The most infuriating thing was that Eleanor showed up in front of Ezra and her friend with benefits! That was a blatant provocation!"Eleanor, why have I never met this best friend of yours?" Ezra took a deep breath to suppress his anger."Do I need your permission to have friends now?" Eleanor asked flatly. "Besides, you have some girl friends whom I've never met before, too.""I—" Ezra wanted to retort but found nothing he could say. He knew what this was about now. This woman was intentionally pissing him off to get back at him."What a rare occasion that we're all gathered here today, Eleanor. Here, have a drink."Seeing that things were starting to look ugly, Sheehan forced a smile and tried to diffuse the situation."I don't drink." Eleanor refused frostily."Oh, that's alright. You can just have some fruit juice, then. Anything that suits your taste."Sheehan chuckled deferentially before turning to give a waiter some orders. A while later, the waiter returned with a
"Dustin, they're planning something. You can just ignore them," Eleanor swiftly advised Dustin against it.She had volunteered herself because she was sure Sheehan wouldn't dare try anything dirty with her. But if it was Dustin, she couldn't be sure that they wouldn't make a fool out of him."Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Dustin smiled at Eleanor before looking at Sheehan. "How should I assist you, Mr. Crock?""It's easy. I need a drop of your blood and a few strands of your hair. After that, just wait for my cue." Sheehan grinned."Sure." Dustin nodded and pulled out a silver needle to prick his index finger. Then, he squeezed a drop of his blood into an empty glass.Next, he plucked a few strands of hair and dropped them into the cup. "Will this do?" he asked."Yes, this will do." Sheehan grinned impishly and gave Ezra a look.Ezra nodded with a smile and relaxed on the couch, looking like he was ready to enjoy a show. He knew very well what Sheehan was capable of
"Don't worry, Eleanor, we're just having fun. We won't do anything to him," Ezra soothed."Hmph! You'd better not!" Eleanor frowned but held herself backShe was just worried that she might hurt Dustin if she acted rashly."Hey Crock, is he truly under your control now?" one of the ladies asked."Of course!" Sheehan grinned arrogantly. "He's nothing more than a walking corpse now. He doesn't feel pain and won't have any memories of what's happening."He will do whatever I ask without questioning and never remember doing it after this.""Really? Well, can you get him to hit himself, then?" the lady asked eagerly."Sure." Sheehan smirked as he turned to Dustin and ordered, "Now, slap yourself across the face with your hand.""Sheehan! You—" Eleanor was just about to stop them, but Dustin had already lifted his hand. Then, under the astonished looks of everyone present, he slapped Sheehan.The slap sent Sheehan staggering backward. He felt the world spinning, and blood bega
"Damn it! What's going on? Has he gone mad?"Ezra's brows were tightly knit as he looked at Dustin, who looked like he had been possessed. But Ezra dared not go near him because he was afraid he'd be slapped too.Ezra quickly shouted, "Sheehan! The guy's gone mad! Quick! Break the spell!""Ter-ter-terminate!"Sheehan promptly tore the talisman off Dustin's chest as he endured the immense pain he was in. The next moment, Dustin shuddered and stopped moving.Everyone let out a long sigh of relief. It was finally over.Damn it! The bastard truly had the strength of a bull once he lost control. No ordinary man could hold him back!"What happened?" After taking several deep breaths, Dustin slowly opened his eyes. With a look of confusion on his face, he asked, "What just happened?"He looked around him, looking bewildered. "Hey … What happened to all your faces?"The few young men who had been slapped gritted their teeth in annoyance. Though they were fuming inwardly, they co
"Alright, that's it for today." Eleanor stood up slowly, glanced at Ezra, and deliberately said, "I'm going to have lunch with Dustin. We'll get going now. You guys have fun." As she said that, she held Dustin's arm and sashayed out of the VIP room.The people left behind looked at each other, upset. The good mood earlier had been ruined completely."Sheehan, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Ezra checked his injuries and realized that Sheehan was in bad shape. His face had been disfigured. Originally, he was already not good-looking, but now he looked worse."Fuck! That bastard was vicious! I've never been humiliated this badly!" Sheehan gritted his remaining teeth in anger."I just wanted you to play a trick on that guy. Who knew you'd be embarrassing yourself instead?" Ezra shook his head. Sheehan shouldn't have embarrassed himself by showing off if he wasn't that skilled."That's weird. The occult spells that I used to control others would always work. I don't kno
"Hahaha! Dustin, I almost died laughing when you started slapping Sheehan. Granted that he's fat, but he looked so swollen!" As they left the Imperial Oasis Club, Eleanor laughed uncontrollably. Her depressed mood disappeared in an instant.She initially brought Dustin over to provoke Ezra, which worked surprisingly well. Not only did he get back at that jerk, but Dustin even taught his unsavory companions a lesson. It was very satisfying."After all, they brought it upon themselves. If they didn't have the intention to do any harm, I wouldn't have beaten them up." Dustin smiled calmly."What do we call it? Cutting off your nose to spite your face!" Eleanor started laughing again. She clearly knew that Sheehan wanted to play a trick on Dustin. It was too bad that he wasn't very skilled and lost control. Instead of pranking Dustin successfully, his plan backfired. This was just cosmic justice."They are all bad people. You should distance yourself from them if you can." Dust
"Caitlyn's here with me as well," Maximus replied."After Mr. Jones left, Caitlyn's quite lonely at home. That's why I brought her along for a little adventure. "We haven't been to Oakvale. We heard it was a great place and wanted to see it for ourselves.""Oakvale may be a great place, but it also has its dark sides. You wouldn't even know it if someone sold you out," Dustin said helplessly."That's why we have you, Dustin. We have nothing to be afraid of." Maximus laughed heartily."That's enough. Stop flattering me. Where are you now?" Dustin asked."Oh, we just got off the train. We're at the south station," Maximus replied."Wait there. I'm coming to get you." After the call ended, Dustin asked the driver to turn around and headed straight to the south station.The car stopped at the south station after an hour."Dustin! Over here!"Dustin saw Maximus and Caitlyn waving happily to him as soon as he exited the car. They had a lot of luggage with them. Looking at them,
Dustin didn't force Caitlyn to stay at the five-star hotel. Instead, he took them to another suburb further away from the city and bought a bungalow there. It was fully furnished with two stories and a small garden. They could move in right away after paying for the house.Dustin had been thinking about it. He knew staying at hotels or renting rooms would be inconvenient as he planned to stay longer in Oakvale. With that, he bought a bungalow to make things easier. He had a lot of money anyway.Caitlyn felt much better once they moved into the bungalow. She was glad to find out that it was a good investment, as the property prices around Oakvale were on the rise. Besides, they could save more by cooking at home. It was a sweet deal.Once the house had been paid for, Dustin took both of them to buy daily necessities and showed them around the neighborhood. It was already nightfall when they finally settled in the new house.Dustin and Maximus were both starving at the end
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