"What?" When they heard Dustin's analysis, they found it hard to believe.The idea that someone wanted to kill all of Dragonmarsh's martial artists, regardless if the person could succeed, was scary enough. Only a maniac would think of something like that.Crazy people like them were the most fearsome."Terra, did all of those people that were killed sign up for the Combat Tournament?" Dalen couldn't help asking.Terra nodded. "That's right. Although they come from all sorts of sects, they had a common goal. All of them wanted to show their prowess at the Combat Tournament."Aldric, Vincent, Simpson, and even Shadow Citadel's Evil Quintet, had signed up for the tournament. They planned to show off their skills at Sacred Wrym Summit.However, their young life had ended before the tournament began."If that's the case, Dustin's speculation should be right."Dalen stood up and circled the table while beating his folding fan on his palm. Then, he said thoughtfully, "Any martial a
"I don't dare say it's a brilliant idea, but it's simple and effective. If we can grab the opportunity, it shouldn't be difficult to catch the killer." Dalen said with a smile."Mr. Shade, your idea isn't bad. One question, though. Who's going to be the bait?" Crystal quickly grasped the main problem.The most difficult part was to choose who to be the bait.The person must be a contestant and extremely skilled, daring to take the risk. This way, the bait could come out unscathed when faced with the killer's attack.Otherwise, they might lose the bait and let the killer escape."Well…" Dalen shook the folding fan and looked toward Dustin meaningfully.Although he didn't speak, it was obvious who he chose.Crystal suddenly patted Dustin's shoulder and announced, "There's no need to choose. I think Dustin is a good fit! He can even block Kendricks' attack. I'm sure he'll be safe when faced with the killer's attack!""That's right! If Dustin agrees to take part, I'm sure he can ge
A moment later, a bunch of martial artists dressed in various styles were lining up to register at the registration booth of Sacred Wrym Summit's Combat Tournament. Dustin was also among them.After they confirmed their plan, Dustin was led by Dalen and the others to the registration booth.Although the sun was going to set soon, there were still many people there to sign up.However, the Combat Tournament had specific requirements this time. One had to pass a trial to sign up.The test was simple. One must demonstrate the ability to lift a cauldron. Sacred Wrym Summit prepared three bronze cauldrons weighing ten thousand pounds, 50 thousand pounds, and 100 thousand pounds.One would be qualified if they could raise a ten thousand pound cauldron and would be assigned to Group C. If they won after competing with their peers, they could advance to Group B.Those who could raise a 50 thousand pound cauldron would be considered outstanding, directly advancing to Group B. After winn
"It's not easy to lift a 50 thousand-pound cauldron. Thousands of people register daily, but only a few can lift it!"The burly man's words caused many to doubt him.A 10 thousand-pound cauldron was way different from a 50 thousand-pound cauldron.A lot of people could easily lift a 10 thousand-pound cauldron. However, they couldn't even lift a 50 thousand-pound cauldron at all.Plus, one had to lift it over their head to succeed. It was obvious how difficult it was."You should consider it carefully. It's not easy to lift a 50 thousand-pound cauldron," the judge reminded."I've trained hard for a decade just for today. I'm determined to lift this 50 thousand-pound cauldron! You guys just need to watch me perform!" the burly man said confidently before walking over to the second cauldron.The second cauldron was twice the size of the first cauldron. It was almost 10 feet tall.One felt helpless just looking at it.The burly man walked over to the 50 thousand-pound cauldron. Af
The burly man collapsed to the ground.As he had gone beyond his limits, his blood vessels burst. After spitting out a large amount of blood, he fell unconscious.His muscles were torn, and his eyes were bloodshot. His internal meridians were also heavily injured.It would be a problem for him to get out of bed for the next few days, let alone compete."See! I said he couldn't do it, yet he still wanted to show off. Look what happened!""Indeed, not anyone can challenge the 50-thousand-pound cauldron.""He just passed the test. Now he's done it. He pushed himself too hard and even vomited blood. He truly overestimated himself!"Seeing the burly man dropping to the ground, the crowd burst into discussion. Some were laughing at him, while others pitied him.It was already impressive for him to be able to raise the ten-thousand-pound cauldron. As for the 50-thousand-pound cauldron, only those with extraordinary abilities could lift it.After all, it was two different things for o
