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
Alan attacked straight on while Lexi supported him from the side. They worked in perfect unison, each move aiming to kill.In a match between experts, the outcome was never certain. Hence, they needed to gain the upper hand.Dustin remained impassive and focused on dodging the oncoming attacks from both sides.His focus was on Torres. The cold and murderous intent radiating from him was impossible to ignore.For an assassin to be ranked among the top ten Heavenly Immortals proved that he was far from normal.Though he appeared weak and sickly, that was a front to deceive his enemies. He would strike mercilessly once there was an opportunity, making even grandmasters wary.Alan's broadsword slashed wildly in the arena, making loud whooshing sounds.Attacks came relentlessly at Dustin from both sides. Their movements disturbed the water around them so much that the fishes leaped up in alarm.Dustin moved swiftly, dodging left and right to escape their attacks. But in the eyes of
"I—" Joel started but stopped himself. In the end, he just sighed.If he had not experienced it, he would have found it hard to believe that Balerno had such a fearful talent too.Over in the arena, the match got heated.Alan and Lexi gave everything they had. They initially started out attacking full-on, pursuing Dustin relentlessly. But as time went on, they began to feel something was amiss. They couldn't reach Dustin, no matter how they attacked or surrounded him.He moved around like a ghost, and they could not touch him. He would evade their fatal strikes whenever they thought they would hit him.They could pin it on luck if it happened only once or twice. But it was different when it happened multiple times.It was as if the two of them were not attacking but rather being led on. It felt terrible, and the two began to panic.They knew that if that went on, they would exhaust their true energy. And when that happened, they would be entirely at Dustin's mercy."Torres! W
Lexi was shocked when she saw Alan beheaded.Torres' ruthlessness was beyond her expectations. Who would have thought that he'd kill someone on a whim?They didn't even have any serious conflicts beforehand. The only conflict of interest they shared was who would compete in the match first.They had no grudge between them and were on the same side. Lexi could not comprehend why Torres would do such a thing."It's your turn now." Torres smirked, sticking his tongue out to lick the blood off his knife. He looked like a psychopath!"Why are you doing this? We haven't got any grudges between us. Why can't you show us some mercy?" Lexi was terrified. She struggled with all her might, but as she was paralyzed by the poison, she could not escape."I do not need a reason to wipe out you Dragonmarshians, especially talents like you! The more of the likes of you that die, the better! Now, go to hell!" With that, he aimed the knife at Lexi.Suddenly, a silver needle flew toward Torres
Torres' dagger was made of darksteel, which was virtually indestructible.Stabbing someone with the dagger should have been like a knife cutting through butter. Then, why had he not been able to harm Dustin? Who exactly was he?"Are you still going to put up a fight?" Dustin slowly turned around to face him, his gaze sharp."Go to hell!" Torres took a step back, creating distance between them. At the same time, he threw a volley of poisoned darts at Dustin. They rained down on him instantly.With a cold expression, Dustin simply brushed them away with a wave of his hand.With a whoosh, Dustin reflected all the darts at Torres.Unable to dodge in time, most of the poisoned darts hit Torres. He fell to the ground on the spot.As he tried to get up, Dustin placed his foot on Torres' chest, pinning him. Torres could not move."Spill! Who on earth are you?" Dustin looked down at him, an impassive look in his eyes."I'm someone you cannot afford to cross. So get the hell off me an
"No way! The experts from the Glenstead martial arts alliance lost? What is going on?""Who on earth is this person? He went up against three of them alone and still emerged victorious?""No! That's impossible! How can a nobody defeat three Heavenly Immortals?"Chaos broke out among the crowd when they saw the result of the match.Everyone was shocked and in disbelief. Nobody could accept that an unknown martial artist defeated three of the top ten Heavenly Immortals."How did this happen? How could we have lost?" Conrad stared, wide-eyed in disbelief. Over the years, he had experienced many things. But when faced with such an unbelievable outcome, he still found it hard to remain calm. It had seemed sure that they would win, so how did things turn out this way? "What on earth happened just now?" Brutus frowned, still in disbelief.Over in the arena, one was poisoned, one had their head severed, and another's chest exploded. The three Heavenly Immortals were dead and wounde
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