CHAPTER 2381 A SORE SPOT
"Oh yeah, great! Thank you"
Dustin replied unsympathetically.
Originally just responsible for saving people, now forced to fight like a labourer.
After a whole day of hard work, there was no benefit at all, such a loss.
"Don't be so resentful, a little display of your heroic charm in front of these two beauties might just win you some affection," Gabrielle joked in a low voice.
"Forget it, these two are nothing but trouble, I have no interest," Dustin rolled his eyes.
"Hey! What are you whispering about?"
At this point, the black-robed old man in front finally couldn’t help but speak, "I'm giving you two options now, either surrender immediately or meet a tragic fate!"
"A tragic fate? You're quite the talker!"
Dustin stepped forward, gazing directly at the black-robed old man, and said coldly, "You're just skilled in body techniques, your true strength is nothing, the one lying down there, if clever enough, could easily handle you!"
"Arrogant brat! What nonsense are you spouting?!" the black-robed old man scolded.
"Stop pretending, amateurs may not see it, but I can tell right away what your trick is."
Dustin said expressionlessly, "If I'm not mistaken, you’ve only focused on footwork for decades, excelling in this area even surpassing many masters. Unfortunately, your true power is lacking, easy against ordinary innate experts, but when facing master-level opponents, you can only rely on deceit and intimidation to win."
After careful observation just now, the black-robed old man's cultivation was likely at the half-step master level, not a true breakthrough.
In terms of absolute strength, he was weaker than Cedrick.
But his greatest advantage was his impeccable footwork, making it impossible for his opponents to touch him.
In this way, the black-robed old man could play the role of a mysterious expert, making opponents fearful and retreat.
This was also why the black-robed old man drugged Cedrick, because he couldn't win in a direct confrontation, thus using deceitful tactics to make Cedrick lose his rationality and exhaust himself.
"You... you talk too recklessly!"
Seemingly hitting a sore spot, the black-robed old man instantly became furious, "You brat! How dare you question my strength, you're asking for it! Come forward and I can smack you down with just one strike!"
"Is that so? Let's see how capable you are."
Dustin chuckled, seemingly unafraid of the threat, and walked straight towards him.
CHAPTER 2382 A TOOTHLESS TIGER
The calmness of his actions left the black-robed old man slightly stunned.
Given the imposing aura he had just displayed, which was in no way inferior to that of a martial arts grandmaster, normal people would have felt intimidated and hesitant upon encountering him.
Yet, he could seize this opportunity to once again establish his powerful image.
However, he did not expect Dustin to act so unexpectedly, without any hesitation, coming straight at him.
Is this kid fearless because he is young and ignorant, or does he have some sort of reliance?
Furrowing his brow, the black-robed old man was momentarily unsure.
"Hey, aren't you going to slap me to death? Come on then, I'll just stand here and let you do it without dodging!"
Standing confidently with his hands behind his back, Dustin's tone was calm yet subtly arrogant.
"You ignorant fool! Since you seek death, then let me grant your wish!"
Unable to contain his anger, the black-robed old man disregarded further contemplation and swiftly moved forward, delivering a fierce palm strike aimed at Dustin's head.
*Buzz~!*
A thunderous sound reverberated as a semi-transparent giant palm shadow materialised out of thin air, descending on Dustin as if Mount Tai was crashing down on him.
Being a high-level expert at the quasi-grandmaster level, the black-robed old man still harboured some fear facing a martial arts grandmaster.
Against an ordinary expert at the innate level, he would have easily overwhelmed them.
Moreover, with his agility, even if he couldn't win, he could always flee, so he attacked without any hesitation.
"Meet your end!"
Seeing Dustin stand unwavering, the black-robed old man's killing intent surged as he increased the force behind his strike.
However, just as the black-robed old man's palm was about to make contact with Dustin's head, a protective barrier suddenly appeared.
The full force of the black-robed old man's strike landed solidly on the barrier.
*Bang!*
A loud explosion ensued.
The concentrated profound and clear true energy palm shadow created by the black-robed old man burst on impact, dissolving into a gust of wind.
The tremendous impact sent him staggering back over ten steps.
For a moment, his arms tingled, and his blood and Qi surged chaotically within him.
In contrast, Dustin remained standing with hands behind his back, completely unaffected from head to toe, as if he had not been hit at all.
"How is this possible?!"
Witnessing this scene, the black-robed old man's face turned pale with shock.
He had used his full strength with that palm strike just now, which had struck Dustin squarely.
Why was there no reaction from the other party?
What exactly was happening?
"So, this is your strength? Truly frighteningly weak."
Shaking his head, Dustin wore an expression as if looking at a clown.
As expected, the black-robed old man before him was nothing more than a toothless tiger.
CHAPTER 2383 ONCE-IN-A-MILLENNIUM EXTRAORDINARY TALENT
"What's going on? Did Dr. Rhys actually block that strike just now?"
"Oh my goodness! That was an attack from a Grandmaster of martial arts, yet Dr. Rhys actually took it head-on with his own body unscathed. It's truly unbelievable!"
"I never thought Dr. Rhys, at such a young age, would possess such incredible strength. He really keeps his abilities well hidden!"
Witnessing Dr. Rhys take a blow as if nothing happened left the disciples from all over the world in awe and disbelief.
After all, that figure in black robes was a formidable opponent even their senior brother couldn't handle.
So initially, when they saw Dr. Rhys step forward to challenge him, they were not optimistic, even thinking that Dr. Rhys was walking into a death trap.
