All eyes fell on them when they heard what Weston said. Their gaze was hostile and unkind.There were many divine-level martial artists present. They could hear everything within a 300 feet radius. "They've noticed us!" Vanessa had a bad feeling. "Nathan, Emily, what do we do now?""Why are you so worried? I'm here. You'll be fine. Follow me!"Dusting himself off, Nathan walked out with his head held high.Though those were strong opponents, the Azure Mist wasn't to be looked down upon either. He had the confidence to take them down in a fair fight."Come on, let's go meet them." Emily gestured to the rest of them and graciously showed themselves. They had initially planned to watch on from the sidelines, but it was too bad that they were noticed so soon."Alright, now that everyone's here, how should we handle things?"Weston smiled evilly with his broadsword still hoisted over his shoulder."I suggest we should team up for now. Once we get the treasure, we can split it
He wasn't one to take advantage of those who were outnumbered."Fuck you, Sheaves!" Weston roared.He was ultimately defeated by a stab that Magnus delivered straight to his chest. He slumped to the ground.Within minutes, the Desert Hawks were wiped clean. None one of them survived."How dare a gang of bandits challenge us? Insolent bastards!" Magnus huffed and flicked his sword to the side, raining drops of blood to the ground."Hey! Why didn't Azure Mist join in the fight earlier on?"Drake turned and saw Nathan and the rest of them standing where they stood earlier. They were clean, with not a single drop of blood on them. It was clear that they had not joined the fight."Two major guilds are enough to deal with the Desert Hawks. There was no need for us to get involved," Nathan explained calmly.Though he was only stating the fact, it sounded to the rest of them like he was trying to act nobler than them."You did nothing and simply watched as we killed them. Are you tr
Drake's head fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone was shocked. No one had expected Magnus to pull such a dirty trick.He was smiling and agreeing to an alliance just seconds ago. But now, he had chopped Drake's head off. He was plain evil!"Drake!" After they got over the shock, the Ironfists disciples were angered. Before they could even react, the Skycrane disciples began attacking. Following their shrieks, most of the Ironfists disciples were defeated within seconds. As for the remaining, Magnus and his men surrounded and killed them off. They did not stand a chance against Magnus.The Azure Mist had their guards up when they saw how ruthless the Skycrane disciples were. They pulled their swords out, waiting to see what they would do next."Magnus! I never thought you'd be so despicable to attack someone sneakily!" Nathan's brows furrowed.Skycrane was supposed to be a decent guild. How could Magnus resort to such underhanded tactics? It was shameless!"Haha! What
"Nathan won't hold up for much longer." Dustin could finally hold it in no more.But what was meant as a warning received a lot of retorts from the Azure Mist disciples."That's nonsense! Nathan is extremely skilled, and his swordsmanship is incredible! How could he possibly be defeated?""Exactly! Please look closely! Nathan is winning!""Hmph! Why are you on the opponent's side and belittling Nathan? If you don't know what's happening, keep your nonsense to yourself!"They shouted at Dustin.Everyone could see that Nathan was overpowering Magnus! It wouldn't take much longer for him to win the battle!But not only was Dustin not cheering Nathan on, he was even belittling him? How annoying!"You probably don't know Nathan well, Dustin."Vanessa proudly explained, "Nathan's so skillful that he's considered one of the top three in the younger generation of Lester martial artists. "He's earned himself the nickname of the Little Dragon and has defeated many reputable martial ar
"How is that possible?"Seeing all the disciples of Azure Mist lying on the ground and throwing up blood, Emily and Vanessa exchanged looks of horror.They had been standing at the back of the group, so they had not rushed up in time to help Nathan.What they saw was terrifying. More than ten elite disciples of Azure Mist were sent flying by a single slash of Magnus' sword.His strength was horrifying!"How dare you bunch of trash attempt to challenge me? You're just wasting your efforts!"Magnus pointed at them with his sword. He was looking down on them.He had only engaged in Nathan's challenge for fun. Now that he had his fun, it was time he ended things."As expected of Magnus. His skills are out of this world!""Hah! How dare a second-grade guild go against us? They were asking for it!"The Skycrane disciples laughed among themselves. The treasure was theirs now that they had defeated the Azure Mist."Magnus! Those girls with them are beautiful! "It'd be a pity to ki
"Hey, you! I'll let you live if you can withstand three of my attacks!" Magnus taunted as he lifted his sword."Is that so? I'd like to see how great your skills are." Dustin's expression remained impassive as he went forward calmly."Dustin!" Emily grabbed his wrist. "Magnus is much stronger than us. You can't possibly win against him. You better run for your life!""That's right, Dustin! The guy is terrifying! You're no match for him!" Vanessa tried to persuade him against it, too."Rhys! Stop making things worse! Bring Emily and the rest away from here now! "You can't handle the situation here!" Nathan shouted at him."Exactly! Even Nathan can't win against Magnus! Do you think you can? Run while you can!"The disciples of Azure Mist yelled at him to run away. Though they didn't particularly like him, they didn't wish to see him dead."Don't worry. It's just Magnus. I'm not afraid of him." Dustin was calm like there was nothing to be anxious about. He walked forward.
Everyone was silent when they saw Magnus explode into pieces.They stood there frozen in place with absolute horror on their faces. They looked like they'd seen a ghost. Many of them even wondered if they were dreaming. If this wasn't a dream, how can such a thing happen?That was Magnus, the lead disciple of Skycrane and a genius swordmaster from Yuston. He was strong enough to defeat all the disciples of Azure Mist single-handedly. How could a nobody like Dustin overpower someone of that level?No, he wasn't even overpowered. Dustin's punch shattered him on the spot.Just a single punch from him had shattered both Magnus and his sword. He had been so thoroughly destroyed that nothing remained.Was he even human? He must be a monster!"How—how could this be? Magnus—died?"Looking at all the blood on the ground, the disciples of Skycrane looked defeated. They trembled, and their eyes were filled with shock.It was hard for them to accept that Magnus, a genius swordmaster an
A large crater in the shape of a palm was formed on the ground.The Skycrane disciples were buried in the soil and gravel in the crater. Some of them were severely wounded, while others died on the spot.All it took was one palm strike from him, and almost all the Skycrane disciples were wiped out. It was a truly powerful attack!"Master Chasey!"Upon seeing the elderly person, the Azure Mist disciples' spirits were uplifted. They gathered around eagerly as if they had met their leader.The elderly man was none other than Walter Chasey, the leader of Azure Mist!"Dad! You're here! We almost died!"Vanessa ran up to him with red-rimmed eyes. She looked like she was close to tears."Oh, you! You refused to train when I asked you to. Now you know fear in the face of danger!"Walter stood with his hands behind his back as he lectured Vanessa with a stern expression."Dad! They were too powerful! Even Nathan was no match for them. What could I do?"Vanessa pouted, looking hurt.
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Dustin and Glenn stepped onto the battle ring. They stood about 30 feet apart, and their eyes locked across the distance. Their gazes met like sparks, and they could feel the weight of the other's stare."Are you Logan?" Glenn asked, breaking the silence.He had heard the rumors about this dark horse before stepping into the ring, but now that he was facing him, he wasn't sure."Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is who wins this fight." Dustin didn't confirm or deny it, but his words left Glenn with no doubt.Both men were at the top of the Legendary List and held equal rank on the Champ-Tier List. Until they fought, no one could say who was the stronger of the two."I heard you're Seth's disciple, so I'm really looking forward to this." Glenn's gaze sharpened.Many years ago, his mentor, Cyrus, was defeated by Seth. That loss had always haunted Cyrus ever since. Now, with the disciples of both men about to face off, Glenn was determin
"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