"I''m not Adrian," I said coldly to the surviving Earth Fiend Valley members. Their faces paled as they backed away from me. "I never was."


    The elder''s eyes widened with understanding. "A deception..."


    "A necessary one," I replied, stepping forward. "Your sect hasmitted unforgivable crimes. Did you really think saving one life would erase all that?"


    "Please," the elder begged, falling to his knees. "We were just following orders!"


    I looked at him with pitiless eyes. "That excuse died with your master."


    My movements were too fast for their eyes to track. In mere seconds, white-gold energy shed through the chamber. The remaining disciples and elders crumpled to the ground, their lives extinguished without even time to scream.


    Conrad stood watching, his new holy body radiating subtle power. The transformation was remarkable—his formerly average frame now looked stronger, more imposing.


    "You didn''t hesitate," he observed, neither condemning nor praising my actions.


    I turned to him, the deadly light fading from my eyes. "They made their choice when they followed Adrian. Their path led here."


    Conrad nodded slowly, looking down at his new hands. "Strange, isn''t it? A few minutes ago, I was dying. Now..."


    "Now you''re stronger than ever," I finished for him. "How does it feel?"


    A small smile crossed his face. "Like I''ve been reborn. Everything is clearer, sharper." He flexed his fingers experimentally. "I can feel the energy in the air."


    "That''s the holy body," I exined. "You''ve been given a rare gift—one that Adrian stole and corrupted. Use it better than he did."


    "I will," Conrad promised solemnly. "My life belongs to you now, Liam. Without you, I''d be gone."


    I sped his shoulder firmly. "No. Your life belongs to you. Just live it honorably."


    Marvin approached us, his gaze sweeping across the bodies scattered around the chamber. "Should we search the valley? There might be prisoners or other survivors."


    "Yes," I agreed. "But first, Conrad, tell me—what did you find during your reconnaissance earlier? Anything useful?" Help us continue by reading at the source: *.</abbr>


    Conrad''s expression sharpened with recall. "Yes, actually. Before Adrian captured me, I discovered several storage chambers. One contained what looked like cultivation resources."


    "Show me," I said.


    We navigated through the partially copsed buildings of Earth Fiend Valley. The destruction from my battle with Adrian had been extensive, leaving much of the sect''s headquarters in ruins. As we walked, Conrad exined his discoveries.


    "Their main treasury was here," he pointed to a heavily damaged structure. "But I doubt anything survived the copse."


    I nodded, scanning the area. "What about the cultivation resources you mentioned?"


    Conrad led us to a small, reinforced bunker that had weathered the destruction better than the surrounding buildings. "In here."


    The bunker''s door hung partially off its hinges. Inside, shelves lined the walls, most now toppled over with their contents spilled across the floor. Conrad crouched down and picked up a small cloth bag.


    "I found three of these before I was discovered," he said, handing the bag to me.


    I opened it carefully. Inside were numerous pill bottles, each marked with unfamiliar symbols. "Refinement pills," I murmured, examining one closely. "High-grade ones too."


    "Could they be useful?" Marvin asked.


    "Extremely," I replied. "These are worth a fortune to the right buyer. But..." I paused, noticing something unusual about theirposition. "The energy signature is odd."


    I extended my divine sense into one of the pills, trying to identify itsponents. What I found made my blood run cold.


    "These weren''t made from herbs," I said grimly. "They were refined from people. Martial artists, specifically."


    Conrad recoiled. "What?"


    "A forbidden technique," I exined, my voice hard. "They captured martial artists, extracted their essence while they were still alive, and condensed it into these pills."


    "That''s monstrous," Marvin said, disgust evident in his tone.


    I nodded, pocketing the pills. "Yes, but they''re still valuable. We can use them for trade—people who don''t ask questions about origins."


    We continued searching the valley, eventuallying to a massive stone statue at its center. The figure depicted was fierce, almost demonic in appearance.


