Chapter 2158-2159

2158

Dustin was well-versed and knowledgeable about creatures like werewolves and vampires in Streuqua. But facing something like Predator, who turned into a beast and became ten times stronger, was completely new to him.

It showed that the mysterious assassin organization held significant power and influence. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to nurture so many elites.

Thrown back by the impact, Predator tapped into his primal instincts. His form expanded even more, akin to an elephant’s, while a dark haze enveloped him and radiated a sinister air.

With its four limbs forcefully pushing off the ground, it lunged forward like a cannonball toward Dustin at terrifying speed.

“Hurricane Slash!”

Dustin gripped his sword with one hand and swiftly delivered five consecutive slashes. The resulting sword auras intertwined, forming a massive net that bore down on Predator.

A thunderous crash filled the air as Predator charged headlong into the net without hesitation.

Five sword auras shattered upon impact and dispersed them into energy.

The beastly Predator was sent flying over several yards. He crashed heavily to the ground, creating a deep crater upon impact.

He emitted a low growl as it rolled to its feet, and his beastly eyes gleamed with ferocity.

After the collision, he was covered in blood and sustained serious wounds. One of his muscular arms was severed, and three deep sword gashes marred his chest.

While these injuries would prove fatal for most creatures, they were mere scratches to the beastly Predator.

With its massive frame, Predator boasted formidable defense and a terrifying regeneration capacity. In mere seconds, the wounds on its chest stopped bleeding and began to heal rapidly.

Yet, the most chilling sight was the severed arm visibly regenerating at an alarming rate. Such monstrous regenerative abilities instilled pure terror in onlookers.

“Holy shit! What the heck is that thing? His arm just grew back by itself? That’s scary!”

“Damn it! This guy is like a fucking cockroach that just won’t die!”

“I wonder if Dustin can handle this beast?”

Witnessing Predator’s wounds heal rapidly left the martial artists dumbfounded.

Earlier, when Predator was knocked back, they felt a glimmer of hope and thought they had a chance. But now, they were filled with doubt.

The beastly Predator was fast, strong, and tough and had an unbelievable ability to recover. Anyone encountering something like this would feel despair.

At that moment, they could only hope that Dustin could hold on. Otherwise, the whole town would be drenched in blood if this beast went berserk.

“What a pain in the neck,” Dustin muttered. His expression grew serious as he furrowed his brow. He hadn’t anticipated Predator’s post- transformation would possess such terrifying regenerative abilities.

Witnessing severe wounds almost fully heal in just a matter of seconds was mind-boggling. He knew he’d be worn down to nothing if the fight continued like this.

“It looks like I can’t spare your life today.” Dustin shook his head, and a glint of menace flashed in his eyes.

Initially, he had planned to capture Predator alive and extract some information from him. But now, that plan seemed out of the question.

After all, it was kill or be killed. If Dustin didn’t act now, it would spell endless trouble.

Predator roared, and at that moment, his severed arm had fully regenerated.

It looked just as muscular as before. Then, he scraped the ground with his newly grown claws and lunged at Dustin again.

Dustin took a deep breath and slowly raised his sword in front of his chest. With a slight tremor in his body, his mystical pure energy surged instantly.

A thunderous explosion reverberated through the air as a powerful wave of energy erupted from Dustin’s feet. It swept out like a tidal wave and engulfed everything around.

In an instant, Predator’s body trembled. He felt crushing pressure like a mountain bearing down on his back, and his speed slowed down significantly.

“Conquest Breaker!”

Dustin unleashed his true strength and underwent a significant change in his energy field.

Seamlessly merging with his sword, he transformed into a sharp, lethal blade aimed directly at Predator’s chest.

A streak of light zipped through as Dustin, sword in hand, swiftly pierced through Predator’s body. A large gaping wound was left in its chest.

The charging Predator shuddered, then toppled to the ground. His massive body skidded across the ground for over 30 feet before gradually coming to a halt, leaving behind a long trail of blood on the cobblestone pavement.

“Is… is it over?”

“Holy shit! Is that for real? Did he. actually take down that monster?”

“What a lightning-fast sword! Such a fierce attack! That’s seriously impressive!”

Chaos ensued as Predator was brought down. Nobody had anticipated Dustin emerging victorious against such a terrifying beast, let alone do it so effortlessly.

With a single, decisive stroke, he ended the battle. It was a truly remarkable feat.

Now the question lingered-who was the true beast here?

“Wait! That beast isn’t dead yet. I saw it move!”

“No way! Even with no heart, he’s still alive?”

“Hey, look! He’s moving! He’s actually moving!”

With a chorus of gasps, Predator started twitching incessantly on the ground. The gaping, bloody wound on his chest was visibly healing at a startling pace.

This sudden twist in the situation left everyone stunned.

Seeing the beast, with its chest pierced and heart destroyed, not only surviving but recovering, was utterly mind- blowing.

It wasn’t just the martial artists who were taken aback.

Even Dustin found it surreal that a beast could survive without a heart.

With sword in hand, Dustin approached Predator slowly and looked down at him.

Despite being certain that he had destroyed Predator’s heart, his body continued to recover. It was utterly incredulous.

“I don’t believe that I can’t kill you!”

Dustin raised his sword again and prepared to strike at Predator’s head.

Since Predator could survive without a heart, he wondered what the fate of Predator would be if his head were crushed.

“Hold your blade!”

Just as Dustin was about to deliver the fatal blow, a thunderous shout suddenly erupted out of nowhere.

At the same time, three Frost Needles pierced through the air, aiming directly at Dustin’s three vital pressure points.

