"What? He changed the recipe?" Everyone was surprised by Linden's explanation.Every recipe was created only after millions of experiments. The smallest change in ingredients or dosage would disrupt its balance and cause the production of the pill to fail.For someone to change the recipe, they needed talent and lots of experiments. For someone to be able to change up the recipe on the spot and succeed right away, he had to have crazy good luck, or he must be a medical genius who was out of this world."No way! That's impossible!" After a moment of shock, Preston continued, "There's no way you can change the recipe so easily! Even my mentor can't change a recipe that's meant to produce a good quality pill into one that produces top grade pills within such a short time frame! How is it possible that this bastard can do that?""Exactly! He's just an ordinary doctor! How would he be able to change the recipe?" Miranda added. Even with her talent, she was still unable to do something
Linden looked around the place.There were only a few who made it through the second round. They were either very skillful or extremely gifted."I'll go first!" A middle-aged man stepped forward confidently. It was finally time he showed off his 20 years' worth of experience with acupuncture.He walked up to the old man and examined him closely. Then, he felt his pulse. Finally, he took out several silver needles and inserted them into different pressure points on the old man's leg. But the patient stayed expressionless and did not react at all. The middle-aged man frowned and continued inserting several more needles, but it was all useless."Time's up! You have failed!" the invigilator announced all of a sudden."Wait! I'll try one more time." The middle-aged man did not want to accept his failure."Drag him away!" The invigilator did not want to waste any more time and ordered other disciples to drag the middle-aged man away."Hah! How could he just perform acupuncture witho
"His toe moved!""Oh, my God! It worked! That's amazing!""No wonder he's Dr. Darby's best student!"Everyone was shocked to see the old man's toe twitch. After all, doctors must be highly skilled and talented if they wanted to pass the third test. Yet all the other doctors had failed to treat the old man. On the other hand, Preston managed to make the old man's toes twitch when his legs had been paralyzed for the last eight years. It was amazing!"How do you feel, sir?" Preston removed his silver needle and smiled. "I—I think I'm starting to feel my legs again!" The old man was overjoyed. Since he lost all sensations in his legs, nothing he did could make them react anymore. Now, his legs felt numb, and he could even control some of his toes. Although the results were just small changes, it was still a miracle for someone who had been in such a state for the last eight years. "That's good to hear. You've been paralyzed for too long, so you'll take a while to recover. But
The old man pinched his thigh and was happy to feel a slight pain. His legs had been completely numb before this, but he was slowly regaining sensation in his legs. This was wonderful! "There. All done." Miranda grinned as she observed her work. "You must be extremely talented to be able to treat his symptoms so quickly. No wonder you're a genius in the medical field!" The invigilator was pleased."So I guess that means I passed?" Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Both of you passed with flying colors," the invigilator answered with a smile. His answer made Preston and Miranda very happy.They had initially received full marks on the first two tests. But because of Dustin, their marks dropped after the second round. Still, thanks to this round, they've managed to raise their points back up again. "Did you see that, bastard? That's how good our medical skills are!" Preston taunted. "It only took us half an hour to let this patient regain feelings in his legs after being p
"What?" Everyone was shocked to see the old man jump up, and their jaws dropped in disbelief. None of them expected the paralyzed old man to stand up so suddenly. They also couldn't believe that it had only taken Dustin a single needle to cure the man's paralysis. "I—Is this real? Did that old man just stand up?""What the hell is going on? Did he really cure that old man with a single needle?""Holy shit! That's amazing!"After a silent pause, an uproar broke out. All the scornful looks Dustin had received earlier had turned to shock. "I—Impossible!""How can a patient like that stand up so soon?" Preston shook his head, not believing what he was. He refused to accept that Dustin could cure a patient in three minutes when he needed a month. "How can this be? How did he do that?" Miranda was stunned. As someone who claimed to be a genius in the medical field and was better than her peers, her confidence had been destroyed by Dustin. For a condition that she struggled to t