    "Their ancestor," Conrad exined. "They worshipped him like a god."


    I approached the statue, examining the inscription at its base. "''Founder of the Righteous Path,''" I read aloud, a bitterugh escaping my lips. "Righteous? Nothing about this ce was righteous."


    With a surge of energy, I struck the statue''s base. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone before the entire structure copsed into rubble.


    "Consider that my final judgment on their ''righteousness,''" I said coldly.


    Beyond the statue''s remains, we discovered a hidden entrance leading underground. The passage descended into darkness, eventually opening into a series of cramped cells.


    The stench hit us first—unwashed bodies, waste, and despair. As our eyes adjusted to the gloom, I could make out figures huddled in the corners of the cells.


    "Prisoners," Marvin whispered.


    I gripped the bars of the nearest cell and tore them away with a single pull. Inside, a young woman cowered against the wall, her eyes wide with terror.


    "We''re not here to hurt you," I said, softening my voice. "You''re free now."


    Recognition flickered in her eyes. "M-Maia?" she whispered, looking past me.


    I turned to see Maia rushing forward, tears streaming down her face. "Aislinn''s cousin! We thought you were dead!"


    The women embraced, sobbing. The scene repeated itself as we freed more prisoners—some reuniting with friends, others simply overwhelmed by their sudden freedom.


    "There are martial artists being held in the lower levels," one of the freed prisoners informed me. "They were using them for... experiments."


    My jaw tightened. "Show me."


    The lower dungeons revealed an even more horrific sight. Martial artists, many with their meridians damaged beyond repair,y chained in special formations designed to slowly drain their essence. This was the source of the pills we''d found.


    "Get everyone out," I ordered Conrad and Marvin. "We''re leaving this ce behind."


    Within an hour, we had gathered all the survivors. Most were too weak to walk unaided, so Conrad and Marvin helped carry them. I led the procession away from Earth Fiend Valley, not looking back as we left the ruined sect behind.


    "Where will they go?" Conrad asked quietly, indicating the freed prisoners.


    "Those who have homes will return to them," I replied. "The others... I''ll ensure they''re taken care of."


    By nightfall, we had reached a small town where I arranged transportation to the airport. The survivors were provided with food, clothes, and medical attention while we waited.


    On the ne, Conrad settled into the seat beside me, his new body still a source of fascination for him.


    "You know," he said, keeping his voice low, "I''ve noticed something interesting about Aislinn Noble."


    I raised an eyebrow. "What about her?"


    A small smile yed on Conrad''s lips. "She hasn''t taken her eyes off you since we boarded. I think she''s developed quite an admiration for her rescuer."


    I nced across the aisle where Aislinn sat with Maia and her cousin. True to Conrad''s words, she quickly averted her gaze when our eyes met.


    "She''s grateful, that''s all," I said dismissively.


    Conrad chuckled. "That''s more than gratitude, Liam. Trust me on this."


    I shrugged, unwilling to pursue the conversation. My mind was already turning to our next steps—dismantling what remained of Adrian''swork, securing the freed prisoners, preparing for future threats.


    "What will you do now?" I asked, changing the subject. "With your new body, you could be quite powerful with the right training."


    Conrad looked thoughtful. "I want to learn how to use these abilities properly. Would you consider teaching me?"


    "Of course," I agreed. "Once we''re back in Havenwood City—"


    My words cut off abruptly as something strange happened. An unfamiliar sensation rippled through my mind—like an imprint activating. It was sudden and powerful enough to make me grip the armrests of my seat.


    "Liam?" Conrad''s voice seemed distant. "What''s wrong?"


    I couldn''t answer. My divine sense was being pulled away from my body, drawn toward... something else. It felt like a summoning, but unlike anything I''d experienced before.


    The cabin of the ne faded from my awareness. Instead, I saw stone—ancient, weathered stone carved into the shape of a seated figure. A statue, somewhere far away.


    And it was calling to me.