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
Conrad was so furious that he walked away without a word."Glenstead martial arts alliance got off to a good start. But in the end, the tables turned, and they lost. How embarrassing!"The crowd that supported the Glenstead martial arts alliance left in a huff. Glenstead martial arts alliance had lost in a three-to-one match. It was too shameful for them to stay on any longer.This year's tournament had twists and turns. In the end, Dustin emerged as the dark horse. He, alone, brought the Balerno martial arts alliance to victory.From that moment, he became the most sought-after talent who was respected and welcomed by all.Ronald set up a huge feast at the alliance headquarters to celebrate their victory. Many guests were invited to the event, and Dustin was inevitably the star of the night. Countless martial arts experts and seniors in the field turned up to congratulate him. Dustin was pushed into the spotlight.The grand celebratory party was held in the lounge of the allia
"H—he's dead?" Dustin was shocked, looking at Paul lying there lifelessly. His eyes widened in disbelief.The sudden turn of events caught him off guard, and he had trouble processing what he saw. How could this be? Why did Paul die? Who did it?Paul was a grandmaster martial artist, one of the five ultimate grandmasters of Balerno! Who was capable of killing him? The killer carried out the deed so quietly without anyone finding out. Who could it be?Dustin's mind raced, trying hard to catch any trace of abnormality and make sense of the situation. However, he could not make heads or tails of the situation.Everything had happened too suddenly, without even the slightest sign.Dustin crouched down to check Paul's body. He noticed that his body still had a lingering trace of warmth to it. From that, he deduced that the time of death was less than an hour ago. And before he died, he had been intoxicated by a substance that had messed with his senses, which led to delayed rea
"Spring! Don't waste your breath on him! He must pay dearly for murdering Father!" Autumn roared. "Guards! Avenge my father and chop this rascal up into pieces!""Yes, sir!" Everyone in the Hill household wielded their weapons and closed in on Dustin."Listen, this is all a trap. Someone deliberately planned all this to set me up!" Dustin explained as he dodged their attacks. He finally realized that something was amiss. Paul had been assassinated right when he was supposed to meet him. It was all too much of a coincidence. Someone was blatantly out to frame him. "Charge! Kill him!"None of the Hills were ready to hear him out. They charged at him relentlessly, every move intending to kill. Paul was the backbone of the family. He represented the honor and glory of the Hills. Now that he was murdered in their home, it was only natural that they would be furious. Their only wish right now was to kill Dustin and avenge Paul. "Everyone, please give me some time! I will cer
"D-Dustin? How could it be him?" Ronald was taken aback. He was in total disbelief. They had just been discussing how they were going to nurture him. And now, something like this happened. "Could you be mistaken? Why would Dustin murder Sir Paul?" one of the elders asked."It's true! I got the news firsthand from the Hills household. There were many eyewitnesses too! There's no mistaking it!" the member said solemnly. "How could that be? Has he gone crazy?" "To think that we were just talking about helping him grow! Who would've thought that he's such a merciless beast?""He's a threat to the alliance!" After hearing the news was true, the elders were all upset and furious. Paul Hill had made tremendous contributions to the Balerno martial arts alliance. He was a figure of great importance. Everyone who met him had to show him a certain level of respect. For such a respectable person to be killed evoked a sense of anger and resentment in them. And even more so when th
Zephyr Lodge, on the outskirts of town, was now the base for Kirin Gang.Dustin had gone there to lay low after he left the Hill family residence. The Hills were upset. So, there was no point in trying to explain himself to them. The best course of action was to uncover the truth to prove his innocence. Who was the one who murdered Paul? Why did the murderer set him up? With those questions in mind, Dustin ordered everyone in Kirin Gang to uncover the truth. Everyone available was sent out to gather information. Time was of the essence. They had to stabilize the situation before things got worse. "Sir Rhys!" Nelson barged into the meeting room with sweat running down his face. "Sir Rhys! We've got trouble! The Hills and their men are headed for Zephyr Lodge!""So soon?" Dustin frowned.They had just started using Zephyr Lodge as their base. Only a handful of people knew its location. He never thought they would be able to track him down within mere hours. It was obvious
After leaving Dash Corporation, Dustin and Natasha headed to the mall, where they picked out gifts for every member of the Ballard family. From the eldest to the youngest toddlers, no one was left out. Later, they stopped by an antique shop and chose a beautiful calligraphy painting as a special gift for Simon.By evening, Dustin had everything ready for his first visit to the Ballard estate, located in the heart of Oakvale's city center. The estate was a sprawling courtyard mansion built on a large plot of land.Simon, the Duke of Lachshire, had three sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Jonathan Ballard, was a third-ranked official in the government. The second son, Jensen Ballard, was a successful entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry in Oakvale, with billions in assets. Meanwhile, the youngest son, Jovian Ballard, had made a name for himself in the military and was now a third-ranked general.Simon's youngest daughter, Jessica—Natasha's mother—was highly favored with
While Dustin was away, Natasha couldn't help but worry about him. She would always keep an eye out for any news about him. But no matter how much she missed him, she wouldn't call him. She didn't want to distract or cause him to lose focus on the important matters concerning the nation's affairs. Understanding how busy he was, she kept her feelings in check and buried herself in work to keep her mind occupied.But when Natasha finally saw Dustin again, all the emotions she had bottled up came rushing out. Months of longing turned into overwhelming affection, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.Her assistant, Tanya, watched in shock. She had no idea Natasha—typically the poised, decisive, and commanding chairwoman—was in a relationship. What surprised her even more was how different Natasha seemed around Dustin. The usually unshakable "queen" now appeared soft and tender in his presence.Tanya couldn't help but watch Dustin more closely. His looks and charisma were u
