Chapter 2671
Zeus' bloodlust was rising fast. He realized he'd been played for a fool. His obsession with the breakthrough technique was the only reason he hadn't made his move earlier.
Now it hit him that Grace's promises were all lies. The supposed breakthrough was just an excuse to buy time. The more he thought about it, the deeper his anger grew, and with it cthe deadly urge to strike.
"Yes. I was trying to extend Logan's life... But the breakthrough method is real," Grace said calmly.
She continued, "You should've noticed by now that I'm a disciple of Regal Observatory. Across Dragonmarsh, only two people have reached beyond the ultimate grandmaster level.
"The first is Arion, Ancient Sage of Sacred Wrym Summit, and the second is Ezekiel, chief overseer of Regal Observatory. As royal gods of the Hall of Gods, I'm sure you've heard this before.
"If Ezekiel managed to break through past the ultimate grandmaster, then of course, he had a special technique. And since I'm his disciple, I happen to know about it. So no, I'm not lying to you." At her words, Zeus' expression finally softened. The crackling lightning at his fingertips slowly faded.
As Grace had said, there were only two people in Dragonmarsh he truly feared. One was Arion from the Sacred Wrym Summit, and the other was Ezekiel, chief overseer of Regal Observatory.
If anyone else had made that claim, he wouldn't have believed it. But Grace was a disciple of the Regal Observatory and a princess of Dragonmarsh. She knew Ezekiel's breakthrough technique, so her words had weight.
"Talk is cheap," Hera said coolly. "Until we see the breakthrough technique, we won't believe a thing you say." She added, "If you want us to spare your life, your best bet is to hand over that technique. Otherwise, you won't leave here alive." "Exactly!" Zeus echoed. "Hand over the technique first, or you're dead." Grace was running circles around him, and he didn't like it one bit. He needed to take back control.
"If I hand over the breakthrough technique, can I trust you to uphold your end of the deal?" Grace asked.
She knew there was no talking her way out of this. Unless she gave them what they wanted, they'd never back off.
"I swear," Hera said solemnly. "If you hand over the breakthrough technique, we'll spare your lives today. If we break that promise, may we burn in hell." Grace looked at Zeus. "What about you?" "I'm with her," he replied without hesitation.
He didn't believe in any of that eternal damnation crap anyway.
"Okay. You two wait here. I'll go write it down," Grace said.
She nodded and stepped inside the ancient temple. Every second she bought gave her an edge the longer she stalled, the more the odds tilted in her favor.
"Hera, do you think she's setting us up?" Zeus suddenly asked.
"Setting us up?" Hera scoffed. "You really underestimate yourself. What could a nobody like her possibly do to outsmart us? "That's what I keep telling myself, but something just doesn't sit right," he said, narrowing his eyes.
With his strength, crushing Grace would be easy. But when it cto brains, it was a different story. From his observation, there was no denying she was incredibly smart.
"I'll admit, she's smart and has guts. But we hold the upper hand now. We're the ones calling the shots." Hera smirked." Even if she's lying, so what? We might waste stime, but she won't live to see another day." No matter how smart Grace was, she was still just a small fry. Hera knew Grace couldn't hurt her, so she wasn't intimidated.
Besides, she had already seen through every trick Grace had up her sleeve. When it cto wit and strategy, Hera was far ahead.
"Okay, then. Let's wait and see what she's really up to." Zeus nodded and said nothing more.
He found a spot to sit and slowly recover his strength. Though he was strong, his internal energy was nearly drained after a whole night of relentless attacks. This was a perfect chance to rest. Tpassed slowly as Zeus and Hera sat at the temple gate, waiting in silence.
Before they knew it, the sun climbed high into the sky. But Grace, who had entered the ancient temple, still hadn't cout. The delay made them restless. Grace was just writing down a breakthrough technique. How could that possibly take half a day? "Hera, do you think she's stalling?" Zeus frowned.
Hera didn't answer. Instead, she stood and projected her voice toward the temple.
"Wasting twon't get you anywhere, princess. Hand over the technique now for everyone's sake. If you try to play tricks, don't blme for forcing my way in." "Almost done. Just givea bit more time, "cGrace's calm reply.