"You—" Preston cut off, his face red with anger. However, even Miranda was forced to stay silent. "Well, they do say that heroes come in all ages." Linden stood up and beamed. He added, "Congratulations on beating everyone else. So, tell me your wish. As long as it's within my power, I'll try my best to get it done!" Most people joined the competition to join Stoneray Order, but some would request and ask Linden for rare gems, ancient medical texts, panaceas, and more."You're as generous as rumors say. Well, I'll be straightforward. I'm actually here for your thousand-year green lotus," Dustin answered frankly. "Thousand-year green lotus? It's a rare herb. I must say, you're quite ambitious." Linden raised an eyebrow. "Why? You can't give it to me?" Dustin wore a fake smile. "It might be a valuable herb, but I don't mind giving it to you." Linden chuckled. "Bring me the herb!""Yes, sir!" The invigilator left quickly and returned, holding a wooden box. The box opened t
"This is a joke, right, sir? I—it isn't proper to promote him to an elder when he just joined the group!""He's right, Dr. Watkins. This is the first time there's been an exception like this. That's not normal!""Sir, we know you favor talented individuals, but I'm afraid others might be unhappy with your decision."The elders and many disciples of the Stoneray Order were upset when they heard that Linden would promote Dustin to elder, which was only one rank below the assistant leader.Disciples usually started as junior disciples before becoming intermediate disciples. Then, they would be promoted to senior disciples. As senior disciples, if they made any major contributions, they would be promoted to upper disciples. Upper disciples were then categorized into three classes—upper third, upper second, and upper first. Only upper first disciples had a chance of being promoted to elder.Getting promoted to a higher rank took years, so for a junior disciple to climb the ranks and
"Are we being followed?" Roderick frowned and ordered his driver, "Go faster, Gary!""Yes, sir!" The driver, Gary, immediately stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot forward.Suddenly, a black van popped out from the fork in front and stopped on the road horizontally. Gary paled and stomped on the brake, causing the tires to screech. Still, the momentum caused their car to collide with the van. There was a loud bang as the impact caused the van to flip, and Roderick's Rolls-Royce could no longer work. Thankfully, no one was hurt. However, when Dustin and the others tried to run away, the cars that were following them had already caught up to them."Grab them!" The doors opened, and several burly men carrying expandable batons jumped out and surrounded them. They looked scary and threatening. "Who are you? How dare you rob my car?" Roderick roared, pissed that someone would dare to harm him when even the Fabulous Five respected him. Miranda and Preston got out of the
"And as for the rest of you, I'll be investigating each of you one by one." Austin's gaze moved past Langdon and landed on the royal advisors. He sneered and added, "You'd better keep your records clean. If I find anything on any of you, I'll handle it by the book, and there won't be any mercy."At these words, panic swept through the room. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, and their hearts pounded like war drums.As soon as they realized Austin was angry, they quickly fell silent. Langdon had always been making all the noise, but now they found themselves caught in the fire.Anyone who'd held a position like theirs usually had some skeletons in the closet. In the past, Rufus had been willing to turn a blind eye and let things slide. But now, Austin clearly wasn't following the usual rules. If he decided to investigate thoroughly, most of them would likely find their careers and reputations destroyed."Mr. Rhys, what do we do now? Lord Austin seems dead serious about this."
"Langdon, I can't tell if you're playing dumb or if you really are that stupid." Though Austin was smiling, his eyes were cold. He continued, "You asked for physical evidence, and I provided it. You asked for witnesses, and I gave you those too. Now, with both evidence and testimony laid bare, and even the criminal confessing, what else do you want?""Hmph! The government is rife with corruption. I'm simply seeking justice and preventing you from wrongfully killing the innocent." Langdon still held his righteous stance.Some of the royal advisors who had initially supported him now stayed silent. They could sense Austin's rising anger and didn't dare provoke him further. At that instant, they had lost their confidence. As Austin had pointed out, the solid evidence was right before them, and it was impossible to deny.Langdon was a member of the Rhys family and Austin's elder. He could afford to speak without a filter, but the others couldn't. If they truly angered Austin, the
"Sir Thatcher? Mr. Wentworth?" When Langdon saw their faces, his eyes went wide in disbelief. "You… How did you two end up like this?" He was genuinely stunned.Huxley and Percival were two of the most powerful figures in West Lucozia. They commanded respect wherever they went, and even Langdon himself had to show them deference.He never expected that they had fallen from their positions of prestige to become disheveled prisoners overnight."Austin! You've gone too far!" Recovering from his initial shock, Langdon's fury erupted. He didn't even bother with titles anymore. "Do you even realize what you're doing? These two men are pillars of West Lucozia and the prince's most trusted advisors. They're your elders and mentors. Yet, you tortured them like this. Are you even human?""He's right," someone chimed in. "They dedicated their lives to this country. What crime did they commit to deserve such cruelty by Your Highness?"The gathered officials erupted in outrage and condemned
