Liam''s Perspective
I didn''t even need to dodge. As Axel''s glowing fist approached my face, I simply raised my palm and caught it.
The impact sent a shockwave through the room. Windows rattled. Expensive vases toppled from their pedestals. Servants screamed and fled.
But my arm didn''t budge an inch.
Axel''s eyes widened in shock. I could see the moment realization hit him—the gap between our powers wasn''t just significant. It was an abyss.
"Is that all?" I asked, tightening my grip.
The bones in his hand made a sickening crunch. Axel howled in pain, dropping to one knee.
"Without your precious artifacts, you''re nothing," I said, releasing his shattered hand. "Just another entitled rich boy ying at power."
Axel clutched his mangled fist to his chest. His face contorted with rage and humiliation.
"Kill him!" he screamed. "Everyone, kill him now!"
From the shadows emerged eight men in matching ck attire. Peak Form Grandmasters, every one of them. They moved with practiced coordination, surrounding me in a perfect circle.
"The famous Liam Knight," one of them sneered. "Not so tough against real fighters, are you?"
I almostughed. After facing Martial Marquises and Saints, these men felt like children waving sticks.
"This is your chance to leave," I told them. "Walk away now, and you might survive the day."
They exchanged amused nces. One of them spat at my feet.
"Your arrogance ends here," another said, drawing a curved de.
I sighed. "Have it your way."
I activated my Divine Dragon Power. Golden light erupted from my body, bathing the room in its glow. The Grandmasters took an instinctive step back, their confidence faltering.
"What... what is this power?" one whispered.
I didn''t answer. Instead, I employed the "Shrinking Ground Into An Inch" technique. To the observers, I simply vanished. To me, the distance between myself and the nearest Grandmasterpressed to nothing.
I appeared before him, my hand already on his chest. His eyes barely had time to widen before I activated the "Heaven Swallowing Skill."
Energy flowed from him into me—his life force, his cultivation, everything. He shrieked as his skin dried and withered. Within seconds, he copsed—a desated husk where a man had stood.
The other Grandmasters froze in horror.
"Who''s next?" I asked, licking my lips.
Two of them turned to run. I appeared before them instantly. One after another, I drained them dry, their screams cut short as their bodies crumbled.
The remaining Grandmasters backed away, terror evident on their faces.
"Monster," one whispered.
I smiled. "No. Just a man who''s learned from monsters."
Axel watched with growing desperation as his elite guards fell one by one. Three dead. Five. Seven. Soon, only one remained.
Thest Grandmaster dropped his weapon and fell to his knees. "Please," he begged. "I have children."
I paused, looking down at him. "Then go be with them. Tell everyone what you saw here today."
He scrambled away, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to escape.
I turned my attention back to Axel, who was inching toward the door.
"Going somewhere?" I asked.
Axel''s face was pale with fear. "What do you want? Money? Women? Name it."
"I told you what I want," I replied. "The Mountain Protection Artifact."
"It''s not that simple," he protested. "The artifact is bound to our bloodline."
I closed the distance between us in a sh, grabbing him by the throat.
"I''ll give you a choice," I said. "Tell me how to use the artifact, or I''ll drain you dry and figure it out myself."
Axel''s eyes darted around wildly, searching for an escape. Finding none, his expression hardened.
"I''ll die before I hand over my family''s legacy," he spat. <b ss="in-imprint-a">Note from the editor: Always check * for corrections.</b>
I tightened my grip. "That can be arranged."
"Wait!" he gasped. "There''s something you should know first."
I loosened my hold slightly. "Speak."
"The artifact... it requires blood. Lots of it."
I narrowed my eyes. "Whose blood?"
A cruel smile spread across Axel''s face. "Mine."
Without warning, he bit down hard on his tongue. Blood gushed from his mouth, running down his chin and onto the floor.
I released him in surprise. Axel dropped to his knees, cing both bloody palms on the ground.
"Ancestral blood awakens," he chanted, his voice gurgling through the blood. "Mountain protection, heed my call!"
The floor beneath us trembled. Ancient runes, previously invisible, began to glow where Axel''s blood touched them.
Axel stomped his foot three times on the bloodied ground. Each impact sent out crimson ripples across the floor.
From my peripheral vision, I noticed a figure watching from the tower window in the distance. Even from here, I recognized Dudley Lowell''s silhouette.
The runes red brighter. Beams of light shot up from the floor, converging on Axel. His body absorbed the light, growing more substantial by the second. His muscles expanded, his height increased, and his eyes zed with newfound power.
An immense pressure filled the room. I could feel Axel''s cultivation level rising rapidly—Form Grandmaster, Peak Grandmaster, and then... Half-step Martial Marquis.
The transformationplete, Axel stood before me, radiating power that far exceeded his previous level. Blood still dripped from his mouth, but his broken hand had healed. His entire body pulsed with energy.
"Now," he growled, his voice deeper and more resonant, "let''s see how confident you are."
I should have been concerned. A half-step Martial Marquis was nothing to take lightly, especially one empowered by an ancient artifact. But as I looked at Axel''s transformed state, my initial solemnity faded.
A grin spread across my face. My blood began to pump faster, my body tingling with anticipation.
"It''s perfect," I said, excitement building in my voice. "I want to see what a half-step Martial Marquis is like..."
Axel''s eyes narrowed at my unexpected reaction. He clenched his fists as dark energy swirled around them, preparing to show me exactly what his new power could do.