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
"Hey kid, how was it? I came at just the right time, didn't I?"On the car ride back, the Drunken Maniac crossed his legs leisurely while chugging on a bottle of alcohol."They couldn't have done anything to me even if you hadn't come." Dustin shrugged."Oh, come on. Quit acting strong." The Drunken Maniac gave him a quick once over before he pursed his lips. "You used the secret Rhys technique to forcibly boost your cultivation. Now that the time is up, there's bound to be a recoil. Had I not shown up in time, you'd probably have died here today."Though the secret Rhys technique allowed one to forcibly boost their cultivation, there was a huge price to pay for it.It could deplete one's vitality or greatly weaken the person's body. If the person who used it was captured by his foes in his weakest state, it was highly likely that he might die."Pretty observant, old man."Dustin chuckled. Seeing that there was no point hiding things any longer, he pulled a silver needle out o
"Old man! What nonsense! You're the one incapable in that area! I am a champion at that!" Dustin was a little flustered.He got too emotional, and as a result, he started gasping heavily as he spoke. With his pale face, he was the very picture of being weak."Fine, you're the champion. I know that already. Don't get too excited." The Drunken Maniac nodded his head indifferently in an attempt to pacify him. "Regardless, this is a very rare piece of treasure. Just keep it for emergencies, alright?" He slid the bottle of medicine into Dustin's pocket as he spoke."You—" Dustin felt insulted. As he was about to explode, he started coughing violently."It's alright. Stop talking. I get what you're trying to say." The Drunken Maniac gave Dustin a pat on the back. He then turned and said, "I have to leave now. I still have a flight to catch. Remember to take the medicine on time so you'll have a child soon!"With that said, the Drunken Maniac disappeared in a flash."Take care, old
"Ever since a new leader took over the Harmon family, the family bowed to the Grant family. They even took over the Harmon family's properties. I think Tyler Grant will show his true colors soon after the engagement." Natasha's expression became serious.The dispute within the Harmon family brought about bad blood among the brothers. Families were now enemies. It was a serious crisis in the family. Fortunately, she foresaw this. She had transferred the properties under her name to Oakvale. By doing so, she had protected some of the family's foundation."Natasha, speaking of the Harmon family, what does your father think of all this?" Dustin asked. With Hector's network and reputation, he had a high chance of winning if he decided to fight back."My father is still trying his best to salvage the situation. He's trying to talk some sense into my uncles. However, I don't think it's working." Natasha shook her head.Her father was a good man. Too good to a fault, in fact. He wa
Trent and Kate stood beside him meekly. They didn't dare to make any noise, and they appeared pitiful.When they were captured by the Dark Panther Cavalry, they were released in just two days. From what they could deduce, Tyler must have convinced the Scarlet Warrior to let them go. This was enough to prove that they had placed their loyalty on the right person."Our engagement is tomorrow. Is everything ready?" Tyler finally spoke after finishing one round of chess."Well …" Trent's expression froze when he heard that, and he instinctively looked at his daughter."Tyler, we almost succeeded. But Dustin Rhys, that bastard, ruined our plan and captured us." Kate cursed as she explained."That's enough. I don't want to hear excuses." Tyler threw them an icy glance.He continued, "I want to see results, not the process. According to our deal, you'll get me the treasure map, and I'll give you my support to rise to power. "After that, we'll unite our families by marriage and achie
Trent had already lost his son. He didn't want to sacrifice his daughter's happiness and future as well. As such, he wouldn't mind being the bad guy, even if it meant betraying his brother."Dad! I knew you had it in you!" Kate was very happy when Trent agreed to her plan. "I believe we can solve any issue when we work together as father and daughter!" Everything else would fall into place once she had convinced her father."Kate, I accept your idea on one condition. You can't put your uncle's life in danger." Trent gave her a stern warning."Don't worry, Dad. I'm only doing it for the treasure map. If Uncle Hector surrenders the map to us, I won't hurt him, of course," Kate promised immediately. However, if he refused to cooperate, they couldn't blame her if she decided to be inhumane."Very well, I feel a lot better with your guarantee." Trent nodded.He continued, "Anyway, we still have another problem. There's a very competent martial artist protecting Hector in secret. Wi
"This punk's a real pain in the ass!"Connor glanced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.The squad he had sent to intercept Axel was completely outmaneuvered, and they couldn't get anywhere near him.To Connor's dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal flares as he pursued them. Each flare gave away their position. At this rate, it didn't matter which direction they ran—they were bound to be intercepted."Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly," Warrick ordered decisively."If we leave, who's going to protect you?" Connor hesitated.Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal."If you don't take out that fly, I'll be in even more danger. Get moving now!" Warrick snapped."Yes, sir!"Connor and Dave exchanged a glance before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.They both knew what was at stake. If they didn't take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and do
"Kill them all!"At Warrick's command, the Red Legion charged without hesitation. Blades flashed as they stormed toward the elite enforcement unit.This time, nearly a thousand Red Legion soldiers arrived. With their sheer numbers, they launched a pincer attack from both flanks, leaving the enemy with no way to fend it off."Form the Shield Formation!" Axel shouted upon seeing the dire situation. His men immediately sheathed their blades and raised their shields to form a defensive line. Their pursuit had cut them off from the main force. Since they were up against an enemy ten times their size, forming a defensive line was their best option.If they could stall for even a moment, reinforcements from the castle would arrive, and the tide would turn in their favor. Once that happened, the thousand-strong Red Legion would be the ones on the defensive.After a brief charge, the two forces collided.Warrick had personally trained the Red Legion. He selected only the most loyal and
