The guests gasped in astonishment. They were shocked to see Dexter falling flat on his face.No one had expected that to happen to the magnificent and arrogant Dexter.Though he had a horrible reputation, no one doubted his abilities. No ordinary person could become a Four-star Marshal or be known as a Chaos Demon.With Dexter's abilities, he had no problem defeating ten, or even a hundred men, single-handedly.For an impressive general with a fearsome reputation to fall in such a humiliating manner, it was truly embarrassing. The powerful image that he used to carry was now completely ruined."What's going on? Why did Dexter suddenly fall?"Cody stared with wide eyes, not comprehending what had happened. Everything had happened so quickly that he did not catch what transpired."An accident … It must have been an accident!" Harper took a deep breath and began to convince herself that it had just been an accident.How could someone like Dustin be a Four-star marshal's opponent?
Dustin was already being nice by not hurting him, hoping that Dexter would retreat. However, he didn't expect him to be this persistent. Dexter looked ready to fight till the very end. It seemed that he had to show Dexter who had the upper hand by giving him a real fight.At that thought, Dustin decided to fight back for real and sent a punch right away. It was a simple yet brutal punch.With a loud explosion, Dustin punched through the powerful Infinite Shadow Fist. A surge of energy erupted, sending Dexter flying several yards away. He fell with a heavy thud and couldn't even get up.Dexter spit out a mouthful of blood as soon as he landed, and his face turned pale. He was in so much pain that it felt as if all his bones had been dislocated. He couldn't even muster the energy to turn over."What?" Everyone was in an uproar when they saw that. All of them widened their eyes in disbelief. When Dexter decided to use his killer move, everyone thought that Dustin's fate was sealed
"Huh?" Dexter, who had been firing shots, saw something flash before his eyes. Dustin suddenly reappeared in front of him. He was unbelievably fast, given the fact that he was already quite far away when he pulled the trigger."You … are courting death!" Dexter's expression changed when he heard a cold and stern voice beside his ear. He lifted his gun and wanted to fire another shot. However, before he could pull the trigger, Dustin held his wrist and gave it a tight squeeze. With a loud crack, Dexter's wrist limped downward immediately, and his fingers let go of the gun lifelessly."Ah!" After he recovered from his shock, Dexter let out a loud cry. Dustin gave him another punch in the stomach as he wailed.He spit out another mouthful of blood. Dexter was like a ballistic missile when he was sent flying several yards away. He then slammed into the wall heavily, and it cracked in several places upon impact. His body was stuck to the wall momentarily before sliding down slo
The fear of death enveloped him."Don't … don't kill me … Today was a misunderstanding," Dexter croaked and spoke with great difficulty. At that moment, he was really scared. When death was upon him, he couldn't care less about his status and dignity anymore. If he could live, he would gladly renounce all those. He still had a good life before him, and he could enjoy endless riches. He didn't have to risk his life unnecessarily."Mr. Dexter, don't be afraid! That guy wouldn't dare do anything to you. He's just trying to intimidate you!" Harper tried to comfort him."Intimidate?" Dexter's mouth twitched, and he was almost tempted to start swearing. His chest was this close to being crushed by Dustin. How was that just intimidation?"Mr. Dexter, please hold on! I've already called for backup. When they arrive, Dustin won't be able to escape!" Harper continued to encourage him."Stupid motherfucker! Could you please shut up?" Dexter swore in his heart. His life now depended on
Dexter took big gulps of air as he broke out in cold sweat. He felt as if he had survived an apocalypse. Never in his dreams did he think that Natasha's boy toy could be this strong. He was also ruthless and had no fear of the Fallon family. Was he ignorantly arrogant? Or did he have a powerful backing?"Mr. Dexter, are you alright?" At this time, Cody and Harper finally dared to walk up to him to check if he was alright and to show him their loyalty. They shouted at Dustin just to please him. If they could take this opportunity to become his confidantes, they would finally have the chance to join the elite social circle. They were very close to living the easy life they had dreamed of for so long!"Mr. Dexter, there was nothing you should be afraid of. You could have continued fighting till the very end. I don't think he would have done anything to hurt you!" Harper pointed her chin toward Dustin with an arrogant and disgusted look. In her opinion, he was just feigning bra
This had never happened before.Cody and Harper were speechless. They looked at each other in defeat. They had no idea that Dexter, the person they'd been trying their best to bootlick, could be this useless. He actually apologized publicly because the boy toy threatened him.What an embarrassment! It looked like the Chaos Demon was nothing but a title. Natasha quietly observed the whole event unfolding with a smile on her face. It was true that Dustin was unyielding. He'd never let these rich playboys have their way."How do you propose to compensate me for my emotional distress?" Dustin asked. "Why don't you give me a price?" Dexter replied."I can see that the Fallon family is quite wealthy. How about three million?" Dustin said calmly."What? Three million? This is daylight robbery!" Harper yelled in surprise."Dustin Rhys! You're asking for too much!" Cody said with a gloomy expression.Was this guy crazy? Besides injuring Dexter, he was now asking for a compensation
Dexter was confused by the sudden slap. He was too shocked to react. Everyone else present was astounded as well. They had no idea what was happening. Didn't Dante come to protect Dexter? Why would he slap his nephew as soon as he saw him?"Uncle Dante, why did you slap me?" Dexter looked aggrieved as he held his burning cheek. Out in public, he was the Chaos Demon. However, he was just a terrified mouse before Dante. After all, his uncle was the one who gave him everything he had today."Hmph! Don't you have the faintest clue why I slapped you? How many fucking times have I told you? You can do whatever you want outside, be it picking a fight or finding faults."Whatever it is, the sky is practically your limit because you have the backing of the Fallon family! My only request is to never lose a fight!"The Fallon family will not tolerate losers nor cowards! You're a freaking Four-star Marshal, and you let a boy toy defeat you? "You're such an embarrassment to the Fallon f
"Have we? I don't remember anything." Dustin replied calmly."Let me ask you, do you know who I am?" Dante asked another question."I just found out you're Dante Fallon, a Cardinal Dragon Marshal," Dustin replied."If you already know my title, why aren't you afraid?" Dante was a little curious. Normal people would be trembling in fear whenever they saw him. And yet, this guy before him was calm and collected. It was as if he didn't care about him. Was he a fool? Or did he have a strong backing?"Why should I be afraid?" Dustin replied calmly, "Oakvale is not a lawless place. Your nephew wanted to fight, and he lost. Everyone here witnessed it. "Besides, the Fallon family is an ancient house in Oakvale. Are you trying to turn the heat on me based on your status?""Haha, smarty pants." Dante narrowed his eyes. Then, he said, "But you're right. Dexter lost because he was useless. The Fallon family will not intimidate the weak just because we're strong. Nevertheless, I can't
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