I watched Lord Flores carefully, noting every subtle shift in his posture. His earlier hostility had mysteriously vanished, reced with an unexpected cordiality that rang false to my ears.


    "Let''s be reasonable, Mr. Knight," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "Why fight when we can benefit each other? This battlefield clearly holds treasures waiting to be discovered."


    Conrad stood protectively near ra, who continued her cultivation. The dark energy around us seemed to pulse with anticipation.


    "Treasures?" I kept my voice neutral. "You mentioned nothing about treasures before."


    Lord Flores smiled, spreading his hands in a gesture of openness. "Ancient battlefields like this often contain artifacts of great power. I propose we search together and share what we find."


    His two young disciples, nursing their wounds from Conrad''s attack, exchanged meaningful nces. Their earlier aggression had transformed into forced politeness.


    "Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked, not bothering to hide my suspicion.


    "A man of your reputation deserves respect," Lord Flores replied smoothly. "Besides, cooperation benefits us all. What do you say? Shall we explore deeper into the battlefield together?"


    Every instinct warned me against trusting him. Yet following him might reveal his true intentions.


    "Lead the way," I said, signaling to Conrad. "Keep ra safe."


    Conrad nodded, his expression mirroring my distrust.


    Lord Flores turned, walking toward the center of the battlefield where the dark energy concentration grew more intense. I followed at a careful distance, acutely aware of how the oppressive aura thickened with each step.


    "The legends say a powerful formation was activated here centuries ago," Lord Flores exined, his voice echoing strangely in the heavy air. "It trapped countless warriors'' spirits, creating this reservoir of dark energy."


    I noticed how he seemed unaffected by the energy that pressed against my own cultivation like an invisible weight.


    "And the treasure?" I prompted.


    "Patience," he replied with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "We''re nearly there."


    The center of the battlefield opened into a circr clearing. Ancient stone pirs, half-crumbled and covered with mysterious carvings, formed a broken ring. The dark energy here was almost visible to the naked eye, swirling like ck mist.


    Lord Flores stopped, gesturing grandly. "Here we are."


    I nced around, seeing nothing but rubble and weathered stone. "I see no treasure."


    He reached into his robe, withdrawing several small objects—a rusted medallion, fragments of what might have been weapons, and a cracked jade pendant.


    "These artifacts hold tremendous historical value," he dered, holding them out for my inspection.


    I didn''t bother hiding my disappointment. "These are worthless trinkets. The real treasure is elsewhere."


    His eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem very certain."


    "I am." I turned away, scanning the area with my spiritual sense. "You''re wasting my time."


    Behind us, ra''s voice suddenly rang out. "I can breathe here!"


    We all turned to see her running toward us, her face alight with joy despite Conrad''s attempts to hold her back.


    "ra, wait!" Conrad called, hurrying after her.


    She reached us, spinning in circles with her arms outstretched. "The air feels so good here, Mr. Liam! Like I''m finally home!"


    I ced a protective hand on her shoulder, watching Lord Flores''s expression change as he studied her with new interest.


    "Fascinating," he murmured, his eyes never leaving ra. "The dark energy doesn''t affect her at all. In fact, she seems to thrive in it."


    His gaze grew calcting, more intense. "A pure dark energy body. Do you have any idea how rare that is?"


    The atmosphere shifted instantly. The false cordiality vanished from Lord Flores''s face, reced by naked greed.


    "I''ve been searching for one like her for years," he continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "Such a constitution is beyond value."


    I shifted, positioning myself between him and ra. "She''s under my protection."


    Lord Floresughed, a harsh sound that echoed off the stone pirs. "Protection? In this ce? You fool. I chose this location specifically because it suppresses Inner Strength."


    As if on cue, I felt the weight of the dark energy pressing harder against my cultivation, making it difficult to circte my qi. Lord Flores had lured us into a trap.


    "You never intended to share anything," I said, reaching for my sword. "This was all about ra."


    "Initially, I just wanted to eliminatepetition for the battlefield," he admitted with a careless shrug. "But now? The girl is my true prize."


    His disciples moved to nk him, their expressions cruel.