Axel had no time to hesitate. He lunged forward and grabbed the overturned Dragon-Binding Net. Then, he used every ounce of his strength to pin Warrick down again."Get over here! We have to keep him restrained."As the net strained under Warrick's sheer power, Axel let out a roar and pushed his cultivation to the limit. His veins bulged and blood pounded in his ears. He threw every last bit of strength into holding Warrick down.For now, he managed to pin Warrick down, but the elite enforcement unit on the other side wasn't faring well. Warrick thrashed wildly, sending more than a dozen men swinging through the air. Some slammed into trees, while others crashed into walls. Within moments, the Dragon-Binding Net flipped over again.Several elite enforcement units tried to rush in and help, but they barely got close before getting hit by their own airborne comrades and sent flying.Against Warrick's Divine Strength, they were utterly outmatched. The regular guards didn't stand a
If Warrick had been at his peak, Axel might have been more cautious. But with Tranqurin coursing through his vein, Warrick had barely a fraction of his usual strength left. His power was still fading, and Axel wasn't about to waste the opportunity. He had to capture Warrick while he had the chance."Get the hell out of my way!"As the enforcers closed in, Warrick let out a furious roar and slammed his massive fist into the floor.With a loud explosion, the earth shook violently. The ground within dozens of yards cracked and caved in, splitting apart like a spiderweb. A powerful shockwave tore through the air, sending dirt flying and walls shattering. The entire meeting room collapsed into ruins.The elite enforcers, caught in the blast, were flung backward like ragdolls. They crashed to the ground, disoriented and battered. Even Axel was thrown back more than ten yards.Warrick panted heavily, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Forcing his internal energy into action had only
Austin's words were strong and commanding, each one landing like a thunderclap.Warrick felt the weight of his presence. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the so-called evidence on the floor, showing no sign of panic or guilt. Instead, he said indifferently, "Your Highness, these dead men were nothing more than ants. Is this really worth making such a fuss over? I doubt you haven't killed anyone before."As the old saying went, the higher one climbed, the heavier one's purse. Warrick had clawed his way up, risking his life at every step for the sake of rising above the masses. Everyone had their own desires—some sought fame, others fortune. Some were greedy for money, some for power, and others reveled in the adoration of the masses. To achieve those things, one inevitably had to engage in shady dealings. It was an unspoken rule among officials, and Warrick saw nothing wrong with it."Ants?" Austin sneered. "Without these 'ant
The ashen-faced Huxley was dragged away. With his crimes exposed, his fate was sealed. His entire family would be implicated, and their assets would be seized.Those guilty would be punished, and even those who had merely benefited from his corruption would be held accountable. To put it bluntly, Huxley's entire family was about to be annihilated.Austin issued his next order once the bloodstains were cleaned up. "Axel, it's time to bring in the mastermind."With Huxley dealt with, the next step was to confront Warrick. Unlike Huxley, Warrick wouldn't be easy to deal with. After all, he commanded a large number of troops. If backed into a corner, he could become a major threat."Understood!" Axel responded respectfully, then turned to his subordinates. "Gather more men and come with me."Warrick had earned his prestigious position through years of fierce battles. On the battlefield, he was a one-man army, a warrior capable of taking on thousands. His strength was beyond what mos
"You bastard! With all this evidence in front of you, what do you have to say for yourself?" Austin barked."Your Highness, please let me explain…" Huxley broke out in a cold sweat, his voice trembling with panic."This is a lie. Someone's trying to frame me! I've always followed the law—how could I possibly be involved in something so vile?""The evidence is right in front of you, and you're still trying to weasel out of it?" Austin shot back. "Looks like you won't confess until death is knocking at your door."He raised his hand and ordered, "Guards, throw him into Grimhold Keep. Use whatever means necessary—let's see how long he keeps up this act.""Yes, Your Highness."A squad of enforcement team members rushed in and surrounded Huxley.Cornered, Huxley finally lost his nerve. He dropped to his knees with a thud and begged, "Your Highness, I admit I made a grave mistake."His voice cracked as he continued, "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. Please, for the sake of my y
Night had fallen. Austin sat in the meeting room, quietly reading a book as he waited for the results of the investigation.After successfully turning Percival against his allies, it was only a matter of time before they uncovered solid evidence of Warrick and Huxley's crimes.For years, the castle had turned a blind eye to their shady dealings. After all, corruption among officials was nothing new.But this time was different. The two had secretly orchestrated Jovian's murder, a direct challenge to the authority and dignity of the royal family. Such defiance couldn't be ignored. If Austin didn't set an example, others would surely follow."Your Highness!"Axel burst into the meeting room, panting heavily. He had clearly run the whole way to avoid any delay.Austin set his book aside and asked calmly, "Well? How did it go?""Your Highness, we've completely shut down all of Warrick and Huxley's illicit operations. Every hidden network they had built over the years has also been d
At that moment, Percival truly panicked. Earlier, he had only worried about being implicated. But now, faced with such a serious accusation, he was completely caught off guard."Hmph! The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare deny it? Do you want me to torture the truth out of you?" Austin barked."Your Highness, I'm innocent!" Percival was so terrified he was on the verge of tears. He raised his hand and swore, "If I had anything to do with Jovian's death, may I be damned for eternity.""If swearing oaths proved innocence, we wouldn't need an enforcement team," Austin said coldly. "Out of respect for your years of service to West Lucozia, I'll give you a chance to come clean and receive a lighter sentence. Tell the truth now, or I'll throw you into Grimhold Keep."At the mention of Grimhold Keep, Percival began to shake uncontrollably. Tears and snot ran down his face as he wailed, "Your Highness, I swear I didn't do anything. Who's the bastard making up these accusations?