"God damn it! If I had Neptune's power, I would be a hundred times cockier than he was!" The martial artists chattered among themselves. They were not only amazed, but they were also filled with admiration for him. Who else had the guts to provoke three grandmasters in Balerno?"How dare you, Michael! Do you think we're afraid of you?" Theodore was furious. It was humiliating to be publicly scolded by someone younger. "Robinson, don't go overboard!"Graham was angry, too. "We were showing respect by offering advice as fellow grandmasters. But if you insist on opposing us, don't blame us for using violence!""Amen."Orson let out a soft sigh. "Sir Robinson, if you remain stubborn, I can only follow the will of the heavens." "Since the three of you won't let this matter go, let's fight. "After all, it's been long since I've stretched my muscles." Michael suddenly laughed. A deep aura started to flow out from him. The surrounding temperature dropped, and a swirling hur
The battle between the four intensified. And the destruction they left grew as they fought. Everything within their range was destroyed and became rubble. Birds and animals of the Black Forest ran away.The huge commotion also attracted the attention of various martial artists. Low-level martial artists, divine-level martial artists, and even grandmasters were present. They were from various sects and skill levels. Almost all sorts of martial artists had gathered. But they did not dare make a move. Everyone watched from afar as the four grandmasters fought. They were shocked, but their gazes were locked on the epic battle. With each resounding clash, their battle grew intense. Waves of energy rippled outward like a tsunami. It sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers. After a long exchange of moves, Theodore, Graham, and Orson grew alarmed. They didn't expect Michael to be that strong.Even against three opponents, he wasn't struggling.His grandmaster aura seemed
That was just too powerful! "Haha! Yes! We won!" Abigail jumped for joy.A while ago, she was still worried that her father would lose. She didn't expect him to win so easily. "A powerful man, indeed." Dustin smiled faintly. He wasn't too surprised by the result. Michael was an ultimate grandmaster. He was also ranked the best among the five ultimate grandmasters of Balerno. Theodore and the other two men weren't his match at all. If Michael hadn't shown them mercy, they would have been taken down a long time ago. "Do you still want to fight?" Michael took a step forward. His demeanor grew even more imposing. It was hard not to be intimidated by him. Theodore and the rest crawled out of the pit, looking a mess. They were both shocked and cautious. They had never imagined that Michael had hidden his true strength. His sudden outburst earlier had completely caught them off guard. "What do we do now? Are we going to give up just like this?" Theodore glanced at the other t
"What's going on? Where did the black fog come from?""Does anyone have Curax? I'd be willing to pay a high price for it!" "Oh, no! Are we going to be poisoned to death?"Everyone was terrified as they watched the black fog closing in on them from all sides. Their legs had turned to jelly. They had come here in search of treasure. But instead of finding any, they had thrown themselves into danger. "This is bad. The Black Forest has Song of Hell!" Michael scanned his surroundings with a grim expression. At this time, he could no longer care about Theodore, Graham, and Orson. "Dad, what's Song of Hell?" Abigail couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw how anxious the others were. "An extremely terrifying miasma. It's known as one of the ten deadliest poisons in the world. While it might not be the most toxic, its lethality is unmatched. It destroys and devours everything in its path," Michael explained.Hearing that, Abigail swallowed nervously. "Then what should we d
Everyone was running around in panic. However, the black fog had blocked all their paths. There was nowhere for them to go. "The Venerable Crane, aren't you powerful? Please save us!" "Sir Thorne, you are a grandmaster martial artist. You must be able to help us, right?""Orson, aren't you supposed to care about us? Saving lives is going to benefit an abbot like you tremendously!" A group of flustered martial artists hurried over to Theodore and his group. They cried and begged to be saved. "What a bunch of trash! Fuck off!" Theodore waved his hand, giving off a force that sent them flying. "Well, greed kills a person. You can only consider this your misfortune," Graham said coldly, remaining unfazed. "This is a natural catastrophe. There is nothing much I can do either." Orson shook his head. In the face of the poisonous fog, the grandmasters could only protect themselves."Sir Robinson! Please save us!" Right then, a large group of martial artists approached Michael
