Liam''s Perspective


    The Knightwood estate loomed before me, a monument to generational wealth and corruption. Dawn was just breaking over Unchon, casting long shadows across the manicured grounds. My blood still boiled from Colt''s cowardly attack at the templest night. The poison had been potent, but my Chaotic Body had burned it away by morning.


    Today, Colt Knightwood would answer for Caspian''s murder.


    Three Grandmasters guarded the main gate. They straightened as I approached, hands moving to their weapons.


    "Halt! This is private property," the center guard called out.


    I didn''t slow down. "Move or be moved."


    They exchanged nces, clearly recognizing me. The tallest one stepped forward, drawing a curved de.


    "Liam Knight. Master Knightwood is expecting you, but—"


    I blurred past him before he finished speaking. A quick strike to his pressure points dropped him unconscious. The other two attacked simultaneously. I caught one''s wrist, redirected his momentum into his partner, and kept walking. Their bodies hit the ground behind me with dull thuds.


    Three seconds. I hadn''t even needed to use my full strength.


    The estate''s security system activated—barriers of energy flickering to life around the perimeter. Laughable. I punched through them like tissue paper, each barrier shattering with a sound like breaking ss.


    Servants scattered as I entered the main house. Their fear was palpable, eyes wide as they pressed themselves against walls to avoid me. I followed Colt''s energy signature to the central courtyard.


    He stood waiting, dressed in ceremonial battle robes of deep crimson. Gold embroidery depicted twin dragons—the symbol of his family''s martial lineage.


    "I knew you''d survive the poison," Colt said, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. "Remarkable constitution you have."


    "Where''s your partner?" I asked, scanning for Zion. "Or did he realize you''re not worth protecting?"


    Colt''s jaw tightened. "I need no protection from the likes of you."


    "Caspian Kane was my friend," I said, closing the distance between us. "He was a good man. Did you even ask why before ordering his death?"


    "He threatened my family''s interests," Colt replied coldly. "That''s reason enough."


    "Then you''ll die for the same reason."


    He smiled thinly. "Many have tried."


    Without warning, Coltunched into his attack—the legendary Twin Dragon Fists technique. His arms moved in perfect synchronization, energy coalescing around his hands in the shape of dragon heads.


    Impressive. Twenty years ago, this might have been considered formidable.


    I stood motionless, letting his attack approach. At thest possible moment, I shifted slightly to the side. His fist missed my face by millimeters.


    "Is that it?" I asked.


    Rage contorted his features. He redoubled his efforts, each strike more desperate than thest. The courtyard filled with the sound of his exertions and the whoosh of disced air.


    Not a single hitnded.


    "My turn," I said quietly.


    I gathered my qi, channeling it into the Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist. Golden light suffused my right hand, condensing into a blinding radiance. Colt''s eyes widened in recognition and fear.


    "Impossible," he whispered. "That technique was lost centuries ago."


    "Not lost," I corrected. "Just waiting for the right person."


    My fist connected with his chest. The impact shattered his protective qi armor and sent him flying backward through a stone pir. The sound of breaking bones echoed across the courtyard as he crashed into the far wall.


    The ground beneath us trembled. Cracks spiderwebbed across the courtyard stones. Part of the east wing of the mansion began to copse, support structures failing under the pressure wave from my strike.


    Colt struggled to his feet, blood streaming from his mouth and nose. His right arm hung limp at his side, clearly broken in multiple ces.


    "You—" he coughed, spitting blood. "You''ll bring ruin to us all."


    "Just to you," I replied, advancing slowly. "Justice for Caspian. Justice for everyone you''ve crushed under your boot."


    Terror reced arrogance in his eyes. He stumbled backward, fumbling inside his robes with his good hand.


    "Wait!" he gasped. "We can negotiate! Money, power, resources—whatever you want!"


    "I want you to face what you''ve done."


    I prepared another strike, gathering even more qi this time. The air around my fist distorted with heat and power.


    With desperate speed, Colt pulled something from his robes—a small, ancient-looking scroll. He unrolled it with a flick of his wrist, channeling his remaining energy into the yellowed paper.


    The scroll red with blinding light. Symbols I''d never seen before burned across its surface, arranging themselves into aplex pattern.


    "Divine Seal of the Heavenly Emperor!" Colt shouted, his voice suddenly confident.


    I drove my fist forward, colliding with an invisible barrier. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering every window in the mansion. My knuckles burned with the contact, but the barrier held.


    I struck again with both fists, pouring more power into each blow. The barrier—no, the divine seal—trembled but refused to break.


    "What is this?" I growled.


    "Something even you can''t break," Coltughed, blood staining his teeth red. "A gift from a friend."


    The seal pulsed once, then began expanding. I tried to leap backward, but toote. The glowing pattern surrounded mepletely, then contracted with crushing force.


    Invisible pressure mmed me to my knees. The weight of a mountain pressed down on my shoulders, driving me into the stone floor. Cracks formed beneath me as the courtyard buckled under the pressure.


    I fought against it, channeling every drop of qi I could muster. My muscles strained to the breaking point. The golden light of my technique red brighter—but the seal remained unbroken.


    "The Divine Seal can restrain even Martial Saints," Colt said, limping closer. "You''re powerful, Liam Knight, but not that powerful. Not yet."


