Liam''s Perspective


    The explosion consumed everything around us. Purple mes devoured thendscape, turning solid stone into molten g. The shockwave rippled outward, ttening trees and crumbling walls for hundreds of yards in all directions.


    Iy half-buried in rubble, my ears ringing from the st. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I tried to move. Using the Spiritual Fire Seal had drained me almostpletely.


    "Damn," I muttered, spitting blood onto the scorched earth. "That was more powerful than I expected."


    Through the settling dust, I scanned what remained of the Kaelen Family Manor. Nothing but ruins stretched in every direction. Craters dotted thendscape where once-proud buildings had stood.


    And somewhere in that wastndy Axel Kaelen.


    I pushed myself up onto shaky legs, feeling the Divine Dragon Power flickering weakly within me. I''d pushed it too far. My body felt hollow, drained of the vital energy that had sustained me through the battle.


    A weak cough drew my attention to a pile of debris about thirty feet away. I staggered toward it, nearly falling several times as my legs threatened to give out.


    Axely half-buried in the rubble, his once-powerful body broken beyond repair. Blood pooled beneath him, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. His eyes, however, retained their hatred as they locked onto mine.


    "You..." he wheezed. "What was that technique?"


    I stood over him, swaying slightly from exhaustion. "Spiritual Fire Seal. Divine Rank skill."


    His eyes widened slightly. "Divine Rank? Impossible... you''re just a Martial Master..."


    "I''m full of surprises," I said, trying to hide how close I was to copse. The Spiritual Fire Seal had nearly killed me in the process of destroying him.


    Axel''s lips twisted into a bloody smile. "It doesn''t matter. You''re toote."


    A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean?"


    "Dudley..." Axel coughed, more blood spilling from his mouth. "Dudley Lowell is already at the threshold. Your little explosion... he''ll have felt it even from within the Hydrating Tower."


    The Hydrating Tower. I''d heard whispers about it – an ancient structure at the center of the Kaelen estate, said to contain waters with mysterious properties.


    "The tower elerates cultivation," Axel continued, his voice growing weaker. "He''s been inside for days... reaching for the half-step Martial Marquis realm."


    "Why tell me this?" I asked, kneeling down beside him as my legs finally gave out.


    Axel''s eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction. "Because I want you to know... you''re dead anyway. Dudley will finish what I started. He''ll tear you apart... for killing me... for possessing the Divine Dragon Power he covets."


    I grabbed his cor, pulling his face closer to mine. "When will he emerge?"


    Axelughed, the sound wet with blood. "Soon enough. Maybe hours... maybe minutes. Your little explosion... might have even pushed him over the edge."


    As if in response to his words, a distant rumble shook the ground. I turned my head toward the center of the estate, where a tall, dark structure remained standing despite the devastation surrounding it. The Hydrating Tower.


    A pulse of energy emanated from it, powerful enough that even in my weakened state, I could sense it clearly.


    "You feel that?" Axel whispered, his voice barely audible now. "That''s your death approaching."


    His body went limp in my grasp, eyes staring sightlessly at the sky. Axel Kaelen was dead, but his final warning echoed in my mind.


    I released his cor and struggled to my feet. I needed to get away before Dudley Lowell emerged. In my current state, I wouldn''tst seconds against a fresh half-step Martial Marquis.


    The ground trembled again, more violently this time. The pulse of energy from the tower intensified, washing over the ruins like a physical wave. I staggered under its force, nearly falling again.


    "Not good," I muttered, limping away from Axel''s body. "Really not good."


    I made it about fifty yards before another pulse, stronger than the previous ones, brought me to my knees. The air around the Hydrating Tower distorted, shimmering like a heat mirage.


    Then the tower''s main door burst open, releasing a blinding light.


    A figure emerged from within, surrounded by a swirling aura of power that made my skin crawl. Even at this distance, I could feel the crushing pressure of his cultivation base.


    Dudley Lowell hadpleted his breakthrough.


    I ducked behind a fallen wall, suppressing what little energy signature I had left. In my condition, confronting him would be suicide.


