Preston''s face twisted with contempt as I charged toward him. He thought I was making a desperate, suicidal attack. He wasn''t entirely wrong.


    But I had a n.


    The moment before we collided, I shifted my weight and channeled all my remaining spiritual power into my fist. Golden light zed around my arm, condensing into a tight, powerful glow.


    "Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist!"


    My fist shot forward with explosive force. Preston''s eyes widened in shock—he hadn''t expected this technique. He tried to dodge, but I''d caught him mid-preparation for his own attack.


    The impact was devastating. My fist connected with his right wrist with a sickening crack. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the canyon.


    "ARGH!" Preston howled in pain, stumbling backward. "You broke my wrist!"


    I didn''t waste my advantage. I pressed forward, hammering blow after blow against his hastily raised defenses. Each strike was fueled by the golden energy of my Saintly Body Skill.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Adrian''s astonished expression. He hadn''t expected me to gain the upper hand, even momentarily.


    But I harbored no illusions. This was just the beginning, and the gap between our cultivation realms was still enormous.


    Preston''s initial shock gave way to cold fury. "You think a broken wrist will stop me?" he snarled. "I''ll kill you with one hand!"


    He suddenly stepped back and performed a quick series of hand signs with his uninjured hand. "Shrinking Ground Into An Inch!"


    The air around us distorted as Preston moved with unnatural speed. One moment he was before me, the next he was ten paces away. This technique allowed him to create distance in an instant.


    But I was ready for this. I''d studied his fighting style during our exchange and recognized the setup for his signature move.


    I mmed my palm against the ground, channeling my spiritual energy downward. "Heavy Falling Space!"


    The technique I''d secretly learned just days before spread outward like an invisible wave. The air around Preston suddenly became thick and heavy. His movements, previously lightning-fast, slowed dramatically.


    "What... is this?" Preston''s voice strained as he fought against the technique''s effect.


    I didn''t answer. Instead, I closed the distance between us in three rapid steps andunched into a barrage of physical attacks. My fists hammered against his chest and shoulders while he struggled to defend himself in the heavy space.


    "Impossible!" Adrian shouted from the sidelines. "He''s countering a Peak Spirit Realm cultivator''s movement technique!"


    Blood trickled from Preston''s mouth as my assault continued. Each blownded with the enhanced force of my Saintly Body Skill. But maintaining both techniques was rapidly draining my spiritual energy.


    I could feel my power waning with each passing second. My breath came in ragged gasps, and sweat poured down my face. The golden glow around me flickered slightly—a warning sign that I couldn''t maintain this pace much longer.


    Preston noticed my fatigue. Despite his injuries, a cruel smile spread across his face. "Running out of steam already?" he taunted. "Amateur mistake. Power means nothing without endurance!"


    He was right. My spiritual reserves were nowhere near his level. This was a battle of attrition that I couldn''t win.


    With a roar of effort, Preston suddenly flexed his entire body. His spiritual power erupted outward in a blinding surge, breaking through my Heavy Falling Space technique. <em ss="in-imprint-b">This chapter was first seen on *.</em>


    "You thought you could trap ME?" he bellowed, now free from the constraining effect. "I''ve been fighting since before you were born!"


    Before I could react, Preston''s uninjured hand mmed into my sternum. The force of the blow sent me flying backward. I crashed into a boulder, feeling ribs crack on impact. Blood sprayed from my mouth as I copsed to the ground.


    The golden glow of my Saintly Body Skill flickered, then disappearedpletely. My spiritual energy was nearly exhausted.


    Preston stalked toward me, his eyes burning with hatred. "You surprised me," he admitted. "No one has managed to injure me like this in years." He flexed his broken wrist, wincing slightly. "But it changes nothing."


    I tried to stand, but my body refused to cooperate. Every breath sent daggers of pain through my chest. My broken ribs grated against each other as I struggled to rise.


    "Liam, stay down!" Adrian called out. "This fight is over!"


    But Preston wasn''t finished. He kicked me hard in the side, sending me rolling across the rocky ground. More of my ribs snapped under the impact.


    "Did you really think you could defeat me?" Preston sneered. "I''ve spent decades honing my skills. You''re nothing but a lucky upstart who stumbled into power you don''t deserve."


    Through a haze of pain, I tried once more to summon my Saintly Body Skill. A faint golden glow flickered around my fingers, then died. My spiritual reserves were depleted.


    Preston noticed my attempt andughed. "Out of power already? Pathetic."


    He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me off the ground with his uninjured hand. I struggled weakly, gasping for air as his fingers tightened.


    "I could snap your neck right now," he hissed. "But that would be too quick."


    He threw me to the ground again. Inded hard on my back, the impact forcing what little air remained from my lungs. The world spun around me as I fought to remain conscious.


    From somewhere beyond my field of vision, I heard Adrian''s voice, angry and concerned. "That''s enough, Preston! He''s beaten!"


    "Beaten?" Preston scoffed. "I''m just getting started."


    I rolled onto my side, coughing blood onto the rocky ground. My entire body felt broken. The taste of copper filled my mouth as more blood leaked between my lips.


    Preston stood over me, a towering figure backlit by the sun. Despite his injuries—the broken wrist, the bruises forming on his face from my earlier assault—he looked indomitable. The difference in our cultivation realms had proven decisive.


    "You know what your problem is, Knight?" he said, circling me like a predator. "You have power, but no foundation. You''re like a house built on sand—impressive at first nce, but destined to copse."


    He was right. My rapid rise in power had left gaps in my knowledge and experience. Gaps that someone like Preston, with decades of training, could easily exploit.


    I tried to speak, but could only manage a weak cough that brought up more blood. My lungs felt like they were filling with fluid.


    "Nothing to say?" Preston taunted. "Where''s that confidence now?"


    With tremendous effort, I rolled onto my hands and knees. Every movement was agony, but I refused to die lying down.


    Preston watched my struggle with cruel amusement. "Still trying to fight? I admire your spirit, if not your intelligence."


    I managed to raise my head enough to meet his gaze. "Not... finished..." I gasped.


    His smile widened. "Oh, but you are." He drew back his foot and kicked me in the stomach.


    I copsed again, curling into a protective ball as waves of pain washed over me. My vision darkened at the edges. Consciousness was bing harder to maintain.


    "Stop this madness!" Adrian''s voice seemed distant now. "You''ve proven your point, Preston!"


    "The point isn''t proven until he''s dead," Preston replied coldly.


    He knelt beside me, grabbing a fistful of my hair to force me to look at him. "Anyst words before I finish this?"


    I could barely focus on his face. My body had reached its limit. The injuries were too severe, my spiritual energypletely depleted. Even breathing had be a monumental task.


    Preston released my hair, letting my head drop back to the ground. He stood and positioned himself at my side.


    "Well," he said, grinning coldly as he drew back his fist, "how about another punch?"


    I closed my eyes, unable to defend myself. In that moment of absolute vulnerability, a strange calm washed over me. If this was how it ended, at least I''d gone down fighting.