    I gritted my teeth, struggling to even raise my head. "When I break free—"


    "You won''t," came a familiar cold voice from the shadows.


    Zion Monroe stepped into the courtyard, his arctic eyes surveying the scene with clinical interest.


    "The seal holds him well," Zion observed. "Better than expected, given his constitution."


    Colt wiped blood from his chin. "As promised. Now fulfill your end of our bargain."


    "Of course." Zion circled me slowly, like a predator assessing wounded prey. "Fascinating. His body continues to fight against the seal. Most would have copsedpletely by now."


    I red up at him, pouring every ounce of hatred into my gaze. "The Umbral Covenant. You''re supposed to be just a myth."


    "The most dangerous truths often hide behind thebel of myth," Zion replied. "We''ve watched you for some time, Liam Knight. Your potential exceeds anything I''ve seen in decades."


    "What do you want?" I managed to ask, each word a struggle against the crushing pressure.


    "Your body harbors secrets I''ve spent a lifetime searching for," he said simply. "The perfect chaotic constitution—capable of cultivating both light and dark energies simultaneously. Do you evenprehend how rare that is?"


    Despite the situation, Iughed. "And you think I''ll just hand it over?"


    "No." Zion''s smile never reached his eyes. "I expect to take it by force."


    He knelt beside me, examining me like a curious specimen. "Your father hid his knowledge well. The Shadow King''s techniques died with him—or so everyone thought. Yet here you are, his living legacy."


    My heart pounded. "You knew my father?"


    "I knew of him." Zion stood again. "Just as he knew of the Umbral Covenant. We were...petitors in certain areas of research." <b ss="frag-4094a2">This<i ss="node-sep"></i>chapter<i ss="node-sep"></i>was<i ss="node-sep"></i>made<i ss="node-sep"></i>possible<i ss="node-sep"></i>by<i ss="node-sep"></i>the<i ss="node-sep"></imunity<i ss="node-sep"></i>at<i ss="node-sep"></i>*.</b>


    Colt cleared his throat impatiently. "Enough reminiscing. Kill him and be done with it."


    Zion turned, regarding Colt with mild annoyance. "Kill him? That would be an unconscionable waste."


    "That wasn''t our agreement!" Colt protested. "You promised his death!"


    "I promised resolution," Zion corrected. "And I keep my promises."


    He moved faster than my eye could follow. One moment he stood three paces from Colt; the next, his hand pierced Colt''s chest.


    Colt''s eyes bulged in shock. He looked down at the arm protruding from his chest, mouth opening and closing silently.


    "You should have specified the terms more clearly," Zion said conversationally, withdrawing his bloodied hand.


    Colt Knightwood copsed, dead before he hit the ground.


    Zion turned back to me, wiping his hand casually on a silk handkerchief. "Now, Liam Knight, let''s discuss our future together."


    "There is no future together," I spat, still fighting against the seal''s pressure.


    "I disagree." He crouched before me again. "The Umbral Covenant offers knowledge you can''t imagine. Techniques lost for millennia. Power beyond reckoning."


    "At what cost?"


    "Service. Loyalty. The usual." His eyes gleamed with dark humor. "Is that so different from your arrangement with Mariana Valerius?"


    I strained against the divine seal again, managing to lift my head higher. "I chose to align with her. You''re not giving me a choice."


    "I''m giving you the only choice that matters," Zion countered. "Join us willingly, and I''ll personally elerate your training beyond anything Mariana could offer. Refuse..."


    He let the threat hang in the air.


    "Why would I ever join you?" I asked through gritted teeth.


    "Because you need power," he said simply. "Your beloved Isabelle remains captive. The Veridia City Martial Guild grows stronger each day. Your current trajectory leads to certain failure."


    His words struck deeper than I wanted to admit. Isabelle''s face shed through my mind. Every day in their clutches was another day of suffering for her.


    "Consider my offer," Zion continued. "Join the Umbral Covenant. Learn our ways. When you''ve mastered what we have to teach, you''ll be strong enough to rescue her—and to protect her afterward."


    "And if I refuse?"


    "Then I''ll be forced to extract what I need from your corpse." He sighed, almost regretfully. "Less efficient, but still valuable."


    Iughed bitterly. "Some choice."


    "The best ones always feel that way." Zion gestured to Colt''s body. "Look at him. He had power, wealth, influence—and none of it saved him. Don''t make his mistake."


    "His mistake was crossing me," I growled.


    "No." Zion''s voice hardened. "His mistake was believing conventional power would be enough in theing war. The old martial world is dying, Liam. Those who cling to outdated methods will perish with it."


    He stood, looking down at me with those cold, calcting eyes. "Join me, and I''ll not only spare your life but personally ensure Colt''s entire family answers for Caspian''s death. Refuse, and you die here, your quest unfulfilled, your woman lost forever."


    The divine seal continued its relentless pressure. My options were running out. Even with my Chaotic Body, I couldn''t break free—not yet.


    "What''s your answer, Liam Knight?" Zion asked, extending his blood-stained hand. "Life or death? Power or failure? Isabelle''s salvation or her eternal imprisonment?"


    I looked up at him, at his outstretched hand, and at the corpse of Colt Knightwood cooling on the shattered courtyard stones. The choice before me wasn''t just about survival—it was about what I was willing to sacrifice for power.


    For Isabelle.