"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
Dustin was surprised by the dagger that clattered noisily by his feet.The dagger was indeed the one that Ronald gave him. But after a few drinks last night, he had put it in his room.He hadn't paid the dagger much attention this morning when he left for the Hill family residence. He hadn't expected it would be the weapon that killed Paul! And because of that, he was now the prime suspect! "Well? Do you have anything else to say? Are you going to tell me that the dagger had been stolen?" Spring asked darkly. Dustin furrowed his brow. He swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. It was true. He indeed wanted to say that the dagger had been stolen. But at this point, no one was going to believe that. "Rascal, we've got solid evidence now. Let's see how you get out of this!" Autumn roared. "Dad! Don't waste your breath on him. Just kill him right now to avenge Granddad!" Torben egged him on from behind. "Dustin! Did you really kill Sir Paul?" Ronald, who had been
There were just slightly more than a thousand people from the alliances. However, the disciples of the Kirin Gang added up to over five thousand people.Skills aside, just their numbers alone were enough to scare their opponents. Those clamoring to kill Dustin earlier on now kept their mouths shut. The people from Kirin Gang not only had knives with them. Some of the elites even had firearms. Unless one was a grandmaster, they could not hold up against those weapons."Sir Rhys, are you alright?" Cornelius and a group of elites from Kirin Gang rushed up to Dustin. They formed a circle around him, protecting him from the crowd. "I'm fine." Dustin shook his head. If he wished to leave, no one could stop him. But he might have to live with the label of a murderer and be hated by everyone for the rest of his life. "Dustin! Do you honestly think your underlings can fend off the Hill family's hidden guards?" Spring took a step forward aggressively. Though the Kirin Gang had the
"Septemortis?"Everyone looked wary of the black pill.It was an extremely poisonous substance. Once consumed, death was certain if one didn't have the antidote. No one could resist the poison's effect, regardless of their cultivation. It was something that struck fear in everyone's hearts. "Dustin! If your conscience is clear, then take the pill!" Spring shouted at him."That's right! If you don't take the pill to show you're innocent, we won't let you go!" the Hills clamored. They weren't happy to let Dustin go. But now that they had the Septemortis, things were different. No matter what tricks Dustin had up his sleeves, he couldn't escape death unless he gave them a satisfactory explanation. "Fine. I'll take it." Dustin nodded and placed the pill in his mouth."Sir Rhys! No!" Nelson immediately stopped Dustin when he saw what he had done. "This is highly poisonous! You'll die!""If he doesn't take it, he'll die too!" Autumn yelled."Damn it! I'll fight it out with yo
If Ronald hadn't calmed the crowd and bought Dustin some time to investigate, violence would've erupted. Things would be vastly different if that happened. "Dustin, I can't help you openly. But if you ever run into any problems, you may come to me in private," Ronald told him sincerely."Thank you, Sir Reeds." Dustin was thankful. "Now that things have come to this, you should watch your back." Ronald shook his head and sighed before walking away. The crowd came quickly and left just as quickly. Once they saw Dustin swallow the Septemortis, they knew he would die. It no longer mattered to them whether he was guilty. "Sir Rhys, you were too rash to take the poison! Why would you risk your life like that?" Cornelius sighed heavily. He really couldn't understand why Dustin would take the pill."All the elites from Balerno and Glenstead martial arts alliance were gathered here. Even with all of you here, you won't be able to stop them," Dustin answered calmly."Even if we ca
When Dustin finally opened his eyes again, he was in the hospital.It seems that the toxin within him had finally stabilized. But things still weren't looking up for him."You're awake, dear?" a surprised voice sounded beside him.When Dustin turned around, he found Natasha sitting by his bedside. Worry was evident on her beautiful face."Natasha, why are you here?" Dustin was shocked."I heard from Nelson that you fainted. Of course, I had to come over to check on you. What's the matter? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Natasha asked, concerned. "I'm fine. I guess I was just exhausted, so I dozed off." Dustin pretended to be relaxed."Exhausted? Poisoned, more like," Nelson muttered."Shut up!" Dustin glared at him. "Poisoned? What happened?" Natasha asked, furrowing her brow. "It's just a little poison. It isn't serious. I'll be fine after taking some medications." Dustin chuckled."Are you sure?" Natasha was doubtful. "What? Don't you trust my medical skills?