    Conrad stepped forward, his massive frame imposing even without his full strength. "You''ll have to go through me first." <samp ss="in-imprint-a">Visit My Virtual Library Empire (*) for more.</samp>


    Lord Flores smiled thinly. "With pleasure."


    He flicked his hand, and a wave of dark energy surged toward Conrad. To my surprise, Conrad simply braced himself, taking the hit directly. The energy dissipated against his body, barely moving him.


    "Impossible!" Lord Flores hissed. "Your Inner Strength should be suppressed!"


    Conrad smiled grimly. "My strength doesn''te from qi alone. The Holy Body is beyond your understanding."


    Without warning, Conrad lunged forward with surprising speed, his massive fist connecting with Lord Flores''s chest. The impact sent the cultivator flying backward, crashing into one of the stone pirs.


    "Master!" the disciples cried out.


    Lord Flores struggled to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth. His eyes burned with rage and disbelief.


    "Interesting," he snarled, wiping the blood away. "But inadequate."


    He raised his hands, drawing on the ambient dark energy. The ck mist responded to his call, swirling into dense tendrils that danced around his fingers.


    "This battlefield has been my cultivation ground for fifteen years," he dered. "I''ve learned to harness its power in ways you cannot imagine."


    The dark energy coalesced into chains that shot toward Conrad with frightening speed. Conrad tried to dodge, but in this environment, his movements were slowed. The chains wrapped around his limbs, binding him tightly.


    Conrad roared, his muscles straining against the bonds. Despite his incredible physical strength, the dark energy chains held firm, slowly pulling him to his knees.


    "Mr. Conrad!" ra cried out, her small hands clutching my sleeve.


    I drew my sword, summoning what Inner Strength I could against the oppressive environment. The familiar golden glow flickered weakly around my de.


    Lord Flores turned to me, amusement ying across his features. "Your turn, Mr. Knight."


    I pushed ra behind me. "Run," I whispered urgently. "Get out of the center. The dark energy is weaker at the edges."


    "But I can''t leave you—" she protested.


    "Now, ra!"


    She hesitated, then turned to flee. One of the disciples moved to intercept her, but I lunged forward, my sword forcing him back.


    Lord Flores watched the scene with cruel enjoyment. "How touching. The weakling protecting the treasure. But your gestures are ultimately futile."


    With a casual wave of his hand, more dark energy chains materialized, striking toward me like vipers. I dodged the first few, my sword slicing through another, but there were too many. One wrapped around my ankle, another around my wrist.


    I channeled my remaining strength into my Saintly Body Skill, the golden light briefly intensifying around me. The chains sizzled where they touched the light, momentarily loosening.


    Lord Flores''s eyes widened. "Interesting. Your constitution has some resistance to dark energy. But not enough."


    He clenched his fist, and the chains tightened painfully. I gritted my teeth, fighting to maintain my footing as the dark energy tried to pull me down beside Conrad.


    "ra," I called out, "keep running!"


    But it was toote. The second disciple had circled around, cutting off her escape route. With nowhere to go, ra stood trembling between the stone pirs.


    Lord Flores approached her slowly, his expression hungry. "Such a rare find. Do you understand what you are, child? The power you couldmand?"


    ra backed away until she bumped against a pir. "Leave me alone! Mr. Liam will stop you!"


    Lord Floresughed, gesturing toward me as I struggled against the chains. "Your protector can barely help himself." He turned to me, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "I''ll give you a choice, Liam Knight. Will you obediently hand her over to me, or shall I kill you?"


    Conrad strained futilely against his bonds, his face red with effort. "Liam! The chains are weakest when he''s distracted!"


    Lord Flores kicked Conrad viciously in the side. "Silence! Your master has a decision to make."


    The dark chains tightened around my limbs as Lord Flores awaited my answer. ra''s frightened eyes met mine across the clearing, silently pleading for help.


    I assessed our dire situation. Conrad was immobilized. My strength was severely limited in this environment. ra was trapped.


    But Lord Flores had made one critical mistake—he''d underestimated what I was willing to do to protect those under my care.