An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2745

Chapter 2745

After leaving the ruins of the Wiebe family estate, Kennedy didn’t go far.

She took Qyla deep into a remote mountain range outside Oakvale and found a hidden cave in a barren stretch of wilderness. After setting up a simple concealment formation at the entrance, she finally sat down to think through her next move.

“Fairxy is vindictive,” Kennedy said quietly, sitting cross-legged as a cold glint flickered in her eyes. “That massacre probably gave her some twisted sense of satisfaction. But she won’t stop there.”

Qyla lay beside her knees, lifting her head with a soft cry.

Kennedy reached out and gently stroked her fur. “You think so too, don’t you? Hiding won’t solve anything. And besides…”

The image of the burned-out ruins flashed through her mind again.

“…those innocent people can’t have died for nothing.”

She took out the jade pendant Dustin had given her, rubbing its smooth, warm surface between her fingers as she fell into thought.

Dustin had lost his cultivation, yet his medical skills were exceptional, and there was something about him that was far from ordinary. Perhaps fate still held an opportunity for him.

But this conflict involved cultivation clans—forces far beyond the mortal world. Kennedy refused to drag an uninvolved person into that kind of danger.

“Still…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “There might be a way to turn this to my advantage.”

Her thoughts drifted to the two unusual auras she had sensed in the park days ago—Hayden and Corinne.

They were clearly from a reclusive family as well. Their cultivation ran deep, their presence controlled and restrained. Unlike Fairxy, they carried no oppressive arrogance.

They hadn’t come to Oakvale without a reason.

If she could redirect Fairxy toward them, it might create chaos—or at least shift some of the pressure away from herself.

But the risk was enormous.

She didn’t know their relationship to the Yux family, their motives, or whether they would intervene at all. A reckless move could easily backfire.

After a long silence, Kennedy shook her head.

For now, the safest course was to rely on herself—and whatever limited help she could discreetly reach.

She closed her eyes and focused, her fingers tracing a complex rune in the air.

It was a secret communication technique unique to the Bellemare family. Though few were left who could respond—and the effective range was limited—it was worth trying.

The rune flickered faintly… then faded.

No reply.

Kennedy showed no disappointment. She had expected that.

“Next,” she said softly, opening her eyes as a faint, cold smile curved her lips, “it’s time to run.”

She deliberately released faint traces of her weakened aura, subtly guiding them toward the vast northwestern mountains beyond Oakvale.

The terrain there was rugged and sparsely populated, often used by cultivators as a place to hide or settle disputes—perfect for misdirection.

At the same time, she allowed a sliver of her aura to “accidentally” brush against a passing low-level rogue cultivator near the mountain outskirts.

The bait was set.

After completing the deception, Kennedy took Qyla and truly headed northwest.

But she didn’t venture too deep.

Instead, she stopped at the edge of a perilous valley—surrounded by mountains on three sides—and began her real preparations.

Formations weren’t her strongest skill, but the Bellemare family’s legacy included a dedicated volume on the subject. With her sharp mind, she had studied it before.

Using her remaining spirit stones and several spiritually infused materials, Kennedy carefully integrated them with the natural terrain.

Slowly, a formation began to take shape.

The Mist Locking Spirit Formation.

Once activated, it would summon thick fog to obscure vision and interfere with divine sense. It would also slow the circulation of spiritual energy for anyone trapped inside.

With her limited materials, it wasn’t powerful enough to kill a high-level expert outright—but it was more than capable of trapping, confusing, and delaying an opponent.

The setup consumed most of the day and drained a significant portion of the spiritual energy she needed to heal.

Her expression never wavered.

When it was finished, Kennedy swallowed another pill and sat cross-legged at the core of the formation, regulating her breath. Qyla positioned herself on a rock outside the array, alert and watchful.

They waited.

—

Two days later, at the northwestern outskirts of Oakvale.

Fairxy listened to the report with a dark expression.

“Following the residual aura, we found traces of Kennedy roughly a hundred miles northwest,” the sinister-looking man reported respectfully. “There are signs she recently attempted to heal.”

“The northwestern mountains?” Fairxy sneered. “So she thinks hiding in the wilderness will save her? Foolish.”

“Fairxy,” another guard said cautiously, “the Seventh Elder and the Shadow Guards will arrive tomorrow. Should we wait—”

“Wait?” Fairxy snapped, her voice sharp and shrill. “By then she could recover and slip away! She’s injured now—that’s our best opportunity!”

Her eyes burned with vicious intent.

“The Seventh Elder wants her alive. If we capture her first, that’s a major merit. Even if we fail, we can cripple her and drive her into a corner. Once the Seventh Elder arrives, finishing her will be effortless.”

The thought of Kennedy reignited her hatred.

Then she thought of Loreo—still suffering, his foundation damaged, the cold poison gnawing at him over and over again.

The slaughter of the Wiebe family had brought her temporary relief.

But only Kennedy’s capture—

Only her complete destruction—

Would truly satisfy her rage.