The man in black hadn't even landed three hits on Oscar before he was thrown into the lake. Those from the Balerno martial arts alliance couldn't help feeling pissed at how poorly their contestants performed. Since the first match, they hadn't even fended off any of Oscar's attacks. Forget slowing him down; they weren't even challenging enough to be his warm-up. "What the hell? How could the alliance send such shitty contestants? It's so humiliating!""Ugh, I can't stand how easily those from Glenstead are beating us!" "I wouldn't have come if I knew they would be so weak. It just pisses me off!"Many people in the audience began to curse.It would have been fine if it was one terrible match, but there was no way they could stand still after seeing how Balerno lost two matches in a row. After all, the match took place in Balerno's territory, and most of the audience were Balerno martial artists. They weren't happy to see their men losing to Glenstead on their land. "Thos
Now that their strongest fighter had appeared, they hoped he could save Balerno's reputation. "Who are you?" As Jared stepped onto the platform, Oscar swung his spear and pointed its head toward him. "Jared Yancy. Twelfth on The Heavenly Immortals." Jared glared at Oscar. "I see." Oscar narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious. They were outstanding individuals on The Heavenly Immortals and were only one rank apart. In other words, their skills were more or less on par. There was a chance of losing if they underestimated their enemy. "I'll win this match! Once I do, I'll use you as my stepping stone to make my way up the top ten of the list!" Jared drew his sword. "Really? Let's see about that." Oscar chuckled icily. He gripped his spear with both hands firmly and got into position. Soon, the bell rang three times. They shot toward each other and began attacking. Instantly, metal clanged, and sparks flew as they countered each others' attacks. A crazy amo
"Oh no … There goes our chance of winning.""How did things turn out this way? How could we have lost every single round?""The Knighthood Society tournament this year is an embarrassment for all of us martial artists from Balerno!"Jared's defeat sent the Balerno martial arts alliance into low spirits. There was anger, disappointment, helplessness, and also resentment.Both sides had always been on the same level in the previous Knighthood Society tournaments, making it an exciting event for everyone. No matter the outcome, they always gave their all and gained the audience's respect.But the tournament today was unexpectedly depressing for the Balerno martial arts alliance. They had been crushed in the first three rounds, and there wasn't anything worth watching.Things seemed to look up for them in the fourth round. In the end, they still lost. They have now consecutively lost for four matches and were utterly humiliated. It was truly shameful."No … That's impossible! My sen
Dustin glanced at Azalea and pulled his arm away from her grasp."Him? How strong do you think he is? He isn't even fit to be compared to Jared!" Desmond mocked."Exactly! Jared's ranked 12th among the Heavenly Immortals! This bastard isn't even worthy to be near him!" Devon exclaimed."If Jared's so great, why did he lose earlier?" Dustin countered. That simple question silenced everyone."Hmph! I've indeed lost, but do you think that you'd be able to win? With your level of skills, you won't even withstand three hits!" Jared forced through clenched jaws."Is that so? Let's wait and see then." Dustin smiled faintly, not saying another word. He would much rather prove himself with his abilities than participate in meaningless arguments.Right then, someone exclaimed excitedly, "Look! Someone's replacing Oscar in the arena!" Everyone looked toward the middle of the lake, only to see Oscar leave the platform.Another graceful and elegant man in white made his way toward the plat
With a loud splash, Joel jumped into the lake and escaped when he saw Dustin.He splashed and thrashed wildly in the water like a fish on the verge of death. He looked terrified.Jared and Devon were stunned. Even all the Boulderthorn disciples and the Glenstead martial arts alliance members were shocked. Everyone gaped in disbelief.For the most senior disciple of the Zen Order, an expert ranked tenth among the Heavenly Immortals, to be scared and flee in terror. Nobody expected this outcome!The pure fear in his eyes made him look like he'd seen a ghost. If they had not seen it for themselves, they would not believe such a thing happened."Wh—what? He ran away?""What the fuck? What's going on? The match hasn't even started, and he's already given up?""Has Joel gone crazy? Look at him. He looks like he's possessed!'After a short silence, an uproar broke out among the crowd.Joel's actions stunned both those from the Balerno martial arts alliance and the Glenstead martial
Brutus frowned. Daniel and the others were also terrified by what they heard."Let's go back, master! I'm withdrawing from the tournament this year!" Joel sounded like he was almost in tears. The traumatizing experience he had been through several days ago haunted him like a nightmare.He boasts of his exceptional talent and outstanding martial arts skills. He had never been defeated since he made a name for himself. That night he never expected to run into two monsters.The first monster was a lady who beat him up so badly with a teacup alone that he threw up blood. Then, a man showed up, and he was even more terrifying. The man nearly killed him with his bare hands!Since that night, his confidence and pride were completely ruined. He felt as if a shadow figure towered over him in his mind. Thus, when he saw Dustin, he was scared to the point of fleeing without regard for his pride."Don't worry, Joel. What happened the other night was just an accident. Maybe your eyes wer
The voice surprised all three of them. They looked over to where the voice came from, only to see Dustin standing on the platform in the middle of the lake. He had his hands behind his back, looking totally composed."Hey, brat. What did you just say? I didn't catch you." Alan's eyes narrowed, squinting at Dustin."I said the three of you should fight me together. That will save us a lot of time, and you won't have to fight over who fights the match. Wouldn't that be better?" Dustin asked calmly.An uproar broke out among the crowd."Fuck! Is the bastard out of his mind? How dare he be so arrogant?""Does he have a death wish? How could he challenge three experts who rank among the top ten of the Heavenly Immortals?""Hah! He doesn't know what he's getting himself into!"The crowd pointed at Dustin and commented among themselves. They looked at him like he was out of his mind."Jared, is the fella out of his mind? He doesn't even stand a chance against them. How dare he chall
"Hah! What a bold statement! I'd like to see what you're capable of!"Alan couldn't hold back any longer. He took a step forward, raising his broadsword high. Then, he brought it down at full force, slashing mercilessly at Dustin.It was a powerful strike, almost possessing a force capable of splitting the earth. As the broadsword slashed toward Dustin, the lake surrounding the platform rippled from the force."Impressive swordplay!"The onlookers were surprised. The Heavenly Immortals lived up to their name. It was amazing how just a casual move had such terrifying power.Dustin shook his head. Instead of backing off, he pressed forward. While dodging the strike, he threw a heavy punch at Alan."That was quick!"Alan's eyes narrowed as he reflexively blocked the punch with the back of his broadsword. Dustin's fist landed heavily on the sword, making a dull thud.Instantly, Alan was sent flyings several feet away, his sword still in hand. When he landed, he needed a few moments
"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