"Nonsense!" Hector knocked away the knife offered to him. "I know Natasha very well. She would never do anything like this! There must have been a mistake!"When Hector heard that his daughter was in trouble, he immediately rushed home. He didn't expect to be met with such a hostile scene as soon as he stepped inside.Were they going to enforce the house law? Who dared to enforce the house law while the head of the family was away? "Uncle Hector, it's impossible to know a person truly. Character is nothing in front of riches." Dylan shook his head and continued, "The treasury was robbed, and only you and your daughter have the keys. If it wasn't Natasha, was it you, then?""Nonsense!"Hector glared at Dylan and exclaimed, "As the family head, I consider myself upright and honorable. I would never do anything that harms our family!""Well, that's certainly unusual. If it wasn't you or Natasha, was it a ghost who did it?" Dylan asked sarcastically.The crowd was doubtful upon
"What?" Upon seeing the man, both Hector and Natasha frowned. They started to worry. "Uncle Hector, you should recognize this man, right?"Dylan walked around the attendant. "I caught this guy as he escaped with the treasures. "After a thorough interrogation, he confessed and admitted to his crimes. The key to the treasury is the evidence.""Hey! What are you still standing around for? "Hurry up and tell us the truth. This is your last chance to redeem yourself!" Kate stepped forward and kicked the attendant."It's not me … I had nothing to do with it!" With a thud, the man fell to his knees before pointing at Natasha. He groveled as he cried out, "It was all Miss Natasha's doing! She ordered me to do it. "I was just following orders. I don't know anything. "Please, I beg you, spare my life!""What are you talking about? When did I ever order you to do such a thing?" Natasha looked serious."Ms. Natasha, we have been exposed. There's no point in denying it. "You mi
"What? You're stepping down as the family head?" Hector's words caused the crowd to panic. Since he became the family head, Hector worked diligently and tirelessly to manage the family. He had kept everything in order.While no one in the entire family dared to challenge his authority, they found it hard to accept that he was stepping down. "Dad! All of this happened because of me. "I should be the one being punished, if ever. There's no need for you to bear the blame!" Natasha started to panic. If Hector stepped down from his position and handed over all his assets, decades of her father's hard work would be ruined.After that, they would be left with nothing and no chance to turn the situation around."Shut it! It's not your place to speak!" Hector turned back and roared.Power, status, and money were nothing to him compared to his daughter."Hector, are you sure about this?" Trent's eyes shone with delight before he regained his composure."Hector, resigning from the r
"Considering that this is Natasha's first offense, and she has shown timely remorse, we can spare her from physical punishment."However, Trent suddenly added, "But the family has suffered significant losses, and you must make amends. "Here's the deal: if you hand over the formula to Immortunol, I'll forget today ever happened.""The formula to Immortunol?"Natasha furrowed her brows and refused immediately, "Never!"She hadn't committed any crime. They had only given in to alleviate the situation. She couldn't believe they were pushing their luck and targeting the formula to Immortunol. Their greed knew no limits!They knew that the formula was an invaluable treasure. Even if Natasha gave up all her assets, she could still make a fresh start as long as she possessed the formula."Natasha Harmon! Uncle Trent is giving you a chance. Don't be ungrateful!" Dylan shouted."Hmph! You'll face our house law if you don't hand over the formula. Let's see how you fare then!" Kate look
Natasha felt butterflies in her stomach as she basked in Dustin's domineering presence. His glare was sharp. They were intense and fiery. She felt pleased to be protected by the man she loved. "You son of bitch! It seems you won't understand how powerful we are until we teach you a lesson!"Kate erupted into anger as she yelled, "Take him away!" As soon as she spoke, a dozen Harmon family guards charged forward. Each of them exuded murderous intent as they approached with sharp gazes."The audacity!" Before Dustin could act, Cornelius had transformed into a ghostly shadow and shot across the heads of the crowd. With a graceful backflip, he landed confidently in front of the guards.A loud explosion was heard as he launched a palm strike from a distance. A powerful divine aura surged like a wave, knocking over the guards to the ground.The lingering force became a fierce gust of wind, forcing the rest of the Harmons to stagger backward. They couldn't keep their eyes open.A