"Your Highness, you mustn't speak such nonsense." Langdon put on a righteous front.He continued, "I've always prided myself on my integrity and never done anything dishonorable. I've never betrayed the prince's trust or let the people down, and I have nothing to hide.""Such lofty words," Austin scoffed. "If you have nothing to hide, why not let the enforcement team investigate?"Langdon's face tightened, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. After all, what official didn't have some skeletons in the closet? A full investigation would likely turn up something, no matter how small. Even if the offenses weren't serious, the damage to his reputation would be permanent.With so many officials watching, Langdon couldn't afford to back down. If he did, he would lose his standing in the political world—and his claim to integrity along with it."Go ahead and investigate." He raised his chin and said confidently, "I've lived an honest life and never engaged in anything illegal. No m
Austin sat in his chair and silently watched the royal advisors put on their pretentious act. He slowly sipped his tea as if he couldn't be bothered by their so-called accusations.His nonchalant demeanor made Langdon and the others frown. Their once-outrageous voices began to falter.They had stormed in full of righteous fury earlier, only to be met with complete apathy. What was the point of arguing when he wasn't even listening?"Are you done?" Austin finally spoke once the room had quieted down. "If not, go ahead and keep talking. Say as much as you need to until you're satisfied.""Your Highness, we're here to discuss serious matters. Your dismissive attitude is truly disappointing," Langdon said sharply."Serious matters?" Austin let out a short laugh.He went on, "You barge in here without even understanding the full picture and spewing accusations like they're facts. As far as I'm concerned, you're no different from clowns putting on a show.""You… How dare you!" Langdon
"Are you even qualified to sit while speaking to me?"Austin's words struck like the blow of a hammer. They were sharp and unrelenting, and they left no room for retort.Langdon sat frozen and was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected a brat like Austin to have such a sharp tongue.If he admitted he had come for personal matters, he would keep his pride intact, but he would lose control of the conversation. Everything he had prepared—and all the accusations he meant to throw—would be meaningless.But if he insisted it was official business, he would have to show proper respect and offer a formal greeting. No matter how he answered, he would be conceding ground."I'll ask one more time. Are you here on official or personal matters?" Austin asked coldly."O-Official matters." Cornered, Langdon barely managed to get the words out."Well? Is this how an official conducts himself?" Austin pressed.Langdon had no choice but to rise and offer a deep bow. "Your Highness, it's an h
After a night of chaos, some of the Red Legion's members were killed, others were captured, and the entire force had been wiped out.But the fallout didn't stop there. The Prescott estate was also raided. All embezzled wealth was confiscated, and those found guilty were thrown into prison.Anyone connected to the Prescotts was placed under house arrest and subjected to rigorous investigation.And the man behind it—Warrick—had become the kingdom's most wanted fugitive.Until he was captured, Celestria remained under lockdown. Major roads were sealed off, and patrol teams scoured every corner to ensure Warrick had no way out.Austin's crackdown sparked outrage among senior officials who didn't know the full story. They voiced their dissatisfaction, with some even gathering outside the castle gates in protest. They stomped their feet in outrage, just short of openly cursing him.To them, Warrick had made great contributions to the nation. Even if he had committed crimes, he didn't d
Austin's words were calm and almost casual. Yet, they struck like thunder and echoed in the hearts of the three assistant generals of the Red Legion.If they answered Austin's questions, there might still be a slim chance of survival. But if they refused, death was the only outcome.After all, who would willingly choose death when they had worked so hard to achieve their wealth and status? Yet, pride and dignity held them back. They didn't want to be branded as traitors.Now, they were caught in a dilemma. Which was more important—their honor or their lives? It was an impossible choice."You have ten seconds left. If you don't speak, you'll lose your chance." Austin's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.His words seemed to pierce their souls, and the three Red Legion assistant generals broke into a cold sweat.As the countdown neared its end, Auron finally couldn't hold back. "Your Highness! I'll talk—I'll tell you everything."Dropping to his knees, he scrambled forward and wa
Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded. Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out—along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers—without losing a single man.If Axel hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn't that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel's. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force."Mr. Cruz, please arrange some