From the moment Dustin unsheathed his sword, the entire sequence unfolded in an instant. The swift beheading of the ck serpent left everyone in disbelief.


    Even after the serpent’s head hit the ground, it continued to snarl menacingly, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation. It only recognized the severity of its decapitation when the truth finally sank in.


    Confusion enveloped the creature as it questioned what had just transpired, trying toprehend how this seemingly insignificant human had managed to decapitate it.


    The royal family held the ck serpent in high esteem. They saw it as a divine being that had spent centuries cultivating its power, establishing dominance over everything.


    Its path was meant to be unimpeded, and all living beings were destined to be its prey. The creature couldn’tprehend why it nowy lifeless, defeated by the hands of a mere human.


    The massive body of the ck serpent convulsed a few times before crashing heavily to the ground. Blood gushed out, swiftly coloring the surrounding area in a vivid red hue, spanning several dozen feet.


    “Dead… Is it dead?”


    Everyone was frozen, eyes wide with disbelief, as the serpent’s head separated from its body. The shocking sight left them speechless, struggling to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.


    Dustin’s victory over the ck serpent took everyone by surprise, especially since it happened with just a single stroke of his sword. This formidablecreature had proven to be a challenging adversary, even for Aidan.


    Everyone couldn’t fathom how a nobody could wield such extraordinary power.


    Garrett couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to process the shocking truth before him. “No way… This can’t be happening. It’s just not possible!”


    He had always underestimated Dustin, thinking of him as nothing more than a scammer in the martial world.


    Garrett’s resentment towards Dustin, fueled by his feelings for Grace, had even led him to contemte silencing Dustin for good.


    Little did Garrett anticipate that beneath Dustin’s unassuming facadey extraordinary power. A power thatnow instilled fear in Garrett’s heart.


    Bran stood there,pletely shocked, his voice trembling. “Wait, did I really see that correctly? The ck serpent is actually dead, and Dustin took it down?


    Just moments ago, Bran had witnessed the ck serpent’s incredible strength -a force so formidable that even hundreds of people couldn’t make a scratch on it.


    Even Aidan, also known as Sandscale, had suffered serious injuries from the serpent’s attack. Simply surviving an encounter with such a terrifying creature was considered fortunate in itself.


    Yet, Dustin not only survived but managed to y it.


    Bran found it hard to grasp the fact that a young, unknown young man hadsingle-handedly killed the fearsome ck serpent.If he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe such an extraordinary event could ur.


    “Wait, seriously? Dustin took down that ck serpent, the one even Mr. Ridge struggled with.


    “Is he, like, already a grandmaster martial artist?” Yonah eximed. His face disyed sheer shock, with cold sweat trickling down.


    Yonah had seen the ck serpent seriously injure Aidan, but it met its end at Dustin’s hands.


    This not only indicated Dustin’s strength surpassing Aidan’s but also hinted at Dustin having achieved grandmaster martial artist status.


    The idea of a young grandmaster in his early twenties, unparalleled in theentire southwest, was hard for Yonah to fathom. He wondered, “Who is this guy, damn it?”


    Recalling his earlier intention to confront Dustin, Yonah couldn’t help but shudder. Had Yonah provoked Dustin, he might be dead already.


    “This brat… he’s good at masking his strength.” Aidan frowned, his face disying a serious demeanor.


    Moments ago, the ck serpent had dealt him a severe injury. He had somewhat underestimated the enemy, and victory seemed unlikely despite his utmost efforts.


    However, Dustin effortlessly defeated the ferocious ck serpent with a single sword stroke, showcasing unparalleled strength. What added to Aidan’s sense of intimidation was Dustin’s youthful prowess.


    Aidan’s realization struck suddenly, and his eyes widened. “Could it be… him?” he muttered.


    His pupils narrowed, and his breath quickened as he connected the dots. The sword aura that Dustin unleashed resembled the one that severed the golden vine the night before.


    The revtion hit Aidan like a tidal wave. He pondered the mysterious elder who had aided him the previous night-was it Dustin all along?


    His thoughts spun into chaos, considering the mysterious elder’s strength, seemingly at the ultimate grandmaster level.


    Aidan couldn’t help but question, “Is Dustin the hidden ultimate grandmaster? But… how is that possible? He can’t be older than 30. What kind of extraordinary being is this?”


    Jackson was briefly bewildered, but then he jumped up, his excitement evident. “Oh my god! Dustin is seriously amazing!”


    When Dustin confronted the ck serpent, Jackson believed certain death was imminent. To his surprise, after a few rounds, Dustin managed to defeat the mighty serpent with a single stroke.


    The stark contrast between before and after left Jackson momentarily speechless. He mumbled, “If I had known you were that powerful, I wouldn’t have been so worried.”


    Sophia gasped, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. “A grandmaster… he’s a grandmaster martial artist!”


    Her eyes sparkled with surprise, excitement bubbling within. It wasn’t just shock or disbelief, but it was the thrill of discovering a hidden gem.


    Dustin’s charm and strength hadpletely enchanted her. She recognized the rarity of such abination and feltpelled to seize the opportunity, even if it meant going against the Embersteel Order.


    While the Embersteel Order did have a grandmaster martial artist, he was already in his fifties. In contrast, Dustin, just over 20, possessed immense promise and limitless potential.


    The decision between the two options was ringly obvious.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Grace smirked, acknowledging. “No wonder he’s at the top of the Legendary List. Truly impressive.” She found sce in having such a powerful bodyguard.


    At that moment, Dustin stood tall as he brandished his sword with an imposing and majestic presence.


    Despite not exuding a formidable aura, he held a powerful and almost mythical presence in everyone’s hearts.


    Waving the Celestial de to flick off some blood, he then approached Grace and impassively said, “Task aplished.”


    “Great work, everyone,” Grace said with a slight smile.


    She then directed Teams Five and Six, ” Now, let’s focus on skinning the ck serpent and extracting its innards efficiently.


    “The hide is valuable for crafting resilient armor that can withstand des and the elements.


    “Additionally, the serpent’s galldder is a potent tonic that enhances cultivation. We can’t afford to waste any part of it.”