An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2697

Chapter 2697

The scene froze—colder than winter steel, sharper than any blade.

The entire Fairyharbor Immortal Palace fell silent, as though coated in frost. Whatever faint composure existed after Aoki’s defeat shattered completely the moment Dark Murky fell.

The men and women who moments ago indulged in pleasure now lay collapsed like broken dolls, trembling so faintly they barely breathed. Only the frantic pounding of fear-stricken hearts echoed in the suffocating stillness.

The wine pool was still.
The swaying flesh forest stopped.
Even the celestial music died out, as though the palace itself mourned the fall of its two “immortals.”

Houtu—normally radiant enough to topple kingdoms—stood rigid. No flirtation, no lazy charm. Her eyes, once soft as silk, now stormed with roiling dread and an icy anger she refused to acknowledge.

Aoki’s defeat could be brushed off—wrong element, unlucky matchup.

But Dark Murky?

A near-immortal water body.
Escape techniques.
Forces that twisted nature itself.

Yet Logan crushed him—calmly, brutally—with a soul seal none of them had ever seen.

How deep did this boy’s strength run?
How many terrifying secrets did his seemingly exhausted body hide?

For the first time, fear settled in her chest like a venomous vine.

Aukon’s flawless calm cracked. His jaw tightened. That icy, god-like gaze finally changed—rage burning beneath an ancient coldness. Killing intent surged so violently it felt like the air itself might tear.

Aoki’s defeat was shameful.
Dark Murky’s defeat was unthinkable.

This wasn’t just humiliation this time—it was existential danger.

This boy cannot be allowed to live.

His mysterious power, his frightening comprehension of laws, that soul-locking technique…

Either it must be seized—

Or erased.

A choking pressure rolled through the palace like the breath of a waking prehistoric beast. The jade floor trembled, groaning beneath the weight.

Golden light gathered at Aukon’s fingertips—a quiet, absolute promise of annihilation.

He was ready to kill.

“Big brother!”

Houtu’s voice rang out, no longer velvety, but sharp with purpose.

She stepped forward, blocking him. Her gaze fixed on Logan—battered, panting, leaning on his sword like he might collapse at any moment.

“This boy has fought too long. His energy is drained. If you take action now, it only honors him—and shames us.”

She lifted her chin, playing calm, though her heart hammered.

“Let me deal with him. Let him see why they call me Houtu.”

It wasn’t just pride—she smelled opportunity.

Logan had defeated Aoki and Dark Murky. If she crushed him now, she wouldn’t just restore their group’s honor—she’d raise her standing among them. And surely—surely—a half-dead man couldn’t stir more miracles.

Her earth-element power excelled in total suppression. She would crush him under sheer force.

Aukon studied her, his gaze cold, piercing—seeing the ambition hidden behind her reasoning.

A long second passed. Then his terrifying aura withdrew slightly, and the gold light faded. Permission granted.

He wanted to see something too.

Could this boy still defy fate?

Confidence surged through Houtu. A dangerous calm settled over her. She inhaled slowly, fighting the lingering chill of Logan’s seal technique, then smiled—a beautiful, deceptive smile hiding lethal intent.

She drifted forward, elegant as moonlight, and looked down upon Logan.

“Little hero,” she cooed, though her voice chilled like a grave wind, “you truly are remarkable—hurting both my brothers. But the game ends here.”

Her tone softened into a cold whisper.

“I don’t like killing. Truly. But for those who don’t know gratitude…”
Her lashes lowered.
“I will simply… return them to the earth forever.”

Her jade foot tapped the ground.

BOOM.

The entire palace trembled—not with energy, but with the deep rumble of earth awakening.

A pulse of yellow-brown energy rippled outward. The luminous white jade ground surged like living soil.

Stalagmites burst upward.
Thick stone walls erupted.
Pillars of rock coiled and speared toward Logan with a predator’s hunger.

In an instant, the battlefield turned into a crushing world of stone—a feral, closing labyrinth.

Then the weight hit.

A sky-crushing, mountain-breaking gravity field slammed down onto Logan, trying to grind him into dust.

Houtu didn’t just strike—she summoned the earth veins themselves, overwhelming the world with force meant to bury him alive.