“You must be kidding, right, Dad? This can’t be aged wine!” James’ eyes were wide as dinner plates.“Look at how yellowish it looks, though. It must be fake!” Florence accused.“You guys must not have seen brews like this before. Aged craft brews get this color, and it only darkens the longer it’s been aging. Every wine connoisseur knows this.”The looks on everyone's faces quickly changed. Their accusations had just been dampened significantly, not by just anyone but by John Nicholson himself, a well-known wine enthusiast. His judgment couldn’t be wrong.“I was blessed to be able to try such a fine wine years ago with a government official, but this brew right here must be finer than the one I had—that body and finish tell me it must’ve been aged for at least 50 years!” John smacked his lips, still enjoying the brew’s aftertaste.“How much would it cost on the market?” James asked curiously.“It’s priceless. You couldn’t find a willing seller even if you offered a city’s worth.
Chris rapped on the table, calling for everyone’s attention.“Everyone, I would like to share some good news with you all. Nolan Pharmaceuticals has been looking to increase its share pool, so we are currently welcoming new investors. Is anyone here interested?”“New investors?” Everyone’s attention was immediately captured.Nolan Pharmaceuticals was an industry-leading corporation with very limited shares available. That was why Chris’ announcement came as a shock to everyone at the table.“Hasn’t the company been doing alright, Mr. Nolan? Why the sudden invitation?” Dahlia asked curiously.“Of course, it has been. We’ve just been planning to list our company publicly, that’s why. As everyone knows, our company is not short on talent or the capability to overcome competition. This share listing is just so we have some funds to give our employees a good bonus this season.” Chris smiled. “We haven’t officially announced this to the public yet, and the spots are limited. If anyone
“What did you say?”Chris froze, thinking he had misheard him.“I said I’m not interested in a business that’s about to go bankrupt,” Dustin repeated.“Bankrupt?”Everyone was too stunned to react to his words. “How dare you! That’s nonsense!” Chris was shocked, but he quickly denied it. “Nolan Pharmaceuticals is raking in profits every day and is at its prime. How could we go bankrupt? Stop fear-mongering!” “Only you know whether this is fear-mongering or not. Anyways, I’ve received news that Nolan Pharmaceuticals will be investigated due to the sale of counterfeit illicit drugs. It’s just a matter of time before they go bankrupt.” Dustin’s words were very shocking. “Counterfeit drugs? Investigated?” Now, everyone was even more puzzled.Their gaze turned to Chris. “Nonsense! All of it is nonsense!”“Dustin, stop spreading these rumors. Nolan Pharmaceuticals is a law-abiding company. How could it go under investigation? I can sue you for defamation!” Chris threatened.
Chris’ words made everyone nervous.How could they let this opportunity to make a fortune slip away so easily?“Chris, ignore this fellow. He’s obviously jealous of you. But we’re not, we all believe you!” Florence immediately took a stand. “That’s right! Chris, you promised us about the stocks. You can’t just forget about it.”Everyone agreed right away. As they spoke, they turned and glared at Dustin.“Dustin Rhys, don’t stop us from making a fortune! Otherwise, I won’t let you off so easily!”“Yeah! Get lost if you wish to continue on with this nonsense!”The crowd chattered and chimed in one after another. From their perspective, Dustin was slandering Chris and preventing them from making money. He had such malicious intentions!“Do all of you really trust Chris? Hasn’t anyone ever doubted if he was lying?” Dustin asked with a frown.“That’s none of your business! We’ll do what we want!” James glared at him. “That’s right! Even if we were cheated, it would be on our own
Edwin, the richest man in Swinton, was drinking tea leisurely with an old man at Hummer Villa the next morning.“Mr. Lawson, it’s too bad that the lady was so cautious and left before the drug could take effect. Otherwise, I will definitely have subdued her!” Edwin lamented.“Don’t worry, Mr. Hummer. She doesn't have the antidote for the drug I gave her. She will definitely come begging if she doesn’t want to die. You can have your way with her then,” Fletcher joked. “Is that so? That’s perfect!” Edwin’s eyes lit up. He had been longing for a thorny rose like Natasha for a long time. The thought of toying with such an exquisite woman in bed made his heart race. “Sir Hummer…”Suddenly, a bodyguard came and whispered something in Edwin’s ear. “What? Trevor is dead?”Edwin’s face darkened and he demanded, “Who did it? Who dared touch my men?” Trevor was his right-hand man and did his dirty deeds. His sudden death was quite a loss to Edwin. “It was rumored to be his adopted s
