The Purge

Zeus was dead.

The once-mighty King of the Hall of Gods had rampaged across the Dragonmarsh for days, only to finally fall here --- his body obliterated without a trace.

He had reached the peak of the Ultimate Grandmaster realm, only one step away from the legendary Earthly Immortal stage.

But that single step was like an insurmountable chasm.

No matter how powerful or deep his foundation, in the face of that final threshold, Zeus had no room to resist.

In fact, it was that very final step that had trapped him for decades.

So when he heard that Dustin had broken through, his mental state instantly collapsed.

In the end, he died with bitter hatred.

“Whew… It’s finally over.”

Staring at the shattered remains of Zeus, Margaret let out a long sigh of relief.

After days of dancing on a knife’s edge with two God Kings, she was mentally and physically exhausted.

She couldn’t afford a single slip-up. She had to rely solely on her silver tongue to persuade both God Kings to believe her.

It seemed simple on the surface, but every word was calculated, and every moment a test.

One moment of hesitation or fear could have spelled annihilation.

Fortunately, she succeeded in the end.

Using her intellect, she bought Dustin enough time to complete his breakthrough.

And in the end, they overcame the crisis.

“This time, it’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, I’d be facing certain doom,” Dustin said, turning to look at Margaret.

Even though he was inside a cave, his spiritual sense allowed him to perceive everything happening outside.

So he was well aware that his successful breakthrough and ultimate victory were only possible because of Margaret’s cunning strategy and desperate protection.

And he, in turn, did not disappoint --- turning the tide at the critical moment.

“We’re in this together, tied to the same fate. If you went down, I wouldn’t be far behind. No need to thank me,” Margaret replied with a faint smile.

“Now that God King Zeus is dead, and Hera severely injured and near death, is there anything else you need me to do?” Dustin asked.

“Right on point.”

Margaret’s expression turned serious. “Although both God Kings are gone, the Hall of Gods still has forces lurking in Stonia. Before they recover, we need to strike fast and uproot them completely!”

“No problem. From now on, I’ll follow your lead,” Dustin nodded.

At this point, their relationship had surpassed mere cooperation --- they were comrades bound by life and death.

Someone who would entrust her nation’s fate and her own life to him --- how could he not trust her?

“You just broke through. Is your body up for this?” Margaret asked.

“I’m fine,” Dustin replied with a smile. “Now that I’ve connected with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as long as the aura exists, I can continuously draw power.”

The greatest difference between the Ultimate Grandmaster and Earthly Immortal realms was that an Ultimate Grandmaster’s power was still limited to their internal martial energy.

The more refined and abundant the energy, the stronger their explosive force.

But once one broke through to Earthly Immortal, that limit no longer applied.

The power came not from internal reserves --- but from directly channeling the spiritual energy of the world.

In other words, an Earthly Immortal had merged with heaven and earth.

Every move, every breath, drew from boundless spiritual energy, making their power far surpass that of Ultimate Grandmasters.

That’s why they were called "Immortals."

At that level, they could no longer be considered ordinary mortals --- they had become divine beings among men.

The only drawback was that using too much spiritual energy could trigger heavenly tribulation.

So generally, Earthly Immortals would avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary.

The more they used their power, the more likely they were to attract the attention of the heavens and summon a thunderous punishment.

Fortunately, Dustin had only just broken through and wasn’t at risk --- unless he was forced into an intense battle against someone of equal strength.

“In that case, let’s strike while the iron is hot and eliminate as many threats as possible,” Margaret said decisively.

She didn’t waste any more words and immediately began issuing commands.

She had already prepared everything. As long as Dustin fused with the Dragon Source and broke through, she could initiate a full purge of Stonia’s deep-rooted cancer.

Her intelligence network stretched across the nation and was more extensive than any official organization.

Whether it was the Crown Princes or the Pantheon of Gods, they had all been under her watch.

But until now, she had only been able to observe --- lacking the power to act. She was constantly holding back, forced to hide in the shadows.

Now, things were different.

With Dustin, an Earthly Immortal, by her side, no resistance could stand in her way.

Not just the Hall of Gods --- every hostile force lurking in the dark was a target.

Her goal was simple: before the news could spread, she would use this single night to completely reshuffle the underground world of Stonia.

Not only would she eradicate the threats, but she would also consolidate her own power.

Thus, under Margaret’s direction...

A purge operation led by Dustin was quickly set into motion.

And the entire underground of Stonia began to tremble. - Ton