Dustin had already altered his looks so that he didn't stand out so much. Thus, it was weird that a beautiful woman would hit on him."Melissa, the martial world is filled with dangers. Don't simply talk to strangers. There's a lot of hypocritical people in this world nowadays."At this moment, the two young men before Melissa turned to face them.One was dressed in green, while the other wore yellow.The man in green was tall and muscular, giving off an impressive air.The man in yellow was short and had a gaunt face. One would think he was malnourished. "Krel, Jimmy, this is Dustin Rhys. He's also here to participate in the Combat Tournament," Melissa quickly introduced."So many people signed up for the competition, but not all can pass the test. Some are destined to just be the spectators," the man in green, Krel Webb, replied indifferently.There was a hint of indifference in his eyes when he glanced at Dustin."Krel is right. Only a few out of many here can pass the tes
"Hmph! You must have never seen real power! You'll soon know we're a thousand times better than you!" Jimmy scoffed.Someone like Dustin, who belonged to no guild, didn't even deserve his attention. "Contestant 846 has failed. Next."Right then, the judge's loud voice sounded again.Another martial artist failed the sign-up test and left the square dejectedly."Jimmy, it's your turn next. Don't embarrass Boulderthorn," Krel said, raising his chin. Jimmy was No. 847, Krel was No. 848, and Melissa was No. 849."Don't worry. Boulderthorn's elite disciples aren't weak! If I can't even pass the first test, I might as well kill myself!" Jimmy patted his chest confidently. The cauldron-lifting test was only the most elementary test. If he couldn't even pass this level, how could he compete with the warriors of the world? How could he make a name for Boulderthorn?"Very well. Go ahead and unleash your power." Krel nodded."Krel, Melissa, just watch my performance!"Jimmy smiled p
"Hah! You worthless punk! How dare you be so arrogant!" Jimmy sneered, looking contemptuous. He continued, "You can't even lift a ten-thousand-pound cauldron. How dare you propose to lift a 50-thousand-pound cauldron? Stop bragging!""Jimmy, since he wants to lift the 50-thousand-pound cauldron, let him," Krel chimed in. "Move it in front of him. Let's see what he's capable of!"He thought Dustin was just looking for excuses to scare off Jimmy with the 50-thousand-pound cauldron."Okay! Then I'll show my power again! Let this punk know he can't lift it!" Jimmy said enthusiastically.As he spoke, he lifted the ten-thousand-pound cauldron back to the original place, then turned to the judge. "I want to challenge the 50-thousand-pound cauldron!""Contestant 844 has failed to lift it. Are you sure you want to challenge the 50-thousand-pound cauldron?" the judge asked.The cauldron-lifting test had certain risks, especially if the martial artist with insufficient strength tried to l
"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
When the spectators heard the match was about to begin, the excitement reached a fever pitch. Half of them cheered for Fenley while the other half chanted Glenn's name. Both were the Chosen Ones, and their popularity was undeniable. Everyone had been waiting for their face-off in the battle ring.Though Fenley ranked slightly below Glenn on the Legendary List, his fame and influence as the successor to the Celestial Alliance's guildmaster outshined Glenn's. Ultimately, the question of who was stronger could only be answered in the ring."I've been waiting for this day, Glenn." Fenley stared at him intently. His voice was powerful and commanding. He continued, "Others say I'm not your equal, but I refuse to believe it. Today, we'll find out whether your sword is faster or if my Four Elements of God's Technique is superior.""The moment you said that, you've already lost. Your doubt shows you lack the confidence to defeat me," Glenn replied calmly. If this were a fight-to-the-deat
After the quarterfinals, it was time for a break. With noon approaching, contestants and spectators needed food and water to recharge. An hour later, the venue was buzzing with excitement again as Oron stepped onto the battle ring. He was accompanied by a Sacred Wrym Summit disciple, who carried a black box filled with numbered balls."It's almost time. I'd like to invite the top four contestants to the ring to draw lots," Oron announced as he surveyed the crowd.Amidst a wave of enthusiastic applause, four figures ascended the battle ring one after another. First in line was Glenn, with Fenley right behind him, followed by Abigail and Dustin."Sir, we're in the semifinals. Good luck!" Abigail winked playfully at Dustin as she stepped into the ring."You too," he replied with a smile.Given Abigail's strength, her odds against Glenn were slim. However, if she faced Fenley, she would have a solid chance at victory.After all, Fenley had only just broken through to the ultimate g