"I'll give you one more hour. If you're not out by then, I'll destroy this entire mountain-and you along with it," Hera said coldly.
Her patience was at its limit. If things didn't go her way soon, there would be bloodshed
Chapter 2672
After stalling as long as she could, Grace finally stepped out of the ancient temple with a handwritten book after being urged by Hera.
"You two are so impatient," she said. “This isn't the kind of technique you can just scribble down off the top of your head. What if I got something wrong?" As soon as she stepped out, she wasted no tshifting the blame.
"You're always so quick with the excuses. Who knows what you're really doing inside?" Hera scowled.
"I had to recall everything, write it down, and make sure there were no mistakes. You think that's easy? Can't you at least try to cutsslack?" Grace frowned slightly.
"Enough talk. Hand over the technique now," Zeus snapped impatiently.
"The technique's right here. See for yourselves." Without saying much, Grace tossed the book into the air.
Zeus and Hera locked eyes for a split second before both lunging toward the book with lightning-fast reflexes. Both of them were fully developed ultimate grandmasters, just one step away from breaking through to the next level.
A technique like that-one that could push them past that final barrier-was invaluable to them. If it cdown to it, either of them might turn on the other in a heartbeat.
"Hera! How dare you snatch it from me?" Zeus barked.
Hera scoffed. "After everything I've done, you think I'm just going to hand it over?" The two clashed in midair, their figures flashing back and forth in a blur. However, neither dared to go all out. After all, one wrong move and they might destroy the book they both wanted.
After a fierce exchange of punches and kicks, they both reached for the book at the stime. Each grabbed one side of the book, refusing to let go.
"Let go, Hera. Don't makedo something you'll regret," Zeus said, his expression grim.
As one of the four strongest royal gods, he had no doubt he could overpower her.
But she didn't flinch. “You let go first. You think I'm going to do all this work for nothing? Not happening." Though they were royal gods, they each had their own agenda. If that book really held the key to breaking through their limits, it would be a priceless treasure.
Whoever got their hands on it would be able to break through to the next level. No one would have passed up an opportunity like that.
"I'm running out of patience. Don't forceto turn on you," Zeus warned as lightning crackled in one hand. "Turn onif you want. You think I'm scared of you?" Hera shot back.
She raised her free hand, and hundreds of black ice spears materialized behind her, like a swarm of wasps ready to sting Zeus alive.
While watching the standoff, Grace silently cheered them on. She hoped they'd start fighting soon, so they'd be too busy to cafter her.
"Hang on! Let's not throw punches just yet. "Seeing that Hera was ready to go all in, Zeus quickly stopped her. "We don't even know if this book is real. Starting a fight over it now would be reckless, wouldn't it?" Hera frowned at his words. She'd been so focused on getting her hands on the breakthrough technique that she hadn't stopped to think it through.
Now that he had said it out loud, a sliver of doubt began to creep in. She figured fighting over the book without even confirming if it was real was foolish.
"I have an idea. Let's sit down and study it together. How much you can understand or grasp depends entirely on your own ability. What do you think?" Zeus suggested.
"Fine by me," Hera replied with a nod.
Studying it together meant neither of them would be shortchanged. Whoever broke through first would depend purely on talent and comprehension.
"On the count of three, we'll land slowly with no underhanded moves. Deal?" "Deal." "Three... two... one." After reaching an agreement, Zeus and Hera landed at the stime, neither playing any tricks. They sat on the ground and began flipping through the pages.
Frowns quickly appeared as they read. What Grace had written was complex and difficult to follow.
They knew Dragonmarsh's language like the back of their hand, and there wasn't a single word they didn't recognize. But when those words were strung together, the meaning twisted into something murky and confusing.
Zeus and Hera were stumped. Every word made sense on its own, yet the sentences didn't add up. Still, neither of them spoke. They kept reading, forcing themselves through it as their frowns deepened and headaches bloomed.
One section even delved into Dragonmarsh's octagram arraytheory, which was mysterious and complicated. It was like reading an ancient script written in a lost language.
By the tthey finished every last word, their faces were tight with tension. The text was beyond them, and they couldn't say for sure whether it was authentic or not. However, admitting that would've meant swallowing their pride. And for royal gods, pride was everything.
