Chapter 1999
Author: Marina Vittori
Grace commanded, "Send someone over and break down this mural."

A group of bodyguards swiftly drew their weapons and began pounding on the mural. It crumbled under a barrage of forceful blows, revealing an ancient and sturdy bronze door.

At the center of the door, a fist-sized eye held everyone's gaze with its unsettling deep red glow, resembling a gem.

From the eye, a fan-like pattern spread out, breaking the bronze surface into eight sections. Each section was adorned with unique images.

The surface of the door featured unusual frog-like symbols. Their twisted and contorted shapes contributed to the overall mystique of the scene.

The leader of the envoy team turned to Grace, his expression curious. "Ms. Linsor?"

He paused, eyeing the red gemstone on the bronze door. Its value was apparent, making him cautious about any impulsive actions.

"Smash everything!" Grace was concise in her command.

They couldn't afford to give up if there was something behind that door easily. As
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    Despite employing a substantial amount of explosives, the bronze door remained impervious, showcasing its exceptional durability. Even sheer brute force proved ineffective.Grace, with a slight furrow in her brow, suggested, "Search for mechanisms or anything that might assist us.""Got it!" The envoy team leader promptly responded, directing his team to explore. Despite an extensive search within the grand hall, they discovered nothing."Ms. Linsor," Garrett interjected. "Save your efforts. The solution to open this bronze door is right here."Grace turned around, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Oh? Captain Wilder, do you recognize the symbols on the door?""I've been on quite the journey, exploring historical sites and immersing myself in the study of intriguing symbols for many years. It's become second nature to me." Garrett proudly shared.He walked forward confidently and added, "If I'm not mistaken, this underwater palace was built by the ruler of Sceptoria a thousand

  • An Understated Dominance   Chapter 2001

    The symbols on the bronze door abruptly stopped rotating, as if caught in a jam. It swayed back and forth with an unsettling creaking sound."Huh? What's happening? Why did it stop moving?" Everyone exchanged puzzled glances."Captain Wilder, what's going on?" Grace furrowed her brow in unease."Ms. Linsor, calm down. After all, it's been over a thousand years, and it's normal for the mechanisms to show some signs of aging. Just give it a moment, and it'll be fine," Garrett said with a faint smile.He had encountered similar situations before. In the past, he had dealt with traps that, even when triggered, remained inactive due to years of neglect.As he examined the bronze door's material, he felt assured that its internal mechanisms were likely undamaged, albeit possibly less responsive. Given the earlier smashing and explosions, he reasoned that there must have been some impact. Then, the symbols and characters, which were initially rotating clockwise, suddenly began to tur

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    "Huh?" Everyone stood in shock, their eyes fixed on the shattered bronze door. Mouths hang open, faces reflecting pure disbelief. They never imagined that the supposedly indestructible bronze door, resistant even to explosives, could be obliterated by a single punch from Dustin.There were no flashy moves, no grand display of power—just a simple, direct punch, and the bronze door shattered instantly. It was truly unbelievable."Wait… Seriously, how is this even possible?" Garrett's eyes widened in disbelief, his face revealing an indescribable shock.Only moments ago, he witnessed dozens of people taking turns attacking the bronze door with weapons and explosives. Despite their relentless efforts, the door remained as it was. However, with just one punch, Dustin managed to shatter this seemingly indestructible door."Holy crap! Is he a monster?" Silva blurted out, her hand instinctively covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes were practically about to pop out. Just moments ago,

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    Unlike the joyful ambiance surrounding her, Grace wore a somber expression. She furrowed her brow, and her eyes revealed disappointment.When she discovered that the Celestial Eye had picked up on something, excitement surged through her. She thought the Dracan essence would probably be hidden in the underwater palace. However, after an extensive search, both inside and outside the palace, all she uncovered were intricate jewels and precious metals. There was no sign of the Dracan essence.Despite putting in so much time and effort, it ended up being a wild goose chase. Grace found this outcome unacceptable.She turned to Dustin, her expression shifting as a realization dawned. "Dustin, is the Celestial Eye detecting anything?"He nodded in response. "Yes, and it's quite strong.""These accompanying treasures, though valuable, don't appear to be extraordinary. What causes the Celestial Eye to react so strongly?" Grace asked. She inspected the gold and silver treasures within t

