"Sir Reeds, the letter could have been fabricated."Spring said calmly, "All he needed to do was to get someone to imitate my penmanship. "He could easily make a fake letter. It doesn't prove anything.""Precisely! Who knows if he made it up?" The Hills took Spring's side readily."Oh, Spring, it seems like I've underestimated you. How can you still be denying what you've done?"Alright, since you insist you're innocent, I'll give you evidence you can't deny."Dustin clapped. Then, the disciples of the Kirin Gang parted to make way.Then, an old man with white hair and beard strode out with his head held high.Everyone stood frozen in place as if they'd been struck by lightning.The old man was none other than the late Sir Paul!"H—how is this possible? Isn't Sir Paul dead?""Oh my god! I can't possibly be looking at a ghost now, right?""What on Earth is going on? Has the dead come back to life?"The crowd was shocked, and they all staggered back. They looked like they'd
Spring's legs went weak, and he sat on the ground after letting out all his pent-up thoughts.His face was twisted with many negative emotions: anger, hatred, jealousy, craze, and spite.He could not understand why things turned out the way they did. He had come up with a perfect plan. There should have been no mistake.All he had to do was kill Paul, and he could take over his position. He would then be in control and have ultimate authority.Yet, things did not go according to his plan. All his carefully planned schemes burst like bubbles.He had only two possible outcomes when he decided to aim for his father's position. He could reach his goal and be respected by all, or he would fail and fall into disgrace.Unfortunately, he failed.Paul hadn't died, and all his plans and schemes were wasted. But he refused to accept the outcome!Just one step. One more step was all it took for him to get a taste of success. Why?"I never thought that Spring would be the one behind all
Ronald was the only one who stayed behind."Why are you still here, Ronald? Go back," Paul said.Ronald did not answer him. He gave him a quick once over and looked at Dustin instead. "Dustin, where did you hire this person?""What? What nonsense is that?" Paul frowned."Well? Are you going to keep up the act?" Ronald's expression darkened."Watch it! Is this how you talk to your mentor? How rude!" Paul scolded angrily."Hmph! I'll see for myself if you're a man or a ghost!" Ronald huffed. Suddenly, he reached out to claw at Paul's face.Paul frowned and quickly stepped back. But he wasn't fast enough.Just as Ronald was about to grab him, Dustin rushed up and stood between the two. "Sir Reeds, please have mercy. Hear me out," he said."You horrid student! How dare you attack your mentor? "That is unacceptable behavior!" Paul looked furious."Alright, alright. Enough with that. Sir Reeds has already seen through your disguise."Dustin shot the person behind him a war
Dustin lay unconscious on his bed in Zephyr Lodge. His brows were furrowed, and his face was ghostly pale.A war raged on within him as the toxins and his true energy battled with each other relentlessly.From time to time, black blood would trickle out of his nose and mouth.Dr. Watkins sat by his bedside as he carefully performed acupuncture on him. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he tried to get the poison out of him.Cornelius, Azalea, Abigail, and the rest were worried as they stood waiting by the side.Dustin was not even cleared of Septemortis yet, and now another unknown poison was added to the mix. The situation was terrible.Ronald led those from the Balerno martial arts alliance to search for Conrad, who seemed to have disappeared. They still had no news of him yet.Now, all their hopes lay with Dr. Watkins to bring Dustin back from the brink of death.As time passed, sweat began forming on Dr. Watkin's forehead. He was breathing raggedly.As the needles
"I know how you feel, Ms. Harmon. But the effects of the poison are too strong. "I've tried everything, but nothing worked. I'm really sorry." Linden sighed. He cared a lot about Dustin and even planned to make Dustin his successor. It was unfortunate that Dustin had been poisoned with an incurable poison."T—that's impossible!" Natasha began to panic. Nobody stood a chance if even Linden was unable to cure Dustin."Hang on!" Natasha suddenly recalled something. "Dr. Watkins, I heard Stoneray Order has a magical herb called 'Resurgathorn'. It can revive someone when mixed with a secret recipe. Is that true?""Resurgathorn?" Linden frowned when he heard this. "Ms. Harmon, that is something that is forbidden. We mustn't use it.""Why not? Are you worried that we won't be able to pay up?" Natasha was anxious. "It has nothing to do with money." Linden shook his head before explaining, "Resurgathorn isn't a medical herb. Rather, it's a highly potent poison that's difficult t
"Goodbye, my love …"Despite being unconscious, Dustin heard a familiar voice speaking to him. He wanted to open his eyes, but he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. It felt like his body had fallen into a bottomless pit and was still falling. Fear and despair washed over him in the dark world.He didn't know how long he'd been in this state. A year? Ten? Or maybe even a hundred?Just as Dustin was about to break down, he saw a burst of light in the distance.Like a drowning man yearning for air, he swam desperately toward the source of the light. He got closer and closer until the light engulfed him. Suddenly, Dustin woke up on the hospital bed with a gasp. Air filled his lungs, and his heart began picking up pace. It felt as if he had been reborn.He took a moment to check himself and realized that the poison had miraculously disappeared from his body!Although he felt slightly weak, his life was no longer in danger. "Mr. Rhys, you're finally awake. I thought you
From agonizing pain to reaching death, Linden carefully watched the entire process. He felt that Dustin needed to know how far Natasha would go for the person she loved. Dustin was dumbstruck after hearing Linden explain the event. He never imagined that Natasha was willing to sacrifice herself to save him. At this moment, he finally understood his feelings for her. Still, there was no way he could accept her feelings for him if it led to something like this. "Mr. Rhys, Ms. Harmon left this letter for you. Please read it." Conflicted, Linden cautiously passed Dustin a letter. No one had ever impressed him as Natasha did. After all, even grandmasters might not be able to handle the unbearable pain. Yet, an ordinary woman could withstand the pain without complaining and did so without regret. She was fearless.Linden couldn't imagine how much Natasha must love Dustin for her to go so far. Linden had already given up on Dustin.But Natasha made him realize that, sometimes, e
Natasha's peaceful expression was like a knife stabbing Dustin's heart. He hated himself for causing her to end up like this, and he hated himself for being unable to save her. If he could turn time back, he would switch things around. "Hang on! Switch?" Dustin perked up when he thought of something. He looked at Linden and asked, "Dr. Watkins, do you have any Resurgothorn left? I want to save her by exchanging our lives!""Don't be foolish!" Linden scolded him, frowning. "Do you think Resurgathorn is food? It's not readily available. "Besides, Ms. Harmon sacrificed herself for you. The least you could do to make her sacrifice worthwhile is to live properly!""I don't want her to sacrifice herself. I just need her to be alive!" Dustin roared with bloodshot eyes. "I don't care what I must do and what price I must pay. I just need her to come back to life!"Dustin begged, "Please, Dr. Watkins. You're the best doctor I know. Please help me save her!" He fell to his knee
"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