However, no one anticipated that the seemingly ordinary Dr. Rhys actually had such profound skills.
"Sheryl, could it be that Dr. Rhys has already reached the level of a Grandmaster?"
Lara widened her beautiful eyes, looking somewhat astonished.
Even though Gabrielle had mentioned it beforehand, she still held some doubts within her.
Having exceptional medical skills alone was already extremely rare.
Many doctors spend their whole lives without reaching half the level of Dr. Rhys.
But the key point was, Dr. Rhys was not only outstanding in medicine, but also excelled in martial arts, surpassing many.
Such a top talent practising both medicine and martial arts was unseen by her before.
"A Grandmaster?"
Gabrielle smiled faintly, not denying it: "You could say that."
The person in front of them was not just a Grandmaster in martial arts. He was a once-in-a-millennium extraordinary talent, ranked first in the world, standing at the pinnacle of existence.
His level of skill had already reached the realm of a Grandmaster long ago.
Dealing with these minor characters required no effort at all.
"Being both a divine doctor and a Grandmaster, who is this Dr. Rhys exactly?" Liana expressed her surprise, but more so, her confusion.
She had heard of almost all the notable youths in the martial world, yet Dr. Rhys's name remained unheard of.
Normally, a talent as exceptional as Dr. Rhys, excelling in both medicine and martial arts, should have been well-known by now.
However, this person seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, remaining unknown, which was quite peculiar.
Either he was a recluse who disregarded fame and fortune, or he intentionally concealed his identity.
"Kid! Who are you exactly? State your name!"
The black-robed old man now had a serious expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Previously underestimating Dr. Rhys, he now realized, after witnessing his strength, that this unremarkable young man before him was even more powerful than the chief disciple, Cedrick, of the World Society.
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is, who is behind your actions?" Dr. Rhys asked calmly.
"Hmph! Trying to trick me into talking? You must be dreaming!"
The black-robed old man scowled, saying, "Kid! It doesn't matter who you are or what your background is. If you know what's good for you, you better leave now, or else don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"What's this, still pretending at this point? Are you going to keep up the act?" Dr. Rhys sneered.
"Kid! Don't be too arrogant! I only used less than ten percent of my power before, that's why you got a little advantage. Once I go all out, you'll be dead for sure!" the black-robed old man threatened fiercely.
CHAPTER 2384 A UNIQUE TECHNIQUE
With his words, his whole person's momentum surged, and a fierce wind howled around him.
A powerful pressure instantly burst out, directly enveloping everyone's minds.
Everyone felt a sinking sensation in their bodies, as if an invisible force was pressing down on their shoulders.
"Kid! Can you feel it? This is the aura of a martial arts grandmaster! As long as I get serious, I can easily crush you like swatting a fly!" The black-robed old man's hair and robes fluttered in the wind, creating a fearsome sight.
He looked particularly intimidating.
"I didn't expect that old guy to still be hiding his strength. Looks like Doctor Rhys is in trouble now!" Seeing the sudden change in the black-robed old man's aura, Lara couldn't help but furrow her brow, showing some concern.
Although Dustin is a martial arts grandmaster, he is still too young and lacks sufficient strength.
When facing some powerful grandmasters, he appears to be capable but powerless.
The aura of the black-robed old man in front of them is so terrifying, clearly not an ordinary grandmaster.
"I'll immediately inform the top experts of the World Society to come and support us. We can't let Doctor Rhys take risks for us." Liana took out his phone, ready to make a call for help.
"No need."
Gabrielle smiled faintly. "That old guy looks formidable on the surface, but in reality, he's not that strong. Once they start fighting, Doctor Rhys can easily handle it."
"Really?" Liana furrowed his brows slightly, looking at the black-robed old man. "His aura is mysterious, comparable to our World Society elders. How can you say he's not that strong?"
"Aura can be altered."
Gabrielle explained with a smile. "There is a secret method in this world. By practising it, not only can you conceal your aura, but you can also change it at any time. Despite not enhancing one's actual power, it can create a frightening effect."
"Are you saying... that old guy is just bluffing?" Liana quickly realized.
"Exactly." Gabrielle nodded. "If that old guy were truly a top expert, why would he talk so much nonsense? He's an assassin, and if he's confident in easily dealing with his target, why would he drag things out?"
"Good point!" Liana agreed with a nod.
Assassins are ruthless and unprincipled. They will go to any lengths to eliminate their target.
Yet, the black-robed old man behaves unusually, engaging in verbal sparring from the moment he appeared, without ever truly attacking.
After finally striking a blow, he was pushed back more than ten steps by Dustin.
It all seems quite strange.
"Wait a minute! If that old guy isn't strong, how do you explain his mysterious and unpredictable footwork earlier?" Lara suddenly asked.
"Doctor Rhys has already explained. Although that old guy's cultivation is average, he has dedicated decades to perfecting his footwork, mastering a unique technique. His proficiency in footwork surpasses many martial arts grandmasters, which is the key to his deception."
Gabrielle explained with a smile. "Of course, having excellent footwork gives him a significant advantage in combat, allowing him to deal with some innate masters effortlessly. However, when facing a grandmaster, with his current strength, that old guy won't be able to break their defenses!"
.. and in most days I stay at work for more than 15 hours a day 
. Dustin - Natasha and Gabrielle, Charlie - Claire and Nanako, Levi is still under my review. That's only if these novels end with polygamous characters
. Hence the reason why Gabrielle trust Dustin and is ok with sleeping in the same tent as him.
Understated Dominance here is at chapter 2380
dragon
.