"You really think you can foolwith a fake technique, missy? Do you think I can't read?" Zeus suddenly snapped.
Without warning, he extended his hand. From a distance, he grasped Grace's throat and lifted her off the ground.
"Your Highness!" Everyone in the ancient temple turned pale. They instantly drew their weapons, ready to strike.
"Stand down!" Grace choked out.
She raised her hand to stop them, then used a move to push them back.
"I'll give you one last chance. Hand over the real technique, or face the consequences," Zeus growled.
"This is the real thing. I swear to God.
If I've lied to you, may lightning strikedown." Grace made a solemn E vow. A breakthrough technique like that couldn't be fake. But whether others could grasp it was another matter.
Chapter 2673
Grace was telling the truth. No matter how strong someone’s willpower was, tiny tells always gave them away
when they lied. To an ultimate grandmaster, those tells weren't just noticeable, but they were amplified a
hundredfold.
Most of what she said was true. She'd simply laced it with a few well-placed lies. Truth and falsehood blurred
together until no one could tell them apart.
The breakthrough technique she claimed to have found in the ancient manuscripts was real. However, she never
promised it would work or how far someone could get with it. Just in case, she’d made sure to cover her tracks.
Grace had copied the technique exactly as written, so she could swear a binding oath that it was authentic. But
she had also scrambled key parts of the instructions and built two conflicting cultivation paths into it. That way,
neither Zeus nor Hera could detect the sabotage or break through.
Grace had poured tand effort into the deception. To her, his sudden threat was nothing more than a test.
When Zeus couldn't separate truth from lies, he turned to intimidation. She saw through the tactic but said
nothing about it.
Grace wasn't afraid. She knew Zeus and Hera didn’t have the cultural context to comprehend the technique. In
the end, they still needed her to interpret and explain it.
That was why she was sure he wouldn't hurt her. And as expected, the moment she swore the oath, his grip
loosened.
“Hmph. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt just this once,” Zeus said with a straight face. “But your
breakthrough technique is somewhat unusual. Until we fully comprehend it, you're not going anywhere.”
“You got what you cfor. Isn't it tyou held up your end of the deal and left?” Grace shot back, her brow
creasing in frustration.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“We agreed to spare you if you handed over the real technique,” Zeus replied firmly. ” But we're not convinced
it’s authentic. We need tto study and confirm it. That doesn’t break our word.”
Grace's frown deepened. “So if you can’t figure it out in a day, you'll just camp here until you do?”
“Exactly!”
The truth was, the book was far beyond the two royal gods’ current understanding.
They couldn't crack it on their own. They needed her, both as a key to the text and as insurance.
By staying, they kept her within arm’s reach. And as long as she was under their watch, they controlled the
board.
“You better help us understand this breakthrough technique soon, missy,”
Hera said with a smirk. “Otherwise, we're not leaving Embercrest Hill anytsoon. As for your lover, he can
stay hidden in the mountains and focus on healing.”
She knew Grace was stalling, but she didn’t care. Even if Logan made a full recovery and returned to his peak
form, he still wouldn't stand a chance against them. If the two of them wanted to, they could wipe Embercrest
Hill off the map without lifting a finger and crush Logan right along with it.
“If you're both set on this, then | have nothing more to say. Just promiseyou'll keep your word once you've
broken through,” Grace said.
“You have my word,” Hera replied with a nod. “As long as you help us break through, you'll beca major
contributor to the Hall of Gods. How could we bring ourselves to hurt you?”
“There are plenty of empty rooms in the temple. Make yourselves comfortable. But letbe clear-no more
violence. If anyone gets hurt again, | won't help you. Not even if it kills me,” Grace said coldly.
“Got it.”
Zeus and Hera agreed in unison, then stepped inside the ancient temple together.
For now, neither of them pressed their advantage. Even if they had the books, they couldn't decipher them
without Grace's help. That fragile dependency kept a temporary truce in place.
But once they mastered the technique once it ctto break through-there was no telling how far they'd
go.
As royal gods, Zeus and Hera were
both allies and rivals. Whoever mn
succeeded first wobldShabe ther
figure aN possibly claim the top
seat as SuprLeader of the Hall
of Gods. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
Inside the temple, Zeus and Hera began their studies under Grace's careful guidance.
