Chapter 72

He lunged at Dustin with a dagger, aiming for his back. He intended to mutilate Dustin, inflicting a fate worse than death—the price for underestimating him. The Hidden Fiend closed in, swinging his dagger with a savage grin.

Boom!

A sudden, loud explosion erupted beside him.

"What?"

He turned to see someone charging at him with incredible speed. The Hidden Fiend abandoned his attack on Dustin and met the newcomer’s assault.

Clang!

His dagger shattered. His eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, a powerful blow sent him flying.

"Cough!"

He coughed up blood, his ribs broken. He skidded back nearly thirty feet before stopping, his face contorted with fear. The physical pain paled in comparison to the terror he felt. This person was terrifyingly strong!

His eyes wide, he stammered, "A sovereign-grade fighter?"

He was certain; this person’s power far surpassed his own. Lovellia’s martial artists are ranked in nine grades, from beginner to master. Only a handful of ninth-grade fighters exist, all renowned and rarely engaging in combat. After years of training, he had only reached the eighth grade. Ninth-grade fighters are extraordinary individuals—and this person was even stronger, a sovereign-grade fighter, surpassing even the ninth grade.

Sovereign-grade fighters stand at the apex, towering above all below the ninth grade. "If he has a sovereign-grade bodyguard," the Hidden Fiend concluded, "the Wyatt family treasure is definitely with him!"

"If you can't even get close, how can you hope to kill me?" Dustin chuckled indifferently.

The Hidden Fiend's face twisted. "You think you're safe? There are plenty of powerful fighters. Your bodyguard can't protect you always! We have many ways to kill you—we don't need a fight. You'll never know peace!"

His face darkened further. "If I can't hurt you, I'll hurt those around you. The Seven Fiends can capture the woman who came with you. Hand over the treasure, or she will be violated before we kill her! Hahaha!" Dustin's gaze turned icy.

"Die!"

Boom!

A violent aura erupted, like a tidal wave. The Hidden Fiend's eyes widened in terror. He had assumed Dustin was only safe due to his bodyguard, but this aura… it was far more terrifying than the sovereign-grade fighter's. Dustin himself was far more frightening!

He trembled. Even as an eighth-grade fighter, he was utterly insignificant before such power. He regretted provoking such a monster.

"T…"

He attempted to speak, but could not. Horror filled his eyes. A single palm strike shattered his bones and fatally injured his vital organs.