"Grace, there shouldn't be anyone else disturbing me tonight, right?" Dustin asked as he leaned back into his seat. The repeated disturbances had left him mentally exhausted. Each time he attempted to return home and get some sleep, someone would block his way, making him feel like a jumpy rabbit. Even though he was on the verge of exhaustion, he dared not close his eyes. He was afraid of being rudely awakened once he did, as that made it more unbearable. Dustin compared it to the feeling of being interrupted while in the middle of relieving himself."Why? Have you not earned enough?" Grace chuckled."Though making money is important, my life takes precedence. I'm truly exhausted. All I want to do now is sleep," Dustin said, rubbing his tired eyes."Don't worry. The only ones worthy of vying for the throne tonight were the three princes who approached you. My other brothers fall a bit short in various aspects and won't be joining in on the fun," Grace assured."Great." Dustin
"Now, imagine yourself lying on the serene sea, gently swaying with the waves. A soft breeze whispers by your ears, dancing through your hair."It was as if Grace's soothing voice was imbued with magic. After only a few words, Dustin drifted into a deep slumber, snoring loudly. "That was fast." Grace chuckled. She scooted over to Dustin and supported his head with her shoulder. At the same time, she held his chin with one hand to prevent him from suddenly falling. Their vehicle continued to move at a steady speed. However, instead of heading to Dustin's villa, it traveled to an unfamiliar place. …Dustin had a very long dream. In his dream, he stood alone on the battlefield as the corpses by his feet piled up like mountains, and the land was stained a bloody red. There was not a living soul in sight, leaving only a desolate scene. It was as if he was the only person left in the world. Everyone was lying in the pool of blood, including his family, his friends, and his enem
"Kill me?" Dustin frowned. "Was it someone from the Dragon Guard?" He and the Dragon Guard were now sworn enemies, so the remnants of the Dragon Guard would not let him go easily. "We're still not sure for now." Grace shook her head. "We were ambushed that night. However, I was prepared and already moved you to a different vehicle. Fortunately, everything went well.""It must have been the remnants of the Dragon Guard." Audible cracks could be heard as Dustin stretched lazily. He sighed, "Thankfully, you were quick-witted. Otherwise, I would have been in danger.""Since I brought you to the palace, it is my duty to keep you safe." Grace chuckled lightly. "Besides, you're now a key figure in the limelight. If anything were to happen to you, Dragonmarsh would be thrown into chaos.""Your Royal Highness, please stop putting pressure on me. I'm just a normal guy without grand ambitions. You'd better not place your expectations on me," Dustin said with a yawn.Even though he had
"What did you say?" Grace was taken aback, thinking she had heard Dustin wrong. "Honestly, I think you'd be great as Queen, and the King probably agrees. That is why, if you're interested, I'll represent the West Lucozian monarchy and back you fully," Dustin said with a smile."Logan, stop joking! It's not funny." Grace's tone grew serious. "I'm just a woman. I'm not qualified to sit on the throne. The monarchy would never accept me.""So what if you're a woman?" Dustin asked. He continued seriously, "Who said women weren't allowed to ascend to the throne? Queen Mary I is an example. "Even though you're a little younger than when she became queen, you still have space to grow. As long as you're willing to work hard, I don't see a problem." "Logan, I appreciate your trust in me, but the thought never crossed my mind. So, please abandon that idea," Grace refused firmly. Throughout history, there have only been a handful of queens. And even then, everything aligned perfectly f
After a hearty meal, Dustin took his leave. There was a pile of things he had to attend to after sleeping for two days and one night. Thus, he had to head back quickly to make arrangements. Before he got into the car, Grace suddenly called out to him. She warned, "Logan, the cards told me last night that you're not entirely out of danger now. You have to be careful.""Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. I'll get going now," Dustin replied as he nodded. His car took off in a haste. In the car, he called Natasha to assure her of his safety. Then, he proceeded to brief Adam and Scarlet about what had happened.He told them to prepare the Spanner family for the fight over the throne. Once the fight began, the entire government would be involved. As one of the ancient houses, it was simply impossible for the Spanner family to stay out of this. After an hour, Dustin was back at the mansion. Caitlyn was cooking while Cinna and Brooke were doing ink painting. With his eyes close
The Regal Court wasn't brimming with activity as it usually was. It seemed pretty deserted. It was even more so on the second floor since the entire floor was reserved. Outsiders weren't allowed to enter. After Dustin disclosed his identity, he led Cinna and Maximus upstairs. Meanwhile, only a man was seated in the VIP lounge on the second floor. He was dressed in all black, and everything about him was plain. His looks and physique were extremely ordinary, even more so for his demeanor. There was nothing unique about him. No one would pay any attention to him if he stood in a crowd. "Your Highness!"The moment he saw Dustin, he immediately knelt with one knee on the ground and lowered his head. "Who are you?" Dustin asked airily. "I'm Rodrigo, the prince's personal guard. When he found out that you were in trouble, he sent me over to assist you," Rodrigo stated with his head hung low. "His personal guard?"Dustin's gaze swept across the man and questioned him again
"Two weeks at least? The longest being one year? What happened?"Dustin was so stunned that he could barely react. There was a horrified look in his eyes. Although he resented Rufus, he was still his father. When he heard that he didn't have much time left, a wave of panic suddenly washed through him. With only a few family members left, he couldn't imagine how he was supposed to face Rufus' death if he was gone. "Is this news reliable?" Dustin asked in a hushed tone. He tried to keep his composure, yet his fists were clenched tight under the table. "Your Highness, not a lot of people are aware of it now, but it's definitely true. Even if the prince doesn't want me to tell you, I thought you should have the right to know," Rodrigo replied with his head hung low."The prince has always been healthy. Why did things suddenly turn out this way?""Throughout the past decade, the prince has been working too hard! Not only does he have to watch over West Lucozia to prevent the sa
They were a team of warriors who triumphed in the dark. Each of them was precious and should be protected at all costs."Thank you very much for your understanding, Your Highness." Rodrigo heaved a sigh of relief. Given Dustin's special status, a lot of people had been keeping a close eye on him. They would be easily exposed if all the undercover agents gathered together. "You should be familiar with what's going on in the monarchy. Tell me, what is the current situation?" Dustin asked again. "Your Highness, it's—"Just as Rodrigo was about to speak, a series of hurried footsteps was heard downstairs. They exchanged glances and immediately grew vigilant. Before they could even act, a horde of masked assassins charged at them, each with a fierce look in their eyes. Given their formidable presence, they were clearly not ordinary men. The one taking the lead was dressed in red, and he was accompanied by another four individuals dressed in white. The rest were all dressed in
"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
Compared to the second green sword, Glenn's third sword was even more powerful. As it descended, accompanied by the fury of a fire dragon, it carried the destructive force of a world-shattering storm.Fenley, whose energy flow was disrupted earlier, watched the fiery red long sword streak toward like a falling meteor. His heart raced and was gripped by a sudden sense of impending doom.With a roar, he risked the backlash effect and unleashed a powerful surge of internal energy. The ethereal divine spirit behind him instantly transformed into a figure with three heads and six arms. This was the complete form of the Four Elements of God's Technique.At that instant, he threw everything he had into the fight. He controlled the spirit to slam its giant arms into the flaming sword. With a loud explosion, the sword tore through the spirit's palms and continued its unyielding path toward Fenley. But its speed had slowed slightly.Without hesitation, he controlled the spirit to strike ag