To avoid suspicion, Grace taught them earnestly, explaining every word without holding anything back. Her plan
was already in motion.
She wasn't afraid they would master the technique, but was worried they wouldn't. As long as they kept
learning, she could buy Dustin more time.
That was all she could do for now.
Q , a
She just hoped he'd seize the om moment and break hfodigfrscon. If Rise wasnh nt she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep delaying the inevitable.
After all, Zeus and Hera weren't just)anyone. Sooner or later they'd sense sometriqg yesofi Ald when they dig, EVeryone in the temple would likely die with her.
This was a high-stakes gamble, one Grace couldn't afford to lose. She had to win and hoped Dustin would break through before Zeus and Hera did.
Chapter 2674
Inside a natural cave on Embercrest Hill, Dustin hovered in midair, legs crossed, eyes closed in deep meditation.
Five glowing orbs circled him in a steady, rhythmic orbit. With every pass, they released thin streams of white energy that flowed directly into his body.
Gradually, a soft glow began to radiate from Dustin's skin. Bathed in the light, he looked almost translucent. His body revealed a web of energy pathways crisscrossing beneath the surface.
The currents surged like streams of silver marrow, flowing again and again through his energy pathways. With each pass, the current grew stronger-its flow widening, its pressure mounting.
His muscles, flesh, and bones were changing too. Each part reshaped itself in subtle but undeniable ways. At that moment, he was undergoing a profound transformation.
As tpassed, sweat began to bead on Dustin's skin, and his face twisted in pain. A fine crack appeared on his crystal-clear skin, no thicker than a strand of hair.
At first, it was barely noticeable. But as he absorbed more of the Dracan essence, the fractures multiplied, spreading wider and deeper across his body.
Half an hour later, the cracks covered every inch of his body. He looked like a porcelain statue held together by glue-fragile and horrifying. Even the slightest touch might have shattered him.
Dustin frowned as he drew in a slow, careful breath. He knew he had reached his limit.
As expected, the Dracan essence wasn't something he could absorb easily. Forcing it into his body in hopes of breaking through was a deadly gamble. One misstep, and he'd explode from the inside out and be reduced to dust.
But there was no turning back now. Either he broke through, or he died. There was no third option. "Con. Just a little more," Dustin muttered through gritted teeth.
He kept the cultivation flow going at full force, pushing himself to absorb as much of the Dracan essence as he could.
But there was just too much of it. No matter how fast he refined it, more kept flooding in an endless, unstoppable wave.
Dustin put aside his distracting thoughts, centered his mind, and braced himself for the final push. He was so close, just half a step from breaking through.
He hadn't mastered the energy, hadn't reached full refinement, but he couldn't hold on anymore. His body was already coming apart. If he didn't risk everything now, he'd die anyway.
He drew in a sharp breath and forced the torrent of Dracan essence into his body, compressing it with everything he had. The moment he did, the cracks across his skin deepened. Blood burst from every fracture, soaking him from head to toe.
But Dustin had no tto worry about the pain. Gritting his teeth, he channeled every last ounce of strength, driving the raging Dracan essence into every pressure point and through all eight extraordinary meridians.
A deep rumble echoed through the cave, like thunder splitting the earth.
Blood sprayed from Dustin's body as his skin ruptured in violent bursts. It didn't drip but gushed out from every E wound. He blocked out the pain and forced the Dracan essence through every channel and pressure point, no matter the cost.
Another blast ripped through him as fresh wounds exploded across his limbs, chest, and back as bloody blooms spreading over every inch of him.
He was on the brink. Each breath was shallow, his life hanging by an thehanging brian thread. Still, he clenched his teeth and threw himself into one final charge. He would break through or die trying.
Chapter 2675
"Break through!" Dustin's rage exploded inside him. His Dracan essence surged like a tidal wave and crashed relentlessly against the last few pressure points with unstoppable force.
Thunderous explosions rang out in quick succession.
Dustin, who had lost too much blood, finally buckled under the strain and fell from midair. At that instant, his life was hanging by a thread.