Lycas gripped his broadsword with both hands and roared. The sound cracked through the air like a thunderclap.He sidestepped sharply and charged straight at Dustin like a raging bull.The heavy broadsword moved like it weighed nothing in his hands. He swung it with brutal speed. Each arc cut through the air with a sharp, whistling howl, as if it could slice through anything in its path.The broadsword came crashing down on Dustin with bone-crushing force, like a mountain falling from the sky.Lycas threw his full weight into the swing. As the sword descended, the force of the strike stirred up dust from the ground. It sent plumes of dirt in every direction.He knew Dustin was no ordinary opponent. If he wanted a chance to win, he had to make the first move and seize the initiative."Nice form," Dustin said.As Lycas launched a powerful, aggressive attack, Dustin remained calm and unruffled. With effortless grace, he sidestepped without the slightest rush. The broadsword whizz
Bryce knew Dustin was strong, but this was beyond anything he anticipated. Though he had gained the upper hand early on, Bryce still believed his skills matched Dustin's.From his observation, Dustin relied on martial arts techniques and hit-and-run tactics. Plus, he didn't dare to confront Bryce head-on.He had assumed that as long as he found an opening, he could exploit Dustin's weaknesses and defeat him. But when Dustin finally stopped holding back, Bryce realized how wrong he'd been.It turned out Dustin wasn't just playing hit-and-run tactics. Instead, he'd held back the entire time to spare Bryce from an embarrassing defeat.The moment Dustin stopped holding back, Bryce didn't stand a chance. Even without special techniques, Dustin's raw power, speed, and reflexes were enough to crush him.The difference in their abilities was staggering, so much so that no amount of skill could close the gap.And it wasn't just Bryce who was shocked. Except for Nathaniel, who had already
Bryce's request for a fight heated up the atmosphere.Soldiers around the training ground started murmuring among themselves."Lieutenant General Gantz is a legend in our ranks. His combat skills are no joke—he's taken down countless enemies on the battlefield. I haven't seen him in action in years," one young soldier said with awe."Yeah," a veteran agreed. "Lieutenant General Gantz has been through countless battles, and his strength is unmatched. If he steps in, Mr. Rhys might be in for a rough time."After the fight earlier, the soldiers knew firsthand that Dustin was no slouch. Otherwise, he wouldn't have easily defeated the five elite soldiers.But in their minds, no matter how skilled Dustin was, he stood no chance against Bryce.Bryce was a grandmaster not just in rank but in skill, physical strength, and battlefield experience. He was stronger than any expert from the martial world.Nathaniel had once recruited several grandmaster martial artists to spar with them, but
"Your Highness, the soldiers under me are trained solely in killing techniques. If they hurt your guest, things could get ugly," Lycas said.He didn't say it outright, but the message was clear. If Dustin wasn't strong enough, he'd better stay out of the way, or he was just asking for trouble.Bryce didn't say anything, but the look he gave Dustin was full of contempt. How could a pampered young man like Dustin measure up to soldiers who've been through the grind? He figured Dustin was probably some heir from a prominent family who knew Nathaniel and was trying to assert his relevance."You guys are blind to greatness when it's standing right in front of you." Nathaniel chuckled and shook his head. He added, "If any of you manage to land a hit on Mr. Rhys, I'll pay out a thousand gold. But honestly, I doubt any of you have what it takes."At the mention of rewards, the soldiers perked up. Their eyes lit up with excitement. They were practically itching to charge at Dustin and g
During the meal, Nathaniel arranged for two women to accompany Dustin.Throughout history, even the greatest heroes couldn't resist the allure of beautiful women. Sometimes, a woman of extraordinary beauty could be far more enticing than rare treasures or high status.Dustin remained composed. He neither showed any enthusiasm nor did he deliberately reject it.As for the women seated on either side of him, he treated them with polite respect. He enjoyed a drink and the easy conversation with them, but nothing beyond that.However, Nathaniel saw it differently. To him, it seemed that Dustin was unimpressed by the women at his side.Considering Dustin's background, it made sense. A woman of ordinary beauty would never catch his attention. Nathaniel realized he would need to pull out all the stops. Perhaps, it was time to bring out his most prized companion and see how Dustin responded.After the meal, he led Dustin to his mansion's training ground.The midday sun blazed overhead
"This…" Dustin began.He hesitated on purpose and didn't give an immediate answer.Upon seeing him deep in thought, Nathaniel was convinced that Dustin was weighing the pros and cons. He leaned in slightly, his smile widening with anticipation. "You should know how much the Dracan essence means to me," he said. "If I can gather all the essences, it’d be like fate is on my side. My path to the throne would be unstoppable—and when that time comes, your reward will be waiting."As he spoke, his gaze stayed on Dustin as he searched for any sign of hesitation in his expression.Dustin looked up and met his eyes. For a moment, something unreadable flickered in his gaze.He pressed his lips together and spoke slowly. "You're right, Your Highness. But it wasn't easy to find the Dracan essence. I went through quite a few twists and turns. Besides, if I give it to you, it might put me at odds with the other two princes."He paused deliberately and left the rest unsaid. Still, the concern
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god