“Edwin Hummer, the richest man in Swinton!” Dahlia answered. “What? Sir Hummer?”Lyra’s eyes widened in shock as if she had seen a ghost. Everyone knew that anything Sir Hummer said was obeyed without question in Swinton.Trevor was big in East City, but Sir Hummer was the true master of Swinton. He was so powerful that he could just demand anything with the snap of his fingers. He was also very influential in business, politics, and the military.Anyone who wronged Sir Hummer would face a fate worse than death.“Ms. Nicholson, don’t tell me this matter really involves Sir Hummer?” Lyra gulped. “It’s hard to say. Trevor was one of Sir Hummer’s men. Now that he was suddenly killed, Sir Hummer will definitely investigate this matter. It would be troublesome if Dustin was involved.” Dahlia’s expression darkened. “Even if that were the case, it would be Dustin’s fault. It has nothing to do with us, right?” Lyra asked tentatively. “This depends on how Sir Hummer sees this matter
Before the matter of Trevor’s death could come to a rest, there was a surprising announcement the next day. The Harmon family had decided on a partner, and today would be the opening ceremony of the new company. Once the news was released, everyone came forward to offer their congratulations.At 8.00 am, luxurious cars were already gathered at the entrance of the Emerald Building. However, Natasha, one of the important attendees, was not present. Instead, she was drinking coffee leisurely at some coffee shop.“Over here, Mr. Rhys.” As soon as she saw Dustin enter, she jumped to her feet and waved.“Isn’t today the opening ceremony of your new company? Why did you want to meet here?”Dustin sat across from her.Natasha was wearing a white blouse and a skirt today. Her dark hair was tied in a bun, making her look even more mature. Her top wrapped tightly around her chest, looking as if it were about to pop. “It’s only the opening ceremony. A date with you is much more important.” N
“I don’t recall Dahlia inviting you. Are you really so shameless?” Chris sneered.“I invited Dustin. Do you have a problem with that?”Natasha took a few steps forward. Her domineering stance made Chris take a few steps back. “Hmph! You’re a man that needs a woman to stand up for you? What a useless man!” Chris grimaced disdainfully. He added, “And you! You'll regret it sooner or later, staying with this trash!”“What does that have to do with you? Stay away from me!” Natasha snorted coldly. She put her arms around Dustin and walked into the hall without a care.“Stupid bitch! You’re so full of yourself! I’ll get you in bed one day!” Chris gritted his teeth as he watched them walk away. He couldn’t understand why someone as useless as Dustin was so good with women. “Chris, you’re here to join the fun too?”A fashionably dressed man exited a Maybach. “Hey! Isn’t that Jeff Anderson? You’re here too?”Chris’s eyes lit up. It was none other than Hunter Anderson’s son, Jeff An
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
The people who emerged from the fog wore masks that hid their faces, but each had the Hall of Gods emblem on their bodies. Among them was a small group led by Dustin.After sensing a battle nearby, Dustin had deliberately left his team behind to investigate alone. He hadn't expected another group to lead them out of the fog formation."What's going on? Why are there so many bodies scattered around?" "Looks like they ran into a strong enemy. Stay sharp, everyone!" The sight of scattered corpses put everyone on edge. Their eyes darted between Dustin and Aven."Dustin, what are you doing here alone?" The leader of the group recognized him immediately.The Hall of Gods had recruited several teams, each marked by different colored masks, with team leaders wearing a distinctive emblem."Hank?" Dustin narrowed his eyes as he recognized the voice. "What happened here?" Hank asked tentatively."I don't know. I just stepped out of the fog formation." Dustin shook his head."Really?"
Though Marcell was momentarily stunned, he still explained patiently, "This man is the guardian of the Forbidden Ground. If we kill him, we'll be able to take the treasure." He was gravely wounded and had to rely on Dustin to deal with Aven, so he needed to be persuasive."We can talk about the treasure later. Right now, it's time to settle some old scores." Dustin stretched out his hand, and the long sword on the ground shot up into his grasp."Settle old scores? What are you talking about?" Marcell blinked in confusion, especially when he saw the sword in Dustin's hand. A feeling of unease spread through him."You and that big guy planned to use me as bait. Then, you sent me into the fog to clear the way for you," Dustin said flatly. "Did you really think I didn't hear that? Since you want to harm me, don't blame me for being ruthless.""What… What are you going to do?" Marcell panicked. "We're both working for the Hall of Gods. There's no need for this kind of betrayal. If thi