    Dudley stepped fully into the open, his face raised toward the sky. He was tall and lean, with sharp features that might have been handsome if not for the cruel set of his mouth. His dark hair whipped around his face, moved by the energy radiating from his body.


    "I''ve done it," he said, his voice carrying easily across the ruins. "Half-step Martial Marquis. I can feel the power coursing through me."


    He lowered his gaze, surveying the destruction around him. His eyes narrowed as they fell on Axel''s distant corpse.


    "Who dares?" he snarled, moving with blinding speed to Axel''s side.


    I held my breath, pressing myself deeper into the shadow of the wall. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat feeling like it might be myst.


    Dudley knelt beside Axel''s body, his face contorting with rage. "Axel," he muttered. "Who did this to you?"


    He ced a hand on Axel''s forehead, a faint light passing between them. Some kind of technique to extract the final memories of the dead.


    After a moment, Dudley rose, his face now a mask of cold fury. "Liam Knight," he spat the name like a curse. "So you''re the one who possesses the Divine Dragon Power. The one who murdered my ally." <kbd ss="in-imprint-a">This content is hosted at *.</kbd>


    He turned in a slow circle, scanning the ruins. "I can sense you''re still here, Knight! Your energy signature is weak, but distinctive. That Divine Dragon Power leaves a unique trace."


    I didn''t move, didn''t breathe. I couldn''t fight him now. My only chance was to escape once his attention was elsewhere.


    Dudley raised his voice, addressing the ruins around him. "Hear me, Liam Knight! I, Dudley Lowell, have achieved the half-step Martial Marquis realm. The power you witnessed was just the beginning."


    He thrust his palm toward a section of intact wall about a hundred yards from my position. A wave of energy shot from his hand, shattering the wall into dust.


    "This is the power gap between us now," he continued. "You hide like a rat because you know you cannot face me. But I will find you. I will take the Divine Dragon Power from your corpse. And I will deliver your head to Lord Corbin as promised."


    Another pulse of energy radiated from him, sweeping across the ruins like a searching hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain as it washed over me, threatening to expose my location.


    Dudley stood motionless for a long moment, then turned back toward the tower. "I must prepare. The ritual was interrupted by your attack, but the power I''ve gained is more than enough to hunt you down."


    He strode away, his footsteps leaving small craters in the ground. "Run while you can, Knight. It will make no difference in the end."


    I watched through a crack in the wall as he made his way across the ruins, heading away from both the tower and my hiding spot. He paused at the edge of what had once been the estate grounds, looking back one final time.


    "I give you one day," he called out to the empty air. "One day to make peace with whatever gods you worship. Then I''ming for you."


    With that, he leapt into the air, moving with such speed that he seemed to vanish.


    I waited ten minutes, making sure he was truly gone before I dared to move. My body protested with every step as I dragged myself from my hiding ce.


    The Hydrating Tower loomed before me, dark and imposing against the twilight sky. Whatever power it contained had transformed Dudley Lowell from a threat to a nightmare.


    I limped toward it, drawn by curiosity and desperation. If this tower could elerate cultivation, perhaps it could help me recover from using the Spiritual Fire Seal.


    As I approached, I could feel a subtle energy emanating from within. Something ancient and powerful, yet not hostile like Dudley''s aura had been.


    I ced my hand against the tower''s outer wall, feeling a faint vibration beneath my palm. The stone was cool to the touch despite the day''s heat.


    "So this is how you did it," I murmured, thinking of Dudley''s rapid advancement. "This is how you reached half-step Martial Marquis."


    I nced back at the devastation I''d caused with the Spiritual Fire Seal, then at the distant spot where Dudley had disappeared. The power gap between us had widened dramatically. If I faced him now, I would die.


    But perhaps this tower held the key to closing that gap.


    A slow smile spread across my face as I turned back to the imposing structure. My hand drifted to the jade pendant at my chest, feeling its faint warmth.


    "Now," I said, my voice echoing in the empty ruins, "the tower belongs to me!"