As he got closer, Dylan whipped around and threw a heavy punch at Cornelius.Just as his punch was about to make contact, Cornelius raised his hand and caught his fist.A large bang sounded from the impact. The divine aura that Dylan wrapped around his punch broke on the spot. It was so fragile as if it was made of paper."What?" Dylan was shocked. He hadn't expected Cornelius to grab his aura-wrapped punch so easily."Is this all you've got?" Cornelius looked at him in contempt. With a slight twist, a cracking sound was heard, and Dylan's wrist was broken."Ahh—!" His painful shriek was cut short by a kick from Cornelius. Dylan was sent flying across the room and slammed onto the wall. He bled from both his nose and mouth.The Harmons looked at the scene in shock.Dylan's martial skills were acknowledged to be the best out of them all. He even surpassed the leader of the shadow guards. No one in the Harmon household could match him.Seeing such an expert being defeated b
Late that night in Zephyr Lodge, Dustin told Hector. "Mr. Harmon, your wounds have been treated. You'll be fine after a few days of rest."After dressing up the wounds, Dustin gave Hector a Haemoplenish to boost his health. Fortunately, the three stabs hadn't hit any vital organs. Otherwise, it would have been a pain to treat."I appreciate your help tonight, Dustin. Thank you." Hector smiled at him, looking pleased with Dustin. Somehow, he had already taken Dustin as the best candidate for his son-in-law."You're welcome. It's not a big deal at all."Dustin smiled as he asked, "Mr. Harmon, I'm just curious. You certainly can take charge of the situation and put them in their place. Why did you have to stab yourself three times?"Hector was still in command of the shadow guards. Nobody would have been able to retaliate if he had taken more drastic means to control the situation. Then, he wouldn't have to end up the way he did now—powerless and poor. "It's clear that things
The Harmons have strived for over a hundred years to get where they are now. If Natasha were to start over, it would be tough on her."Don't worry, Dad. I have confidence in succeeding when it comes to business." Natasha was sure of herself."What are your plans?" Hector asked."I don't see much potential in Millsburg. I plan to go to Oakvale. I'll make it big there with Immortunol," Natasha declared in high spirits."Oakvale?" Hector's brows pinched together. "But you don't have any connections in Oakvale. I'm afraid things will be hard for you there.""Dad, have you forgotten that Grandfather works in Oakvale? Nobody will dare mess with me with him there!" Natasha chuckled."Seems like you've already thought things through." Hector nodded with relief. "If that's the case, I wish you all the best." With Natasha's abilities and full support from Mr. Ballard Senior, it would be easier for her to set up a new company in Oakvale and succeed.The Harmon family's future would a
"Since Madam Penelope has spoken, I’ll follow her lead," Alloy said with a smile. "What about Mr. Hadley and Sage Foyer?""I'm in if you want to make a bet," Cyrus replied coolly."It's not every day we get an opportunity like this. Let me stir things up a bit." Kaden nodded with a grin.Once the three had agreed, Penelope waved for Abigail to come over.Soon, Abigail approached them with a wide grin. "Esteemed guests, I hear you want to bet. The current odds are—bet on Dustin to win, and you'll get 1.6 times your stake. Bet on Glenn, and it's only 0.4."She continued, "And no worries—if you win, I'll exchange your winnings for celestial stones." Abigail smiled brightly, and the other parties' eyes gleamed with the unmistakable shine of greed.Many had already placed their bets with her. Though she couldn't control the match's outcome, she knew how to adjust the odds to her advantage. Over time, that could turn into a huge fortune."I'm betting on Glenn to win." Cyrus quickly
"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