Chapter 46: Secretly Poisoned

"Chong!"

As Pablo Zhang unleashed the wind with a palm strike, Dustin Li's shadow sword was drawn once again.

The black blade flickered like a thunderbolt, cutting through the palm's wind, but the sheer force of Pablo Zhang's innate martial artist energy was too powerful. It crashed against Dustin Li with the might of a violent sea, and Dustin was like a tiny boat caught in a storm... his body was overwhelmed in an instant.

"Ugh!"

A mouthful of blood spilled from Dustin's mouth, his body breaking under the force. A cold, dark energy began to infiltrate his meridians, sending a wave of dread through him.

"Pablo Zhang, you are too bold!"

The master of Novaridge Palace appeared on the stage, catching Dustin Li in midair, only to realize that Dustin was unconscious. His meridians were shattered, and his body was gravely injured.

"Palace Master Novaridge, what do you mean by this?" Pablo Zhang sneered, unfazed. "I simply intervened to prevent more serious injury or death in the battle between these two. As the overseer of the assessment, it is my duty to separate them."

"Such audacity!" Novaridge Palace Master snapped, but Pablo Zhang paid him no mind. "With the Sect Master present, what right do you have to disturb the test?"

Pablo Zhang didn't stop there—he even retorted at the Palace Master.

Novaridge's fury was palpable as he kneeled to Seth Lu, the Sect Master of the Outer Sect. "Sect Master, Dustin Li's meridians were shattered in many places, and it's clear that Pablo Zhang is taking personal revenge! We must seek justice!"

Seth Lu's gaze was unyielding, and Pablo Zhang couldn't bear to meet his eyes. He immediately called out, "Take Pablo Zhang away!"

Within moments, two black-robed guardians appeared, their presence as ominous as shadows.

"Take him to the water prison, strip him of his cultivation, and bind him with the chains through his pipa bones," Seth Lu ordered coldly.

Pablo Zhang's pleas for mercy were ignored as the guardians restrained him. The realization dawned upon him too late—had Seth Lu not been present, his secret actions would have gone unnoticed.

Seth Lu, a master in the Ninth Realm of Spirit Refining, had seen through every subtle movement Pablo Zhang made. He could not ignore the injustice, especially since Dustin Li had saved his daughter and showed exceptional talent.

When Dustin Li awoke, he found himself in a simple yet clean room. The memories of being struck by Pablo Zhang's palm and his broken meridians flooded back. Instinctively, he began to circulate his True Energy through his body to assess the damage.

"What a venomous old fool!" Dustin's gaze darkened with murderous intent as he observed the extent of the damage within himself. Twenty-one meridians were shattered, and a chilling energy spread through his body, slowly destroying any remaining intact channels.

If left untreated, these injuries would leave him crippled for life. In fact, it was worse than death for a martial artist—losing the ability to cultivate, a fate worse than death.

"Squeak."

The door opened, and Maeve, dressed in a flowing white dress, entered. Her ethereal presence was like that of a celestial being, and she smiled upon seeing Dustin awake.

"You're awake, Dustin Li?"

Dustin nodded, his mind still clouded with the intensity of the pain, but he was glad to see her. Maeve explained that the assessment was over, and he, along with DenCan and Rocco Xu, had successfully become disciples of the Salmoris Sect.

As Dustin rested, Seth Lu entered, his presence commanding respect. He handed Dustin a cyan jade bottle.

"Within this bottle is a Tiger Marrow Pill, a fourth-grade medicinal pill," Seth Lu explained. "It will help restore your broken meridians. The cold energy in your body comes from Pablo Zhang's Cold Dark Palm technique. Once your meridians are restored, I will have someone expel the dark energy."

Dustin nodded, accepting the jade bottle with gratitude. Though the Tiger Marrow Pill was precious, he had even more powerful healing pills in his possession. However, the cold energy was a different matter—it could only be removed by someone with far superior cultivation.

"You don't need to thank me," Seth Lu smiled. "You saved Maeve from her dead pulse. As her father, it's only right that I help you."

After some small talk, Seth Lu left, and Maeve followed her father. Dustin understood the subtle change in their relationship—Maeve was now the daughter of the Sect Master, a figure above many, and the gap between them seemed even wider.

But for Dustin, the fourth-grade pill was a mere token of gratitude. His true goal had always been to improve his martial arts and fulfill the agreement he made with Maeve.

Days passed in silence, and Dustin diligently healed. By the third day, he was fully recovered, his meridians restored. Maeve visited daily but was often called away by her father.

When she learned that Dustin had healed, she rushed to see him, accompanied by Elder Hezekiah, a Spirit Refining Master. Hezekiah had been assigned to expel the cold energy from Dustin's body.

"Although your talent is impressive, young one, my advice is to be cautious with your relationship with Maeve," Hezekiah warned cryptically.

Dustin smiled, understanding the unspoken message.

Hezekiah's next words, however, took him by surprise.

"Sect Master Lu sends a message. If you can become the strongest in the outer sect before the age of eighteen, you will be worthy of my daughter."

Dustin absorbed the weight of those words. Becoming the strongest in the outer sect—reaching the Ninth Layer of Energy Gathering—before the age of eighteen was a daunting challenge. But it was not an impossible one.

As Hezekiah left, Dustin pondered the meaning behind the message. Maeve, unaware of the conversation, entered just as he was lost in thought.

"You're thinking about how you can match up to my father's expectations, aren't you?" Maeve asked, a gentle smile on her lips.

Dustin met her gaze, his voice steady but filled with sincerity. "I'm thinking about how to earn your father's approval and show him that I'm the one worthy of you."

Maeve's cheeks flushed, and she looked away, flustered. Dustin smiled, knowing that the path ahead was long and difficult, but he was determined to walk it.

For him, strength was the key. He would become powerful enough to stand at Maeve's side, no matter the challenges.