Liam''s Perspective


    "Protect me!" Orion Valois screamed, scrambling backward as I charged forward.


    His allies rushed to intercept me, desperation clear in their eyes. I didn''t bother dodging their attacks. Every punch, every spell that struck me barely slowed my advance.


    "Get out of my way," I growled, backhanding one cultivator hard enough to shatter his jaw.


    Two more lunged from opposite sides, swords gleaming. I caught both des with my bare hands, crushing the metal before hurling the men aside like ragdolls.


    Orion''s face contorted with terror. He knew what I was now—unstoppable.


    "You can''t hide behind them forever," I called out, my voice cutting through the chaos.


    A barrage of energy bolts struck my chest and shoulders. They stung, but nothing more. I kept my eyes locked on Orion, ignoring everything else.


    He was my target. The rest were just obstacles.


    "Heavenly Barrier Formation!" someone shouted.


    A translucent wall of energy materialized between me and Orion. I didn''t slow down. My fist smashed through it like ss, the shards of broken energy dissipating around me.


    "Nothing will save you," I said coldly.


    I reached Orion in three more strides. His eyes widened in panic as my hand closed around his throat. Lifting him off the ground, I mmed him into a nearby tree hard enough to crack the trunk.


    "Wait!" he choked out. "I can give you—"


    My fist drove into his stomach, cutting off his words. He doubled over, gasping. Before he could recover, Inded a vicious uppercut that sent him flying.


    He crashed into the dirt several yards away, coughing blood. I was on him again before he could stand, my boot pressing down on his chest.


    "You targeted Isabelle," I reminded him, increasing the pressure. "You joined those who wanted to drain her blood."


    "Mercy," he wheezed, wing weakly at my leg.


    I responded with another punch that cracked his ribs. Then another. And another.


    Orion''s allies watched in horror as I systematically broke the man who had led them. None dared approach. The golden light emanating from my skin promised the same fate to any who tried.


    I grabbed Orion by his bloodied cor, hauling him upright. His head lolled to one side, consciousness fading.


    "Stay awake," I ordered, pping him hard. "I''m not done with you."


    His eyes refocused, filled with primal fear. As they should be.


    "The Buddhist bead," I demanded. "Hand it over."


    Recognition flickered across his bruised face. His hand trembled as it moved toward an inner pocket of his robe.


    "Don''t try anything stupid," I warned.


    He produced a small, milky white bead that pulsed with ancient energy. A genuine Buddhist treasure—worth a fortune to the right buyer.


    "This will save me," Orion muttered, desperation clear in his voice.


    Before he could activate it, my hand shot out, snatching the bead from his fingers. He gasped in disbelief as I pocketed hisst hope.


    "Nothing will save you," I repeated.


    Rage reced fear in Orion''s eyes. With a guttural cry, he sped his hands together in a strange seal.


    "Senro Demon Summoning!" he screamed, blood vessels bursting across his face from the strain.


    The ground beneath us cracked open. Dark energy poured from the fissure, congealing into a horrific form. A skeletal figure emerged, towering over us at twelve feet tall. Shadows clung to its bones like decaying flesh, and in its hands, it wielded an enormous rusted saber.


    I stepped back, eyeing the monstrosity warily. This was no ordinary technique.


    Orion copsed to his knees, looking hollow and drained. Blood trickled from his eyes and ears. Whatever he''d just done had cost him dearly.


    "Kill him," he gasped, pointing at me with a trembling finger.


    The skeleton turned its empty eye sockets toward me. A sense of ancient malice emanated from the creature, chilling the air around us.


    "A death spirit," I muttered, recognizing the forbidden technique. "You sacrificed your lifespan for this."


    Orion''sugh was brittle. "Worth it... to see you die."


    The skeleton moved with unexpected speed. Its massive saber whistled through the air, aiming to cleave me in half. I ducked, feeling the de pass inches above my head.


    I countered with a powerful punch to its ribcage. My fist connected with solid bone, but the skeleton didn''t even flinch.


    "Physical attacks won''t work," Orion wheezed, a mad grin stretching his bloodied lips. "It''s already dead."


    The skeleton swung again. This time, I raised my arm to block, confident in my Saintly Body defense.


    The de struck my forearm—and cut through.


    Painnced up my arm as blood sprayed from the wound. I leapt backward, shocked. The skeleton had bypassed my golden protection.


    "Surprised?" Orion''s voice cracked with strain. "Death... cuts through everything." Note<i ss="node-sep"></i>from<i ss="node-sep"></i>the<i ss="node-sep"></i>editor:<i ss="node-sep"></i>Always<i ss="node-sep"></i>check<i ss="node-sep"></i>*<i ss="node-sep"></i>for<i ss="node-sep"></i>corrections.</abbr>


    I examined the wound, stunned. The cut wasn''t deep, but it shouldn''t have been possible. My Saintly Body had stopped everything else.


    The skeleton advanced, its movements jerky yet purposeful. I shifted my stance, treating this enemy with the seriousness it deserved.


    "Fine," I muttered. "Let''s try something else."


    I gathered energy into my palm, forming apressed ball of pure force. As the skeleton swung again, I released the energy directly into its chest.


    Bones shattered and flew apart—only to instantly reform. The skeleton didn''t even pause in its attack.


    The massive saber came at me again, faster than before. I evaded by a hair''s breadth, feeling the cold metal brush against my cheek.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed the remaining cultivators had spread out in a circle around us. Their expressions had changed from fear to calcting opportunism.


    "Now!" one of them shouted. "While he''s distracted!"


    Multiple spells activated simultaneously. The air crackled with power as each cultivator unleashed their most devastating technique.


    Columns of fire, spears of ice, bolts of lightning, and waves of crushing force—all converged on my position from every direction.


    Before me, the skeleton raised its saber for another strike.


    I was trapped between the death spirit''s de and an overwhelming barrage of magical attacks, with nowhere to escape.


    The skeletal creature''s empty eye sockets seemed to gleam with triumph as its corroded de began its descent toward my neck. Behind me, thebined might of multiple Peak Form Grandmasters tore through the air, their spells seconds away from impact.


    Time seemed to slow as I realized the gravity of my situation. For the first time since this battle began, genuine concern flickered across my face.


    The saber fell. The spells closed in. I was caught between death and destruction.