Inside the ancient temple atop Embercrest Hill, Grace, who was helping Zeus and Hera decipher the breakthrough technique, paused mid-translation. A strange unease stirred in her chest as if she had sensed something, and she frowned.
What happened? Had Dustin failed? The thought struck like lightning, sharp and sudden. Her chest tightened with worry.
She had placed all her hope in him. If he failed to break through and died, it wouldn't just be her life on the line. Everyone on Embercrest Hill, and even half the nation, would be doomed.
Suddenly, a knot of fear twisted in Grace's gut. She had to get back to the cave. If there were even a chance Dustin could survive, she'd do whatever it took to save him.
"I have urgent matters to attend to. You two go ahead and keep reading." As soon as the words left her mouth, she hurried out the door.
"Stop right there!" Zeus shouted.
Grace ignored him. She used an evasion technique and bolted out the door.
"You have a death wish?" he growled.
His face darkened. He raised a hand and fired a bolt of lightning straight at her back.
She couldn't dodge in time, so she quickly formed hand seals. A golden octagram array appeared behind her, just in tto block his crackling blue lightning bolt.
A loud explosion shattered the golden octagram array instantly. The powerful blast hurled Grace several feet through the air. She crashed hard against the wall, blood spilling from her mouth.
"I have something urgent to deal with. Givea moment, and I'll return to translate for you later," Grace said, frowning.
"Hmph. You think I'm that gullible?" Zeus' face darkened. "If you weren't hiding something, why would you suddenly run?" "Listen, missy. If you don't want to die, you'd better translate the technique for us. Until we've comprehended it, you're not going anywhere," Hera said coldly.
"I don't have tto explain," Grace snapped.
She formed a quick hand seal, and her body sank into the earth using the earth-shifting technique. She had mastered all five elemental escape techniques."Try running again, and I won't show mercy." Zeus exploded with rage and slammed his palm into the ground.
A thunderous roar echoed as lightning crackled wildly, and the ground shook like an earthquake. Even the ancient temple trembled violently.
Grace, who had just slipped underground, was suddenly blasted back to the surface by a powerful force. She crashed hard onto the ground, blood spurting from her mouth and nose once again. "You've mastered quite a few mystical arts, but I'm going to destroy your core first."
Zeus snorted coldly and struck again. He sent a bolt of lightning straight toward her abdomen. If she were hit, it would destroy her core and wipe out all her cultivation.
But just then, a burst of golden light shot up from the ground and formed a barrier arrier in front of Grace: The lightning bolt vanished the moment it.
made contact with the light. "Hmm?" Zeus focused his gaze and realized the golden light was actually a person.
Chapter 2676
The golden light appeared just in tto block Zeus' attack and save Grace from having her core destroyed.
As the light faded, a handsyoung man appeared before everyone. He had white hair and wore tattered clothes. But despite his rough appearance, he exuded an otherworldly presence that set him apart from the rest.
He stood still in front of Grace, solid as a mountain.
"Dustin?" The moment she saw the white-haired man, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew then that she was safe and so was everyone inside the ancient temple.
Aside from his stark white hair, he looked nearly the same. But now, he carried a mysterious, otherworldly energy that she had never felt before. At that moment, she knew he had broken through.
"Thanks for holding on." Dustin turned and gently tapped Grace's shoulder. A beam of golden light shot from his hand and flowed straight into her body.
She shuddered as warmth surged through her, soothing every inch of her body.
The previously blocked circulatory pathways and accumulated internal injuries began to heal at an astonishing speed. Within seconds, she felt energized
Her injuries were healed, and her energy burned brighter than ever.
This technique went beyond what any mortal could do.
"I'll take it from here." Dustin smiled and fixed his gaze on Zeus and Hera.
At that moment, the two royal gods seemed to sense danger. Standing next to each other, they were silently alert.
They couldn't explain it, but there was something about this seemingly ordinary young man that unsettled them deeply.
Zeus sized him up from head to toe. "Are you Logan?" He looked almost exactly like the man in the files. But something didn't feel right.
Wasn't Logan supposed to be badly injured? So why did he seem so full of life? "You're Zeus?" Dustin asked instead.
Zeus scoffed. "You've got snerve, callingby nlike that," he said coldly.
Dustin's gaze shifted to the woman beside him. "Then you must be Hera." "That's right," Hera said with a faint smile. "Taking down Poseidon shows you've got skill. But today, you're facing two royal gods, and we're stronger than Poseidon. Since you dare to show up here alone, aren't you afraid of dying?" "Of course I am. But being afraid doesn't mean I'll keep hiding forever." Dustin smiled faintly. "When my friend's in trouble, I can't just ignore it." Zeus sneered. "Hiding might keep you alive. But if you stop running, you're just seeking death." "Who lives and who dies isn't set in stone, "Dustin shot back, smiling. "Maybe it's one of you who'll end up dead." Zeus laughed sharply, then his face darkened. "You've got snerve, kid. You think we're weak like Poseidon? I'll show you what real power is." He raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning straight at Dustin.
Dustin stood still and didn't flinch. Just as the lightning was about to hit him, a golden glow flared up in front of him.
Lightning crashed into the golden light with a deafening boom. The energy vanished on impact, but the glow held steady, untouched.
"Huh?" Zeus frowned and attacked again. He sent two more bolts hurtling forward.
Dustin didn't flinch, but invoked the golden barrier. The lightning bolts struck the barrier and exploded on contact. The golden light rippled like water, then quickly settled back into calm.
"You've got sskill. But let's see if you can block this," Zeus growled.
He spread his fingers wide, and his hand curled like a claw to conjure a sphere of blue lightning As he charged it up, the sphere grew from the size of an egg to as large as a basketball in seconds. It pulsed with raw power, crackling with destructive energy.
"Break!" Zeus roared.
He hurled the sphere like a cannonball. The lightning slammed into the golden barrier with a deafening boom.
The entire ancient temple trembled. Lightning crackled wildly in the courtyard, smashing nearby buildings into rubble.
The lightning bolt roared fiercely, but the golden barrier stood firm and unshaken without a single crack. "What?" Zeus' expression flickered with doubt.
Even Grace's divine artifact-the Seven Shards Steeple, bound to her life om force-had trembled a few times under his relentless attack. However, this golden barrier protecting Logan didn't react at all. What the heck was this thing? Another defensive divine artifact? "Lettry," Hera said.
After sensing trouble, she stepped forward and joined the attack. She raised her hand and suddenly over a thousand black icy spears materialized behind her. "Fire!" she shouted.
She clenched her fist, and in a flash, hundreds of black ice spears m launched from behind her. They streaked toward Dustin and Grace like a violent hailstorm. The barrage slammed into the golden barrier with deafening force. Shards of ice exploded on impact and dissolved into bursts of scattered energy.
But the golden light around Dustin was still intact without any cracks.
Zeus and Hera frowned at the sight. They finally realized Dustin wasn't going to be easy to deal with.
They were in for one hell of a battle
Chapter 2577
At first, Zeus and Hera hadn't taken Dustin seriously.
In their eyes, Dustin's strength was comparable to Poseidon's. Since he was severely wounded, they figured either one of them could easily take him down, let alone if they attacked together.
But after testing him with a few probing strikes, they realized things weren't that simple.
Looking at Dustin radiating such vitality, they wondered if there was even any sign of injury. Not only was he unharmed, but his strength far exceeded their expectations.
There were only two possible explanations for this situation. Either their intel gathering had been wrong, or Dustin had stumbled onto slucky break that led to an unexpected breakthrough. As for how far he'd advanced, they couldn't tell for the tbeing.
At that instant, Zeus and Hera finally understood why Grace had been stalling for time. Initially, they'd assumed she was buying tso Dustin could recover without being interrupted.
But now they realized that he hadn't been recovering but had been at the critical juncture of a breakthrough. Though reluctant to admit it, they had indeed been deceived. Grace had mixed truth with lies and led them around by the nose.
The realization left Zeus and Hera irritated, though what dominated was a sense of unease. Because now, the situation was starting to slip out of their control.
"Hera, looks like we'll have to team up. This guy's no pushover," Zeus said, his expression grim as he glanced at her.
"Really? You think I hadn't noticed?" she replied sarcastically.
Dustin wasn't even using any divine artifacts. Instead, he only used protection armor energy to deflect their attacks. That fact alone demonstrated that he possessed strength on par with either royal god, perhaps even stronger.
Neither of them could guarantee victory alone. So, they must join forces if they want to bring Dustin down. "Let's attack together!" Zeus shot Hera a quick glance, then suddenly thrust both hands skyward. Twin spheres of crackling lightning coalesced in his palms before he hurled them at Dustin with thunderous force.
At the stime, Hera launched her assault. Thousands of black icy spears materialized overhead, raining down like an apocalyptic downpour that sought to impale Dustin from every angle.
The two royal gods moved in sync-one attacking head-on while the other from above. Their coordination was flawless.
That kind of coordinated strike would've been devastating against any ordinary ultimate grandmaster.
But Dustin had already broken through the limits neither of them could reach. As the devastating barrage bore down on him, he stood still. He simply raised his hand and made one gentle sweeping motion.
When a breeze swept past, it instantly disintegrated Hera's countless icy spears into dust that scattered and disappeared on contact.
Meanwhile, Zeus' crackling spheres simply vanished into the sbreeze. The wind swallowed them completely like stones dropped into a bottomless sea.
Their combined attacks struck nothing and becnothing. Silence swallowed their fury whole. What had roared to life with godlike wrath now scattered like ash on an unfelt breeze.
"What the hell?" Zeus and Hera's faces went ashen as they witnessed the impossible. Their expressions twisted with disbelief.
If Dustin had deflected their attacks using his protection armor energy or suprdivine power, they wouldn't have been this shocked. But he hadn't used either.
With just a casual wave of his hand, he had neutralized their combined assault, without so much as shifting his stance.
That unnatural technique was clearly beyond the realm of ultimate grandmasters. Could Dustin have already broken through his limits and ascended to the terrestrial immortal realm? The thought sent a chill down both royal gods' spines
What kind of rotten luck was that? Just days after arriving in Dragonmarsh, they'd already encountered a mortal enemy of this caliber? "Done with your attacks?" Dustin asked, looking at them calmly. "Because if you are, it's my turn to attack." With that, he raised his sword finger and pointed at Zeus. A golden sword aura shot forward like lightning, aimed straight at his chest.
"Hmm?" Zeus' expression changed. He quickly spread his palms to conjure a massive lightning sphere and hurled it toward the golden sword aura.
The collision sent shockwaves through the air. The lightning sphere exploded on impact, but the golden el sword aura remained completely intact. Its deadly momentum barely diminished and continued its relentless path toward Zeus' chest. Zeus didn't have tto gather his internal energy and could only instinctively raise his arms in defense.
His body had been tempered repeatedly by divine lightning until it becsupernaturally resilient. Even without channeling his internal energy, his physical strength alone could kill an ordinary ultimate grandmaster.
The golden sword aura struck his raised arms with devastating force and erupted in a catastrophic explosion. The terrific m power tore his arm clean off at the shoulder, and the shockwave sent him flying dozens of feet away. Zeus crashed through several walls before finally hitting the ground. He coughed violently, blood gushing from his nose and mouth.
"What?" Hera's face drained of all color as the horrific scene unfolded before her.
In a single move, Dustin had crippled Zeus and severed his limb entirely. What kind of monster was he? As she watched Dustin prepare to attack again, terror consumed her completely. Without even the courage to fight back, she whirled around and bolted.
Chapter 2678
Hera was scared out of her wits. The moment Dustin effortlessly deflected her attacks, the urge to retreat had already taken root. Her instincts screamed danger when she looked at him. He was someone she couldn't afford to provoke.
Still, she'd clung to the hope that with Zeus by her side, their combined strength might still secure victory.
But after witnessing him suffer a grievous wound and lose his arm in a single strike, panic consumed her entirely. Hera's strength paled in comparison to Zeus'. If he couldn't survive a single strike, she would fare even worse. When she saw Dustin raise his hand again, she no longer hesitated. She pushed off the ground and shot into the sky. Her form blurred into a streak of motion as she fled into the distance.
Survival was her only priority now. Zeus' fate wasn't her concern.
Dustin had ascended to the realm of terrestrial immortals. Unless the Super Leader himself took action, no one in the Hall of Gods could stand against Dustin.
