"There's evidence on the corpse? It was left on his body before he died?"Autumn's brows furrowed as he thought about it.He had checked the corpse thoroughly when he handled it. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.Could he have missed something?"Gather a few of our men. We're going to the hill behind the Hill family residence. "I'll open the coffin to check on the corpse tonight!"After thinking for a moment, Autumn quickly decided on his next action.He could not afford to take the risk. If he'd missed something, he'd be in huge trouble.He had to destroy any evidence before anyone found out!Thirty minutes later, Autumn and his trusted men secretly went to the hill behind the Hill family residence.This was where all the members of the Hill family were buried after they'd passed away. Paul was buried there, too.When they got to Paul's grave, Autumn bowed deeply and muttered to himself, "I'm sorry, Father. Please don't mind me."Then, he straightened up and
"Stand right there! I'm warning you! "You better not come any closer! I'm part of the Hill family!" Autumn backed up as he shouted at Dustin."How dare you say something like that when you killed your own father?"Dustin looked at him disdainfully. "If I tell the public what happened today, what do you think will happen to you?""Hidden guards! Kill him!" Autumn suddenly yelled.He wanted to kill Dustin to keep things a secret. But there was only silence around him. Only the occasional sound of the wind howling could be heard."Hidden guards? Hidden guards!"Autumn panicked and looked around in distress."Your trusted men are here." Cornelius held two bloody heads in his hands. He appeared from the shadows and walked into the moonlight.Then, with a toss, the heads rolled to Autumn's feet—the blood drained from Autumn's face."There's no escaping for you, Autumn. What else have you got to say now?" Dustin said icily."Wait a minute!"Seeing how the situation was turn
"Dustin, let's not talk about that old man anymore."Autumn swiftly changed the topic. "The important matter now is to think about our future plans."If you support me, I can gain control over the entire Hill family within days!""When have I agreed to work with you?" Dustin asked coldly."What?" Autumn frowned. "I've already said so much. Aren't you the least bit tempted?""You willingly killed your father. If I collaborated with a beast like you, it would only ruin my reputation!"Besides, I will expose all you've done to the public. So prepare to face your death!"Dustin gestured to Cornelius. Cornelius understood his instruction and dashed forward to pin Autumn to the ground."Rhys! You're going back on your word! "You agreed to my proposal earlier on! Why?" Autumn roared, not giving up.He was just one step away. One step away from success. Power, authority, and fame had been so close he felt he could touch them. Why did things turn out this way?"I'm not the best
As time passed, the crowd gathered around at the entrance of Zephyr Lodge grew.The crowd was dense, with tens of thousands of people. Those who were involved, and even those who weren't involved, were there.Some were there to condemn Dustin, while others just to watch the show unfold. Some were even there to enjoy Dustin's misfortune.Most of them knew that if Dustin made it out of this in one piece, he'd have a bright future.If he didn't, they would witness the fall of a genius today."We know you're in there, Dustin! Your seven days are up! Come out and face your death!" the Hill family shouted.The gates of Zephyr Lodge creaked open as Dustin led several of his men out."Wow. What a crowd we have here today. How exciting."Dustin glanced around and saw many familiar faces."Stop playing the fool! You murdered my grandfather! Today is the day you pay for it with your life!" Torben shouted angrily."That's right! Sir Reeds had been generous enough to let you live for anot
The crowd began whispering when they heard what Dustin said. Some of them were shocked, while others had their doubts. But most of them did not believe him."Nonsense! My father had been upright and honest his whole life! "How could he have done such a horrible thing?" Torben bellowed."I'm warning you, Dustin! You better not spout such nonsense around!"Spring's expression was dark. "You murdered my father, and now you're dragging my brother through the mud! What malicious intentions you have!""Let Autumn tell you what he's done. Then you'll know if I'm slandering him."Dustin pulled out the wad of cloth shoved in Autumn's mouth. Then, he kicked him. "Go on, tell them what happened last night.""Spring! Save me! Quick!" Autumn immediately began yelling once he opened his mouth."This scoundrel captured me and started torturing me. He even threatened to wipe out my entire family if I did not take the blame for him! Spring, you have to save me!""You liar! How dare you tell
A deathly silence came over the crowd as Autumn's head fell to the ground.All the shouts and clamors died down.Ronald and Conrad were shocked.The Hill family, Jade Maiden Sisterhood, Boulderthorn, the Zen Order, the Combat Priests, the Soul Reapers, and all the martial artists present were shocked.Everyone gaped in disbelief.No one had expected Dustin to be so cruel. He had cut Autumn's head off in front of the entire Hill family, the Balerno and Glenstead martial alliances, and all the sects.Without any reason or explanation, he killed him like one would slaughter an animal.Then, an uproar broke out."How dare you kill someone so openly, Dustin? You cocky bastard!""He killed him to silence him! That's what he's doing!""He has no conscience! Someone like him needs to be killed!""Kill him! Avenge Sir Paul! Return the Hill family their honor!"The crowd stomped their feet and cursed at him.He was already guilty of murder, and now he'd committed another! They would
"Do you see that, everyone?"Dustin looked around and said coldly, "Autumn's conscience has been shrouded by his greed. "He would not even spare his father for power. Should a vile person like him not be killed?"Dustin's question shut all of them up.Even those from the Hill family who had been livid were silenced.Spring froze after watching the video.Torben stood there, mumbling to himself, "How did things turn out this way? "How could my father end up being my grandfather's murderer? Tha—that's impossible!"He found it hard to believe that his father would commit such a vile act.He even went so far as to disregard family ties just for power and authority. It was outrageous!"I had thought that Dustin was the murderer. Turns out there's a traitor within the Hill family!""He can even bring himself to murder his father. What a monster!""One can never judge a book by its covers. Who would have thought the ever-helpful and generous Sir Autumn was so despicable?"The c
"What? Spring Hill?"Everyone was shocked by Dustin's words. All eyes rested on the Hills."No way! Spring has always been a righteous and generous person. How could he have anything to do with this?""I don't believe you too. Spring is known to be a gentleman. Everyone only talks about how good he is.""Was he mistaken?"A heated discussion broke out among the crowd.Spring had the best reputation among the Hill brethren. He was always helpful to others. Even beggars who approached him were treated with respect. There was no doubt about his character.Spring was taken aback but quickly recovered. He roared, "What nonsense! There's no bad blood between us, Dustin."Why are you making false accusations against me?""False accusations?" Dustin scoffed. "You know better than anyone else whether those accusations are true."Autumn was just impulsive. He has the brawns but not the brains. "He is incapable of planning Sir Paul's assassination and framing me for it!"Autumn's
"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