An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2689

Chapter 2689 

After crossing the death zone, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

At the end of the path lay a vast circular platform made entirely of pure white jade. It floated above the surface of the Yaochi Lake, shrouded in clouds and mist, while spiritual energy hung in the air so densely it felt like falling rain.

In the very center of the platform bubbled a spring no more than ten feet wide. What flowed out wasn’t ordinary water—it was a dense, luminous spiritual liquid, swirling with iridescent colors.

That was the source of all the pure energy and spiritual power!

Yet, as soon as they stepped onto the jade platform, the overwhelming spiritual aura didn’t soothe their exhaustion. Instead, a pressure far greater than Emmitt’s—and even stronger than the chaotic laws they had just endured—pressed down upon them like an invisible mountain.

In the middle of the platform, the radiant spring still flowed, and beside it, the cracked seal gaped like a bleeding wound, releasing faint streaks of dark red murderous energy.

And before that spring stood a solitary figure.

He wore a dark black battle robe embroidered with faint golden patterns, his frame towering and broad like a mountain. Merely standing there, he seemed to anchor the entire Yaochi realm—like a demon suppressing the gates of hell.

His face was sharp and striking, yet in his deep, cold eyes lay an unfeeling indifference—an arrogance that regarded all life as nothing more than ants.

It was Aukon, the chief guardian of Fairyharbor Island.

His gaze swept over the group—worn out, battered, and running low on strength. His eyes paused briefly on Grace, where a trace of royal aura lingered around her, and an almost imperceptible look of disdain flickered in his eyes. Then, finally, his attention locked onto Logan like a predator sizing up his prey.

“This place is not for ants to tread,” Aukon said. His voice wasn’t loud, but each word vibrated with an oppressive law, striking their souls like heavy hammers.

Alongi and the two guards groaned in pain, blood seeping from their lips as their knees nearly buckled.

Grace and Stevie trembled, their faces pale.

Only Logan stood firm, his posture as steady as a pine. A faint sword intent flowed around him, quietly dissolving the crushing pressure.

“Is Fairyharbor Island your private property?” Logan asked calmly. “We’re here to seek a chance at survival, not to offend you.”

Aukon’s lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. “A chance at survival? You’re already standing at your grave. Your flesh, blood, and souls will serve as nourishment for the Dragon Lord’s resurrection. Consider it an honor, ants.”

He didn’t even give Grace the chance to speak—her existence didn’t seem to matter to him at all.

His piercing eyes never left Logan. “Especially you… You possess an extraordinary vessel. Your body and soul are perfect materials for a puppet of Ji Jia. Once refined, you’ll become a formidable dragon puppet warrior.”

Before the last word faded, Aukon casually lifted his left hand. His fingers moved swiftly, weaving through the air like playing the strings of an ancient instrument, forming a mysterious and ancient seal.

The spiritual liquid around the spring and the dragon blood’s murderous energy suddenly boiled and surged!

Buzz—!

The air trembled violently.

Four dark red beams of light, tinged with the glow of the colorful spiritual fluid, shot upward from around the spring. Within each column, a humanoid silhouette began to take shape until, with a heavy thud, four figures landed on the platform, standing between Aukon and Logan’s group.

They were dragon-blood war puppets.

Each was human-sized, their metallic bodies veined with pulsing red lines that looked disturbingly like living blood. Their heads were smooth and featureless, save for two glowing crimson orbs that burned with pure destruction.

A deathly stillness radiated from them, intertwined with the venom of dragon blood and the unnatural energy of the Yaochi Spirit Liquid—a contradiction so intense it warped the very air around them. Their claws gleamed like forged blades, ready to tear through flesh and bone alike.

The energy each puppet released was no weaker than Emmitt’s after he had taken the Dragon Blood Rejuvenating Pill. Worse, their auras resonated with one another, forming a subtle but deadly killing formation that sealed off every escape route.

“These dragon-blood battle puppets were crafted from the corpses of fallen monks,” Aukon said coldly, as if describing mere curiosities. “Infused with dragon blood, evil spirits, and Yaochi Spirit Liquid, they possess an undying will to fight—and a fragment of the Ruin Dragon’s power.”

His gaze drifted over the horrified faces of Grace and the others before settling once again on Logan. His tone was indifferent, almost dismissive:

“If you can defeat them… perhaps you’ll be qualified to glimpse the true secrets of Fairyharbor Island.”

With that, his body dissolved into a dark-golden stream of light and sank into the crack at the center of the platform—vanishing as abruptly as he had appeared.

But the four puppets remained.

Their eight scarlet eyes burned with murderous intent, locking onto Logan like the gaze of death itself.

In an instant, the tranquil jade platform was submerged in a tide of killing aura.