Melvin ckthorne stared at me with absolute terror in his eyes. His family name, his status, his wealth—none of it mattered now.


    "Please," he begged, his voice breaking. "The ckthorne family will pay any price!"


    I looked at him coldly. "There''s only one price I''m interested in."


    "Name it!" Desperation made his voice crack.


    "Isabelle Ashworth," I said simply. "She belongs with me."


    Confusion shed across his face. "The Ashworth girl? What does she have to do with this?"


    "Everything." I stepped closer. "Your brother Dashiell thinks he can im her. He can''t."


    Melvin''s eyes widened with understanding. "So this is about a woman? Take her then! I''ll convince Dashiell to step aside!"


    I almostughed at his pathetic attempt to save himself. As if Isabelle were some object to be handed over.


    "You misunderstand." My voice dropped dangerously low. "I''m not asking for permission. I''m simply informing you of what will happen."


    Something in my tone made him tremble harder. He knew then that there would be no bargaining, no reprieve.


    "Your family''s influence means nothing to me," I continued. "Your brother''s pride means nothing. What I want, I take."


    Conrad watched silently from a few paces back, his expression unreadable.


    Melvin made onest desperate y. "Guards!" he screamed. "GUARDS!"


    His voice echoed across the empty courtyard. No one came. They had either fled or decided their lives were worth more than loyalty to a doomed master.


    I shook my head. "No one''sing to save you."


    Without warning, I struck. My fist crashed into his kneecap with a sickening crunch. Bone shattered under the impact. Melvin screamed, copsing to the ground, clutching his ruined leg.


    "That''s for the insults your family has thrown at me," I said coldly.


    He writhed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "Mercy! Please!"


    I crouched beside him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to meet my eyes. "I want you to understand something before you die. Power isn''t about names or titles. It''s about what you can do."


    Through his pain, fear bloomed anew in his eyes.


    "And what I can do," I whispered, "is crush anyone who stands in my way."


    With that, I ced my palm against his forehead. His eyes widened one final time, reflecting my merciless gaze. Then I released a pulse of golden energy.


    Melvin ckthorne''s skull caved inward with a wet crack. His body went limp instantly.


    I rose slowly, wiping my hand on his fine silk robes. One of his attendants who had hidden behind a pir whimpered, drawing my attention.


    The young man fell to his knees, shaking uncontrobly. "P-please spare me!"


    I studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Stand up."


    He obeyed with trembling legs.


    "You''ll deliver a message to Dashiell ckthorne," I instructed. "Tell him that Isabelle Ashworth will be my wife. Not his. If he challenges this, his fate will be worse than his brother''s."


    The attendant nodded frantically. "I''ll tell him exactly that, Master Knight!"


    "Go," Imanded.


    He fled without looking back.


    Conrad approached me cautiously. "That was... definitive."


    I felt the golden energy within me settling, diminishing. The Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist had drained me more than I cared to admit. My muscles ached with fatigue.


    "We need to find the Divine Medicine," I said, ignoring hisment. "I sense it''s nearby."


    Conrad nodded. "This way. The auction items were being kept in the underground chamber."


    We moved through thepound, encountering no resistance. News of what had happened had spread quickly. Those who remained gave us a wide berth, pressing themselves against walls as we passed.


    As we descended the stairs to the underground chamber, I felt the familiar sensation of weakness creeping into my limbs. The aftereffects of using too much power too quickly.


    "Are you alright?" Conrad asked, noticing my slightly unsteady gait.


    "Fine," I lied, straightening my posture through sheer willpower.


    The underground chamber was vast, its ceiling supported by intricately carved stone columns. At the center, on a raised dais, a gentle blue light pulsed rhythmically.


    "There it is," Conrad whispered reverently. "The Divine Medicine."


    It looked like a small lotus flower made of light, floating inches above a jade pedestal. Even from a distance, I could feel its potent energy.


    As we approached, I became aware of other presences in the chamber. My senses, though dulled by exhaustion, picked up the soft sounds of breathing and the slight shuffling of feet.


    "We''re not alone," I murmured to Conrad.


    He nodded almost imperceptibly. "I count at least two people hiding behind the pirs to our left."


    I didn''t turn to look. "Let theme. We''ll deal with them when they show themselves."


    With each step closer to the Divine Medicine, the blue light grew brighter. It was mesmerizing, pulsing like a heartbeat. This single item could elerate my cultivation by years, possibly even help me break through to the next level.


    Behind the pirs, Reginald Talbot watched us approach the dais, his eyes narrowed with calction.


    "Look at him," he whispered to hispanion, ine Paxton. "He''s weakened. The fight against those Grandmasters drained him." <b ss="ref-c6a48a">Your support at * keeps the series going.</b>


    ine''s lip curled into a sneer. "Are you certain?"


    "Watch his gait—slightly unsteady. His breathing isbored. This is our chance," Reginald insisted. "The Divine Medicine will be ours."


    ine hesitated. "Knight killed seven Grandmasters without breaking a sweat. Even weakened, he''s dangerous."


    "That''s why we strike from behind," Reginald hissed. "One decisive blow. You''re faster than I am. You''ll strike first, and I''ll finish him if necessary."


    ine nodded slowly, flexing his fingers. "When?"


    "When the light from the medicine res. It does that periodically. The brightness will momentarily blind them. That''s our moment."


    On the dais, I reached toward the glowing lotus, feeling its energy brushing against my fingertips. The power contained within it was immense, almost intoxicating.


    Suddenly, the blue light pulsed violently, expanding outward in a blinding sh.


    In that instant of blindness, I sensed movement behind me—fast and deadly.


    Before I could fully turn, something powerful struck me in the back. Pain exploded through my body as I was thrown forward, blood spraying from my mouth.


    I crashed against the pedestal, barely managing to stay on my feet.


    Behind me, ine Paxtonughed coldly. "Not so invincible now, are you, Knight?"


    Conrad whirled around, drawing his sword, but Reginald stepped out from behind another pir, blocking his path.


    "I wouldn''t interfere if I were you, Thornton," Reginald warned. "This doesn''t concern you."


    ine approached me slowly, savoring my momentary weakness. "The great Liam Knight, brought low by exhaustion. How pathetic."


    I wiped the blood from my lips, struggling to gather my remaining strength. The blow had done more damage than it should have. In my depleted state, even my defenses werepromised.


    "I''ll make this quick," ine promised, raising his fist for another strike. "Though not painless."


    His fist shot toward me, aimed directly at my heart—a killing blow.


    But just before it connected, something strange happened.


    A wisp of light, like fine silk, materialized between us. It caught ine''s fist, deflecting it harmlessly to the side.


    ine''s triumphant expression morphed into confusion. "What the—"


    The light grew brighter, forming a barrier between us. It wasn''t my doing. I was as surprised as everyone else in the chamber.


    Someone—or something—had intervened.