That night, in the second-floor office of the Flame Dragon Dojo."Sir Rhys, you were so cool today! Not only did you show the Doyle family who's boss, but you also made the Flame Dragon Gang famous all across Balerno! We have around a thousand members now, and they all admire you greatly!" Nelson poured Dustin a cup of coffee while he showered him with compliments; his excitement and elation were evident. He'd been worried that the Doyles would seize the opportunity and take revenge on them if Dustin lost. He didn't expect their gang leader to be so incredible. Against all odds, Dustin turned the tide and achieved a resounding victory over Terry. He had become famous through a single battle. "That's enough, you've said that a million times now. Can't you say something new?" Dustin was speechless. Ever since Dustin's return, Nelson had been flattering him in various ways, singing all sorts of praises that Dustin could think of. If people didn't know any better, they would think Nel
"Evidence? Where is it?" Dahlia was taken aback."It's with me now." It appeared that Dustin came prepared, as he took out two pieces of evidence. "These are the autopsy results. This can prove that James was poisoned to death. While this black needle is the murder weapon.""What?" Dahlia examined it curiously. Dustin added, saying, "If you don't believe me, you can get it tested personally." Although he had the evidence, it would be hard to convince her without finding the murderer. "No need for that. I believe you." Dahlia's expression was solemn. "To be honest, I know that you're not the murderer and that this has all been a misunderstanding."Dustin smiled. "I'm happy that you think that way.""I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. But please understand, I had no other choice. My brother's death has left me in pain. I feel so lost, and I don't know what to do. I'm scared … I'm scared that I will lose you too. I'm scared that we will become enemies. I'm scared of being alone,
"Wha—what are you doing?" Dahlia's expression changed as she struggled to free herself. She looked more alluring as she struggled desperately."Don't you like playing games? I'll play with you until you're satisfied!" Dustin's expression was cold."You're a lunatic! Stop this at once!" Dahlia cried out angrily.Dustin commented, "You're still pretending? The skin on your face has peeled off. Haven't you noticed?""What?" Dahlia's eyes widened, and she touched her face instinctively. However, she quickly came back to her senses. It didn't matter if her face was disfigured; her actions had already given her away. "I thought my acting skills were pretty good. I didn't expect you to see through it that quickly." Once she found out she was exposed, "Dahlia" stopped the act and pulled forcefully near her ear. Soon, a human mask was peeled off. "Dahlia" was gone, and she was replaced by an unfamiliar woman. The woman looked decent, but her complexion was ghastly pale. Her gaze was
The group of masked women brandished a knife and held it dangerously close to Dahlia's neck; a thin line of blood could be seen on her skin. It was a warning that Dahlia would be killed on the spot if Dustin made any sudden movements.Dustin furrowed his brow and ultimately released his grip. He wasn't going to risk Dahlia's life with the numbers they had."That's more like it." Astrid stretched her neck. She looked triumphant as she said, "Dustin, you should feel honored that my mentor has taken an interest in you. As long as you agree, we will be a family going forward. And if you refuse, you and everyone else around you will die!" "Do you have to go to such extremes?" Dustin's expression was frosty. "This is how we do things. If we can't get our hands on a talented genius like you, you must be destroyed," Astrid responded. "Do you really think you can kill me?" Dustin retorted. Astrid chuckled as she said, "I know you're talented, but we came prepared. I added Tranqurin to
"Ugh—!'' Astrid froze. Astrid looked at Azalea, who had a smile on her face, and then down at the sword in her chest. She was filled with shock and disbelief. She never imagined that Azalea would kill her without hesitation when she was smiling cheerfully just a second ago. There weren't any signs throughout the entire situation. "What?" Dustin was also bewildered at the sudden turn of events. He had casually mentioned it without expecting anything to happen. He would never imagine that Azalea would not only take it seriously but also act without hesitation and plunged her sword straight into her senior's chest. He wondered if this woman was ruthless or just truly insane."W—why?" Astrid spat out the words with difficulty, glaring at Azalea with wide eyes. Mixed emotions flashed across her face—disbelief, fury, resentment, and defiance. But above all, confusion clouded her face. She couldn't understand why Azalea would kill her. Was it solely based on Dustin's words? "Don't
"Doctor, not only did I betray my guild for you, but I also killed my senior. You're so mean for calling me that." Azalea pouted with a bitter expression."What exactly are you trying to do?" Dustin questioned her."Don't overthink it. I just want to be friends with you, nothing more," Azalea said with a grin."I don't think I can afford to be your friend. There might come a day where you'd thrust a knife into my back," Dustin responded bluntly."Hey, I can't bear to do that. Besides, if anyone is thrusting anything, it'd be you." She smiled charmingly.The corners of Dustin's mouth twitched upon hearing her words. Did this woman just make a dirty joke? "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." Unwilling to stay any longer, Dustin prepared to leave and picked up the unconscious Dahlia. "Hold on." Azalea suddenly took out a small vial and passed it to Dustin. "This is the antidote for Tranqurin. You should take it. Otherwise, you'll have serious long-term effects.""There's no n
The next morning, at Nicholson Corp., Dahlia woke up groggily and found herself lying on the sofa of her office. She was covered with a thick blanket, and there was even a steaming glass of milk on the table beside her. Last night's events were still fuzzy to her, and she rubbed her head, which was throbbing slightly in pain. Feeling parched, she picked up the glass of milk and finished it in one go. It made her feel warm inside, giving her a slight relief from the discomfort she was feeling. "Dahlia, you're awake." At that moment, Dustin walked in with the breakfast that he had just bought."Why are you here?" Dahlia's brows creased into a frown, and her expression turned cold."I didn't know where you lived, so I brought you back to your office for the night." As he was talking, he took out a takeaway container with a full English breakfast inside as well as a bowl of chicken soup."I'm asking why you are here?" Dahlia asked in exasperation."Have you forgotten about what hap
Since they were on the 30th floor, anyone who jumped down from that height would not be able to survive. Dahlia was trying to get Dustin to back down and leave."Alright, I'll jump." Dustin nodded. Without hesitation, he turned and crashed through the full-length glass window, hurtling down from the 30th floor.Dahlia stood frozen on the spot, her mind blank with disbelief. The words had only escaped her lips in a fit of anger. She never would have imagined that Dustin would follow through with her demand. "Dustin!" Dahlia screamed after returning to her senses. She rushed toward the shattered window and looked down. Dustin had vanished from sight. She knew that no ordinary person would survive such a bone-shattering fall. Her legs gave away, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud. While she sat on the ground, she could not hold back her tears. "Why? Why did it turn out like this? Dustin, why did you jump? How can you be so foolish? What am I supposed to do now that you're g
"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
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