Chapter 35: King Franklin Bu’s Treasure

In the dense forests of eight Wonders Mountain, two figures darted through the underbrush at breakneck speed, their movements precise and swift.

The closer they got to each other, the more violently the swords on their backs trembled, as if drawn together by an invisible force.

Dustin Li, relying on his keen sense of life energy, detected a powerful presence ahead. Within moments, a figure appeared, charging straight toward him.

"It's him!"

Dustin's gaze locked onto the dark-skinned young man sprinting toward him. The tremors in his Shadow Sword intensified, resonating with the blade in his opponent's possession.

Boom!

The young man suddenly radiated a powerful earth-yellow aura, and with a single motion, he snapped off a massive tree trunk. He hurled it at Dustin with terrifying force, the sheer weight of the attack howling through the air.

Snap!

Dustin unsheathed his Shadow Sword, slicing through the incoming trunk mid-air. A storm of sawdust exploded around him as he landed lightly on the ground.

Yet, despite his clean maneuver, his grip tightened. The violent tremors from the Shadow Sword made it difficult to control, as if the blade had a will of its own.

Five meters away, the dark-skinned young man stood with piercing eyes, his gaze locked onto Dustin's sword.

"Give me the blade," he demanded, his voice cold and stiff.

Dustin narrowed his eyes. "And why should I?"

The young man took a step forward, his expression darkening. "Because if you don't, I'll kill you."

Dustin's lips curled into a smirk. "You can try."

Through his life energy perception, he gauged the young man's strength—on par with the white-robed swordsman he had just slain. A formidable opponent, but not unbeatable.

Boom!

Without warning, the dark-skinned youth lunged forward, the ground trembling beneath his step. Like a ferocious beast pouncing on its prey, he closed the gap in an instant, his fist surging with earth-attributed energy.

Dustin reacted immediately, channeling the Black Flame of Death into his own fist.

Dragon-Tiger Fist!

Boom!

Their fists clashed, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The impact was so violent that the surrounding leaves fluttered wildly.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Dustin staggered three steps back, his arm throbbing from the sheer force. Meanwhile, the dark-skinned youth remained rooted in place, unmoved.

The young man's expression flickered with surprise. "Black flames? You've mastered an elemental power?"

Dustin furrowed his brows. He said 'also'…

He quickly recalled the golden glow that had coated the young man's fists earlier. That immense defensive power—it had neutralized his attack almost entirely.

The youth smirked. "I was born with a special constitution. Even in the Body Refining Realm, my inner energy contained the earth attribute. You must also have a rare physique—normally, one cannot cultivate elemental power without reaching the Innate Realm."

Dustin remained silent. He hadn't been born with such a gift; he had acquired his power by absorbing the Maeve Dead Vessel.

But his abilities went beyond a single attribute.

He possessed Life and Death Energies, their fusion manifesting as White Flames of Life and Black Flames of Death. The sheer duality of his power was unlike anything this young man could imagine.

Dustin shifted his gaze to the young man's life essence flow. Most Energy Gathering martial artists had a cyan halo, but this one had an additional layer of yellow light surrounding his lifeline.

That's why my last punch didn't wound him—it was blocked by his earth-attribute energy.

The young man suddenly lunged again, his fingers curling into claws, his earth aura flickering between them.

Dustin gritted his teeth. His Wheel of Life and Death spun wildly within his dantian, fueling the Black Flame of Death in his palms.

Boom!

They clashed once more.

Dustin felt an overwhelming heaviness in his opponent's energy—it was as if he were punching against a solid mountain. His bones groaned under the pressure.

Again, he was forced three steps back.

Across from him, the dark-skinned youth frowned, examining his palm.

"That black flame… it's invasive." His voice was low, his tone laced with caution. "It's burning my meridians, even with my earth attribute energy. Defending against it is difficult."

While the youth hesitated, Dustin seized the chance.

With a flick of his hand, he retrieved a mid-grade human-level war sword from his storage ring—the one he had taken from the white-robed swordsman.

Thunder Nine Swords!

Lightning-fast sword strikes tore through the air, black flames trailing in their wake.

The youth scoffed. "Hmph. My energy specializes in defense—you won't harm me."

He raised his fist to meet the blade head-on.

Slash!

A burst of blood sprayed through the air.

The young man's expression twisted in pain as he stumbled backward, his right hand now gashed open.

Dustin's eyes gleamed. So that's the trick.

His opponent's earth energy provided a powerful defense, but it wasn't impenetrable. If the attack was strong enough, it could bypass the defense and inflict damage.

And a magic weapon—a true battle sword—was far deadlier than a fist.

"Stop!"

The dark-skinned youth suddenly shouted, panic flickering in his gaze.

Dustin sneered. "What, now that you're losing, you want to talk?"

Ignoring the plea, he unleashed another flurry of Thunder Nine Sword strikes, his blade forming a curtain of black light.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Blood bloomed across the young man's body. Though none of the wounds were fatal, they forced him into a humiliating retreat.

With a final flourish, Dustin flicked his sword, sending the blood splattering to the ground before sheathing it with a sharp clang.

"Alright," he smirked. "Now you can talk."

The dark-skinned youth scowled, his face stormy. But he knew the truth—if Dustin had truly wanted to kill him, he would already be dead.

Ching!

He suddenly unsheathed his own sword.

Dustin's eyes sharpened as he spotted an engraving near the hilt—the character for 'Light.'

"The sword in my hand is called the Light Sword," the youth said. "And yours is the Dark Sword."

Dustin's gaze flickered. "So they're a pair?"

The youth nodded. "They are the Twin Swords of Light and Darkness, forged by a Fifth-Tier Swordsmith Master seven hundred years ago."

Dustin frowned. "A Fifth-Tier Master? That can't be right. These are just low-grade human-level weapons."

Weapons were ranked Heaven, Earth, and Human, with each tier divided into four grades. Only a Fifth-Tier Casting Master could forge an Earth-level weapon.

And such a master was a legend, even in Xandoria County.

"You don't understand," the young man scoffed. "These swords weren't made to be weapons. They were made to be keys."

Dustin's eyes narrowed. "Keys? To what?"

"The treasure vault of King Franklin Bu."

Dustin's breath caught.

A Martial King's treasure trove? A Spirit Refinement master's legacy?

Even Salmoris Academy would be tempted.

"That vault belonged to my ancestor," the youth continued. "To open it, both swords must be together. I only had the Light Sword… but now that you have the Dark Sword, I can take you there."

Dustin hesitated, but in the end, he made his decision.

"Fine. I'll go with you." His voice dropped, deadly serious. "But if you try to deceive me, I'll kill you where you stand."