Bryce’s request for a fight heated up the atmosphere.
Soldiers around the training ground started murmuring among themselves.
“Lieutenant General Gantz is a legend in our ranks. His combat skills are no joke-he’s taken down countless enemies on the battlefield. I haven’t seen him in action in years,” one young soldier said with awe.
“Yeah,” a veteran agreed. “Lieutenant General Gantz has been through countless battles, and his strength is unmatched. If he steps in, Mr. Rhys might be in for a rough time.”
After the fight earlier, the soldiers knew firsthand that Dustin was no slouch. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have easily defeated the five elite soldiers.
But in their minds, no matter how skilled Dustin was, he stood no chance against Bryce.
Bryce was a grandmaster not just in rank but in skill, physical strength, and battlefield experience. He was stronger than any expert from the martial world.
Nathaniel had once recruited several grandmaster martial artists to spar with them, but they were defeated by Bryce.
As far as the soldiers were concerned, Dustin wouldn’t be any different.
“What’s the matter? Are you worried about something, Mr. Rhys?” Bryce asked.
He stood at the center of the training ground. With his commanding posture, he radiated a majestic presence. There was no breeze, but his hair fluttered slightly, and the air seemed to tremble with his presence.
Dustin glanced at Nathaniel, who simply smiled without saying a word.
After a moment, Dustin nodded and said, ” Since you’re so eager, let’s trade a few moves.”
“Good. I like your attitude,” Bryce replied with a smile.
He gestured with one hand and said, ” There are plenty of weapons in the training ground, Mr. Rhys. Feel free to grab one. If nothing suits you, there are other divine weapons in the store room.”
“No need,” Dustin replied, shaking his head. “It’s just a friendly spar, no need for weapons.”
“Fine. Let’s settle this with hand-to-hand combat,” Bryce said.
He slowly stretched his arms, and the joints popped with a sharp crack.
The strength Dustin had shown earlier made Bryce realize that his opponent was no pushover. It had been a long time since he had faced a worthy opponent. Today, he was ready for a real challenge.
“Be careful, Bryce. Don’t underestimate your opponent,” Lycas reminded him in a low voice.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” Bryce replied with a grin.
His eyes locked onto Dustin. He was primed and eager for the fight.
“Mr. Rhys, I’m ready whenever you are,” he said.
“Go ahead,” Dustin replied. He gestured with one hand for Bryce to make the first move.
“Here I come!” Bryce shouted.
Without hesitating, he charged forward with explosive speed. The force of his sprint sent a gust of wind swirling in his wake, leaving behind a deep set of footprints.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Dustin. His right fist launched like a cannonball aimed straight at Dustin’s chest. The punch carried incredible force. If it landed, it could crush anything in its path.
Dustin didn’t flinch. He tilted his body slightly and effortlessly dodged Bryce’s attack. Simultaneously, his left hand shot out and aimed for Bryce’s ribs like a sharp blade.
Bryce reacted quickly. He quickly withdrew his right fist and dodged sideways. Then, he immediately stepped forward with his left foot. He tilted his body as his left leg swung like an iron rod toward Dustin’s lower body.
Dustin saw the attacks coming and quickly pushed off the ground. He leaped high into the air and effortlessly dodged Bryce’s sweeping kick. In midair, he turned his body and launched a lightning-fast kick toward Bryce’s head.
Bryce quickly raised his arms to protect his head, and Dustin’s kick hit his arms with a dull thud. He felt a surge of force hit him, and he staggered back several steps. His arm went numb from the impact.
He frowned. But there was no time to be surprised as he immediately launched his counterattack. His hands moved rapidly and created afterimages of shadow fists that rained down on Dustin.
Each punch Bryce threw carried immense force, creating a sharp crack in the air with every blow.
Dustin moved with quick, light steps. He darted back and forth with an almost mystical grace as he effortlessly dodged each attack.
No matter how hard Bryce attacked, Dustin was always one step ahead. However, his counterattack could send Bryce stumbling back.
The fierce battle between the two had the soldiers completely transfixed. None of them had expected the fight to be this intense.
They had initially thought Bryce would easily defeat Dustin, but now it was clear that Dustin’s strength was far beyond what they had expected.
After watching for a while, Nathaniel suddenly said, “Logan, stop holding back. Show them what you’re really capable of.”
Others might not have noticed, but he could tell Dustin wasn’t going all out.
Perhaps it was out of respect for Nathaniel or to spare Bryce from an embarrassing defeat.
Dustin had been suppressing his cultivation. He mainly focused on defense and evasion and rarely initiated an attack.
With Dustin’s strength as an ultimate grandmaster, Bryce wouldn’t last more than ten moves. If he had used his full strength, the fight wouldn’t have dragged on like this.
“Come on, Mr. Rhys. Show me what you’ve got,” Bryce challenged while swinging his fists wildly.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated with Dustin, who had been avoiding his attacks the whole time. The fight wasn’t going anywhere, and it wasn’t even satisfying.
“Okay. If that’s what you want,” Dustin replied with a faint smile.
In a flash, his fist slammed toward Bryce with unrelenting force. The punch was fast and brutal, like a falling meteor. It was impossible to dodge.
Bryce’s eyes widened in alarm. He instinctively raised his arms to block.
A thunderous impact echoed across the training ground.
Bryce’s defense crumpled, and his arms were dislocated. The overwhelming force sent him flying several feet away.
He crashed hard into the dirt, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. His face twisted in shock and disbelief.
