"Even Master Howler is here. It looks like we'll be leaving empty-handed.""Plans don't always unfold the way we want.""I thought we could forge ahead, but now it appears surrendering is our only option."Everyone shook their heads and let out collective sighs.Damien's reputation preceded him as one of the top elite in the southwest, and his status seemed unmatched. Despite Dustin being a young grandmaster, everyone thought he would be powerless in the presence of such top-tier individuals, considering the significant gap that exists between grandmasters.Dustin raised an eyebrow. "The master of the Drakes Dominion Order, right? You're the top elite in the southwest, often referred to as the peak level of martial arts?"While observing Damien's presence, Dustin sensed that he was likely in the late stages of being a grandmaster. Undoubtedly, Damien's strength positioned him as a regional overlord.With his hands casually tucked behind his back, Damien downplayed his skills. "I
Judging by the expressions on the faces of the members of the Drakes Dominion Order, they were dissatisfied with the decision.Damien turned, fixing his gaze on Dustin. "Young man, what do you think?"Contrary to the majority, Damien had granted Dustin the position of deputy master, a gesture of significant respect.Dustin bluntly rejected the offer, stating, "I'm not interested in being a deputy master. I definitely don't want to be involved with the Drakes Dominion Order."Damien's smile froze. His words carried a deeper meaning as he responded, "Hmm? Young man, opportunities come only once. Are you certain you want to decline my invitation?"Dustin nodded confidently. "Yeah."Damien's expression turned cold. "If that's the case, then I have nothing more to say." He felt a bit embarrassed, having extended an olive branch only to be rejected."Tch! Shameless!" Tobias sneered, his expression fierce. "Master Howler extended an invitation to you, and this is how you repay it? I or
Tobias hung on the wall in a precarious life-or-death situation, and Elder Greene of the Drakes Dominion Order spat blood due to severe injuries. Everyone stood frozen in shock, their attention fixed on the distressing scene. The elites from the Drakes Dominion Order and the Frostwing Sect were left dumbfounded. They struggled to come to terms with the unbelievable sight before them.Tobias and Elder Greene had long been acknowledged for their formidable strength. While not officially recognized as grandmaster martial artists, their prowess was on par with those who held such prestigious titles. Years of dedicated refinement and experience had bestowed upon them a distinctive advantage. Even when confronted by ordinary grandmasters, they possessed the capability to put up a formidable fight. Their collaborative efforts had yielded a remarkable track record of overcoming grandmasters together.Tobias and Elder Greene weren't expecting victory, but at the very least, they could
As Alexander took on the role of the challenger, Damien felt at ease. However, Dustin's skill surpassed that of a mere grandmaster, more akin to the mid-level of a grandmaster."Don't worry, Mr. Howler," Alexander reassured confidently. He added, "This kid's got talent, but I'm no pushover. In the southwest, you're the only one who might outclass me. The rest aren't even worth considering."Damien was the top dog in the southwest. Alexander had lost three sparring matches and felt he couldn't measure up to Damien. As for the other contenders, Alexander dismissed them without a second thought. Despite Dustin's impressive talent and strength, Alexander considered him too young to pose a real threat. Unlike Dustin, Alexander had been honing his skills for over a decade, firmly standing at the grandmaster level. He was not someone a young buck like Dustin could easily shake."Sure thing! Since Mr. Forge is ready to jump in, go ahead and have some fun with this kid." Damien nodded.
"Huh?"The sudden change threw everyone off guard. Everything happened in a split second, and they barely had any time to react. Dustin took Alexander down in a blink of an eye. In an instant, Alexander was already seriously wounded. To most of the martial artists, Alexander, the leader of Frostwing Sect, was flung toward a wall in a heartbeat. The entire situation happened too rapidly."H-How is this possible?" Bran was dumbfounded when he saw how badly injured Alexander was. His eyes widened in disbelief. He had never imagined that Alexander would be defeated tragically, let alone lose in a fight. After all, Alexander was one of the five strongest people in the Southwest. He was a grandmaster martial artist with excellent abilities.Aside from Damien, the master of Drakes Dominion Order, no one could rival him in the entire southwest. Bran thought it was a sure victory for Alexander in this battle. However, things seemed to have taken an entirely different turn. Not
If word got out, everyone would be stunned. "Awesome! That was a great fight!" Sophia squealed in delight. Her eyes lit up as she realized not only was Dustin handsome, but he was also incredibly powerful. He had a bright future awaiting him. Sophia had to seize her chance and do whatever she could to make him fall in love with her, even if it meant breaking her engagement with Jackson. "Fuck! He's at it again!" Garrett snarled, wariness evident in his eyes although he wore a surly expression. The chances of him getting his revenge were becoming slimmer once Dustin showcased how strong he really was. At this point, he had given up on the idea of revenge. He just hoped that Dustin wouldn't come after him. "And he said he was going to let me strike him thrice first before he made a move. But he can't even endure a single blow. Well, it seems like the leader of Frostwing Sect isn't exactly that great either," Dustin said nonchalantly. There was a hint of sarcasm in his ton
"Show Master Howler some respect. Leave half of everything behind and let's get going."They started moving upon Grace's orders. Some took the jewelry with them, while some loaded themselves with the Soul Elixir. Though they were instructed to leave half of them behind, they all took more than they should. Nevertheless, Damien turned a blind eye to this even though he already saw right through them.Dustin's power was so intimidating that everyone was extremely wary of him now. They dared not take the risk, nor did they want to go against him. If a commotion broke out, they would most likely end up with nothing. After all, the palace was surrounded by different forces. If the fight didn't end well for both parties, there would be other forces who would gladly benefit from it. As a result, Grace and her companions stepped out of the Underwater Palace with their loaded bags. Though the elites of Drakes Dominion Order and Frostwing Sect were itching to lunge at them, they didn't
Fortunately, Grace's assistant, Osley, just happened to arrive with lots of supplements. After a brief rest, they departed again. After three days, they finally made it out of the Deadlands in the afternoon of the third day. They were back at Dusthaven Village, where they had briefly stayed before.They had been particularly cautious in the past three days. They tossed and turned in their sleep, worried about the possible dangers they might encounter on their journey. They were finally relieved once they were back at Dusthaven Village. "It's getting late now, so we'll stay here tonight. If you're in a hurry to go somewhere else, please go ahead," Grace at the village entrance. "Now, if you'll excuse me."After that, she stayed at the inn she had reserved with her envoy team. Since they had accomplished their mission, it was about time for their team members to go their separate ways. All of them benefited from the journey, and each of them was loaded with plenty of treasure
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr