“Who the heck is this kid?” Oron glanced at his trembling hands and felt a chill run down his spine. He failed to gain the upper hand in the earlier clash with Dustin and suffered an unexpected setback.
He was already an ultimate grandmaster, with a cultivation and mastery of the Glow Incantation that surpassed Caleb’s. By all accounts, subduing a younger opponent should have been a piece of cake.
But that exchange just now had brought him to a stark realization- Dustin had been holding back this whole time and hadn’t used his full strength. Otherwise, Caleb wouldn’t have lasted this long.
The realization unsettled Oron. There were always extraordinary talents out there, but the potential Dustin had displayed was genuinely terrifying. To
put it plainly, he was a beast on the same level as Glenn.
“What happened? Why did the judge step in?”
“Can’t you see? Caleb has already lost. If the judge hadn’t stepped in, that sword would have killed him or left him severely injured.”
“Exactly! It would be a pity to see the most talented disciple of Sacred Wyrm Summit die here.”
“I thought Caleb would win, but Dustin changed the outcome with just one sword strike. It’s terrifying.”
The unexpected turn of events sent the spectators buzzing with chatter.
Whether it was Caleb’s Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman being countered or Oron intervening to stop the match, everything had unfolded in the blink of an eye. The fight was already over when
the spectators grasped what had just happened.
“Well, Mr. Marshall. What do you have to say now? You looked pretty smug a moment ago.” Cyrus shot Alloy a sidelong glance, and his tone was laced with biting sarcasm.
Alloy’s lips twitched as he struggled to come up with a retort. He never expected that Dustin would still be able to draw his sword even with the full power of the Eight Trigrams Divine Talisman unleashed.
Even more surprising was that Dustin broke through the formation and countered the talisman with a single strike, which decisively determined the match’s outcome. His potential was beyond anything Alloy had envisioned.
It finally dawned on Alloy why Seth had chosen Dustin as his disciple-he was truly remarkable.
“Sorry. I almost lost control just now,” Dustin said, sheating the Celestial Blade.
During his battle with Caleb, he had consistently held back and had no intention of delivering a lethal strike. However, he had to unleash his full strength when it was time to break the formation.
Fortunately, Oron acted decisively and conceded at the right moment. Otherwise, considering Caleb’s earlier state, he might not have been able to withstand Dustin’s strike.
“I thought we were evenly matched, but I didn’t see the difference in our strength until now. I lost, and I accept it without regret.” After coming to his senses, Caleb lowered his head toward Dustin respectfully.
Instead of looking defeated, he appeared energized, and his eyes aflame with determination. Although he claimed to be indifferent to fame and glory, a deep-rooted pride resided within him.
Caleb had always navigated life easily and tackled every challenge- cultivation, self-discipline, or resilience-without breaking a sweat. Plus, he outperformed every disciple of Sacred Wrym Summit.
While others in the guild spent three years making small strides and a decade to master the Glow Incantation, Caleb managed to perfect it in just six months of laid-back practice.
His progress was equivalent to what those so-called gifted disciples would achieve after ten years of hard work.
Since joining the Sacred Wrym Summit, Caleb had never genuinely
committed to his training or worked hard. He approached everything half- heartedly, yet his cultivation and mastery of spells outshined those who had worked tirelessly for years.
Everyone called him a genius, and he never argued against it. However, the rapid pace of his progress had its drawbacks. Without experiencing any pressure, he found himself lacking motivation.
To Caleb, the path of cultivation seemed absurdly simple-just eat, drink, sleep, and breakthroughs would follow. With that mindset, he struggled to find the motivation to commit to anything seriously.
But Dustin’s earlier attack shook him out of his complacency. Caleb understood he wasn’t the only genius in the world and that others were stronger than him.
After the battle, he suddenly found himself with a clear goal and a renewed sense of purpose. The long-dormant fire of passion and ambition reignited within him. From this moment on, he would take his training seriously.
“Congratulations to contestant number five, Dustin Rhys, for winning the match.” After calming himself, Oron finally announced the result.
Although Sacred Wrym Summit had lost the match, Caleb’s performance left a strong impression on everyone. So, it was far from a disgraceful defeat.
What set Caleb apart was that he was the youngest contestant in the tournament.
At only 17, he had already reached the developed grandmaster level, with limitless potential before him. He would surely earn a spot on the
Legendary List and even the Champ- Tier List in just a few years.
Amidst the enthusiastic applause, Dustin slowly stepped down from the battle ring.
With the quarterfinals concluded, the tournament moved on to the semifinals. and finals. The four finalists included Glenn from the Sword Union, Fenley from the Celestial Alliance, Abigail from the Mystic Arts Order, and Dustin.
All four were top figures on the Legendary List, and it was no surprise they had made it this far. However, the real battle was about to begin.
After all, they were ultimate grandmasters. At this level, they had reached the peak of the martial world. Regardless of who emerged victorious, they would soon become a legend and a leader for the next generation.
