This was enough to prove that Dustin’s skills were not far behind his own.
“What’s the matter? I thought you were going to allow me ten moves? Why did you dodge?” Dustin retracted his palm, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“He did say that, but that didn’t mean he was going to stand there and get hit! Daphne retorted indignantly.
“Dustin, I must admit, you’re stronger than I expected.”
Declan said seriously, “Honestly, I wasn’t taking you seriously since I didn’t think you were qualified to be my opponent. However, that strike you delivered just changed my perspective.”
“So?” Dustin smiled.
“So, from now on, I’m going to take this seriously,” Declan responded as he slowly took off his coat. His once indifferent gaze grew sharp.
“Take it seriously? Will that even make a difference?” Dustin was doubtful.
However, Declan ignored him and stated, “It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a duel seriously, and you’re one of them. Consider yourself honored to be defeated by me!”
With that, Declan took a sudden step forward.
Boom!
An overwhelming force surged from his body like a tidal wave. Fierce winds whipped around in an instant, and a bone-chilling coldness swept through the area.
Meanwhile, the crowd felt a heavy pressure on their shoulders. It was as if a massive boulder was bearing down on them, making it hard for them to breathe.
Declan’s hair stood on end, and his clothes rustled with the wind. He appeared like a deity descending from the heavens, exuding an imposing presence that made him seem invincible.
“What an immense presence! Did Declan make another breakthrough?”
“Damn! I can barely catch my breath!”
“He was already a fully developed divine-level martial artist a year ago. If he made another breakthrough, doesn’t that mean he’s a semi- grandmaster now?”
“As expected of the top talent of the Fallon family. He’s truly incredible!”
The Fallon disciples were amazed as they took in Declan’s overwhelming presence. They knew he was strong but didn’t expect him to be that strong.
In just one year, he had once again achieved a breakthrough, moving up to the rank of a semi-grandmaster.
In Oakvale, and even across Dragonmarsh, individuals who could reach such mastery before 30 were considered prodigies.
“Griffin, has Declan made another breakthrough? When did this happen?” Dante was delightfully surprised, looking at Declan in fascination.
“It was just recently. Declan went into seclusion for a few days and achieved the breakthrough,” Griffin replied with a proud smile.
“That’s great! Congratulations on the breakthrough!” Dante couldn’t contain his excitement.
Although the Fallons had a substantial number of youngsters, they were still far behind the other three ancient houses, especially the Spanner family, when it came to exceptional talents.
The Spanner twins were unmatched. and renowned worldwide. That was how the Spanners managed to surge to the top of the four ancient houses in a few years, leaving the other three ancient houses trailing far behind.
The Fallons, known for their numerous fighters, had failed to nurture youngsters capable of matching the Spanner twins. This had left the entire family frustrated. But now that Declan was close to becoming a grandmaster, the situation would take a different turn.
With further cultivation, it would only be a matter of time before Declan breaks through to the grandmaster level. With practical military exposure, future seemed promising and could rival the Spanner twins. his
“A semi-grandmaster?” Dustin raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“You’re pretty talented indeed, but it’s still not enough.” Declan was considered gifted for his age group.
However, he still lagged behind true prodigies.
Scarlet had achieved the rank of a grandmaster at just 18. Adam was weaker, but he followed suit at the age of 20.
Declan was around 26 to 27, yet he was still a half step away from becoming a grandmaster. Comparatively, Declan’s achievements were not particularly remarkable.
As for Dustin, if his memory served him right, he had already reached the level of a grandmaster approximately ten years ago during the upheaval in Aylka.
That year, he was just 15 years old.
