With all eyes on him, Dustin suddenly lifted his blade and cut Ronald's head off.Everything had happened without warning, and he did it without any hesitation.With the slashing of his blade, one of the greatest leaders in the martial world was slain. He had been one of the best martial artists in the Balerno martial world! Dustin's actions were so swift that Ronald's head was already at his feet while he remained standing.His expression was one of shock, fear, and, for the most part, disbelief.Even until death, Ronald did not expect Dustin to dare cross the Martial Arts Union. To kill a person was a serious violation of their regulations."He … He really killed him? Am I mistaken?""Mad! He's gone utterly mad! How dare he commit murder when the head of the Martial Arts Union is present? That's outrageous!""How brutal! He's trading life for life!""In all my years, I've never seen anyone challenge the Martial Arts Union like him! The brat is so ignorant that he doesn't fe
More and more guilds joined in on the mission to kill Dustin.At a glance, the place was jam-packed with people. The arena was so tightly surrounded that there was no way out.In an instant, Dustin became the enemy of the entire martial world. He was now a villain that everyone was out to get rid of.Ronald had been the leader of the Balerno martial arts alliance for many years. He was well-received and respected by all, with a strong following that rallied behind his every call. Now that he'd been murdered, it was a given that they'd all be angered.But of course, the most important reason behind their agitation was that the Martial Arts Union had now declared Dustin a criminal.No matter what, Dustin would have to pay for what he had done. That was how things were in the martial world."Dustin! You have ignored our laws and committed a heinous crime! Surrender immediately and follow me to receive your punishment! "If you do not, you shall be killed on the spot!" Woody roare
Dustin stood on the stage with his sword in hand. He alone was enough to intimidate all the other martial artists. They all stood around hesitantly, not daring to be the first ones to make a move.But such a reaction from them angered Woody to no end."Hey! What are you all afraid of? Powerful as he may be, he's just one person!"If you all attacked at once, you can easily slash him into pieces!"Seeing that he failed to stir a reaction among them, Woody turned his attention to the leaders of the various guilds. He started calling them out one by one, "Sir Crane, Sir Williams, Father Orson, Sir Rosen, and Sir Bilmet."As leaders of the martial arts scene, you should stand up and be role models for the rest. Lead your disciples and get rid of the criminal!""Uh …" When they heard what Woody said, Theodore and the rest looked around awkwardly.They could hype others up and support the Martial Arts Union verbally. But they'd think twice about putting their lives on the line an
Woody was not the only one surprised. Even Theodore and all the other martial artists present were shocked by what the one-eyed old man did.Several of them were grandmasters with extraordinarily heightened senses. Nothing that went on around them went by undetected.However, none of them noticed the old man until he appeared before their eyes. It was beguiling indeed!And the most terrifying part was that they did not sense the slightest energy waves coming from him. He looked just like any other old man.But how could an ordinary old man intercept Woody's shot? That was clearly impossible!There was only one possibility as to why they could not sense his powers.And that was because the old man's powers were way beyond theirs!"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Martial Arts Union?" Woody's brow was knitted as he roared.It was bad enough for them to have to deal with Dustin. It would only get increasingly difficult for them to deal with this elite expert
Woody was scared out of his wits. He trembled in fear.The Drunken Maniac's appearance had unleashed his deepest, darkest fear.Ten years ago, he was just a small fry in the Martial Arts Union.He was full of fighting spirit the night he received the mission to capture the criminals. Beyond excited, he thought that would be his one chance to prove himself. He was going to make a name for himself.But it wasn't until they reached the battlefield that he realized how cruel reality was. He saw with his own eyes how his comrades were shredded into pieces.He saw how his leader was beheaded.And he saw how all the experts he had looked up to were murdered. They had all been utterly defenseless against their opponents and were killed upon contact.He was thoroughly traumatized by the bloody and gory scenes that had unfolded before his eyes. To this very day, those scenes still haunt his every nightmare. He would shake involuntarily every time he was reminded of what happened.
His absent-minded actions carried a certain sense of authority. After all, that piece of booger held enough power to give a grandmaster a lethal blow."Lord Drunken Maniac, it was all a misunderstanding. We do not mean to offend you."The guildmaster of the Deathly Hurricane was quick to react. He quickly showed his respect."He's right! We were only taking orders from the Martial Arts Union! We had no choice!"Please forgive us, Lord Drunken Maniac," the leader of the Starry Arches immediately followed suit and apologized."Hey! Why are you all just standing there? Put your weapons down! I'll make you pay if you hurt Rhys in any way!"The leader of the Nephrite Sun took things to another level. He berated all the martial artists around him, pretending to protect Dustin.The rest of them finally snapped back to the present as they put their weapons away. All the tension in the air instantly dissipated.Even the leader of the Martial Arts Union had run away. Who else dared to ac
The Drunken Maniac's presence brought about a major change of events.Just the previous second, Dustin had been the collective enemy of the entire alliance. And the next second, he was nominated as the alliance leader, to be revered by all. For a moment, things seemed to be looking up for him.But Dustin remained expressionless. He looked on coldly at all the martial artists who were acting respectfully to him. There was not the slightest hint of excitement or joy in his eyes. It all looked ridiculously ironic to him how things were.Apart from a handful of righteous ones among them, most of the remaining martial artists were fence-sitters who shifted their allegiance based on the circumstances.They had just been clamoring to slay him moments ago. And now, they were all cheering for him. Their instant change in attitude was ridiculous to him.As for the position of the alliance leader, he had absolutely no interest in it. He had challenged Ronald solely for revenge and to see
"Let's go, Drunken Maniac. Let's get a drink together."After putting the Celestial Pearl away safely, Dustin ignored the rest of them and walked down the stage with the Celestial Blade in hand.The crowd made way for him wherever he went.Dustin's incredible performance today had gained everyone's respect. Many of them could not understand why he refused to be the leader of the alliance. But, for now, it seemed like a good thing.That was especially so with all the guildmasters dying and ready to fight for the position.An upheaval was bound to happen in the martial world. And it will happen soon."Oh, right …"Dustin stopped in his tracks at the thought of something. He turned to look straight at Quincey. "I almost forgot. I've got this pain to deal with.""You … What do you want?" Quincey's expression changed immediately as panic flashed in his eyes."From the moment I set foot here, you've been dying to kill me. I'm afraid I won't be able to get any sleep knowing that such
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