"You think you can run?" Dustin smiled faintly. He raised one hand above his head and swept it downward.
A bone-deep rumble split the sky. From above, a colossal golden palm suddenly passed through the clouds and descended on Hera with crushing inevitability.
The palm dwarfed mountains and valleys alike. Its presence swallowed daylight whole, leaving only shadow in its wake. Next to that colossal palm, she looked like a fly about to meet a flyswatter.
"What in the..." Seeing the palm pressing down from above, Hera's face went pale with terror, and a chill ran down her spine. Even if she used all her strength, she knew it was impossible to escape the palm's overwhelming reach.
She let out a piercing scream as the golden palm closed around her. Silence followed immediately after. Moments later, the palm vanished.
Hera's body plummeted from the sky and slammed into the ground at the ancient temple gates. Her circulatory pathways were severed, her bones shattered completely, and blood poured from her nose and mouth. She lay there, barely clinging to life.
Though she was still breathing, she hung by the thinnest thread. Dustin had deliberately held back. Otherwise, the colossal golden palm's grip would have crushed her into pieces. Then again, looking at her now, there wasn't much difference.
The monks and guards at the ancient temple entrance stared in horror at her corpse-like form sprawled on the ground.
They had no idea what transpired inside the temple. Instead, they had only heard explosive sounds and felt waves of overwhelming pressure that kept them at bay.
When the explosions stopped, they witnessed Hera suddenly bolt into the sky in desperate flight. The next second, the colossal golden palm descended from the clouds and effortlessly captured her. By the she hit the ground, she was half-dead and couldn't move even a finger.
Had a suprmaster from the Regal Observatory intervened? Nothing else could explain how the royal god Hera had been so easily defeated. At that thought, excitement stirred in their hearts. Maybe help had finally arrived.
Inside the ancient temple, Dustin turned his gaze toward Zeus, who was several dozen feet away.
Zeus had already lost an arm. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth, and his face was deathly pale. Though his injuries weren't as severe as Hera's, he too was gravely wounded.
"Impossible! How did you becso strong?" Zeus snarled through gritted teeth, rage and disbelief twisting his features.
Though he had suspected Dustin had achieved a breakthrough, the reality of facing that overwhelming power left him stunned. Just days ago, Dustin was still an ultimate grandmaster, not even a fully developed one.
How much that actually passed? A week? Perhaps ten days at most? In that short time, how could Dustin, who hadn't even perfected the ultimate grandmaster realm, suddenly transform into a peerless terrestrial immortal? Zeus couldn't wrap his mind around it. He refused to accept it.
He had spent decades striving to break through from the peak of the ultimate grandmaster realm. Yet, Dustin had accomplished in mere days what Zeus couldn't achieve despite a lifetof dedication.
What had happened? "Am I that powerful?" Dustin smiled faintly. "I paid for it with my life." During his breakthrough, his physical form had begun to collapse under the strain, and he almost died.
At the critical moment, a surge of vital energy had erupted from inside him, dragging him back from death's door. With that life force and the Dracan essence flowing through him, he had barely managed to break through.
Beyond his willingness to risk everything, the stars had aligned perfectly. Perhaps this was what Grace called great luck.
"I refuse to accept this! I won't stand for it! How can you break through? you break Why can't 13" Zeus erupted in a nearly mad roar.
He knew his fate was sealed. Even without his grievous injuries, facing a terrestrial immortal in his peak form would have been hopeless. Hera's desperate escape attempt earlier told him everything he needed to know about his own chances. Zeus knew he was going to die that day. He might as well vent his fury before the end.
"Maybe it's because you're ugly," Dustin said matter-of-factly.
"I'll kill you!" Zeus charged forward with a final roar. His form beca blur as he launched himself at Dustin.
Dustin simply raised one hand and made a grabbing motion through the air, freezing Zeus mid-flight, suspended and helpless.
Then, he turned to Grace beside him and asked calmly, "Live or die?" "Die," she replied coldly.
"Very well." He nodded and slowly closed his fist.
With a deafening crack, Zeus' body burst like an overinflated balloon, shower of gore. There exploding in balloon, were no remains left of him.
Chapter 2679
wait for new chapeters
Chapter 2680
