If the man had only defeated one opponent, others might have considered it was due to his luck. However, defeating several dozen opponents nonstop could only mean that he was an incredibly powerful individual. Thanks to that, the man finally earned some recognition from the crowd. "Who is this guy? He's so strong!""A man dressed in green and good at using a spear? Don't tell me he's the person who rose to fame in the martial world recently by challenging strong fighters—Verdant Phantom?""What? Verdant Phantom? I heard that even Geoffrey Vaughn, who's in the top twenty of The Heavenly Immortals, lost to him!""He defeated someone as strong as Geoffrey Vaughn? He's a monster!"Everyone was shocked to hear his nickname. After all, the name Verdant Phantom had been gathering attention, especially after the man defeated Geoffrey Vaughn. However, since he never appeared in public, few knew what he looked like. Everyone was surprised to learn that he would show up. They were even
"What?" The scene before the crowd caused their eyes to widen and their jaws to drop in shock. All of them had witnessed Verdant Phantom's strength firsthand and saw how ferocious his last attack was, yet Terry had used nothing but his chest to block the blow. Was that even humanly possible?"How can this be?" Verdant Phantom was shocked. He staggered backward, his face full of disbelief. He had spent years perfecting that last attack, and no one had ever managed to stop it. Even Geoffrey Vaughn had lost to that attack, so he thought that he'd be able to defeat Terry with the same attack. However, Terry had stopped his attack, which should be strong enough to pierce through armor and cripple someone, with nothing but his body. And Terry was terrifyingly calm about it. "Is this all you've got? How disappointing." Terry shook his head."Don't be so full of yourself. I don't believe you're immune to all physical attacks!" Verdant Phantom gritted his teeth before stabbing Terry wit
How were they going to win against a monster like Terry?"What do you think of Terry's performance, Sir Paul?" Phil was beaming from ear to ear after witnessing his son's outstanding show. "Not bad. He's a talented one indeed." Paul gave a small smile. "I have a feeling that he will become a Grandmaster martial artist in the next decade."Paul's words shocked everyone. Grandmaster martial artists were extremely rare. Even in Balerno, where several hundred million people resided, there had only ever been five Grandmaster martial artists. And each of them had made a name for themselves with their strength. Terry's talent must be truly incredible if Paul was willing to give such high praise. "You flatter him, Sir Paul. My son might be talented, but he still needs work." Phil's words may seem modest, but he failed to hide the grin on his face.As long as his son became a Grandmaster martial artist within the next decade, the Doyle family would be invincible! In fact, they might ve
"No way. He went up?" Zoey and the others stopped smiling as they watched Dustin get onto the arena, their faces frozen in shock. They never expected Dustin to actually go into the ring, thinking that he was merely bluffing. Still, did he have a death wish?"Hey, you! Weren't you going to eat your shit while doing a handstand? Go ahead." Nelson suddenly spoke.Zeke stiffened awkwardly. It had merely been an offhanded comment. He never imagined that Dustin would be so bold, so his words were coming back to bite him in the ass. Zoey suddenly thought of something. "Hang on. Dustin isn't the Flame Dragon Gang's leader, is he?" Besides the leader of the Flame Dragon Gang, who else would dare to challenge Terry?"Impossible! There's no way a loser like him can be Flame Dragon Gang's leader." Gordon immediately protested. "I guess you're going to keep being stubborn, eh? Well, let me show you." Nelson sneered before fishing out a badge and slapping it against Gordon's face."You—"
Terry shook his head with a smile. "Don't tell me you're trying to use me to make a name for yourself."It wouldn't be the first time someone did something like that. Terry had encountered many who challenged him in hopes of using their victory to boost their reputation, just like Vardant Phantom. Still, all those people eventually lost to him. "Let me make this clear. I'm not interested in making a name for myself. I decided to challenge you to save myself the trouble by settling things with your family once and for all," Dustin answered calmly. "Settle things with us? And how do you intend to do that?" Terry had a small smile. "Simple. If I defeat you today, you and your family have to stop meddling in my life," Dustin answered straightforwardly. "Defeat me? Pfft!" Terry was surprised by Dustin's words and burst out laughing. The audience also laughed mockingly along with Terry. It would be a miracle if Dustin could come out of this battle alive, but to think he could defe
Both Terry and the audience sniggered at what Dustin had said. Everyone assumed that Dustin wouldn't even be able to withstand three blows, much less defeat Terry. "What are you laughing at? Is it that funny?" Dustin asked calmly, unbothered by the audience's attitude. "What do you think?" Terry's smile didn't falter. "Do you really think you'll win?""Why not? Do you think you're better than everyone else? Why are you naturally assuming that you won't lose?" Dustin retorted. "Pfft! I don't know where you found the balls to ask me that, but it's fine. I'll show you how different we are!" Terry beckoned Dustin with a finger and smirked. "Come on. I'll let you have three shots at me. Let's see what you've got.""You better not do that. Last time, Bennet Malcom said the same thing, and he's still stuck in bed right now." Dustin reminded."Bennet is merely my subordinate. As if he's a match for me." Terry feigned a smile. "Both of you are the same to me since the outcome won't b
There was a loud whoosh as a larger and quicker energy bullet blasted in the direction of Dustin's chest. Dustin kept his feet firmly planted on the ground and leaned backward, his back arched. The energy bullet flew over his face and slammed into the same tree. He pushed himself off the ground with one hand and stood back up, unharmed. Terry frowned. He had thought he'd be able to end this battle easily, yet Dustin had surprised him by dodging his attacks twice. "If this is all you've got, then I have to say, I'm disappointed," Dustin said nonchalantly. Hearing this, Terry's expression hardened in anger. No one has ever treated him with such disrespect and condescension. "No way. He's looking down on Terry Doyle?""He managed to dodge those two attacks thanks to luck. And Mr. Terry went easy on him, or he would be dead by now!""Mr. Terry, don't go easy on him!"The audience shouted in indignation."I was going to let you live, but it seems like that's unnecessary now."
Terry staggered back from the impact, his heavy stomps leaving footprints on the solid ground. By the time he managed to stabilize himself, his face was completely pale, despite his rapid heartbeat. Sweat had formed on his forehead, and the edges of his shirt were frayed. There was even blood dripping from his fist. What a miserable sight. "What?" The crowd had been stunned into silence. None of them could have imagined that Terry might be at a disadvantage when it came to physical fights. This was unbelievable!"N—no way! Terry got pushed back?" Maggie was flabbergasted.Claudia was shocked as well. "I didn't know Dustin was so strong." If she hadn't seen it for herself, she would have never believed that someone managed to withstand Terry's attack and even came out somewhat victorious. "I—impossible! How can someone like him be so powerful?" Gordon and the other two were dumbfounded. The scenario they had in their minds was Dustin being destroyed with one punch, so why was he w
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