The bullet missed the thug but struck the ground near his feet, sending up sparks. He scrambled backward in terror, rolling and crawling to get away.

The other thugs froze at the sudden gunfire, staring in uncertainty at Natasha with the pistol in her hand. None of them dared move closer.

"Dear, are you okay?" she asked, rushing forward and keeping the gun trained on the thugs.

Dustin leaned against the overpass railing, breathing hard. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and waved her off.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

Natasha looked at his battered state and noticed his movements were not as sharp as before. Something wasn't adding up, so she asked, "You used to handle guys like them easily. Why are you struggling now?"

Dustin smiled wryly. He didn't see a point in hiding from her anymore and said, "I can no longer use my cultivation. I'm no different from an ordinary person now."

"What?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How did that happen?"

"It's a long story. I'