"Julius, we're family. As long as you put down your sword, I will spare your life.""Why? Why didn't you just die? You're clearly gravely ill and on the brink of death. Why are you still occupying the throne?" Julius gritted his teeth as his eyes turned bloodshot. He looked somewhat frightening. "Julius, I know you all too well. While you're extremely talented in both the literary and martial arts, you lack a compassionate heart. You're also ruthless in your ways. "That is why you are not suited to be the Prince and also the reason you will never be the Prince," Rufus explained bluntly. "Nonsense!"Julius suddenly roared, "You've been the Prince for decades! Once you die, it'll be my turn next! Who else is more fitting than me throughout West Lucozia?" "I've already decided the next-in-line for the throne, and it isn't you." Rufus shook his head."You've decided?" Julius laughed manically.Julius scoffed with arrogance, "Austin is just a childish brat! How can he compare
"A fair competition?" Everyone exchanged surprised glances. They never expected Rufus to agree to Julius' idea. Rufus had already turned the situation around. All he had to do was command the generals of the Black Dragon Army to capture Julius and put an end to this crisis. Instead, he offered Julius a chance to turn the tables, leaving everyone confused."Rufus—" Eloise was about to say something when Rufus raised a hand to stop her."It's fine. I know what I’m doing.""Rufus, are you really going to allow your son a fair competition against me?" Julius was taken aback. He had been ready to fight to the death, but he never expected Rufus to allow him a fair fight. What was this bastard up to? "Since you want a fair fight, I'll give it to you. I'm going to make you accept defeat on your own terms," Rufus said calmly."You've said it!" Julius' eyes narrowed slightly with a touch of satisfaction. He continued, "In West Lucozia, we value martial prowess. To become the Prince
If Julius did that, it would be akin to walking into his own demise. "Hmph! At least you're self-aware."Julius sneered and continued, "Rufus, your youngest son has already admitted defeat. So, where is your eldest son?" "Logan, you've hidden long enough. Don't you think it's time to reveal yourself?" Rufus spoke loudly. Although he hadn't laid eyes on Logan, he sensed his presence. In the previous case involving Russo, it was Logan's tip-off that provided him the opportunity to eliminate the pests. Now, with such a significant incident happening in the monarchy, given his son's character, he would definitely not stand by idly."I can't believe you not only deceived Julius but also all of us, you sly fox. And now, you're even having me serve as your scapegoat. Is this really appropriate?"After a brief moment of hesitation, Dustin finally removed his prosthetic mask. With Rufus still alive, the monarchy remained in power. Dustin had no choice but to reveal himself in the c
"You rascal, you've been back for a while but never showed yourself. How could I have drawn you out if not through some clever means?" Rufus grumbled. "Alright, enough of the small talk. We'll settle the matter of your fake death later. Let's first address the current issue." Dustin's sharp gaze shifted toward Julius. Rufus' assassination attempt was the work of the Dragon Guard remnants. After the attempt, Julius swiftly rebelled and sought to seize power. For Dustin, this hinted at a likely connection between Julius and the Dragon Guard. Whether it was planning the rebellion or colluding with the remnants of the Dragon Guard, both were grave crimes in his eyes."Logan Rhys! " After the initial shock, Julius' expression darkened. It dawned on him that he had been manipulated. Rufus was undoubtedly aware of Dustin's presence among them, hence his quick agreement. It was also his way of acknowledging Logan's strength. He had to admit that although he hadn't seen Logan in te
"You insolent brat!" Julius glared at Dustin. "Even though we're both ultimate grandmasters, I refuse to believe that a brat like you will defeat me when I have decades of experience!""Since you're so stubborn, don't blame me for disregarding seniority. Please!" With a single outstretched hand, Dustin made a gesture for him to strike first. "Behold my blade!" Without hesitation, Julius propelled forward with a tap of his feet, launching a fierce assault.Julius' swordplay exhibited swiftness and strength, with each strike aiming at vital points with deadly precision. Despite the lack of elaborate techniques, it was highly practical, leaving no vulnerabilities. Julius was blessed with innate talent. With his years of battlefield experience and the integration of various refined sword techniques, Julius could be described as having mastered all schools of martial arts.Having shed all imperfections, he had forged a unique sword technique of his own. His approach was based on sp
"The princess consort is right. Even though Prince Logan is formidable, he's still too young. The odds are not in his favor when faced with Julius, the cunning, sly fox," Wyatt said thoughtfully.Logan was a genius, but Julius was no ordinary opponent. After more than 20 years of cultivation, it would produce a terrifying gap between them. Hence, it was still uncertain as to who would emerge as the final victor. "I have a different view," Lincon spoke up again."Lincon, do you think Prince Logan has a higher chance of winning?" Tyrus probed. "Yes." Lincon nodded."Prince Rufus has remarkable strategic acumen and wisdom. He must be highly confident of winning this deal since he agreed to this competition. We should trust His Highness' judgment.""Although that's true, there are too many variables in a martial duel, especially between opponents of the same level. A tiny mistake can completely alter the course of the battle. "Until the last moment, no one can predict the outco
