Natasha was enjoying her coffee with Duane at Java Joys.“Do you still remember our bet, Natasha? Three days are up, and I’m still fit as a fiddle. Isn’t it time for you to make good on your promise?” Duane asked with a smile as he sipped on his coffee.“Why are you so impatient, Uncle Duane? We’ve got half a day left before time is up,” Natasha said collectedly.“Hah! You can’t really be buying what that little swindler said, can you?” Duane found it ridiculous. “I've been practicing martial arts for years. How would I not know my own physical condition? Look at me! Does it look like there’s anything wrong with me?”“I don’t know if you look like anything, but I trust Dustin’s judgment.” Natasha smiled. “Hmph! I wonder how that little swindler brainwashed you. Why do you trust him so much?” Duane wondered aloud.“Who knows? Maybe this is just how things were meant to be.” The corners of Natasha’s lips tugged upward as she thought of Dustin. “Anyway, half a day is left before time is
Dustin’s words took everyone by surprise. No one had expected him to be so audacious as to disregard them.“You brat! Are you even hearing yourself?” Duane’s jaws were tightly clenched and his expression was slightly distorted from the anguish. He was a person of prestige in South City, much less a small place like Swinton. And now, this little scoundrel dared speak to him like that?How impudent!“I know very well what I’m saying. You, however, do not seem to fathom the severity of the situation at hand. I am the only one who can help with your condition,” Dustin spelled out coldly.“You rascal! Don’t go around thinking that you’re some miracle worker just because you’ve got some medical tricks up your sleeves! You better know what’s best for you before I lose my temper!” Duane bellowed.“That’s right! I’ll break your face if you don’t cure my boss!” Duane’s bodyguard threatened.“You’ll break my face? I’d like to see you try." Dustin sneered.“I guess this one wouldn’t be afraid unti
Dustin had no interest in wealth or riches. But at the moment, he had a pressing need for rare herbs. The old drunkard’s condition had gotten worse day by day. He might not even make it through the year. He needed to gather five types of rare herbs to be able to treat him.“I am extremely fussy when it comes to herbs. Your collection might not necessarily be useful to me,” Dustin voiced out.“I can get you whatever herb you need!” Duane guaranteed immediately.“Do you have the Gozoraberry?” Dustin queried.“Uh… no.” Duane shook his head.“Flower of Crimson Gem?”“I don’t have that either.”“What about Cherusia?”“Rhys, I’ve never even heard of these herbs you are naming.” Duane’s expression turned bitter.“How about aged Panax root and ancient Heliotrope? I’m sure you’ve heard of those.” Dustin’s eyes narrowed.“Yes, I’ve heard of those! I know those herbs!” Duane nodded. Those two herbs cost a king’s ransom, but at least he’s heard of them.“And do you have them?” Dustin asked.“I’m n
“So, Uncle Duane, what do you think of Dustin’s medical skills? Are you impressed?” Natasha asked with a smirk, evidently proud. After all, this was the man she had taken a liking to.“Who knew that a single pill could work such wonders?” Duane’s eyes lit up as he said. “Rhys, may I know what this pill is? Can I have a few more? I’ll pay for it. Just name your price!”“This is Gemiphen. It's a confidential prescription. And because the ingredients are too valuable, the pill that you just had was my only one,” Dustin replied, aloof.“That’s okay, just sell me the prescription then.” Duane was not one to give up easily. He was a tycoon in the medical industry. He knew how immensely precious such miraculous medicines are. If he could manufacture them in bulk, he would have struck gold!“I told you, the prescription is confidential. There’s no way I’m selling it.”Dustin stopped himself before he continued, “Of course, if you could find me another rare herb, I can give you the prescription
“Are you kidding me? Five million dollars for Deluxe VIP?” Astonishment was written all over James’ face.“Exactly! This is daylight robbery!” Florence flew into a rage to cover up her embarrassment. She was lucky she drew her card back in time, or she would have maxed out on her card.“These are rules set by our proprietor. If that’s too much for you, you can opt for the regular VIP.” “And… how much would the regular VIP cost?” Florence probed.“A deposit of one million dollars will make you a regular VIP,” the waiter informed them.“One million? That’s not much better!” Florence frowned. “We’re just here for a meal. It won’t cost so much. Can’t you just let us in? I’ll make sure you get handsomely tipped!” Had she known that Hillview Restaurant charged such exorbitant prices, she would never have chosen to go there in the first place!“I’m sorry, but we only serve VIPs.” The waiter put on a professional smile. “Hey! Why are you so inflexible? Get me your manager! I’ll talk to him p
“What? He’s the owner?!” James was stunned by the twist in events. He couldn’t believe his ears.“You must be joking! How could he be the owner of this restaurant?” Florence exclaimed in disbelief.“Why would it be impossible? I have never seen such arrogant and snobbish patrons as the two of you. How dare you try to make a scene here?” The restaurant manager replied in disgust. Earlier, he had seen Duane, the preceding owner, handing over ownership of Hillview Hotel to Dustin in the private booth.“This can’t be! Dustin is as poor as a church mouse. Where did he get the money to buy a restaurant?” Astonishment was written all over James’s face.“That’s none of your business. The only thing you need to know now is that the restaurant belongs to me. I have the authority to kick you out instead,” Dustin answered calmly.At this, the expressions on both their faces turned black with anger and humiliation. They had planned on upstaging Dustin by shoving their privilege as a Gold VIP
Seated by the window, Florence and James were still cursing Dustin.“Who would have guessed that an incompetent oaf like Dustin could be the owner! What has our world come to?” James complained loudly.“He is nothing but a leech! If it weren’t for Ms. Harmon’s recommendation, he would never have this opportunity!” Florence snarled.James had a look of pure jealousy on his face. “That’s right! Once she loses interest in him, Dustin will be discarded like rubbish. Let’s see how arrogant he can be!” “Nothing will come out of being a freeloader like Dustin. Conversely, Matt is the epitome of a real man. Not only is he young and talented, he is also an intellectual!” Florence praised Matt effusively.“What a pity. Matt, if you hadn’t gone overseas for your studies, you would have been my brother-in-law by now!” James tried to butter Matt up.“Absolutely! Just so you know, after you left for your studies, Dahlia has been pining after you for a long time!” Florence chimed in as well.
Dahlia looked over her shoulder and saw Dustin walking toward her. “What do you mean?”“Your drink has been drugged. You would be in danger if you had drunk it because it renders you defenseless,” Dustin warned.“Drugged?” Dahlia frowned and turned to Matt, whose expression stiffened for a split second. However, he composed himself immediately.“Dustin, you must be sorely mistaken,” Matt said coolly.“You would know best whether I am mistaken,” Dustin retorted coldly.“Dahlia, do you really think that I’m such a malicious person?” Matt asked with a disarming smile.Dahlia was taken aback by the sudden question. After some deliberation, she asked, “Dustin, do you have any evidence to support your claim?”“The restaurant’s manager saw what happened. He could be my witness," Dustin answered.“That’s right! It was clear as day. He spiked your wine with some powder!” the manager pointed an accusing finger at Matt.“Everyone knows that both of you are in cahoots with each other. It
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