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    After everyone finished plundering the treasures from the coffin, Grace's envoy team carefully combed through the tomb again. However, their efforts yielded nothing."Ms. Linsor, we've searched the entire tomb. We couldn't find any hidden mechanisms or secret compartments," the leader of the envoy team reported."None?" Grace frowned slightly, shifting her gaze to the pool in front of the coffin. "Could there be something hidden in this pool?"Having explored every accessible corner, only the small pool filled with milky-white liquid remained. She sensed a potential connection between this pool and the rare treasure she sought."The liquid here possesses an unusually dense spiritual energy, almost unfathomable level. If I'm not mistaken, this should be a pool of Soul Elixir!" Dustin scooped up a handful of the milky-white liquid, giving it a sniff. "What? Soul Elixir?"The sudden mention of Soul Elixir brought everything to a standstill. Jackson, Sophia, Garrett, and the rest st

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    "Soul Elixir? Is this the real deal? Oh my god!"Jackson couldn't contain his excitement as he danced around. Initially puzzled, the people around him soon caught on, their faces lighting up with joy. Emotions soared, and one by one, they dropped the jewels they held, rushing toward the pool to eagerly consume the Soul Elixir.Being martial artists, they grasped the unparalleled value of Soul Elixir—a treasure surpassing gold and silver. It promised unimaginable wealth and prosperity. Without exaggeration, every sip equated to consuming a thousand-year-old herb. Beyond cultivation improvement, it extended life, enhanced physique, and could even reshape circulatory pathways, facilitating profound transformations.The allure of such a treasure was undeniable. At that moment, everyone abandoned their composure, leaning eagerly over the pool's edge. Cupping the Soul Elixir in their hands, they greedily indulged in its benefits.Their expressions mirrored those of someone stranded i

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    Dustin pondered whether a mysterious element lurked at the depths of the Soul Elixir pool."Everyone, please step back," he exclaimed without an explanation. As he approached the spiritual pool, he extended his palm toward the center and firmly grasped it.Instantaneously, the liquid in the entire pool began to tremble and swiftly rotate. In just a few seconds, a giant vortex materialized at the spot where his palm had been, stirring the Soul Elixir ever more rapidly.Guided by Dustin's mystical pure energy, a colossal swirling mass of Soul Elixir gradually ascended from the water. Everyone soon saw a remarkable sight. With a single hand, he seemingly plucked the Soul Elixir from the pool like one would pull out a radish. Surrounded by mystical pure energy, the Soul Elixir gathered in mid-air, forming a massive milky-white sphere.The sphere, with a diameter ranging from 10 to 13 feet and substantial weight, effortlessly hovered above his head without spilling a drop. This remark

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    Grace held the Spirit Core in her hands, and her face lit up with joy. As she looked at it, a small white snake swam within the Spirit Core. On closer inspection, the snake had dual horns on its head and razor-sharp claws on its belly—a clear sign of a dragon's transformation. It was this transformation that convinced her it was the Dracan essence.Dustin noted her expression and sighed with relief, saying, "Looks like the trip wasn't in vain after all."The guidance from the Celestial Eye turned out to be accurate, leading them to discover a hidden treasure. The Dracan essence was concealed within the Spirit Core, a find made possible by the Celestial Eye."Ms. Linsor, this treasure is stunning! What is it?" Sophia asked, her curiosity evident in her smile.She wasn't foolish, but she observed that even the rare and precious Soul Elixir failed to evoke a response from Grace and Dustin. Surprisingly, this simple white pearl had succeeded in bringing smiles to their faces. The p

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    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

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    "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

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    "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

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    "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

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    Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag

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