"What, do I not look good?" Scarlet looked down at her outfit, looking slightly distressed. "Not really, it just seems awkward. I prefer the way you usually dress," Dustin replied bluntly.Scarlet was a fearless female general, and her heroic spirit was her most attractive aspect. She looked beautiful and brave in her general outfit, exuding irresistible charm. She looked just as gorgeous in a dress. However, it didn't suit her. "Huh?" Scarlet's questioning gaze landed on Georgia upon hearing him. "I'm going to get some drinks!" Georgia was scared. She escaped as soon as she could."Logan, can you wait a while? I'm going to change." Scarlet rushed back to her room without another thought. Soon after, she came out dressed in a red martial arts outfit. Dustin's eyes lit up immediately. "Not bad, this outfit looks so much better." He nodded in satisfaction.Scarlet smiled sweetly, feeling warm inside. As expected, Dustin liked her true self better."Kid, I heard the situa
Dustin, Scarlet, and her two deputy generals left Fallonge estate. They walked around the popular tourist spots in Millsburg, taking photos. They also bought souvenirs. Afterward, they went to Food Street downtown. They tried all the local food. They ended their day watching a movie called "Wandering Planet" at the theater. When they came out, it was dark. "Dustin, where are we going next?" Scarlet was still full of energy. This was the happiest and most relaxed she had been in ten years. "Madam Scarlet, we've been out all day. Why don't we return home now?" Bridget suggested. She and Georgia had been on high alert since morning. They were protecting Scarlet from any potential ambush. As Dragonmarsh's Goddess of War, Scarlet was highly respected. However, she was also a thorn in the eyes of many other countries. Every year, she faced countless assassination attempts. It was especially dangerous in crowded places like this. They had to guard Scarlet against all kinds of
She was simply irresistible to some perverts.Bridget yelled, "You're not worthy of being friends with Madam Scarlet. Get lost!""Hey, are you looking down on me?" Bridget had made the man upset. "Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is? I'm Daniel Grint, son of Zen Order's guildmaster!" The expressions of the people in the restaurant changed after he said that. "The Zen Order? Isn't that one of the eight major sects in Glenstead?" "I heard they have thousands of disciples, and they have a huge influence. As a leader in the martial arts world, not many dare provoke them.""That's weird. What's the Zen Order doing in Balerno?""They must be here for the Knighthood Society tournament. It's held in Balerno this time, at Shinefield Lake. That's not far from Millsburg. Many martial artists are visiting for the same reason." As they spoke, they inexplicably distanced themselves. They were afraid of being caught up in the commotion. "I've never heard of any Zen Or
"Ah!" Daniel let out another terrifying scream. Both of his legs were now broken. His expression twisted in agony. He just wanted a woman to sleep with. He didn't expect to meet a bunch of lunatics instead. They showed zero respect for the Zen Order, daring to harm others without hesitation or warning. "Shit! Who are these people? How dare they harm disciples from the Zen Order?""She's pretty, but her methods are absolutely ruthless." The onlookers were stunned as they watched Daniel squirmed in pain."That's enough. You're disturbing our meal. Just drag him out." Scarlet waved dismissively.Even as Scarlet gestured for Georgia and Bridget to drag Daniel out, she never looked up throughout the entire situation. Insignificant gangsters like them were not worth her time."Madam Scarlet is in a good mood today, so I'll let you go. Reflect on your actions when you get back," Georgia said. She then kicked Daniel stomach, sending him flying. He landed heavily by the doo
Georgia and Bridget were furious. They were about to launch another attack when Scarlet raised a hand to stop them."You're no match for him. Let me handle it." Scarlet stood up slowly. She swept a cold gaze across the room. A chill was sent down the laughing crowd's spine, and they turned silent. For some reason, they felt like death was staring them in the eye. "Oh, I didn't expect to see such a gorgeous woman here. I'm in luck." Joel's eyes lit up in delight upon seeing Scarlet. His lips curled up into a sly smile. "It seems like you people look down on women." Scarlet said impassively, "I'll give you a chance. If you can defend against three moves of mine, I'll let you go alive.""You'll let us go alive?" The group was momentarily stunned. Then, they howled in laughter. "Hey, girl, I think you haven't realized the situation yet. You're at our mercy, not the other way around!""You're pretty but pretty dumb.""Hey, beautiful. If I manage to defend against three of yo
"Let him go, or die!" Seeing Dustin held hostage made Scarlet see red. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Even the lights started flickering. The Zen Order disciples who were on the ground shivered in fear.Scarlet had only intended to teach them a lesson, but she was now filled with murderous intent. Dustin was her boundary, and anyone who dared to cross that line would face her wrath, no matter where they might try to hide in the world. "I'm warning you! Don't make any sudden movements, or I'll kill him!" Joel threatened. He never expected Scarlet to be so strong. He knew he wasn't a match for her. His only chance was to use the hostage in front of him to turn the situation around."If you release him now, I won't kill you. But if you lay a finger on him, I'll destroy your entire guild!" Scarlet threatened coldly."Cut the crap! We're in control now!" Joel glared at her. "I order you to step back!"Scarlet took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, b
"Y-You … How dare you humiliate me?" Joel erupted in fury. "I might not be stronger than her, but I'm surely stronger than you!" He shouted, "I'm going to show you the Heavenly Immortals' terrifying power! Die!" Joel aimed his palm at Dustin's back. "No!" The three women's expressions shifted, but they couldn't stop Joel in time. They could only watch helplessly as the forceful strike hit Dustin's back. A resounding explosion echoed through the room. However, Dustin remained seated, completely unaffected. Instead, Joel was sent flying backward like a rocket. He crashed through the windows and plummeted from the second floor, landing right by Daniel's feet. "Joel?" The group was shocked to see him fall and quickly helped him to his feet. Didn't he say he was going to hold them off? Why did he end up sprawled at their feet?"Are you okay?" Daniel asked.Joel spat out a mouthful of blood on Daniel's face, as if mocking him for even asking. He then pointed a trembling f
Meanwhile, back at Full Moon, Joel flying away had everyone looking dumbstruck. Joel was a senior in the Zen Order. He was also a strong fighter on the Heavenly Immortals. Someone like him could split rocks open with just a palm of his hand. Under normal circumstances, Dustin would have been seriously injured or even killed by his attack. However, the situation was reversed instead. What exactly happened? "Dustin, are you alright?" Scarlet rushed forward after a momentary daze. She took a good look at him."I told you, that childish brat can't hurt me. There was no need to worry." Dustin smiled."You scared me. I thought …" Scarlet didn't continue. She seemed afraid of offending him.Georgia stared at him in disbelief. "How are you so strong?" She was aware of Joel's skills. She and Bridget weren't his match. If Scarlet didn't get involved, they wouldn't have been able to take him down. They were certain that Dustin was as good as dead earlier. They didn't expect such a
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