Dustin had boarded the plane back to Oakvale. His trip to Sacred Wrym Summit had been full of ups and downs. From the Combat Tournament to the invasion of the Hall of Gods, his journey had been perilous. Thankfully, the outcome was favorable. He had won the championship at the tournament, acquired three Dracan essences, and ultimately foiled the Hall of Gods' plan. In every way, the mission had been nearly flawless.After bidding farewell to his newfound allies, Dustin joined Grace on the return flight. Four of the five Dracan essences had already been gathered, leaving only one remaining. According to Grace, the last essence had been located, and the person holding it was in Oakvale. Though their identity was still unknown, she suspected it was most likely one of the three princes.With the position of heir to the throne still uncertain, the three princes were all eager to secure their power. Whoever obtained the Dracan essence would be blessed with fortune and have a higher c
The chaos of the night quickly settled.By morning, as the first light of dawn broke across the horizon, Sacred Wrym Summit had regained its usual tranquility. Yet, the bloodstains across the ground and the wreckage of buildings stood as grim reminders of the previous night's violence.The military forces summoned by Grace had already taken the Hall of Gods' prisoners into custody.Rumors spread like wildfire, fueling gossip throughout the martial world as all the major guilds watched with keen interest. After all, very few in history had ever dared to challenge Sacred Wrym Summit, and a bold invasion aimed at destroying it was nothing short of unprecedented.The outcome was clear to all who bore witness. After many years, the world had come to recognize the true terror of Arion. He was no mere mortal—he was almost a godlike figure.…Inside the Hall of Gods' headquarters in Streuqua, the core members were gathered, seated in two rows on either side of the grand hall.On the thr
After dealing with the Hall of Gods' elite fighters, Arion disappeared in a blur. When he reappeared, he was hovering above the forbidden ground of Sacred Wrym Summit.The scene at the entrance to the forbidden ground was one of utter carnage. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, and rivers of blood flowed freely. All members of the Hall of Gods, including Hank, lay motionless on the ground.Dustin and Willard, both covered in blood and exuding killing intent, had fought fiercely. After a long, grueling fight, they succeeded in defending the forbidden ground of Sacred Wrym Summit. They had thwarted the Hall of Gods' plan to destroy the Dracan force.At that instant, Dustin seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up. Through the mist and darkness, he pinpointed Arion's figure hovering above. Arion smiled faintly and nodded at Dustin before disappearing again.Crossing several mountains in mere seconds, Arion arrived above the Sacred Wrym Summit's grand hall. Below, the discipl
When the dust finally settled, Arion was the only one left standing.Bailey, Willem, Anthony, Batuul, the three elite assassins from Eskus, and several gods from the Hall of Gods were either dead or gravely injured.Willem's body had been blasted into countless pieces. Each fragment wriggled on the ground as it struggled to piece together. Batuul fared even worse. He was utterly obliterated, leaving no trace behind, not even ashes. On the contrary, Bailey and the three Eskus assassins had both their arms severed and were gravely wounded. Though Anthony's limbs were still intact, his crushed internal organs left him coughing up blood. The backlash from the demonic blade had also taken a devastating toll on his body. He now appeared decades older, his face gaunt and hollow, his hair gray. His frail frame made him look like a man standing at death's door."H-How is this possible? No… this can't be happening!" Bailey's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief as he stared a
Arion's sudden appearance caught everyone off guard. They stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. What was going on? Wasn't Arion already dead? How could he be standing there in front of them? Could it be a ghost?They exchanged baffled looks, and their faces were filled with disbelief. They couldn't make sense of it. How could Arion possibly be alive? It was beyond their comprehension."You… you're not dead?" No one was more shocked than Willem. After all his effort, he had finally found the chance to bite into Arion's neck and drain every drop of his blood.He was certain Arion had died—there was no way he could have survived. But if Arion was dead, who was this person standing before them?"Everyone, calm down!" Bailey spoke up. "Arion's body is still over there. This person must be an imposter."At his words, everyone turned to look at the corpse lying nearby.Bailey was right. The body was still there, and there was no way Arion could still be alive. So, the person in front o
As the Snow Maiden attacked, Batuul's illusory Elephantine stirred into action. With a mighty roar, it charged forward and slammed into Arion. Its tusks, sharp as spears, aimed directly at his chest.Caught in the swirling snow, Arion couldn't avoid the attack and quickly invoked the Glow Incantation to shield himself. The tusks collided with the barrier in a deafening crash. The impact sent Arion flying, and the golden light surrounding him shattered like glass. Clearly, the illusory Elephantine's strength had far exceeded the Glow Incantation's limits.As Arion was tossed into the air, the three-headed, six-armed Chimera Wrath seized its moment. With six different weapons in hand, it launched a relentless assault.Arion swung his sword to block but was driven further back with each blow. With no solid footing in midair, his agility was useless against the onslaught.After several exchanges, one of the Chimera's weapons struck Arion squarely in the chest, sending him crashing to
After a prolonged battle, Anthony and the others finally realized the gravity of the situation.Arion wasn't just a sword master but also had unpredictable agility. No matter how they attacked, they couldn't even land a single hit. On top of that, his sword was a constant threat.If this deadlock continued, the situation would only worsen. So, when Bailey spoke, they knew it was time for decisive action, and there was no turning back. It was either kill or be killed.At that moment, Anthony, who had been holding back, finally decided to use his ultimate technique. He bit his finger and smeared the blood across his blade. His lips moved quickly as if whispering an incantation."Snow Maiden, arise!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he swung his sword. A white figure shot out and hovered in the air. It was a woman with fair skin and mesmerizing beauty. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her dress was as white as snow, and her eyes had a sinister gleam.The moment she appe