2159

Three Frost Needles streaked through the night sky, each carrying a biting cold as they targeted Dustin’s upper, middle, and lower vital pressure points.

“Hmm?” Dustin frowned and immediately raised his sword to block.

The three needles struck the sword and instantly exploded into clouds of frost. Upon contact with the frost, the sword was immediately encased in ice.

Simultaneously, a biting cold followed the frozen blade, spreading rapidly along his arm. In the blink of an eye, his hand holding the sword was frozen solid.

“Frost Needle?” Dustin’s face darkened as his mystical pure energy surged within him.

The icy mist around him quickly dissipated, and cracks formed on his frozen arm. With a shiver, the ice on his arm swiftly broke apart, reverting it to its normal state.

Fortunately, he managed to avoid a direct hit from the Frost Needle. If it had struck him, it would have significantly damaged his body’s functions.

Despite his considerable strength, such an injury would have been severe. For someone less resilient, it could have been fatal or turned them into an ice sculpture.

It was evident that the assailant had intended to kill him.

Dustin shifted his focus away from the beastly Predator toward the direction of the voice.

On a nearby rooftop, a figure was sprinting toward Dustin.

As the figure drew closer, he paused and leaped into the air gracefully, gliding like a bird before lightly landing 30 feet away from Dustin.

Dustin looked closely and saw an elderly man with white hair. The elderly man was slender and dressed in elegant attire. His eyes were sharp as a hawk and exuded an intimidating presence.

“Who are you?” Dustin asked coldly.

“I’m Acheron Wood, an elder of the Celestial Alliance,” the elderly man with white hair replied. He stood proudly with his hands behind his back.

“Acheron Wood?” Dustin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He was familiar with the name. After all, Acheron was one of the top elders of the Celestial Alliance, ranking just below the guildmaster, Alloy.

Acheron was known for his arrogance and quick temper.

Despite his strength and influential background, few dared to provoke him in the martial world.

“Elder Wood of the Celestial Alliance? I didn’t expect him to show up.”

“This is great! With Elder Wood on our side, those assassins are as good as dead!”

“There’s something strange about Elder Wood’s actions. It doesn’t seem like he’s here to help.”

Acheron’s appearance sparked a flurry of discussions among those present.

After Vincent’s murder, it would be expected for the Celestial Alliance to seek vengeance and hunt down the murderers.

However, instead of pursuing revenge, Acheron’s decision to intervene and prevent Dustin from killing Predator showed that he may not be aligned with their goals.

“Kid, this ends here. Hand over this beast to me, and you can walk away,” Acheron said in a commanding tone, his expression serious.

“Hand him over? Why should I?” Dustin’s face remained stoic.

“Huh?” Acheron frowned. “What? You dare refuse me?”

As a veteran of the martial world and an elder of the Celestial Alliance, few dared to defy him.

“Give me a reason,” Dustin said flatly.

“A reason?” Acheron snorted. “Well, because I’m an elder of the Celestial Alliance, I’ve got some power and influence. Let’s face it, I’m stronger than you. Is that reason enough?”

“It sounds like you’re just trying to assert yourself,” Dustin said with a faint smile, but his gaze remained cold.

“What if I am? If you’re smart, you’ll hand over that beast to me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not being nice!”

Acheron’s patience was running thin.

As they said, the night was young and full of surprises. If they continued to delay, things would likely take a turn for the worse. And by that point, capturing the beast wouldn’t be so easy.

Dustin replied firmly, “I really don’t appreciate being threatened. If you had approached me differently, I might have been open to discussing handing over the beast.

“But instead, you came aggressively at me, using sneak attacks with those Frost Needles. No matter what you say now, I’m not giving the beast to you!”

“Hey, punk! Looks like you won’t learn until you’re staring death in the face!” Acheron said. His expression hardened as he prepared to take action.

Without saying anything else, he quickly moved his sleeve.

Then, three Frost Needles shoot out, aiming at Dustin’s vital points.

“Hmph!” Dustin stood his ground. He raised his sword and swung it fiercely.

A crescent-shaped white sword aura shot forth from his blade and collided with the three Frost Needles.

The impact caused three explosions as it shattered the Frost Needles into a flurry of icy mist, which slowly drifted down.

As the mist cleared, the ground beneath was left covered in a thick layer of ice.

“Hmm?” Acheron couldn’t help but frown as Dustin blocked his attack again. “I didn’t expect you to be so strong. No wonder you’re being so cocky.”

“The Celestial Alliance sure knows how to waste their resources. Those precious Frost Needles are gone in an instant,” Dustin taunted.

“You dare to mock me, punk? I’ll send you to your grave!”

The proud Acheron’s anger surged in an instant. He clenched his fists and unleashed a strike into the air.

Suddenly, a mighty roar resounded.

A giant golden tiger burst forth from Acheron’s body and bared its teeth as it lunged toward Dustin.

The golden tiger stood around 23 to 26 feet tall and radiated a dazzling golden light with an intimidating presence. It seemed capable of devouring Dustin in one gulp.

“That’s Acheron’s signature move, the Behemoth Punch!”

Crystal’s expression shifted as she observed.

“Uh-oh, Dustin is in serious trouble against Acheron, that Old Beast!” Miles exclaimed, his agitation evident.

“What a disgraceful display from a Celestial Alliance elder, resorting to bullying and intimidation!” Ruby fumed with anger.

None of them had anticipated facing another formidable opponent so soon after dealing with a beast, especially not Acheron, an elder of the Celestial Alliance.

And to make matters worse, this old geezer was utterly unreasonable. He resorted to violence at the slightest provocation. In his arrogance, he showed a blatant disregard for boundaries.