Trouble Arrives at the Door

“I was quite surprised that I managed to bring back the Dragon Source Qi so smoothly this time. Honestly, I was even prepared to fall out completely with Li Juntang,” said Dustin.

“Oh? How so?” Margarert raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Dustin didn't hold back. He carefully recounted everything that had happened, including Li Juntang’s sudden and unusual friendliness, as well as Hongniang’s intervention and her decision to follow him.

“What do you think Li Juntang is really up to? He was incredibly suspicious of me just a day before --- nearly fought me --- yet the next day he completely changed, became overly friendly, and even gifted me one of the great beauties from the Rouge List. It's baffling.” Dustin shook his head.

“In my view, this probably has something to do with Li Juntang’s mother, Consort Spanner,” Margarert said after a moment of contemplation. “Consort Spanner is shrewd and calculating. She must have realized that Li Juntang isn't your match for now. Instead of making you an enemy, it's more advantageous to win you over.

Giving you Hongniang is both a gesture of goodwill and a strategic move --- placing her by your side in the hope that she might serve Li Juntang’s interests if the opportunity arises. But whether or not she's truly a spy is still unclear. Knowing how cunning Li Juntang is, if Hongniang really were his pawn, handing her over so obviously would be too blatant to be believable.”

Dustin stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That may be true, but one can never be too careful. I still feel like there’s something fishy about all this.”

“In that case, why not just take Hongniang in? With my arrangements, even if she has ulterior motives, she won’t be able to stir up any trouble. Besides, a great beauty like her from the Rouge List doesn’t come around often. You’ll regret it if you let her go,” Margarert said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Dustin rolled his eyes. “Stop teasing me. I’ll observe her for a while. If she turns out to be harmless, I’ll make proper arrangements. For now, let’s get back to business.”

Hearing this, Margarert’s smile faded and her expression grew serious. “Now that we’ve gathered all five strands of Dragon Source Qi, you have a perfect opportunity to break through to the next level. But before that, I need to make some preparations.”

Fusing the five Dragon Source Qis into one and transferring them into Dustin’s body is no simple task.

She would need to set up a formation and take advantage of natural energies.

“Do you need my help?” Dustin asked.

“No need,” Margarert shook her head. “Just stay here and rest for the day. Tomorrow night, go to Luoxia Mountain, fifty miles west of the city. I’ll make all the necessary arrangements there.”

“Alright. Then I’ll leave it to you.” Dustin nodded and said no more.

---

The sun sank beyond the horizon, bathing the sky in golden light.

At that moment, in a hidden base of the Hall of the Gods in Stonia City...

God Kings Zeus and Hera sat side by side, exuding an intimidating presence without even trying.

Zeus was tall and broad-shouldered, his golden hair flowing in the breeze, his body radiating immense power. His eyes were sharp like an eagle’s, as if able to see through everything.

Hera wore an elegant gown. She was stunningly beautiful yet carried a regal air, noble and sacred in her demeanor.

Before them stood more than a dozen people, all respectfully bowing. These were the elite operatives of the Hall of the Gods hidden in Stonia --- every one of them a master-level powerhouse.

This was the most formidable force the Hall had left in Stonia. Usually scattered across different regions and rarely seen together, today they had all been summoned.

Their sole mission: to kill Logan Rhys and restore the Hall’s dominance.

“It’s already been three days. You still haven’t found him?!”

On the temporary throne, God King Zeus let out a cold snort. A powerful aura of oppression immediately filled the hall.

Everyone felt a crushing weight, as if a mountain had landed on their shoulders. Their legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Lord Zeus, we’ve dispatched all our forces to search for him. We believe we’ll have results very soon!” a burly man over two meters tall reported, bowing his head.

He looked fierce as a bear, but in front of Zeus and Hera, he was as docile as a sick kitten.

“I’ll give you one more day. For every day he remains missing, I’ll select one of you to be sacrificed to the gods!” Zeus thundered.

Everyone turned pale with fear, drenched in cold sweat, but dared not make a sound.

They knew all too well --- Lord Zeus wasn’t bluffing. If they failed, death awaited them.

“Lord Zeus! Lady Hera! We have information!”

Just then, a blonde woman in a tight leather outfit rushed into the hall.

“Hmm?”

Zeus and Hera looked up simultaneously. “You found Logan Rhys?”

“Yes, my lords. According to my informants, Logan Rhys has been staying at the residence of Li Juntang, the third prince of the Dragon Kingdom, for the past two days. It appears he is seeking refuge there,” the woman reported.

“Hmph! Does he think hiding with Li Juntang makes him safe? Ridiculous!” Zeus scoffed.

If he hid in the palace, with the old man from the Imperial Astronomer’s Bureau in charge, he would still be a little afraid.

But Li Juntang? A mere third prince? Not even worth considering.

“Lead the way.” Hera’s tone was curt.

A dark, chilling aura of death surged from her body. - Marinien and Ton