"Of course not." Lincon shook his head and added, "In fact, there's an unwritten rule for the Astonishing World List. High-ranking royal officials are not allowed on the list." "So, is Julius not strong enough to be on the list, or is he not allowed?" Wyatt questioned further. "He's not allowed on the list, and he's not qualified either," Lincoln responded. "That puts my mind at ease." Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief. "If the Astonishing World List is accurate, then Prince Logan must be stronger than Julius. As long as he doesn't underestimate his opponent, he should be able to secure a stable victory," Tyrus analyzed. "That may be true, but we should still exercise caution," Eloise murmured to herself. She felt a mix of emotions witnessing Logan's excellence. On one hand, she hoped for his victory to restore the monarchy's dignity. On the other hand, she harbored concerns.If Logan were to assume the throne, she worried he might follow in Julius' footsteps and take act
"General Caide, what do you think?" Shane probed, clear hesitation in his voice. Even though he aligned with Julius, he deeply respected Prince Rufus of West Lucozia. If Rufus were dead, he would have readily joined Julius in his rebellion. However, Rufus was alive, altering the dynamics. This forced Shane to contemplate the consequences. It was as Elijah had pointed out. He might dismiss thoughts of self-preservation, but he had to think about his family and friends. "General Gilby, we shouldn't rush into a decision until the final moment. I have faith that Grand General Rhys will emerge victorious in the battle against Logan. "If Grand General Rhys secures victory, we still have a chance for a turnaround." Everett expressed with depth."That's right! Grand General Rhys has unparalleled martial prowess. He'll surely win. How can Logan be a match for Grand General Rhys?" Shane nodded repeatedly."Sir Valor, please stop undermining the military's morale here. We're all in
Willem's wings, black as night with a metallic sheen, erupted from his back. Fully extended, they stretched over 30 feet. With a gentle flap, a storm of wind and eerie howls swept through the air. The sheer force was intimidating to behold.His appearance had also undergone a drastic transformation. Willem's once-handsome face was now gaunt, his skin wrinkled, and his cheekbones jutted out. Fangs protruded from his mouth, and two sharp horns sprouted from his head. He had grown taller, but his body was unnaturally thin, with his ribs and sternum visible beneath his skin. From a distance, he looked like a towering, monstrous skeleton. It was an unsettling sight that sent a chill down anyone's spine.This was Willem's ultimate form. After the transformation, his speed, strength, defense, and reflexes were greatly enhanced. His thirst for blood grew even more intense, turning him into a bloodthirsty demon.The gods, who had expressed dissatisfaction moments ago, now stood paralyzed
Willem was so fast that, even to a grandmaster, it would appear as though he had teleported, leaving no time to react.Bailey had already drawn Arion's full attention, making Willem's sudden attack almost impossible to counter.When everyone thought his attack was about to succeed, a red divine talisman suddenly shot out and stuck to his forehead just as his fangs were mere inches from Arion's neck.The talisman exploded, releasing a surge of violent energy that blasted Willem over ten yards away. Before he hit the ground, a blazing fireball instantly engulfed him.He screamed as he turned into a human torch. The fire burned fiercely, scorching his flesh and charring his body.The flames clung to him like a curse and were impossible to put out. His blood energy crackled and hissed as the fire burned, and thick black smoke rose from his body.The sight shocked everyone.Just moments ago, Willem had almost succeeded in his ambush, but Arion had been prepared. With a single talisma
Thousands of golden whips lashed out with the force of a storm, and it was impossible to dodge.The group led by Bailey launched their attacks to block and continually struck the golden whips. With each collision, energy erupted, followed by loud booming sounds.Arion stood firm like a mountain. His body was enveloped in golden light as he swung his whips. Even though he was outnumbered, he still held the advantage.Bailey and the others couldn't break through at all. A few slightly weaker gods from the Hall of Gods were forced to retreat with each lash and struggled to withstand the onslaught.At that moment, everyone finally realized the terrifying power of Dragonmarsh's strongest martial artist. Even the attacks evolved from the Glow Incantation were enough to throw them off balance."I don't believe these things can stop me!"Bailey roared as his body began to change. His already large frame grew even bulkier, like a small mountain. His shirt tore as his muscles expanded, and
The sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise. No one had expected Arion to strike so suddenly; he was so fast that they couldn't even see his movement.Even Willem, renowned for his speed, couldn't react in time. One slap had sent him flying—simple, brutal, and unstoppable.At that moment, they finally realized that the seemingly harmless Arion was much more formidable than they had imagined.Willem staggered to his feet and reached up to straighten his twisted neck. His collapsed cheek began to heal at a visible rate. Fortunately for him, vampires possessed extraordinary regenerative abilities. Without it, the slap would have crippled him."You're strong for an old geezer, but it'll take more than that to finish me off," Willem hissed through clenched teeth. The bloodthirst in his eyes was unmistakable as he glared at Arion. If he could drain Arion's blood, his strength would surge to unimaginable heights."Oh? This is interesting." Arion raised an eyebrow with a faint smi
The battle between the Hall of Gods and Sacred Wrym Summit raged with unrelenting intensity. The Hall of Gods had made meticulous preparations for this invasion. Besides recruiting powerful martial artists from around the world, they also distributed valuable enhanced serums to everyone. To counter Sacred Wrym Summit's Stormcraft technique, they developed a special combat suit capable of resisting such attacks. Generally, a divine martial artist struck by Stormcraft would instantly lose their combat ability, but this special suit reduced the effectiveness of the attack by half. Even if struck, they could recover after a brief moment to continue fighting. The defensive capabilities of this gear were nearly flawless.In addition, their greatest strength was the sheer weight of their numbers. They had at least ten thousand people, including hired outlaws, under their command. During the siege, they were densely packed like a swarm of bees.In contrast, Sacred Wrym Summit had only
Willard's ultimate move cleared the battlefield in an instant. The martial artists who had rushed forward were either dead or critically wounded, with no ability to defend themselves."This… How is this possible?" Hank's eyes widened in terror as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.Under the restriction of the sealing formation, even ultimate grandmasters couldn't unleash their full strength. But Willard, with nothing more than a flask of liquor, had managed to tap into a supreme divine power far beyond his cultivation level.Though he was only at the grandmaster level, his move, Infinite Spirit Manifestation, carried the might of an ultimate grandmaster. If he were to use it again, the outcome would be grim for everyone, including himself."Retract!" Willard took a deep breath and the thousands of illusory images that had surged forth earlier instantly retracted into his body. His face turned red and pale as his breath grew heavy and ragged.The toll of using Infinite Spirit Manif
"Take a guess." Willard didn't answer. Instead, he took another sip from his flask.His cultivation had been sealed, but his strength came from the wine in his hand. The wine was refined with valuable herbs and contained dense spiritual energy, which he could absorb and convert into combat power.In short, every sip made him stronger. Even with his cultivation sealed, he could still execute powerful techniques."It's the wine, isn't it?" Garrett's gaze landed on the flask, and a quick realization set in. Willard drank before and after every attack, which hinted at something suspicious."Bingo. But no prize for you." Willard smirked and launched forward with a palm strike aimed at Garrett. Though his strength wasn't at its peak, the attack remained a deadly threat to the already injured Garrett."Mr. Styles, save me." Garrett knew he had no chance of blocking it and cried for help."Go to hell, traitor!" Hank saw the internal commotion unfold and threw a powerful punch at Willard
With a longsword in hand, Dustin plunged into the crowd like a tiger among sheep and cut down his enemies with brutal efficiency.Though he couldn't tap into his mystical energy, his physical strength far outstripped that of an average martial artist. His speed, power, reflexes, and combat skills crushed anyone in his path.Every swing of his blade was precise and targeted the enemy's vital spots with deadly accuracy, which left no room for defense.Under his relentless assault, the assassins were helpless. The air rang with their screams as bodies fell one after another.Unlike the tournament match, Dustin now unleashed his full power in this life-or-death fight. His attacks were becoming more brutal and relentless than ever."This kid's tougher than I thought." Hank frowned as he watched his men struggle.He hadn't expected Dustin to have such formidable combat prowess, even with his sealed cultivation. If an unmatched genius like Dustin couldn't be made an ally, he had to be e
"Step forward, and you're dead!" Facing the onslaught of desperate assassins, Dustin showed no mercy. With a swing of his long sword, a dazzling sword aura swept through the darkness like a crescent moon and briefly illuminated the night sky. The assassins only saw a flash of white light and instinctively stopped in their tracks. When the brilliance faded, those at the front stood frozen as if struck by a paralysis spell.A moment later, heads tumbled to the ground, like ripe fruit falling from a tree. The headless bodies stood upright for two seconds before collapsing, blood splattering everywhere.The gruesome sight shocked everyone. They exchanged uneasy glances and were hesitant to move forward. No one had anticipated Dustin's sword to be so fast that the fallen couldn't even defend themselves.The assassins who had just been killed were among the elites. Yet, none of them could block even a single strike. The difference in strength was clear."What are you standing aroun