"The black fog has been sucked away!""This is great! We are safe!""As expected of Sir Robinson!"When everyone saw the miasma being drawn away, their spirits were instantly lifted. They had thought they were going to die. Fortunately, Michael had saved them. He had used his immense power to absorb all the poisonous miasma.They were no longer in danger!It didn't take long for the surrounding black fog to slowly disappear. "It's gone! The black fog is gone!" The crowd was filled with joy. They were glad to have survived the disaster. In stark contrast, Michael underwent a rapid transformation upon absorbing the miasma. His entire body darkened from head to toe. Even his nails turned black. The poison had spread across his body. In the end, Michael couldn't take it anymore. He coughed out a mouthful of black blood and fell from above. "Dad!" Just as Abigail wanted to step forward to catch him, Dustin stopped her. "I'll do it," he said and quickly leaped into the
Upon entering Michael's mouth, the Celestial Pearl emitted a brilliant golden light. Then, it moved into his abdomen. The pearl began to spin wildly, removing the poison from his body."It's working!" Dustin was delighted.With the help of the pearl, Michael should be able to pull it through. "Hand over the Celestial Pearl, Michael!" Theodore demanded after coming to his senses. His face was full of greed. "How can you swallow such a priceless treasure? Spit it out right now! Or we won't show you mercy!" Graham fixed his eyes on him intently. "That is an evil relic. Don't be bewitched by it, Sir Robinson!" Orson also couldn't hold himself back anymore. He began to walk closer to them. "Stop right there!" Abigail blocked their way.She spat, "My dad is severely poisoned now. We need the pearl to save his life. Do not interfere!" "Hmph! He's already at death's door. It's a waste letting him have the pearl!" Theodore was growing impatient. "And you call yourself a human?
"Oh? And what's with the Celestial Pearl?" Ronald looked back. He was confused. "Uncle Reeds, we had risked our lives to get the pearl. It belongs to us, to begin with. They're the ones who want to snatch it from us!" Abigail explained. "Nonsense! We're doing this for the martial world! Unlike you, who are only after personal gain," Theodore said righteously. "Sir Reeds, they harbor ulterior motives! Look at how selfish they are! They don't even care about the alliance. They should be severely punished!" Graham added. "Those who connect with evil entities certainly don't have a clean mind," Orson remarked. At this moment, the three grandmasters had abandoned their earlier aggressive stance. They pretended to be righteous in front of Ronald. "What a bunch of hypocrites! Stop throwing mud at us!" Abigail was annoyed. It was clearly them who wanted to seize the pearl, yet they had the nerve to speak with such righteousness! "They're distorting facts!" she muttered inwardl
Nathaniel's mansion was huge. It was more like a maze than a home. Even with a detailed layout, Dustin had to stay sharp as he moved through the grounds. After all, blueprints never quite captured the twists and turns of the actual place.Led by a maid, he followed a winding path through the corridors for nearly ten minutes before finally arriving at a guesthouse with a garden.The place was spacious and quiet, filled with birdsong and blooming flowers. It was a secluded spot that was ideal for privacy."Mr. Rhys, you can stay here. If you need anything, just let me know," the maid said. Her gaze was warm with a hint of admiration. She had watched Dustin's performance in the training ground earlier and knew he was an important guest brought in by Nathaniel. If she could catch his attention, it could completely turn her life around.He waved her off and said, "Okay. You can go now. I don't need anyone to attend to me." "Uh… but…" The maid hesitated."Don't worry. I'll explain
The crowd murmured among themselves as they looked at the broken broadsword and the stunned expression on Lycas' face."That strike was insanely fast and dead-on too," someone commented."I never expected General Derin's secret move to be defeated like that. It's unbelievable," another said."I thought General Derin could turn things around for us, but he still lost," a third added.Everyone knew how strong Lycas was. As a fully developed grandmaster with a broadsword, he was supposed to be unstoppable. However, at the critical moment, Dustin's strike shattered his broadsword.Lycas' loss was sudden and almost unbelievable. Some blamed bad luck and thought he could have won if things had gone differently. But those who truly understood what happened knew better.Even with Dustin's movement restricted and Lycas unleashing his strongest technique, he still pierced through the opening with near-impossible timing. That strike wasn't just lucky but masterful. It was a brutal display
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